The Week in Review: Bombs, Skyrim and the Boy Wonder

In this week’s edition, BioWare quizzes fans about Quarian faces, and a man survives a bomb blast to the face.

Bethesda Explains Skyrim Streamlining

Bethesda has defended its decision to simplify certain options in Skyrim, and denied that it is dumbing the game down to appeal to a wider audience. The Elder Scrolls games are pretty big, Bethesda said, with tons of choices available to players, and Bethesda wants to make sure that players make the right choices when they play the game – that is, the choices they would enjoy. (Link)

BioWare Asks Fans About Tali’s Face

Fan-favorite Tali has a certain mystique about, in no small part because players have never seen her face. But with Mass Effect 3 looming on the horizon, BioWare is unsure whether they want to keep her mystique intact, or give in and show fans what she’s got under that helmet. To help make its decision, it’s asking its fans if they actually want to see Tali’s face in the first place. (Link)

Arkham City Robin Based on Cage Fighters

Robin will be joining the Dark Knight in Arkham City, but if you’re expecting a wise-cracking kid in green trunks, then you’re in for a surprise. Robin has been “Arkham-ified,” with a revamped look based on cage fighters. Sadly, Robin will only appear in the game’s challenge rooms, and not in the main game, and only if you pre-order the game from certain retailers. (Link)

Rockstar/Team Bondi Relationship Sour, Says Whistleblower

LA Noire developer Team Bondi and publisher Rockstar apparently aren’t on very good terms, having fallen out during the game’s long development cycle. The relationship is apparently so bad, that Rockstar will not work with the developer again. That might be even more problematic than it sounds, as according to inside sources, without Rockstar’s aid/intervention, Team Bondi would have shut down. (Link)

Hardy Thai Bomb Tech Survives Blast to the Face

A bomb disposal expert in Narathiwat, Thailand proved to be almost preternatural resilient to harm after a surviving a car bomb explosion that hit him in the head. The man was in the middle of defusing a bomb in the car when a second device went off. The man was wearing body armor when the bomb when off, which undoubtedly saved his life, leaving him with undisclosed, but non-fatal injuries. (Link)