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Lucidity update adds checkpoints to address difficulty concerns

by Justin McElroy { Nov 27th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Writing in a recent Workshop blog post, LucasArts responded to complaints that its XBLA and PC puzzle-platformer, Lucidity, can be "particularly punishing." A new update, which adds checkpoints in an effort , has been launched on PC and is set to via an update set to arrive on Xbox Live within the coming weeks. "We feel that there is so much great content in Lucidity that we want to open it up and make it more accessible for people to experience."

Listen, LucasArts, we respect what you're doing here, we do. But please, for all our sakes, be careful. Listening to the internet is a slippery slope, one that ends in everyone hurling dung and racial epithets at each other. And if you don't agree with that, you're a Nazi.

Steam's Black Friday deals will probably put it out of business

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 26th 2009 at 9:05AM }

After reviewing Steam's Black Friday offerings, we can't help but find the post-Thanksgiving sales offered by other retailers kind of adorable. Aww, you're knocking $10 off the price of Red Faction: Guerrilla? That's cute. Steam is selling that game, and almost every other game by THQ in an enormous, $49.99 bundle. You've got a buy-one-get-one-free deal on LucasArts adventure games? How quaint. Steam is selling like, every LucasArts PC game ever in yet another $49.99 bundle.

On top of those two preposterous offers, Steam will be slashing prices on a handful of games every day for the next five days. Today's sales include Batman: Arkham Asylum for $24.99, Far Cry 2 Fortune's Edition for $9.99 and Dragon Age: Origins for $37.49. In short, you should spend as much time downloading things from Steam as you possibly can this weekend -- with prices like these, we're guessing they'll be filing for bankruptcy some time before Christmas.

New Star Wars game debuting during Spike Video Game Awards

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 25th 2009 at 2:20PM }

Well, crap. Now we have a reason to watch the Spike Video Game Awards. See, while we can live without the WORLD EXCLUSIVE trailers for next year's big releases, we don't think we can skip out on the unveiling of a new Star Wars game in good conscience.

According to the latest teaser, viewers of the 2009 Spike VGAs will be able to find out "what's next" for the Star Wars gaming franchise. We've got our fingers triple-crossed for a new Jedi Outcast entry, but have also prepared our hearts for the icy embrace of Super Bombad Racing 2.

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LucasArts whipping up online co-op patch for Lego Indy 2

by Randy Nelson { Nov 24th 2009 at 6:21PM }

Soon, friends who see that you're playing Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues on Xbox Live or PlayStation Network won't need to sit idol-y by -- they'll be able to join in. LucasArts has tweeted that it's working on a patch that will bring online co-op play to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the latest Lego game on the block.

What's more, the publisher has also confirmed that the patch will let players collaborate in the game's level editor, tweeting, "In LIJ2's new co-op, you'll be able to join others as they build and play their levels." As for timing, LucasArts says to "give it a few weeks" before the update is transported by submarine from Cairo to ~~a secret island base~~ Microsoft and Sony's servers.

Saints Row 2, LEGO Indy hit Games on Demand

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 24th 2009 at 1:30PM }

As promised, both Saints Row 2 and LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures are now available on Xbox Live Games on Demand. The games are available in almost all regions, though Saints Row 2 is not available in Japan, while LEGO Indy skips both Japan and Mexico. Saints Row 2 is $29.99 in the US and Lego Indy is $19.99. Prices vary by region though, so check before you plunk down those MS Points.

Add Saints Row 2 to your 360 download queue
Add LEGO Indiana Jones to your 360 download queue

Final two Star Wars: The Old Republic classes revealed

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 24th 2009 at 9:45AM }

Though BioWare has tried to keep the flow information relating to its upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic to a slow trickle, the latest issue of PC Games Germany recently beat the studio to a pretty big punch, revealing the game's final two character classes. The classes are the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor -- two more Force-wielding classes which focus less on lightsaber combat and more on long-range attacks and support abilities.

These two join the six other previously announced classes for the game: Trooper, Imperial Agent, Bounty Hunter, Smuggler, Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior. Tragically, it seems the Fashion Designer class from Star Wars Galaxies won't make a reappearance in Old Republic. As a result, we expect everyone's characters to be dressed in the drabbest of duds.

[Via Shacknews]

Gallery: Star Wars: The Old Republic

Tales of Monkey Island's Pirate God ascends December 8

by JC Fletcher { Nov 18th 2009 at 6:30PM }

Tales of Monkey Island wraps up on December 8 with the PC release of its fifth episode, Rise of the Pirate God. Well, this season wraps up then, anyway. Something tells us that there might be more Monkey Island on the way.

If you purchased the full season of Tales, then you will, of course, already be getting this. But for those of you not interested in buying the whole season at once, Telltale is now selling individual episodes on its website -- a service previously limited to Amazon. This "just buy each game" content delivery system is really taking off!

Gallery: Tales of Monkey Island

Direct2Drive slashes prices on LucasArts games

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 18th 2009 at 5:15AM }

Direct2Drive is offering some pretty good deals on LucasArts games this week. Three bundles are on offer, one catering to the adventure gamers out there, another for Star Wars afficionados, and a third that combines the first two into a massive LucasArts love fest. The bundles include the likes of Dark Forces, Indiana Jones, KOTOR, Jedi Knight, Monkey Island, Armed and Dangerous, and plenty more. The smaller bundles have been discounted from $49.99 to $24.49, while the massive bundle has been reduced from $99.87 to $39.95. Not bad for LucasArts fans. The sale ends November 23 at 10:00am PT.

See details of each bundle after the break.

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Monkey Island: Special Edition team unearths lost dialogue

by Justin McElroy { Nov 10th 2009 at 1:00PM }

As designer Adam Bormann dug through old code and notes while making Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, he made a curious discovery. Along with notes from Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and crew, he also unearthed dialogue that didn't appear in the original game. Though the lines didn't make it into the special edition, Bormann, like a comedy archeologist, dusted off some of the best bits and collected them on the LucasArts Workshop blog.

Though we can see why some of it was left out, we can't help but feel a little wistful about how close we came to being able to ask Meathook for a sample of stump balm. And yes, now that you mention it, Meathook's Stump Balm would make a very good name for a band.

Whipping out a new Lego Indiana Jones 2 trailer

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 30th 2009 at 5:30PM }

LucasArts has released a new trailer for LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. Fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark -- everyone, basically -- are in for a treat, as the trailer reenacts the film's bar fight in Nepal, including some hot Nazi hand-burning action. Of course, as we've come to expect from the LEGO series, the action doesn't unfold quite like it does in the movie, opting instead for charming shtick.

Let's just hope the game doesn't nuke the fridge.

Attend Tales of Monkey Island's Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood on Oct. 30

by JC Fletcher { Oct 28th 2009 at 12:40PM }

Tales of Monkey Island's fourth chapter will be available for download on this Friday, October 30. The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood features Guybrush stuck on Flotsam Island with a bunch of poxed pirates (including a greenish, poxed Elaine). Will he be tried and executed? Our guess is yes. The middle of this episodic game series seems like the right time to kill off the beloved protagonist of a long-running franchise. Why not?

In addition to a probably-dead Guybrush, Trial marks the return of Stan, the fast-talking salesman from the original games! Ever the classy businessman, Stan appears to be selling souvenirs at Guybrush's trial.

Gallery: Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4

Oh, the huge manatee! Monkey Island Episode 3 on WiiWare this Monday

by JC Fletcher { Oct 23rd 2009 at 5:15PM }

Telltale just announced that the third chapter of Tales of Monkey Island, called Lair of the Leviathan, will arrive on WiiWare this Monday, October 26. Given the success that the series has seen so far, it's sure to attract interest despite taking place in "the guts of a giant sea manatee". And not, we suppose, inside the rare land manatee.

Leviathan's PC version was released on September 29, giving it roughly a month of lead time over the WiiWare release. That means if you know any avid PC adventure gamers, you should stay away from them or risk being totally spoiled. They'll understand.

The Force Unleashed PC requirements prompt trip to Tosche station

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 23rd 2009 at 1:30PM }

Remember when Star Wars: The Force Unleashed failed to make an appearance on the PC platform last year, and LucasArts claimed it would only be able to run on gaming rigs equipped with futuristic cybertechnology mankind had yet to invent? Somehow, Aspyr Media has found a way to bring the Sith Edition of the game to your personal computer without requiring you to install tachyon holophase relays or warpsteel heat dissipators.

However, the game's minimum requirements, which are posted after the jump, do suggest you need something called a "3D Hardware Accelerator Card." Yeah, sure. Let us just hop in our time machine and we'll pick one up at the Future Best Buy.

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LEGO Indiana Jones 2 trailer is intentionally blocky

by Randy Nelson { Oct 1st 2009 at 11:00PM }

Even though many of your trusted Joystiq editors are a little old to be playing with toys (there's an age limit?), we can't deny having a huge soft spot for the LEGO franchise tribute games. So, of course we're excited that the Indiana Jones films are being remastered block-mastered again, since we heart them too. (Actually, don't get us started on the last one -- sheesh!)

As this newly released trailer shows, the tongue-in-cheek humor, charm and co-op play that's made the previous LEGO offerings so appealing doesn't seem to have been turned town in the tiniest for LEGO Indiana Jones 2 -- and we can't wait to create some truly weird stuff with the new level editor. We're thinking of awarding a prize to the editor who devises the most ingenious and playfully painful way to get rid of "Mutt" -- preferably as fast as possible -- since all of our pleas to Lucas to write him out of canon have thus far gone ignored.

LucasArts seeking testers for Star Wars: The Old Republic

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 29th 2009 at 3:31PM }

Be still, beating, midichlorian-infused heart -- LucasArts is looking for players to test its story-driven MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. The official call to action deftly avoids the use of the B-word and stipulates that the testing will be executed on an extremely limited scale. If you're hoping to get in on the massively-multiplayer lightsaber action, you can sign up on the Account page of the game site.

Actually, we really want to get into this test, so ... how about you sit this one out? C'mon, wouldn't you rather watch some YouTube videos of adorable puppies instead? Look at them! With their little waggly tails.