By Anonymous on Apr 30, 2015 12:04 am
This War of Mine, an indie game that explores the horrors of war from a civilian perspective, has released a free update that adds new locations to the game, a character editor, and more. The two new locations are the Gas Station, one of the first places people looted while fleeing the city, and the Old Town, which lies in ruin like the rest of the war-torn city inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war. The 1.3 update, which developer 11 Bit Studios says is the biggest the game received yet, also adds a new Scenario Editor that lets players write their own stories by picking which members can join the group, the length of the conflict, weather conditions, and more. Using the new Character Editor, players can also create entirely new civilians by changing their look, skills, and biographies. You can even put yourself in the game by uploading your own portrait picture. This War of Mine received an 8/10 in GameSpot's review for its gripping, emotional storytelling and character development. Earlier this month, 11 Bit Studios announced that so far it supported more than 350 Syrian children refugees through its DLC charity campaign, which launched last month to benefit the War Child organization.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:55 pm
 With Star Wars Day coming up on May 4, there are Star Wars deals to be had all over the place. Steam, GOG, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation Store all have sales featuring various Star Wars games right now. Highlights includes a $27 Steam bundle of the X-Wing games and a $23 bundle that includes games like Battlefront II, both Knights of the Old Republic games, and Dark Forces. Amazon has a very nice Xbox One offer, with the Assassin's Creed bundle (that includes Unity and Black Flag) being sold for $350 with a free copy of NBA 2K15 and a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for Xbox One and PS4 is already $50 at Amazon and Best Buy. If you're a Gamers Club Unlocked member, you can get it at Best Buy for just $40. Toys R Us has a big Buy One, Get One 40 Percent Off sale on toys-to-life figures that includes Amiibo, Skylanders, and Disney Infinity. Below you'll find the rest of today's best deals divided by platform: PlayStation 4The PS4 Last of Us bundle can currently be had on eBay for $350. Dell's previously excellent PS4 deal has been tempered somewhat, but you can still get the system, The Last of Us Remastered, and a PlayStation Silver headset for $400. Buy a PS4 at Target, and you'll get a free copy of Destiny. Amazon is offering an $80 bonus toward the purchase of certain PS4 bundles when you trade in eligible consoles and bundles (including Xbox 360 and PS3), giving you the chance to save anywhere from $150-$350. EBay has seller-refurbished PS4s from $300 to $325. Sony has launched a massive PSN sale to celebrate Japan's Golden Week. You can get Catherine for $5, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for $16, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Episode One for $3, and much more. Check out the full list of deals here. Other PS4 game deals: PlayStation Plus' free games for April include Tower of Guns, Killzone: Mercenary, and Dishonored, and are available now. May's games have also been announced; check those out here. Xbox OneWalmart still has the Xbox One Halo Master Chief Collection Bundle for $349 with a free game of your choice. Only certain games are eligible, but the options are solid, including Destiny, Sunset Overdrive, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and more. Toys R Us is selling the Halo: Master Chief Collection and Assassin's Creed Xbox One bundles for $350 each with your choice of a free (select) game. Game choices include Sunset Overdrive, Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition, Forza Motorsport 5: Game of the Year Edition, and more. Best Buy is offering a $175 credit toward an Xbox One when you trade in a 250GB Xbox 360 or PS3 Slim console. On eBay, you can buy a year of Xbox Live Gold for $42. Best Buy will take $20 off the price of a one-year Xbox Live Gold membership when you buy any Xbox 360 or Xbox One. Microsoft's latest Deals With Gold promotion is on, discounting a handful of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games. You can check out all the deals here. Other Xbox One game deals: The free Games with Gold titles for April are available now and include Child of Light on Xbox One and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag on Xbox 360. 360 owners will be getting twice as many games as usual this month, with the third and fourth games now available. May's games have also been announced, which you can read about here. PCThe Humble Store has a big sale on indie games, offering Frozen Synapse for $7.49, Anomaly 2 for $6, Little Inferno for $5, Sanctum 2 for $4.49, and much more. Check out all the deals here. Green Man Gaming has a publisher sale on 2K games. You can get Civilization: Beyond Earth for $20, BioShock Infinite for $7.49, XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Edition for $12.49, Civilization V: The Complete Edition for $12.49, and more. Check out all the sale prices here. The newest Humble Bundle features various Might & Magic games. You can pay anything to get games like Heroes of Might & Magic II: Gold Edition and Might & Magic IV: Complete Edition, while beating the average sale price (currently an unusually high $12.11) will also get you Dark Messiah of Might & Magic and other games. Paying $15 or more will also add in Might & Magic X: Legacy and four more games. There's also the latest Humble Weekly Bundle featuring multiplayer games that is nearly over. Paying any price will get you games like Primal Carnage and God Mode, while a $10 purchase will get you Homebrew: Vehicle Sandbox, Chariot, and more. Green Man Gaming is currently offering discounts on orders for some of the year's biggest releases. You can get Grand Theft Auto V for $46.79, Batman: Arkham Knight for $43.79, Magicka 2 for $11.24, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited for $46.79, Project Cars for $37.49, Pillars of Eternity for $32.84, or Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward for $30. You can find all the discounts in Green Man Gaming's VIP page, which you can access by signing up for a free account. You can get 20 percent off at Green Man Gaming with the code: SAVE20-APRILM-AYDEAL Ultima VIII: Gold Edition is free on Origin. Other PC game deals: Wii UIf you don't mind a refurbished system, Nintendo's online store has a Wii U bundle with Nintendo Land for $200, or Nintendo Land and Super Mario 3D World for $225. 3DSWalmart is offering a New 3DS XL bundle with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and your choice of select Amiibo figurines for $230. Alternatively, the retailer has a New 3DS XL bundle with your choice of select games and a Pokemon figurine for $229-$237. Eligible games include Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Code Name: Steam, and quite a few more. PS VitaAmazon is selling the Wi-Fi PlayStation Vita for $170. HardwareAmazon prices are accurate as of publishing, but can fluctuate occasionally throughout the day. GameSpot's gaming deals posts always highlight the best deals we can find regardless of retailer. We also occasionally use retailer affiliate links, which means that purchasing goods through those links helps support all the great content (including the deals posts) you find for free here on the site.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:44 pm
Today during a special Twitch livetstream, Bungie announced that, like The Dark Below before it, upcoming Destiny expansion House of Wolves will also have PlayStation exclusive content, though not as much. While The Dark Below offered PlayStation players an exclusive Strike and exotic weapon, House of Wolves will give Sony players an exclusive Crucible map called Time Keeper. Focused around a mysterious, clockwork-like structure on Mars built by the Vex, this map has the most verticality and the most open space to run around in, we reported earlier today after spending some hands-on time with it. House of Wolves will deliver three other maps, which will be released for both PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Read more about those maps in GameSpot's previous coverage. In other Destiny news, Bungie also announced today that the Crucible maps from December's Dark Below expansion will become free for everyone when House of Wolves arrives on May 19. GameSpot recently visited Bungie's headquarters and played Trials of Osiris and more. Check out our preview for everything you need to know. We also have some new Destiny House of Wolves screenshots, which you can see in the gallery below.                 
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:31 pm
Last week, Bungie revealed details about The Reef, Destiny's new social space in the upcoming House of Wolves expansion. As part of this week's continuation of coverage, the developer discussed additions coming to Destiny's PvP during a livestream presentation today. GameSpot went hands-on with the content last week and here's the full rundown on what to expect. One big point of contention for House of Wolves when it was announced was the lack of a new raid. But one thing that Bungie will be adding to help ease the pain of that omission will be The Trials of Osiris. This new end-game PvP activity will run every week from Friday to Tuesday. Trials of Osiris will be based on a new 3v3 mode called Elimination where two teams of three face off in a deathmatch. You'll be able to revive your teammates in this mode, and the first team to win five rounds wins the match. In order to help players focus their strategies, there will only be one map available per week. In order to enter the Trials of Osiris you will need a Trials Passage. You'll be able to earn some by accepting quests that involve talking to NPCs on the Reef. But after that's completed, Trials Passages will cost 100 Glimmer each. In addition to earning you admittance into Osiris, the Trials Passage tracks your wins and losses. Once you lose three times, that specific Trials Passage is done and you can turn it in. Your package rewards are based on the total number of wins you accumulate. Here are the rewards in Trials of Osiris: - Two to three wins -- A blue package that can contain Motes of Light, Passage Coins, and other items
- Five wins -- Ability to purchase the weekly armor
- Six wins -- A legendary package
- Seven wins -- Ability to purchase the weekly weapon
- Eight wins -- Ability to buy a legendary package (Bungie did not disclose the packages rewards, but they did mention that it will not contain Exotics or Trials of Osiris armor)
The rewards are cumulative. So, for example, if you garner seven wins, you'll be able to purchase the weekly weapon and you'll also earn every lesser reward. If you start off poorly or if you just want to begin a fresh card with a new team, you can discard your Trials Passage at any time. Brother Vance sells consumables that will help you get more wins and negate some losses. These items cost Passage Coins that you will receive as rewards from the Crucible and other places. Passage Coins are a new currency coming to the game that can be used to buy consumables from Trials of Osiris NPC Brother Vance. Trials of Osiris will contain two sets of armor. The better set will be gated through Crucible wins, whereas the other set will be randomly dropped after matches. As a sidenote, you'll want to make sure to do Iron Banner when its available, because at Rank 3 and Rank 5 you can earn an Etheric Light to Ascend your gear. The Dark Below Crucible maps will become free for everyone once House of Wolves releases on May 19. A Bungie representative at the preview event said, "All the Dark Below maps are going into the regular playlist for everybody. If you just have Destiny with no expansion packs, you'll be able to play." The four new Crucible maps coming to the expansion are all small- to medium-sized maps with no vehicles. However, only three of the maps will come to both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. - Thieves Den -- Fallen hideout located on Venus. It has a broken down walker, a docked ship, and multiple caves to run through.
- Widow's Court -- An asymmetrical map with both long lines of sight and tight interiors. Set in a European Dead Zone on Earth.
- Black Shield -- A decommissioned Firebase believed to be used by the Cabal on Mars as a war base.
The only PlayStation exclusive for House of Wolves will be a Crucible map called Time Keeper. Focused around a mysterious, clockwork-like structure on Mars built by the Vex, this map has the most verticality and the most open space to run around in. To encourage all players to spend more time in the Crucible on Xbox One and PS4, Bungie is going to increase the rewards you get for participating in the mode: - Earn double Marks
- Earn double reputation
- Increased number of Engrams rewarded after each match
- Completing the daily Crucible missions will net you a reward pack containing Motes of Light, Passage Coins, or other items
On May 6 we'll have more information about the upcoming PvE additions for House of Wolves when Bungie hosts its final livestream prior to the expansion's release. House of Wolves will cost $20 as standalone content, but it's also included with Destiny's $35 Expansion Pass.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:30 pm
 The media tries to take on a few of the Bungie developers at the new end game PvP activity, The Trials of Osiris.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:11 pm
Far Cry 4 developer Ubisoft Montreal has launched a new campaign to help support the ongoing relief effort in Nepal. Earlier this week, a 7.8 magnitude earth struck in the country, killing thousands of people and leaving many more injured or facing other types of hardships as a result of the natural disaster.  Ubisoft is currently asking for donations as part of the Nepal Region Earthquake Fund, which is managed by the Canadian Red Cross. The company has a close connection to Nepal, as the developer researched the country, its people, and its culture as part of the work that went into Far Cry 4. The game is set in the fictional Himalayan region of Kyrat. "Having spent the last few years working on Far Cry 4, a game heavily inspired by Nepal and its people, it is with heavy hearts that the Far Cry family pulls together to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross, who are mobilizing their traveling hospital team to Kathmandu to offer support and medical assistance," Ubisoft writes on the campaign's website. So far, people have donated more than $4,600 to the initiative. Ubisoft Montreal will match donations up to the first $100,000.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 11:10 pm
[UPDATE] The stream has begun! Watch it below The original story is below.
During a special Destiny livetsream on Twitch today, Bungie will share new information and show off a live gameplay demo for the new Trials of Osiris multiplayer event, which is part of the new House of Wolves expansion. The video broadcast begins today at 11 AM PDT / 2 PM EDT / 7 PM UK, and you'll be able to watch the entire event through the Twitch video played embedded below.  Ahead of the event, Bungie community manager David "Deej" Dague spoke out on Reddit to let viewers know what to expect from the stream. "This show will be less inquisition and more competitive event," he explained. "Our aim is to showcase the special breed of action and suspense that Trials of Osiris delivers. Our goal is to introduce you to this new activity and let you know how it will change your game. Should be fun." Dague will host the event live from Bungie's headquarters, while design leads Larks Bakken and Derek Carroll will also speak during it. Community member tripleWRECK is also going to appear. House of Wolves launches May 19 for all platforms. It's included with Destiny's $35 Expansion Pass--which also comes with the previously released Dark Below add-on--or can be purchased by itself for $20.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 10:05 pm
 The cancellation of Silent Hills is the latest in a long line of worrying signs coming from the Japanese developer. Peter Brown broke the story of Kojima's impending exit, so we asked him what he thinks the future holds for Konami.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 06:24 am
1. Black Widow
Everyone's excited about the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, so we've rounded up the absolute best Avengers cosplay from comic conventions across the country. Scarjo better watch out. This fan rendition of Black Widow is near perfect.
2. Iron Man
"Please, no gang signs." This guy's the spitting image of Tony Stark, down to the salt and pepper moustache and disapproving scowl. Way to go!
3. Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch casts a transfixing hex on WonderCon in Anaheim.
4. Thor
Don't let her ease with the Mjolnir hammer fool you. That thing is heavy.
5. The Hulk
What this guy lacks in size he makes up for in sheer adrenaline fueled rage. There's no defusing this gamma bomb.
6. Loki
When Loki's not busy being the God of Evil, the notorious trickster actually has a contemplative side.
7. Nick Fury
Nick Fury politely poses for a picture, on a short break from fighting the forces of HYDRA.
8. Loki and Thor
Thor can barely hide his distaste over the indignity of posing with his adopted brother Loki. You just know it's gotta be another trap.
9. Black Widow and Hawkeye
Hawkeye's ready to defend his life long love Black Widow. He's always been a straight shooter.
10. Captain America
Steve Rogers prepares himself to take on Ultron, the sentient A.I. run amok. Avengers assemble!
11. Thor (and Rainbow Brite)
When the citizens of Rainbow Land need protecting from the King of Shadows, Thor is waiting in the wings.
12. Wolverine, Spider-Man, Captain America and Hawkeye
Wolverine and Spider-Man have yet to join forces with The Avengers in the movies, but with a rich history of comic book cooperation, their eventual participation seems inevitable.
13. Thor
Thor casually profers the jewel of Odin's treasure room. Hey buddy, you do realize the Tesseract can open a portal to the Chitauri army, right? You might wanna put that thing away.
14. Hawkeye
This Hawkeye's got a nice callback to the character's original regal color scheme from the comics.
15. Iron Man
We're pretty sure the stock price of Stark Industries just tripled when the world got a look at this excellent costume. This man means business.
16. Thor
Thor has no plans to die today. Especially not when he's got the best costume at the convention.
17. Captain America
His shield is nearly indestructible, but Captain America's got an even fiercer stare. You do not want to cross the first Avenger.
18. Loki
Loki prepares some black magic energy blasts. Asgard's resident God of Lies and Mischief does have a reputation to maintain, after all.
19. Thor
For once, Thor actually seems to be in a gaming mood. Whosever holds the hammer shall possess the power.
20. Captain America
If you're gonna fight a war, you've gotta wear a uniform. This one would make Steve Rogers proud.
21. Black Widow
Natasha Romanof may be the most popular Soviet defector in history. Where would S.H.I.E.L.D. (or comic conventions, for that matter) be without her?
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 05:14 am
It's tough being a neophyte wizard in the world of Ziggurat. If spending two decades learning the fundamentals of magic and spellcasting isn't hard enough, you must now put those skills to the test in the infamous, multi-leveled ziggurat, where creatures from myth and fantasy eagerly wait to snuff out your very existence. Ziggurat, a first-person, dungeon-crawling roguelike, won't overwhelm you with its brief length. But as short as your victory run may be, the brisk combat flow and compelling sense of progression will keep you transfixed despite some minor problems. You will face many challenges as you leap and sprint through the labyrinthine ziggurat. It features procedural level design, which means you get a different adventure every time you play. Like The Binding of Isaac, levels are constructed of a series of linked rooms, and the doors slam shut in the presence of dark minions, sealing you in with your prey…or your hunters. Lurking in the dark passageways you find the usual smattering of fantasy archetypes, such as necromancers, sword-wielding skeletons, and impish goblins--along with some exceptions, such as evil mushrooms and crab-clawed demons. Oh, and killer carrots. Yes, carrots, which are almost too adorable to put back into the ground--but what else are you to do against vegetables that turn evil? Is there a blob heaven? Some rooms contain traps you must overcome, or modifiers that change how you approach a fight. The latter can include increasing enemy size or quadrupling damage given and received; you can also get something more aesthetic, such as the always-amusing big pixel mode, which gives the game the look of a mid-90s shooter. Every quest into the ziggurat's recesses has a humble beginning. At first, you are armed with only a simple wand and a slowly regenerating mana pool. But your arsenal steadily increases to include three other magical tools and powers, including spells of ice and poison and staffs that rapidly fire glowing bolts of energy. Weapons and spells are scattered throughout the ziggurat's many rooms and floors, either floating in the air or stored in chests, just waiting to get plucked and added to your hotbar. Each come equipped with an alternate attack that changes their attack speed or potency at a higher cost to your mana pool, which is replenished by picking up colored gems that fallen enemies occasionally drop. It won't be long until you find your favorite tools of the mystical trade. The magma rifle, with its incredible range and powerful explosive slug, is always a top choice. But the one I will always make a mad dash for is the scarab beetle staff, which fires red bugs that ricochet off surfaces. The staff works wonders at medium range, but in smaller rooms, those carrots don't stand a chance! Ziggurat is a fight for survival against some nasty foes, but the longer you persevere, the more chances you have at increasing your odds of survival. Gathering knowledge gems that are periodically dropped by your fallen enemies allows you to level up and choose one of several random perks, which come in the form of magical cards. Perks can also be acquired in secret rooms, their hiding places betrayed by cracks in the wall. An element of strategy is involved in picking the right perk, and your decision can have a huge effect on how long you last against the oppressive odds--in Ziggurat, you will find that long-term planning can lead to handsome rewards. Favoring the perk that instantly replenishes any lost health seems like a no-brainer. But you have a choice between said card and Bookworm, which allows you to choose among three cards on the next level instead of the default two, how would you proceed? You can also gamble with your fate in rooms where shrines to ancient deities rest. Sacrificing health or mana give you a chance to earn a divine favor if you're fortuitous or a penalty if you're not. If you stumble upon the Oracle perk, which removes all divine punishments, fortune will smile upon you. Wingardium Leviosa! Wait, that isn't right... Movement and combat flow at a rapid pace, reminiscent of classic shooters of yore. There is no stamina to speak of, so sprinting from room to room goes unabated. It's actually quite common to fly through an entire floor in under 10 minutes. You're not slowed down by pools of water, and you can fall from precarious heights without taking any damage. You can adjust your position in the air as well, which is necessary for some of the challenge rooms. These rooms award you with a new perk, spell, or weapon after you dodge flying darts or nimbly hop across rocks and floating debris in stretching pools of lava. This degree of energetic locomotion keeps your heart pounding as you explore the ziggurat, often running backwards, Serious-Sam style, from approaching clutches of hungry foes, picking them off with shotgun blasts of arcane ice or blowing them apart with chemical bombs. Ziggurat's sweat-inducing velocity, combined with the satisfying feeling of growth brought about by its perks system, is, well, spellbinding, and it had me returning to its musty halls even late into the night. But some issues will pull you out of the enchantment. There are graphical glitches and performance issues, such as frame rate drops and flickering shadows. In its defense, however, Ziggurat looks fantastic. The game dazzles with a charming, almost Fable-like quality, with sources of light emanating from burning torches or esoteric crystals sprouting from the floor to cast bright hues of purple, yellow, and green against grungy stone walls and floors. So it's a shame that on rare occasions, black smears damage Ziggurat's attractiveness. These smudges flicker as you look around, and they can be thin and amorphous, stretching across the screen. The worst smear I encountered covered a good third of the upper portion of my view. And let me tell you, when you have hulking foes to fight and projectiles to dodge, missing such a huge chunk of the screen is unacceptable. The blotches, oddly, only exist in a single room at random, and they seem to be triggered by minions. I couldn't make any sense of this phenomenon, which haunted several of my playthroughs. It's a trap! Beyond that, I just can't seem to find any love toward Ziggurat's bosses, who guard the portal you use to ascend to the next floor. Some of the bosses are merely larger versions of existing enemies, but none of them, except the final boss, offer much of a fight. Most go down after a minute or two of circle strafing, while you only have to dodge the occasional flying projectile. Ziggurat can be completed in just over an hour, but it's unlikely you will stop there. The game is challenging, engaging, and a whole lot of fun, despite its problems. There is an abundance of perks to discover and up to 11 characters to unlock, all of whom have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. If you believe you have the mystical skills to conquer the mighty Ziggurat, now is your chance to prove your worth.
By Anonymous on Apr 29, 2015 03:27 am
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved, the free update to last fall's Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, is a tale of two radically different tapes. On the first tape, you have a twin-stick shooting level design and potentially supernatural reflexes pushed to their limits in beautiful, technicolor harmony. On the other tape rests some of the most punishing, unfairly designed boss fights this side of a SNES side-scroller. That Geometry Wars 3 remains a great game despite boss fights that transformed me into an apoplectic, rage-fueled, profanity-spewing monster is a testament to just how much Lucid Games has perfected its score-chasing, polyhedral exploding craft. Let's talk about the first tape. The first time I saw the score required to pass "Super Sequence," the penultimate level of Geometry Wars 3's new Hardcore Mode, I let out a weak laugh. 20 million points … I consider myself to be an above-average Geometry Wars player, but 20-million-point runs tend to be reserved for my best Pacifism performances. My laugh was premature. It should have been reserved for the level itself. Countless swarms of purple pinwheels, yellow flowers, pink twin cuboids, magnetic blue octahedrons, and yellow rockets filled my screen in a flash of color that would make the opening credits of Enter the Void blush. And I died. I died very quickly. The neverending pursuit of perfection. But, as Geometry Wars has always shown, there is a pattern to this madness. The pattern involves dozens of enemies coming to life at once and forcing you to channel your inner "Luke Skywalker on the Death Star run" persona while playing more aggressively and dangerously than you ever have before. Geometry Wars gave me the tools to survive, though, and after far fewer attempts than I would have ever guessed, I breezed to 50 million points, which was still 100 million points shy of a two-star score (and 250 million points shy of a three-star run). Surviving pushed me to my very limits in a way that few games ever have, but I felt satisfied that I had earned my victory. Let's move on to the second tape: "Aventurine." Oh, "Aventurine." I will remember your name for the next 10 years. One of the most maligned elements of Geometry Wars 3's original release last year was its boss fights. Dimensions Evolved only makes it worse. "Aventurine" is the second boss fight (of four) in the game's "Ultimate" campaign, which adds 40 new levels to the Adventure Mode. I'm ranked in the top 50 in the world right now on that level with a score I obtained without ever even beating the boss. Similarly, I'm ranked 27th in the world for a run on the final and only boss on Hardcore Mode, and I still haven't beaten it. I suspect I never will.  The challenges never let up. It took me multiple hours to conquer any given boss in Geometry Wars 3's Ultimate Mode, but "Aventurine" was my own personal Rubicon. I spent over four hours with the spawn location and attack patterns of every single damn enemy on that level memorized -- which occurred after about half an hour or so -- sitting straight up and staring at my TV with such intensity that I saw explosions in the back field of my vision any time I looked away. Geometry Wars had burned itself into the essence of my vision. But I couldn't beat the son of a … word that's inappropriate for a family-friendly publication. When I finally did persevere -- after escaping from near collisions and deaths by mere pixels -- I didn't feel like Rocky toppling Apollo Creed, ecstatic in my triumph and hard work. I felt like a war-torn veteran crawling out of the foxhole after months of nightly bombardments. I never want to fight that boss again. I never want to play any of those boss fights again. I would rather fight Bloodborne's Cleric Beast with just my fists and no blood vials than ever touch "Aventurine" or Hardcore Mode's "Topaz" ever again. Yet, despite the most agonizing video game bosses I've ever forced myself to overcome--minus "Topaz" because there's only so much I'm willing to let my blood pressure rise for the sake of a video game achievement--Geometry Wars 3 is better than ever before. Dimensions Evolved has all the content of a minor expansion pack at the price of a free update. This is the standard version of the game moving forward, and minus the abysmal boss fights, Geometry Wars 3 is better, more dynamic, and bigger than ever before.   Hardcore Mode addresses the second biggest complaint that long-time Geometry Wars devotees had with the base game: unlocking drones. Drones and drone supers marred the inherent purity of Geometry Wars' scoreboards. Players who spent more time upgrading their drones had an advantage when trying to reach higher scores. Hardcore Mode does away with drones so only you and the phantasmagoric-colored battlefield determine your performance. Many of these levels were designed with drones in mind, however, so the game supplies plenty of super states to help level the playing field in your favor, which you'll appreciate when well over a hundred enemies are on the screen at once. With the exception of the last level, "Topaz," the 20 remixed Hardcore levels send a jolt of adrenaline right into the veins of long-time series fans. Ultimate Mode is a larger addition, featuring 40 new levels and a host of new level types and enemies. While the continued presence of drones in Ultimate Mode may displease fans who can't abide that gameplay addition, the excellent level design should soothe most other fans' concerns. Whether you're on the level that plays out like an old-school, bullet-hell, Ikaruga-style shooter with fatal red walls pushing you ever forward or playing the new "Scorpion" mode, which feels like Centipede on steroids, Ultimate Mode constantly pushes the play palette of the series forward while maintaining the breakneck challenge and pace the series is loved for. I put more than a dozen hours into Dimensions Evolved, but I already fear the dozens of hours more that I'm going to dump into Ultimate and Hardcore Modes as I try to best my own scores and those of my friends. The boss fights remain a titanically poor decision for a series focused on lightning-fast, frenetic gameplay, but when the rest of the package has only gotten better and more varied, they're a frustrating but small price to pay.
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