I've been following Crayon Physics Deluxe since I first laid eyes and hands on it at GDC. The concept of a physics-based puzzle game where the player can actually draw things into existence that move and fall and react the way they would in real life amazed the hell out of me, as it did many gamers.

Now, almost a year later, Crayon Physics Deluxe is finally complete. Does it live up to the potential awesomeness of its mechanic? Is it as wonderfully clever and breathtaking as this video would have you believe? Ashley Davis and I played through the game to find out.

Hit the jump for our review.

It seems as though Epic was kidding when they said the Flashback multiplayer map pack would only be available for those who bought Gears of War 2 new. The set has just become available on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points. That’s 80 points a map.

It’s a low price for five maps. It is especially a good deal for those who may have bought the title used from a place like GameStop. Not only did they get the game on the cheap, they also get access to cheap DLC. Our unscientific figures indicate that buying a used copy and this map pack saves a person a total of five dollars

The description on the download makes it plain that future owners of new copies will still get the content for free. We haven’t received word if the golden Hammerburst or Lancer are to follow this as paid content, but chances are Epic isn’t going to run away from cash getting thrown at them. Even if they did kind of promise this stuff was exclusive.

[via X3F]

Turbine is developing a microtransaction-based game. The information, in part, swings our way thanks to a job listing for a microtransaction manager on the studio's Web site. A company representative's statement on the Lord of the Rings Online message board confirmed that the listing was for an unannounced title. 

According to the GI report on this matter, the rep revealed Turbine's plans because of rampant community speculation. Fans on the LOTRO board believed that the microtransaction model would be applied to LOTRO, not to a new a game. Instead of advising fans to go outside or take a bath the rep wrote, “We know the recent job listing has caused a bit of a stir, but please be aware that this posting is for an unannounced future project.”

Consider us aware, sir.

(BTW, did you guys know that Turbine is making Lord of the Rings Online microtransaction-based? OMG! I was super stoked when I saw this job listing. Sounds great, I was looking for something better than Silkroad Online.)

In a recent Famitsu interview, Square-Enix president Yoichi Wada announced that Square had struck up a deal with Ubisoft to handle distribution of their games in Japan. Wada also mentioned that Square would not only be working with Ubi to distribute games, but in "various other undisclosed ways", which is about as vague as a football field of fog.

Wada also commented that one of Square's hopes is to introduce more Japanese gamers to American titles in the future. This is interesting, as games such as Grand Theft Auto IV were considered a success in Japan, but sold roughly a tenth of US sales there.

The first Ubi titles to fall under this deal will be shipped in April. Sure seems like Square-Enix have their fingers in a lot of pies lately...

[Via IGN]

Creat Studios’ 3D puzzler Cuboid is coming exclusively to the PlayStation Store “soon” according to a posting on the PlayStation blog by the games’ producer Olga Sokolova. The title will debut at $9.99 and be followed by DLC that will incorporate new levels and a level creator.

Cuboid conjures up slippery memories of Marble Madness. Instead of featuring a sphere guided by physics, Cuboid has a rectangle that can flop on top of switches and teleporters. Each device triggers a change on the plane's grid, forcing the player to plot out routes or get angry and throw the controller.

My brain melted when I saw in the trailer that the rectangle could split in half. I only ask puzzle games to do one simple thing: Don’t make me angry with overly complicated design. The calming atmosphere of Cuboid appears as if it could keep me from turning green, though. Who could get mad at a church?

I know, you reread my post title a few times, didn't you? That's some seriously unsure terminology if I've ever heard it. It came straight from the mouth of Hajime Tabata, the game's director (he is also working on the PSP title Final Fantasy Agito XIII). In a recent interview with Famitsu, he states that The 3rd Birthday "isn’t exactly a “true” third-person shooter". But it's being called a third person shooter? What?

If you're a Square fan like me, you're probably already having frightening flashbacks of Dirge of Cerebus, but I am hoping for better. We now also know that the game begins in Manhattan, where you fight creatures called the Twisted, who have arrived in New York through some sort of crazy time schism.

Most interesting of all to me is a comment about Aya's age from Scenario director Motomu Toriyama. As you may have noticed, she is looking rather young for her stated age (she is 35 in The 3rd Birthday). Toriyama commented that it was "difficult to make a woman in her mid-thirties the main attraction for any video game". Wow. Hey ladies, you know after thirty, you become utterly devoid of worth, right?

The 3rd Birthday will be released later this year (the date is currently TBA).

[Via PSX Extreme]

"For me, true episodic gaming needs to be more than just selling a traditional game split into chunks," states Denny. "It needs to be games that are specifically designed from the outset to be very story driven, to be very cliffhanger-orientated. Almost to follow some of the ideas based on some of the best TV series' like Lost or Heroes."

It's not often I say this about a platform holder executive, but I totally agree with this guy. Episodic gaming is a raw mass of potential and something that Sony should definitely take seriously.

The PSN is a great service, but it lacks a real definining quality, I feel. If it could take what it started with Siren: Blood Curse and produce more fully-fledged episodic content, I think Sony could be onto a winner.

[Editor's note: archimedes17 talks about the time he betrayed his brother in Streets of Rage for his Monthly Musing piece. -- CTZ]

We had done it. My brother and I had worked our way through the ranks, up from the streets, taking down the sprawling criminal syndicate that threatened to snuff out the last shred of decency the town had left. The road had been long and hard, and we had lost countless lives, but thankfully they were all ours, and we had plenty to spare. A carnival of bizarre, deformed goons assaulted us; their twisted visages and cheap throw moves demonstrated the extent of the evil we had to overcome. And overcome them we did, flying kick after flying kick. We kept our heads the entire way: we split the loot evenly, shared the weapons, and used the special moves to our advantage.

Our teamwork and dedication led us to the top of the tower, the penthouse suite where the big boss, Mr. X, held court. Together, we broke down the door and charged in, ready to fight our final foe. We were not prepared for what Mr. X had in store for us.

I had really high hopes for Siren: Blood Curse before its release, but the odd feeling of playing episodes of a television show turned me off in the end and I did not finish it. However, that issue clearly did not bug everyone, as it was given quite a few favorable ratings, but I'm sure some horror fans are unsure whether or not to pick this one up.

Thanks to a tip over at Siliconera, we discovered that you can nab a hard copy of the Asian version of the game, Siren: New Translation, from Play-Asia for $24.99. It is not region-protected and has an English voiceover, and even with shipping added in it is cheaper than the $40 you would spend to download it from the PSN store.

The offer is only good for the next 5 days, so if you want it, I'd suggest you don't wait. There's shibito waiting to be killed, you know.