Mon, 26 Jul, 10
Author:
Lydia Low

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman Arkham Asylum £9.35 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

Batman Arkham Asylum £9.35 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

Yesterday Tom posted about Zavvi’s current deal for  Batman: Arkham Asylum; for PS3 owners, this remains the best option out there for the game right now, however XBox 360 users can now grab Arkham for an even better price from Tesco Entertainment. Be warned though, you might need to be quick as the PS3 version was listed at the same price earlier today but has now gone back up to £19.

Tesco Entertainment currently have the game listed for £11, which undercuts the next best price of £12.95 from Zavvi by nearly £2. Not a bad deal but if you use the ubiquitous promotional code that’s been doing the rounds forever, you can knock off  an extra pound-and-a-bit and pay just £9.35.

To buy the game for the reduced price, use the following voucher code: FTSL15-1.

Arkham Asylum is filled with the most maniacal of Gotham’s many sick and twisted criminals; it’s a dark and gritty world and when Batman is lured in to its clutches, he must stay on his toes (or hanging from the ceiling) at all times. This asylum is being run by the lunatics and the dark knight is the only one that can sort the mess out.

You don’t have to be a Batman fan to absolutely love this game but if you are, you are in for a real treat, as Arkham Asylum is filled with little details from and nods to the Batman universe and creates a wonderful and evocative atmosphere.

Thanks to leehustwait at Hotukdeals!

Leave a comment

Sun, 25 Jul, 10
Author:
Tom Silkstone

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £12.95 @ Zavvi [PS3 & Xbox 360 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £12.95 @ Zavvi [PS3 & Xbox 360 Games]

Whenever I sit down to watch something Batman related now, I find myself wanting to grab my Xbox controller so that I can jump into The Dark Knight’s shoes in order to thwart The Joker’s latest plan, which involves Arkham Asylum.

Zavvi are currently parting with copies of the game on the PS3 and 360 for £12.95, which’ll save you just over £2 on the next best offers for both versions.

This is an amazing game that every Batman fan should get their hands on, because every inch of it is saturated with references from The Caped Crusaders extensive history. Both Batman and The Joker are played wonderfully, by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill respectively, and Arkham Asylum is a character in itself,  having been painstakingly mapped out by the developers, and it feels like you’re walking around a living breathing world.

The gameplay combines stealth elements with hand to hand combat, and it’s a definite plus that you have to plan out the course of action you’re going to take before picking off the numerous criminals you come across, because The World’s Greatest Detective doesn’t do too well by jumping out of the rafters and landing in-front of multiple enemies’ guns. What he does excel at however, is sticking to the shadows above the hired goons’ heads, and waiting for one of them to isolate themselves from the group so that he can pick them off one by one. This then causes the remaining inept foes to panic and their game plan falls to piece, which is wonderful to exploit with a couple of Batarangs and a carefully placed fist.

It’s incredibly hard to find anything wrong with the game, but personally I was disappointed that you can’t run around Gotham City and that the Batmobile and Batwing are only there for show, which is a shame because it would have been nice to have taken them for a spin.

If you’ve not got round to playing Arkham Asylum yet, then you should pick up a copy as soon as possible, otherwise you’ll be missing out on a real treat.

Thanks to davver99 @ HUKD

Leave a comment

Tue, 13 Jul, 10
Author:
Lydia Low

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £12.75 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £12.75 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

It’s a Bafta winner and hailed by many as the greatest superhero game of all time with little dispute from any corners. Not only that but, even in the face of some very stiff competition it was also one of the most enjoyable and well crafted games of last year and definitely worth picking up if you haven’t already.

With the ubiquitous voucher code, you can snap Arkham Asylum up for just £12.75 from Tesco Entertainment which is the best price I have seen for the PS3 version so far. Even if you have used the code before, Tesco’s base price of £15.00 under cuts the next best (£15.95 from Blah DVD and affliates) by nearly a quid.

To receive the game for the reduced price of just £12.75 you need to use our old friend, voucher code FTSL15-1 at checkout.

It’s a simple story but no less compelling for it and there are plenty of nice little details and nods that will please the hardcore Dark Knight fan and pique the interest of newcomers too. The environments of Gotham’s Arkham Asylum are brilliantly designed and realised and feel pleasingly authentic, bolstered by some top notch graphics  which add to the dark, gritty mood very effectively. The combat is a real joy; brilliantly balanced so that it is accessible to all and just a whole lot of fun to execute. The one real complaint I could make is that the main Story Mode is a little short but there’s plenty of secrets and unlockables to keep you coming back for more after the credits have rolled.

Thanks to robbrinks at Hotukdeals!

Leave a comment

Tue, 22 Jun, 10
Author:
Tom Silkstone

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £9.99 @ Game [Xbox 360 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £9.99 @ Game [Xbox 360 Games]

Here’s a deal from Game that should snap your attention away from whatever you’re doing, Arkham Asylum on the 360 for £9.99! £9.99! Yes, it certainly does warrant saying twice because, wow, what a great price for an awesome game! It’s also a saving of just over £2.50 on the next best offer of £12.75 coming in from Tesco Entertainment.

I don’t think you’ll find a comic book game that’s more faithful to its source material, both in terms of the content and the shady gothic environments. Besides the main game, there’s a whole wealth of riddler challenges to complete, which take on various forms and finishing them all should keep you going for a while. Everything in the game looks great and it’s hard not to get distracted by the way The Dark Knight’s cape flows behind him as he’s moving through the game.

When you’re playing, you become Batman, you’ll stalk enemies from the shadows waiting for the opportunity to pick them off one by one, quickly knock out gang members with some brutal hand to hand combat, or solve puzzles to live up to the title of The World’s Greatest Detective. This wouldn’t be a Batman game if you didn’t have a significant number of gadgets at your disposal and all the favourites are here including various types of Batarang, grappling hooks, the Batclaw, and a nifty little device for overloading shielded doors otherwise known as the cryptographic sequencer.

It’s a little bit disappointing that you can’t make a quick visit to Gotham City, or use the Batmobile and Batwing, but these are only minor blemishes to an otherwise superb game.

For this price I shouldn’t have to say anything to get you swooping down to Game to pick up a copy, but all I will say is if you do you’re in for an absolute treat!

1 Comment

Sat, 22 May, 10
Author:
Tom Silkstone

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of The Year edition £16.14 @ The Hut [Xbox 360 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of The Year edition £16.14 @ The Hut [Xbox 360 Games]

In what could very well be the best comic book adaptation to hit the gaming world, you get to stalk your enemies from the shadows whilst trying to overcome the Joker’s evil plans as The Dark Knight.

NB: You’ll need to use the following code to get the game at the advertised price: 10GAMES

This version of Arkham Asylum provides you with six extra challenge maps, and the option of playing the game in 3D with the help of Trioviz 3D vision and two pairs of 3D glasses, which has got to be the best thing about getting a copy of the GOTY edition. The Hut are currently parting with copies for the amazingly low price of £16.14, which is almost £2 cheaper than the next best offer of £17.89 at Sendit.

The story behind Arkham Asylum is thoroughly engrossing and keeps you on your toes throughout, with a nice blend of explosive action and what seems like a never-ending list of references to the comics that really help to immerse you in Batman’s world. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill lead the voice cast and are both outstanding as Batman and The Joker respectively, which is to be expected when you look back at the exceptional quality of their previous work on Batman: The Animated Series.

The gameplay is a wonderful mix of stealth take downs where your aim is to create fear among your enemies causing them to separate themselves from groups at which point Batman can effortlessly dispatch them, and brutal hand to hand combat.

The 3D aspect to the GOTY edition is surprisingly good, and I found it really helped to improve the depth of the image and my ability to judge distances between characters in relation to themselves and the environment.

Personally, I would have preferred to slip into the shadows of Gotham city and found it incredibly frustrating that you couldn’t drive the Batmobile or Batwing, but these are the only downsides that I could find to an otherwise fantastic game.

If you’ve not played Arkham Asylum yet, I’d recommend that you purchase a copy as soon as possible, as it really puts you into Batman’s shoes and provides you with an experience that you’ll want to go back and enjoy again and again.

Thanks to andywedge @ HUKD

Leave a comment

Tue, 11 May, 10
Author:
Tom Silkstone

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition £17.93 @ The Hut [PS3 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition £17.93 @ The Hut [PS3 Games]

As Batman your mission is to thwart the Joker’s mischievous plans, after he escapes from custody on returning to Arkham Asylum. If you missed Matt’s deal post yesterday, this is another brilliant opportunity to get hold of a copy of the GOTY edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PS3, and its cheaper too.

The Hut are parting with copies for the very reasonable price of £17.93, which is £7 cheaper than the next best price of £24.95 at Zavvi.

For me, Arkham Asylum was definitely the best single player game from 2009 (needless to say Modern Warfare 2 was my favourite multiplayer game of 2009) due to its loyalty to the comics, exceptional story, outstanding voice acting from Kevin Conrad and Mark Hamill, and a wonderful blend of hand to hand combat and stealth antics.

The GOTY edition throws in 6 extra challenge maps, but the real selling point and the only reason that I bought the GOTY edition having already completed the game several times, is the chance to have another play through in 3D. Now, its worth noting that this isn’t the modern Avatar 3D technology that we’ve recently come to know, but the oldschool 3D using glasses with red and green lenses. Initially, I was skeptical as to whether or not the 3D would increase my enjoyment of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it did help to improve the depth of the image and my ability to judge distances between characters in relation to themselves and the environment. However, I did find that after an hour or so of playing, my eyes and brain had had enough and I needed to give them a rest by switching off the 3D. I then continued to play through the game without really feeling like I was missing out on anything by disengaging the extra dimension.

If you’re curious about checking out the 3D like I was, or if for some reason you haven’t played Arkham Asylum yet, then its definitely worth forking out £17.93 for a copy.

Thanks to goonertillidie @HUKD

Leave a comment

Mon, 10 May, 10
Author:
Matt Gardner

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition £17.99 @ Zavvi [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition £17.99 @ Zavvi [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

If Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2 made the most noise last year with their slick and shiny series sequels, then Batman: Arkham Asylum was the Little Game That Could….and Did. Coming way out of left field to snatch not only the accolade of Best Superhero Game EVER, it was touted by many (including yours truly) as their Game of 2009, and it’s not hard to see why thanks to it’s excellent combat, brilliant use of stealth, and gloriously geeky in-jokes, Riddler puzzles and fan collectibles.

The Game of the Year Edition didn’t really add a huge amount of extra content, apart from a few further Challenge maps, but it did offer something else: the developers went back throughout the entire game and added in optional stereoscopic 3D thanks to the TriOviz engine. You can pick up this version of the game on both PS3 and Xbox 360 for just £17.99 at Zavvi at the moment, saving you around £8-9 on the next prices!

Mixing up a combination of excellent third-person stealth with timing/rhythm based combat along with a healthy dose of exploration and some well constructed puzzles and platforming elements, Arkham Asylum is simply a joy to step into. The world of Batman has been fantastically created, with a solid script from Animated Series scribe Paul Dini complimented by sterling voice work from cartoon regulars Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.

The 3D element is the only real reason you’d choose this version over the standard one, what with the latter being a few quid cheaper or so these days and it’s effect is subtle to begin with. It’s not really until you break out of the first hour or so that the 3D really kicks in. It’s most noticeable during combat, Bats himself being the most obviously 3 dimensional object on the screen, those Bourne-esque punches seem somehow more robust. When he glides down from the rafters, the TriOvix engine really gives you a sense of the ground falling away as you kick off, before zooming into focus once more.Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition £17.99 @ Zavvi [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

This edition won’t appeal to gamers who already own the original, but for those of you late to this particular party then I’d suggest you give this package some consideration. You can check out my full review for more.

Thanks to davver99 at HUKD


Leave a comment

Mon, 3 May, 10
Author:
Tom Silkstone

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £15.95 @ Zavvi [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £15.95 @ Zavvi [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Having become extremely suspicious at the ease of recapturing and transporting the Joker back to Arkham Asylum, Batman’s worst fear is confirmed when the clown prince of crime escapes from his restraints and converts the facility into a deadly fun house filled with a lethal combination of traps and familiar villains, which the caped crusader needs to overcome in order to foil his arch enemy’s plans.

Zavvi are currently parting with copies of the game for the outstandingly good value of £15.93, which is almost £2 cheaper than the next best offer of £17.93 from The Hut.

This is without a doubt the best incarnation of the Batman franchise to make its way onto our consoles, and also stands head and shoulders above the other superhero titles on the market.

The story, beautifully mapped gothic environments of Arkham, and brilliant voice acting from Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, makes it feel like you’ve fallen amongst the pages of a living breathing DC comic.

The gameplay is everything you could hope for from a Batman game. Stealth and the creation of fear amongst your enemies is preferable to all out brawling in the majority of situations. However, when brute force is needed, Batman is more than capable of dishing out a variety of formidable moves using the amazingly fluid combat system. Players also have access to a number of familiar Wayne Enterprise gadgets, including several varieties of Batman’s signature weapon, the Batarang.

Whilst its incredibly hard to find any faults in Arkham Asylum, I would have preferred to roam the rooftops of gotham city, directly protecting the home that Bruce Wayne holds so dear. Also, I was extremely frustrated by the inability to drive the Batmobile or pilot the Batwing.

Short of winning the lottery or inheriting a fortune, this is the closest you’ll come to becoming The Dark Knight. The quality of the game speaks for itself and if you’ve not bought it yet then for £15.95 you really have no excuse to put off owning it any longer.

Thanks to davver99 @HUKD

Leave a comment

Fri, 30 Apr, 10
Author:
Brendan Griffiths

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £15.04 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £15.04 @ Tesco Entertainment [PS3 Games]

What? You don’t own this yet. How dare you. A game that justifies the hype if ever there was one. Yes the Game of the Year Edition has just been released, but this is over a tenner cheaper. It’s also over £2 cheaper than the next best deal at Asda.

NB: You’ll need this ‘15% off’ code at the checkout to get the £15.04 price: FTSL15-1

So what makes this game so goddamn awesome? For a start, the voice-cast is phenomenal. Shouty-faced idiot Christian Bale is kept away from the mic in favour of Kevin Conroy the voice of Batman from the classic Warner Brothers animated series and he’s matched by Mark Hamill again as the Joker. Harley Quinn gets a makeover that’s sexy and creepy in equal measure and there are plenty of other familiar faces, but not enough to starve the sequel.

The game even manages to nail the combat, instead of endless button-mashing, a measured counter-assault system is in place to brutally dispatch groups of enemies. Naturally there are plenty of Bat-gadgets to unlock which tie into finding all the Riddler’s objectives. These can be in the form of collectables, finding objects related to riddles or perspective puzzles.

Detective mode helped Bats see enemies through walls and pick up forensic trails. The only problem with it was that players could pretty much use it all the time, but then everything would constantly be blue, wasting the efforts of the art team.

The only other problem with the game was the repetitiveness of the boss fights, with most of them being simple ‘dodge and attack’ fights. It’s impossible to stay mad at the game as it’s bursting at the seams with un-matched quality. Best of all, Robin doesn’t get a look-in.

Just as you tire of air vents, you’re given new toys to explore with. The combat makes you feel like you are the Batman. You won’t spend the whole game fighting, as a perfect balance of exploration, scrapping, stealth and climbing has been struck, resulting in a constantly compelling and rewarding title.

The scarecrow levels surprised everyone with the change into faux-2D play and the unforgettable visit to Crime Alley that had jaws dropping around the world.  The massive effort to provide a decent length main game, rich with history and extras, high production values, quality voice talent and an intriguing plot have put all other comic book and film adaptations, and most other games too for that matter to shame.

 It must be a terrifying task for the developers to match the overall experience for the sequel which will take place on mainland Gotham next time. We’ve recently heard rumours that it might be held back until 2011. Hell we can wait, this game was delayed and it turned out great. The last thing we want is a xmas rush-job from the team at Rocksteady.

Thanks to bigcul1 for the find at HotUkDeals

1 Comment

Thu, 1 Apr, 10
Author:
Matt Gardner

Category:
Games reviews

Tags:
, ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition Review

Dealspwn Rating: 9/10

Platforms: PC | PS3 | X360 (Reviewed)

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

Publishers: Eidos|Warner Bros. Interactive|DC Entertainment

‘You look absolutely ridiculous!’

These were the first words out of my sister’s mouth when, upon popping down for a weekend visit, she walked in to find me ensconced in the comfort of my leather chair playing Batman: Arkham Asylum in 3D and muttering unintelligible noises to myself.

Yes, the Dark Knight is back again for a beefy looking Game of the Year edition of Arkham Asylum that comes with a load of new challenge maps and, perhaps more excitingly, the option of playing the entire game through in 3D, courtesy of the new TriOviz engine and two included pairs of frighteningly flimsy cardboard spectacles. You can forget about looking cool whilst playing this game, as these badboys are alarmingly retro.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition Review

In all honesty, I don’t think there’s anything in the world that I care less about right now than 3D. Oh wait…motion control. But, apart from Natal and Move, 3D is pretty much the perfect filling for my apathy sandwich, so it was with a certain amount of nonchalance with which I approached the new graphical revamp, and I’ve got to say…I was actually pretty impressed.

I won’t bore you with the science stuff, and I don’t understand half of it anyway, but the result of this overhaul is a complete game experience in cinematic 3D without having to spend shedloads of cash on a TV with the thing built in. It takes about 10-15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the new format and get used to the green and red tinted specs, but once you get used to it, the illusion of depth becomes more and more pronounced as you progress.

Click here to find out whether or not Arkham Asylum truly looks better in 3D...

7 Comments

Mon, 29 Mar, 10
Author:
Lydia Low

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £16.99 @ HMV [XBox 360 Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £16.99 @ HMV [XBox 360 Games]

A videogame based on a superhero comic book franchise winning a Bafta was surely an epic triumph for geekdom. It was a well deserved win though, as Batman: Arkham Asylum is a truly fantastic game and one that pretty much everyone should have in their collection. The Game of the Year edition was released not too long ago and so it is now possible to pick up the original game for a very reasonable amount if you are not bothered about the DLC.

HMV’s heroic price of £16.99 trumps the next best (£19.99 from Cool Shop) by £3 and you’d be hard pressed to find even used copies for much cheaper.

I don’t think anyone was quite expecting Arkham Asylum to be as great as it was, especially considering how poor most superhero titles tend to be so we were all pleased as pineapple punch when it turned out to be one of the best games of last year.

The game takes us into the dark and gritty microcosm of Arkham Asylum, home to the deranged psychopaths who once terrorised the streets of Gotham City. When Batman is lured in by the Joker, who turns the tables so that, you guessed it, the lunatics are running the asylum, it is he alone who can bring (relative) order back to the city again.

Part of what makes this game so excellent is its fantastic and brutal combat which is easy to pick up but a real challenge to master. This is complemented by some very arresting graphics and a great stealth system that works perfectly. However one could argue that it is the small, intricate details of Arkham Asylum that make the game. All in all this is high quality and massively entertaining gameplay at its best.

1 Comment

Sat, 20 Mar, 10
Author:
Jonathan Lester

Category:
Game news

Tags:
, , , , ,

From Batman’s BAFTA to Apple’s Revenge – News Roundup 20th March 2010

Arkham Asylum wins BAFTA Best Game Award

From Batmans BAFTA to Apples Revenge News Roundup 20th March 2010

We fully expected Uncharted 2 to clean up at the BAFTAS, and even the bookies were giving great odds for Naughty Dog’s critically-acclaimed shooter to win the coveted Best Game Award. However, we’re delighted to report that the Caped Crusader swooped in to claim the title. Batman: Arkham Asylum won both Best Game and Best Gameplay, which is a real coup considering the stiff competition. Holy BAFTA upset, Batman!

Don’t get me wrong- Uncharted 2 still did extremely well. Naughty Dog took home four shiny gold faces for their trouble, including Best Action Game and Best Story.

FIFA 10 scored the Best Sports Game award (unsurprisingly), but also managed to nab the Best Use of Online award for its innovative multiplayer modes. Flower won Best Artistic Achievement, and Left 4 Dead 2 rightfully earned the title of Best Muliplayer Game (triumphing over the likes of Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3: ODST).

Finally, Shigeru Miyamoto was granted the BAFTA Fellowship Award due to his monumental contribution to gaming as we know it. Which segues nicely into our next story…

Pikmin 3 is “Well Underway”

From Batmans BAFTA to Apples Revenge News Roundup 20th March 2010

Hooray. Forget a next-gen Lylat Wars or a radical Mario re-imagining: Miyamoto is still hard at work developing Pikmin 3.

Despite being curiously absent from E3 (and not being mentioned in his exceptionally long BAFTA acceptance speech), Miyamoto has apparently discussed the strategy-action sequel with Official Nintendo Magazine. According to their twitter, it’s “well underway.”

Actually, I might have been a little hard on the Pikmin franchise. After all, it introduced a young audience to deceptively deep RTS gaming and worked well with limited console controls; here’s hoping for an innovative and thought-provoking title that pushes the bounds of console strategy… rather than a cutesy rehash of familiar themes. Release TBA. [ONM via VG247]

Apple Bans Game after Dev Slams “F*cking” App Store

From Batmans BAFTA to Apples Revenge News Roundup 20th March 2010

Apple has yanked an indie game from its App Store after its developers publicly (and brutally) laid into their distribution network at GDC. You can watch the whole video here: but suffice to say that Tommy Refenes “f*cking hates” the “awful app store.” He also compared the iPhone to the cheap little LCD games that us older gamers used to play as kids: a platform for poor quality games that pushes brands rather than provides a decent gaming experience.

Developer Tommy Refenes has also been playing a game with the pricing of Zits and Giggles: his banal little touch screen game that wasn’t selling too well at a bargain price. Every time someone downloaded it from the app store, Refenes upped the price tier… and the application reached over $400 before it was removed.

Unfortunately, his game was recently banned from the App store with no warning or explanation. It’s still unclear whether Apple scrubbed his apps because…

A: Dissent will not be tolerated!

B: His pricing scheme game was unfair to consumers

C: The games were just bad.

As such, we don’t yet know if this is an epic story of Big Corporations ragging on the little guy, or a loudmouthed mercenary getting his just desserts. What we do know, however, is that the viability of the iPhone as a gaming device has been attacked once again. Let us know what you think about iGaming in the comments! [Kotaku]

Leave a comment

Tue, 9 Mar, 10
Author:
Jonathan Lester

Category:
Game news

Tags:
, , , , , , ,

From DRM Apology to Holy Robin in Arkham 2, Batman! – News Roundup 9th March 2010

Holy Arkham Asylum 2, Batman!

From DRM Apology to Holy Robin in Arkham 2, Batman! News Roundup 9th March 2010

The IMDB listing for Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 suggests that the Boy Wonder will be making an appearance. Vincent Martella has been slated to provide the voice acting (fresh from his work in Final Fantasy XIII). Whether or not he’ll be a playable character is not yet known, though it would open up the opportunity for cooperative play.

Mark Hamill will reprise his excellent role as the Joker, and will be joined by fellow silver screen star Bruce Greenwood as Two-Face. These two veteran actors should provide some serious clout to Rocksteady Studio’s next project. [via Gossipgamers]

Steam and Valve Back the Mac

From DRM Apology to Holy Robin in Arkham 2, Batman! News Roundup 9th March 2010

Usually, the words “Mac” and “Steam” are only said in the same sentence when you’re getting your jacket dry-cleaned. However, Valve have announced that their digital distribution network is headed to Apple’s personal computer platform along with their full range of gaming titles. It’s about time that a games company showed some genuine love to the Mac crowd- after all, it’ll give them something to do between pretending to write poetry in Starbucks and picking out new berets. Only joking, folks.

According to the press release, this new Apple  functionality comes with a whole range of nifty new features. Both Mac and PC users will share the same multiplayer lobbies (allowing for cross-platform play); and purchased games can be downloaded on both PC and Mac with no extra charge. The most interesting new enhancement Steamplay, that takes advantage of Steam’s cloud processing capability to remotely save checkpoint progress and quicksaves- meaning that you can start playing on your Macbook and finish the level on your PC desktop.

Portal 2 will be the first simultaneous PC and Mac launch for a Valve title. [Valve]

Ubisoft Explain Server Shutdown

From DRM Apology to Holy Robin in Arkham 2, Batman! News Roundup 9th March 2010

Ubisoft’s DRM servers suffered a major blackout over the weekend that left thousands of Assassin’s Creed 2 and Silent Hunter V players unable to connect (and thus play their legally-purchased games). A spokesman was therefore quick to leap to the defence of their draconian digital rights management protocol, offering what could honestly be the least sincere apology I’ve ever seen.

“Ubisoft would like to apologize to anyone who could not play Assassin’s Creed 2 or Silent Hunter 5 yesterday. Servers were attacked and while the servers did not go down, service was limited. 95% of players were not affected, but a small group of players attempting to open a game session did receive denial of service errors. All players with an open session during the attack were not affected.”

Whilst Ubisoft admitted that their servers were vulnerable, they were also quick to deny the existence of any playable hacked version that bypasses the DRM.

“We also confirm that, at this time, no valid cracked version of either Silent Hunter 5 or Assassin’s Creed II are available”

Turns out that submarines aren’t vulnerable to pirates just yet! However, don’t lose sight of the fact that the hackers only attacked the servers…  Ubisoft’s own DRM protocol stopped gamers from simply playing offline. This situation is fast becoming a publicity nightmare for the company, and they’ll soon have to decide between radically improving the system or scrapping it altogether. Or to stop developing for the PC, which may prove to be the most viable (and profitable) option considering the prevalence of piracy. [via The Guardian]

6 Comments

Sat, 13 Feb, 10
Author:
Jonathan Lester

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum Collectors Edition £22.99 @ Game [PC Gaming]

Batman: Arkham Asylum Collectors Edition £22.99 @ Game [PC Gaming]

We’ve featured a few Batman: Arkham Asylum deals over the last few months, but we’ve finally got a handle on a great price for the Collectors Edition. You know, the one with the full-size batarang. Game are stocking the PC version for £22.99, which is a saving of £17 compared to Play.com. Console gamers will still have to pay a lot more, mind.

Batman: Arkham Asylum has been nominated for the coveted BAFTA Best Game of 2009 award, and its plain to see why. Its masterful blend of stealth, bone-crunching melee combat and advanced gadgetry delighted gamers and critics alike; but its main selling point is that it makes you feel like Batman while you’re playing it.

The Collector’s Edition goes one step further by providing some of the coolest videogame extras we’ve ever seen. £22.99 will buy you a ‘making of’ DVD, exclusive DLC code, a journal detailing the Arkham inmates (which would have been worth the price of admission by itself) and the crowning glory: a 14-inch batarang mounted on a display stand. This impressive piece of memorabilia genuinely looks the business, and no self-respecting fan of the caped crusader should be without one.

Now you can feel like Batman in real life just by glancing over at your Batarang; without having to wear your y-fronts over a pair of tights. Unless, of course, you’re into that sort of thing.

Thanks to Arstar at Hot UK Deals

Errata: We apologise for stating that the journal was leather-bound. The PAL version is unfortunately not.

7 Comments

Sun, 31 Jan, 10
Author:
Jonathan Lester

Category:
Games deals

Tags:
, , ,

Batman: Arkham Asylum £11.99 [PC Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum £11.99 [PC Games]

Batman: Arkham Asylum wowed gamers and critics alike with its fluid combat, advanced stealth gameplay mechanics and a excellent voice acting courtesy of Mark Hamill. Most importantly, however, it provided us with a brief glimpse of what being the Caped Crusader would actually be like. Basically, it’s an Awesome Simulator.

Deals crop up from time to time thanks to Arkham Asylum’s massive popularity, but Game are currently charging £11.99 for the chance to don Batman’s signature cowl and exposed y-fronts in the PC version. This is three pounds cheaper than its nearest rival, The Game Collection, and is a clear tenner less most other retailers. Get involved while stocks last!

Thanks to fedexpress on HUKD.

4 Comments

< Older Entries