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Compulsion Games has announced its puzzle-based platformer, Contrast, will finally see the light of day on November 15, priced on Xbox Live Arcade at $15. The game places you in the role of Dawn, the imaginary friend of a troubled little girl, Didi, who relies on the playable character as a coping mechanism to process an unknown trauma. As Dawn you’ll accompany Didi, slipping in and out of shadow form to platform along two-dimensional shadows cast by the 3D environment.

We delved into Contrast at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo during our preview with Compulsion Games Studio Head Guillaume Provost. The game is quite simply loaded with charm and a striking, film-noir aesthetic, but that story of a little girl who escapes into her imagination might be the biggest draw. “We try to explore something that’s a little bit more interesting than saving the world, or beating a big bad guy or getting revenge for something or other,” Provost said during our time with him. “It’s really the story of this little girl and what she wants out of her family.”

Our time with Contrast definitely left us wanting more. Be sure to keep this one on your radar for a busy November, and for more glimpses into the shadows enjoy the slideshow after the jump.

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The first of many original texture packs coming to Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has been revealed. Dubbed the Plastic Texture Pack, developer 4J Studios and publisher Microsoft Studios have announced the texture collection in a series of screenshots (below) that feature the colorfully smooth surfaces of the upcoming downloadable content.

As of now, there’s no pricing or release information to share. We’ve already learned the packs won’t be free, but they should be relatively inexpensive. In any case, the wait shouldn’t be long according to 4J Studios, which confirmed there will be a trial version for those who want to test drive the texture swap before buying.

The developer also touched on what fans can expect in the future, revealing the next pack in line will be the “Natural Texture Pack,” and teased that “something medieval is coming” down the line. No additional details were revealed for either of the offerings.

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The time to declare a gladiator above all others has arrived. Kung Fu Factory, developer of free-to-play gladiatorial simulator Spartacus Legends, has decreed four weeks of bloodshed in the search for a champion of the Arena. Starting today, players can enter into online matches against a global stable of opponents during four weekly competitions – which together comprise Spartacus Legends‘ first tournament season.

The top 100 players from each week will be gifted rewards befitting their performance, with additional and better rewards going to the highest placed competitors. Victors can claim titles, wealth, legendary equipment and banners for their houses. Upon the conclusion of the season, an overall champion will be named and honored with the title of “Champion of Capua.” The tournament schedule and a full list of reward tiers can be found after the jump.

Spartacus Legends released in June of this year to a cold reception. Our own review found it buggy and bland, with netcode that made online battles nearly impossible to enjoy. However, Kung Fu Factory has supported Spartacus with several patches and compatibility updates, adding new features and addressing the connectivity issues, glitches, bugs and matchmaking system.

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Earlier this year The Bridge released on PC to a favorable reception thanks to its mind-twisting design and minimalist aesthetic. Now, six months after …
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Welp. Girl Fight is launching tomorrow on Xbox Live Arcade for the tidy sum of $9.99. You already know that, because of the …
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Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death is officially out for Xbox Live Arcade, priced at $14.99. Not sure what a Marlow is? Never heard of a Briggs? Well, …
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The launch trailer for City Interactive’s upcoming first-person shooter Alien Rage has arrived, briefly recounting the events that lead to the titular rage of the alien kind. Humanity has jumped …
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New footage showcasing story elements from the upcoming Xbox One exclusive Crimson Dragon debuted at the Tokyo Game Show this week. The spiritual successor to the Panzer Dragoon series takes place on the planet Draco, where remnants of humanity struggle against the planet’s winged natives in the face of extermination, harnessing the dragons’ power to fight back.

Crimson Dragon will be available upon launch of the Xbox One, November 22, retailing for $19.99. The long-developed title was previously slated to soar onto Xbox Live Arcade with required Kinect integration, but has since added controller support and asynchronous mutliplayer, focusing on Microsoft’s forthcoming console. Those who purchase and partake in the action before the end of the year, December 31, will receive an exclusive playable dragon.

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Indie developer Serellan’s methodical breach and clear shooter, Takedown: Red Sabre, has been delayed citing a last minute bug fix while submitting to Microsoft. Unfortunately, however minor it may be, this means the spiritual successor to the original Rainbow Six and SWAT series has lost its place in the Xbox Live Arcade release line. Speaking on behalf of the development team, Serellan’s public relations conduit stated that it expects to secure another release slot as soon as the developer resubmits the title to Microsoft, which should take place in the next few days.

Takedown was originally slated to launch on XBLA this coming Friday, September 20, in an effort to hit all targeted launch platforms simultaneously. Unfortunately the delay means you’ll have to wait a little longer to customize your squads and outline your tactics across the game’s many objective-based missions. We’re confident the finished product will be well worth the wait, as outlined in our hands-on E3 preview. In the meantime, you can check out the new recoil and movement preview video after the jump to get a weapon-handling head start.

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Focus Home Interactive and developer Mighty Rocket Studio have released an overview trailer for the upcoming stylized side-scrolling brawler Final Exam, arriving on Xbox Live Arcade November 8. Most high school …
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