Previously only available for PlayStation Vita and 3DS, Batman: AOG is being released for digital download today on PC and the Xbox Live Games Store, the 2^nd of April on PS3, and later in April for Wii U. The game is an improvement on the previous handheld title, with enhanced graphics and 5.1 surround sound. Featuring new enemies, events, an all new map system, difficulty levels, and of course, new Batsuits.

“Players will be able to guide their way through Blackgate prison with the new navigational system created for this version of the game. In addition, they can suit up with the exclusive Zero Year Batsuit skin which players can unlock by registering for a Warner Bros. ID (WBID) account. “

The game is set three months after the events of Batman: Arkham Origins , and Batman is called in to beat the sense out of badies in Blackgate Prison. Of course, there is always much more to the events in the Batman series then there seems to be. Find out with the newly released (and releasing) Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.

The post Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition Released appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Who’s afraid of the big, black bat? These goons should be.

As this is a Deluxe Edition the game will feature a few improvements over its handheld counterparts. Warner Bros. have said the game will boast enhanced graphics, 5.1 surround sound, fully voiced narrative and most importantly a new and improved map and hint system. Unfortunately, for fans of the physical format this edition of Blackgate will only be available digitally. You might want to check out our own Buddy Acker’s review of the handheld version here before you part with your hard earned cash.

The post Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition Coming to a Home Console Near You appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Hey Spawners!  Welcome to your weekly dose of the informative, entertaining, and just plain fun, SpawnCast!  After a two week hiatus due to the holidays and hospitals (yay alliteration!), Brian and Chris are back, along with their fan-favorite guest, SpawnFirst’s Senior News Editor, Angie Santiago!

Join the trio as they talk beers with a little bit of videogames (okay so maybe it’s a little bit of beers and a lot of videogames!) They discuss their first impressions of the next generation consoles: the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, followed by the caped crusaderâ€s Batman Arkham series. So get back into the groove and kick back, relax, and listen to the hosts’ thoughts and feelings on where they feel the Arkham series went, and possibilities of its future.

And for you mobile users: CLICK HERE

If you have a question about anything, want a shout-out, or just plain have an issue with what we’ve said, send an email straight to thespawncast@gmail.com and voice your concerns! We’ll make sure to answer them in upcoming SpawnCasts.

Catch The SpawnCast on their own Twitter feed and subscribe to them on iTunes(!). So make sure to follow them and tune into their deviant updates at @The_SpawnCast.

And if you want to check out any of our previous SpawnCasts, click HERE.

The post The SpawnCast Episode 18: Arkham City Rises appeared first on SpawnFirst.

While not as classy, or overly pretentious, as other award shows, it is always good to see artists recognized for their hard work.  Before the show airs on December 7 at 6PM EST (3PM CST), I will give both my favorite nominees and picks for which game could win for all categories.

Best Soundtrack

My favorite and predicted winner is both one and the same: The Last of Us.  Featuring a soundtrack of original tracks that drew upon country/blues styles to set the mood and tone, I believe Naughty Dog’s grand opus will win this category.  While I do love BioShock Infinite, the soundtrack did not stick with me, outside of the ragtime covers, and while Ni No Kuni‘s is also good, the sound is far too derived from classic RPGs to stand out amongst the pack.  As for Grand Theft Auto 5, the plethora of licensed tracks, which will be playing quite a bit due to the focus on driving, tend to overshadow the original score.

Best Song in a Game

My favorite song choice would have to be Eminem’s “Survival” because it is was the best part of Ghost‘s single player, but the winner will probably, and deservingly so, be “Will the Circle be Unbroken.”   Performed by Troy Baker and Courtney Draper for BioShock, the track is performed very well and is absolutely beautiful, not to mention it’s the only track not performed by a recording artist.

Best Voice Actors (Male and Female)

For the male actors, my favorite and predicted pick is Troy Baker.  Not only is he nominated twice, but all of his performances this year have been nothing short of amazing, even his Mark Hamill Joker impression in Arkham Origins.  Yes, Willem Dafoe performed well despite Beyond: Two Souls not being so good, but he is already established as a good actor; this one belongs to Baker. He earned it.

As for female voice actors, I want Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth from BioShock) to win because her performance helped to bring to life one of the most compelling characters ever to grace a video game.  On the other hand, my gut believes Ashley Johnson will take the prize for her role as Ellie in The Last of Us.  Ellen Page will receive the same judgment as Willem Dafoe.

Best Casual Game

My favorite would have to be Plants vs. Zombies 2, the only one in the category I’ve played, while the winner will easily be between this game and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.  I feel  Animal Crossing will take the win due to its popularity, but I also feel it will be a close competition.  The Disney Infinity and Skylanders games won’t have much pull on the poll due to their younger  target audience.

Best PC Game

Unfortunately, the only game on the list I have played is Battlefield 4; my favorite pick merely by default I suppose.  I have yet to play The Stanley Parable or Papers, Please even though their gameplay and concepts seem more compelling than that the bug-ridden, technical disaster that is Battlefield 4 on the PC.  I would like one of the indie titles to win, but sadly I think Battlefield 4 will take the prize.  Here’s hoping I’m wrong.

Best Handheld Game

Looks to be another nail-biter, especially for Nintendo fans.  My favorite would have to be Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.  As for the predicted winner, it will probably be Animal Crossing; its chances increase significantly if it wins best casual game.  Tearaway is the odd man out of the group because it is a PS Vita game and the least recognizable in a group of well-established franchises.

Best Nintendo Game

This one is difficult for me as I have yet to play a game on the Wii U; my sincerest apologies Nintendo fans.  Basing everything on instinct again, I feel like Rayman Legends will take the gold by a hair with Super Mario 3D in close second.  Not sure why, both games have received consistently high scores amongst critics, but I feel Rayman will win.  If I’m wrong Nintendo fans, you have my permission to say, “I told you so,” for a lack of faith in Mario.

Best PlayStation Game

One answer: The Last of Us.  I am almost positive this game already has its trophy in hand as I write this article.  This is also the only game on the list that is an exclusive which makes me feel like it should win by default.  Regardless, I is a great game deserving of an award.

Best Xbox Game

I want BioShock Infinite to win this award for its superb narrative, presentation, art direction, and skyline shoot-outs, but I am almost 100% positive this will go to Grand Theft Auto 5.  Once again, I must apologize to the fans for I am not a fan of the GTA series and GTA 5 did not even come close to in its attempt to convert me into its fanbase.  Due to the amount of praise it has received from critics and fans alike, this will probably take the win.

Best DLC

My pick for favorite and winner is quite obvious; Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.  Whereas the other nominees are actually a part of their games, Blood Dragon is an extension of Far Cry 3 that just happens to be its own game.  Based on my experiences with DLC, most content doesn’t take too long to complete, but Blood Dragon is fairly lengthy especially if players aim for 100% completion.  It is also worth noting that it contains gameplay mechanics from one of the best sandbox shooters of all time.  Point goes to Blood Dragon.

Best Driving Game

Great, another category in which I have yet to play any of the games listed.  Since my experiences with the Forza series has been more positive than Need For Speed, I pick Forza 5.  How positive am I? About 25%; on to the next category.

Best Fighting Game

Despite having a poorly written story and is somewhat lacking in creativity (Mortal Kombat with super heroes), Injustice: Gods Among Us is still a fun fighting game that manages to be both complex yet inviting for gamers unfamiliar with the fighting genre.  My pick, and favorite, stands out since Tekken Revolution‘s free-to-play model drags it down, Divekick is both somewhat obscure and rated poorly by critics, and Killer Instinct got in just a little too late.  Hopefully next year, there will be more fighters to play than this year.

Best RPG

My favorite of the group is easily Fire Emblem: Awakening, but the crown will go to Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.  Personally, I found the fighting mechanics to be cumbersome and overly complex by trying to be Pokémon, Final Fantasy, and Star Ocean at the same time.  The art direction is superb and the story is very charming plus I know this game already won the hearts of many despite never breaking through my cynicism.  Ni No Kuni will probably win and I have no problem with a Studio Ghibli cleaning house at another award show.

Best Independent Game

I am sad to say that I have not been able to keep up with the indies as much as I would like.  This means I have yet to try any of these game out yet.  It is a shame though because each game seems quite compelling and unique.  Based on what I’ve seen, I feel The Stanley Parable will win for its unique premise and humor.  Papers, Please will probably take second, followed by Kentucky Route Zero despite only being two episodes, with Gone Home in last place.

Best Sports Game

This one is tough to judge as I don’t really care for sports games.  Once again, I have to go with my gut so NBA 2K14.  Regardless, an EA game has the highest probability to win since three of the nominees are from them.

Best Action Adventure

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is my favorite action adventure game of the year because sailing around pillaging unfortunate merchants and naval ships never gets old.  Will it win? Probably not as I feel more votes will go to Tomb Raider (2013) instead of the other three.  The Last of Us is great, but is more action than adventure.  GTA 5 may have a strong fanbase, but I don’t feel like the game has as much pull this year as a did with previous games.

Best Shooter

Metro: Last Light is both my favorite and pick to win for the shooter category.  Battlefield 4 is fun, but only when it works, which is very rare lately, and Call of Duty: Ghosts is a Frankenstein’s monster made from pieces of other CoD games; the committee would have to be either crazy or bribed to pick one of these.  From an FPS standpoint,  Metro Last Light contains better shootouts than BioShock.  Last Light is a great game and is one-of-a-kind amongst generic FPS games; it deserves to win and should since the FPS juggernauts have been crippled by technical problems and lazy design.

Studio of the Year

This category is very hard to judge as each studio has only released one game this year and three of the studios’ games are up for game of the year.  The Fullbright Company feels like a throwaway nominee, which is wrong since they are the only indie developer.  Even though I have yet to play Gone Home, I hope they win because they are both an indie developer and the underdogs.  Sadly, I believe Rockstar North will take the prize.

Game of the Year

This is the moment of truth; the award that everyone waits for.  What is the most important award of the night, is also the most difficult to pick.  My favorite of the group is BioShock Infinite while the chosen winner will be The Last of Us.  I am about 65% sure that The Last of Us will take game of the year, but with the inclusion of GTA 5 and BioShock Infinite, it could be anyone’s game.

Not Until the Fat Lady Sings

For now these are just predictions and favorites which will only be validated or nullified until the winner is announced at the VGX (Video Game Awards).  For those who disagree, feel free to share your picks in the comment section, but wait to dish out the “I told you so,” or “Way to see the future Miss Cleo” comments until I have been proven to have poor clairvoyant skills.  Here’s to another year of great games and awesome gaming experiences!

The post VGX Hopes and Predictions appeared first on SpawnFirst.

John Finch – SpawnVids/Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

I spent the month of September absorbed, once again, in the world of The Last of Us. The game is still in the top 3 best looking games ever, and itâ€s definitely still exciting to go back and try some encounters over again or to go through some I forgot entirely. Iâ€ve also been playing one of the free games from PlayStation Plus, Bit.Trip Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, an excellent rhythm title that quickly goes from charmingly cute and relaxing to infuriatingly hard and challenging. It may have been the first time I lost my temper at a game with a level as adorable as the Welkin Wonderland. The controls are tight and right on beat, giving the game a very intuitive and accessible feel before the difficulty ratchets up and becomes legitimately challenging.  If youâ€re already a PlayStation Plus subscriber and havenâ€t picked this game up, then get up right now and get it. Are you still here?! Oh my god, go get the game! Itâ€s adorable!

Whatâ€s up for October?

Iâ€m going to be picking up a 3DS and catching up with the rest of the handheld universe so Iâ€ll be playing Pokemon X and Y. Iâ€m a humongous Pokemon fan and this new title looks to add a lot to the fantastic Pokemon series while returning to the gameâ€s roots. Iâ€m also excited for the new Batman title dropping towards the end of October. Arkham Asylum and Arkham City were impressive additions to the stealth universe with gameplay mechanics that are emulated by stealth and action games alike. Arkham Origins promises to continue that trend and, despite being a prequel, explore some new ground for the series. Iâ€m also going to be playing the Resident Evil Remake for the Gamecube, because survival horror is my favorite genre and this Resident Evil title is my favorite of the series.

Justin Celani – Video Content Director

What were you playing in September?

So September has come and gone, and I played a few titles here and there. Nothing major was on the agenda, so I recorded a few videos of game play on the House of Gaming Horrors channel, covering Outlast and Amnesia A Machine for Pigs (both of which made me crap my pants, for your information). And there was only one possible explanation for the vacuum of games in September – the mother lode was about to drop. GTA V was coming and I could hear its drumbeat in the distance. As fast as it dropped into my hands, down my pants, and into the system tray, I was robbing, killing, stealing, and smiling the entire time. Sure itâ€s just “GTA” but the amount of detail in the world is staggering, and the refinements done to the gameplay, story, and world was just outstanding. This consumed me.

Whatâ€s up for October?

As for the rest of October, I know for a fact that Iâ€ll be finishing up GTA Vâ€s story mode, and will be hopping into GTA Online (when itâ€s NOT broken). The fact that this has taken up the majority of my gaming hours of September, Iâ€m scared of how it the same might happen in October. Should I eat, sleep, and play more GTA V? Time will tell. As for titles Iâ€m highly anticipating this month? Well, thatâ€s a damn good question. What exactly will I be looking out for? The retail release of Knock, Knock on PC looks to be an interesting and unique take on horror from a 2D perspective. Beyond Two Souls is already about to arrive on my doorstep, and coming from a big fan of Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain, this looks damn good! Last but not least, I plan to do some Swashbuckling in Assassins Creed IV, and sure most people are tired of the series… but personally, I enjoyed each and every new iteration. AC + Pirates + Grog = AWESOME. ‘Nuff said.

Buddy Acker – Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

Our Editor-in-Chief can vouch for me (Editorâ€s note: I can) when I say I played a whole lot of damn games in September and I can in no way name them all without this being 5,000 words long. So I’ll just cover a few. I played a bunch of Grand Theft Auto V, just like the rest of the world. It’s my favorite game of 2013 so far. I played and reviewed Pandora’s Tower, Crash City Mayhem, Heavy Fire: The Chosen Few, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F, LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins and the king of them all, the PS3 version of Diablo III, which is incredible. I also recently completed Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and I’m currently playing Ascend: Hand of Kul, and I’ll be reviewing them both. It isn’t hard to notice I had a strange month of gaming. Otherwise I played Fable III, FIFA 14 and Saints Row IV, and I finally completed the campaign in Rainbow Six: Vegas.

Whatâ€s up for October?

I’ll still be playing Ascend: Hand of Kul and GTA V (I hope Rockstar fixes the issues in GTA Online soon because right now it’s just a mess). I’ll also probably still be playing Fable III, which I personally love. October is a big month for gaming with the upcoming releases of Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and possibly LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and WWE 2K14, weighing heavy on folks’ minds. I’ll more than likely play all of those games at some point. I know for certain I’ll be checking out Assassin’s Creed IV and WWE 2K14 as I am a big fan of both of those franchises and the fact that Redbox will be carrying them both. As far as what I’m reviewing, so far the only game I’m sure of is Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, which I’m certain to be playing for a while. I’ll also play a hundred other games, but I’m not sure which ones.

Fraser McIntyre – Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

Well I played a lot of Rome 2 – that was to be expected. I must have racked up 40 hours between the 3rd and the 7th. I’ve been playing some Shadow Warrior and it’s been fantastic. It’s a great game and so silly. Unsurprisingly enough, I’ve also laid into GTA 5 something awful and managed to finish it. I was pretty disappointed with the length but it was still a great game. I got Kerbal Space Program not long ago as well and itâ€s despicably addictive and I still haven’t gotten to the Moon yet! Must keep at it. I also revisited Carrier Command: Gaea Mission in the hopes that it didn’t totally suck and I was overreacting. Unfortunately it does pretty much suck. A lot.

Whatâ€s up for October?

Already got Battlefield 4 beta on the go and I’ve been hitting that recently. Been pretty crappy so far, what with the optimization problems for my brand of card and what not, but I got a decent game earlier on and I was kicking myself for not recording! I will also be delving back into Dark Souls in the hopes that I will finally destroy that asylum monster thing that always kills me! (I rage quit that game so much). But mostly, I hope to be tanking on with Shadow Warrior, possibly acquire a copy of Planetary Annihilation and go for that. Maybe some Arma 3 as well. Yeah October will be good!

Chris Velluci – SpawnCast/Creative Co-Director

What were you playing in September?

I was playing everything!  Iâ€m backlogged worse than a beaverâ€s damn dam.  I got Earthbound and Rayman Legends. Both games have tiny little “try and get all the things!” achievements that I have trouble walking away from. Along with that Iâ€ve been reviewing some PS Vita games which are surprisingly addicting.  (Maybe Iâ€m just a video game addict in general…Thoughts for breakfast).  Iâ€ve also been catching up with some Bioshock Infinite as the GOTY will soon be announced.

Whatâ€s up for October?

Pokémon X/Y.  Thatâ€s all I can say and want to say.  I know a lot of my colleagues will be playing GTA V.  But I am a proud Nintendo Fan Boy and will be missing out on that while playing Pokémon.  Also, Iâ€m not afraid to admit that Iâ€m excited for Wii Part U coming out this month and I will most definitely be picking up a copy.

Alice Irvin – Reporter/Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

Well, Grand Theft Auto V ate my soul in ways I never expected it to, but I also picked up a Saint’s Row game for the first time ever.  After listening to Steve Jaros (creative director, Volition) say things, “You can’t unf*ck that,” in reference to the silly things that happen in the SR series at Dragon Con, I thought, well, if he’s this funny, the game has to be that funny– and I wasn’t wrong.  My SR the Third playthrough did get derailed by GTAV, but we’ll get back to it.  I also revisited Dragon Age after seeing the pretty epic Dragon Age Inquisition preview at Dragon Con, and I somehow realized there were DLCs I’d never played.  Damn you, BioWare.  And because my month wasn’t full enough, I played and reviewed Papers, Please. 

Whatâ€s up for October?

Grand.  Theft.  Auto.  V.  And I honestly might go back and replay all of the other four (maybe even at once, if my carpal tunnel holds out).  I used to be really bad at driving the cars in Rockstar games, but the fact that it’s generally discouraged when you’re playing a cop in LA Noire made me get a lot better at it.  I’m also currently playing Memoria on Steam by the always-reliable Daedalic Games.  I’ve been dreaming about a BioShock replay too– and just started replaying Journey, because there’s nothing quite like crying into your PS3 controller to really shake the feeling of regret free.

Karam Elahi – Editor-in-Chief

What were you playing in September?

Well, just about everything. A little Halo4, some Splinter Cell: Blacklist, a few hours of 80â€s nostalgia-filled Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, RPGâ€ing it out in Kingdoms of Amalur, hunting for loot in Diablo 3, and of course, living my second life (x3) in Grand Theft Auto 5. And regarding GTA 5: that game is deep. There is just so much to do, so many emergent gameplay elements to savor, that I became lost in it almost immediately. The story, at least for me, is just a pleasant extra. The gameplay is where itâ€s at.

Whatâ€s up for October?

At this point it doesnâ€t take an oracle to predict that Iâ€ll still be experimenting in GTA Vâ€s singleplayer, and once GTA Onlineâ€s issues get settled, Iâ€ll dabble in that world as well. Outside of that “black hole of time”, Iâ€ll be doing my absolute best to catch up on the Assassinâ€s Creed series – Iâ€ve only played about 4 hours of AC2, and not a second of Brotherhood or Revelations, even though I own them. Assassinâ€s Creed 3? Still deciding on that one, especially considering the weak response series fans have towards that iteration. Regardless, Iâ€ll do my best to get prepped for Assassinâ€s Creed 4: Black Flag. Oh, and something something Arkham Origins *drool*

Braedon Reese – Contributor

What were you playing in September?

In September, my friend and I rented Kirby’s Dream Land for the Nintendo Wii from Gamefly, and we played around with our nostalgia for a bit. Towards the end of September, a friend of mine lent me 3 awesome games for the PS3 that I had never played before: Dark Souls, Tom Clancyâ€s EndWar, and The Last of Us. Iâ€ve been rolling through all three of these absolutely amazing games, and The Last of Us specifically, is probably one of the better action-adventure games of its genre in the past few years. I’ve definitely had a lot of fun with all the games Iâ€ve played this month, and sadly, they’ll have to go back to their owner soon.

Whatâ€s up for October?

I honestly cannot afford GTA V, otherwise I would definitely be going out to get it. I used to love the games back in the old days when GTA: Vice City was top stuff, but these days, I’ve kinda chilled out and will likely pick it up eventually when someone else is getting bored of it ( if ever.) I want to play through Dark Souls some more and get further into the game, as I’ve hardly had time to play around with it with all of my game programming classwork piling up on the burner – and coming close to lighting me on fire.

Zac Davis – Associate Editor

What were you playing in September?

In September, I mainly played Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The new updates that include gun skins and new maps for competitive mode are great, and show that Valve won’t be giving up on the game anytime soon. I also picked up FIFA 14, and played that for quite a bit, although it came out late in the month.

Whatâ€s up for October?

For October, I plan on playing a lot more FIFA 14 as well as going back and finishing The Last of Us. I became busy in the summer with my internship, so I didn’t finish it. The new DLC announcement pleasantly reminded me that I need to. People get close to spoiling The Last of Us for me all the time, so I might as well get it over with. Hopefully I’ll get into Tomb Raider and play a bit more Skyrim this month as well.

Angie Santiago – News/Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

In the beginning of September, I wasnâ€t playing any game steadily until the release of Grand Theft Auto V (Iâ€ll get to that in a minute). In the beginning of the month, I was spending most of my time playing Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Iâ€m a huge fan of the Resident Evil series. I was attempting to get through all the sub-story chapters but then my interest started to dwindle; rail shooters can only hold my attention for so long. Not to mention I had quite a few bones to pick with some unfair moments in the game! But I digress. When I wasnâ€t playing Resident Evil, I was playing Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space. I had beaten this episodic adventure in its entirety on PC years ago, but my nostalgia caused me to buy it again. Plus, I couldnâ€t pass up the opportunity for some extra trophies.  I also played Galaga Legions DX for a very short while before the release of Grand Theft Auto V. GTA V released and all these other games are patiently awaiting my return. I am sad to say Iâ€ve joined the conspiracy hunt that is plaguing the internet. I told myself I wouldnâ€t get too involved but I did!

 

Whatâ€s up for October?

In October, Iâ€ll probably still be hunting aliens and other mysteries in GTA V. I might dabble a bit here and there in the freebies that come to PlayStation Plus, preferably Shadow of the Colossus, and Hotline Miami. I pre-ordered Batman: Arkham Origins so once October 25 rolls around, it will be an internal struggle on whether to hunt mysteries on Mount Chiliad or fight to stay alive and hone Batmanâ€s skills. But until Batman releases, Iâ€ll more than likely be switching between GTA V, Shadow of the Colossus, and Hotline Miami. Although Iâ€m sure GTA will hold my attention more than the other two. ALIENS! MYTHS! WHOA!

Brian Oâ€Donnell – SpawnCast/Creative Co-Director

What were you playing in September?

In September, I played a LOT of Madden 25, only to become completely enraged when my friend that I play against ran circles around me. Then, GTA 5 showed up and has continued to suck hours of my life away without me even blinking. Good LORD that game is addictive…

Whatâ€s up for October?

In October, I will probably keep playing GTA 5 until I beat it and satisfied with my level of completion. Then I will more than likely play through Arkham City (and maybe Asylum too) to prepare my body for Arkham Origins, coming out at the end of the month. I will also finish playing Fire Emblem Awakening to free up my 3DS for Pokemon X/Y. BRING ON THE GAMES!!!

Mark Hanratty – News/Staff Writer

What were you playing in September?

I spent most of my time anticipating the release of FIFA 14. Before it was released however, I played a bunch of varied games. I hopped on Minecraft on PC after not touching the game in nearly a year. To my surprise, the gameâ€s still as entertaining as ever. I also played a good few FPSâ€s, such as Halo 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, PayDay 2 and Counter-Strike Source. I started up my Nintendo Wii (yes, the Wii, not the Wii U), which was covered in dust to play Mario Kart Wii, one of my favourite games of all time. Playing online is difficult seeing as I have all four profiles above 9000 VR and 2 on 9999 VR. It was definitely a fun, yet frustrating experience. Since picking up FIFA 14 on release (27 September), Iâ€ve been playing that non-stop. I can already feel myself being becoming addicted to Ultimate Team. However, this will have to change in October as Iâ€m picking GTA V up tomorrow.

What will you play in October?

As I already mentioned, Iâ€ll be picking up GTA V finally. Iâ€m sure this will take up most, if not all of my gaming time in October. I have no plans to rush through the storyline, and even if I do, Iâ€m sure most of my time will be consumed by it. Seeing as Grand Theft Auto Online has just launched as well, Iâ€m sure Iâ€ll be playing it on a regular occasion. Most of my friends, if not all of them, have GTA V, so Iâ€m sure many good times are to be had in the coming weeks. However, I will part myself (or at least attempt to) from GTA V to play FIFA 14. My Ultimate Team is rather average at the moment, and Iâ€m hoping to improve on my team greatly.

The post SpawnStaff’s September Playlist appeared first on SpawnFirst.

It’s the box art this audience deserves… just not the one it needs right now

Batman: Arkham Origins Box Art Listed on Amazon

Listing items on Amazon has been causing a lot of rumours lately, and today is no different. The box art for both upcoming Arkham games (Arkham Origins and its handheld counterpart, Arkham Origins Blackgate) is shown when searching for each game, but the image reverts back to a placeholder on the actual game’s page (except for the PC version). Although it hasn’t yet been officially confirmed, the box art for both of these games seem to be the real deal as much detail has been implemented into both.

The PC version of Arkham Origins shows a close-up shot of Batmanâ€s face while snow is falling behind and on him. On one half of his face and chest we can also see some villains which will feature in the games, such as Deathstroke, Penguin and more.

The 3DS and PS Vita will receive Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, which WB has previously stated to be “a 2.5D action game” from Armature Studios.  The Vita version was listed on Amazon, showing Batman looking over his shoulder in despair with Gotham City is in the backdrop.

Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be upon us on October 25^th. More news is expected at E3 for both of these highly anticipated games.

 

 

The post Batman: Arkham Origins Box Art Listed on Amazon appeared first on SpawnFirst.

Warner Bros. Montreal has clarified that Deathstroke will be playable within Batman: Arkham Origins. WB was forced on the matter after a retailer listing on Amazon showed that with a pre-order you will be given “Playable Deathstroke DLC”. However, Deathstroke will only be playable in the challenge mode for Batman: Arkham Origins. After confirming that Deathstroke will be playable, WB also stated that he will “own unique weapons and special moves”. The downloadable pack will also contain alternate character skins for Deathstroke.  A trailer, released today, pits Batman against Deathstroke.  It can be seen below:

With the voices for both Batman and The Joker announced as Craig Smith and Troy Baker respectively, is there any room left for the old Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy? Letâ€s hope so. At a conference Conroy said “I can talk about it now, we’ve been working for about 9-10 months on the next Arkham”. This suggests that either he will have a minor role in the game (such as an older Batman) or he may be talking about a next-gen Batman game, which has been rumoured to be in development. As he has done such a fantastic job with his previous roles, I doubt any fan would object to these rumours.

Joker has been confirmed for Arkham City, and looks as maniacal as ever

WB has also said they will be altering the battle system and levelling system in  Batman: Arkham Origins. Creative director for , Eric Holmes talked to IGN about the XP system and how upgrades would work compared to prior games. At the end of a brawl with characters, you will be given a grade. These grades will be influenced by whether you used a gadget, used a takedown, hit a big combo or if you missed a hit. Holmes stated that the reward system will be similar to “a Borderlands tree-type structure”. This will give the player a certain style of playing after leveling up in a certain way. This will also mean you can ignore upgrades you feel arenâ€t necessary or specialize in a specific area. Batman: Arkham Originsâ€Â open-world will also be larger and taller than previous Arkham games, according to Holmes. Neither Holmes nor Warner Bros. were willing to speak about the multiplayer, but I feel we can expect something along the lines of the Assassin’s Creed franchise; although it may be amusing, single-player is where the true potential and enjoyment will arise.

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