Yeah it’s Fiddy. Here we have a game that by any shape or form sounds like it should be bad. A lot of people are expecting it to be bad based on 50’s first game, “Bulletproof.” But hey, for some reason that game sold millions, so, like any blockbuster, you know it would get a “sequel.” After getting a chance to sit down with the man himself in our exclusive preview, and getting some hands on time with the game TrueGameHeadz came away feeling good about the project.

The full retail version does not disappoint. I must say that Swordfish Studios did their homework for “Blood on the Sand.” Developers of the little known sleeper title “Cold Winter” from back in the day, they nailed the big budget “blockbuster” feel of this game. Borrowing generously from the ideals seen in last year’s Sega release, “The Club,” and “Gears of War,” they developed a control scheme for “Get Rich” …er “Blood in the Sand” that feels polished and familiar. You will not find any problems with the control setup as you’ll feel in control when using the game’s many weapons, and the cover system works admirably. The Counter Kill system can be considered comparable to the chain saw kill in “Gears” where you run up to the enemy and hit the attack button, which launches a quick time event that shows you how bad war can be.

If you haven’t played “The Club,” “B.O.T.S.” borrows the arcade-like mechanics of chaining your kills for a multiplier, while a timer counts down in order to score big points. Each time you dispatch an enemy the counter starts and if you take out another one before the meter runs out you have a successful chain. You’ll also rack up big points for multiple kills at once like any shooter worth its salt.

Let me tell you a bit about the story in this game, while far reaching, it is a bit meatier than most games in this genre. You take control of Curtis “Only my friends call me that” Jackson A.K.A. 50 Cent, out on tour in what appears to be the Middle East, when a concert promoter decides to short Fiddy and G-Unit the money promised for performing. (Surprisingly, this happens a lot more than people would like to admit with shady concert promoters.) So you got me there. Instead of getting dealt street justice, the promoter offers up to 50 a priceless artifact (loosely based off of Damien Hirst’s diamond skull). 50 accepts this artifact as payment, and that’s where the fun starts. You see in this version of the Middle East, you can’t just go rolling around with a diamond skully in your lap, so 50’s motorcade is attacked and the skull is stolen from him. Big mistake. You don’t steal from Fiddy twice! He personally declares war on the regime in an effort to get his skull back. Along for the ride are is the G-Unit crew (Llyod Banks, Tony Yayo, or Dj Whoo Kid), one of which you get to pick from to fight alongside you. I chose to roll with Yayo, because of his unique voice and his wise cracks served as comic relief. (The driving stage cannot be missed).

The option to jump into co-op online is also available to go through this game, which really makes it feels like “Army of Two” in some parts. Partners are needed to lift gates, help each other to high ledges, and revive a partner who “has been hit”. But the partnership breaks down when you get to the cut scenes, because you don’t even see 50’s boys chilling in the background; it’s all 50, all the time. It would’ve been cool to see them interacting in the cut scenes, but it’s kind of understandable that didn’t happen … but at least have them there. Would that have been too big of an ask? You can tell they spent a lot of time looking at 50’s post “In Da Club” video body, because he’s as chisled as can be, but not over the top like a Marcus Fenix in this game.

The graphics overall in this game are commendable; throughout the game there are numerous explosions everywhere, and the fire done well. Playing levels on the tight Middle Eastern streets makes you feel claustrophobic. You’ve got to also give 50 props for his imaginative setting for “Blood on the Sand,” as it is the least likely place for what most people would consider “Hip Hop.” This title is not going to feel like “Def Jam Vendetta,” or any of the other games involving drugs, and hoodlums. This is, for all intents an purposes, an action game where the main character could’ve easily been any generic caucasian that we’ve seen in so many other shooters. However, the fact that it is 50 Cent is not lost on this title, and is best show in the very believable voice acting. You won’t be hearing stuff come out of 50’s virtual that you couldn’t imagine him saying or rapping (no he doesn’t in the game) in real life. Voice acting is something that’s often overlooked in most games, but you can tell G-Unit had fun in the studio on this one.

You can’t really talk about the audio in the game without mentioning that there are over 40 tracks from 50 Cent included on the disc. For a guy known for making his name on the mixtape circuit, you can expect to hear a lot from 50 in “Blood on the Sand.” Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, most of the tracks are well-known, and you can get into a groove when some of them come on from your customized in-game playlist (being to change the track at any point during the pause menu was genius). But, it should be noted that some of the songs just do not fit the gameplay. Hearing “Disco Inferno,” “Peep Show,” and “Puppy Love” might not flow as well while you’re throwing grenades and splitting heads as “Gunz Come Out” (my personal fav for the game), “Back Down,” and “I’ll Still Kill” do. Rest assured though that after you customize your list you’ll be bopping your head to the Dre beatz while you let off some shots.

Overall, “Blood on the Sand” is definitely a game you should cop for the collection. If you try to find all of the hidden posters and collect all the cash that you can it should clock in at about 10 hours of gameplay your first time through. If you happen to grab all of the collectables, you’ll unlock all of the game’s videos and get all of the good weapons and stealth moves.

It’s astounding to me that “Deadly Creatures,” or a game similar to it has never been made. At no point in the past 30 years has anyone ever really attempted to combine two things that ten-year-old boys love so much, creepy creatures and video games. It seems like it would be a sure thing, but, up until now, no one has really attempted it, but thanks to THQ’s Rainbow Studios the world finally has a worthy entry into the arachnid simulation genre. Get ready to be creeped out – “Deadly Creatures” is not entirely what it seems.

Sure, “Deadly Creatures” could have been a pretty straightforward game where all you need to do is survive the wilds of the animal kingdom… but when you dig a little deeper there’s a whole lot more going on. You play the game as two of nature’s most dangerous characters (also known as two things you never want to find in your bed), a scorpion, and a tarantula, exploring the desert around their home and unraveling the a mystery of a missing treasure.

The way the levels are set up, you alternate back and for between the two arachnids, with both characters offering a different skill set for their specific levels – the tarantula is the stealthy ninja, and the scorpion is the bruiser tank. As the game progresses you get to unlock different skills and attacks for each of the animals, allowing them to take down bigger enemies and reach new areas of the levels; both of which are key as the story unfolds.

In an interesting twist, the scorpion and tarantula aren’t the main characters in the plot of “Deadly Creatures,” they play a sort of a tangential role in progressing the story forward while they fight to stay alive. As you battle your way through the cracks and crevasses of the Midwest’s desert you are privy to the conversations of two treasure hunters, played by Academy Award nominated Dennis Hopper and Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton, as they do their dirty work to find what they are looking for. It’s quite an interesting take on what has become the standard narrative for video games, where the story is centered around the character that you are playing as, especially since as a tiny creepy-crawly monster you are privy to information that the two gold diggers aren’t – the dramatic irony is almost Shakespearean. As the story progresses, levels are set up, and the plot comes alive courtesy of overheard conversations between Hopper and Thornton’s characters, and the bugs get to partake in their own level of discovery. But that’s enough about the humans; everyone wants more about the scary things in the game.

The idea for “Deadly Creatures” originated from the Wiimote’s ideal simulation of a snake’s slithering and attacking. However, once the development team realized that that was pretty much all you could do with a snake, and they decided to change up the idea a little bit, and center the game around the scorpion and tarantula – fortunately for you snake lovers out there, there is still a rattlesnake in the game playing the role of the tarantula’s nemesis. The team settled on their choices for a lot of the elements of the game based on their proximity to the desert, while the desolate setting of the game may be fictional, it’s still a very atmosphere in the desert around Rainbow Studio’s Pheonix office. Every enemy in the game is real, and can actually be found in nature; from the metallic blue wasp with the second most painful sting in the world, to the horny toad that shoots blood from its’ eyes – nature is so freaky, you couldn’t make better stuff up.

Oddly enough, where gamers have become accustomed to exploring vast worlds that span thousands and thousands of miles, “Deadly Creatures” takes place in less than a mile of space; since the perspective of the game is sized down, the world seems immensely bigger. While it might seem like that means that you’re going to be playing the same area over and over, you won’t, the level design offers a wide variety of different types of levels. There is a gas station that plays a central role in the story that can be seen off in the distance from almost every level of the game, but it takes the span of 10 chapters to finally reach it. “Deadly Creatures” also features 15 different types of enemies, ranging from bugs to lizards; all of which come in different varieties as well as have their own unique finishing move for the scorpion to execute when it defeats them.

“Deadly Creatures” is a little boy’s fantasy, and a little girl’s nightmare. While crawling around on the ground battling ripping off wasps’ wings or avoiding attacking lizards isn’t everyone’s definition of fun, there’s a lot of people out there that should let their inner-child run free and squash some bugs when the game hits store shelves next week.

What up people! GamePlay had the privilege of sitting down with the one and only 50 Cent to talk about his upcoming sophomore gaming effort, “Blood on the Sand”. This title definitely looks action packed with a big budget Hollywood blockbuster feel. Watch our exclusive preview of new gameplay live and direct with 50 himself on the motivation for this game and why it’s gonna bump harder than Bulletproof.

50 cent is back and with a brand new trailer for his recently “brought back from the dead” game, 50 cent: Blood in the Sand. And a couple things can be learned from this trailer, don’t steal 50’s crystal skulls! he like’s to blow ‘ish up…alot and expect to hear some new original tracks from the G-Unit crew. I have to admit, this game doesn’t look half bad and looks to provide gamers with some solid non-stop action. 50 maybe quiet on the music front but come January will be hearing a whole lot of GGGG G-Unit! Peep the trailer below and stay on the look out for our review.

The customization doesn’t end just there. As you progress through the game, taking on mission after mission, you’ll be able unlock customizable features like the look of your gang members, the cars they drive, and the furnishings of your cribs. So it is possible for your gang to look like a group of pimps and hos while you stroll around with your Gangsta walk wearing a one-piece swimsuit, Borat-style.

For example, you can start a drive-by diversion by shooting gang members in a car, or you can get naked and do some streaking.Gunplay and car controls are what you expect from a game with such an over the top presentation. There is no cover system to worry about, as being an aggressive gun-ho lunatic is what “SR2” is all about. Car controls respond very well even if you manage to hijack a car that looks it failed its 3000-mile trip to Graceland. It’s very accessible and straightforward, so there is no reason a new player should have trouble grasping the game.

The bad news is connecting to online matches is a divine test of patience.I have a rule of thumb when it comes to connecting online: If it takes longer then five minutes, it gets on my bad side. “Call of Duty 4,” “Team Fortress 2,” and countless other titles easily pass this mark, but “SR2”? Not a chance. Be prepared to be hanging around in the connecting screen for a good few minutes before you find anyone, and it’s not because of a lack of players. Players will, all of a sudden, connect to you, sometimes up to a full game, then automatically drop out again. Even if you manage to grab a full roster, then “SR2” begins to “Configure Game” which is just another chance of players dropping out, so you might end up being kicked or have uneven teams.

Tags make things even more interesting by giving your team power-ups. Like the activities, there are random ones each game placed in different locations throughout the map. Find one, spray it, and you’re team gets the Tag benefits like more accurate weapons, or pimp slap. Despite a limited number of maps in Strong Arm, the random variation with the different activities and Tags can definitely lead to rather unpredictable matches that require plenty of teamwork to win.The question still remains though: Is this the “GTA4” killer? That depends on who you ask. If you were expecting a serious storyline that, for some reason, is constantly compared to “The Godfather,” then “SR2” isn’t for you. However, if you’re like me, and you enjoyed the “GTA” series for it’s constant pop culture references, dark humor, and the mocking of gangster culture, then there you have a reason to lighten your wallet again. “SR2” is an incredible sand box game, with an experiance that edges out “GTA4″’s, despite it’s glitches and multiplayer shortcomings, and it deserves an 8 out of 10.

-MarkyX

Those are tears of joy for 50 Cent! Awhile ago we told you about 50’s newest game Blood On The Sand being dumped because of it’s publishers merger. Well it looks like the fine folks at THQ didn’t want to see 50’s game go by the ways side

The latest rumblings say that sources close to developer Swordfish studios told GamesIndustry.biz that the game was almost complete and ready to go. And according to a listing by the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification, THQ will be publishing the game. So all you 50 fans here’s his next project to look out for, and hopefully it’ll be good! Peep the original trailer below to refresh those memories. G…G…G..Geeee Unit!

source:gamesindustry.biz

Last week, THQ celebrated the release of their new Wii game “de Blob” by delivering and painting a giant pumpkin to NYC’s City Hall. Sir G was on hand to check out the celebration, and find out more about the game.

If you want more on “de Blob,” check out <a href=”http://www.truegameheadz.com/blogheadz/de-blob-review-no-boy-included-this-time/” target=”_self”>my review</a>, and, check out <a href=”http://www.deblob.com/#widget” target=”_blank”>this contest</a> that THQ is running where you can win a special “de Blob” skinned Wii.

Revolution has always been a great theme for video games. Why wouldn’t it be? Good versus evil; the oppressed rising up against the oppressor; underdogs overthrowing the controlling regime. Who would have thought that idea would have translated so well to a game staring a blob? Not just any blob though, it’s “de Blob,” from THQ’s new Wii title about a ball of liquid committed to bringing color back to a monochrome world. While the plot may sound a bit out there, the game play, and shear entertainment factor make it easily one of the best Wii titles to date.

Imagine how bland a black and white world would be. Now, imagine if there was a group that sucked all the color out of the world, and made everything that was fun dull and boring. That’s where de Blob comes in. It’s on a mission to take down the Inkt Corporation who have turned its’ world into a monochrome hell, and imprisoned all of the world’s inhabitants, the Raydians, and turned them into Graydians. de Blob has to free them by bringing back color, which it does by covering itself in paint and rolling over as much surface area of everything that makes up Chroma City as possible. It essentially plays out like an artistic reverse “Katamari” game where, instead of rolling things over to pick them up, you have to roll over things and put them back. In other words, since the Wii will never see a “Katamari” game, this is the next best thing even better.

The controls are very simple to master, the analog stick rolls, and flicking the Wiimote jumps. While there are some nuances to perfecting de Blob’s movements, particularly jumping, it’s basic enough that any video game novice can pick up the controller and be painting within seconds, and then off completing the game’s challenges with ease.

Each district of Chroma City (read: level) is broken into three separate areas, separated by a gate, that unlocks when you acquire enough points. Points are racked up by painting anything and everything, completing challenges, and basically sticking it to the man. The challenges are issued by the team of revolutionaries that de Blob is conspiring with, and they all have their own basic spin to them, from returning landmarks to their prior greatness to racing down city streets. The harder the challenge, the more points you receive, and the greater sense of satisfaction that you are one step closer to regime change.

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