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Everything We Know About Call of Duty: Black Ops II
We’ve seen the amazing new Call of Duty, and we can’t wait to play it on November 13. Today, we’re telling you all about it… PLUS: How many Call of Dutys is this? | The fake debut trailer that made us laugh | The leaked poster that started it all | Review: The First Call…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 2, 2012 - Uncategorized
Explosive, Horse-Laden Screengrabs From Black Ops II‘s First Trailer
So, how about that Black Ops II trailer? Pretty explosive stuff. Now that you know more about the game itself, I thought it might be fun to go through some image-grabs from the trailer, just to tell you what I’m seeing there and how it lines up with that I saw of the game last…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 2, 2012 - Uncategorized
Black Ops II‘s ‘Strike Force’ Mode Adds a Branching Narrative With a Tactical Twist
Every past Call of Duty game has featured a rigidly linear single-player campaign. They’ve gotten shorter and shorter as the years have gone by, too—the last few games have featured campaigns that have lasted merely 4-6 hours. Treyarch is aiming to change that with Black Ops II with the inclusion of “Strike Force,” a new,…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 2, 2012 - Uncategorized
48 Things That You Should Know About Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Last week, I headed down to visit with Treyarch in Santa Monica to get an extended look at Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Our visit was entirely hands-off, and consisted mostly of a series of in-game demos of missions from the single-player campaign, as well as a new open-ended single-player mode called “Strike Force.”…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 2, 2012 -
UncategorizedWatch Oliver North Shill Call of Duty: Black Ops II
During the 1980s, Oliver North rocketed into the national spotlight with the Iran-Contra controversy. Decades later, North is still in the national spotlight, but this time it’s not for selling arms for U.S. hostages. It’s for selling a video game. In the clips, North explained why black ops needs high-tech devices and how new tech…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 1, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallSega Debuts the World’s First Hologram Video Game
We’ve looked at Sega’s pioneering role in the world of 3D gaming before here on Total Recall, but only briefly stopped on Time Traveler, one of the company’s two and only attempts at holographic, 3D arcade gaming. This antique video, from Time Traveler’s 1991 debut, gives only a few hints as to how unsuccessful these…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 - CultureTotal Recall
Just How Many Damn Call of Duty Games is This Now, Anyway?
Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Activision and Treyarch will spend the next six months telling you this game is a sequel, but the fact the game’s name starts with “Call of Duty” reminds us we’re way past the point of using the number “II” when it comes to these shooters. Unless it’s XII. Or,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
Hard-Hearted Harbinger of Haggis
Greetings, Kotaku! Welcome to the Tuesday open-thread. It’s been a busy day ’round Kotaku way, and I’ve been unable to amass the requisite amount of off-topic links for you to read and gab about. So instead, I thought I’d improvise and share my favorite poem from a movie maybe ever. I’m referring, of course, to…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
What an Aliens Pulse Rifle Looks Like in the Real World
Gearbox, the guys making Aliens Colonial Marines, have been working on the game since, oh, before you were born. In that time, they’ve racked up a ton of reference material from James Cameron’s sci-fi classic, none as badass as this replica pulse rifle from the 1986 movie. This isn’t some toy, some commercial thing made…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 -
UncategorizedMortal Kombat Comes to the Vita in Fine Form
It has occasionally felt like a dirty secret that Mortal Kombat 9 was one of my favorite games of last year. But there it is. It hit just the right blend of punchy violence, imaginative special moves and accessibility, and it got me invested in the (silly) Mortal Kombat universe and its (ridiculous) characters all…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
Plants vs Zombies Toys Want to Eat Your Money, Not Your Brains
The next time your neighbor tells you there’s a zombie on your lawn, you can finally reply, “Thanks! Isn’t it cute?” And ideally, your neighbor will have meant the cute little toy zombie from Plants vs. Zombies and will agree with you. (Either that, or you’ll be eaten by horrible, slavering zombies. As happens.) PopCap…
By Kate Cox Published May 1, 2012 -
UncategorizedWatch the First Trailer For Black Ops II Right Now
Here it is, folks—the first trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II As you can see, the game will take place in the future. And in the past! The military has come to rely on a huge force of unarmed drones and tanks, and some nefarious so-and-so has hacked them and turned them against…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 1, 2012 -
UncategorizedThis Isn’t Black Ops II’s Debut Trailer. But it Should Be.
Press play on this video. For around 40 seconds you may think it’s actually the debut trailer for upcoming blockbuster Black Ops II. Then you get to 41 seconds and, sadly, you realise that as wonderful as this is, it is not the debut trailer for Black Ops II For reference, the actual trailer goes…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
When You Can’t Find A Video Game Box, Make Your Own
Video game retailer GameStop lets you trade in games for cash. You don’t have to bring in the original packaging. So sometimes, when trying to re-sell those used games, GameStop will stick them in those generic, blank cases that look terribly ugly on your living room shelf. But sometimes friendly employees make their own versions.…
By Jason Schreier Published May 1, 2012 -
UncategorizedScrew With Your Skyrim Friends Using Two Simple Voice Commands
They’ve sort of added multiplayer to Skyrim via the game’s new Kinect voice-control update. Not real multiplayer. Not the kind that lets two people play the game together or against each other. No, they’ve simply added voice commands. But when a friend barges in on your gaming session and yells “ally attack” and then “quicksave”…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
Around the Corner From PAX, May Day Rioters Are Smashing Windows
Protesters around the world are commemorating today’s May Day with rallies in support of workers and against the economic and political powers that be. Much of this has been peaceful or at least standard Occupy-style protest-and-arrest, but in Seattle, in the same downtown area where tens of thousands of gamers gather each year to attend…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
Is This 3D Model of a Portal 2 Robot Cute or Fierce? I Can’t Decide.
Cosplayers and model creators will all give you fairly similar advice to starting a new project. It begins with a ton of hours spent on the Internet for research, and ends with paint, polish, and possibly some decals. Psychobob has experience creating awesome 3D models of game characters and pieces. After the research, printing, sculpting…
By Tina Amini Published May 1, 2012 - Uncategorized
Stop Getting So Mad About Video Game Reviews
It’s easy to take personal offense when you disagree with a game review. It’s easy to believe dissenting opinions mask ulterior motives. “How could that guy love Dragon Age 2?” you might think to yourself. “That game sucked! EA must have paid him off.” Or maybe you’re angry about a video game’s ending. Or a…
By Jason Schreier Published May 1, 2012 -
UncategorizedThese Girls Sing a Darned Lovely Song About Hobbits
Well, aw. I have to admit a fondness for Leonard Nimoy’s Hobbit Song, but this is on a whole new level. For starters, it’s actually good Songwriter Allie Goertz and vocalist Megan Barrett perform this heartwarming duet about Bilbo Baggins, the shire, and the quest that lies before him. It’s great stuff. Take a little…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 1, 2012