This Wednesday: Bird, bear, backpack join forces on XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I didn’t know what to expect as I began opening the Survival Edition of Fallout 3. Sure, there would be some fun collectible items in there, but was there a chance that it could change my life? I didn’t think so at first. Uncovering the secrets that lay within the box would be a routine chore I told myself.

That was before I realized that the Pip-Boy 3000 “clock” wasn’t a clock at all.

Warning: the above video will shock you and leave you feeling astounded. It is not for the feint of heart or pregnant mens.

And now faithful viewer, the “Hot Property!” conclusion to the Fallout 3 Survival Edition review.

Lionhead Studios has revealed their much ballyhooed big news, which is the mid-December release of the first premium downloadable content for Fable 2. The Knothole Island pack will see your adventurer setting sail to a mysterious island encased in perpetual snow, braving the trials of three sacred shrines in search of the weather-controlling artifacts that can bring the dying island back to life.

Along with the Knothole Island pack, which will go for 800 MS points ($10), they’ll also be releasing a free pack allowing owners of the premium downloadable content to play through the winter wonderland cooperatively. Like the premium pack, the free pack will also include “a show of gifts”, but you won’t be able to partake in the new quests without downloading the Knothole Island content yourself, though you’d have to be pretty stingy not to be able to rationalize the purchase additional Albion-based adventures.

Especially when I tell you the best part - the Lionhead-promised prezzies include Knight’s Boots, Assassin’s Gloves, a collectible silver book and a Weight Loss Potion. That’s right, a Weight Loss Potion! Jenny Craig in a magical, glowing vial means no more munching on celery for this fat ass adventurer. Though now I wish I hadn’t repeatedly, brutally murdered Bowerstone’s pie vendor for taunting me with his delicious apple pie pockets…

Knothole Island Key Features:

• Embark on 3 unique quests set in 3 unique dungeons.
• Unravel the mystical secrets of the resurrection shrine.
• Try on a whole new range of outfits and look like an armoured knight, an assassin, a barbarian or a leather-clad biker, among many others.
• Brandish 6 new weapons.
• Dozens of unique potions that will drastically alter your appearance.
• Customise your weapons the way you want with the new augment tool and a whole new array of augments.
• +50 additional leaderboards.

First, check out "Knothold Island". This quest content features a dying island that needs a hero to bring it back to life. It's covered in snow with freezing people and it's up to you to bring back the sun.

Wondering what will happen if you download it but your co-op friend doesn't? Don't worry, they can download a special free pack on Marketplace that allows you to play together (without the new content, of course).

Those who download both the free and premium content will get Knight's boots, Assassin's Gloves, a "weight loss" potion (no more celery? ORLY?), a collectible silver book and more.

You'll also be able to check your standings on over 50 new Leaderboards on Lionhead.com.

The new level will be 800 MS Points.

Need more? Check out the premium theme, "Albion" - It will be 250 MS Points.

Check out www.xbox.com/fable2 or www.lionhead.com/fable2 for more info!

Continue reading Fable 2 DLC takes heroes to 'Knothole Island'

Fable 2 DLC takes heroes to 'Knothole Island' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a week long delay, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft just pulled the curtain back on their BIG Fable 2 announcement and, as we expected, it's new downloadable content!

Gallery: Fable 2 - Knothole Island DLC

BIG Fable 2 news: Knothole Island DLC originally appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today, Lionhead announced their big downloadable content secret for Fable II, which unsurprisingly takes the form of an entirely new area called Knothole Island. The content will sweep adventurers to a “remote” island with a climate similar to that of Antarctica. The area is now frozen over and only the best (or the worst) of Albion can restore it to its previous glory.

Knothole Island will be available for download on December 12 for 800 Microsoft space bucks. It promises several new quests, and enemies to face as well as cooperative opportunities if you have a buddy willing to download it as well. In addition to your purchase, you’ll receive several new items not specific to the DLC. These items include the Knight’s Boots, Assassin’s Gloves, a weight loss potion, a collectible silver book, and “more.”

This is what I’ve been waiting for in terms of Fable DLC – new areas and items. I’m really digging the Assassin’s gloves, because it shows the promise of at least two more of these packages. Only the chest piece can be found in Fable II.

The “Desktop Tower Defense” challenge didn’t go so well yesterday. Multiplayer gaming on Casualcollective.com is still a bit buggy. But I’ll be back on there hopefully tomorrow to see if it’s improving. I can confirm that the people I did face-off with on the game over there did not beat me.

Last night I started “Spider-Man: Web of Shadows,” which a friend told me is the best super-hero game ever made. If that’s the case, then the best super-hero game ever made has poor voice-acting, clunky graphics, and a clumsily paced introduction. But… after about 30 minutes, the game begins teaching the player such a spectacular move set — and begins layering on so many fun combat and collectible-driven challenges — that none of the faults really matter.

Web-swinging into a crowd of enemies with foot extended for a thug-punting kick is a blast. I don’t expect to tire soon of walking up walls or using a web to hop from enemy to enemy without ever touching the ground or performing so many more of the game’s crazy moves.

This game is rough. But it’s also extremely fun.

I realize its been awhile since the last installment of The Analog Gamer and there have been a few big changes in the tabletop gaming market – Wiz Kids, one time golden goat of the plastic collectible miniature market has been shuttered by its parent company Topps, Wizards of the Coast announced it was making substantial changes to the D&D miniature product line and miniature company Rackham SA (producer of sci-fi battler AT-43) disappeared into the dust.

Things are tough all over but there is some hope on the horizon. Wizkids, the owners of the Shadowrun and Battletech intellectual properties recently signed a two year deal with Catalyst games to continue producing pen-and-paper titles in both series and apparently that will continue even after the death of Wizkids. Also there is a lot of interest from other miniature makers to acquire the HeroClix line and to continue the property at another corporation.

The refocusing of Wizards of the Coast on semi-random miniatures aimed at role playing gamers is a compromise tactic that will hopefully please both the hard core players/collectors of the miniature game and people like myself who are dedicated to the pen-and-paper RPG and prefer the ability to buy the minis we need for our campaigns rather than roll the dice and pray we don’t get too many random packs containing the Farmer and Pig mini or its equivalent.

Amongst all this doom and gloom however I find some respite in my love of the undead (I know that was an odd segue but stay with me…). The recent PC release of Valve’s Left4Dead has my gaming time filled with
hordes of the rampaging undead and with grim news impacting the tabletop hobby its hard not to feel a sense of dread.

To that end, and since Halloween is already passed I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some gaming products that focus on those most disgusting of enemies – the undead. I’ve spent hours playing with my fellow Filefront team members (feel free to join us!) trying to overcome the innumerable waves of infested in the video game but I spent some time thinking about how I could bring that same experience to my gaming table.

What games would support the tension or stress of being a survivor in a city overrun by undead enemies who lusted for nothing more than your juicy, juicy brains? Was there a way to put everyone in a game like this and still maintain the horror or cooperation elements?

So I went back to the gaming shelf to see what I could find. I’m a fan of undead, as a DM I’ve always favored them as foils of choice in my campaigns. The horror inherent in telling an adventuring tale where the big bad was once a champion of light turned to the horrors of darkness and surviving after their vainglorious sacrifice or failure is not a new hook. (Clue obligatory Warcraft/Arthas reference)

There are games of all types that portray the undead – from the Goth LARPer’s beloved Vampire to the gritty and often deadly Zombie Survival games like All Flesh Must Be Eaten , gamers recognize the attraction of undead as a foe. Horror games tend to be short and violent and I’ve run them using Chill, Beyond the Supernatural, Nightspawn and Call of Cthulu, and Hunter the Reckoning to make my players the victims.

Throw the Resident Evil scenario together, stat up some buildings, obstacles and enemies and go to town and see how much fun it is to actually run a game where as a DM I’m out to kill or convert the players. This is not my usual style of storytelling but as a break in a long-running campaign or on a night when not everyone can attend it makes for an often intense experience for all involved.

Moving outside the RPG arena, Twilight Creations has made a mint publishing their Zombies!! Line of multiplayer boardgames. These tile-based board games allow everyone to be victim and to control the zombies. There are 7 current expansions, bags of add on zombies, zombie dogs and even Zombie babes to increase the options.

Next year Wizards of the Coast is adding its second monster focused book, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead to the 4th Edition library and I hope this book will live up to the 3rd edition version Libris Mortis: The Book of the Undead.

The tumult of the economy is enough real-world horror for me so I think for the time being I’ll dive into my escapism to cope. Gaming survived the boom-bust cycle of the 80’s and come through, so while
some of our favorite games or game publishers reorganize and disappear maybe we can pay tribute by playing their games instead of fretting about the future.

Oh and in case you’re wondering here is a little image to get you through the next zombie apocalypse yourself:

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