With the announcement on Bungies web site that Bungie will not be showing their new game along side Activision at E3 2011 Bungie is denying reports that they will be attending this years E3 at all.

Be sure to check back here on www.theflowshow.com between June 7-9, 2011 to get the latest and up to date news for E3 2011!!

On Behalf of the 70+ million PSN users the Rothken law firm is filing a class action lawsuit against Sony. The lawsuit states that Sony failed to maintain a proper firewall and security system. Also a failure to properly encrypt its users information. Wow.. Just wow.. You heard it here first.. Sony is FUCKED!! It doesn’t end there either the suit also states that Sony had unauthorized storage and retention of data, and the most important one is the violation of Payment Card Industry Data Standard(s) and rules and regulations. In other words Sony is FUCKED!!!

If you have a PSN account and you want to be apart of this epic class action lawsuit go HERE

Official copy of the complaint.

More than 70 Million users of the Sony Playstation 3 had all of their information stolen. That information includes name, username, password. address, and credit card information. Sony is reporting that this incident could cast them billions of dollars. I personally think that this is the start if the end for Sony. I guess only time will tell.

CNN Video
CNN Video

The co-op doesn’t have as much dialogue as the single-player campaign, but it still has a beefy amount over the course of five testing facilities, all of which from GLaDOS or the turrets (also voiced by McLain).  Each testing facility has a series of eight to nine chambers, some of which being two parts. Though this is a co-op experience, it is not a short one. It can take a good four hours to complete, give or take, and the fun never lets up.

Unlike the single-player, the co-op starts out with the Calibration Course, which is a series of simple tests to get you and your partner in “sync” with one another. It’s a simple and yet effective tutorial and it’s a good way to introduce players to the co-op mechanics. Each player will get two portals each, Atlas with blue and purple, and P-Body with orange and red. It’s essential to learn how to use your portals as well as your partner’s to be able to complete these courses.

Cave Johnson (voiced by J.K. Simmons) giving a sample of just what might happen in your co-op playthrough.

Upon completion of the Calibration Course, you enter a hub world of sorts, which is unique to this mode and fits the game very well. It reminds me of some of the hub worlds in old N64 platformers where there was a slight challenge to getting to an area. As you start the first course, it becomes clear that these stages were designed for four portals. It’s true that some chambers can be solved using only one player’s portals, but those ones still require two people to do. The level design is completely different than the chambers in the single-player and there are even features unique to the co-op mode. Features such as diagonal light ramps, spiked crushers, and even a few puzzles that require timing from your partner. Thankfully, implemented a marking system where you can signal your partner with a marker that would show them where to stand, where to make portals, buttons to press or even a 3-second timer for counting down the timing exercises. Even if you are using voice chat, these markers are very useful and work very well with the game.

Like the single-player, the co-op is full of Easter eggs to discover, most of which give you achievements or trophies. These are pretty fun to discover and it creates a humorous sense of accomplishment when you find them, my personal favorite being the hidden companion cube in one of the test chambers.

Each course will have a series of test chambers, and then a final challenge that will have you and your partner outside of the test chambers and in the main facility, searching for the data disc. There is a slight story to the co-op, but it’s mostly explained through the fascinating developer commentary, and its great to watch this universe unfold through it. To summarize, you are doing test chambers that no human has done before, in a sense, testing for the real test. I won’t spoil too much, but the ending is a bit funny if you put all the dialogue together.

All in all, the co-op experience is something truly unique and is a lot of fun to go through with a friend, either through Steam (PC, Mac, or PS3), Playstation Network (still down as of this writing), Xbox Live, or split screen (PS3 and Xbox 360). A nice feature is that the versions running Steam are all cross-platform, so PC users can play with Mac users, or PS3 users with PC or Mac users. If you buy this game, there are a lot of options to be able to play with your friends. If I were to rate the co-op experience, it gets a solid 9 out of 10. Very well thought out, and fun to play, even when replaying the chambers.

Two great experiences in one package, I can see Portal 2 being up for game of the year easily, at least for PC. When single-player and co-op are combined, I can give my final verdict of the game, and Portal 2 receives a 10 out of 10. Great gameplay, entertaining dialogue and sound, fantastic art direction, amazing presentation, and a game that deserves a spot in everyone’s library.

 

 

Nintendo has confirmed that the Wiiii will make its first public appearance at E3 2011. TheFlowShow.com will be on hand to Demo a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications. This years E3 Expo will be held June 7-9, 2011, So be sure to keep it locked to http://www.theflowshow.com for all of the latest news!!

Rumored Specs:
1080p compatibility, custom-built tri-core IBM PowerPC chipset (Same setup on Microsoft’s Xbox 360), AMD GPU. The GPU should be able to give you 512 megabytes of memory.

Release date:
Spring 2012

Price:
$350 to $400

Mortal Konbat is BACK! With all of the crappy mk games that came out between Ultimate Mortal Kombat (UMK3) 3 and MK9 I was very skeptible that MK9 would actually be a good game. Right of the bat I was really impressed with the level and character design. MK9 is a very dark and vilent game witch is the exact same reason why I loved it as a kid. After playing it for about a week now I can honestly say that MK9 is one of the best MK games ever made. The combo system is very easy to understand, the game Looks and plays superbly!, Fatality’s are over the top!

My only complaint is the terrible online play. LAG LAG LAG… Online VS modes are virtually unplayable. One more minor grip I have about the game is about the MK9 arcade stick. It comes out in JULY.. Why would they wait 3 whole months to release it… Super bad move if you ask me.. So with all that said I would give MK9 a solid 4 out of 5! Go pick it up!!

Mortal Kombat 9 Fatalities
Finish Him!

Mortal Kombat 9 GamePlay
Game play

Mortal Kombat 9 Online Match
Online Match

Back in 2007, Valve released a little bundle pack called The Orange Box, which held 5 amazing titles. To everyone’s surprise, one of those titles happened to be an amazing (albeit short) experience called Portal. The way Valve marketed the Orange Box, Portal was considered a type of bonus game, and ended up being the talk of the gaming community, thanks to some clever writing and some great puzzle gameplay. It’s now 2011, and Portal 2 is now available, and is also the first time Valve’s Steam support has come to a console, the Playstation 3 in this case. Is it as amazing as the first one? Or will it fizzle out of memory?

The story of the sequel puts you back in the role of silent protagonist Chell, who had defeated the passive-aggressive super computer, GLaDOS in the previous game. You’ll start in a pretty amusing scenario where you practice getting ready for a day of testing, and it is here that we are introduced to one of the new characters of the game, Wheatley, voiced by Stephen Merchant (of the Ricky Gervais show). Immediately, the games witty and clever dialogue becomes apparent, and you get quite a few laughs. The voice acting is performed with such personality that you forget you’re talking to a robot, but are then reminded by the big glowing blue light staring at your face.

After an interesting opening sequence where you are lifted through the underground facility in a small bedroom, you finally get your hands on the Portal gun. This is where the game really begins, as you learn how to use the basic functions of portals. As you continue on, you find out that GLaDOS is “still alive”, and that she is just sleeping, but of course, that is short lived, and you reunite with your sworn enemy, who then tosses you back into the testing facility like the garbage she deems you to be.

I’ll try not to spoil too much of the plot, but if you played the first game and enjoyed the puzzles, there’s a lot more to figure out here, and new puzzle features add to the variety. Walkways or walls made of light, laser reflector cubes, the different types of gels, there’s a lot more in this game aside from your typical blue and orange portals. I for one found the blue repulsion gel and the orange propulsion gel to be some personal favorites. The repulsion gel would basically be a liquid that you could spread around a room using portals, and upon landing or jumping from a surface with this gel, you would bounce up higher than normal. The higher you fall from, the higher you’ll bounce back up. It works well in quite a few puzzles, though there are some tricky areas where portal placement and timing make the difference. The propulsion gel is very similar to the repulsion gel, except that what this gel does is allow you to increase your maximum speed. Large distances and even great heights can be within reach easily if you run across this gel and through well placed portals. Many other obstacles and items are at your disposal in Portal 2, and it definitely extends the experience that seemed so simple in the first game.

The game’s single-player campaign takes about 8 hours to beat, but you may end up taking longer just wanting to hear the dialogue from the characters. There are many moments where characters will speak, and then continue saying things until that awkward moment where you realize you’ve been standing in the same spot for 3 minutes waiting to see if that robotic eye staring back at you has anything else to say. There are even moments where your actions will get them to say something new. The amount of dialogue in this game is astonishing and it definitely helps that it’s humorous and clever. Other great performances come from J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man’s J. Jonah Jameson) and Ellen McLain returns as GLaDOS, both of which give outstanding performances and gives an emotional impact that’s incredibly rare in games these days. The music is also fitting to the game’s soundtrack and is appropriately quiet in the right areas. One nice feature I liked was the music that played when you realize you were doing something correctly, like if you were “flinging” yourself in the right direction, or you were placing a weighted companion cube in the excursion funnels. It adds a really nice touch to the presentation of the game and really rewards you for solving each puzzle.

Sample of J.K. Simmon’s portrayal of Aperture Laboratories founder Cave Johnson

The game’s visuals are not going to blow you away; this isn’t Crysis, though that doesn’t mean they’re bad. It has a very laboratory-like feeling, which is the point. Lots of black and white with different shades of gray and brown, and the occasional use of color that contrast well with the scientific environment. Valve managed to get a lot out of the aging Source engine, and it easily surpasses the original game in visuals. The gels have a very distinctive fluid quality to them, and the environments move and fall apart very naturally. The animation in the game is impressive as well, from the way Wheatley blinks his one eye to the way the robotic arms of the environment move into place when setting up a new testing chamber. The whole environment, despite being mostly inorganic, feels very much alive.

The game’s single-player campaign is worth the price tag alone, but it also has a co-op campaign that is completely different than the single-player. Unfortunately, due to an error on the Playstation Network, I was unable to play the co-op campaign as of this time. I also unfortunately didn’t have someone handy to come over and play split screen, nor did I install my free PC copy that came with the PS3 version in time. I will say this, the single player campaign is jam packed with content. Even if you play it just once, there is still the possibility that you missed some dialogue, or a few hidden Easter eggs. Lots of achievements and trophies to collect and many of them actually add to the experience of the game.

Despite the fact I couldn’t play the co-op, I will save that part of the review for another time and give my verdict on this game’s single-player campaign as it is. Now before I do that, there is one area I would like to note, and that’s the middle section of the game, where you are not in any test chambers, but actually in the corporate areas of Aperture Science. This area was a neat place, but it does move quite slow and is less about puzzles and more about finding where you shoot your portal to continue forward. If there wasn’t any dialogue in this section, it would be considerably boring and feels a bit dragged out, though you do get a nice history about the fictional company. It’s not too long but it is noticeable, and could push players away from a very rewarding finish.

Portal 2 may require more of a commitment in it’s longer campaign, but there is plenty of variety to keep things interesting and the voice acting is entertaining enough to keep you moving. The single-player campaign is fun and inviting and is a definite must play experience that I would deem a bit better than the original. I give Portal 2’s single-player campaign a very well deserved 9.5 out of 10.

Haven’t had enough rustlin’ in the old west in Red Dead Redemption yet? Rockstar just announced four new DLC packs for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, with the first one — dubbed “Legends and Killers” — due in August for $10. What can you expect? Oh how about some new characters, weapons and active map locations (for both free-roaming and competitive multiplayer modes) to be added to New Austin over the coming months. AND ZOMG WTH … ZOMBIE COWBOYZ!?~…

Mosey on down sit a spell and look at what they have a comin’ pardner.

Legends and Killers — August 2010 (800 MS Points / $9.99)

* Nine new multiplayer map locations
* Eight new multiplayer characters, including some from Red Dead Revolver
* New projectile weapon, The Tomahawk, with corresponding multiplayer and single-player challenges
* New Achievements and Trophies

Liars and Cheats — Launch date TBD (800 MS Points / $9.99)

* Attack and Defend multiplayer competitive mode and challenges
* New multiplayer horse races, with mounted combat
* Play as “the heroes and villains” of Red Dead Redemption, as well as eight new multiplayer characters
* Multiplayer versions of Liar’s Dice and Poker from the single-player game
* New weapon, The Explosive Rifle, with corresponding multiplayer and single-player challenges
* New Achievements and Trophies

Free Roam — Launch date TBD (Price TBD)

* Additional Free Roam challenges
* New action areas and defensive placements
* Posse scoring and leaderboards
* New anti-griefing measures in Free Roam

Undead Nightmare — Launch date TBD (800 MS Points / $9.99)

* New single-player adventure, challenges and quests
* Eight new multiplayer zombie characters
* Additional animals to hunt
* New dynamic events “and more”

Move over Movie Madness Monday readers.., *$aving$ $unday* comes early in at almost a week early again this week~!

For those that Havent purchased Red Dead Revolver yet,

Gamestop.com has their POWER HOUR sale today at noon for the game for $25

If you use the normal ‘SAVER’ code for the discount you’ll get free shipping too (if i remember right that might be 2 day shipping).

It’s a phenomenal deal if you dont have the game already, i would suggest being online at Noon because its gonna sell out instantaneously.

Cheers,

Quinn

Yes I did play Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and yes I got my back side kicked. So what? Let me tell you what went wrong.

First of all, the button layout has been changed. It is now more simplified and similar to TATSUNOKU VS CAPCOM. You got a light attack-medium attack-heavy attack-areal attack, which automatically launches your opponent up. So now all characters can put their enemies in the air just by pushing one button. Unlike Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which featured four attack buttons separated as two pairs of low and high punches and kicks. Other then that, the controls are more or less the same as previous versions. You can hit one bumper to switch out either one of your three characters, or hit both with your power meter up for a triple attack.

The Graphics are very nice, but I think the crazy colors and flashes are a bit too much. It confuses me, I don’t know if I’m pulling a special move off or not. Capcom is definitely using Street Fighter IV’s style, and while the graphics aren’t a straight ripoff of that game, the influence is there. I must admit, backgrounds are gorgeous, and for a first in the series, they make sense. What I mean is they represent each character instead of just…well, not making sense. The music seemed alright as well. Nothing special, but at least it’s not smooth jazz.

And last but not not least, I-suck-ass. Hardcore players are going to be just as good as they were in MVC’s of past. I cannot wait for this game to release so that I can get more of a beating, although I must admit, it does have a more approachable appeal to it, so hopefully I can beat down on some newcomers.

To conclude my professionalism, I would like to show you a list of characters that was “leaked” online by the same person that listed the characters for SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV months before it was confirmed. He was right about that, is he right about this?

MARVEL:
*Hulk*
*Wolverine*
*Deadpool*
*Captain America*
*Iron Man*
*Dormammu* (Boss)
Spider-Man
Elektra
Thor
X-23 (female clone of Wolverine)
Magneto
Dr. Doom
Shuma-Gorath
Emma Frost
Mr. Fantastic (WRONG!)
Super Skrull (with all Fantastic 4 powers)
Taskmaster (mimics others/predicts moves by watching them)
Juggernaut
She-Hulk

CAPCOM:
*Ryu*
*Dante*
*Felicia*
*Morrigan*
*Chris Redfield*
Mike Hagger
Frank West
Bionic Commando
Arthur
Amaterasu (Okami)
Albert Wesker
Zero
Chun-Li
Viewtiful Joe
Trish (Devil May Cry)
Tron Bonne
Hsien-Ko (DarkStalkers)
Akuma

P.S.
Characters confirmed to be absent from the game have so far included Tyrant and Nemesis of the Resident Evil series, as well as the four members of Marvel’s Fantastic Four, who were excluded at the company’s suggestion (which may have something to do with the movie reboot that is in the works, FANTASTIC FOUR: REBORN). Seth Killian has also stated that Amingo will not appear. Thank Goodness!

Get ready to Fight! Marvel vs Capcom 3 is set for a Spring 2011 release on PS3 and 360

If you are looking at this post you better have seen the the game play of GOW3, and if not, here you go! The game play starts at 1:03 if you don’t have the patience.

The Gears of war have certainly been turning since part 2, but (as a fan) I have to say it was not the best experience I had at E3. Not too many major changes were made to the format. We already knew about the weapon swapping, playable females (Sam and Anya), more Lambent enemies and new weapons before E3. So what did my fellow gear heads notice on the video? The “Bag and Tag” move, which is the act of slapping a grenade onto a meat shields back and letting him loose. A nasty Lambent Berserker that just doesn’t die and that’s pretty much it. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just not enough. It wasn’t awe inspiring like the last two games have been for me. But it is way too early for me to review GOW3, especially since I haven’t even played the fraggin thing.

If you were paying attention to the end of the video, Cliffy B. mentioned something called BEAST MODE. While there was no playable demo at E3 I did get the chance to sit in on a live demonstration of the game play.

Beast Mode is the opposite of Horde Mode which is in Gears of War 2. In Horde Mode, you were the COG fending off waves of AI Locust that gradually became more difficult, but in GOW3’s Beast Mode, you are the locust fighting the AI COG. In Beast mode, you earn tokens for killing your enemies. These tokens allow you to unlock stronger locusts. For example, you start off with a Ticker and soon after you can upgrade to be a Wretch, Drone, Kantus, Boomer, Mauler, etc. and even a Berserker. New locust were also revealed. An Armored Kantus, duel-wielding guns, an electrified centipede creature and a Digger Boomer.

The unique part about this mode is that each locust retains it’s special ability that it has within the main campaign. For example, the Kantus priest has the ability to revive other locust from afar, the Berserker is known to be semi-blind so when you play as the Berserker, you as the player have limited/hazy sight. I also noticed that the bigger locust (like the boomers) now have the ability to vault over obstacles in there path, just like COG’s.

It sounds like there are nothing but pro’s about this mode, right? But what about the con’s? Well I numbered them for your convenience. 1-when you kill an enemy they explode, no matter what, even if you kill them with claws or a butcher knife, which are certain locusts weapons. 2-you start off battling stranded, then move up to COG’s. Does this sound like a variety of enemies or just waves of guys with lancers? 3-Horde mode got boring, fast. Will Beast mode be any different? Now these faults might just be my own, but they are still worth noticing.

On a side note these are the characters that have been confirmed to be in GOW 3: Marcus, Cole, Dom, Baird, Jace, Anya, Hoffman and a new character called Sam. Dizzy, Tai, Alex Brand and Clay Carmine (and maybe Sgt. Madison Carmine?) will be confirmed by Cliffy B. at Comic-Con, which is July 22nd-25th. Also Microsoft officially detailed Ice T’s character Griffin as the leader of a rag-tag group of human survivors (Stranded) who Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad will encounter.

That’s it for now people. A lot of news has been released but the wait is far from over. The fight continues April 8th 2011.

Possibly the most controversial debut of this year’s E3, Nintendo’s 3DS system is kicking up a dust storm of “what ifs” and “I hopes” from the gaming community. In this infantile era of 3D gaming, it’s no wonder that folks are thrilled at the possibility of a handheld 3D system - glasses not required, no less!

Yup. There’s no doubt it sounds great, but is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Well, after spending two precious hours standing still at Nintendo’s DMV-inspired E3 booth, we finally got a chance to lay hands on the product, and this is what we discovered…

First things first: The 3DS is smaller than the XL. Check the specs:

DSi
Display: 3.25″
Touch Screen: 3.25″

DSi XL
Display: 4.2″
Touch Screen: 4.2″

3DS
Display: 3.53″
Touch Screen: 3.02″

Interestingly, the 3DS’s touch screen is even smaller than the original DSi, but since it’s the first DS to have screens of different sizes, the display is slightly larger.

As for the 3D itself, it looks pretty amazing as long as you’re the perfect distance away and you remain perfectly still, directly in front of it. Move your head from side-to-side, lean in too close, too far, or any number of other unapproved motions, and you’ll end up with a very distracting “double vision” effect. I even heard a few complaints of headaches, which is really saying something, considering the fact that no one person was allowed to spend more than 20 minutes using the thing.

Snake: “Why are you standing so close? You’re making me cross-eyed.”

Of course, I’ve also only been able to sample the 3DS briefly, but given my past experience with handheld systems, I suspect long-term users will complain of sore arms and necks as a result of their movement being so restricted by the stringent demands of the technology.

Luckily, the 3DS does come with a slider to adjust the depth of the 3D effect (even turning it off completely if desired), so you can play your games in good, old-fashioned 2D when ya feel like it, but somehow the thought of playing a 3D system in 2D seems kind of… lame. Especially considering the fact that this new 3D system is not likely to be cheap. Popular rumors set the production costs for Nintendo’s 3DS system at somewhere around $300.00 per unit (possibly a good reason for not making them XL), which means the end user will be shelling out some serious dough to pick up this latest Nintengadget.

Another thing that concerns me is that DS fans who can’t afford to upgrade may be left out in the cold, unless Nintendo is kind enough to make their 3D titles backwards-compatible (albeit without the 3D glamor). Odds of playing 3DS titles on an older system are slim-to-none though, for the inclusion of one thing: The 3DS has a PSP-style analog, just above the D-pad.

Last but not least, there is another huge factor to consider: The built-in 3D camera is spectacular. With the snap of a button, the 3DS’s dual lenses combine to create a dazzling 3D image of whatever person, place or thing you decide to capture. There are even a few games on the horizon which make compelling use of this technology, allowing users to take 3D photos of themselves which are then instantly transformed into in-game avatars. I must admit, this was my favorite aspect of the system, and I seriously can’t wait to make good use of it on my own time.

The inclusion of this technology helps to justify whatever price Nintendo slaps on this thing when it comes out too, since even non-gamers may want to pick up a user-friendly 3D camera with built-in Wi-Fi and other goodies. Of course, the 3D images will only be viewable on a device which has the same display technology as the 3DS itself, which is (as far as I know) proprietary, so it may not be that much of a seller after all.

In the end, I’m sure the 3DS will be great for those who can afford it, but if the price is as high as I suspect it will be, and Nintendo delivers it as a “forced” upgrade in order to continue picking up new DS titles, I just worry that a lot of old-school DS fans may be more annoyed than overjoyed at its release. I sincerely hope the folks over at Nintendo are thinking about that crowd, too.

Here’s a funny-yet-mildly-creepy commercial for Nintendo’s newest innovation:

NOTE: The dramatic representation of Mario standing on top of the 3DS like Princess Leia is about as accurate as 2+2=94. While the actual effect is very cool, it’s also much more subtle than you might imagine having seen this promo.

E3 2010 was full of eye candy, but one of the sweetest demos was Square Enix’s DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, the 3rd part in the popular franchise (even though the 2nd part was a let down).

Here’s the official cinematic trailer:

The year is 2027 (25 years before the first DEUS EX), a time of great innovation in neuroprosthetics, but also a time of chaos and conspiracy and a new social divide. The “haves” and “have-nots” are defined by those who can afford augmentations and those who cannot. Adam Jensen, a private security specialist hired to protect the interests of one of the largest bio-tech corporations, is undecided on the ethics of neuroprosthetics but becomes injured in an attack on the facility and must be augmented. Having this very important decision taken away from him, he now is driven to encounter the truth and discover who attacked the facility and why. In his search, a vast global conspiracy is revealed and Adam’s decisions will decide the fate of humankind.

While I couldn’t actually play the demo, I watched (with my own eyes) a developer play a portion of the game on a large screen that displayed no HUD (the final version will have a HUD display, even though I’d prefer that it wouldn’t) and was demonstrated in pre-alpha (a.k.a. incomplete version), yet the visual graphics were already mind-blowingly beautiful. It can only get better from here.

As Jensen walked through the incredibly detailed futuristic city, every NPC interacted and reacted to him in various ways that did not seem scripted. The player can talk with anyone or even overhear NPCs conversations from a distance. When Jensen approached a bar and was stopped by a bouncer, not only was the dialog and movement realistic but it also incorporated a type of conversation game play that allowed the player to make different choices to complete his objectives. Jensen “chose” to pay his way into the bar, but he could have killed the bouncer or found another way in, by sneaking under the building or listening to NPCs as they discussed the password. Inside elements of the story were revealed and more of the conversation gameplay took place as the demo continued.

The demo skipped ahead to an action/infiltration portion of the game. Up to this point the game had mostly been 1st-person perspective (except for the cinematic scenes), but the viewpoint changes to 3rd-person when you use the cover system. As Jensen snuck around a heavily-guarded warehouse area, take downs were demonstrated, ranging from non-lethal (knock-outs), stealth (neck snaps), double kills (instant and simultaneous), environmental (breaking through walls to get to an enemy on the other side), and when surrounded, cinematic-like finishers that clear the entire room - in style. These take downs are made easier to execute with the help of the BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM style X-ray vision, but even that cannot be executed without the help of augmentations (abilities chosen, earned, purchased) that help effect and strategize the way you play.

By the end of the demo I was left speechless, so I had no choice but to write this pre-alpha review. All I have left to “not” say is watch the trailer, and while it may not be gameplay it pretty much demonstrates what you can actually do in the game. For once, a game that does not falsely advertise with it’s cinematic scenes. I can’t wait to try the demo for myself.

Acrobatic maneuvers in flip-flops made possible by SMART - check below for details…

If you think about it, First Person Shooters still control the same way they have since DOOM, DUKE NUKEM and GOLDENEYE. But now change has arrived in the form of BRINK, Splash Damage and Bethesda’s new free-flowing, team-based shooter.

BRINK’s story is about the world nose-diving into an apocalypse (as always). The Ark, a modern safe haven, is the place to be. Now all the stranded and desperate clans living in the slums want in. The rEvolution begins.

As I stepped up to the E3 demo I learned that BRINK’s Evolved F.P.S. comes in the form of a single button: a SMART button, which is the Left Trigger (360). I tried this newness out and I’m glad to report that it works. The Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain is both easy and fun to execute.

With the button held down I was able to sprint, climb and slide under mostly anything that was in my path, as long as it was within a normal human’s ability. I found out on my own how to slide out of cover (side ways) to another cover while shooting, and even how to slide into an enemy and knock them down.

The online experience is very exciting with this one too, due to the fact that mission objectives can only be accomplished by certain “classes”. For example: You must disable a bomb. Someone in your squad must be an engineer (1 of the 4 classes) to disable it. This encourages players to work together by strategically choosing what classes their team should consist of. It’s fun to be a lone wolf, and you can be, but encouraging teamwork opens up more satisfying moments of accomplishments in a match. I believe that a big part of social gaming is the opportunity to be an active part of a group, and BRINK delivers on that.

The acrobatics mixed with action is satisfying, despite the “simple fix” problem of not being able to melee while reloading. Customization is a nice addition for both your clothes and weapons too.

Here’s a cinematic trailer, for your viewing pleasure:

I am excited about BRINK. It is evolutionary and enjoyable, definitely one of the highlights of my miserable life…….and E3.

BRINK is due out September 7th, 2010 for PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

Written By Quinn Aguirre for ‘the Flow’ www.theflowshow.tv

This past week has been a total blur. E3 is upon us and we here at ‘the flow’ have been swamped. From booking hotel accommodations, to getting car rentals and airfare to packing and getting cards and everything else, we’ve also been writing to keep you, the flowriders in the loop.

I thought in retrospect since we arent going to be able to write individual articles for each thing that we are expecting and excited to see at E3 this week until after we get back, I instead figured it would benefit us as well as yall to make a ‘hopefuls’ list of what was expected, what we are excited for, and what rumors we think might be substantiated at the show. SO without further ado here is the hopefully list compiled by yours truely:

Zelda 2
Project Natal
Brink
Naruto Ninja Storm 2
Playstation Move
Socom 4
3d gaming
Gran Turismo 5
3-DS
Social Gaming
Star Craft 2
Farm Ville
Crackdown 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Gears of War 3
Dead Space 2
Metroid: Other M
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
Killzone 3
Little Big Planet 2
Halo: Reach
The Last Guardian (Project Trico)
Dead or Alive 5
Crysis 2
Metal Gear Solid: Rising
Castlevania: Lords of Shadows
Portal 2
Infamous 2
Half Life Episode 3
Civilization 5
Vitality Sensor
Golden Eye 2
XCOM
Mortal Kombat
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Bulletstorm
bodycount
Rock Band 3
Madden 11
Duke Nukem Forever
Sin and Punishment 2
Monster Hunter Frontier
Super Scribblenauts
PSP 2?
Persona 3 Portable
malicious
Mafia 2
Patapon 3? teaser site up~!
Comic Jumper
Mad Catz to have a crap load of new RB3 peripherals~!
Risk: Factions
APB: beta and lack of servers in Aussie
Spare parts
M vs C 3 Dante vs Deadpool
Kmart to have heavy deals
E3 week
Splatterhouse
tales of monkey island 2
sam and max episode 3
spec ops: the line
Drake in GOW3
La times has broken more info about natal
red man and method man
to hype crowd for
def jam rapstar at E3
conduit 2
lego HP years 1-4
Mortal Kombat
rabbids 3ds
xenoblade
Wii HD
Wii online modernized
mario clash from virtual boy 3ds port
Pikin 3
wii pulse / vitality
true wii fit sequel
DSi price drop
Wii party
new super mario bros 2
metroid returns to 2d
kindom hearts re: coded
F-zero wii
fifa soccer 11
jelly car 2
FF the 4 heroes of light
dragon quest ix
3DS digital distribution service
trine 2
rock of ages
etrian odyssey III
knights in the nightmare
PS2 to retire finally
mmo push
uncharted 3
sony discussing the 3d future
sly cooper 4
jaffe to reveil a new title (possible IP)
ac: brotherhood beta exclusive (possible ps3 only)
another agent tease
psp on ps3 demos
premium PSN unveiled
Fallout: Vegas
Magic: The Gathering - Duel of Planeswalkers (PC)
Max Payne 3
Castlevania Puzzle
hulu to XBOX / ipad
apple iphone 4
Parappa creator and OneBigGame make music game for charity
Fable 3
D.J. Hero 2
star wars the force unleashed 2
Devil’s Third

We hope that this list has you already salivating and we hope to bring you at least this much and MUCH more according to what we can all cover this week. So until then Flowriders, keep it tuned.., keep it exciting, and keep playing~!

~Q~