Borderlands 2: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage DLC Hands-On Preview

Gearbox has thus far done a great job of supplying Borderlands 2 fans with DLC that's actually worth the price (Sharkey's a big fan of the last chunk, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty). From what I played of the next chunk, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, it looks like the developers are determined to keep that up.
This time the excuse for general mayhem is that everyone's fighting to earn the privilege of opening a new vault, in an area affectionately dubbed as the Badass Crater of Badassitude. That's determined by the winner of a series of arena challenges, and the ones I was thrown into featured groups of enemies who wanted to kill each other just as much as they wanted to kill me.

Welcome to the Terror Dome

It sounds a bit like Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, the least well-received piece of original Borderlands DLC, but Gearbox says it's learned from that, and MTCoC isn't all arena combat.

Can we drive the Badassaurus Rex? Pleeease!

The enemies there didn't strike me as new or innovative, but they did strike me pretty hard.

Notably, in one in-between section my sponsor double-crossed me and forced me to fight my way out of a prison, then find a new sponsor. That search took me through a new dilapidated urban street area, which definitely didn't look like the other areas of Pandora I've seen thus far. The enemies there didn't strike me as new or innovative -- mostly the typical grunts, brutes, midgets, and occasional motorcycles -- but they did strike me pretty hard. It's hard to gauge the difficulty of the section I played, since it was as a pre-made character with pre-set weapons (and to be honest, most of BL2 is on my to-play list due to XCOM consuming my life, so I'm kinda a noob at this), but it definitely killed me a bunch.

Set course for the Badass Crater of Badassitude!

Gearbox says we will see some new enemies and boss fights, including a monster truck rally-inspired fire-breathing robot, and there'll be some new heads available for character customization. There are also new Torgue vending machines that only sell Torgue weapons and only take Torgue tokens earned in the arena fights, but will always offer a powerful legendary item as the deal of the day. And of course, there will be some new legendaries added to the mix.

Can I Quote You On That?

But the potential break-out star of this DLC is Mr. Torgue himself -- basically an insane parody of a pro wrestler who owns his own sci-fi weapons factory who's constantly shouting at you over the radio. He's hardly the only foul mouth in Borderlands 2, but he's the only one who's bleeped -- a random touch for comedic effect.

Are you ready to rock with Mr. Torgue?

The section I played, which is about a sixth to an eighth of the approximately six to eight hours Gearbox expects this DLC to last the average player, is packed with some great Torgue lines (perhaps the funniest I've heard in a game this year), and what better way to end this preview than to quote some? Of course, I'm going to label as SPOILERS for those who want to experience them in their intended shouted form.

"I'm here to ask you one question and one question only: EXPLOSIONS!"

"That sentence had too many syllables. Apologize!"

"You should go kill him and meet him, but not in that order!"

"Badass Crater of Badassitude!"

"I didn't want you to get bored, so I was like, BLEEP it, give everybody guns! We lost half of our workforce in three days, but who gives a BLEEP!"

"Is it just me, or does it seem like he's gonna betray the BLEEP outta you?"

Bonus spoiler: Gearbox says we can expect to see the return of Moxxi and Tiny Tina. You'll be able to see them again when Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage DLC arrives on November 20 for $10. more.

Seven Big Takeaways From the Assassin's Creed 3 Campaign

Bloody affair, that Boston Tea Party. I murdered 15 Redcoats just to get to the two merchant ships carrying crates of villainously taxed tea, and hacked dozens more with my tomahawk as wave after wave of Lobsterbacks attempted to prevent me from flavoring Boston Harbor with the precious leaves. When all of the cargo was finally dumped overboard, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and I celebrated our victory. Colonials 1, Kingdom of Great Britain 0! This is the 'Merican Revolution, Assassin's Creed 3 style. F' yeah! Ubisoft's action-movie spin on the Boston Tea Party was just one my big takeaways from my hands-on with the campaign. Keep on reading and I'll give you six more.

At Home in the Forest

I look forward to going Bear Grylls in the forest -- minus the urine drinking. (Well, maybe a little urine drinking.)

I began my three-hour tour of Assassin's Creed 3 in the year 1773 in the homestead of Davenport, on the coast of present-day Maine. The village acts as Connor's home base, and with a harbor and clipper ship on hand, it was quick and easy to jump on board and sail down (aka teleport) to Boston or New York. Before I checked out the Colonial-era cities, I jaunted through one of the much talked-about forest areas. All around Davenport, I scampered up trees, swung on branches, pulled a few poachers to their hanging death with my handy new rope spear, and just missed taking down a 12-point buck with my bow and arrow. The forest felt alive and ripe for adventure. In past Assassin's Creed games, the areas between cities and towns always felt vacant to me -- those slightly annoying open expanses I had to pass through to get to the good stuff. In AC3, I look forward to going Bear Grylls in the forest -- minus the urine drinking. (Well, maybe a little urine drinking.)

Ubisoft promised it would deliver a fun new Assassin's Creed experience with its sea missions, and if this one is any indication, I have to say it's delivered.

While docked ships can serve as instant-teleport taxis, they're also jumping off points for AC3's new seaborne missions. After the debacle that was the promising but ultimately tacked-on tower defense missions in Revelations, I took the helm with cynicism. Moments later, I was escorting a merchant ship through pirate-infested waters, simultaneously navigating the sizable vessel through rock-filled coastal waters and targeting and firing on the enemy as the seas surged. Ubisoft Montreal promised it would deliver a fun new Assassin's Creed experience with its sea missions, and if this one is any indication, I have to say it's delivered.

Once I got the hang of the tank-like steering with one analog stick, aiming cannons with the other controls (only console versions were available for my preview), I not only felt confident as captain, I actually felt a bit too powerful. I was able to obliterate pirate ships with ease and guide the merchant ship to safety while taking minimal damage. Then I was tasked with taking out a coastal fortress packed with defensive cannons as enemy ships swarmed. Let's just say I look forward to trying that particular naval warfare mission again.



Boston, You're My Home

Ubisoft says it's a one-third-scale version of Boston based on historical documents, and it's an impressive recreation.

First thing I did when I arrived in Colonial Boston was run to the digital version of the North End and scamper to the top of Christ Church (aka the Old North Church of "one if by land" legend). It was right where it should be. I've lived in New England my whole life, including a couple years in an apartment right around the corner from the landmark church, and I marveled at the time-machine-like experience Ubisoft managed to create, transforming the neighborhood I knew so well in such an authentic way. Ubi says it's a one-third-scale version of Boston based on historical documents, and it's an impressive recreation.

Assassin's Creed 3 also does a terrific job capturing the tone of Boston in 1773. Put it in historical context, this is after the Stamp Act of 1765 that forced the colonists to pay a hefty tax on printed materials despite the fact they were not granted any representatives in the British House of Commons. (Hence "No taxation without representation!") It's also not long after Crispus Attucks became the first person killed by British soldiers in the Boston Massacre in 1770. There was a huge British military presence in Boston, colonists were seriously pissed off, and tensions were high. Walking the narrow cobblestone streets as Connor, I felt that tension in overheard heated conversations and whispers of fighting back.



Fingers Crossed for a Real PC Version

Here's to hoping AC3 on PC gets the high-res textures, and enhanced lighting, shadows, and draw distances it deserves.

While I marveled at being able to walk from Faneuil Hall to The Green Dragon Tavern and to the North End based on my own real-life knowledge of Boston, I didn't marvel at the visuals themselves. Playing the Xbox 360 version, I was instantly aware of what a step down console visuals are compared to PC. I was disappointed when I climbed to the North Church's steeple and performed the classic Assassin's Creed sync and discovered short draw distances covered up with the oldest trick in the book: mist and fog. With its lush forests, explosive naval battles, and densely populated cities, the PC version of Assassin's Creed 3 could be a stunning visual experience. Here's to hoping it gets the high-resolution textures, and enhanced lighting, shadows, and draw distances it deserves. (Note: those pretty trailers you've seen up to this point are from the PC version of AC3. Seems Ubisoft is well aware which is best looking version, as well.)

The fog comes rolling in before you can see too far in the console version.

Connor is a Ninja Tank

It's a big improvement on combat, but I noted there's still too much of the "I'll wait until you're done killing my friends" behavior from enemies.

While the intuitive core attack and counter controls remain, Ubisoft has layered on a dual-wielding weapon system and a host of new animations to make combat in AC3 more brutal than ever. The developers recently described Connor as a "ninja-tank with a wolverine inside," and when I took on my first Redcoat patrol, I learned why. Outnumbered five to one, I planned on making a quick kill with my Assassin's blade before making my parkour escape. But the first kill was quickly chained into a second kill, and before I knew it, I was tomahawk-chopping my fifth enemy (that tomahawk is one mean weapon, btw). More patrols came scurrying in on all sides, including one that lined up for a musket volley. No problem -- that's what the new bullet-shield move is for. I grabbed the nearest Redcoat, held him in front of me, and watched a flurry of musket balls explode into his chest. Ouch. Casting the meat shield aside, I pounced on the soldiers who were scrambling to reload. Ring up three more Redcoats.

It's a big improvement on combat, but I noted there's still too much of the "I'll wait until you're done killing my friends" behavior from enemies, and if you're the type who enjoys sneaking, surveying, planning, and executing attacks Batman-style, combat in the cities -- and there is a ton of it -- might not be for you. Thankfully, there's plenty of the sneaky stuff to do in the forests.



Cold Blooded Missions

I was surprised and disappointed by the tasks I was assigned: kill tax collectors, kill tea smugglers, destroy all tea!

After wiping the gore from my tomahawk, I got back on the main questline trail by meeting up with Samuel Adams in the Green Dragon for my first Boston-based missions. Excited by the prospect of taking part in the revolution I've learned so much about and battling for freeee-dom, I was surprised and disappointed by the tasks I was assigned: kill tax collectors, kill East India Trading Company smugglers, destroy all tea! I was hoping to infiltrate British strongholds for info or to take out a target. Sigh. Alrighty then, let's do this.

It turns out Boston is downright infested with Templars, who are working with the Brits to collect taxes for the King. It was my job to, well, kill 'em all. Might seem odd to say about a game where you play as a killer, but it felt slightly sociopathic. Whether the many tax collectors and tea smugglers throughout Boston are supposed to be working for the Templars or not, they come out in the bad guy wash as thieves. Was murdering them (I killed more than 20 during my short time in Boston) really the appropriate response? Maybe it's my personal ties to the area, the more recent-history timeline, or Ubisoft's stellar recreation of the city I know so well, but as remorselessly as I've killed countless aliens, monsters, Nazis, and more in my lengthy gaming history, I felt downright cold-blooded chopping tax collectors like cord wood in the streets of Boston. Here's to hoping the overall storyline sets them up as enemies worthy of my blade instead of IRS agents on the wrong side of a looming war.


I obviously didn't feel too bad about it, though, because after my three hours of play time I walked away impressed by Assassin's Creed 3. Ubisoft is definitely playing fast and loose with history here -- more so, it feels, than it has in the previous Assassin's Creed games. Connor is no mere historical participant like Altair and Ezio, he is the spearhead of liberty whose actions directly shape major historical events. I suspect that will rub some players the wrong way. In the end though it's a minor criticism -- hey, it's an action game. Assassin's Creed 3 is huge, with a ton of stuff to do, and it appears Ubisoft is adding a healthy coating of polish to it all. We'll find out when AC3 hits PC on November 23. Got any questions? I'll do my best to answer them in the comments section below. more.

Hitman: Absolution Hands-On Preview

Different doesn't automatically mean worse. It also doesn't necessarily mean better. With that understood, I can tell you that Hitman: Absolution is unquestionably different to its predecessors. Whether that's an improvement, though, mostly comes down to whether you enjoyed the prior games for what they actually are, or the ideas behind their glitchy executions. Either way, this is certainly the easiest of the Hitman series to dive into. The question remains, though, whether IO Interactive has sacrificed too much to give Agent 47 a triumphant return.

Just once, Agent 47 wanted someone to laugh. Just once. It wasn't much to ask.

Hitman isn't so much a series about murdering for money, as it is about the joy of professionalism. As Agent 47 -- a bald, bar-coded clone -- it's possible to walk into many situations with guns blazing and escape by the skin of your teeth. That's amateur hour. The satisfaction I take from it is in stepping into a living world and figuring out how to use it to your advantage. A little rat poison in a cup of coffee. A loud, gunshot obscuring firework. A quick tap on a car to sound the alarm that draws nearby police to investigate, and enabling my quiet getaway. With disguises, stealth and ingenuity, I do my job and nobody even knows I was there.

Hitman and Hmmm...

The preview version of Absolution I'm playing still offers this, but its approach to it is very different. The scale, for instance, is much smaller. Previously, you were simply dropped into a world that could be anything from Mardi Gras to a wedding and simply left to get on with business. By Blood Money, levels were effectively designed as one-act plays with as much adventure game in their DNA as third-person shooter. Now, that's gone. Levels are carved into discrete chunks -- the ground floor of a building for instance, and the office above it, treated as two micro-stages. You do one. If nobody's chasing you, you move on, with no backtracking afterwards.

I sure hope that cougar is a fake.

This has definite advantages. It's easier to focus on specific objectives and find alternate solutions, allows for natural checkpoints (though there are extra in-game ones too on most difficulty settings) and stops an AI frenzy screwing up the whole level. The more restricted environments also mean much more glitz and environmental detail, though almost all of it purely there to walk past rather than use. This is a very pretty game indeed, even if the levels I'm able to play in this version are mostly set in places like grimy street markets and strip clubs. Crowd scenes especially are excellent, with Absolution wheeling out armies of NPC extras to fill space. A scene set on Chinese New Year is especially impressive.

A Shot in the Dark

The catch though is that while anyone coming to these stages from something like Max Payne 3 or Kane and Lynch will find Absolution's freedom a breath of fresh air, it's a big step back from Blood Money. It's tough to go from whole worlds to isolated areas, even if they do still play in the same freeform style and offer enough rooms, characters, and ways to go about murder to make exploration and experimentation worth doing.

Bad guys sure like leaving their weapons lying around.

At least, most do. Unfortunately, some levels just skip that completely, swapping the freedom for a pure stealth bit or chase. They seem pointless -- there's no shortage of games that let you flee a burning building, but essentially nothing else has ever tried to beat Hitman at its own game. Adding more of a plot is fine, even more cinematic missions, but so far I can't say it's a good trade-off. When it kicks in, too much control is lost.

47 does at least one spectacularly stupid thing during the first act that no Hitman player would even dream of.

Worse, it's lost in the name of a story that, so far, feels like it was written by a 14-year-old whose mommy will be very disappointed by all the naughty words. 47 does at least one spectacularly stupid thing during the first act that no Hitman player would even dream of, and the big set pieces in the preview code are often seriously dumb. The first mission is especially awkward, with 47 hunting his former handler Diana and opting to shoot her in the shower for maximum fan-service points. Much naked exposition follows, somehow avoiding her last words being "Thanks. I'd really hate to have died with dignity."

A Knife to the Back

If it's not obvious, I'm a bit down on Absolution. I didn't want to be. I really wanted it to be the instant, natural successor to Blood Money, and so far I don't see that happening. It is, however, still definitely a Hitman game rather than some pretender wearing the name, even if it makes a number of changes that are more simplification than refinement.

"Didn't the janitor have hair a minute ago?"

That's not necessarily a big deal though, or even a bad thing given how glitchy and unforgiving the original games can be. It's now much easier to read the environment for instance, and know at once when a disguise will fail. The new system is that like knows like -- if you're dressed as a guard, other guards will make you if you get close, while chefs will be oblivious. A chef with a gun, however, will draw everyone's attention. It's an easy system to track, with far fewer grey areas to trip up on.

Being told you can use poison detracts from the entertainment of finding out, and I'd rather it was just a blank box until you found it out for yourself.

Absolution also offers a wide range of five difficulty levels that affect more than just how tough the enemies are. Those five levels can be broken down into two categories of game: one for newer players who want assistance, and one for older ones who want to play a bit more realistically. Both give Agent 47 psychic senses, which is a little silly, but you can only really abuse them on the easier modes where everything is switched on and your Instinct bar regenerates.

Other changes, like the Notebook offering specific suggestions of how to kill targets, also have ups and downs. Being told you can use poison detracts from the entertainment of finding out, and I'd rather it was just a blank box until you found it out for yourself. The descriptions are pointers rather than instructions though, and it's up to you to figure out how to turn a general hint like "Private Dance -- it's how he would have wanted to go" into a battle plan. Or, you can ignore them and just do your own thing. So far at least, Absolution only cares that you complete your missions, not how.

Contract Killers

One new feature I'm very much looking forward to though, with no real reservation, is the new Contracts mode. Using the basic levels, any player can build custom assignments (unlocking game elements with in-game credits) and challenge the world to complete them. 47 can start with any disguise and weapon, with his trusty suit and Silver Baller as the default loadout. Successfully completing one to spec earns in-game cash.

"Someone stole a cushon from this couch. Find them!"

To begin, you go into an unlocked map like normal, and mark up to three targets for assassination -- the ones whose kills Absolution will remember. Instead of then saying "kill that guy with a knife," though, you play it out yourself and your method becomes the requirement. If you use a disguise, disguises are allowed. If you hide the body after the hit, anyone who plays the contracts will need to as well, at least for full completion points. Most importantly though, you need to get to an exit. Contracts are only valid if you complete them yourself. It's an interesting system for player-generated content, even if it would be nice to be able to quickly change a few minor details afterwards.

Before the Saints Go Marching In

So, back to that original question: different better, or different worse? First, it's worth noting the levels in this preview are from the start of the campaign, so there's plenty of potential for later levels to get bigger and more ambitious. Overall though, it feels that what Absolution is shooting for and what I as a Hitman fan want are very different, and that straight comparisons to the last game won't ultimately end up in its favor.

Not the best hiding place in the world, but it'll do.

Taken on its own terms though, there is a fair amount to be optimistic about. Absolution's straight stealth and chase bits seem a waste of everyone's time, but the core assassinations and settings have promise. Against the odds, I am actually looking forward to playing more at release on November 20th... even if I can't promise it won't be through slightly gritted teeth, wishing it was the sequel I was hoping to see after the Blood Money's credits finally rolled. more.