Celebrated crazy-em-up Saints Row: The Third is handing out a freebie to all Steam players tomorrow, and going a teeny-tiny bit further than most. You know how Team Fortress 2 likes to gives you hats from other games? Saints Row 3 gives you the TF2 gang’s entire heads>, to wear and do with as you will. Fight, dance, love, laugh. The first and the last ones at least.
But you know what else can you expect from this TF2 intrusion?
“The Stalker team is extremely happy! Why? Because we are continuing work on Stalker 2 after the holidays.>” That makes me extremely happy too. That’s the official line from GSC, although it’s not quite as simple as that. Speaking to Edge, the studio’s Oleg Yavorsky reveals that “We are still in the process of seeking funding to back up the project. We are hopeful things turn out well eventually.” Which still sounds pretty precarious, but given the situation last month was that the studio and the game were flat-out closing down, it’s still a good day for Stalker fans.
Let’s hope they find a funder in time. Anyone got a few million bucks to spare? Notch, are you reading this? Alternatively, have I got any long-lost billionaire uncles who’ve been waiting for an excuse to get in touch with me?
Next Tuesday will see the release of the first DLC for last year’s fantastic Saints Row: The Third, Genki Bowl VII. What is it? According to the details we’ve received, it’s some sort of in-game event that will feature a number of games. And they are… Sexy Kitten Yarngasm, Sad Panda Skyblazing, Angry Tiger’s Apocalypse Genki, and Super Ethical PR Opportunity. Yes indeed. There’s a teaser trailer and some screenshots below.
Next week, Saints Row: The Third players will get the weirdest DLC for the game yet (and that's counting the gun that launches shark-attacks) with Genki Bowl VII.
The trailer above gives the gist, as crazy-killer-feline-human-thing Professor Genki takes his Running Man-style competitive/deadly reality show out into the real world. Among the various challenges:
Sail through the skies with Sad Panda Skyblazing. Fight through dark, shark-infested jungles in Angry Tiger's Apocalypse Genki. And crush your way to victory in Sexy Kitten Yarngasm. But don't forget to help Professor Genki maintain his excitement before any public appearances in Super Ethical PR Opportunity.
"Yarngasm?" "Shark-Infested Jungles?" Yep, this can only be Saints Row: The Third. (Read our review of the full game here.)
The DLC launches next Tuesday, January 17th for an as-yet unannounced price. (Update: THQ got back to us and let us know it'll cost $7 on both XBox Live and PSN. That's 560 MS Points on Xbox.)
It's slim pickings this week for new additions to the PlayStation store, with a full-game download of the often-overlooked but quite enjoyable Darksiders leading the way for full retail releases. Rock Band 3 gets some good-times pop rock tunes, and Rocksmith gets a whole bunch of Black Keys DLC, which I would imagine is a lot like Jimi Hendrix DLC only not quite as good. (Zing!)
Read the full list below:
TNT Racers + Trial ($9.99)
NFL Blitz ($14.99)
Darksiders ($19.99)
TNT Racers
Learning With The Pooyoos – Episode 2 Demo
Resistance 3 The Legacy Grenade (free)
Resistance 3 SPRA Black Ops Skin (free)
Resistance 3 Infected Nathan Hale Skin and Taunt (free)
Champion Jockey – Music Pack 4 ($1.49)
Apples to Apples A Bushel of Fun ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Gold On The Ceiling By The Black Keys ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Just Got To Be By The Black Key ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Mind Eraser By The Black Keys ($2.99)
Rocksmith – The Black Keys Song Pack (Bundle) ($7.99)
NBA 2K12 – Legends Showcase Launch Trailer
Battlefield 3 Back to Karkand Gameplay Premiere Trailer
EA SPORTS FIFA STREET Announcement Trailer
FIFA Street 4 Announce Trailer
Sonic CD Time Trailer
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II Announcement Trailer
Wwe '12 Launch Trailer
Assassin's Creed Embers Trailer
Just Dance 3 – Baby One More Time ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Barbra Streisand ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Da Funk ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – I'm So Excited ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Kurio Ko Uddah Le Jana 2 ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Lollipop ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Master Blaster ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Party Rock Anthem ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Take On Me ($0.49)
Metal Gear Solid 2 Art Theme ($1.99)
Metal Gear Solid 3 Art Theme ($1.99)
Mayan Temple Dynamic Theme ($1.99)
Alien Havoc & Bubble Trubble Bundle ($3.99)
Free PSN Games: | Back to the Future The Game – Full Series Sword & Soldiers |
Free PS one Classics: | Syphon Filter Syphon Filter 2 Syphon Filter 3 |
Discounted PSN Games: | Rocket Knight – 50% off – 1/3 (PS+ Price $7.50) |
Discounted PS3 Full Games: | Darksiders – 20% off – 1/3 (PS+ Price $15.99) |
Full Game Trials: | Darksiders |
I’m just pulling together some rambly thoughts about my year in games for the site. Which reminds me that I wrote about one of my faves for Tom “Tom Bramwell” Bramwell over at EG towers, and makes me think I could link to it as an aperitif or something. And I totally can. Lots on Saints Row: The Third and yours truly. I didn’t even get into my apostrophe confusion, which could be another couple of thousand words, but would be less sex obsessed.
Every year thousands of PC gamers around the world sacrifice some of their play time in order to make the games they play even better that the original developers, and every year the community at modding hot spot ModDB choose the very best. Who made the grade this year?
This is the joy of PC gaming right here. Long after console gamers have shelved their old favorites for the next big thing, PC game modders are doing things like adding online multiplayer to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, creating new levels for Company of Heroes, or crafting an entirely new game from the code of another.
MOTY Players Choice - Mod of the Year - Mod DB
Hit up ModDB for the full list of this year's deserving nominees, and then dig out those scratched and dusty discs and have some fun.
Mod of the Year Players' Choice Awards [ModDB]
A surprise Christmas present from GSC, at which there appears to remain some life despite the awful news that they (and with them Stalker 2) had apparently been shut down earlier this month:
“Dear Stalkers: We will not be releasing any official news until around mid January. However there is cause for hope! Good hunting!”>
That is all. But that is something. And it’s the second claim that all might not yet be lost in as many weeks, meaning the rescue operation is hopefully bearing fruit. Good luck, brave Ukrainians.