April 18 - April 22

Section: 

With everyone apparently obsessed with the impending launch of Portal 2 this week, it can be easy to forget the humble beginnings from which this game comes. The Orange Box, still arguably the most densely packed collection for the price to come down the pipe in years, was headlined by Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2, with this odd, quirky little 4 hour experience almost tossed in as a delightful aperitif.

Now, it is a full scale release with a major marketing campaign, television spots, an ARG and above all else intense, hyper-sensitive scrutiny. It does not enjoy the element of surprise in the way that the first game did, and it's hard to imagine that Valve can completely recapture the surprising joy of the first romp through Aperture Science's devious labs. However, I am jazzed to give it a try, and have Portal 2 as the undisputed Game of the Week.

That said, I have to admit that the latest Mortal Kombat looks like a pretty fun romp through the absurdly violent, and I'm not often quick to perk up my ears at a fighting game release. A return to form for the classic bruiser, it's not hard to imagine this being as big a franchise release as Street Fighter IV was.

As if all that wasn't enough, SOCOM 4 is also hitting the streets this week, and though this franchise doesn't seem to carry the same capital it once did in gaming spheres, it's still worth paying attention to/

Still, personally, I'll be having fun with GladOS. For science. You monsters.

PC
- Cargo! The Quest for Gravity
- Chronicles of Mystery: The Legend of the Sacred Treasure
- Hidden Mysteries: Notre Dame
- Portal 2

Xbox 360

- Mortal Kombat
- Portal 2
- Xbox 360 Triple Pack: Trials HD + Limbo + 'Splosion Man

PlayStation 3

- Mortal Kombat
- Portal 2
- Prince of Persia Trilogy HD
- SOCOM 4

Wii

- Conduit 2

PSP

- Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection

Nintendo DS

- Gem Quest: 4 Elements

Coming Soon:

L.A. Noire -- May 17 -- 360, PS3
The Witcher 2 -- May 17 -- PC
Red Faction: Armageddon -- May 31 -- 360, PS3, PC
Duke Nukem Forever -- June 14 -- 360, PS3, PC
Dungeon Siege II -- June 21 -- PC, 360, PS3

Comments

Drinking coffee out of my Aperture Laboratories mug today.

I've already spent all of my lunch money and will not be participating in any new games for some time...

For science!

You monster.

One more day! Sick day on Wednesday? I think it's possible.

Poor "Conduit 2."

I played the first one and liked what it was trying to do. Had a decent time with it, but the game was kinda short and there just weren't enough maps to warrant the extended multiplayer experience (and obviously no promise of DLC maps...).

Seems to me that this just isn't the week to be releasing it. Should have pushed it up a few weeks, when less was coming out, and more "hardcore" gamers would have more cash available. Instead, this week, they're getting MK, Portal 2, SOCOM4, or all of the above.

Still, though, a good week for gamers!

"Get over here!!!........you mean the world to me!" vs Science....I'm seriously torn. Thank the gods that I don't to choose one over the other!!

The Section 8 sequel going to be available for download on Live this week - http://warisprejudice.com/. For 15 bux this is my pick of the week. I enjoyed Portal, but I just am not feeling any craving to return to that style of gameplay right now, especially as a full priced offering. And honestly if I have to hear about that goddam cake one more time .... talk about a played-out meme.

AcidCat wrote:

I enjoyed Portal, but I just am not feeling any craving to return to that style of gameplay right now, especially as a full priced offering. And honestly if I have to hear about that goddam cake one more time .... talk about a played-out meme.

That's because nobody will bake you one. Because of how unlikeable you are. It says so here in your GWJ profile: Unlikeable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikeable loner whose passing shall not be mourned. 'Shall not be mourned.' That's exactly what it says. Very formal, very official. It also says you were adopted. So that's funny, too.

Hans

hidannik wrote:
AcidCat wrote:

I enjoyed Portal, but I just am not feeling any craving to return to that style of gameplay right now, especially as a full priced offering. And honestly if I have to hear about that goddam cake one more time .... talk about a played-out meme.

That's because nobody will bake you one. Because of how unlikeable you are. It says so here in your GWJ profile: Unlikeable. Liked by no one. A bitter, unlikeable loner whose passing shall not be mourned. 'Shall not be mourned.' That's exactly what it says. Very formal, very official. It also says you were adopted. So that's funny, too.

Hans

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

LOL did I touch a nerve?

AcidCat wrote:

LOL did I touch a nerve? ;)

You might want to brush up on your P0rtal deep cuts and not just the common memes. Or you might've gotten it. Either way:

Very smooth, Hans. I lol'd. And got hyped.

Bulletstorm and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 come out within one week of each other, followed shortly by Dragon Age 2. Jack-all else comes out for two months. Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat come out on the same day; jack-all else comes out for a month, followed by L.A. Noire and Witcher 2 on the same day and Red Faction Armageddon a week later.

What the hell, video game industry? Spread things around a little! I mean, I'm glad you're actually releasing things besides just in the fall, but take it a step farther and actually schedule your big releases around each other.

Quick edit: Dungeon Siege III comes out in June.

While I did pre-order Portal 2, I worry that Portal was like a brilliant SNL skit (in other words, the brevity is part of the charm), whereas Portal 2 might become that same great skit made into a bad 90 minute movie. I hope I am wrong, and to be fair Valve rarely lets us down, so I could just be playing devil's advocate.

Not for nothing, but I would love to see that FF4 PSP game playable on the PS3.

burntham77 wrote:

Not for nothing, but I would love to see that FF4 PSP game playable on the PS3.

Or on the DS.

Apparently that game alone has been selling PSP units in Japan, they've actually outsold the DS individual versions the last few weeks, although the DS collective is still winning.

burntham77 wrote:

Quick edit: Dungeon Siege III comes out in June.

While I did pre-order Portal 2, I worry that Portal was like a brilliant SNL skit (in other words, the brevity is part of the charm), whereas Portal 2 might become that same great skit made into a bad 90 minute movie. I hope I am wrong, and to be fair Valve rarely lets us down, so I could just be playing devil's advocate.

Not for nothing, but I would love to see that FF4 PSP game playable on the PS3.

Then I hope Portal 2 turns out like The Blues Brothers.

Hans, that was hilarious. Well played.

AcidCat, I'm holding off on Portal 2 myself, I liked the focus of the original and I'm not sure it will carry to a bigger experience.

Wolpaw has promised no cake jokes though, so that's good. We will get all new memes to annoy us for the next few years instead.

Looks like I can save my money this week then. Roll on Witcher 2.

I hope everything becomes more like the Blues Brothers.

Portal 2 is amazing. That is all.

ilduce620 wrote:

Poor "Conduit 2."

I played the first one and liked what it was trying to do. Had a decent time with it, but the game was kinda short and there just weren't enough maps to warrant the extended multiplayer experience (and obviously no promise of DLC maps...).

Seems to me that this just isn't the week to be releasing it. Should have pushed it up a few weeks, when less was coming out, and more "hardcore" gamers would have more cash available. Instead, this week, they're getting MK, Portal 2, SOCOM4, or all of the above.

Still, though, a good week for gamers!

Two of the devs from High Voltage were on Jumping the Shark, so the entire gaming community hasn't written it off ... just 98% of it.

Oh. Conduit 2. Crap. I wanted to get all excited about that one because a friend is a writer on it. I thought it wasn't out until summer so I let it drop off the radar. Now I feel like a tool. I should go over to Facebook and congratulate him. Maybe I can pretend that I could afford his game this week and that I'm enjoying it.

Who am I kidding? I can't even play Portal 2! Someone needs to tell game developers that until Easter week is over, church musicians do nothing more than sleep, sing and get yelled at by the clergy.

Any skepticism I had about Portal 2 I would like to take back, if I can. If we gamers are to have faith in anything, it is Valve.

So - two days have passed since release date. How funny/ hard is it? Has anyone found a veiled reference to cake yet?

I've only seen one cake reference so far.

Spoiler:

When you first emerge from your suspension chamber... motel room... shipping carton... thing... one of the paintings on the wall is Glados giving cake to a human-like stick figure.

don_quay wrote:

So - two days have passed since release date. How funny/ hard is it? Has anyone found a veiled reference to cake yet?

It is absolutely amazing. Funny, though in a bit of a different way than the first. Not too hard, though there are a couple puzzles that make you stop and think (not as many on-the-fly problems, which is nice). Only one reference to cake, and it's overt; they create new memes in this game.

hbi2k wrote:

I've only seen one cake reference so far.

Spoiler:

When you first emerge from your suspension chamber... motel room... shipping carton... thing... one of the paintings on the wall is Glados giving cake to a human-like stick figure.

Also,

Spoiler:

At one point GLaDOS sets a trap for you, and there's a door in it that says "GLaDOS emergency shutdown and cake dispensary"

I'm not going to look at the spoilers, but the non-spoiler comments here are very encouraging. It sounds like they have successfully created a fresh game without losing what made the first game so enjoyable. Once I've got a buyer for my spare kidney, I think I'll be buying this.