First Portal 2 DLC supposedly arrives on October 4th

We'll be seeing more of these two here soon.
And more of GLaDOS!

After missing their Summer release window, the first piece of (free!) Portal 2 downloadable content finally has a firm release date. This coming Wednesday Tuesday, October 4th, is when the "Peer Review" add-on will be landing. (Assuming they delay it again.)

This first pack will deliver a new test track for the co-op campaign, challenge modes for both single-player and co-op, as well as leaderboards for which to compare scores from the challenge modes in. Joystiq's got the press release posted in full if you're interested.

But the (second) best news out of this? The third part of the Portal 2 soundtrack is up for download! For free! Yay! So, what are you waiting for? Go get it!

Author's note: Somehow I mistook the 4th to be a Wednesday instead of a Tuesday like it actually is. My bad. It has now been fixed! 

Burnout: Crash Review

Burnout: Crash is a rip-roaring, long-overdue return to what Burnout does best: crashing cars.

Interesting fact about Burnout: Crash: it originally started off as a Wii game. Take a look at any screenshot and that becomes apparent, it's low-fidelity cartoon visuals being a far cry from the gritty realism the series has been moving toward. Instead, it's traded all that in for character. For novelty. Though Burnout has always been a series full of character, never has the series achieved so much of it as it has with Crash. This is a game set in the land of pure absurdity. This is what Burnout would look like if it were made by crazy people fully indulging the dark depths of their minds. And the result is amazing.

Burnout: Crash is a top-down puzzle game where you're job is to crash cars to earn points. Set in the unfortunately named Crash City (seriously, who thought that was a good idea?), you travel across its many districts, taking down unsuspecting automobiles wherever you go. It's a faithful recreation of the original mode and a natural next step, bringing the series in an unexpected new and welcome direction.

Bastion Review

"You did good, kid."

A small slab of land rests suspended in the sky; a young boy sleeps peacefully, unaware of the cataclysm that's transpired around him. You press a key and -- "he gets up," says a deep, male voice. You start walking toward the small archway to the left the boy's bed. As you do, the ground begins re-forming beneath him. He keeps moving, not stopping to think about this strange phenomena. That mysterious voice, commenting on his every action as if spectating right alongside you, the player, guides him forward, his trusty hammer in hand.

And thus begins your journey to the Bastion.

"Smart," "imaginative," "magical." Words that distill the experience Bastion harbors. It crafts an intriguing tale of a world gone wrong, a world-shattering event known as The Calamity plunging the world into disarray, and the kid who's going to fix it. Chronicled by a mysterious old man, Bastion sets out to regale a heartfelt story of hardship, wrapped in the intricate mold of a hack-and-slash role-playing game. In this voyage Bastion succeeds, having created an absorbing, compelling world set against an enthralling narrative.