Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition – Extra Content Breakdown

The real problem with DLC, quite apart from the fact it costs money, is that most developers don't give it enough TLC. Instead of feeling like extra content, it can feel like superfluous content. Dark Souls has always followed its own path. And with its new content, which comes as part of the PC's Prepare To Die Edition and will be available to buy on consoles soon, it shows just what DLC should be like - almost.

You can find IGN's full review of the Prepare to Die edition here but here we’re just concentrating on the new stuff. There are two sides to it, the first being a large single-player area, Oolacile, which is split into roughly four smaller sections (the environments flow into one another very easily, so dividing them up is a little arbitrary). The second is a multiplayer arena, something the playerbase has wanted since Demon's Souls, which theoretically should lead to easier matchmaking.

A set of carvings can be found that let you communicate in multiplayer. Drop one and the odd, distorted voices utter a phrase like 'Very Good!', 'Hello!', or 'I'm Sorry'.

If you're a Dark Souls nut and don't want minor spoilers about the content, such as character names, best to skip to the final paragraph now and know this: you will absolutely lap it up. The best thing about this new content is that it slots beautifully into Dark Souls' world, like it had always been there, and shines much light on certain unexplained aspects of the original. Dark Souls, superb as it is, has the unmistakeable signs that it was rushed to make its original release date, and this feels like it was meant to be there all along.

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This new content is that it slots beautifully into Dark Souls' world, like it had always been there

Finding it is the first tricky task, and you won't be able to enter Oolacile until a significant way into the game - basically, you need access to the Duke's Archives and the Darkroot Basin. There's a little in-joke with the fans, based around a broken pendant and a somewhat obscure character in the world, but that's about as friendly as Dark Souls ever gets. From here it's one big stretch of deadly environments, and one hell of a boss line-up.

Things start off with the Sanctuary Guardian, which managed to kill me about ten times as a welcome present, a lion and serpent combination that's vicious, poisonous, and shocking. After this comes the only minor disappointment with the single-player portion of the DLC, an expansive wooded environment that is basically a mirrored version of the Forest area from the original. It's a different beast, with a visual overhaul turning it into a spooky netherworld dotted with fake lights, but the familiar geography blunts a little of the impact. As with everything to do with Dark Souls, the lore justifies it, but I'm still not happy.

The setups for each boss are amazing and actually finding the hardest enemy in the DLC is a challenge in itself.

This place takes ages to explore safely, thanks to the ridiculously hard-hitting tree-men that are dotted everywhere and can be all-too-easily aggro'd in groups, though shortcuts can eventually be opened up and there's a very interesting merchant character waiting to be found. I was around soul level 45 when first attempting this section, and got a good kicking quite a few times.

The boss awaiting at the end of this is a killer. Knight Artorias is one of the great legendary figures in Dark Souls' world, a presence often hinted at but never seen - and here he is, a corrupted beast swallowed by the Abyss. Putting him away solo is a massive challenge, worthy of comparison with anything in the original, and I could only do it in the end thanks to Summoning in some wonderful help. The fight is so good though, with more than an echo of Ornstein and Smough, that you want to go straight back and do it again.

From here things go down - deep down. A stretching walk over the remains of a town take you into its guts, preparation for what's to come with ranks of bloated-head warriors and their deadly dark mage backup. As you press further and further in, you eventually find the very bottom. Barely lit, filled with enemies in corners, haunted at pockets by the unblinking eyes of ghosts that then begin to move slowly, steadily towards you. Unaffected by your shield, and simply wanting to touch you and drain sweet life, they're a dangerous and unsettling addition to the Dark Souls bestiary.

If you kill enough former inhabitants of Oolacile you might get one of their pustule-ridden heads to wear. Hats FTW!

The final boss lies in wait beyond this - and then, in best Dark Souls tradition, there is actually a final, hidden boss back along the path that's even tougher. Both are terrifying opponents to face, capable of destroying ill-prepared teams and turning what looks like a possible victory into a crushing defeat. Both match up to the very best Dark Souls has to offer, and ensure this new content slots neatly in alongside the wonderful original.

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What is not such an easy fit, though it can also be great on occasion, is the PvP.

What is not such an easy fit, though it can also be great on occasion, is the PvP. The arena is unlocked after defeating Artorias, and is snuggled away in an antechamber almost like From Software is somehow embarrassed. Six pedestals represent three different PvP modes over two maps - duels (one versus one), team battles (two versus two) and four-player FFA matches. If you ever want to actually play a game of Dark Souls PvP, then go for a Duel at the Ruins.

That mode and map is your only real chance of action. I've spent hours – and I mean hours – standing on the trapdoors for the other modes and maps, waiting patiently as the little glowing red circles supposed to indicate other players blink in and out of existence. Dark Souls' online has always been less-than-perfect, but the game is so good you tend to muddle through and be grateful when it does work.

The red circles are supposed to show other players waiting for matches, but they didn't impact anything for me.

But this is a dedicated matchmaking system that gives its players no feedback - it may well break the lore, but the fact you can't have something as crass as a player count or an estimated wait time begins to really grate after a few hours. So basically, the PvP modes are largely unplayable at the moment. Perhaps things will improve as more and more players discover the arena, and there's a wider spread of levels, but going on From Software's past form don't count on it.

That said, the one mode that does work semi-regularly, a Duel at the Ruins, shows what we're missing. I've fought crazy dark wizards that are half-Saruman half-Zorro, giant hulks in unbreakable armour heaving clubs and knocking you around like a tennis ball, and assassins that turn invisible when you respawn, and strike with a backstab while you're looking.

People don't talk much about Dark Souls' customisation options, but it's a game where you can make your avatar look unique, and there are some awesomely silly hats and armour sets lying around - as well as unbelievably cool weapons. The duels are so good because you see all of this, and come across tactics you'd never have imagined. Just like the single-player, thinking on your feet is the only way to victory, and so it breaks my heart there isn't a better structure for it.

There was no-one else around to fight with – so we decided to strip naked and do this queensbury-style.

The Prepare to Die content adds much to Dark Souls, and not a bit of it feels out of place, or like filler. The single-player is recommended without any caveats, though it is important to emphasise it's designed for experienced players rather than newcomers and thus you won't see it for a good while. As for the PvP... well, it's the same old story. The concept is great, and when it infrequently works it is great. But it just doesn't work most of the time. While I love Dark Souls more than anything, sitting in front of your PC for hours waiting for something to happen is just a waste of time. The matchmaking needed to be much, much better than this.

To find out how Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition scored, check out IGN’s review.

Source : ign[dot]com

Left 4 Dead 2: Cold Stream Review

You know that feeling when you jump into a pool that’s heated to the perfect temperature? Swimming around feels like something you should have been doing your entire life, and it’s just plain wonderful. Cold Stream, Left 4 Dead 2’s new community-created map turned official DLC, is much less like its frigid namesake and much more like a soothing warm-water swim. It feels just about right.

You know Left 4 Dead 2. You know how great it is. You still shoot hundreds of zombies, co-op style, on your way through a series of maps to get to a safe point where you can rest and reload. Special zombies like the Spitter and the Hunter are still around to screw with your plans, Tanks will still ambush you at the worst possible moments, and setting off car alarms still draws the horde to the location of your oh-so-tasty brains.

So, you’ll likely still have a great time with Cold Stream. It’s a competently put together new campaign, and definitely scratches that new Left 4 Dead itch. But, there’s just something missing. It lacks the usual magic that Valve games tend to attain. I’ve been struggling to put my finger on exactly what it is, but it’s honestly fairly difficult to say.

Perhaps it’s the lack of new voice work for the campaign. The map’s creators very cleverly put together old dialogue to estimate more or less what it would sound like, but it’s just not the same.

Perhaps it’s the slightly uneven difficulty. In Valve-designed maps, you constantly feel one step ahead of death. The zombies bear down on you, and you barely survive each encounter. Those moments exist in Cold Stream, but they’re definitely not common. And when they come, they come with fury. There’s a moment early in the campaign where you’re forced to fight your way down a raging deluge of water, all the while fighting off zombies. It sounds thrilling, but instead it’s far too chaotic and far too difficult.

Perhaps, even, it’s notable lack of witches. It seems like a not-so-huge deal at first glance, but I really missed the moments of turning a corner and finding myself face-to-face with one of the terrifying she-devils. The air seems lacking in tension without her cries echoing in the distance.

None of this is to say that Cold Stream isn’t very good. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s still Left 4 Dead 2, and shooting, chopping, and chainsawing your way through is still just as much fun as ever. The new four-map set is varied, well-designed, and definitely gets the job done. It’s just not up to the level of the game’s other campaigns.

For the Left 4 Dead veterans, however, the true value of the DLC lies in the re-release of four campaigns from the original game. Crash Course, Death Toll, Dead Air, and Blood Harvest are back, along with Zoey, Louis, Bill, and Francis. I know right? I missed those guys too. Plus, you get to play with the new toys that Left 4 Dead 2 introduced, like melee weapons and the ever-useless defibrillator, all in an attempt to survive the new Special Infected that seem to have invaded the old areas. Fresh!

Source : ign[dot]com

New Super Mario Bros 2 Review

You know that fizzy feeling you get in your brain when you play a great Mario game? Where it feels a bit like it did the first time you ever played one, even though you’re so intimately familiar with it? New Super Mario Bros 2 gives you 80-odd levels of perfectly-pitched side-scrolling platforming with a smattering of new features, but it doesn’t give you that feeling. It’s a surprisingly conservative entry in this continually inventive franchise, and though it’s a masterclass in level design and eternally satisfying to play, it doesn’t move the series forward. When it’s as good as it was to begin with, though, it’s hard to find much else to complain about.

New Super Mario Bros 2 stars the Koopalings (Bowser’s long-neglected junior minions) as villains, who crop up in predictable but nonetheless entertaining boss fights at the end of each of the game’s worlds. Coin-collecting is the ancient video game principle at the heart of the game. Those shiny little discs of gold metal are everywhere, erupting in shimmering cascades from pipes and trailing in the wake of Cheep Cheeps underwater. The new power-ups mostly revolve around turning everything into gold; a golden Flower transforms Mario into a tubby little Midas, transmuting everything around him into coins, and coin blocks can be worn on Mario’s head, leaving a trail of twinkling currency as he runs and jumps.

Golden rings, meanwhile, temporarily gild every enemy in the level, giving you greater rewards for bopping them on the head and causing Koopa shells to spew coins in their spinning path. The game keeps track of your cumulative coin total, displaying it right in your face on the world map and popping up with little congratulatory messages when you reach a new milestone. Something happens when you reach one million, we’re told, but it’ll be a while before anyone finds out what.

There are plenty of old power-ups too, of course, like the Fire Flower, Starman and the Super Leaf, which turns Mario into Raccoon Mario (though the resultant powers of flight are tragically under-used for the majority of the game). The Mega and Mini Mushrooms from the original New Super Mario Bros turn up as well, but only once or twice over the course of the entire game, making them feel a lot less gimmicky than they did before.

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Unlike Super Mario 3D Land, it doesn’t feel built for the console

New Super Mario Bros 2’s primary-coloured, whimsical graphical style is as endearing as ever – the Koopas even do a little dance when there’s a trill in the music. Weirdly, though, the 3D effect doesn’t work well at all. Turn the slider up and the detailed 2D backgrounds get blurrier and blurrier, which creates a depth of field effect but also smears all the lovely artwork. Unlike Super Mario 3D Land, it doesn’t feel built for the console – there are no levels with nifty 3D effects, and it’s difficult to find a reason to turn the slider up.

Mario is such a joy to control that he sometimes feels like an extension of your thoughts. He has a perfect sense of weight to him, and the levels are exquisitely designed to take advantage of his acrobatic abilities. Each world has two castles to break up the normal flow, and some worlds have ghost houses that give Mario platforming a puzzley twist, with disappearing doors and mirrored rooms. There are a lot of secrets, too – some of the levels have second exits that lead you to a new place on the map (or a new world entirely), and you’ll constantly be scanning their perfect geometry for the inviting gaps in the scenery or slight anomalies that could point towards something hidden.

Difficulty-wise, New Super Mario Bros 2 is still a long way from the invigorating cruelty of the old 2D Marios, but you won’t be able to skip through the game without ever dying. If you fail a level more than a few times, the white Tanooki Suit – or the You Suck Tanooki Suit, as it’s more colloquially known – lets you run through the levels as an invincible white raccoon Mario, but that still won’t save you from death by deadly purple goop or falling into lava. The difficulty is offset by the sheer proliferation of coins, though – if you’re any good, you’ll have about 100 lives saved up by the time you’re halfway into the game.

The co-op multiplayer is fun, but inessential – on a small screen, the camera often has trouble keeping both of you in focus at once, and it doesn’t let you run off and explore separately. It feels like another missed opportunity, with no bespoke levels made for co-operative play. Where New Super Mario Bros Wii only really came alive when played with friends, the multiplayer here feels like an optional add-on.

Coin Rush Mode has a more competitive aspect, letting you challenge people via Streetpass to amass as many coins as you can without dying over three randomly selected levels – and under a time limit, too, as if that wasn’t enough pressure. This gives New Super Mario Bros 2 a little longevity, which is desperately needs; the single-player game barely lasts five hours on a first playthrough, though secret-searching and collecting star coins takes much longer.

Source : ign[dot]com