GTA: Episodes From Liberty City hitting PS3 and PC on March 30

Good news for PS3 and PC Grand Theft Auto fans today – the Xbox 360’s reign of exclusivity over the expansion episodes The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony is over.

The episodes will be available together at retail as Episodes From Liberty City, and separately on the PlayStation Network and via Games for Windows LIVE. The retail package is expected to be $40, with the episodes likely to be priced at $20 each.

[via Rockstar Games]

Borderlands DLC 3 named: ‘The Secret Armory of General Knoxx’, more details

Gearbox’s Borderlands was one of the successes of 2009. With the current release rate of their downloadable content packs – a new chunk of DLC every month or two – it seems like its success could continue well into the year, or possibly even beyond.

There still isn’t as much information about The Secret Armory of General Knoxx as some would like. Obviously, the title is now no longer a mystery, but the new level cap remains one. The pack will reportedly offer “new challenges and opportunities for growth for characters from around level 34 to level 50” as they battle “”never-before-seen enemies in a huge new environment complete with tons of brand new missions” – including this giant Half-Life 2′s Strider-looking thing up above in what seems to be a new vehicle. Plus, there are new weapons and items!

The release date, too, is still unknown, but my guess is that the General will probably arrive within the next couple of months.

[via Joystiq]

Zombie Driver gets free Survival mode soon

Survival modes and zombies go together so well. Indeed, they are a natural fit, given the relentless nature of the undead horde.

That’s why Exor Studios have decided to add a Survival mode to their driving/action title, Zombie Driver, which previously only had a level-based campaign mode. There is no news of a release date at this point, but work has started. The DLC will include new Steam achievements and online leaderboards.

The developer has, in the meantime, released a demo of the game for those interested.

[Zombie Driver via Big Download Blog]

Third Borderlands DLC revealed, raises level cap

Excellent news for fans of Gearbox’s Borderlands, with an announcement on the studio’s forum confirming a third piece of DLC for the game.

Details are scarce, with a “full announcement” coming soon, but what is known is that the current level cap of 50 will be raised as part of the content, which the poster promises is “the biggest DLC we have made”. Gearbox’s Mikey Neumann has responded to the leak with a further leak on his Twitter page – “More Scooter!”

Development of the DLC began after The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned was finalized, and includes responses to community feedback.

[Gearbox Software Community via Kotaku]

Heavy Rain Chronicles include a darker perspective

Heavy Rain is finally just around the corner, after four years of development. Quantic Dream’s David Cage has told Gameblog.fr that an episode of the Heavy Rain Chronicles downloadable content will be played from the perspective of the Origami Killer, somewhat flipping the script.

The other two episodes discussed in the interview are from the perspectives of Norman Jayden and Madison Paige, two playable characters from the main storyline. The Chronicles act as prequels which explain the back-stories of each major character in the game.

The first of two Chronicles packs is free to those who purchase the Collector’s Edition.

[gameblog.fr via Eurogamer]

More Uncharted 2 co-op a possibility

One aspect of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which adds to its overall brilliance is the online co-operative modes, both arena-based and objective-based with narrative.

Naturally, the developers have considered releasing further co-operative content as DLC. Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells, in an extremely comprehensive interview with G4, has said that they could probably add more arena-based content, like Survival and Gold Rush, but that the objective-based co-op is a much larger investment due to necessary motion- and voice-capture. Apparently, given “the proper demand” in the community, they may put in the work necessary. No-one likes to lose money, after all.

[G4 via Kotaku]

More Brutal Legend DLC incoming

Brutal Legend has a second piece of downloadable content inbound, named Hammer of Infinite Fate. Due for release on December 17, the content will be priced at 480 MSP / $4.99. (Sadly for PS3 owners, this pack won’t be free for the first fortnight, unlike the first.)

The Hammer of Infinite Fate content includes 3 new skins for Eddie (Mountain Man, Black Metal, and Zaulia Threads), 6 new heads for Mount Rockmore, 9 new achievements/trophies, 4 new multiplayer maps, and a heap of content for the Deuce; not only 4 paint-jobs, but also 4 upgrades, including the Oculus of the Lost, an “all-seeing GPS for the world”.

[via Evil Avatar]

Borderlands to get paid DLC, zombies

While it was already apparent to subscribers of 2K Games’ mailing list (who received an email offering the chance to win “The Gearbox Mercenary Weapon Pack DLC”) that Borderlands would have DLC, whether or not paid story DLC would be included was another question.

However, now it’s official: Borderlands‘ first downloadable content is called “The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned”, and will be available later this year for $9.99 or 800 MSP. The press release claims that it is a “full-fledged expansion filled with new enemies, new quests and rare loot drops.”

It seems likely that this is the first of a number of extra DLC chapters, possibly to be released in a similar manner to Fallout 3‘s. This raises the questions of how many expansions are to be released, and whether or not a Game of the Year / collection package will be released.

While the console DLC situation seems simple enough, my question is how it will be delivered to PC gamers of both the retail and digital download variety, given that the game doesn’t use Games for Windows Live.

The news comes while 2K are still advertising Borderlands’ impending release with this great TV spot.

[via Destructoid]

Uncharted 2 DLC already planned

The impending release of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2 sees the game’s hype rising and rising, partially due to the early reviews (spoilers: apparently it’s good). Naughty Dog’s multiplayer designer, Justin Richmond, has confirmed to Eurogamer that they will be working on downloadable content “of the competitive type: more maps, more modes, stuff like that.” Given the quality of the multiplayer, it is certain that gamers will be hungry for more than the 7 maps the game will ship with next week.

He has also, like other Naughty Dogs before him, hinted at a third entry in the Uncharted series, which is clearly an exciting prospect for PS3 owners. If Naughty Dog continue with the 2-year development cycle both games have seen, Uncharted 3 could potentially drop in late 2011.

[via Eurogamer]

Empire: Total War Warpath Campaign released, game 50% off

The Warpath Campaign is an expansion for Empire: Total War focused on the American Indians. The $9.99 expansion includes 5 new American Indian factions (Cherokee, Iroquois, Huron, Plains, and Pueblo), each with elite units, as well as an expanded North American campaign map with new objectives and technologies.

For those looking to jump in to Empire, the game is available at Steam for $24.99 ($29.99 in AU store) until October 12th. Two other pieces of DLC are available:

• The Special Forces Units DLC, a $2.49 purchase which includes the 6 units that came with the Special Forces edition, and 3 previously retailer-specific units.
• The Elite Units of the West DLC costs $3.49, and includes 14 more unique units.

For those looking to get into Total War in a big way, the Mega Pack is also available. At $89.99 (or $69.99 in the AU store), the package includes Empire, Rome + Alexander, and Medieval II + Kingdoms.

Empire: Total War at Steam