Bugger! And I didn't make any time for pillow talk.

Bayonetta has arrived once again on PlayStation Network, this time as a downloadable playable character for Anarchy Reigns. After enjoying months of exclusivity as a GameStop pre-order bonus, the Umbra Wi??tch is now free??ly available for the paltry sum of $0.99.

Say, while you've got Anarchy Reigns on the mind, why not join your fellow Dtoiders for a round of Deathball this Friday evening as a part of Destructoid's PS3 FNF. Platinum G?a??mes' arena brawler is a regular part of the weekly rotation and we'd love to have you join the fray.

PlayStation Store Update [PlayStation Blog]

The post Bayonetta DLC now available ?for Anarchy Reigns on PSN appeared first on Destructoid.

Learn the ropes

Action games can be a bit complicated, and by the time a lot of people pick up the game and play online, everyone else has mastered it (Metal Gear Online immediately comes to mind).

Despite the fact that Anarchy Reigns doesn't ha??ve the hardest Achievements and Trophies in the world, I figured some tips could help a few people brawl their way to the top of the leaderboards, and get further enjoyment out of the game.

General Tips:

• Complete both campaigns to unlock every character in the game -- it's a lot faster than ranking up slowly in mutliplayer. Then, try every character offline in "training" (bot) mode until you find whichever one suits your playstyle best. If you're looking for newcomer-friendly characters, Rin-Rin and Big Bull are safe bets.

• If you kill 20 enemies while you're roaming the map in the campaign, a special enemy will appear. Kill it to grab a random item.

• Pay attention to your surroundings online. This sounds obvious, but when I say that, I'm mainly referring to the fact that you need to look around at your local combatants, and assess the situation. If Big Bull is romping around and creating a bloodbath, hang back and find a good time to strike, so that you can pick off everyone else one by one. Use the lock-on system to your advantage (L1, or LB) and scout out everyone's health meters when you're figuring out who to pick off.

• Get items whenever you can -- make a point to go grab them. Whenever the game highlights that the roulette wheel is giving out items, run (hold the walk button) towards it and grab an item. It can very easily turn the tide in your favor.

Achievement Guide:

Redundant Achievements (such as "complete Black Side? stage 1") will be ignored, as they are self explanatory (you need to beat stage 1 as Jack for that, one by the way).

It's only possible to get all of the Achievements by playing through the game fully, twice at a minimum (once on Hard and once on Normal), and using the game's stage select mode afterwards to clean up everything you didn't complete. Once you beat both the Black and White sides, you will have the option to use stage select on every level for that difficulty.

Thankfully, there are no multip??layer or rank Achievements -- I'm a huge fan of this, as people who pick the game up years from now will be able to achieve the full 1000g/Platinum even if the multiplayer servers are dead.

Anarchy Training Complete

Complete all tutorials

The tutorial option can be accessed from the main menu and in the first level of the Dark Side story.

Ending Anarchy is Endless

Starting on Black Side, complete the Campaign on normal diffic??ulty.

An easy way to get this achievement/trophy is to play the game first on Hard Mode through Black Side, and aga?in on Normal Mode White Side. Then you can just use the stage select o??ption to finish the rest.

As a note, this Achievement also has a hard version. Just repeat the same process -- you can use stage select.

Dead Anarchy

Starting on White ?Side, compl??ete the Campaign on normal difficulty.

?An easy way to get this Achievement/Trophy is to play the game first on Hard Mode through Black Side, and again on Normal Mode White Side. Then you can just use the stage select option to fi??????????????????????????nish the rest.

As a note, this Achievement also has a hard version. Just repeat the same process -- you can use stage select.

The Best Defense is Anarchy

Defend agai?nst an enemy attack 10 ??times. (Campaign Mode)

Earn this right away in the first stage. Just hold R2/RT and wait -- the initial batch of enemies won't do enough damage even if they burst your guard to give you trouble.

In Anarchy, Timing is Everything

Evade 10 times. (Campaign Mode)

The easiest way to get this is to just wait for a slow-moving Mutant, and dodge their giant hammers or choreographed claws. You should earn this one naturally through the campaign mode against bosses.

Path of the Weak isn't Anarchy

Defeat 30 enemie??s with throw attacks. (Campaign Mode)

Just mash circle on easy enemies. You can earn this one in the very first campaign stage if you make a point to go for it.

Anarchy is a Killer Weapon!

Defeat 50 enemies with Killer Weapon atta?cks. (Campaign M?ode)

Killer Weapon attacks are used by holding L2/Left Trigger, and pressing Square/X or Triangle/Y. The easiest way to earn this one is to do the first mission on the first stage, and use the Square/X killer attack to face-melt three to four enemies per attack.

Rage! Rampage! Anarchy?

D?efeat 50 enemies w?hile in Rampage mode. (Campaign Mode)

This is a really easy one. Just pop Rampage Mode after earning it (click the left and right analog sticks), and go to town on enemies. The first mission of the first stage for each story is ripe for grinding this one (against regular ol' enemies), since most people will save all of their Rampage Mode bursts for hard boss fights, and thus, only kill a few people over the course of the game with it.

Duel of the Anarchies

Counter 5 enemy attacks. (Campaign Mode)

The counter mechanic comes into play when you use the same attack as an enemy. One of the best ways to earn this is to use Rampage Mode in a boss fight against another character NPC, when they use their Rampage Mode -- you'll run into each other fairly quickly and pop the Achievement/Trophy.

Massage with an Anarchy Ending

Evade 5 throws. (Campaign Mode)

I didn't understand how to get this at first, but by "evade," the game means you need to press Circle/B when an enemy grabs you.

This one may take you a while to get, but playing other boss NPCs is the easiest way to earn it -- they throw the most. Just use stage select or replay boss fights. Nikolai and Max in particular tend to throw fairly often.

Big Combo Anarchy

Defeat an enemy with a combo of 100 hits or longer. ?(Campaig??n Mode)

Combos don't necessarily have to be built into the same chain -- they can be initiated within a certain time-frame, against different enemies. The easiest way to gain a combo count is to use Rampage Mode, and press the light attack button repeatedly (Square, X).

Meet the Anarchy Butcher

Kill 20 mutants via the mutant execution technique??. (Campaign Mode)

Whenever you beat down a mutant, try and take notice of the giant "Press Circle/B" prompt on their character model as they near the end of their health. If you're vigilant about watching, you should be able to do this without grinding over the course of both campaigns.

The main problem arises when two other NPCs are fighting mutants with you (which happens on occasion), and they steal your kill.

If you're having trouble with this, try using Rampage Mode to get the Mutants down faster, and rip them apart then -- or grind the few missions that don't have NPC helpers.

The Plural of Ninja is Anarchy

Throw 10 enemi??es from? behind using stealth. (Campaign Mode)

This one took me a while to figure out. In essence, you need the stealth item. All you have to do is use the item, and grab ten people from behind (????Circle, B).

As is the case with all item based Achievements/Trophies, save the item until you face a large group of enemies. Stage 1 Free Mission 1 is a good bet on both sides.

Guy Dead Missile Anarchy

Destroy a Helic??opter Drone by throwing its missile back at it. (??Campaign Mode)

You can achieve this task in any stage with helicopters, but the easiest way to do it is Black Side Stage 1, Main Mission 2. Just press Circle/B right when a missile is about to hit you.

Throw The Anarchy Already!

Defeat 20 ene??mies with thrown objects. (Campaign Mode)

I actually didn't get this one for a long while, because I never throw anything. Just start Stage 2 and go for the forklifts to unlock this Achievement/Trophy fairly easily, as those explode. Barrels work great too -- just wait for groups of enemies to patch up and throw away (Circle/B).

Frozen in Time for Anarchy

Defeat a frozen enemy. (Campaign Mode)

I didn't unlock this for quite some time. The easiest way to get it is to grab a cryo tank (blue), throw it at an enemy, and use a Killer attack to shatter them in one hit.

Anarchy Clockwork Drone

Defeat 5 enemies by throwing a self-destructing?? Drone before? they explode. (Campaign Mode)

The easiest way to find drones is in Black Side Stage 3, Free Mission 1. Just throw them into enemies and you'll unlock this one fast.

Someone Set Up Us The Anarchy!

Defeat 10 enemies by throwing an? explosive Pyro Killseeker before they explode. (C?ampaign Mode)

Black Side Stage 1 Free Mission 1 has Pyros right off the bat. Beat on them a little bit and wait for their siren to go off -- then grab them and throw 'em at an enemy.

Baron von Anarchy

Defeat ?50 enemies whil??e riding a Helicopter Drone. (Campaign Mode)

White Side Stage 2 Free Mission 1 incorporates this into the level itself, so you can grind it there.

Backyard Barbeque (With Anarchy)

Fry 50 enemies with the Flying Platform. ??(??Campaign Mode)

Hijack a platform with Circle/B in Stage 2, while running around the stage, outside of a mission. Just use ??the Square/X button to fry enemies.

It seems as if enemies killed during the Black Side Stage 2 Free Mission 1 race level do not count.

Machine Gun Anarchy

Defeat 15 enemies with the Gatlin??g gun. (Campaign Mode)

Stage 2 Main Mission 1 is the way to go here. Just man the machine gun and shoot down the Transformers (er, Gargoyles).

Anarchist's Tomato Cookbook

Defeat 50 enemies with the Rifle. (Campaign Mode)

Black Side Stage 1 Free Mission 3 requires a rifle -- if you complete the stage twice, you should earn it very easily.

Lake of Fire? Lake of Anarchy!

Defeat 5 enemies at once with an ?incendiary grenade. (Campaign Mode)

What a blasphemous Achievement/Trophy! All you have to do here is find a grenade item, and hold onto it. When you find yourself surrounded by five or more normal enemies, just throw it at the ground. Grenades do a ton of damage, so they will make short work of normal enemies.

Repeat Stage 1 Free Mission 1 in Black or White to get this one easily, after grabbing a grenade.

Minefield of Anarchy!

Shock 3 enemies at once with a Supercharg??ed Trap.?? (Campaign Mode)\

Black Side Stage 3 Free Mission 1 has a decent amount of mines to grab. Once you have them, just throw one at the ground in a large group of enemies. Black/White Stage 1 Free Mission 1 has large groups of enemies.

Anarchy in the Calamari

De??feat the Kraken within 5 minutes. (Campaign Mode)

Co?ntinually throw the slabs laying on the ground at the Kraken at the start of the fight in rapid succession, then climb to the top of t??he stage as it crumbles.

Save your Rampage Mode for phase two of the fight, when you're on the raft, after the Kraken tries to chomp on you -- smash it to bits with your killer attack while in Rampage Mode to do quick easy damage.

If you fail, return on Easy Mode with stage select.

Ultimate Weapon of Anarchy

Defeat Cthulhu within 5 minutes. (Campaign Mode)

Save your Rampage Mode for the start of the fight and just unload. He should go down in a few minutes, tops, if you completely unleash your killer weapon attacks in front of him, and stay behind him when you run out to avoid getting killed.

If you fail, return on Easy Mode with stage select.

Anarchy's Executioner

Defeat all the bosses with your Kill?er Weapon. (Campa??ign Mode)

You need to keep track of this one with a pen and paper to be safe. If you defeat a boss with a Killer Attack, a bonus will pop up on the screen letting you know you did it (Overkill!).

Mark that boss off on your notepad, and use stage select on Main Missions if you need to go back and finish the job. You can do this in tandem with Burnt Out Anarchy.

Burnt Out Anarchy

Defeat all the bosses ?while i??n a Rampage. (Campaign Mode)

You need to keep track of this one with a pen and paper to be safe. If you defeat a boss with Rampage Mode, a bonus will pop up on the screen letting you know you did it (Rampage!).

Mark that boss off on your notepad, and use stage select on Main Missions if you need to go back and finish the job. You can do this in tandem with Anarchy's Executioner.

Anarchy Recognizes Anarchy

Unlock all player characters in the game.

This is a weird Achievement/Trophy because there is technically a "secret" character, named Gargoyle. You need to get multiplayer rank 22, or complete the Extra Missions in single-player, after you've beaten the Black and White Sides to unlock Gargoyle.

Everyone else can be earned through ranking up in multiplayer as normal, or beating the game as normal.

Max Anarchy

Complet?e the? game without using retries on any difficulty.

You can't die even a single time, which is hard for sure, but you can also do an easy run to get this Achievement/Trophy.

Save your Rampage Mode, as it makes you invincible, for pinch situations. If you're about to die, you can quickly press start and select "retire from mission" to try it again.

The post Anarchy Reigns Achievement and Trophy Guide appeared first on Destructoid.

"Want your rib cage meat stuck between my teeth"

Even if you're not a fan of hip hop, the silly and over-the-top Anarchy Reigns soundtrack has a lot to offer. There are some great melodies courtesy of Platinum Games composer Naoto Tanaka along with the vocal talents of a slew of rappers and artists. As much as I loved the soundtrack for MadWorld, Anarchy Reigns surpasses it in every way possible.

We ran a review of the soundtrack back in July 2012 to correspond with the Japanese release, but wanted to present it once more now that the game is out in North America. Check it out below along with samples of five tracks from the game, and if you're interested, it can still be imported from CD Japan for?? about $33 USD, and Sega?? has even uploaded it to iTunes for $9.99.

MAX ANARCHY ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Released: July 4, 2012
Price: 3,000 Yen ($33) (physical) / $9.99 (digital)
Availability: CD Japan / iTunes
Artists: Naoto Tanaka, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Akira Takizawa

I already noted that the Anarchy Reigns soundtrack far exceeds what was accomplished with MadWorld. There’s more violent hip hop and rap spanning two discs with a?? wider variety of rappers and composers involved. There’s a larger emphasis on electronic music as well, which pro?vides a nice mix across the album’s 32 tracks. I think the key is the great musical backings, as even the tracks with weak vocals are sometimes saved by a great melody.

It’s hard to call out individual tracks because I like all of them. I often found myself skipping tracks in MadWorld, but nearly everything here is great. I love the heavy rough-‘n’-tumble stylings of newcomer Tre-Dot (his opening “Ruthless” is fantastic) and the more upbeat and silly tracks by Skitz the Samurida. Vstylez offers the cool electronic track, “MDK’s” and the funky brass-accented track, “Days of Old” while MuzeONE gives us “Jaw,” combining orchestral hits and funky bassline in what’s probably my favorite track on the album. Another star is “Demise” by Wonder Brown, a bumpin’ electronic track with fun lyrics. And how can you not like th??e lyric, “I want your rib cage meat stuck between my teeth?”

Some returning rappers also make their mark once again. My personal favorite, Sick YG, is featured several times, with “Over in a Flash” being my favorite here. Ox, the lead rapper of MadWorld, puts in a solid effort with “Lights Out,” and Doujah Raze offers his dark and violent lyrics that are a perfect fit. His “Testin’ Me” in particular stands out, describing a character who isn’t fighting for money or fame, but rather to protect his loved ones, adding a more meaningful sense of purpose to the violent world of Anarchy Reigns.

Great stuff. The booklet contains all the lyrics and information on all the rappers as well, all in English, so it’s quite nice. I recommend it highly, and can’t wait to play this game! Read our official review to see what we thought of Anarchy Reigns.

The post The Anarchy Rei??gns OST is awesome, check out some samples appeared first on Destructoid.

Dragon Ball Power Stone

The time has finally come. After numerous delays, and nearly a year of waiting after the Japanese release, Max Anarchy, known internationally as Anarchy Reigns, is finally here.

Conceptually, the game is basically a "Greatest Hits" of Platinum's offerings so far, incorporating elements of Bayonetta, MadWorld, Vanquish, and more, all set ?over the backdrop of fiendishly large a??renas.

While it doesn't surpass any of Platinum's releases so far outside of MadWorld, it comes very close to all of them, and I'm very confident in saying "Platinum's stil?l got it, baby."

Anarchy Reigns (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Sega
Released: January 8, 2013
MSRP: $29.99

Fundamentally, Anarchy Reigns feels a lot like Power Stone. Namedropping Power Stone alone is usually going to get people excited, but Anarchy Reigns has enough of its own charm to of??fer up something unique, while building on the formula of 3D arena brawlers.

For starters, combat is nuanced, and a bit complicated -- at least at first glance. There are unblockable killer attacks, weak and heavy attacks, grabs, ascending and descending strikes, something called "rampage mode" (think God of War's Rage of the Gods),?? evading and blocking, 360 degree attacks, and items. All of these abilities will have to be used in tandem for success, and it'll take a lot of getting used to.

All of these abilities have their own tactical tweaks to them, like the fact that killer attacks have both a weak and strong version, and us??e their own power meter.

You can recharge this meter through regular attacks, and this entire time, you're charging up your rampage mode, which nets you infinite killer attacks for a limited time and more strength in general. If you hit another player with the same attack simultaneously, you'll either cancel each other out, or enter in a button mashing Dragon Ball Z style punch-fest to determine the victor.

Finally, 360 attacks clear out everyone around you, but they take a bit of health to use, adding a risk/reward element to them. Normally I wouldn't take the time to explain how everything works so explicitly, but clearly you can see how deep fights can get as you're balancing all of these moves in the heat of the battle.

I'll get to the meat of the game's competitive modes later, but for now, I'll tackle the game's double-edged story mode. Things are fairly clea??r-cut here: there's a Black Side (Jack), and a White Side (Leo) -- both are around five hours each.

Campaigns are broken up into small open world maps, where you spend your time free-roaming around, g??aining points, discovering hidden ??artwork, and taking on missions through giant beacons.

As you gain points (on the world map or otherwise), you'll unlock new missions, and eventually fight bosses and progress the story. You repeat this formula until you're done, and move onto the other side of the campaign -- that's about it. Since p??oints deter??????????????????????????mine when other free missions and story missions unlock, the better you do, the faster you progress.

The story is nonsensical and absurd, but it's about as fun as your average batshit insane anime. For instance, one of the first missions has you beating the ever-living crap out of a gang leader named Big Bu?ll, only to have him induct?? you unwittingly as an "honorary member" into his clan.

From time to time Big Bull may pop up and help you out in a pinch, sometimes leaving the battle in a comical fashion. ??For anime and Platinum Game fans, this is an average Tuesday afternoon of gaming -- but for everyone else out there, I hope you're not expecting the most philosophically stimulating story ever, because you're not going to get it.

This isn't something I always make a point to highlight, but the musical score for this game is incredible. It's an eclectic mix of jaz?z and hip-hop that actually fits the mood of the game, and gets you sufficiently pumped up. It has a very large track list, so songs don't tend to repeat unless you're playing the same missions over and over.

But after that's all said and done, odds are you'll never go back to the story in favor of playing multiplayer over and over. The good news is, it works. Anarchy Reigns contains a decent netcode t??hat handles lobbies well, and some modes can handle up to sixteen players for an all out brawl-fe??st.

I wouldn't worry about a lack of a cast, either. Character design wise, there's something for everyone. Truth be told I was never a big fan of MadWorld's Jack Cayman, but a newly playable Leo appeals to me personally, and the sixteen character roster allows for pretty much every playstyle possible -- from stealth, to speed, to grappling, to kicks, to transforming into giant robot jets?? -- you name the style, odds are you'll find someone you enjoy (including Bayonetta if you pre-ordered the game).

Matches themselves flow very nicely, and I've had way too many amazing picture-perfect moments to possibly recollect them all. Some of my highlights include split-second dodging and punishing players with my killer attacks, getting chased by a giant truck with blades on the front and surviving while four other players were ripped apart, and fighting a boss charac?ter in the middle of an eight player brawl.

Fights can get insanely hectic as you judge whether or not to get into a giant brawl-fest? or head in the opposite direction and grab some items. The crazy arenas don't help, as random events will happen, like giant sawblade attacks, black hole appearances, or an aforementioned crazy boss fight.

As I type this I'm recalling yet another awesome moment that involved an epic one on one fight with another player, that ended with me getting sucked into black hole. I couldn't be mad at the game -- I had a giant g?rin on my fac??e and kept going.

There are 13 modes so far with the two pre-order DLC modes included. Some are standard fare (Death Match), some mix it up a bit (3-Team Capture The Flag), and? a few are off th??e wall (Dogfight). Odds are there's something for everyone here, even if I tend to settle with the sixteen player brawl mode on a constant basis.

For the completionists out there, in addition to the campaign and multiplayer elements, there are a decent? amount of unlocks that can be earned either through campaign play or ranking up in multiplayer. Specifically, content like extra characters and powers (perks) can be earned as well as aesthetic rewards like emblems and art.

As for the mechanics of offline play, there's some good news, and some bad news. The good news is there are bots (yes!) included, that let you play every single mode in the game to your heart's content, without the need ??to connect to servers that will be dead in half a decade. It all works very well, and the bots themselves are challenging enough to the point where playing years down the line from time to time wouldn't be out of the question.

The bad news? There's no split-screen capabilities -- at all. No split-screen support is a severe detriment to what otherwise would be an amazing couch party game. Although bots are suppor??t?ed offline, it would have been nice to know that years from now when the servers are dead, I could sit down with friends and we could enjoy the game together. With couch play, this would be a no-brainer purchase for nearly every action fan ever -- sadly, it's something to think about.

Despite some issues, brawler fans should find everything they're looking for with Anarchy Reigns. It's ridiculous, it's fun, and it's packed with enough content to last you a long? while, so long as you don't get tired of beating dudes up over and over. The budget pricing of $29.99 makes this decision even easier.

The post Review: Anarchy Reigns appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh, and some new modes and stuff

I'm pretty sure I was here exactly a year ago, telling you about just how excited I was that Anarchy Reigns was coming in January. Well, it didn't exactly turn out that way, and for a majority of this year the release of the game was hanging in limbo. Guys, it's finally happening. Like, for real this time, I promise. Anarchy Reigns is coming in January.

A sure sign of this is that Sega has announced the exclusive pre-order bonuses that GameStop will be offering. The first of them is two multiplayer modes called Mad Survival and Dogfight. The former has you and two other friends in a horde mode-e?sque battle against waves of enemies, and the latter is a mode where you and your enemies are hanging from helicopters and you shoot each other down. Yup, that sounds amazing. Hit the jump to check out the ridiculous??ness in the trailer below.

Now, the best bonus adds Bayonetta as a playable character to the game. It seems like a natural fit for her character given the insane brawling gameplay (as you can see in the above video), so I probably shouldn't be as surprised as I am. If you weren't down to pre-order Anarchy Reigns before, I'm sure this news has you on board. No? What if I said it was only $30?

The post Pre-order Anarchy Reigns, re??ceive in-game Bayonetta appeared first on Destructoid.

Bayonetta included

After over a year of mindgames, it appears as if the dawn of Anarchy Reigns is finally upon us. In addit?ion to launching at a respectable $30, it'll also have a few pre-order content exclusives.

For pre-ordering the game, you get two extra modes: Dog Fight (an aerial battle mode) and Mad Survival (Horde mode), as well as one other huge bonus -- Bayonetta as a playable character. Dog Fight sounds like a minor di?straction involving helicopters and guns, but Mad Survival sounds like a required experience -- I can't get enough of coop gametypes.

It kind of sucks that a marquee character like Bayonetta isn't included on every disc, but that's probably why they did it, right? Right now the only confirmatio?n for this bonus is in the UK, but I can't imagine the US wouldn't follow suit.

The post Anarchy Reigns ‘Day One Edition’ revealed appeared first on Destructoid.

It's finally leaving Japan early next year

Would-be fans of Anarchy Reigns have had to put up with their fair share of ups and downs as the specifics regarding the game's release outside of Japan have been fuzzy. There's bee?n the option to import, sure, but the cost of doing so largely hasn't seemed worth it.

Finally, we have the real release dates from Sega. (Hopefully!) The ridiculous-looking brawler from Platinum Games will first be out in North America on January 8, followed by Europe on Ja??nuary 11. The price points are smartly set at $29.99 and £19.99/€29.99, respectively.

"Very few games fall under its genre of a melee-based online multiplayer brawler, so I think we've been able to supply a new kind of excitement that you can't find anywhere else," says Platinum executive director/producer Atsushi Inaba. We'll see how many people are buying the kind of insanity that Anarchy Reigns is selling.

The post Sega dates Anarchy Reigns for North America and Euro?pe appeared first on Destructoid.

I loved the MadWorld soundtrack. It offered a perfect blend of angry, descriptively-violent hip hop and rap lyrics with the melodic sensibilities of PlatinumGames composer Naoto Tanka. I know there are those who didn't appreciate MadWorld's approach, so when I played the Anarchy Reigns build at E3 two years ago, I noticed the follow-up's shift towards a more electronic sound, which was complet??ely f??ine by me.

Now with the Max Anarchy soundtrack in hand (it's called Max Anarchy in Japan), I can confirm that it's a better soundtrack. It's actually a lot more of the same, but with a more diverse cast of both composers and rappers, some of the aforementioned electronic backings to mix things up a bit, and two discs of music compared to MadWorld's one. Personal favor?ites i??ncluding Ox, Sick YG, and Doujah Raze return along with new favorites including Vstylez, MuzeONE, and Skitz the Samurida.

Watch for our full review in Note Worthy in a couple of weeks, but if you want to get your hands on the album in the meantime, it's available for pre-order from CD Japan for $3,000 Yen ($37) and ships July 4, 2012.

Were you a fan of MadWorld's soundtr??ack, or was ??it too over the top for your tastes? Does rap music belong in videogames?

The post Anarchy Reigns tops MadWorld in battle of beats appeared first on Destructoid.

Once again, we have a vague idea of when Platinum Games' brawling action title Anarchy Reigns will be arriving in North America and Europe. It's going to be another lengthy wait. Originally planned for release in Fall of 2011, the game was delayed to January 2012, then further pushed back for ??a worldwide release in July. By the end of this past May, the situation had changed again, with the Japan??ese release the only one confirmed for the July date whi?le the North American and European releases returned to a state of limbo.

Today, SEGA offered up at least some information on when players outside of Japan would finally be able to play, stating on Twitter that the title is now expected launch in the US and EU in the first quarter of 2013. This mean?s we could be looking at a wait of between 9 and 12 more months. Ugh.

Fans of Platinum Games who can't wait that long will be excited to learn that the Japanese release, Max Anarchy, should be region-free on Xbox 360 and available for easy import. This information comes to us by way of Platinum writer and translator JP Kellams, who stated on Twitter the developer has been told that this is th??e case, along with a healthy bit of distance by pointing out that Platinum could not encourage the practice. At roughly $100 to do this and Platinum's spotty (though always interesting) history, I wouldn't necessarily encourage it either, but it's nice to know that the option is there.

Anarchy Reigns Delayed To 2013 [Joystiq]

The post Anarchy Reigns release expected in 2013 now appeared first on Destructoid.

Remember Anarchy Reigns? That action brawler that myself, and a ton of other Platinum Games fans are really excited for? Even though it has already been delayed, Platinum Games' video show "PG Break" just announced today that there is now no set release date for the game worldwide other than Japan, where it w??ill still launch as planned on July 5th, 2012.

The episode also announces the remaining two characters in the game (which are viewable below in the gallery), as well as a few extra tidbits on other Platinum Games happenings, such as their involvement in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

PG Break notes that SEGA is responsible for changing the date to "TBC" (to be confirmed). Whether or not this is a business decision in order to avoid potential competition in July, or if this is an issue with the localization itself is unknown. Either way, it looks like big butt fans will have to wait a little while longer. 

PG Break Episode 8 [Platinum Games]

The post Anarchy Reigns now has no release date in the U??S/EU appeared first on Destructoid.

It turns out that some of us may not have to wait another month to get our hands on Platinum's latest: Famitsu is reporting that a demo will be released to the general Japanese public on May 31st. The demo will not only include some story mode action, but a few multiplayer modes as well.

If you don't live in Japan, you can might still be able to access the PSN version with a Japanese account -- but right now there's no confirmation on whether this is a 360 exclusive or not. Either way, despite your geographic location expect some impressions from around the web (mostly about big butts, probably).

The full game will drop on July 3rd for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. If the demo ends up going stateside, we'll let you?? know right away.

Anarchy Reigns Demo May 31 [Andriasang] [Thanks Kevin!]

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Nothing ??hurts more than popping in a niche game a mere few months after release, and finding ??absolutely no one online. Because of the "quick matchmaking" nature of current consoles, gamers are quick to give up searching, compared to the golden days of "the light is always on" dedicated servers. Even worse, you have the added problem of said servers being outright non-existent years down the line, eliminating even private play between friends.

Thankfully, according to a Platinum Games writer via their community forums, players will be able to test their multiplayer meddle offline with AI. I wish more games did this more often, as there are a large number of people who care about this feature. Years down the line, if someone hears about Anarchy Reigns by word of mouth, that's a potential DLC customer, and potential future Platinum Games ??customer.

Some Destructoid readers know that I'm a big fan of The Bouncer, which also featured AI bot multiplayer over a decade ago -- hopefully more?? developers follow suit, and hopefully we'll get more solid confirmation soon regarding this feature from Platinum Games.

Bot Match Thread [Platinum Games Community Forums]

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One shall stand -- one shall fall. Or at least, that seems to be the case in Anarchy Reigns, as there are two different perspectives available during the course of the ??story.

Black Side will feature Jack Cayman of MadWorld fame, and White Side will feature Raiden's favorite fan Leo. Depending on your color choice, things ??will play out differently, both from a cinematic and mechanical standpoint. Two videos have surfaced that show both perspectives, and consequently there's a ton of actual solid gameplay ??to gander at.

I'm getting a serious Bouncer vibe from these trailers. Don't judge me -- I loved The Bouncer.

There’s Two Si?de??s To Every Chapter In Anarchy Reigns [Siliconera]



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Sega sends word that Platinum Games' Anarchy Reigns has been pushed back a bit. The new date for this PS3 and Xbox 360 title is July 3, 2012. It sounds?? like they ne??ed a bit more time to get things going.

"ANARCHY REIGNS brings a new take to the brawler genre and we have decided to take a little more time to deliver the full knockout ??punch. I can’t reveal much now, but it has something to do with scale. Let’s just say traditional one-on-one or two versus two fighters will be a thing of the past," said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA West.

These gu?ys have a lot going o??n lately. No one is going to fault them for taking their time to make this good.

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Anarchy Reigns is an over-the-top, fast paced brawler set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world. Although the game stars many characters from MadWorld, it is? not a direct seq??uel and the storyline is completely separate.

We were invited to sit down in Sega’s booth at gamescom where we got the chance to get some hands-on time with one of Anarchy Reigns’ multiplayer modes.

Anarchy Reigns (PlayStation 3 [Previewed], Xbox 360)
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Sega
Release date: January 2012

Anarchy Reigns’ single-player consists of two campaigns, with one starring Jack, the bounty hunter from MadWorld and t??he other starring a new character Leo, a government agent. These two campaigns are designed to give both the dark and light sides of the story.

The multiplayer mode we got to play was your basic deathmatch, but there are other modes such as capture ??the flag and cage fights. There is even a co-op horde mode where players can team up to defeat waves of enemies.

We played on a small map set in on a helipad located on top of a tall building. While we only played with four players, the game will support up to eight players.&n?bsp;

Jack and Leo are both selectable in multiplayer, as well as a bunch of other characters you will unlock from playing the single player campaign. Each character should control and feel different, and we were promised that no one character will be more powerful than anothe?r. Winning should come down to player skill and experience.

The controls are fairly simple. Tapping L1 locks the camera on to an opponent, and you can flick between targets with the right stick. Square and triangle perform normal and heavy attacks, respectively. Grabs and throws are accomplished by getting close and pressing the circle button. The player can perform killer moves by holding L2 to equip their weapon, and then use square or triangle to attack. Killer moves are mo?re powerful than regular attacks, but can be more difficult to hit with.

I had a lot of fun in the three matches that I got to play. It’s easy to get into, and the combat is over-the-top and satisfying. My only concern is that, while fun, the combat isn’t very deep and won’t hold players attention for long. Hopefully the varied cast of characters and the different game types should be enough to keep players interested when Anarchy Reigns hits the shelves in January.

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The stream of characters being announced for Sega's upcoming Anarchy Reigns has been fairly heavy of late, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down. This next entrant, Oinkie, seems to be Sega's take on DC's Bane; a humorous, over-the-top take. Oinkie relies on his weapon, The Juice, to give him the edge in his more beastly form, but he also appears to have learned Rollout at some point.

Once again, they've managed to make this game more bat-shit? crazy. In case you didn't know, that happens to be Platinum Games' forté.

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Today Sega has revealed Garuda, a 2,668 pound android who has a pair of ginormous drills as weapons. He can also transform into a jet fighter. See for yourself in the insane reveal trailer, which, by the way, quotes the Bed Intruder song.

Anarchy Reigns has officially become one of my most anticipated titles of 2012. The game looks absolutely craz??y and I can't wait to beat the crap out of people with TWO GIANT DRILLS.

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Sega has released a trailer for Platinum Games' upcoming online beat 'em up, Anarchy Reigns, and no, it's not another character reveal. Anarchy Reigns takes characters from MadWorld and ditches the silly, over the top violence and Sin City-esque art? style for a truer beat 'em up experience and an ambitious story.

It seems weird to have a compelling narrative in a beat 'em up, but as Platinum Games is no stranger to innovation and things out of the ordinary, it'll be interesting to see what they bring to the table.

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