While we are still eagerly awaiting to get our hands on Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance by Platinum Games, it appears that Konami is already looking to give us more from the series. The developer has posted job listings for the next MGS that will be coming to “PC and high-end consoles.” They are asking for people who have had experience developing games for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

While this is very awesome news, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Even though Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots wrapped up everything very nicely, we have heard that from creator Hideo Kojima that a true sequel was coming. Now we just know that it will becoming sooner than we may have expected. Hideo has said, however, that his involvement in this won’t be nearly as great as it was for the original Metal Gear Solid. He his, after all, also busy working on “Project Ogre,” whatever that is.

Now, the question is what do you think this game will be about, and who do you expect to make an appearance? One concept image that is displayed shows a person with an eye patch, a badge that appears to read “[something] Dogs” with a picture of a dog on it, and a dog standing behind him. That’s a lot of hounds. So that’s all we have to go off of for now. Let’s start hearing those crazy theories. Ready? Go!

My first theory: the game will be called Metal Gear Solid 5: The Dogs of War… and you play as a dog.

[Update] Thanks to to a picture Hideo Kojima posted on Twitter, it is probably safe to assume that the badge says “Diamond Dogs.” Does this mean that David Bowie  is going to be in the game? I vote “yes.”

We knew this was coming anyway the minute it was announced last year (oh please, Atlus USA loves its fans in case you haven’t noticed yet). Not to mention the teaser image they released last week which was very P4 Ultimate Mayo-related.

Oh and yes, they’re simply calling it Persona 4 Arena, which makes sense. I do would’ve preferred though if they kept, at least, the Mayonaka name because it just sounds “right” unlike by simply calling it “Arena” that somehow feels generic, sort of.

Anyhoo, here’s the ad (story mode, woot!) and it’s coming out in Summer 2012. Nice!

The Lost Level: Episode 28 brings back our old segment East vs West. In this mega match up of action we have two new demos, Binary DomAin, and Chris’s love interest Mass Effect 3. Does the Mass Effect demo demonstrate the need to get a Kinect for people that are still on the fence? Does ChRis ever stop praising the Kinect functionality in the latest Bioware game? You know Adam will surely have something to say about it.

Gzep and Chris also discuss their thoughts on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in our “What you beeN up to” segment.

It’s kind of a better flick than its 5-year old forgettable predecessor (hey, seriously, does anyone have fond memories of the first?). That’s mainly because it has better action set pieces and/or visuals, plus Ghost Rider himself — or Nick Cage, if you will — seems like a fun character to watch this time. Mind you that I have near-zero knowledge or whatsoever of the comics and such, so I’m not really sure if that’s an accurate depiction of the character.

Oh, and you can clearly tell Cage is having a blast playing, umm, himself… to some degree.

The earliest memory of being at a movie theater I have is going to see the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. In particular, me laughing at an animatronic baby turtle jumping up and down, shouting “Radical!” So, hearing news that there is some forward movement with the new movie brings a heart-warming sense of nostalgia.

Jonathan Liebesman, the director of   Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans, and Battle: Los Angeles, is in line to be the director of the Platinum Dunes and Paramount production of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Most other deatils about the movie are still vauge at this point. What we do know is that this will be sort of a re-imagining or reboot of the series. You can expect the Foot Clan to be in it, along with April O’Neil and Casey Jones. It’s also likely that it will be real human actors interacting with CGI ninja turtles and rats.

Should Jonathan Liebesman sign on for the movie, he says that there aren’t many kinks in the script to work out. So that means we can start hearing about a cast sooner rather than later. Who do you think will fit well into the movie? Give us your thoughts.

Okay. I know I’ve already made it clear that I’m a fan of the Twisted Metal franchise. So how can I not talk about Brian Taylor writing and directing a Twisted Metal movie? I’ve crunched the numbers, and, as it turns out, it’s not possible.

We’ve already gotten a pretty decent fan-made trailer, and that’s enough just to whet our appetite, but fans will need more now that the new game just dropped. So, now we’ll be getting an honest-to-god movie by the guy behind both Crank movies, Gamer, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence. While I haven’t seen any of those movies, it’s to my understanding that they are pretty over-the-top. That seems like it would be a perfect fit for a Twisted Metal movie, because, I’m not sure if you realize this, a bunch of cars that have machine guns and rockets attached to them is pretty over-the-top as it is.

Granted, this will be a video game, and those don’t have the best track record. In fact, talking about them tends to make us rage quit our podcast. Be that as it may, Twisted Metal does have a solid universe behind it, that can be melded into an interesting movie plot if it’s done correctly. That’s a big “if,” but you can bet that I will be following this thing closely before I decide whether or not I will drop my hard-earned money on seeing it.

Who am I kidding. I’ll see it even if it’s garbage.

What an action packed episode of awesomness! Adam shares his thoughts on the circle pad pro and Resident Evil Revelations, while G briefly discusses the latest SoulCalibur!  The Lost Level crew also discuss this week’s news for games and movies in true Lost Level style.

G gets a little too excited about the new Avengers trailer! I mean words can not express his excitement. OK, they can, and they do in this episode. Stop reading this and just listen already!

Then after you are done listening and tell a friend, because we would like that very much. If you tell five friends we will send Alex to your house to hang out. He’s house broken, and he likes to play games. Ok, I can’t promise that he will go, especially after the last time I pimped him out. He’s still a little bitter about that, but I will try really really hard to make him.

Enjoy the episode!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Special thanks to The Fold for supplying our intro/outro music. Purchase “Neverender” on iTunes.

Tobin Frost, played by Denzel Washington is a rogue CIA agent that has been dark for several years until he suddenly pops up on radar and turns himself in to an American Embassy. He is brought to a safe house for interrogation. Matt Weston, played by Ryan Reynolds is a young CIA agent charged with watching the safe house that the CIA brings Frost to. If you have watched a trailer for this movie then you know what eventually happens. The house gets attacked, and it’s up to Matt to bring Frost in. Safe House grabs you from the moment we meet Frost, and it quickly jumps from action beat to action beat. However, too much action can be a bad thing, and Safe House somehow manages to walk the line of intense and boring at the same time.

The Grey is about an Alaskan oil drilling team that is involved in a plane crash. The survivors are quickly hunted by a pack of wolves that seems them as easy prey. Let me start by saying that this movie has some bad marketing attached to it. My initial thought when I saw the trailers for this movie was, Liam Neeson dancing with wolves in only a way that Liam can… With his fists covered in broken glass. Even after seeing this film I am very reluctant to tell people that this is not the case because I want people to still watch this movie. The Grey is so much more than an action movie. It is easily one of my favorite movies of the early 2012 campaign.

Tim Scahfer is one of the more notable game designers currently in the industry. One of his games, Psychonauts, was praised by critics. Unfortunately, it did receive the commercial success that it should have. This made the possibility of a sequel very unlikely. In an interview with  Digital Spy Mr. Schafer said that he has pitched the idea fora sequel a few times, but there were no takers.  He goes on to explain that he still need as few million dollars to back the project.

Thankfully, the right people were reading that interview. Specifically, Markus Persson (AKA: Notch), the developer of Minecraft, read it. So, earlier today, Notch decided to shoot Tim a tweet saying, “let’s make Psychonauts 2 happen.” The best part about that tweet: he’s serious! So far, all that has come from it is an exchange of emails between Notch and Tim with no official word about what will happen. Notch does warn everyone that everything is very vague at this point and no one should really get their hopes up. However, this is the gaming community we are talking about. Everyone’s hopes are always up for sequels to sleeper-hits like Psychonauts. The damage is already done. So I hope, for your sake, that Psychonauts 2 actually happens, or else you’ll have a mob of angry nerds on your hands. I’ll be the one in front with a pitchfork.

Furthermore, if this game actually happens, no one can ever say that Twitter is pointless ever again. It would have made video game history!

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are reviewing Josh Trank’s first feature film: Chronicle. Is it truly a sleeper hit and one of 2012′s finest movies so far? Or is it simply another gimmicky, found-footage film filled with shaky cams and ho-hum thrills? And, seriously, do we still need a bastardized Hollywood live adaptation of Akira at this point? Tune in!

Just a heads up – this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you haven’t seen Chronicle yet, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tnxzJ0SSOw

A lot can be said about the Spider-Man franchise. Emo Peter in the third film might have set the franchise back. I know a lot of people that question if this reboot was needed so soon. The guys here at Lost Level were split on the decision to bring Spidey back for another go. The fresh blood, and the darker tone set in this trailer has shifted my interest meter from ‘Meh’ to ‘Intrigued’. I think this film has some potential to kick some serious butt. I still don’t understand the need to promote this as the ‘Untold Story’, but if it helps with the marketing then so be it.

What do you think? Are you ready for another Spider-Man movie? Share your thoughts.

I’m just going to come right out and say it: I’m a huge Twisted Metal fan. Twisted Metal 2: World Tour was one of my favorite games for the original PlayStation, and Twisted Metal: Black was the first game I got for the PlayStation 2. So I’m sure it’s pretty obvious that I’ve been eagerly awaiting the PlayStation 3 version of the franchise. When the demo dropped, I hopped right on in. After spending some time with it, I can comfortably say that I like were the series is headed. It’s been a while since I’ve played any of the games, but after an hour or so, it all came back to me. Everything started to feel familiar and natural.

While the formula has pretty much remained unchanged, the guys over at Eat Sleep Play have offered a few new things to keep the veterans on their toes. There are the basic things, like new weapons, that are to be expected. The sniper rifle rewards players for keeping their target in their sights for longer period of time, while the shotgun is most effective when you stay up close an personal with your opponent. Some classic weapons return but have been tweaked to have a charge up ability, which gives them the potential to do more damage. So you can either spam your opponent with a bunch of weapons that range from low damage to medium amounts of damage, or you can be surgical with your attacks by using weapons that can offer a large amount of damage if you take the time to master them. It all really depends on the your play style you feel most comfortable with. This becomes glaringly obvious when you realize that each car actually has two different special attacks that favor each strategy, as opposed to the previous games in which each car only had one special attack

Continue reading: Twisted Metal Demo Impressions

Finally, the first episode of the year that the guys can sit in one room and record an episode! Episode 26 is “action packed” with conversations about the next generation Xbox rumors, talk about The Darkness 2 demo, and so much more!

X-Men: First Class was my favorite movie of 2011. So I am giddy with joy to find out that Matthew Vaughn is going to be back in the director’s seat for the sequel, and Bryan Singer will be right there as the movies producer. This is really comforting to know considering Vaughn’s success with the first movie and his continued commitment to the project. According to James McAvoy, Vaughn has had ideas about where he wants to take the franchise for awhile.

Also, reports are saying that the production for X-Men: First Class 2 (tentative title) is going at a steady pace, as opposed to the first one, which was rushed. So, we got some great actors returning to some really good roles, a passionate director and producer who are also returning, and more time to make a movie. Yeah. This will probably be a midnight showing for me.

We were big fans of Resistance 3 here at Lost Level. While the first two games were decent and got the job done, the third installment really blew us away and exceeded our expectations. With that, it seems as though developers are ending the series on a high note. The Insomniac CEO Ted Price said, ”We won’t be making any more Resistances.” There’s really not a lot o wiggle room for interpretation in that statement.

While it is sad that we be won’t be seeing anymore of the series after Insomniac has finally nailed the formula down, it also bring s a sense of comfort. We won’t have to see them announce a new iteration of the game and worry about them messing up what they so finely polished. Furthermore, it’s rare that we see the end of a series these days. Companies find their cash cow and ride it until the thing passes out in the middle of the street and holds up traffic, creating an annoyance to the public. Okay, that metaphor may have gotten away from me

Continue reading: Insomniac Putting Resistance to Bed

The Lost Level is back with episode 25! The guys return to the weekly grind after the long holiday. They are excited to start covering the news again. Come listen as they discuss what they have been up to, the latest game and movie news, and find out what makes Chris so upset he rage quits at the end of the episode! Now that’s some serious rage!

G is back for his first episode of the new year. He has the opportunity to catch us up on Japanese gaming! There is some interesting news from the CEO of Sony, George Lucas, and lots of Resident Evil news. Also, the fellas make plans for Valentine’s Day, it might involve some scented candles…. You can’t miss it!

As always we thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy the episode!  Fans of Adam, need not fear, he will be back next week!

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to spread the word, and tell a friend.

Special thanks to The Fold for supplying our intro/outro music. Purchase “Neverender” on iTunes.

The Fold have been busy, check out their latest video for the Lego Ninjago Theme song! 

Kate Beckensale is back as Selene in the fourth installment to the Underworld franchise. Underworld: Awakening begins six months after the events of Underworld: Evolution. Humans have discovered the existence of Vampires and Lycans (Werewolves). They begin a war against both races, trying to eradicate the species. In an attempt to escape, Selene and Michael are on the run, but are captured. We flash forward 12 years to Selene waking up from a cryogenic slumber. From the opening scene this does not feel like an Underworld movie. Everything feels off. Underworld has always had an interesting premise, and I liked the universe they created. Underworld: Awakening does its best to completely ignore the grittiness, and tone it has established in previous films.

Needless to say, games have changed a lot since 1999. They look better. The stories they tell are (generally) deeper and better, with characters you care about. And even though the action has been ramped up, games have somehow become easier. Back in the day, beating a game felt like an accomplishment. You wore it like a badge of honor. Now, it’s almost expected of you to beat the games you play. Granted, this makes sense because the designers want you to witness the whole experience they have slaved over for you, and they don’t want you to just give up because it’s gotten too hard for you pansies. So we’re given things like regenerating health and more ammo than one person can feasibly carry. Sure, Resistance 3 had an “old school” feel because it brought back the health pack, but the classic challenge still wasn’t there.

Ken Levine, who has worked on Thief, System Shock 2, and the original BioShock, is currently working on BioShock Infinite for its release this year, and he longs for the days when a game really challenged him. That’s why he is including “1999 Mode” in BioShock Infinite. “1999 Mode” is said to be a more demanding playthrough of the game. You’ll have to really learn how to manage all your resources and build your character in a way that compliments your play style. Your aim will have to be exceptional and you can’t walk around like bullet sponge. As for game saves, Mr. Levine said, “there are game saves, and you’re gonna f***ing need them.” It’s things like that quote that makes him one of my heroes. Levine goes on to say the following

Continue reading: BioShock Infinite’s 1999 Mode. Let’s Do This!

It always warms my heart to see an indie game become successful. We’ve seen it happen with such classics like Braid and World of Goo. It seems that the next indie game to join the rosters is Q.U.B.E., a game that I didn’t even hear about until very recently (Listen, I’ve been busy). Within four days of its release, the game has already sold 12 thousand copies and has earned back the money that was invested into it from the Indie Fund. There has even been talk about moving the game to platforms other than the PC. So we may be seeing it on the PSN, Xbox Live Market place, and/or OS X sometime soon.

Toxic Games, the developers of Q.U.B.E., are no doubt happy about this. The game, which was originally budgeted for $42,000, eventually cost $90,000 in investment money, so all the parties involved in the game being made must be breathing a sigh of relief to see that it was all worth it. I know I’m going to be making the investment worthwhile once I get around to buying the game. There has been a lot of good buzz surrounding it, and the trailer really grabbed my attention. However, that ‘s mainly because it reminded me (and probably many others) of Portal, which you all know I’m a sucker for. Either way, it’s definitely getting put down on the long list of “Games Alex Has To Play.” I’m accepting donations.

Contraband is the latest in a long line of paint by number action/thrillers. Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-smuggler that got out of the game for love. His love interest is his wife Kate (Kate Beckinsale). The limited screen time together, and chemistry makes their relationship non believable. Chris’s relationship with his best friend Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster) is better established, and has some genuine feeling during the time in the film they are trying to assemble a crew to go on another smuggling run because Chris’s brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) gets in over his head, and it’s up to Chris to bail him out. There are a couple tense scenes, but they are too few and far between to make this movie and better than your typical movie going fare.

Without a doubt, Mass Effect 3 is one of the most anticipated games coming out this year. It’s true because Spike TV’s VGAs said so, and we all know how credible that is (SPOILERS: It’s not). This is a title that many gamers are going to want the day it comes out. So, if you wan to play it for the PC, Steam may not be your best option… or an option at all. BioWare’s community manager, Chris Priestly, hit the forums last weeks saying that Mass Effect 3 will not “initially” launch on the popular digital download service. Whether or not these means they have plans to launch the game for Steam on a later date is unclear.

Of course, this is so that EA, Mass Effect 3‘s publisher, can pimp their digital download service, Origin. In fact, any PC version of the game will require Origin to launch it, like they did with Battlefield 3. Because, god forbid playing a PC game would be as simple as installing and launching the product. Noooooo. That would be far too easy. Instead, you have to download and install Origin as well. Then you have to authenticate your copy of the game through the service. Requiring Origin to play the game may not sound like much, but it’s just a minor headache that doesn’t have to be there. EA shouldn’t make their customers have to jump through hoops just to play their products.

EA cites that the decision to not launch Mass Effect 3 on Steam stems from the distributor’s restrictive terms of services. You can choose to believe that if you want. However, I’ll go on believing that it’s because Steam the largest of the digital distributors, and EA is trying to topple this Goliath. Sure, in the end all EA wants to do is make money and not launching Mass Effect 3 on Steam ensures more money goes to them, but in the end it still makes them look like a whiny little brat that will keep stamping its feet until it gets its way. You can almost hear EA shouting, “No! It’s our game! You can only play it through us!” You don’t know how glad I am that I’ll be picking up Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360, and won’t have to put up with Origin.

We did it! The guys finally sat down and pounded out our top games and movies lists for 2011. Chris was even tinkering with his list up until the moment we recorded. Say what you will, but 2011 was a terrific year for gaming, this was the first year in recent memory that there wasn’t a clear cut winner for GOTY.

Listen as we heap praise upon what we loved in 2011. Chris, Adam, and Alex give their top 5′s, some honorable mentions, as well as some disappointments too! After hearing the choices, I have to say I was surprised by some of the picks. I know you will be as well.

You think we are wrong with our choices? We want to know what your picks were. Leave us a comment with your favorite games and movies from 2011.

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to spread the word, and tell a friend.

Please note that the lists we created are based on our personal enjoyment of the games and movies, and not based on technical achievements, or artist merit. Also note that Adam and Alex often find Chris’s opinion very wrong.

Special thanks to The Fold for supplying our intro/outro music. Purchase “Neverender” on iTunes.

The Fold have been busy, check out their latest video for the Lego Ninjago Theme song! 

Sometimes life happens… Like the one time you meant to mow the lawn, but the football game was on. Or the one time you were on your way to pay back your gambling debts, but on the way you met Champagne, the stripper with a heart of gold. It’s happened to all of us a thousand times. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to record our podcast on time this week. I know, I know. I want to tell you guys a lavish story, full of adventure, and danger. I want to tell you that on the way to recording Adam fought a bear with his bare hands, and now the bear walks with a limp. That would make a great blog, but the fact of the matter is Adam has a hooptie. It likes to break down on days that we are recording one of the most important casts we have ever done… So feel free to give Adam grief for the delay in our cast.

Well, it appears as though Outcome 1 is what transpired with the settlement between Bethesda and Interplay. The Fallout MMO that Interplay announced five years ago will no longer be in development, which is bad for them, but good for my social life. Bethesda, who developed Fallout 3 after Interplay sold them the rights, said “license granted to Interplay to develop the Fallout MMO is null and void, and all rights granted to Interplay to develop a Fallout MMO revert back to Bethesda, effective immediately.” Inteply will at least be getting $2 million from ZeniMax, Bethesda’s parent company, as a sort of compensation.

Furthermore, Interplay will lose their rights to sell Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics in December of 2013. That will also be the date that they lose the rights to any merchandising associated with the franchise. As for Masthead Studios, who was being subcontracted by Interplay to work on the Fallout MMO, they will also lose any rights to the IP and no payments were made in that lawsuit.

Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax, had this to say about the lawsuit:

“While we strongly believe in the merits of our suits, we are pleased to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation while completely resolving all claims to the Fallout IP. Fallout is an important property of ZeniMax and we are now able to develop future Fallout titles for our fans without third party involvement or the overhang of others’ legal claims.”

So, does that mean a Fallout 4 is coming in the near future (like December of 2013) or even a possible Fallout MMO from Bethesda or other related ZeniMax companies? Who am I kidding? At the very least a Fallout 4 is coming. Why? Studios like to make money.

A couple days ago, reports were coming out that Bethesda and Interplay settled on the lawsuit in regards to a Fallout MMO. For those of you who don’t know, Interplay, the original creators on the Fallout series, sold the IP to Bethesda and used that money reopen after being shut down. Bethesda let Interplay retained the rights to create a Fallout MMO provided they meet certain parameters. Bethesda then sued Interplay, claiming that those parameters have not been met. The first two injunctions that Bethesda filed were denied and the two companies went to court mid-December. Listen, it’s all very legal and very confusing, and there’s no real easy way to explain it. Let’s just say the fate of a Fallout MMO is up in the air at this point.

The specifics of the settlement are still unknown to the public, but they are expected to be revealed by the end of this month. Hopefully, the fate of the Fallout MMO will also be revealed. I, for one, am nervous about what will become of the game… and will probably be unhappy with any outcome. Let me explain

Continue reading: Bethesda and Interplay Lawsuit Settled

Says the latest GamesMaster UK magazine, that is. According to the mag and based on TheSilentChief‘s report:

“…Square Enix has something special planned for the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy next year.

According to a rumor found in latest issue of the magazine; Final Fantasy XV will be announced during a special Square Enix E3 2012 press conference. The next installment to the long running franchise is also rumored to be coming to Wii U and PC along with the PS3 and 360.”

With the Holidays upon us the Lost Level uncovers one last dungeon to navigate. Join us as we come out the other side with a Tri-Force in hand. Find out what G and Alex think about the latest Zelda game.

Will a princess be captured? Is this a prequel? An origin story? Listen to the guys discuss the story, the gameplay, the controls, and pretty much everything you can think of!

Reviewcasts are spoiler free until the end of the cast, so unlike our Round Tables you can listen and not have to worry about being spoiled. Don’t fret fans of our Round Tables, there is a spoiler section after we finish the initial review.

Happy Holidays from the crew at Lost Level.

Fans (or suckers such as moi) who have been following the Kingdom Hearts series since its incarnation should seriously check out this colossal, 8 minute trailer featuring a lot of familiar faces, as well as some gameplay samplings here and there. Those familiar faces, by the way, are mostly the hip kids from The World Ends With You; probably the only Tetsuya Nomura-related game that’s currently out there (in North America at least) which deserves every attention, unlike the rest of his crap. By crap, I meant some (if not most) of his games that are just disappointing for being too Tetsuya Nomura-ish, and not for their game playing faults or purposes.

In fact: I feel a lil bit shitty for not completing the game due to various reasons that I can’t really explain as of this point. Anyway, here’s the meaty Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Doopie trailer:

Recently, the “Back to Karkand” DLC pack for Battlefield 3 was released, and a few incredibly observant players have noticed a detail in the above image: the number 2143. Okay, so what’s the big deal about the number 2143? Many are speculating (and I’m praying) that this is DICE giving us a little Easter Egg teaser that Battlefield 2143 is on it’s way.

For those of you who don’t know, Battlefield 2142 was a futuristic spin on the Battlefield series which featured weapons and vehicles that fit the theme, including giant mechs that you could pilot. So hopefully this image of the number 2143 indicates that a sequel is being planned, but I’ll also settle for a treatment similar to that of Battlefield 1943.

Do you think that thought process is a little far fetched? Well the Battlefield 3 Blog takes note that the Battlefield 2: Euro Force expansion had a similar Easter Egg that hinted to Battlefield: 2142 long before it was officially announced. It seems very unlikely at this point that this is just a coincidence. Seriously, Battlefield 2143 needs to be made. DICE, make it happen.

This week on The Lost Level… it’s the holiday special episode and we have the usual crew, talking and bickering about basically their most anticipated video games and movies of 2012!

What will Chris pick from the extensive list aside from Mass Effect 3 and The Dark Knight Rises? Is Alex really not that interested in grabbing a PlayStation Vita? What about Adam and his love for Silent Hill and survival horror games? And can G actually pick anything else aside from a Final Fantasy game and a Marc Webb feature film?! Tune in, fellow enthusiasts, as TLL wraps the year up with one of their most fun episodes ever recorded!

The reason Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was made is simple, Robert Downey Jr. (Holmes) plays an eccentric detective brilliantly. The chemistry between him and Jude Law (Watson) is one of the greatest ‘Bromances’ currently on film. They play off each other very well. The banter between the friends is definitely the strongest thing about these films. The settings look great, the costume design is wonderful, and the action beats work well. With so many positives, why did I leave the theater disappointed?

I know this feels too early for me to say this, especially that it’s only been a couple of hours after I left Navy Pier with a smile on my face, but Ghost Protocol is currently my favorite out of all the movies. It is also possibly, in my opinion, the best action film of the year.

I’m saying that simply because of the action sequences alone. They are stunning and I literally had my jaw open for a couple of seconds. Well, at least the Dubai set piece because that was fucking rad, especially on IMAX. Yes, IMAX is the way to go to watch this movie, and I won’t be surprised if it’s not the same experience when I watch it on a regular 35mm format next week (you know, a second viewing because I seriously want to check it out again).

The Lost Level is having our first annual Christmas party, and you’re all invited. We wanted to have a meet and greet for the fans of the show, so we thought it would be cool to combine the events.

If you are interested in joining us for a night of shenanigans then click on this link to our Facebook Event for details. If you are coming out please click on ‘Attending’ so we can reserve the proper amount of spacing. Thank you in advance.

If you are in someway against Facebook for whatever reason, then Alex wrote a reminder for the event that includes the details as well. So now you have two places to find information about the party! Click on ‘Read More’.

Nope, you’re not going to find any footage description(s) or any spoilery stuff in this entry. Why should I, anyway, in the first place? Do you seriously want to be spoiled?! Reading anything remotely related to the ultra-amazing-omg 6 minute prologue and watching it is the equivalent of say… trading an Xbox 360 over a PlayStation 2 because the Madden football game you-oh-so-love isn’t available for the 360.

Or something along those lines.

You know… I really wanted to love this movie, like a lot. From the superb voice acting to the stellar action set-pieces, and even the breathtaking opening credits, which is probably one of my favorite parts — I was really hoping it would be my top film of the year.

Unfortunately, that’s not really the case and I’m blaming it all to the semi-sloppy script. Coming from the scribes of Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block, a couple of Dr. Who eps, and heck Scott Pilgrim — I was expecting something better. I don’t know, it just felt a lil bit loose for me at times and I sincerely wish it was tighter. Things probably just didn’t gel very well in my opinion. Especially towards the end which I thought was a bit anti-climactic. But yeah, so far, that was just mainly my beef with this movie.

Oh. My. God. I am now officially super stoked for this movie.

I mean c’mon — this is directed by the guy who did Step Up 2! Step Up 2!! Now don’t judge me quickly because the finale of that one was freakin’ insane. Probably one of the best choreographed dance sequences ever filmed in history. No, really I’m not kidding. Sort of. B-but anyway just… watch:

This week on The Lost Level… there was a show called the Spike Video Game Awards 2011 — pretty sure you’ve heard about it — that just happened recently, and we have the guys sharing their overall impressions of this year’s show, as well as the major announcements that were unveiled. Sony and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us anyone? Or how about the craziest reveal of the show (according to G that is) which was Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? Fun times.

This episode is indeed pretty huge, and they’ll be covering other meaty stuff as well namely: November NPDs, PlayStation Vita multiple accounts dilemma, the Shigeru Miyamoto “stepping down” story, Thor 2  and Star Trek sequel updates, Michael Bay possibly directing Transformers 4, Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises teaser posters, TDKR’s Operation Early Bird, and more!

Don’t forget the first Lost Level meet and greet coming up on December 16th. Details are on Facebook.

The movie posters for all the Nolan Batman movies have been absolutely amazing. The latest poster is no exception. The broken cowl is such a powerful symbol, and something we haven’t really seen in a Batman movie. Batman has always been portrayed as the icon. Nolan boldly has built a trilogy on the man. After the break I give my idea of what The Dark Knight Rises will be about, This is based on what we know about the story so far, so you have been warned. Spoilers

There’s no denying the appeal of Batman. He’s a dark and brooding superhero that protects the people of Gotham time and time again, who also happens to be a billionaire playboy when he’s not saving the world. So it’s no wonder that we can’t stop seeing him everywhere. Where is the next place he’s going to show his cowled head? On our phones.

NetherRealm Studios, the guys that worked on the latest Mortal Kombat, is releasing Batman: Arkham City Lockdown for the iPhone and iPad. The game features a series of one-on-one battles with popular Batman villains, such as The Joker, Two-Face, Solomon Grundy, Deathstroke, and more, and every boss fight boasts unique gameplay. You even get to upgrade the Bat’s abilities and select different costume skins for him. The game is already out in New Zealand, and the US will probably see it tonight or tomorrow. We haven’t got a price yet, but it is $8.25 in New Zealand which is about $6.45 in the US. So, let’s go with $7.

There is something special about listening to Bonnie Taylor’s “Holding Out For A Hero” while driving the hardened streets of Stilwater. To capture the spirit of Saints Row: The Third for the podcast Chris made Alex drive around with him listening to that song at full volume, and on repeat… for hours.

Well whaddya know: Xenoblade Chronicles, quite possibly my numero-uno game of the year, is finally coming to US on April 2012! Apparently it’s only available (as of this time) for pre-order at GameStop and/or Nintendo’s online store. To those who have joined Project Rainfall’s campaign and their crazy Amazon pre-orders, you should try reserving from either of those retailers instead.

If you really are looking for a game to get you back loving Japanese RPGs again — assuming you’re like me who grew up playing Final Fantasies II (IV) and III (VI) on the SNES and was pretty iffy with XIII — look no further! This is that game you are looking for! To set you guys up for the hype, here’s the US trailer:

It. Was. Phenomenal! I… just, wow, incredible.

This is one of those films that’s, no joke, perfect in every regard and I’m totally in love with it! Moving, charming and even yes “magical” — it’s clearly one of the best films of the year (hello Oscars!) and obviously one of my favorites of 2011 as well. Saw it twice already, both in 3D would you believe, and I actually had a semi different experience on both.

This week on The Lost Level… Nintendo strikes back with not just one, but two triple-A titles this season: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D Land. G, Alex and Chris are going to be sharing their impressions on Link’s latest escapades, while Adam (with his brand new sparkly Zelda 3DS) will be talking about Mario’s impressive debut on Nintendo’s eye-boggling handheld.

Then we also have Alex and Chris briefly discussing that ridiculous game called Saints Row: The Third. Is it worth playing despite the amount of triple-As we have this Fall? Find out!

And finally, as usual, the news which include: the newest Xbox 360 Dashboard, Gears of War prequel trilogy c/o the guys who made Bulletstorm, Sony’s very own Super Smash Bros. game, Metal Gear Solid 5′s subtle announcement, PS Vita memory cards, The Dark Knight Rises update, and more!

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are reviewing this year’s Call of Duty entry — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Does the game still deliver that same blockbuster, non-stop action experience as previous Modern Warfare titles in spite of the whole Infinity Ward “drama”? What about the plot? Does it tie in well with its predecessors? And the Multiplayer — still fun all around, or a step back from last year’s impressive Black Ops? Tune in!

Just a heads up – this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you have not played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

If you listened to our Round Table discussion of Uncharted 3 (which you should) then you know we talked briefly about how the aiming in the game felt… off. We haven’t been the only ones to voice this complaint. In fact, many of the hardcore fans of the series have felt the same way, and Naughty Dog is doing something about it.

The developers took a few of fans to their studio to help them with tweaking the aiming mechanics in the game so that it felt more comfortable. The result ended up being an upcoming update that will have an optional setting that adjust the “feel” of the game’s aiming, along with a few other fixes. They haven’t said when the update will be released, but let’s hope they aim to release it soon. Hehehe. Did you see what I did there? I said “aim” because we were talk- okay, I’ll stop now.

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are reviewing Naughty Dog’s latest adventure piece — Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Is it still a solid game, overall, despite the issues and several nitpicks? Or is it a major disappointment all throughout? And how does it compare to the “classic” that is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves? Tune in!

Just a heads up – this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you have not played Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

Here, at Lost Level, we like to look out for you guys. We know that this is an expensive season for gaming, and it’s hard to get everything you want. So we try to make things a little easier on you and your wallet. That’s why we are letting you know that today only (November 17th) Best Buy is selling Ace Combat: Assault Horizon for $30. So, if that’s the price point you were waiting for to buy that game, act now! You may have to wait another week or two until you see this deal again, and who wants to wait?

Don’t get too excited just yet: The latest issue of The Official PlayStation Magazine UK has Kojima coughing out his plans for the “past, present, and future of Metal Gear Solid” which include, obviously, MGS5 and the mysterious Project Ogre.

In short, Kojima basically just said that there’s a game called “Metal Gear Solid 5″ he’s currently thinking about. Done.

Shocking? Hardly. We knew it was coming anyway.

Do you like free stuff? Yeah, you do. THQ knows this, so they decided to get on your good side. New copies of Saints Row: The Third come with an Online Pass code you have to redeem in order to access it’s online features. If you bought the game for the PlayStation 3, redeeming that code before February 13th will also get you a free copy of Saints Row 2 available for download over the PSN. Those free copies can be downloaded early next week. Until then, have fun tearing up the streets of Steelport before you go back to Stilwater.

NBC’s Community is one of the most clever TV shows to come out during the last few years. It’s hard to find people who don’t like it. So why on Earth would NBC think it’s a good idea to put it on hold for an indefinite amount of time come mid-season? Sadly, the ratings aren’t at what the higher-ups would like them to be at. Stupid higher-ups.

So what NBC is doing is replacing Community with 30 Rock. Furthermore, Whitney is being moved to Wednesday and will be replaced with Are You There, Chelsea?, which stars Chelsea Handler, who I now suddenly hate. It’s fine if they move Whitney to Wednesday. They could have had 30 Rock (which I love) replace it. But noooooooo, NBC had to start a new show with someone I’ve never heard of and put Community on hold. NBC, you were so close to having the best 2 hour block on TV. So close.

This week on The Lost Level… Mr. Howlett, who is currently making waves in TV, is unfortunately absent in this news-heavy episode. Hence, it is all up to the fun-tastic trio of G, Chris and Alex to discuss the hot gaming and movie news over the last 2 weeks, which include: Modern Warfare 3′s sales, the October NPDs, PlayStation Vita’s “UMD Passport” service, the GTA V teaser trailer, Akira live-action updates, Black Friday video game deals, and a bunch more!

People are really milking this whole Batman craze. Who can blame them? After two very successful games and movies, he is probably the hottest superhero out there now. That’s why we’re getting an online FPS based in the Batman universe. In Gotham City Impostors, you play as a team of Batman impersonators, The Bats, or Joker impersonators, the Jokerz, and you kill each other. With guns. The game will be available through the PC, PSN, or Xbox Live Arcade on January 10th.

Can’t wait that long? Then sign up for the open beta for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that is being held in December (they already had a PC beta). You can do this by going to the official site and creating a WB ID. Hopefully you’ll be selected so you can go around killing criminals with guns, just like Batman would do. Wait…

It has been previously rumored that a new and numbered God of War title is being developed as we speak, and now we have a release date! Well, according to a New Zealand retailer site that is; this supposed “God of War IV” will be coming out on September 28, 2012.

It would be interesting to see a console God of War having a September release date oppose to their usual March schedules. But, at the same time if you think about it closely, this sounds pretty bull. Not to mention that it’s a little bit too early as well since we haven’t even heard of any official statement of a “part 4″ from Sony.

I’m kind of excited for the “Galaxy at War” co-op feature in Mass Effect 3. My friends and I really enjoy the series, so it would be nice to go friend’s place, order a pizza, get some drinks, and play the game with him. Sounds like fun, right? Too bad the game will not support local co-op.

In a recent interview with Mass Effect 3 producer, Jesse Houston, he said there will not be a split-screen or PC-LAN option to play the game’s co-op. Granted, you can bring over you own TV or monitor to a friend’s place along with your own console and copy of the game if you local co-op that badly. It’s just a lot of work. Thankfully, Houston did say that it’s something they may add later to the game. But for now, I guess I won’t socialize with my friends in person once the game comes out. At least I won’t have to shower.

The live adaptation of Capcom’s Ace Attorney finally has a trailer and, frankly speaking, something’s off. Like say, it does feel a wee bit “dark” at times and they didn’t bother even using some of the game’s music. It’s one of the series’ strongest signatures, so it seems kind of weird they didn’t use it this video. Licensing issues maybe? Probably, or the guys who edited this preview are just a bunch of lazy farts.

In any case, I’m still going to watch this as soon as it comes out.

We’ve mentioned previously that Bioware was going to be showing off a new game during the VGAs, but Game Informer is the one that is teasing us with an image of it. The above piece of concept art looks very action-packed and seems like it would come from the Uncharted games. While this doesn’t really reveal anything, it has definitely capture my attention, and it really makes me eager to see what Bioware has in store for us on December 10th.

If you want to see a larger version of the image, you can check it out at the Game Informer website.

Heavy Rain is a game that tells a story in a very innovative way, even if that story lies to you and has parts that make no sense. Granted, there were deleted scenes from the game that would supposedly have those nonsense parts actually make sense. Thankfully, Sony has announced a Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut that presumably have those deleted scenes. Wait… It won’t? *sigh*

Okay, so what will this version have that makes it a “Director’s Cut?” Along with the full game, you will get “The Taxidermist” DLC, the soundtrack, a new front-end menu that supports the PlayStation Move, 8 “making of ” videos, Three Dynamic Themes (Heavy Rain, Heavy Rain ARI Forest, Heavy Rain ARI Mars), 15 new pieces of concept art, and 2 bonus trailers. Additionally, the Heavy Rain Crime Scene Dynamic Theme is going to be free for everyone through PSN. The Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut will be available on November 8th for $30.

It’s hard to take the VGAs seriously. I hold the awards to about the same standard as the VMAs, which is to say no standard at all. So, why be excited for the VGAs on December 10th? The reveals. The glorious, glorious reveals. Geoff Keighley, video game journalist and VGA host, tweeted some things about the VGAs and teased at what we can expect from the ceremony.

First off, he said “Alan Wake returns,” which I’m sure about 5 people are excited for. But who knows, maybe his return will bring closure to a story that still makes no sense, even after its DLC that was suppose to give the game a satisfying ending. More excitingly, there will be something revealed in regard to Metal Gear Solid: Rising and Bioware will announce a new game from a new studio. Is it too early to ask for a Mass Effect MMO? These are just a taste of the things that we can expect from the Video Game Awards Show. We can’t wait to see what else it brings.

If you listen to our podcast (which you should) then you know that some people in the crew are fans of Dark Souls, demon or otherwise. So it’s comforting to know that the game is doing fairly well. Namco Bandai and From Software were pleased to announce that their unforgiving game has shipped over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The number break down like this:

• Japan: Released on 9/22, 370,000 shipped
• North America: Released on 10/4, 620,000 shipped
• Europe: Released on 10/7, 470,000 shipped
• Asia: Released on 10/18, 40,000 shipped

So congrats to those guys. You should reward the team for all their hard work by buying one of those 1.5 million that they shipped. That is, unless you have anger issues. We don’t want you breaking things in a rage while you play the game.

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are going to be discussing Rocksteady Studios’s superb follow-up to Arkham Asylum — Batman: Arkham City. Is it truly one of the best games this year? How does it compare to its predecessor in terms of the combat, boss sequences and such? Also, Hugo Strange: an awesome addition to the game’s all-star cast of Batman villains, or was he handled poorly? Tune in!

Just a heads up – this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you have not played Batman: Arkham City, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

It’s Grand Theft Auto Five. I was never that excited… until now:

Game companies like doing promotions with soda companies, because it is a proven fact that gamers take in copious amounts of caffeine so they can stay up late while grinding to the next level. Also, coffee is for sissies. So EA has teamed up with Dr. Pepper to do some promotional stuff for Battlefield 3. Starting this week, special marked bottles of Dr. Pepper will a code that you can redeem on the Dr. Pepper website that will get you free DLC for the latest DICE online shooter extravaganza.

The DLC consists of multiplayer skins, a PlayStation Home avatar, as well as special dog tags like the ones pictured above. You can also get a one free code from the Dr. Pepper website if you don’t want to waste money on soda. This promotion ends December 31st. It’s nice to see EA putting a lot of marketing into this game. Unfortunately, Dr. Pepper isn’t as hardcore as Mountain Dew, so it looks like Modern Warfare 3 wins the battle of the sodas. Good try, EA.

Meh. Don’t even bother unless you are seriously (and I mean seriously) desperate to play another single player, military-themed shooter. They are other games out there with snappier-paced campaigns in my opinion, like say Gears of War 3 or that other game that’s coming out next week.

I’m not saying it’s a super terrible single player campaign, but in terms of competing with Modern Warfare 3 (which I heard will be spectacular) or even just the recent Call of Duty titles in general; it’s hardly memorable and feels mediocre at best.

This week on The Lost Level… Adam discusses the new inFamous 2 DLC, Festival of Blood, and shares us his initial impressions whether the stand-alone expansion is worth the reasonable $10 purchase or not. At the same time, he’s also going to be talking about the recently released Resident Evil 4 HD, which he found… well, tune in to find out! Then we have G briefly trying to convince Adam, along with the rest of the Lost Level crew (Chris and Alex), about Persona 4: The Animation. Fun.

And of course there’s the news which include: Grand Theft Auto V speculation, Nintendo losing BILLIONS of Yen, the very first PlayStation Vita bundle for US, Rainbow Six: Patriots, Takashi Miike’s Ace Attorney movie, Wolverine 2 update, and more!

Here we have the final character videos of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3; featuring that snappy journalist from Dead Rising, Frank West, and the Guardians of the Galaxy representative — a character who I originally thought was a shabby addition at first, but he’s actually pretty cool — Rocket Raccoon! Check ‘em out after the break.

If there was any doubt that we would be seeing a new God of War game, we can get rid of that right now. Sony Santa Monica has listed a job offer for a senior staff concept artist to “join the GOW team!” This also goes along with another job posting the studio made back in March for a senior online programmer. Online God of War action? Can our minds handle the awesomeness?

However, none of this should really come as a surprise. God of War is a staple PlayStation exclusive title, and they are going to ride that horse until it is dead. It’s their Mario. A very, very violent Mario. Oh, and a source also told PSM3 back in April that there will be a new God of War title for the PlayStation 3 in September 2012. So, is there any doubt left?

You probably have just seen the first image of Takashi Miike’s Gyakuten Saiban (a.k.a. the Ace Attorney movie) featuring Hiroshige Narimiya (Azumi, Bloody Monday, Yakuza 4) as everyone’s favorite justice defender, Phoenix Wright!

Oh right — this is the Japanese version, so I guess we have to go with his original name which would be Ryuichi Naruhodo.

Well, anyway, now you can see some scenes from the live adaptation (taken from a Japanese TV talk show) by clicking the embed above! It also features some familiar faces from the game like Miles Edgeworth/Reiji Mitsurugi played by Takumi Saito (13 Assassins, Space Battleship Yamato).

I have to say — it’s looking exactly just the way that I was expecting being a Miike film. Not maybe as vibrant as I want it to be (maybe because the footage is taken from a TV?), but it works on some levels. It’s just unfortunate that we’ll probably never see the “true” Phoenix Wright adaptation, since this is a Japanese production and they’ll be using the original names & settings. I’m sure dubbing it would also make it look terrible if you think about it. Sigh.

Listen. Court room dramas are boring. There are twenty different Law and Order shows, give or take, and I have no clue why. Then the video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came around and gave the genre some excitement. It only makes sense that a movie is being made to breathe life into such a stuffy court. The first image for the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney movie has been release, which coincides with the opening of a teaser site and the announcement of a February 11th release date. There will also be trailers for the movies starting November 5th. The final name of the movie is “Gyakuten Saiban,” which is simply “Ace Attorney.”

However, this info is all for a Japanese  release. Just look at the teaser site. It makes no sense to me. Sadly, we haven’t received word on the movie making it’s way state-side. That being said, the image is such a good replication of what we see in the game, that I’d imagine a lot of fans would love to see the movie make its way to our shores. I don’t see it getting a major theatrical release, but I’m sure it would eventually be available with subtitles at the very least.

I never though the day would come that I had to say this, but Nintendo is losing money. I don’t mean that that misplaced somewhere. I mean that they are spending more than they are making. From a business standpoint, that is not good. Nintendo is expected to announce a recurring loss of approximately 100 billion yen when they announce their earning reports on Thursday. While that may seem like an immense amount, remember that this is yen we are talking about. In US dollars about $1.38 billion. Two less zeros make it seem like less of a ridiculous loss.

Part of the loss comes from the slump in sales for the Nintendo 3DS, which is competing a larger market for portable devices like the iPhone and the expanding market of tablets. There is also the issue of the yen being strong, which Nekkei, the stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, indicates caused a 40 billion yen loss in foreign exchanges alone. However, remember that this is Nintendo we are talking about. Don’t expect them to go out of business any time soon.

I finally finished it and, you know, I’m just gonna go straight to the point: this Japanese RPG is a masterpiece. It’s certainly up there with the classics such as Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears and — well, you guessed it — the list goes on.

Yup, it’s that amazing and I’m even proclaiming it as (oh snap, here’s comes one of the most overused phrases in 3, 2, 1…) one of the best games I’ve played this year.

People are crazy over this Minecraft thing. Outside of it being a game, I’m not exactly sure what it is, and I’ve played the damn thing. All I know is that I was running around, destroying blocks, creating other blocks, and getting killed by zombies. That being said, I enjoyed it, so I was sort of excited to hear that it was coming to consoles.

Late yesterday evening, Markus “Notch” Persson, the creator of Mincraft, confirmed that the console version of the game will be exclusive to Xbox 360. This has to be a let down for the PSN an WiiWare, although one has to wonder if the Wii is powerful enough to actually handle the game’s intense specs. He also let us know that it will be hitting Xbox Live in Spring 2012. Hopefully this version will include a tutorial so I know what the hell I’m doing.

This week on Lost Level… Tons of  news this week! The guys get together to discuss their thoughts on Rage, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, and that Battlefield 3 game that comes out on Tuesday. Episode 18 is action packed with awesome! We have special guests returning, an ode to Akira, spoiler free Batman discussion, and so much more we can’t even write it all down! There is even a contest… Say what?

For those of you who are planning on getting Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360, you may have already heard that HD textures have to be installed on your system’s hard drive. This isn’t really different from what the PlayStation 3 or the PC versions do, except that you are given the option to do it yourself because not all Xbox 360s have a large hard drive attached to them. I know that your probably think that it won’t be worth it and that the difference in quality can’t be that great. However, I implore you to watch the above video, because I think it may change your mind.

So, if you don’t have an Xbox that can store the texture information, you now know what you can expect from the game from a visual standpoint. Sure it won’t be as pretty, but if you spend some time to get to know the game, you may find it has a really nice personality. Don’t be so shallow.

I already had this headline prepared for this entry after watching the first 20 minutes, which was “IDGAF: W.S.’ Three Musketeers was freakin’ awesome!”. Sadly (clearly as you can see) that wasn’t really the case because the later parts of the movie were just mediocre, if not the simply good ol’ “OK”.

When first introduced to Assassin’s Creed said to my self, “hey, this is a really neat premiss. Why don’t they make a movie out of this.” Well, someone must have been watching me from the bushes when I said that, because it seems they took my very original and genius idea and ran with it. Variety is reporting that Sony is close to signing a deal with Ubisoft Motion Pictures for the rights to an Assassin’s Creed movie.

This report apparently comes at the height of bidding war between various large studios that has been going on for a few months. Fans the the games should be glad to hear that Ubisoft has a policy of keeping creative control over movies based off of their properties, so you can expect the film to stay true to the source material. I just want to know if I’m going to get any money from them using my idea to use an already existing idea. Seriously, who else would have though  about making a movie based off a videogame?

Note: The above picture is from the Assassin’s Creed Lineage filming.

Remember back during E3 when Sony announced a 3D Display set, because I sure as hell didn’t until today. Regardless, they’re they’re trying to make 3D accessible to everyone because 3D is awesome and everyone loves it to death. Note the sarcasm. Regardless, Sony is going to keep pushing it down our throats, so we might as well the details to the 5 people out there who are still interested in it.

On November 13th you can pick up the whole package, which consists of the 3D Display TV, one pair of 3D Glasses, MotorStorm Apocalypse Blu-ray game, and an HDMI cable, for $500, which is a really solid price. However, it’s a luxury that I don’t really care about, but if that’s your thing at least you now know you won’t be spending an arm and a leg on it. An extra pair of glasses, however, will cost you $70.

Continue reading: Sony 3D Display Details

Son. Of. A…

Alright, we know it’s going to be an amazing game, and that’s what this trailer is simply indicating: Uncharted 3 will be… an amazing game! Just a few more weeks and we’ll finally get the chance to play one of this year’s major, game of the year contenders. Sure, everyone’s currently busy playing as Batman, but don’t forget to pause once in a while and watch a video or two.

By the way (and I seriously mean “BTW”): There are spoilers in this trailer, believe it or not. So if you want to remain an Uncharted 3 virgin, I suggest to step away and continue playing Arkham City. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Finally, the launch date of Sony’s upcoming portable gaming device — featuring that oh-so-gorgeous 5-inch OLED screen — has officially been announced: February 22, 2012. Head on to Sony’s blog (posted by the bossman himself, Jack Tretton) to find out more if you wish.

Still no word on the US/EU launch titles, but you can bet it mirrors the Japanese one in terms of big releases like Uncharted 3 and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.

Hooray! Batman: Arkham City is out today! Yes! Wait… You’re saying you’re weird and only have a PC, so you can’t join in on the fun? Well, that’s a shame. Don’t worry. Warner Bros. announced today that the PC version of Batman: Arkham City, which was delayed, will now come out exactly one month after its console brethren on November 18th.

Warner Bros. said the reason for the delay was to fix some bugs that were popping up in the PC version. Hopefully they got that all worked out, becasue the last thing Rocksteady would want to do is piss off Batman fans. Those people are hardcore.

This week on Lost Level… The bat weighs heavily on the minds of the crew. Will it live up to the hype that the reviews have created? Chris can’t wait to find out! G, Alex, and Chris discuss the multiplayer for Uncharted, as well as proper drink choices at Subway. G also discusses his thoughts on the demo for Uncharted.

This is a BIG games episode of The Lost Level, covering Uncharted, Batman, and Mass Effect. Also, find out who won the bet the guys had over the NPDs. Who won the first Guinness bet? Download and find out!

The videogame industry, much like Hollywood, is running out of ideas. So, what is their solution? HD remakes! Capcom officially put the rumors to rest by announcing the Devil May Cry HD Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will contain Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, and cost $40.

HD collections make sense for games like Metal Gear Solid or ICO, that have a very cinematic experience. But then you have games like Devil May Cry. Do you really need to see a white-haired metrosexual repeatedly hitting demons in the face with a sword in HD? I vote no, even though I do like the series. But this is why we’re getting the new DmC. So that we can experience a fresh version of the gameplay we love with more story that I can ignore.

Officially announced by producer Yoshinori Ono at the New York Comic Con; the game’s coming out on March 6, 2012 in North America and March 9, 2012  in Europe.

Also also announced is a Special Edition (i.e. Collector’s ed) of Street Fighter X Tekken for North America which includes the following goodies, aside from the game of course:

It’s almost here. Are you excited? Sure you are, you should be. After all — it’s the goddamn Batman and everyone loves him. If by any chance this post isn’t making you feel giddy and such; then check out the reviews which are (unsurprisingly) stellar.

Hey, remember how much fun you had playing that Shadowrun videogame from 2007? Of course you don’t! I’m sure many devoted fans of the somewhat popular cyberpunk RPG were disappointing in how it turned out. So hopefully Cliffhanger Productions will do things right this time with their announcement of Shadowrun Online, a free-to-play game that plays in your browser. It’s going to get rid of the first-person perspective and adopt a more tactical third-person isometric view, as you can see from the screen above(which is still and early build, mind you). If you’re interested in knowing more, there’s a laundry list of Q&As to look through.

As usual: Another biggie convention comes another batch of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 videos.

Just like the last update (Vergil and Iron Fist), this one features 2 new character-specific trailers. In this case it’s everyone’s favorite video game attorney, Phoenix Wright, and Marvel’s super space cop, Nova. But before we get to their individual montages, here’s the New York Comic Con exclusive trailer:

So it’s Valentine’s Day, you’re with your significant other, and/or friend with benefits, and they want to go out for a nice romantic evening. Perhaps your idea of romance involves a little action. Luckily for you,  John McClane is at it again! (What kind of action did you think I meant?) You now have plans to visit Moscow, because John’s son is in some trouble over there. Explain to your significant other, and/or friend with benefits that John just has to kill a bunch of people, and cause a ruckus for just a couple hours, but after that it’s back to quality time…

If that doesn’t sound apprealing to them, then you should question your relationship with your significant other, and/or friend with benefits. Life is way too short to Die Hard. (Get your mind out of the gutter.)

A Good Day to Die Hard opens Febuary 14, 2013.

Who would you like to see cast as John’s son? Let us know.

There are a few ways to be cool. You can have a lot of money, be good at sports, or do illegal things. Sadly, those options aren’t for everyone. That’s when people start to become hipsters. Microsoft understands this and in an attempt to attract the hipster crowd away their iPhones they are going to let you preview the new dashboard before other people can use it. This is the tech equivalent to listening to a band when they were “underground.” Major Nelson posted details about how to sign up for it. So register in the hopes that you can say ” oh, yeah. I used the dashboard before it became mainstream,” presumably with your nose stuck up into the air.

Welcome to another exciting installment of The Lost Level Round Table discussion a.k.a. the “spoilercast”. In this episode… the guys are going to be reviewing Epic Games’ supposed “final installment” of their 360 exclusive franchise: Gears of War 3. Are there still more of those crummy Maria segments, or has Dom finally “moved on”? How’s the overall plot in terms of wrapping up Marcus Fenix’s story? What does Lost Level’s resident Sony fanboy (Adam) think of the game? Tune in!

Just a heads up– this is a spoiler heavy episode! So if you have not played Gears of War 3 or isn’t familiar with the franchise, then this is NOT the podcast for you. You have (obviously) been warned.

Game consoles that are bundled with a game has to be one of the greatest things ever. How often have you saved up cash to buy that new shiny console just to watch it collect dust, because you didn’t factor in that you need to buy a game with it as well and you spent the rest of your money on cocaine? If you’re like me, then it’s happened too many times.

Nintendo understands the pain of videogame withdrawal and is giving us a new bundle. Come October 23rd, you can get a black Wii console, a black Wii Remote Plus controller, a black Nunchuck controller, a copy of  New Super Mario Bros., and a copy of said game’s soundtrack. You can pick up the bundle for $149.99 (or $150 if you’re smart and round up when you see that tricky 99¢). That is if you ignore sales taxes, because damn the man.

Urban-D defines teaser trailer as “A short trailer used to advertise an upcoming film, television program, video game or similar, usually released long in advance of the product, so as to “tease” the audience. Unlike typical theatrical trailers, they’re usually very short—-” FINE, who cares and I apologize for being “cute”. You know what to do… click:

This week on The Lost Level… Adam shares us his torturous-yet-addicting adventures with Dark Souls, possibly one of this year’s GOTY (that’s Game of the Year) contenders. Meanwhile, G and Chris are going to be discussing the latest Spider-Man title, Edge of Time, which is clearly not a GOTY contender. Tune in to find out why!

Then, as always, there’s the news which include: Battlefield 3′s single player campaign reportedly to be “dull”, PS3′s “Long Live Play” commercial, more Dead Space 3 rumors, Assassin’s Creed III’s plot, Fast and Furious sequel updates, and more!

Plus: the gang will also be talking about their first Apple products due to the recent passing of Steve Jobs. Your genius will be missed, good sir.

Please answer the following questions:

Are you able to shoot bullets with your fingertips?

Do you believe your TV will shoot bullets at you?

Does this trailer make you want to play Blackwater?

Continue reading: QUIZ: Watch This Blackwater Trailer

I’m not gonna lie, and I’m not just saying this because of my fanboy love with Modern Warfare: it looks spectacular.

We finally get to see some of the old cast (oh hello Captain Price!) and some new set pieces as well. Exciting stuff. I personally cannot wait!

A film adaptation is set in 2012. It will be conducted jointly by two heavyweights of American cinema: Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks.

Source.

Yeah. Sure. As a producer: it’s possible because “the Beard” has a lot of upcoming directorial projects on the horizon (the Lincoln biopic and the very-interesting Roboapocalypse). Still, this sounds pretty BS to me.

What do you guys think?

Just one of those friendly reminders that an Uncharted game is coming in less than a month, and it will be glorious and spectacular.

Technically these aren’t “new” but more of extended versions of previous Uncharted 3 videos. They’re also running using the final build of the game so that kind of makes ‘em new in some ways. Still, does it really matter? It’s more Uncharted 3 goodness and I don’t think there’s any reason we can complain, right?

Sony has set the bench mark high with this appreciation commercial to its fans. A few days ago Kevin Butler teased us with a short clip, but it did not prepare us for what was exactly in that room.

Remember the Yakuza spin-off game with zombies that was released in Japan a few months back? Well now it’s officially coming to US/Europe and it’ll be called Yakuza: Dead Souls. Check out the announcement trailer after the cut.

If you are a devoted follower of the Yakuza franchise– you should be aware that the game (according to various reports) isn’t nearly as impressive as the previous Yakuza games. In short, don’t expect a lot in case you’re looking forward to it. Plus remember: it’s a spin-off and not “part 5″.

Expected in a way since Mark and Matthew are good chums, but brilliant news nevertheless! A Superior live-adaptation was immediately greenlit (literally) hours after the comic was shipped to retailers last year. This is probably the first major update since.

Never read Millar’s Superior? You should. It’s a solid book about a disabled kid “getting” super powers, and it’s essentially Superman meets Big (you know, the Tom Hanks movie?). Highly recommended even if you aren’t a fan of Mark Millar’s writing or books. PR after the break.

In the not so distant future boxing will be relevant again. Suspend your disbelief for a second, boxing will be popular because it will be robots! Charlie Kenton (Jackman) is an ex boxer, now promoter with horrible decision making abilities. He is broke, and always looking for a large payday. This gets him in trouble with many people in the early part of the film. Real Steel isn’t about the robots, it’s Charlie’s story of redemption.