An Early Look at Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask arrives in North America in less than two weeks. The game is the second entry in the prequel trilogy that began with the incredible DS title Professor Layton and the Last Specter, and represents this delightfully puzzling franchise's 3DS debut. We just recently received our copy here at the IGN office, and over the next few days I’ll be diving head first into the mysterious town of Monte d'Or. Keep an eye out for my full review sometime next week... but you don't want to wait that long for a look at the good professor's latest, do you? Of course you don't.

Below you'll find a handful of clips from Miracle Mask. Watch them without fear of spoilers - they're all from very early on in the adventure. As a reminder, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask will be available to purchase both in stores and on the 3DS eShop on October 28. Nintendo will also be offering a new puzzle every day for an entire year as DLC for fans who purchase the game - all completely free of charge. A gentleman always appreciates a good freebie.

Now - to the clips! Let's start with a look at the game's opening...

You can't show off a Layton game without including a puzzle or two! This is the very first one in the whole game, so expect them to get a lot harder as the story progresses.

And now for one fo the game's unlockable Episodes - this one revolves around Emmy doing a bit of solo investigating.

And finally, one more puzzle for the road... and Luke's debut as a bona fide lady's man?!

That wraps up your early look at Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. Let us know what you think in the comments below, and keep an eye on IGN 3DS in the coming days for my full review.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can keep track of her wild adventures by following Aminka on IGN or @GameOnAminka on Twitter. Game on!

Source : ign[dot]com

The Death of Singular Experiences

Buying a game today no longer means buying the full experience. Whether it’s background information explained in a prequel comic, additional missions via DLC or a Facebook tie-in, what comes in the box is rarely the full and definitive package. Now more than ever, developers, publishers and their marketing teams are using supplementary material to keep players mentally, emotionally and - most importantly – financially invested and engaged with their products.

But in an effort to broaden their franchises, are they also running the risk of alienating their audience? Do these supplements add or subtract from the core experience? Let’s run through a few of the most common ways once-standalone games are being expanded upon. Have a read, and then let us know in the comments section if you think these developments are for better or worse.

Multiplayer

The addition of multiplayer to titles that once-upon-a-time would have been single player experiences only is obviously a reflection of the importance of multiplayer to gaming today. In a general sense, as long as the inclusion of multiplayer doesn’t take resources away from the single player component, then it’s a nice bonus that gamers can either take or leave. That said, it adds a whole new challenge for the completionists out there, who want to 100% their games. Getting all the achievements/trophies/what have you in single player is one thing, but adding in challenges that are contingent on other players can make truly finishing a game an incredibly long road.

Dead Space 2 introduced multiplayer. It was basically extra value for those that wanted it.

That’s a challenge for some (and a first world problem if ever there was one), but the more worrying prospect for single player puritans is cross-over between the two aspects of a game. With Mass Effect 3, for instance, BioWare tied the addition of competitive multiplayer to progress in the main campaign. Sure, success in multiplayer wasn’t necessary for success in single player, but it's quite possibly a sign of things to come. Still, at least the addition of multiplayer comes at no additional cost, unlike…

Downloadable Content

Plenty of arguments have been made for and against the rise of DLC in recent years. When implemented well, DLC can expand on the scope of a game’s world and narrative (Fallout 3, Skyrim) or use existing assets and characters to tell vastly different tales (Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, Infamous 2: Festival of Blood).

These expansions offer fresh takes on old favourites, allowing fans to play more of the games they love. Even so, it can still be confusing as to which DLC changes or adds to the core game, and which is kept separate. Saints Row: The Third we’re looking at you.

But is it canon?

On the other end of the spectrum, DLC can be used in a more cynical fashion to wring a few more dollars out of customers. In this regard, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Asura’s Wrath come to mind. Both games finish with seemingly inconclusive endings. More definitive finales for these games can be purchased through DLC. Should gamers be grateful or outraged by this practice?

Comics and books

Releasing comic book series' related to upcoming games is a growing trend within the industry. Comics can be used to introduce a new game, bridge between two existing games (Portal 2, Arkham City), or to flesh out the greater mythology of the game world (Assassin’s Creed: The Fall). Tie-in novels are also common (Dead Space).

Gaining a new perspective and greater understanding of a game world can be interesting, though there is a fine line between using a comic series to bring depth, and using it to pave over plot holes or explain ideas that should have been expanded upon within the game itself. Arkham City is a fairly straightforward game, but a number of people queried plot points that were explained in the bridging comic series. Did this lack of information ruin the game? No, but it was only through reading the comics and playing the game that the full experience was achieved.

Bridging story summary: Batman is bad-ass.

Adding further confusion is the way the tie-in comic is marketed. The importance of the comic is usually emphasised (so that people will want to buy it) while it is simultaneously insisted upon that reading it is not necessary for enjoying the game itself. Either the information is important to the understanding of the game, or it's not… right?

Facebook and smartphone tie-ins

Social media and smartphone tie-in games are now almost standard practice in the industry, and while many are forgettable, that’s not necessarily the rule. Two of the more popular examples of this type of game extension are Mass Effect Infiltrator (smartphone) and Assassin’s Creed: Project Legacy (Facebook). Each offers a very limited version of their respective titles, with completion adding and unlocking features within their console counterparts. Quality of these games aside, do you find them necessary? What - if anything - do they bring to your gaming experience? Should content (no matter how trivial) in games you have purchased be locked away, their availability contingent on you paying for or playing other content? Should games for social and mobile platforms stand alone?

Let us know your thoughts on these trends in gaming below. Which do you enjoy, which could you do without? Are there any other practices that you love or hate?

Scott Clarke is a freelance games journalist based in Australia. You can follow him on IGN or Twitter, and why not join the IGN Australia Facebook community while you're at it?

Source : ign[dot]com

Dredd Prologue Comic Cover Debut

Lionsgate has premiered the full Dredd 3D prequel comic, which tells the story of movie villain Ma-Ma. You can read the comic here! Stay tuned to watch the Dredd motion comic as well, right here on IGN.

Original story from 8/28/12:

We're drawing ever closer to the release of Dredd 3D in theaters next month (though we've already reviewed -- and loved -- the movie), but that doesn't mean Judge Dredd die-hards have to wait until release day to get their fix. Lionsgate will be debuting a brand new Dredd prologue comic next week with some top-notch 2000AD talent -- it's written by Matt Smith with art by Henry Flint, Chris Blythe, and Simon Bowland -- that will explore the background of the film's villain, Ma-Ma.

We're excited to bring you the very first look at the book's cover, drawn by frequent Judge Dredd artist Greg Staples, which features the badass likeness of Dredd star Karl Urban. Check it:

Alongside the reveal of the cover, Lionsgate has launched a brand new app for fans to create their very own covers for the Dredd comic. You can select from a bunch of pre-made images and combine them into your own justice-inducing scene. Be sure to give it a whirl at dredd3dcomiccovercreator.com!

Stay tuned for more on the official Dredd prequel comic and much more from Mega-City One right here at IGN Comics.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

See Unaired Asylum of the Daleks Prequel

Following Saturday's triumphant return of Doctor Who (read the IGN review of Asylum of the Daleks here), a mini-prequel written by Steven Moffat and previously unaired in the UK, has appeared online. According the YouTube channel, the video was "available only by subscription on iTunes in the US, or by US Amazon InstantVideo," but you can watch it in all its glory below.

The next episode of Doctor Who, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, is on BBC One and BBC America this Saturday.

Source : ign[dot]com

Horror Prequels We Hope Hollywood Never Makes

Sick of prequels to classic movies that don't need prequels? So are we! Inspired by the recent rumor of a prequel to The Shining, we present to you five horror prequels we hope Hollywood, never, ever makes.

Kid Fly

Starring: Zachary Gordon, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Robert De Niro, Selena Gomez

The Pitch: Wuh oh! Lil' Seth Brundle’s gotten into his father’s teleporter again, and this time, he’s not alone! That’s right, we’re turning the gene-splicing concept upside down with this fun 're-imagining' of 1980's The Fly! This delightful family film follows 10-year-old Seth (Gordon)  as he hilariously attempts to hide his body horror from his parents (Moranis and Plimpton) while trying to stop evil scientist Franken Snadien Lankanotvitch (De Niro) from stealing his father’s blueprints! And will he be able to impress his cute neighbor Rachel (Gomez) when bits of his face keeps falling off, or will she finally realize it’s what’s on the inside that counts?

Jaws: The Beginning

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shia LaBeouf, LL Cool J

The Pitch: This gripping historical epic centers on a young Quint (Wahlberg) as a naval officer on the U.S.S Indianapolis, famously hit by a Japanese torpedo in 1945. Director Darren Araonofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) boldly examines that chilling night, casting an unflinching eye on the crumbling humanity of Quint and his men as they try to survive against a host of great white sharks. Never one to shy away from gritty topics, Aranofsky has filmed 95% of Jaws: The Beginning in the water, where 588 officers get painstakingly picked off one by one in an array of gruesome scenarios across four hours. But what is real and what is nightmarish delusion? You’ll soon find yourself questioning your own sense of reality while watching the movie critics are already calling “Aranofsky’s most ambitious work yet” and “the bleakest film you’ll see all century.”

Damien's Big Day Out (aka The Omen: Lost in London)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone (voice), Ricky Gervais (voice), Amanda Seyfried, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet

The Pitch: From the producers of Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 comes this cheeky comedy that puts the ANTIC back in ANTIChrist! During a day trip with one of his nannies (Seyfried), poor little Damien gets ‘accidentally' left at the foot of Big Ben, and must find his way home using only his adorable baby wits and the terrifying ability to telepathically persuade everyone around him to kill themselves! Featuring the voice talent of Sylvester Stallone as little Damien and Ricky Gervais as his cockney canine companion Bobby-three-paws, you’ll split your sides laughing as the spawn of Satan tries to find his way home to begin his tyrannical reign over the human race.

Misery: The Book Club Years

Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway, Kristen Wiig, Diane Keaton, Kirsten Dunst

The Pitch 25-year-old Annie Wilkes (Wilson) is a hopeless romantic and a hopeless shut-in - in fact, her closest relationship is with her pet pig! But one day she sees a members-wanted ad in the local newspaper for a book club...that will change her life forever! Featuring an all-star cast including Anne Hathaway as the bossy leader, Kristen Wiig as the hilarious hippy, Diane Keaton as the older lady and Kirsten Dunst as the slut, Misery: The Book Club Years is a gentle chick-lit-flick that reminds us all to treasure the small things in life: a strong cup of tea, some good friends, and a great Paul Sheldon novel!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Presents: Frat Attack!

Starring: Cory Monteith, Noel Fielding, Kieran Culkin, Michael Cera, Emma Stone

The Pitch: Set during the swingin’ sixties, TTCMP: Frat Attack takes place at the fictional South Central Austin College where the Kappa Chi Delta chapter reigns supreme. But the Fraternity’s President Todd (Cory Monteith ) has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he recruits the Sawyer brothers into the fold! From playing unnerving ‘surprise cutting’ tricks on rival fraternities to straight up, unapologetic homicide, Robert ‘Chop Top’ Sawyer (Brit comedy thesp Fielding), Nubbins ‘The Hitchhiker’ Sawyer (Culkin) and ‘Leatherface’ (Cera) grow quickly out of control. How will Todd stop them from dismembering everyone at their annual kegger? And will Leatherface ever learn how to talk to smart, pretty sophomore Amy (Stone) without the uncontrollable urge to gut her from head to foot? Modeled after classic frat-house comedies like Animal House and Revenge of the Nerds, TTCMP: Frat Attack is bound to make you laugh and drop your jaw in equal measure.

Lucy O'Brien and Luke Reilly are Editors at IGN AU. They both like beer, cursing and share a crippling obsession with movies from their 80's childhoods. Talk to Lucy here and Luke here, or meet them and the rest of the Australian team at the IGN AU Facebook community.

Source : ign[dot]com

Arkham Asylum Writer Not Returning for Next Game

Paul Dini, the writer for both Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, has revealed via his Twitter that he won't be returning for the recently announced prequel. In a post on July 27th, Dini said:

Kinda hoped I'd be doing another Arkham game in London during the Olympics.Esp, as I had a good source for tx.Ah, well.

— Paul_Dini (@Paul_Dini) July 27, 2012

If the initial tweet didn't make it crystal clear, the team at ArkhamCity.co.uk went on to look through a series of Dini's tweets to absolutely confirm he won't be returning as the writer for the next Arkham game.

Dini seems a bit broken up over it as well, saying, "I wish I could, but it's not my call." Dini is responsible for not only penning the first two games, but also the beloved Batman: The Animated Series cartoon.

No word has been given about who will replace Dini on the next project.

Anthony Gallegos is a part of IGN's PC team, and loves him some Batman. You can follow him on IGN and get to know him a bit better by reading his Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Shining Prequel in the Works

It may be the stuff of nightmares for fans of a horror classic, but rumours are circulating that a prequel to The Shining is on the cards.

According to the LA Times, Warner Bros. is considering a return to the Overlook Hotel, with the prequel plot focussing on “what happened before Jack Torrance, his wife and their psychic son arrived at the haunted retreat.”

Shutter Island scribe Laeta Kalogridis has been brought on-board to produce alongside partners Bradley Fischer and James Vanderbilt.

But the Times’ source was at pains to point out that any Shining prequel “was in a very early stage and not even formally in development” and had no word on whether Stephen King - writer of the original novel - would have any involvement.

So would you like to see this particular prequel get the green-light?

Chris Tilly is the Entertainment Editor for IGN and all work and no play makes him a dull boy. His idle chat can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Comic Book Reviews for 7/25/12

Man, what a stellar (and pricey) week for comics. This week saw the return of everyone's favorite prequel-era Sith Lord, Darth Maul, in a fun "in between seasons" story that follows up on his appearance in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. DC Comics also continued its rejuvenation of Aquaman, while Marvel delivered the latest twist in its plans to redefine the Lizard's status quo.

Please note, there is a review coming soon for American Vampire #29.

DC COMICS

All-Star Western #11

Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti | Art by Moritat

"While the rest of the Bat books have wrapped up their dalliances with the Night of the Owls crossover, All-Star Western continues to explore Jonah Hex's chaotic encounter with the 19th Century incarnation of the Court.  The series is practically reveling in its ties to the Batman mythos at this point. Besides returning the setting to Gotham, writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have brought in the Religion of Crime as a rival cult. They also seem determined to ensure that as many major Gotham figures as possible have historical analogues in this series. At some point it would be nice to be reminded that this book is about Jonah Hex too." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

Aquaman #11

Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis

"Apparently it's not enough for Geoff Johns to swoop in and make writing a compelling Aquaman yarn look like child's play. He also has to prove that it's perfectly possible to toss an entire team full of essentially new characters at readers and make these readers fall in love with them after a handful of issues. This is a book that makes good on all the promise the New 52 offered." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

9.0

Batman: The Dark Knight #11

Written by Gregg Hurwitz | Art by David Finch

"Gregg Hurwitz's first issue of Batman: The Dark Knight was a mammoth leap forward in storytelling and quality. This feels like a Batman book now, instead of a turd smeared across paper and then stapled into the shape of a comic. Still, as we said in the review of issue #10, this series is not doing much to make itself a 'must buy' each month. Being an okay Batman book in a sea of good Batman books just isn't enough." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Before Watchmen: Comedian #2

Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by J.G. Jones

"Before Watchmen: Comedian deserves some credit for being the only one of the Before Watchmen books so far to not attempt a standard origin story. The series skips over Eddie Blake's formative years and instead follows his misadventures in the '60s as a government agent. Unfortunately, despite the less formulaic approach, Comedian still falters quite a bit in its execution." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

5.5

The Flash #11

Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato | Art by Marcus To

"You can always count on The Flash to have an amazing title page and a new villain, and the creators do not disappoint here. While fiery baddie Heat Wave is nothing to write home about, his debut adds yet another member to Flash’s rapidly expanding rogues. Even better, Barry Allen changes the status quo on how he fights crime by moving into the seediest part of town and getting a job at the worst bar imaginable. It’s almost like hewants to get into a fight. Good news for us, he does." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.5

Green Lantern #11

Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Doug Mahnke

"Last issue, Black Hand decided to go cliff diving rather than become an Indigo Lantern once more. It was gruesome stuff, but now he’s back at it with a Black Lantern ring and a plan to bring back his dead family and eat Chinese food with them, among other more nefarious things. It feels good to have a clearly defined villain with an evil agenda in a Green Lantern book again. I enjoyed learning the mysteries of the Indigo Tribe, but now I’m ready to see how Hal Jordan and Sinestro are possibly going to get along long enough to overcome this deadly threat." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.5

I, Vampire #11

Written by Josh Fialkov | Art by Andrea Sorrentino

"Since the start of the New 52, four books have continually impressed me issue after issue without fail: Batman, Wonder Woman, Animal Man, and I, Vampire. What they all have in common is their consistently high quality artwork, refreshing stories within their genre, and a cast full of memorable characters. With this installment, Andrea Sorrentino creates an epic battle scene between vampires and zombies while Joshua Hale Fialkov continues to develop the twisted romance between vampires Andrew and Mary. In short, it still kicks ass." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

9.0

Justice League Dark #11

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Mikel Janin

"Let’s start this off right: in my opinion, Justice League Dark is – right alongside I, Vampire – one of the most consistently beautiful books at DC. To my memory, neither series has had a lapse in artist and yet has remained pristine issue after issue. Mikel Janin delivers yet again in JLD #11, perhaps even topping himself with stunning layouts and pristine lines that formulate one of the trippiest – yet cleanest – looking issues yet. There is seriously so much detail packed into his characters that it’s astonishing to see this book arrive on time month in and month out. The editorial team at DC should take a bow for assigning Janin to this book, and issue #11 is precisely the reason." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

9.0

National Comics: Eternity #1

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Cully Hamner & Derec Donovan

"In a move that I’m still quite excited about, DC Comics has debuted its new done-and-one series called National Comics, aiming to reintroduce some of the DCU’s more obscure characters month in and month out in a series of one-shots. The debut features a revamped Kid Eternity, written by Jeff Lemire with are by Cully Hamner and Derec Donovan. As a re-introduction (or perhaps just an introduction for some) to the character, Eternity #1 suffices just fine. In fact, the only storytelling detriment I can pinpoint is the fact that the story doesn’t exactly wrap-up in a way that will leave you satisfied. Instead, it ends on a rather heart wrenching cliffhanger that will just leave you waiting for the next issue. That’s not a knock against the book itself, it’s just that, at least at this point, that next issue doesn’t exist." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

Spaceman #8

Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by Eduardo Risso

"Spaceman is finally getting around to making a point. There are moments in this issue when we finally start to see the story come through. Some of these scenes could have been pretty poignant and meaningful -- if they had happened three or four issues ago. This series has just become to long and to unwieldy. It's saying something, but does anybody even care anymore? I doubt it." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

5.5

Superman #11

Written by Dan Jurgens | Art by Dan Jurgens

"This Superman title has been less than stellar since its debut, but despite some cringe-worthy elements, this issue isn’t all that bad. The teaser text on the cover is an outright lie, the villain is a photocopy of a Predator, and Superman’s abnormally long neck is back, but a well-paced story manages to keep things interesting. It’s not a super story, but it’s getting there." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

5.5

Teen Titans #11

Written by Scott Lobdell | Art by Brett Booth

"Teen Titans seemed to be taking steps in the right direction for the past few issues. It felt more interesting, like it was finally starting to tell these kids' story. That comes to a halt in this issue. The Teen Titans just punch some random dude that they invited over their apartment and then they punch each other. Thrilling." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

4.5

Source : ign[dot]com