Just when the battle of the brands was heating up, things came to abrupt close.
We've talked before about the curatorial approach Harmonix takes to song selection, and it's noble. But when I look over the list of twenty bonus songs they're delivering for Rock Band 2 and only recognize three of them - one only because it's from their other game - something is out of fucking whack.
I'll take responsibility for my own expectations: I had hoped this content might have been a riposte to Guitar Hero IV's robust selections, because for all the breadth in Rock Band 2 there's some pretty deep holes. I'm waiting for one of them to offer compatibility not only with instruments, but with the competitor's content. Then we'll really have a card game.
I signed up for Playstation Underground awhile ago, and even for someone who routinely devours gaming media it's been a boon. It's a newsletter essentially, a newsletter that sometimes contains beta keys, and occasionally these keys are for Resistance 2. I've been watching Gabriel gorge himself on the co-op campaign all morning, and it's been fascinating. Our crew was absolutely devoted to Wolf, and it's hard not to pull a Wolf 2.0 vibe off of this thing: it's got classes with satisfying, deeply meshed functionality, but they've plugged them into an addictive progression mechanic. Focusing a minigun on an enemy and watching experience points rack up over his head is already a 2008 gaming "moment." What he's playing over there looks like an Action RPG, with first-person now-ness. This thing is going to turn heads.
Also on the PS3 tip, the first episode of On The Rain-Slick Precipice Of Darkness has been delivered to the service. It is known colloquially as OTRSPOD, pronounced "Otter's Pod." It's got the Trophy Support that cats crave, and drops at the new price of fifteen bucks.
(CW)TB out.
