Welcome to the Loadout. Our philosophy is that the working week is a recurring boss battle that you’ll need the proper weapons to take down. The supplies at hand won’t always be pretty but you might just be able to hold out until the weekend. Green means add it to your arsenal, yellow leaves it up to your discretion and red means back away slowly. With that, let’s see what we’ve got this week:
The Game: Fable III
Specifications: The latest in Peter Molyneux’s psychologically-structured action RPG series makes players overthrow an evil monarch by allying with disgruntled citizens. But, when the big bad’s all gone, you take the reins of power and decide what kind of ruler to become.
Ideal Usage Scenario: If you love bossing people around or just want sink your teeth into some ambitious game design, you’d do well to join Fable III‘s revolution. Whether you just want to brawl your way through the game’s main quest or micro-manage every aspect of the realm of Albion, the newest game from Molyneux’s Lionhead Game Studios will offer tons of depth.
(More on Techland: The Techland Interview: Peter Molyneux on Obama, Superhero Fights and Fable III)
The Game: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Specifications: After seeming dying at the hands of his Sith mentor, Darth Vader’s former secret apprentice returns, angrier and more confused than ever. After being told that he’s a malfunctioning clone, Starkiller scours the galaxy for the truth of his origins.
Ideal Usage Scenario: A few weeks ago, the demo gave everyone a taste of how much better looking and feeling TFUII was going to be. And, as the series’ former creative lead told us, the full game promises an epic story full of new and re-invented Force powers, romance, balls-out action against Lord Vader himself. The midichlorians are off the charts in this one.
(More on Techland: Blackman Unleashed: Talking with The Force Unleashed 2’s Executive Producer)
The Game: Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare DLC
Specifications: Red Dead Redemption finally gets its first single-player DLC when hordes of undead begin marauding over the landscape of Rockstar’s hit Western. Former outlaw John Marston, the game’s reluctant hero, must fight off human and zombie animals alike to figure out how to stop the unnatural plague.
Ideal Usage Scenario: Aside from fresh plot-driven campaign chapters, Undead Nightmare will also pony up new weapons, achievements and in-game challenges for you hardcore RDR players. And, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to ride a zombie horse or take out a rotting, once-dead grizzly bear?
(More on Techland: “Husbands Eatin’ Wives”: New Trailer for Red Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare)
The Game: Rock Band 3
Specifications: This time out, the cream of the plastic-guitar crop wants to teach you how to jam for real. RB3‘s all Pro modes will instruct aspirational gamers how to create chords and rhythms on its multiple instruments through the same top-shelf music library you’ve come to expect from Harmonix.
Ideal Usage Scenario: You may not have with access to a world-class piano teacher but, with RB3‘s new keyboard controller, you can make music like the Piano Man can. Of course, the game’s got more than just Billy Joel tunes, too. Whether you want to do casual performance karaoke or dig into the tunes you’ve always loved, Rock Band 3 delivers a great evolutionary step for the series.
(More on Techland: The Entire Rock Band 3 Tracklist Has Been Leaked, Maybe)