xbox 360 exclusive

Xbox LIVE Arcade continues to deliver quality games at a great value with the fifth annual Summer of Arcade. This diverse line-up includes the best and most highly anticipated games of the season with five back-to-back weeks of unparalleled releases.

• Deadlight

  • US Release DateSummer 2012
  • PublisherMicrosoft Studios
  • DeveloperTequila Works

  In an apocalyptic world where existence is futile, a solitary man treks the American west coast. Survival is the measure of all. In an alternate vision of the 1980s, a mysterious disease has decimated mankind, transforming
  people into killer automatons. During his odyssey, Randall Wayne will find other survivors, men and women who are no more than ghostly remnants of a fading society, a flame in the desert fighting extinction.

• Dust: An Elysian Tail

  • US Release DateSummer 2012
  • PublisherMicrosoft Studios
  • DeveloperHumble Hearts

  Immerse yourself in a gorgeous hand-painted world on a search for your true identity. As the mysterious warrior, Dust, your action-packed journey will take you from peaceful glades to snowy mountaintops and beyond. At your disposal is the mythical Blade of Ahrah, capable of turning its wielder it into an unstoppable force of nature, and the blade's diminutive guardian, Fidget. Battle dozens of enemies at once with an easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master combat system, take on a variety of quests from friendly villagers, discover ancient secrets and powerful upgrades hidden throughout the massive, open world, and uncover the story of an ancient civilization on the brink of extinction as you fight to uncover your own past.

• Hybrid

  • US Release DateSummer 2012
  • Publisher5TH Cell
  • Developer5TH Cell

  "Hybrid" is a pioneering third person shooter set in the near future, where global conflict exists between a species known as the Variant and a rebel human faction known as the Paladins. 5TH Cell strives to give players a completely new gameplay experience never seen before in the genre.

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD

  • US Release DateSummer 2012
  • PublisherActivision
  • DeveloperRobomodo

  Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is the best elements of THPS 1 and 2, upgraded for today with sharp visuals and fresh content.

• Wreckateer

  • US Release DateSummer 2012
  • PublisherMicrosoft Studios
  • DeveloperIron Galaxy

  “Wreckateer” uses Kinect for Xbox 360 to put you in control of a massive castle-wrecking ballista. With the help of Wreck and Tinker, travel the land and destroy sixty goblin-infested castles using six magical projectiles. Aim and fire each shot and then control it in mid-air, motion-activating special powers and guiding them toward their target. Utilize an arsenal of Flying, Explosive, Splitting, and rocketing Speed shots to explore the infinite ways you can wreak havoc with “Wreckateer”'s fully-dynamic destruction.

Exclusively from E3 2012: check out Forza Horizon, coming soon to Xbox.

I'm not a fan of simulation driving, so the more arcadey feel to this is welcome to me... what do you think?

Is that Skrillex?

I recently won a copy from Gouki.com and thought I'ld share my experience with you.

First off I want to say thanks to Gouki.com for hooking me up with Gears of War 3.  Best Jimmy of the Month prize yet.  I also got Infinite Undiscovery but haven't tried it yet.

When the game arrived it went straight into my Xbox 360 and stayed there until I finished the story.  I found it hard to turn off the game some nights.  As the story unfolds you get some big surprises and you can't help but to want to see it through.  In particular Act 3 ends with a big theatrical bang.  The musical score fits perfectly as the cut scenes roll.  Even the graphics are top notch.

While you play through the story mode the experience is so complete you are drawn into a story that puts many of the recent movies to shame.  When compared to most of the FPS genre Gears of War 3 stands out.  That just makes it obvious how games like Call of Madden, I mean Call of Duty, have a long way to go.

Your basic controls will feel natural if you have any other FPS experience.  You have a nice selection of weapons to choose from.  Everything from shotguns, sniper rifles, bows, to the occasional rail gun.  You really aren't missing anything.  And having grenades, a pistol, and two other weapon slots gives you some options.  Throw in some up close executions and again you pass the standard.

They also give you the basic versus mode, kind of self explanatory I hope, that lets you have other players or bots.  Horde mode puts you up against wave after wave of Locust.  You get to make a base, set up defenses, and decoys.  As you play you earn money to buy all this and later on you get new options.  And then there is Beast mode, you as the Locust .  You have a few to choose from at the start and the further you get the more choices you have.  You get a time limit to kill off the Stranded, regular humans with weapons, and the COG, the guys you plays as in story mode.

Overall a very enjoyable game and a definite buy it.  And even better when you can win it from a site like Gouki.com.

No rebates this year... How about a bonus game instead? You'll need to buy a Kinect game though... :(

Here are the dates and prices for the Summer of Arcade 2011, enjoy!

Bastion

1200 MSP, July 20 

Team Gouki got a chance to play the new and improved GoW3 horde mode at Microsoft's E3 2011 booth. -Updated- FnJimmy's official take on horde mode video

E3 day 3, FnJimmy and I bolted at the opening striaght to the Gears of War demo. As we were standing in line, the Microsoft guys were passing around these giant cards of what to expect in the new Horde mode.

Check out FnJimmy's quick iPhone grab of the card:

If you can't read that (good luck) here's what we saw and played...

You start off by selecting an area to defend, we started in the hotel lobby. There are a bunch of glowing spots where you can set up fortifications such as barbed wire, turrets, and decoys. These slow down or even take out Locust as they try to make their way into the lobby, making them easy pickings for you. These fortifications aren't free, however. You need cash to set them up. You start off with a limited amount of cash, but you rack it up by killing enemies and completing any bonus objectives that pop up (these will require you to leave the relative safety of the fortified area usually, so watch out). In between rounds, you can purchase new fortifications, repair old ones, and get new weapons. Every 10th round is a boss wave... we had to fight this thing.

Unfortunately, you can't just lay down fortifications where you want, Gears has spots chosen for you. It's ok, but I expected a little better from the game that started this horde mode craze. Still, it's a lot of fun to build up your defenses and rail a bunch of Locust, especially when the big baddies come along.

We still haven't got a chance to see the campaign yet, but we did see the new limited edition Xbox 360 (with custom sounds!). Check this bad boy out...

Yeah... that's pretty sweet. I think it looks better than the Halo Reach edition. (We here at Gouki.com are especially fond of the red & black color scheme.)

Gears of War 3 and the Limited edition GoW3 console release Sep 20, 2011