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Gaming News
PSP is Go!
May 30th
Engadget just put up a post confirming that the PSP Go is a reality based on an upcoming episode of Sony's Qore. Â The details of the new handheld are nearly identical to what had been discussed before, but now we get to see what the unit will actually look like. Â Image and a link back to Engadget's post are below.
E3 2009 – Rumors and Such
May 28th
It's that time again. Â This year's return to the E3 of yesteryear should produce some exciting news. Â This post is really just a roundup of some of the rumors I've heard and what I'm looking forward to most. Â We'll start with Microsoft and the Xbox 360.
Not much is known about what Microsoft is going to show this year. Â You can bet that Halo 3: ODST will play a big role, but otherwise they don't have the laundry list of announced megaton games to talk about like they have in years past. Â One rumor going around is that they're working on a motion controller (in fact, the same rumor is going for Sony) so we may see the debut of a new motion controller initiative to compete with Nintendo's ridiculously successful Wii. Â There's also a rumor that the 360's dashboard will see another massive update similar to the "New Xbox Experience" we saw last holiday season. Â This might be tied into the Zune / Xbox Marketplace integration that was announced this past week (along with the new Zune HD). Â However, as far as games go, I'm kind of at a loss. Â Some folks are saying that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 will be debuted during Microsoft's conference despite the fact that it's traditionally a PC franchise. Â I'm not sure about that but Episode 3 is definitely a game I'm interested in seeing.
The Sony press conference is the one I'm the most excited for because they have the biggest list of announced games to look forward to. Â There has also been some interesting information leaked about possible revisions to their hardware which have me excited. Â Let's start with the games, though. Â Currently the games they've announced that I'm interested in:
- Uncharted 2 - A sequel to my second favorite game on the console. Â What I've seen so far looks even better. Â Can't wait for this game.
- Heavy Rain - Should be interesting, comes from the same folks that made Indigo Prophecy. Â The gameplay seems to rely heavily on quick time events but the visuals are great as a result.
- Project Trico - This game isn't technically announced yet, but some footage was released not long ago and it looks promising. Â Unfortunately I wasn't around for ICO on the PS2, but I'm looking forward to playing my first game from Team Ico.
- God of War 3 - This one's obligatory. Â Another game from a series I haven't had the opportunity to try out yet but if nothing else the gameplay looks extremely fun and the visuals are amazing.
So that's just the software, how about the hardware? Â I've been flirting with picking up a PSP (for the second time, I might add - I bought the original when it was first launched but there were no games so I traded it in to put towards my 360), and all rumors point to an announcement of a new version of the PSP this year during Sony's press conference. Â Apparently called the "PSP Go," this new portable console will be focused on digital rather than physical media. Â You'll be able to download games from a PSP store which is very appealing to me, and very appealing to Sony because it should cut down on some of the rampant piracy issues associated with the device. Â A lot of folks are pointing to this as the rebirth of the device, and I know that if it's announced I'll buy one, plain and simple.
There's also the question of the Playstation 3. Â Despite having a solid line-up of games Sony is still struggling in this department. Â Some shots were recently leaked of a PS3 "slim" redesign, and originally these images were scoffed at. Â There is a bit of a twist however - sites that put these images up were contacted with cease and desist notices, giving this rumor some credibility. Â Could Sony finally be making a big push to put the PS3 on the map? Â A slim and sexy version of the console could do the trick, though a price drop wouldn't hurt either. Â We shall see.
As for Nintendo? Â Who on Earth knows. Â They maintain that they'll have games for core gamers (i.e. gamers who aren't interested in doing exercises on a balance board or playing their Wii remote like a pretend saxophone) but we've heard that before. Â All I know is that it really doesn't matter what they do at this point, the Wii and DS combined will continue to sell like gangbusters and completely outshine the 360 and PS3. Â My only concern is that Microsoft and Sony will begin to think that motion controllers are "where it's at" and give up on traditional gaming as we know it.
It would be a sad day if that were to happen.
Kojima’s Next Game – Not “Tornado Outbreak”
May 27th
The time has once again run out on Hideo Kojima's countdown. Â The storm that has been depicted through every update of the countdown persists and is ever-more severe, but now amidst the flashes of lightning is the face of an aging Big Boss. Â Looks like the Metal Gear franchise isn't dead just yet. Â This time the countdown is set to run out as E3 begins, so presumably we'll find out the details in about 5 days.
Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena Review
May 25th
I've had some time to spend with Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and I have to say my overall impressions are very positive. Â I was a bit apprehensive about playing the game because I wasn't at all familiar with the franchise and I'm usually a little hesitant when it comes to games based on movies (and movies based on games, for that matter). Â However, Assault on Dark Athena has a lot of fun gameplay elements and overall I'm very happy with the experience.
To review Assault on Dark Athena is really to review two games - both Assault on Dark Athena itself and the previous title in the series Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, which debuted late in the original Xbox's lifecycle and was therefore missed by gamers such as myself. Â Fortunately you don't have to worry about playing a shabby Xbox port, because Tigon and Starbreeze Studios have completely remastered the game to bring it up to next-gen standards. Â I have to say compared to native Xbox 360 games there is no noticeable difference in graphical fidelity, and the environments in Butcher Bay are rich and pleasing to the eye. Â They did a great job of breathing new life into a game that was considered ahead of its time on the Xbox.
Gameplay-wise Escape From Butcher Bay and Assault on Dark Athena are part stealth/espionage, part first person shooter, and part puzzle-solver.  Though you're encouraged to use Riddick's comfort in shadows to quietly take out enemies in the dark, you can also run around blasting them if you so dare.  The puzzle elements of the game are almost a throwback to older PC adventure games like Myst or Monkey Island.  There are many times throughout that you'll have to use your noggin to work through a problem in order to advance, and more often than not the puzzles provide just enough challenge to be fulfilling without being so difficult as to cause frustration.
The move from Butcher Bay to Assault on Dark Athena does provide some handy upgrades, but the overall look and feel of the series remains consistent. Â Though the environments and textures are just as good in Butcher Bay as they are in Assault on Dark Athena, I noticed that the character models in the latter were a big improvement. Â You can tell that a lot of attention was paid even to off-shoot characters and overall the detail is great. Â Another cool enhancement comes in the form of hot keys for your weaponry. Â If you want to, you can use a radial to browse all of the weapons you've collected, but in Assault on Dark Athena you can also assign your favorites to buttons on the d-pad for easy access.
The two games include a whole lot of replay value aside from the standard fare of achievements. Â If you're a fan of the Riddick franchise you'll delight in the fact that you can unlock a whole bunch of bonus features by finding and collecting items such as packs of cigarettes and security key cards in the game. Â Overall I have to say that it's rare to find a singleplayer experience that provides as much content as Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena does. Â Even if you're new to the franchise like I was you'll be able to jump in and enjoy the gameplay right away, and because Butcher Bay and Assault on Dark Athena have linked narratives you'll get a consistent experience the whole way through.
If you want to learn more please check out my media post for 'Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena' by following this link:Â Game Reviews - The Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
Game Reviews – The Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
May 18th
First off I want to thank the fine folks at RocketXL for giving me the opportunity to review these games. Â They sent the review copies and the process has been going really smoothly. Â They've also been hard-at-work providing assets for the two games I'm going to review, so if you're a gamer like me I have to highly encourage you to check them out!
We'll start with Dark Athena. Â Using the widget below you'll be able to browse some screenshots from the game and see some video of the gameplay to get an idea of the look and feel.
Next up is Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Â It's an exciting cooperative hack-and-slash game that I can't wait to delve into with my buddies online. Â Thanks again to Romeo at RocketXL for giving me access to the videos below:
Sacred 2 - Making Of... Part 1
Sacred 2 - Making Of... Part 2
Sacred 2 - Making Of... Part3
Sacred 2 has officially gone gold as well, so there's a lot of anticipation for the title. Look for my review of both games coming as soon as I can finish them!
Hideo Kojima’s next game – Tornado Outbreak?
May 17th
Hideo Kojima's "Kojima Productions" is best known for cranking out highly-acclaimed titles in the Metal Gear Solid franchise - most recently my game of the year for 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Â So then, when a teaser website went up for Kojima's next project a whole lot of buzz was generated in the gaming industry. Â The most obvious conclusion is that the Metal Gear Solid franchise had not concluded despite the finality of MGS4, but the latest developments might be pointing to an entirely new franchise.
First of all you have to consider the teaser website. Â It initially showed a flash video of a field of grass with ominous looking clouds being blown by a stiff wind. Â The website was just recently updated though, and now there is the addition of thunder and lightning, as well as a countdown clock. Â Another noteworthy addition is the appearance of an "S" or "5" outline in the video whenever lightning strikes. Â Very interesting.
To be honest this website would be pretty vague if not for a possible leak by Gamefly.com. Â Gamefly put up a placeholder for a new Playstation 3 game called "Tornado Outbreak" which is being published by Konami, the same publisher who works with Kojima Productions. Â The game's page has no artwork, rating or release date but given the publisher and the title's link to the themes in the teaser content a lot of folks are assuming that Tornado Outbreak is what we'll get.
Obviously if this is the case a lot of Metal Gear fans will be pretty disappointed.  Given the overwhelming success derived from Solid Snake's exploits, why would Kojima stray from his trademark franchise?  Taking into account what we've seen, a stormy field animation possibly tied to a game called "Tornado Outbreak," the concept seems muddled.  Will it be some sort of storm chaser simulation?  What an odd concept.  Still, it could be something entirely different.  The title wouldn't necessarily depict the content or gameplay, but perhaps the setting.  Some have suggested that it could be a new survival horror IP similar to Silent Hill or Siren, which instead takes place in the midwest during a bout of severe weather.  Add to that the fact that these are all just rumors and here-say, and we find ourselves knee-deep in speculation.
It's entirely possible that Tornado Outbreak is not Kojima Productions' next project, and that a new Metal Gear Solid game will be announced. Â However, even if that isn't the case, I trust these guys. Â No matter what they decide to do I believe that they're one of the most forward-thinking Japanese developers who understand and respect Western audiences and development styles, and they never let a game go out the door that hasn't been polished to a blindingly-bright shine. Â Quality is not an issue when Kojima is involved, so no matter what we'll get a great game out of the deal whether it's based on a new franchise or not.
You can see the website right here:
Left 4 Dead’s Survival Mode
Apr 22nd
I'm a huge fan of Left 4 Dead, and it tends to be my go-to multiplayer game of choice because of its stellar cooperative play. Â For that reason, when the latest downloadable content for the game dropped yesterday, including the hotly-anticipated "survival" mode, I downloaded it immediately. Â Last night we had a crew of 4 ready to give it a try, but to be honest it left a sour taste in my mouth.
Survival Mode is basically an extended version of the scenario that plays out at the end of each of the four levels in Left 4 Dead. Â In the standard co-op mode the way it works is you and your 3 buddies have to defend an area while you wait for a rescue vehicle to come and save you from the zombie onslaught. Â Such a task is extremely difficult, especially on expert difficulty, but we've been able to overcome that part of the game several times with proper strategy.
Survival mode basically throws strategy out of the window. Â It's almost as if Valve made this mode just to thwart the gamers who play it. Â For example, if you ever find a good spot to hold up and defend from, chances are good that there will be some new breakable wall that will let the infected flood in from behind you. Â Not only that, but the waves of zombies and special infected come much more rapidly, and often simultaneously unlike in standard cooperative play. Â Add to that the fact that they've severely reduced the effectiveness of using melee attacks to push zombies away from you, and this mode has frustration written all over it.
The good news is that it's completely free, so you don't really have to worry about whether you'll like it or not. Â Give it a shot, you might dig it or you might think it's a little overboard. Â I'm apart of the latter group.
Fallout 3′s “The Pitt” downloadable content
Apr 19th
I loved Fallout 3 when I played through it late last year, and so when I heard about the new DLC based out of Pittsburgh I was immediately interested. Â Having completed The Pitt I have to say the 800 MS points (~$10) I invested in the game were well worth it. Â As its own bite-sized chunk of Fallout 3 this DLC delivers, and the best part is that you don't have to have completed the original game in order to access the content.
The Pitt is much more grimy, gloomy and lurid than the Capital Wasteland. Â This DLC is based on a scenario where the same nuclear fallout experienced in D.C. led to bosses in Pittsburgh reactivating the steel mills in order to produce weapons and other goods. Â In doing so they essentially close off The Pitt (as it's referred to by its citizens in the game) from outside contact and enslave its populace to do the dirty work. Â In such a dire and grotesque situation a plague quickly begins to spread, leaving many of the citizens mutated by radiation, leaving their chances of survival low. Â That's where you come in: your objective is to find the cure that the bosses are keeping hidden and free the slaves of The Pitt. Â Or don't.
The choices you make in The Pitt are much more ambiguous than those found in the Capital Wasteland. Â Without spoiling anything I can say that there are a few times throughout where the line between good and bad gets pretty fuzzy, but that's part of the fun of the game. Â As mentioned above, The Pitt is just a bite-sized chunk when compared to Fallout 3 proper, so there are really only 4-5 hours of gameplay all told. Â Still, given that there are a decent amount of new areas to explore and the new weapons and missions are fun I'd have to recommend it, especially if you liked Fallout 3.
Can’t be bothered to hold your arms up?
Apr 17th
Boy do I have the product for you! Â I saw this and couldn't help but laugh. Â What will Ikea think of next?
Red Faction: Guerilla teaser trailer
Apr 7th
If you've been a gaming enthusiast for a significant amount of time chances are good that you know about Red Faction. Â It's a series that has gotten a lot of love from its fans since it was released for PC way back in 2001, and ever since the follow-up title Red Faction II came to the PS2 there has been a lot of buzz about a next-gen sequel. Â That wait is over.
The teaser trailer below plays to the strength of the franchise: destructible environments. Â A lot of people attribute destructible environments to more modern games like Crysis, but the folks at Volition started the trend over 8 years ago. Â Red Faction: Guerilla looks to take the idea to a whole different level, but you'll have to watch the trailer to see what I mean! Â I have to say that I'm excited to play this game because even though I'm familiar with the Red Faction titles, I've never had a chance to try them.
So then, how are the destructible environments in Red Faction: Guerilla so much better than those in Crysis? Â Well, for starters, the biggest building I destroyed while playing Crysis was a hut out in the jungle. Â The buildings you can destroy in Guerilla are exactly that - actual buildings. Â Rather than running through the front door of the enemy's barracks you can instead just blow the whole multi-floor building up. Â Whereas destruction in Crysis was sort of an after-thought, destruction in Red Faction: Guerilla is your best weapon.
So, without further delay, here's the video:
