Instead of taking what we think you would want to hear and jotting it down from the Darksiders II: Death Live Community Roundtable we have we have decided to add the audio for you. So sit back and enjoy while the community asks David Adams Studio General Manager, Ryan Stefanelli Producer and Hayden Dalton Principal Designer all from Vigil Games some questions regarding their upcoming game Darksiders II: Death Lives. The audio is a little garbled in the beginning, and that is due to all the buzz surrounding the game and the quality will pick up after a few minutes

Stay tuned to Platform Nation for more news as we receive it for Darksiders II: Death Lives.

Here is a short video we put together for you showing some of Death’s combat and moves. As you will see Death is a lot more agile than his brother War was, but none the less still as a force to be reckoned with.

Be sure to follow Darksiders II on Twitter, and be sure to check out their website for more information and give them a Like on Facebook.

Pre-order your copy of Darksiders II: Death Lives, by clicking on the picture below for the console of your choice.

Now this trailer is going to blow you away Darksiders fans. Take a look below at the Darksiders II Death Eternal trailer. This was the trailer from the Press Event that was held January 18th 2012 and we thought you might want to get a look at what we seen.

First let’s set the back drop for you:

He was there from the beginning. He shaped our deepest beliefs. Man’s perception of Death has changed throughout the ages, yet one fact will always remain: His will be the last face you will ever see.

Great trailer and all of this Darksiders talk has me excited for Darksiders II!

Be sure to keep checking back right here Platform Nation, as we will be bringing you all things Darksiders II: Death Lives!

As a lot of you may be aware, Darksiders and I have a checkered past.  We shared a love hate relationship that continued for many weeks.  I loved the gameplay and story Darksiders provided, as well as the many puzzles that needed to be solved, while progressing through the story and seeing what damage and chaos my old friend War could provide.  With that said, when I was up against with one of the many bosses you battle throughout the game, I was faced with one of the biggest choices I had to make playing a game I loved: go to YouTube for help.  Until that point I had played many games, and never had to resort to the web for help, and that is where the hate portion comes in.  I never did get past that boss battle, but I do think of my old friend War quite often and wonder how he is doing. I do believe I found a new friend, and he goes by the name of Death. I was privileged enough to attend a Darksiders II event just to see if we could bond and become friends with the next installment in the Darksiders series, a much-anticipated game for myself and many other Darksiders fans.

Now before I start I did not get “hands on” time with the game, but we were taken through a few levels, as well as a background of how Death has been represented in the past and how Death would be portrayed in Darksiders II. Based on what I saw, I do believe Death and I will become good friends soon enough.  But will a good character and my high expectations be met in Darksiders II?  Read on my friends, and I will let you know what I observed, as well as what we were told during a Community Round Table as David Adams Studio General Manager, Ryan Stefanelli Producer and Hayden Dalton Principal Designer answered some questions the community had about Darksiders II.

Let’s set the background for you: Death, probably the most feared of the Four Horseman, is awakened by the End of Days.  He sets out to undo Armageddon and finds far worse things going on, as an ancient grudge threatens all of Creation.  So this brings up a good point: is Death the right Horseman for the job?  Of course he is; as Death is, well let’s face it, Death. No one wants to tangle with him, and that is what makes him the most feared of the four Horseman.

If you are familiar with Darksiders you already know that the game took place during the untimely earthly Apocalypse, and Darksiders II takes place during the same time.  So will Darksiders II look and feel like the first Darksiders?  I would have to say no, as the combat system has been improved upon, the art and graphics have been tweaked, and the game has its own feeling and style.  As we know already (if you played Darksiders), War was a straightforward fighter, who was likely to use his powers to charge through an area and leave a heap enemies behind him.  Death takes a different approach: he is a nimble and agile character with moves like a wall run that, by chaining together jumps, will allow him to traverse down a narrow hallway or even between walls.  Death will also be able to beam run, which allows him to run along thin platforms including chains and ropes, making him a lot more agile than War, as War prefered the hand over hand method.  Throw in a Pillar Climb/Jump to the Wall bounce, and Death proves to be very agile.  One movement that sticks out is the Ghost Hand. When you acquire this item in the game, Death can hook onto attachments found in the game, and pull himself towards them.  He can also use this movement and chain it together with other moves, making him that more agile.

Combat is very impressive in Darksiders II (not that it wasn’t in Darksiders), as you have your basic moves from Evade, Jump and Death’s main weapon: his dual Scythes that change shape as Death performs different combos of attack.  From being joined together to form a single weapon to tossing an enemy in the air, they are very impressive.  Death’s secondary weapons can be combined with the Scythe maneuvers and form an impressive combo.  Ghost Hand that I touched on above can also be used during combat as Death will be pulled closer to an enemy, allowing him to get up close and personal with one of the many mini-bosses he will face; let’s just say Death can reach out and touch someone in short order.  Death can also use his Reaper Form, were he can perform a Reaper attack that provides a quick death to his enemies. An unlockable skill for this form is the Reaper Transformation: a very powerful move that will be available to use when the Reaper Meter when it is full.  Death’s time as a Reaper is limited, and should be used to cause massive damage to many enemies at once, or for one of the larger boss battles you will face.  Death will also gain many spells and abilities, from summoning up a horde of exploding zombies, to using necrotic energy. It’s nice to see that Death is not limited to being a Scythe swinging death machine, and is allowed to take a more wizardly path.  Either way the destruction left in Death’s wake will be impressive.

Like I said earlier, we did not get hands-on time with the game, but we do have some more information to pass along.  Darksiders II does not have a set in stone release date, but we do know to expect the game this summer.  The game will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and the Wii U (yes I said Wii U, this was not a typo).  Darksiders II is set to give us 30 hours of gameplay, and will alow the player to go back to side quests and additional content even after the story ends.
Darksiders II: Death Lives shows a lot of promise. To answer my question from the begining, Death and I will be a match made in heaven, and it looks like we will be spending some quality time together in the future trying to clear War’s name.

If you checked us out yesterday you probably noticed that we were blacked out as we were joining so many other websites yesterday protesting against SOPA and PIPA. So, now that yesterday is over, lets just see how the Internet did against the rich, powerful and connected MPAA, RIAA and just about every other “old media” outlet.

Well, the LA Times is reporting that 4.5 million people signed Google’s anti-SOPA petition yesterday. 4.5 million, just wow! What’s more impressive to me as far as that goes is the fact that I’d say the majority of those people probably never even heard of SOPA till yesterday.

“There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs,” the petition reads. “Too much is at stake -– please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA.”

I couldn’t agree more with the above statement. The people that are against SOPA aren’t against online piracy, they are against censoring the biggest tool we have today for free speech! You don’t need SOPA to fight off internet piracy, just look at what happened today against MegaUpload. There’s no need for SOPA, there are already tools in place to prevent piracy.

Google’s petition wasn’t the only tool to attack SOPA though, Twitter was equally effective at getting the word out. HotSpots.io was tracking 267k tweets per hour getting the word out about SOPA. Throughout the day, SOPA was the most talked about topic on Twitter.

Elsewhere, Reddit Co-Founder, Alexis Ohanian called the protest a “Resounding Success” he continued with this, one of the best quotes I’ve heard about this topic,

Why is it that when Republicans and Democrats need to solve the budget and the deficit, there’s deadlock, but when Hollywood lobbyists pay them $94 million dollars to write legislation, people from both sides of the aisle line up to co-sponsor it?

So again I ask, who won? I’d say we did, the Internet! Ars Technica is reporting that now 19 Senators dropped their support and are now in opposition of PIPA (the Senate’s version of SOPA), 7 of which were co-sponsors of the bill. That’s amazing there, and that’s because of you guys and gals getting your voices heard! For a single day, the Internet became a single voice and shouted our opposition of SOPA and PIPA and for once, our concerns were actually heard. For once the all mighty dollar didn’t drown out what the people wanted.

Unfortunately though, that’s not the end of the story. Chris Dodd, former Senator and now MPAA Chairman and CEO came out calling the internet blackouts:

another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals.

News flash for you all, the blackouts were not a gimmick at all and with the help of major sites like Wikipedia, Reddit, Google and smaller sites like us, Platform Nation and thousands of others, we got the word out about these dangerous bills and we won this battle.

So what happens next? Well, we sit and wait. We have to be prepared for what’s next because don’t think for a second that this is over. There will be other bills, there will be millions more pouring into our representatives pockets that want to censor what we can do online while hiding behind the masks of “piracy” or other hot topics.

I can promise you one thing though, while we here might not be the biggest site out there, we will continue to fight the good fight for our community. We don’t care about pageviews here (they are nice though), we don’t care about making money, all we care about is doing what’s right. As long as we are around, and as long as we have your support, we will do everything we can to help you guys be heard through us. After all, that’s why we exist in the first place, and that’s why on the bottom of Platform Nation is has always said:

Platform Nation is a collaboration of several gaming podcasts who decided it would be best for our gamers, the podcasters and the rest of the gaming community if they came together to share efforts. Together we have a larger voice in the community for the gamers that we strive to speak for. We share the same forums and for the most part, share the same listeners. After all, we are a community, not a network Platform Nation, United We Game.

And for those of you that still might be in the dark, please, I urge of you, just watch the video below as it will help explain what SOPA/PIPA really is about.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Image source: reddit.com

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We just wanted to take the time today to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
Platform Nation is looking forward to 2012, by bringing you all the gaming goodness you are use to from P*N.
Not only do we bring you reviews written by gamers for gamers, but we bring you news, editorials and the top gaming podcasts, all on one site.
So here is to a safe and prosperous 2012, and a thank you for your continued support.
Without our dedicated community Platform Nation would not be the success it is.

From the Platform Nation family to yours, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Without our awesome community, Platform Nation would not be as great as it is today and we appreciate it.

Thank you for you continued support and have a great Holiday Season.

Platform Nation

The Wii saw a bit of reality sink in this year; as Xbox 360 and PlayStation console sales numbers started to increase, Wii sales began to slip.  Fortunately, that doesn’t mean the top games for the Wii were not up to par.  So without further ado, here they are, Platform Nation’s Top 3 Games of the Year for the Wii category 2011. We will start off with Platform Nation’s number 3 pick and work our way to the #1 Platform Nation Wii Game of 2011.

3. Rayman Origins

Good to see Rayman make the list, as Rayman games always prove to be tons of fun. Rayman Origins brings all of the best aspects out of a platformer, and bundles it into a fun, addictive package.  The creative level designs and great graphics stand out, and that’s not easy to do on a console that features the platformer master himself, Mario.  Out of the Rayman series thus far, what is your favorite title and did we get this one right as number 3?

Go back to where it all began in the Glade of Dreams. Rayman is hastily called upon by the Fairy Council to save the Glade from some “nefurrious” Darktoons, but with a little help from his best friend Globox and two crafty wizards, the Teensies, Rayman just may be able to live up to his title as a hero of light. Together, this group will need to embark on a hilarious quest to restore peace to their home before it vanishes completely.

2. Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Sticking with the platformer theme (a game style that Nintendo embraces fully), Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a gorgeous and imaginative addition to the Wii library, and had some fantastic gameplay elements. This game was one of those I was most looking forward to for the Wii. Since its announcement at E3, it has made a great running, and has landed in the number 2 slot for this year’s Wii Game of the Year.

Pull some strings and join Kirby on his most epic adventure yet. Featuring an all-new look and composition, the ever-morphing Kirby can take on new and exciting shapes, and even transform into powerful vehicles. His unique yarn structure allows him to easily change into a speedy racecar, a UFO or even a massive tank to take out his enemies. Kirby’s interactive textile terrain can easily be manipulated to reveal hidden areas and objects. Will you be able to string together the pieces you need to fulfill Kirby’s adventure?

1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Now we know some of the Zelda Fans were a little heated over the handheld category, but the number 1 pick for the top Wii game of the year goes to your favorite game series!  Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the game that many Wii owners held out for, and that persistence paid off with what many are saying is the best Zelda game to date.  It’s no surprise to see this incredible game reach the top of the Wii chart for Game of the Year for Wii.  If you still own a Wii, and don’t own this game, then make this a top priority for your next purchase.

As you step through the brush, you sense something is off. You creep slowly toward the river that meanders through this small clearing. You peer into the water and only see your reflection staring back at you. Taking a few deep breaths to calm yourself, you turn around to look up and see a massive monster towering over you. Pulling your sword from its sheath and raising your shield — you look skyward and get ready for an epic battle.

And there you have it, wrapped up with a beautiful bow: the top 3 Platform Nation Wii games for 2011. Now, these games are picked by our writers and editors here at Platform Nation, and maybe you have a different opinion of what should have made the list. Either way if you disagree or agree, let us know in the comment section below.

Source (game descriptions) Best Buy

While the big 3 consoles tend to grab all the headlines, the fact of the matter is that handheld gaming is every bit as popular as console gaming (if not more so, if you count casual gaming on phones and tablets).  To make sure we left no stone unturned in our Holiday Buyer’s Guide coverage, here are Platform Nation’s Top 3 Games of the Year for the handheld category, 2011. We will start off with Platform Nation’s number 3 pick, and work our way to the #1 Platform Nation Handheld Game of 2011.

3. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D

One of the most critically acclaimed titles ever made returns, this time with the stunning realism of glasses-free 3D visuals. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Link embarks on a heroic adventure through time to prevent Ganondorf from seizing the ultimate power granted by the Triforce. Solve puzzles, travel through the expansive land of Hyrule and more as you explore this immersive world on your epic quest. Will you be able to put a stop to the Gerudo King of Thieves before he can reach this holy relic?

Some Nintendo fans may be up in arms that their favorite series only came in third, but let’s face it, it made the list and even though it may not rank up their with our top Handheld game third is a pretty good standing.  While the game is received a nice overhaul for the 3DS, and is based on what many argue is one of the greatest games of all time (and certainly the best Zelda game), it IS a remake. A beautiful, fun, nostalgic remake, but a remake none-the-less. Plus it is pretty hard to beat out the number one Platform Nation pick for 2011.

2. Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Professor Layton games are tons of fun, and they are not just for a certain age group; it is one of those games that is picked up easily, and yet proves to be hours of fun. Not much surprise on my end that the game came in as number 2 on the list.  With great cut scenes (including some excellent visuals), familiar but improved gameplay, and more balanced puzzles, the Last Specter should not be missed.

A letter arrives in the mail, and it’s from Professor Layton’s old schoolmate, Clark. Detailed in the letter, Clark informs the professor that a mysterious giant is destroying the town of Misthallery. Professor Layton and his new assistant, Emmy, head out to the town to investigate the mystery. Why is the town being destroyed? How could it be related to the village’s legend of a Specter? Only by solving the plethora of puzzles laid out before you will you be able to solve the mystery.

1. Super Mario Land 3D

Join Mario in a new, eye-popping adventure with stunning 3D visuals. Jump, dash and hover your way through fully rendered 3D environments. Watch out for Goombas with tails and ink-spitting Piranha Plants along the way. With awesome 3D graphics and new and exciting features, Mario is more super than ever.

Play through fully rendered 3D landscapes in Super Mario 3D Land. Use the Circle Pad to confidently move Mario through fun and exciting environments while the 3D visuals make it easier to judge distances and depth. Perform a rolling somersault attack, run fast with a dash move or put on the Tanooki suit for the first time on the 3DS, and use your tail to hover and perform floating jumps and attacks. Watch out for all-new enemies, including Goombas with tails and ink-spitting Piranha plants.

Here is what Platform Nation’s Jeff Jones had to say about Super Mario Land 3D.

All in all, every part of this game has the Nintendo “polish” on it. Once I finished a level, I started the next until I forced myself to stop. The level environments weren’t over-used nor the mechanics within each level. The perfect pacing of the levels and gradual increase in complexity never overwhelmed me. If there was one drawback, the built-in tutorial didn’t teach all of the mechanics. Long jumps and rolling are helpful moves to execute, but they only appear in the paper manual. Super Mario 3D Land, exceeded my expectations for fun and innovation, which were admittedly already set very high. Jam packed with Nintendo homages, Easter Eggs, and hidden areas, and levels, the replayability level is very high. I can’t recommend this Mario game enough. And in the end, who doesn’t want to save the princess?

Well there you have it, Platform Nation Community, these were the writers’ Top 3 picks in the handheld category. Our list was compromised solely of Nintendo titles, as no other handheld games even made a showing. And now for the million dollar question: Do you agree with our picks, or maybe you had an iOS game or even a PSP game you thought should have made the list? Let us know, in the comment section below, what your Top 3 picks are in the handheld category.

Source (game descriptions only): Best Buy

What: Mario Kart 7 multiplayer

Where: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (and simultaneous Skype chat)

When: Monday, December 12th at 9:00 p.m. EST

Why: Because you can only take so many blue shell barrages from the A.I.

Our 3DS friend codes can be found here: http://www.therumblepack.com/gamertag/

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