Ubisoft has been releasing plenty of great videos in their four part 'Inside Assassin's Creed 3' developer diary series.

The fourth and final part with episode 4 talks about America by Land and Sea. In addition we have posted all 4 videos in this post if you want to re-watch or catch up on what's been covered so far.

Episode 4


Episode 3


Episode 2


Episode 1

If you have played the original Borderlands in 2009 then you are probably familiar with the best intro of that year and its equally epic theme song ‘Ain't No Rest For The Wicked’. Before I actually start to tell you just how great its successor is, I will start by stating that this year’s intro has topped the original and so did the game. By creating a loot driven shooter with RPG elements Gearbox Software has landed an instant success 3 years ago and while the first attempt at making such a game was good, the game set on Pandora had its fair share of issues but the developer has done its best to address them for the sequel.

It is hard to speak of Borderlands in anything but an extremely loving way; the game was so unbelievably refreshing with its art style and gameplay, that it took the world by storm to an extend that even the developers and publisher 2K Games did not expect. After Gearbox spent a good year developing and releasing DLC for the 4 player coop title it was time to work on the sequel. Borderlands was great fun to play but also had players and critics overlook some of its issues since it was such a breath of fresh air such as the missing mini map, technical problems and user interface (UI) and of course the tacked on story.



Fast forward to 2012 and Gearbox released Borderlands 2 which built on all the things that were great about the original and addressed its shortcomings in just about every way. Borderlands 2 is still a loot based RPG shooter that is best enjoyed with a group of four friends and has 4 character classes to chose from, the game is also based on Pandora again and of course the ‘Vault Hunters’ are here to grab some treasure. This time however, the game has a fully fleshed out story where the game’s villain ‘Handsome Jack’ recruits vault hunters to do his dirty work. Of course there is more to Jack than meets the eye and he wants to open an ancient vault that will allow him to more or less destroy everything and everyone or at least control the planet. This doesn’t go over well with you or the guardian angel, who also returns to the game, and the player quickly goes onto a quest to stop Jack.



Borderlands 2 is a much better game than its predecessor and that is not only due to the story, more built out characters rather than mission originators, and the added mini map but also some minor tweaks like the improved UI. The navigation has been enhanced and I was able to mark items as favorites or trash, which allows for easy selling of items I didn’t care about and making sure I never sell others by accident. Other tweaks went into the way quests are handled and upgrades are applied. None of these are breathtaking changes but improve the overall playability of Borderlands 2. Some nice added features are fast travel and the stat comparison when hovering over a new gun or mod when looting – players won’t have to open menus to check if this is a superior item. In order to supplement some of the skill tree progression, which feels a lot more unique this time around, there are ‘Bad Ass Tokens’ which can be applied to reduce shield recharge rate, gun accuracy or maximum health – all of these changes will carry over between the four character classes. This means any of the token based enhancements will apply to Gunzerker, Siren, Commando or Assassin class.



When you are not looting, chatting up NPCs or checking your quest log you are probably killing enemies – lots and lots of enemies whose banter makes for some comic relief as numbers keep popping from their bodies when they die from the effects of the 870 Gajillion guns in the game. Does that sound like fun to you? Well it is some seriously addicting gamer crack Gearbox has come up with. There are several gun manufacturers in the game that will have different abilities ranging from Western style weapons to alien technology based guns with tons of elemental effects. All of these things become more fun with 3 more friends to play with as they can jump in and out of each other’s games with the seamless coop options. You will also be able to skip missions that were already completed as you helped a buddy in his game – another nice touch added to Borderlands 2.



Naturally there are always a few things to point out that could be improved, even though there aren’t many of them in Gearbox’s latest outing, there are a few I’d like to point out. Vehicles still feel a bit squirrely and are only used to get from point A to B in a quicker fashion. The game also suffers from some texture pop-in even when installed on the hard drive – this isn’t a big issue but I wouldn’t expect it at this stage of the console cycle. Lastly, if you’re playing cooperatively make sure it is with people you know, as the shared loot system can make for you not getting any of the good stuff.

From reading this review you can already tell that Borderlands 2 is a huge improvement over its predecessor and the good far outweigh the bad. Gearbox has made an already fun and addictive game into a great one that has me wanting more already. The sequel is packed with fun, rewarding gunplay and looting around a good story that is all enjoyed even more with friends over Xbox LIVE or PSN. While there are some minor issues to note, Borderlands 2 is already a Game of the Year contender and we are only in September!

Score: 9.5 / 10

Borderlands 2 was developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on September 18th. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by 2K Games for reviewing purposes.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s Zombie Mode will receive a World Premiere on 9.26.12 – Activision tells us it will be a wild ride – and in honor of this announcement they sent us a brand new trailer with a sneak peak of the popular TreyArch developed mode.

We all remember the most impressive and intriguing trailer that was released in the wake of the original Dead Island.

With the upcoming follow up to the zombie slasher, Techland has gone to the same CG well and dug up an equally impressive short that ends in devastation – as usual. Check out the trailer below.

With TGS 2012 kicking off today Sony has started with sort of a bang by announcing a new PS3 Slim model which is now, wait for it – simmer! The new console is about 20 percent smaller and 25 percent light than the previous model and will come in the 250GB and 500GB variants for 249 Dollars and 299 Dollars respectively.

Sony also revealed a new bundle with the Uncharted GOTY Edition and 30 bucks in DUST 514 credits along with an exclusive Assassin’s Creed 3 bundle. The Uncharted 3 bundle will be 269 bucks while there is no price for the Assassin’s bundle – yet. Check the PS Blog for more details.

Check out the fourth and final developer diary for the upcoming Dishonored from Arkane and Bethesda. This one talks all about the 'End Game'.

So you like Pokemon and you also like typing? Maybe you simply want to become better at it and play a game while doing it. Who likes those flying finger software-types that promise to make typing fun? I sure don’t and if you like your 3DS and video games, I can’t see you being a big fan of lame typing software either.

In any case, you may be interested in a new ‘Typing Adventure’ called Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure. This game will have players exploring the world of Pokemon and bring joy to typing for once! Regardless whether you are a beginner or a champion speed type professional, this game will let you enjoy yourself at your own skill level.

Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure is designed to improve its users’ typing abilities by going through specially designed courses which entail the catching of Pokemon by typing out their names quickly before they have a chance to run away. The game is for your Nintendo 3DS and will come with a keyboard to truly create a real typing experience.

This game is also great for nowbies to typing as it provides great courses for you as well. If you want to get your children up to speed more quickly or get a head start on the school year, this may be a great alternative to the standard learning tools that may not be as ‘fun’ to kids.

Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure is one of those innovative titles Nintendo has been known for and reminds us why Nintendo is the grandfather of video games.

This post has been sponsored by Nintendo.

When it comes to racing games Codemasters’ games have been running at the top end of the spectrum for many years now. When the British developer, based in Birmingham, entered the most prestigious of classes with Formula 1 in 2010, many fans of the genre were skeptical as to the studio’s success. However, F1 2010 and especially 2011 were enough to shut up the game’s critics as it performed more than successfully and treated the Formula 1 license with upmost respect, authenticity and realism.



By now you can probably tell that this is a review of a hardcore racing game by an enthusiast and you are most likely one as well if you are interested in this game. F1 2012 is not only another roster and car update for the 2012 season, as one may suggest with an annual racing franchise like this one, but it is actually quite a bit more than that. When actually playing F1 2012 it becomes obvious that Codemasters has finally found the time to add more diverse features and polish to an already great simulation experience. This year’s entry looks even more stunning than its predecessor and comes with a fantastic presentation along with an overhauled menu system.



Visually F1 2012 does not only impress with its pristine presentation of cars and tracks including the new US Grand Prix in Texas, which are all authentically captured in Codemasters’ Formula 1 title, but also the overall experience of a race weekend along with its new, clean and streamlined menus. Seldom have I felt as immersed by a video game – F1 2012 pulls in racing fans and does not let them go. It starts with the newly added ‘Young Drivers Test’ which serves as a tutorial to teach new players how to drive an extremely demanding Formula 1 car and use the KERS and DRS features with a mix of challenge tests and video walkthroughs. While this is great for newbies, it is also a great refresher for seasoned vets.
 

Upon completing the young drivers test players can chose from an array of game modes which include the time trial, multiplayer, co-op championship and career which should be familiar to players from last year’s game. With F1 2012 Codemasters finally added some additional modes for players to chose from such as the season challenge, which is an accelerated season where players compete against team mates and rivals – it is a very welcome addition to those of us who do not have hours and hours to spend on a career mode.

Another very good new feature is F1 2012’s champions mode and will probably become a fan favorite when the game is in players’ hands. Champions mode pits you against the six Formula 1 champions currently running in the 2012 F1 season. Players will be asked to pass Kimi Raikonnen with a few laps to go in Spa or edge out Michael Schumacher in the six challenges. These set piece scenarios are some of the most fun to be had in F1 2012.



Since this is a racing simulation review, we have to talk about the actual driving in Codemasters’ latest entry into Formula 1. Let me paint this picture for you, regardless whether you are a new young driver starting out with Toro Rosso or being an F1 champion in a Ferrari, F1 2012 will keep you at the edge of your seat with sweaty palms as you try to squeeze everything out of you and the car. Racing at speeds exceeding 200 MPH, before threading the needle through a hairpin while passing 2 cars will have your vision blur. In case you spin out or nail another car, you can always use the flashback options we have come to know and love. Competing in the middle of the field and beating your objective of coming in 12th is as exciting as challenging Sebastian Vettel for a win.

The gameplay in F1 2012 is as breathtaking as ever with some improvements made to weather dynamics, causing you to use tire strategy more carefully as well as pay attention to the importance of adjusting your car setup – both will severely impact your race outcome – your engineer will provide you with hints as to what to change and the race director will let you know who is on the track and with what tires. Of course a good pit stop strategy will become essential to winning a championship as valuable seconds can be earned or lost by choosing the right pit window.



Using DRS and KERS at the right points in time are also extremely important in this year’s game as it very challenging without the available driving aids such as break assist and racing line. What I mean by that is, players will need to develop a feel for the car on Option or Prime tires, a full fuel tank or an empty one and so on – layer on top of that the effective use of DRS and KERS and it can make your head spin in the beginning but once all of these techniques and tracks are mastered, F1 2012 will be one of the most rewarding racing games you’ll play on this generation of hardware.

After Codemasters Birmingham had delivered the very solid F1 2011, even a Formula 1 fan like me, had questioned its right to earn your 60 Dollars but F1 2012 has certainly proved its worth with excellent improvements and newly added features with this year’s outing. If you want to enjoy one of the most exciting racing experiences this year, you have to buy F1 2012.

Score: 9.5 / 10

F1 2012 was developed by Codemasters Birmingham and published by Codemasters for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on September 18th. A copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Codemasters for reviewing purposes.