Nowadays, first-person shooters feature plots that are very serious and almost depressing in a way. It’s usually an against all odds kind of story, where the weight of the world rests solely on your shoulders.Bulletstormhas a similar premise, but it’s presented in a lighthearted, over-the-top kind of way as developer People Can Fly just wants gamers to have fun. Tanya Jessen, producer onBulletstorm,likes to call the game “a blood symphony, where you’re the conductor and your enemies and the environment are your instruments....

Sony’s one saving grace with the PlayStation 3 — if it ever had one — was the fact that it not only offered a high-powered gaming system, but also the cheapest Blu-ray player you could find. Well, that’s all about to change as standalone Blu-ray players are about to see a drastic price drop that will bring them eye-level with the top-tier PS3 console. FromNext-Gen: Sony has confirmed that in early summer it will be releasing a standalone Blu-ray player for $599 …...

In itsrecent report to investors, Capcom has revealed that it’s working withNeowiz Games Corporationto develop a title calledMega Man Online. The South Korea-based Neowiz corporation is best known for its work on “casual” online titles focused on Asian territories. Considering the popularity of MMOs in the region, speculation has led many to believe that there may be aMega ManMMO on the horizon. Capcom’s Seth Killianrecently told Bit.Transmissionthat the company had Mega Man surprises up its sleeve....

Remember whenGrasshopper Manufacture started its own podcast? Well, it’s more or less evolved into this; a little weekly audio show entitled Call of Podcast. I was welcomed as a guest on the show this week, and I had an amazing time. Estaban Salazar (seen above interviewing adorable Team Rocket) and John Davis ofGrasshopper Manufactureand myself discussed all manner of topic, including fighting game legend Scott Popular and the meaning of his catch phrase “Negro Install”, why downloadable games just don’t sell in Japan, fighting game balance, why people insist that Japanese game development is dying despite Nintendo’s continued presence as a global leader in the industry,the newMonster Hunterand 3DS nub cradle(before they were even announced!...

Now that we’re roughly a month from the Atlus’ sexy puzzle/homewrecker gameCatherine‘s store date and with a playable demo coming in a matter of days, this is probably the last time I’ll be able to gush like a hype-addled fan, ignorant of whether the game can live up to its naughty promises. So I will. The game’s coming with some awesome-looking retailer-specific collectibles showing off art that’s actually pretty classy, unlike the, uh,cheesierpieces of early teasers and promo spreads....

Nyko had several new controller and accessory options to show us here at CES. Most were upgrades or refinements to existing products, but we also saw a few new things that may interest you. Remember the Perfect Shot gun controller? They upgraded that with vibration feedback that triggers when you pull the…trigger. They call it the Perfect Shot Pro. We tried it out: It gives a nice little kickback effect when you fire....

Publisher Ubisoft recently trademarkedShadowbanefor “non-MMO gaming purposes,” as discovered bysuperannuation. A free-to-play (and then partially ad-supported) role-playing title,Shadowbanewas originally launched back in 2003 for PC and Mac. Servers for the title were eventually shut down this past July, despite pleas from players (via the ever-popular Internet petition) to keep it alive. At its peak,Shadowbanemade its way to the top of PC charts, and suffered from over-crowded servers due to its popularity....

As promised, THQ has delivered a patch forWWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009that directly impacts the Create-a-Superstar. The patch, which is now available on the PlayStation Network, will allow players to give their created superstars increased attributes after the completing the game’s Career Mode once. Previously, you’d have to play through career mode to increase a superstar’s abilities and attributes which was, quite simply, pretty silly. Additionally, entering the code “MAXCAS” will let players max out their characters, instead of going through the Career Mode....

Visceral Games is doing all it can to squeeze as much sacrilege as it can from the holiday season. Hot off the heels of its special Christmas present, the studio behindDante’s Infernohas released a festive trailer that has to be seen to be believed. I don’t care what anybody else says — the marketing forDante’s Infernohas been brilliant. You might disagree with some of the outrageous things the studio has done to promote this game, but it’s certainly worked....

Dead Space iOShas been out for months, but it quietly received an update this week for those who have done all there is to do. Necromorph lovers can pound some dead meat in a new Survival Mode, where you see how long you’re able to last against waves of monstrous corpse-things. You can also get your hands on the Heavy Pulse Rifle, which is like an ordinary Pulse Rifle, but better....

Trying something new with Destructoid’s top stories of the week. I’m going to start to include reviews and contests for the recap. Obviously this isn’t a Top 5 anymore but it will still be the same concept more or less. Reverend Anthony wrote another masterpiece, puppies have cute names in Japan, Riser Glen should be a game designer, and we share our Zombie survival plans in the Forums. What were your highlights for the week?...

On paper,Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squadis the perfect videogame. It has zombies, blood and boobs, a veritable Holy Trinity of things that get gamers hot. Of course, what works on paper does not neccessarily work in practice, and with this budget game from D3 has an incredible amount working against it.So the question is this: Do zombies, blood and tits make up for sickening graphics, confusing gameplay and badly designed environments? Can a game so cheaply made that they didn’t even translate the voiceovers justify its existence with little more than B-movie salation?...

Today marks what Microsoft is calling the most significant event in entertainment since the birth of color television. Most of us just call it “that thing MS is doing so it can be like Nintendo.” Yes, it’s the launch of the New Xbox Experience, the Xbox 360’s dashboard update with a brand new look, functionality and avatars. Naturally, we have all downloaded it and are working our way around, getting ourselves a sweet taste of THE FUTURE....