Real-life guitar hero Slash was in Los Angeles last week promoting a new music game called BandFuse: Rock Legends. Speaking to Joystiq, he shared some insight on what it was like to work with Activision for the immensely popular Guitar Hero series. "A lot of kids tripped out," says the former Guns and Roses guitarist, "because they were under the impression that the character in Guitar Hero was just that character. So a lot of kids trip out that I was actually a real person."

Once they found out that he was an actual person who was in an actual band, however, Slash says Guitar Hero was surprisingly effective at winning new fans. "It opened up the doors of a demographic that was way younger than me," he says. "I had no idea that would happen." He couldn't speak to the lawsuit that claims the game took advantage of his GnR connection, but he does say the game has inspired a much younger generation to check out classic rock.

As for interest going the other way, Slash says he hasn't found the time for video games -- not even his own. "I couldn't play it," he says, "because I was actually in the game and it was too surreal."

Asura's Wrath is a pile of impossibilities. It is a myth made real. It is a meticulous construction of unflappable absurdity. Asura's Wrath is a glittering, golden starchild of incredulity, and I love it. I also wish I didn't have to review it.

The strictures of a review really aren't adequate to quantify the experience waiting for players in Asura's Wrath. Of course there are mechanics and systems and gauges, all of that, and I will endeavor to explain them, but understand that what follows falls well short of fully encapsulating the experience. About 380,000 kilometers too short.

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Over the last few years or so, the "guitar game" genre has had one of the craziest journeys in video game history. From the huge early success of Harmonix' Guitar Hero to the company's split into Rock Band and the final proclamation that Guitar Hero was finished, the epic story of plastic instruments and the games that came with them has gone from prelude to climax to quiet hum, all in the space of a few years.

And there have already been a few "post-modern" guitar games, most notably Power Gig: Rise of the Six-String and Rocksmith, which both involve real guitars rather than their plastic counterparts, and which suggest that strumming along with real songs and strings might actually teach real musical skill (a promise that neither was able to land with great success).

And so it's interesting that Realta Entertainment Group has chosen this moment to step out with its premiere product, called BandFuse: Rock Legends. It's a music game that uses a real, live electric guitar, plugged into a video game console, as its controller. We've ... we've been down this road before, right?

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Commander Shepard is a man? It was the greatest lie ever created in future history. BioWare sought to fix this, admitting the savior of Earth (and the galaxy at large) could be recast as female.

Well, it seems the developer has gone one step further and slipped in the female Shepard on the reverse cover of Mass Effect 3 (standard edition). Sure, she's not black yet, but we'll take a partial truth for the time being.

Check out BioWare's unboxing video after the break.

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"Oh, God. You're killing me," Remedy Entertainment's Oskari Hakkinen groaned when I pressed him for details on PC plans for Alan Wake's American Nightmare. "I've got nothing to announce at this point," he moans softly into his headset. After a moment of silence I burst into laughter and he quickly joins me.

As Head of Franchise Development, Oskari -- or Ozz, as he asks people to call him -- he'd certainly know Remedy's plan for Alan Wake's XBLA title coming to PC. But American Nightmare wasn't the basis for my call to the Finnish developer. It was Alan Wake's original tale I wanted to discuss, a game many skimmed past due to what many in the industry infuriatingly refer to as an "embarrassment of riches."

On the same day Alan Wake's long development process met its ultimate ship goal, it was greeted by a host of quality competition. The adrenaline-fueled Split/Second landed on shelves. The Prince of Persia returned to his roots in The Forgotten Sands.

Red Dead Redemption happened.

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Borderlands 2 will be out in North America on September 18, and internationally on September 21. That date might be enough incentive for you to pre-order -- it's so far away, and you might forget! -- but 2K offered initial incentive, in the form of the "Premiere Club."

Premiere Club members will get a unique "Gearbox Gun Pack," a "Golden Key" item to unlock something in the Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest, and the "Vault Hunter's Relic." These are all in-game items, by the way. 2K didn't really build a "Golden Sanctuary" and send out keys to it.

Konami's announced the second pack of downloadable content for NeverDead, continuing the trend of suitable titles with "Expansion Pack Volume 2." This pack also unlocks a new playable character (just like the first download), this time putting you behind the controller as NADA's Chief Sullivan. And while the first pack opened up new modes for the Asylum level, this one focuses on the Sewers, bringing Onslaught, Egg Hunt, and the Fragile Alliance challenges to that area of the game.

There are two additional character costumes for the main character, to match the two new ones from the last pack. Expansion Pack Volume 2 will be available next week on February 28.

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Console gamers have been missing out on some Call of Duty Elite functionality -- specifically, Clan Operations. Activision promised Clan Ops would be available soon and delivered today, flipping the switch that lets clans take part in competitions for extra experience and prizes. While all Elite members can take part in Clan Ops, only premium members will be scored and ranked on their performance.

If you're still having trouble understanding how it all works, check out the handy explanation after the break, care of Activision.

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Diana Burnwood is the female lead of the Hitman series, despite us rarely seeing her face. As Agent 47's handler, she's gone to great lengths to protect the hitman, going so far as to bring him back from the dead in a climactic act of vengeance. Now, she's the target. That's gratitude for you.

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BioWare has let slip a batch of Mass Effect 3 DLC on the Xbox Marketplace, titled From Ashes. This is presumably the same DLC as the rumored "From Dust" installment, which at least one GameStop customer may now need to get a refund for. Dust and ashes are two very different things, after all, but we bet any name switching came to avoid possible confusion with 2011's From Dust (if it wasn't a GameStop typo to begin with).

From Ashes will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Mass Effect 2 included the squad member Zaeed as free DLC in new copies, and From Ashes could very well be a new iteration of this format.

For a brief description of the DLC (now with 100 percent more spoilers!) read on:

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