Before Star Wars: Battlefront launches on November 17th, EA will host an open beta test in early October for all Rebels and Imperials to enjoy across PC (via Origin), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

The beta will provide sampler access to the 40-player, 20-versus-20 Walker Assault on Hoth battle, in which the Rebel team fights to take down an attacking AT-AT while the Empire team escorts it to destroy a Rebel base. Both Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker will be available as playable characters in this mode.

Survival Mission on Tatooine will also be included for solo and co-op horde mode action against waves of Stormtroopers, AT-STs, and other Imperial forces.

Newly announced Drop Zone is another mode that will be featured in the beta, but more details about what the mode entails will be announced later.

Lastly, access to the Star Wars Battlefront Companion app will be provided during the beta phase, allowing players to check stats, customize loadouts, connect with friends, and play a strategic card game called Base Command in order to earn in-game credits good towards unlocking additional weapons and other content. The companion app will be available in a web browser version, as well as from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Unravel is perhaps the surprise sleeper hit of all of E3 this year.

With a similar indie vibe to Ubisoft’s Grow Home from earlier in the year, Unravel comes from EA and 14 person Swedish game studio Coldwood. The game is a side-scrolling physics platformer starring Yarny, an adorable little chap made from a single strand of woolen yarn. The thread of yarn will unravel as you move through the world, and if yarn runs out Yarny will unravel, and you won’t be able to progress any further. Consequently, the objective of the game will be to make it from beginning to end on that single thread, figuring out ways to get from point A to point B without leaving behind a tangled mess of wasted yarn.

As Yarny, you will explore environments based on authentic Northern Scandinavia locales and solve puzzles, using the strand of yarn to grapple swing across gaps, build tightrope bridges, rappel down trees, drag heavy objects, hook up to a kite for an aerial ride, or go river rafting by latching onto a fish’s fin to have it pull you across the water.

Of course, Unravel isn’t just a game about a cute yarn doll and some clever environment exploration. There is a deeper meaning to the story that aims to tug at the heartstrings. From an introductory letter by Coldwood Creative Director Martin Sahlin posted on the game’s official website:

The way I see it, games are really powerful. They reach so many people, and they have the ability to truly captivate the audience in a way that few other art forms can. As a game maker, that makes me feel a certain responsibility. I don’t want to make games that are just distractions. Time is worth more than that. I want to give players more meaningful experiences instead. Unravel was created in that spirit. I wanted to make something more personal, something with more impact. The game didn’t have to change the world, or even try, but it had to be genuine, it had to have a deeper meaning. It had to have heart.

Unravel is a physics-based puzzle platformer where you play a little character made of yarn. The yarn unravels as you move, and if you run out of yarn you can’t go on. Your goal is to try to make that yarn reach all the way through the game, from start to finish. The yarn is quite literally the red thread that ties everything together.

That led to the creation of the game character, a little being made of yarn who unravels the farther away it gets from the things that it loves. The idea kept growing, and the yarn came to represent love, the bond between people. The story would be about Yarny (the little yarn character) trying to mend a broken bond, trying to help a lonely old woman reconnect with all that she has lost.

I created Yarny while I was on a camping trip with my family, way out in the countryside. I was asked to explain more about “the yarn game”, and I figured the best way to do that would be to act it out. So I created a little poseable Yarny doll from some old metal wire I found and some yarn that I borrowed. Then I wandered around in the woods, putting Yarny in different situations and snapping pictures, figuring out fun things you could do with that yarn. The local nature was a huge inspiration, so I decided that nature should play a big part in the game too. All the levels are based on environments from northern Sweden, places with their own little histories and special importance.

The gameplay is all about overcoming obstacles, both big and small. Some challenges are simple, like using your yarn to swing across a gap, or rappelling down a tree. Sometimes things get more complex, so complex that when you look back at the tangled, winding weave of yarn that’s left behind you, you have to wonder how you even got to where you’re at. A bit like life, I guess.

More than anything, Unravel really seems to capture the same sense of handcrafted charm and wonderment as games like LittleBigPlanet, Puppeteer, and Kirby’s Epic Yarn. I enjoy all of the AAA blockbusters and dark and gritty shooters as much as anyone, but it’s titles like this that truly remind me why I fell in love with video games.

Unravel is in development for PC (via Origin), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One digital download. A release date has not yet been announced.

At the moment, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is Xbox console exclusive, and it will remain that way until June 24th. On that day EA and PopCap will launch the game on PC.

The game that made third-person multiplayer shooters weird will go on sale on Origin and at retail for $29.99. Origin is also offering a pre-order deal for an exclusive Digital Deluxe edition which for a few seeds more — $34.99 — comes with 80,000 in-game coins and an exclusive customization pack featuring eight bonus accessories (one for each class), in addition to the two bonus Booster Packs that come with pre-orders for the standard edition.

Also note that the free downloadable content that has been released so far on Xbox One and Xbox 360, including the Garden Variety pack and the Zomboss Down pack, will come standard in the PC version.

Now, when can we get this game on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 already?

Like every other company out there running Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions before those days even arrive, Origin PC has some special goodies to offer for the holiday season’s official opening weekend of shopping. Between today and December 2nd, select laptops and desktops will come bundled with perks like free shipping, free Solid State Drive upgrades, free Plantronics headsets, free overclocking, and free digital copies of four new blockbuster games, including Batman: Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

In addition to the laptops and desktops, Origin has partnered with Razer to offer exclusive Gearshop bundles featuring Razer accessories and apparel. All the deals are listed below.

Origin PC Black Friday and Cyber Monday Promotions

Purchase any ORIGIN PC EON Laptop under $2,500 and receive the following:

– FREE 120GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
– FREE Plantronics Gamecom 380 Headset
– FREE Professional GPU overclocking
– 4 FREE PC Games
– Up to $410 in value!

Purchase any ORIGIN PC EON Laptop over $2,500 and receive the following:

– FREE 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
– FREE Plantronics Gamecom 380 Headset
– FREE Professional GPU overclocking
– FREE U.S. Ground Shipping*
– 4 FREE PC Games*
– Up to $570 in Value!

Purchase any ORIGIN Desktop under $2,500 and receive the following:

– FREE 120GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
– FREE Plantronics Gamecom 380 Headset
– FREE Professional GPU overclocking
– FREE Professional CPU Overclocking
– 4 FREE PC Games*
– Up to $500 in Value!

Purchase any ORIGIN Desktop Over $2,500 and receive the following:

– FREE 250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD
– FREE Plantronics Gamecom 380 Headset
– FREE Professional GPU Overclocking
– FREE Professional CPU Overclocking
– FREE US Ground Shipping
– 4 FREE PC Games*
– Up to $620 in Value!

Enter Promo Code: BLACKFRIDAY for U.S. Ground Shipping in the coupons field for orders over $2,500

*4 Free PC Games are digital versions of Batman Origins, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

Exclusive Black Friday Gearshop Promotions

ORIGIN Black Friday Peripherals Bundle:

– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer BlackWidow Keyboard
– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer Taipan Mouse
– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer Goliathus Mouse Mat

Total MSRP: $240
Special Black Friday Price: $199

ORIGIN Gear Shop Black Friday Bundle:

– ORIGIN PC Beanie
– ORIGIN PC Hat
– ORIGIN PC Watch
– ORIGIN PC Backpack

Total MSRP: $173
Special Black Friday price: $129

ORIGIN Gear Shop Black Friday ULTIMATE Bundle:

– ORIGIN PC Dry Fit Shirt
– ORIGIN PC Beanie
– ORIGIN PC Hat
– ORIGIN PC Watch
– ORIGIN PC Backpack
– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer BlackWidow Keyboard
– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer Taipan Mouse
– ORIGIN PC Edition Razer Goliathus Mouse Mat

Total MSRP: $423
Special Black Friday price: $299

Exclusive Black Friday Plus Cyber Monday Deals [Origin PC]

Celebrating its 10th birthday, inXile Entertainment is throwing a digital download garage sale party for one week only, starting from October 15th.

The studio’s most recognized title Bard’s Tale is taking center stage, with sales up to 75% off on Steam, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Play Book and Origin. On Steam, the modern Bard’s Tale has also been updated to include the original RPG trilogy from the 80s, which means you can nab all four games in one for just $2.49.

But Bard’s Tale isn’t the only game on sale. inXile titles like Solitaire + Friends and Choplifter HD are also on sale–although others, including Hunted: The Demon’s Forge and Line Rider, have not received discounts for some reason.

Here’s a list of links to the various digital download sites offering inXile’s games.

Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?snr=1_4_4__12&term=inxile

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=inXile+entertainment&hl=en

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/inxile-entertainment/id290807372

Solitaire + Friends free: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/solitaire-+-friends/id500282998?mt=8

Choplifter on Origin: http://store.origin.com/promo?promoID=88022500&linkid=Choplift_PDP

Bard’s Tale for Mac: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-bards-tale/id517105387?mt=12

Bard’s Tale on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/inXile-entertainment-The-Bards-Tale/dp/B008S3EJSU

Bard’s Tale for PlayBook: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/119547/

As Shakespeare wrote, “If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die.” This line basically boils down to “give me so much music that I choke and die on it.”  Of course the line is spoken by a lord who is love sick for a woman who doesn’t feel the same and thus would rather die by distractions in life than think about her.

Music can be a powerful emotional tool, helping musicians convey their feelings as well as let listeners escape to a world created by the images and feelings stirred up by the sounds within a musical number. While most gamers will likely associate music games to Rock Band or Guitar Hero with their rhythm matching tropes, indie game Symphony focuses on music as a creative spirit living from within the composer.  The premise is an interesting one in which a demon has infected your PC and is attempting to devour music and the “composer” behind the music.  To combat the infection, each musical piece is played and various enemies flow into the game space based on the tempo, melody and rhythm of the music.

Symphony comes with pre-installed tunes, but the real fun comes from the game’s ability to import and analyze music from your own library.  The composer that the demon refers to throughout the game then becomes whichever band you select.  Combat in the game is similar to a bullet hell shmup as players control a ship with four weapon points that can be customized with upgrades that are earned by beating each song.  Each song can be played on up to 6 difficulties that are unlocked via earning Inspiration points and Kudos.

Inspiration points are collected from each enemy that is destroyed during the song and if a full wave of enemies is defeated, a multiplier is applied.  The more waves of enemies destroyed without interruption, the higher the multiplier.  Kudos are earned at the end of a song and are awarded based on the number of Inspiration points earned minus any deaths that may have happened during the song.  Fortunately the game doesn’t punish the player by limiting gameplay with a defined number of lives, but rather reduces Inspiration points if the ship is destroyed.  The ship can take damage, and when that happens the customizable weapons stop working.  Repairs to the ship are done by collecting the Inspiration points.

As difficulty increases the amount of Inspiration points and Kudos also increase, but of course upgrading weapons to more powerful versions also costs more points to unlock.  The weapons can be swapped out between each song selected and can be pointed to shoot in a direction other than straight ahead.  Weapon upgrades and angle placement become key to surviving higher difficulties as enemies don’t simply appear from the top and slide down, they zoom in from the sides, loop around behind and fire various weapons in retaliation.

Empty Clip has a list of top 9001 tracks used and I absolutely love the fact that so many different tastes in music are represented by this list.  I found myself completely engrossed by how each track from so many different bands in my own library played.  Not one track plays the same, effectively giving players virtually limitless replay opportunity.  What is even more amazing about how the game interprets music is the fact that it finds even the slightest variations within the layers of notes and can amplify them to a startling degree in regards to how enemies appear on screen.

Boss battles appear after a number of Inspiration points are accrued and each boss applies new methods of defense which require strategy and planning in how weapons are loaded up on the ship.  The one thing that does get frustrating is how once a boss has appeared on a song, that song is THE boss level.  I found myself wishing at times that the boss level wasn’t necessarily associated with a particular song, but unless I exclude that album from my music listing I don’t see any way to force the game to play out the boss battle differently.

Symphony is more than just a pretty visualizer for your music library.  Increasing difficulties require strategy as well as quick reflexes, providing players a truly fantastic way to experience and interact with their favorite songs. Video game and music fans alike will find Symphony to be a fun and engaging game with hours and hours of replay. Drink, sup and play on!

Pros:
+ Beautiful visuals
+ Personal music library can be imported
+ Challenging strategy adds to the fun at higher difficulties

Cons:
– Boss fights are “stuck” on a song until that track is defeated
– Switching music by filter takes a little getting used to

Game Info:
Platform: PC (Available on Steam, GOG, Origin, Desura, GameStop/Impulse)
Publisher: Empty Clip Studios
Developer: Empty Clip Studios
Release Date: 8/6/2012
Genre: Shooter/Music
ESRB Rating: N/A
Players: 1
Source: Review code provided by publisher

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Have you finished exploring Amalur’s Faelands yet? No? Me neither–too much Vita and other stuff has been stealing away from my Amalurian adventures. Well, don’t rush too much because there’s still nearly a month to go before the already massive open fantasy world grows even bigger.

On March 20th, EA, 38 Studios, and Big Huge Games will release the first story-based downloadable content expansion for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The Legend of Dead Kel, as it’s been titled, will be available for all three platforms, via Origin, Steam, PSN and Xbox Live, priced at 800 MS Points / $9.99.

That ten-spot will get you a whole new island to explore and a new questline to follow, plus new side quests, dungeons, enemies, player housing and loot aplenty. Here are the specifics:

The legendary pirate Dead Kel and his Hanged Men have returned to haunt the seas of northern Amalur. Embark on a journey to the distant island of Gallows End with the eccentric Captain Brattigan in an adventure that will uncover a secret so great that it has incited wars and toppled kingdoms. Discover powerful new weapons and Twist of Fate Cards and use them to conquer the island’s unique inhabitants. Become the Lord of Gravehal Keep and lay claim to this once great fort that stands upon the edge of a cliff in the most expansive player housing option yet. In an extensive new story and a host of new side quests, battle treacherous new enemies and face exciting new challenges on the mysterious island of Gallows End.

· An Epic New Questline – The Legend of Dead Kel is only part of the story of Gallows End. It intertwines with numerous side quests, multiple dungeons to explore and a colorful cast of characters

· New Enemies, Dungeons, Items – Multiple new enemies and enemy variants, a new dungeon type: Dverga Fastings, three new Twists of Fate, eight new armor sets, eight new shields and 18 new unique weapons

· The Ultimate Player Housing – Gravehal Keep is more than just player housing, it’s a massive estate with multiple buildings and a full retinue of retainers, each with their own back stories, side quests, perks and quirks

· Tons more to Explore – The Legend of Dead Kel DLC adds in more than 15% of additional land to traverse and explore in the already massively expansive world that is Amalur

Peek at the first DLC screenshots below. Also be sure to check out our full Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review here.

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