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PC News from E3, Day 4

Kelsey — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:46:36 +0000

Battlestar Galactica MMO

The Battlestar Galactica MMO will be a browser-based MMO game. However, as Quake Live proved to players recently, this need not be alarming news. Quake Live, for those not in the know, is a free version of Quake 3: Arena is the original game played in one’s browser. Our browsers are no longer as limited as they used to be and the Battlestar MMO is more awe-inspiring than iD’s browser-based game. It seems to be much more influenced by EVE Online than Jumpgate Evolution. The game is controlled with the mouse and the player has direct control over their ship – it’s not a point and click interface as one may expect from a browser-based game like this.

The Battlestar MMO does not have a planned release yet.

Brink

Splash Damage, known for their multiplayer games (they developed the multiplayer components to Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Doom 3, in addition to developed Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars), is showing off some more Brink this year. This is a game that has flown under the radar for a few years – it always gets noticed but never gets a lot of attention. Splash Damage’s hope for Brink is for it to be a mix of single-player and multiplayer. Players will have persistent online characters. When a match starts, characters from the single-player campaign will be talking to the troops – the players (the screen will show the characters in the match, to boot) And the single-player mode feels like a logical extension of the multiplayer. Character customization is the name of the game, as completing objectives and killing characters will give players points to customize their character. Splash Damage’s Brink always seemed a bit ambitious; they’ve noted that there tends to be an issue with single player-focused titles having lackluster multiplayer modes and vice versa. I mean, who plays the single player mode for the Unreal games? They may play some matches against bots, but the dedicated single player campaign is lackluster. Likewise, I never found more than a handful of people willing to play Deus Ex online. Splash Damage hopes to remedy this by giving the multiplayer component qualities of single player games and the single player campaign have elements of multiplayer games.

Brink is dated for next spring.

Bulletstorm

Six years ago the studio, People Can Fly released their debut game, Painkiller. Painkiller was a return to basics for the FPS genre. Simple, uncomplicated story and hordes of enemies to kill. It may not have been groundbreaking, but it was a very refined shooter experience. Bulletstorm is the new shooter being developed by People Can Fly, but it’s a bit more advanced than Painkiller. In this new title, players shoot through legions of enemies, yes, but the player is rewarded with points for each kill. The points are based on how you kill an enemy. Get up close and personal for more points. Stylish kills garner even more points. The points are used to upgrade weapons and abilities. The hope is to encourage the players to use the environment and weapons creatively to get nice kills.

Bulletstorm is dated for February 22, 2011.

Badass

The Lord of the Rings Online

This E3 has been a wealth of information for MMOs. Turbine has taken the time to give more info on The Lord of the Rings Online’s move to the free-to-play model (which was announced prior to E3). We saw a similar move with Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online and it seems like we’ll see a lot of the same changes. The game itself will be free, but the players will be able to buy content and in-game items. Current subscribers will get free in-game currency to purchase this stuff, so it still pays to be a subscriber. This move was likely encouraged by the reaction to the D&DO community to this model – the amount of subscribers (known as VIPs in-game) doubled. The beta for the F2P LotRO started on the 16th.

Rock of Ages

ACE Team is currently known for Zeno Clash. Zeno Clash is a first-person fantasy game released on Steam that was a bit of a hit, both for its interesting art style and its gameplay. Rock of Ages is a tower defense game (remember when you just played tower defense games in Starcraft and Warcraft III? Who would have dreamt that these would become a full-fledged genre?) mixed with Marble Madness… yeah, I’m a bit confused too. Rock of Ages is a multiplayer game where players take turns trying to roll their rock into their opponent’s base. The game will have a variety of art styles, depending on the level.

Sadly, not much information is available on this interesting title – I couldn’t even find screenshots or access the official site as I wrote this. However, we can expect to be downloading Rock of Ages before the end of this year.

Ship Simulator Extremes

I have a soft spot for simulators. I’m no expert on this genre. And I do have a preference for the more science-fictiony attempts at simulators, but I can say that I do enjoy the World War 2 submarine simulator Silent Hunter II. There’s something about the slow, methodical gameplay that should be boring but is somehow thrilling. Ship Simulator Extremes is being published by Paradox Interactive, known for their somewhat dense (but never overwhelming) historical real-time strategy games. The developer,VSTEP Software, has made simulations for the government and corporate sectors in the past. Between the two, this game is in very good hands. The amount of content this game is going for is overwhelming, however. You can explore the ships you’re commanding, both large and small vessels, in detail. There are three planned campaigns. In the first you are the captain of a cruise ship, you have to not only navigate the waters, but keep the customers happy and find replacement parts for anything that breaks down. There’s also a Greenpeace campaign which takes place in the Antarctic as you seek out ships engaged in illegal whaling to stop them. The third one hasn’t been disclosed, which is odd considering it’s slated to be released sometimes this year (getting any accurate date is hard, sometime in August seems to be a safe bet).

Two Worlds II

Remember those all-too frequent ads for Two Worlds a few years ago? I couldn’t watch Seinfeld without seeing these ads at least 3 times and, with how much I watch Seinfeld in a day (when I have access to cable four episodes a day is the norm), I grew a bit annoyed with these ads. The original Two Worlds was not a critical darling, but Reality Pump is hoping that Two Worlds II will be a bit more warmly received. Which for me just requires them to air less ads for their product when I watch everyone’s favourite sitcom from the 90s. Two Worlds II is an RPG very much like the Elder Scrolls series – big, epic, and more than your fair share of combat. Two Worlds II boasts an open-ended development system for characters. The game plays more like an action game than your typical RPG, but that seems to be the trend of RPGs as of late. The game will also feature a multiplayer mode – one of the cooler aspects to this multiplayer mode is for the ability for players to create villages to produce goods for trade.

Expect to save the world and found your own modest village this September.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online

I’m a nerd, albeit a bit of a frugal one. I love the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It’s science-fiction enough for me to love the setting, but has enough fantasy elements to keep the fantasy nerd inside of me happy. However, collecting those little figures to fight other little figures is an expensive endeavour. The Warhammer 40k universe found its greatest video game success with Relic’s strategy games (I consider the original Dawn of War, and its expansions, to be the best RTS games ever, sadly I haven’t tried Dawn of War II yet). The developers of Warhammer 40k: Dark Millennium Online, Vigil Games, are a bit tight-lipped on this game. The trailer is obviously from the perspective of the Imperial forces in the game. Vehicles make an appearance, presumably they will be player controlled. And the scale of the game seems to be quite huge, with walkers towering over ground forces.

The combat system looks more like a shooter than an RPG. Perhaps we can expect something akin to Mass Effect or Fallout 3. Seeing as how this is set in the Warhammer 40k universe, we can expect a well-thought out and robust PvP. The developers are pretty quick to acknowledge, and distance themselves from, Relic’s efforts with the Warhammer 40k universe. This is not the tactical strategy experience we saw in Dawn of War or the balls-to-the-walls action game we’ll see from Relic’s upcoming Space Marine game; this is a roleplaying game. It’s not known which races will be playable. – Both Orks and Space Marines had their share of screen time in the trailer, but it is expected that all the races currently in the Warhammer 40k canon will make an appearance. Seeing who they make playable and how they handle balance will be interesting, as each side is designed with wargaming (not roleplaying) in mind. At the end of the day, my hope is to play as the Eldar and to engage in some territorial disputes with the Necrons – or if you want it in English, I want to be a space elf and fight space-robot-zombies!

Hopefully we’ll be burning heretics for the emperor in 2012.

Driver: San Francisco

little420247 — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:56:43 +0000

This week at E3, Ubisoft, the publisher of Driver, announced the release of Driver: San Francisco for fall 2010. The storyline starts where Driver 3 left off, with Tanner being shot by his adversary Jericho. Tanner then goes into a coma, in turn, he gains the ability to teleport from vehicle to vehicle. This new ability is called shifting, which seems to be an awesome concept.

Although Tanner has the ability to roam freely around the streets of San Francisco, this latest installment of Driver will focus on the movie style car chases. Reportedly, there will be upwards of 100 vehicles to chose from, and plenty of road to keep the chases flowing. There will also be a large amount of classic vehicles thrown into the action, and this should make for some never before seen chases.

This latest version of Driver will also include the option to play online. This mode will offer fans some pretty exiting chases as well. The screenshots from Driver: San Francisco detail some excellent graphics, and these new added features will offer some unbelievable game play. Driver: San Francisco will be available for Playstation 3, X-box 360, Wii, PC, and Mac.

PC News from E3, Day 3

Kelsey — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:24:52 +0000

Dungeon Siege III

When I talked of the new Fallout game, I mentioned I was a fan of Diablo II. Truth be told, I like my hack ‘n slash sub-genre. The games may not be smart or well-written, but they are mighty fun. With Obsidian, the people behind the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas, behind the helm, you can expect that there will be some well-written dialogue – this is still an action RPG, though. There is a thrill to being one guy versus the forces of evil, armed only with wits, some stats to determine dice rolls, and an arsenal of magical weapons. Obsidian Entertainment are pretty busy as they develop the third entry into the Dungeon Siege series.

Obsidian promises that each individual class will be truly unique – items, skills, and even animations will be exclusive. However, Obsidian has only shown off two classes and failed to mention how many more the final copy will have. Given the multiplayer co-op focus of the game, it seems like an advisable choice. As a Diablo II fan, this is what made the multiplayer so fun in that title – each class filled a niche and it felt wrong to try to make a paladin fit the niche of an amazon.
Dungeon Siege III does not have an announced release date as of yet.

Fallout Online

Not much to say about this game at this stage in the game – it’s the Interplay addition to the Fallout franchise, it’s an MMO, and beta sign-ups are up.
Don’t expect to see Fallout Online until 2012.

Monkey Island 2: Special Edition

Apparently Monkey Island: Special Edition managed to sell enough to get an enhanced remake. If you know of Monkey Island, there’s not too much to say about this. It’s LeChuck’s Revenge, you can play either with the old-fashioned graphics or with updated graphics, and now there’s a commentary mode that Valve popularized with their Half-Life games.
The expected release is July of this year.

John Carpenter

Not really PC news, but I am a bit of fan of the horror genre and I think John Carpenter is damn fine at what he does. As I wrote this update, I was watching his contribution to Masters of Horror, Cigarette Burns. However, Carpenter has been involved with the development of F.E.A.R 3. I was a fan of F.E.A.R, but never enough of a fan to get the expansions or the sequels. I’m rather uninterested in it, in fact. But nevertheless, I feel that getting a chance to hear Carpenter discuss F.E.A.R 3 and horror in general is not something to pass up, so here’s a link to the IGN article.
It’s also interesting to see that the horror director likes his fast-paced action games. I wonder how he feels about the survival horror genre.

Jumpgate Evolution

Jumpgate Evolution is an MMO that hopes to dethrone EVE Online from its niche. Jumpgate is a space-based MMO. And it’s a bit more of a traditional online game than EVE is, which makes it more appealing than to me. Like EVE, the in-game market seems to play a big role – with good missiles costing money. If the EVE experience is too much like a simulation for you, you may want to lookout for Jumpgate which is sounding a bit more arcadey.
Jumpgate Evolution does not have an expected release at this point.

Red Faction: Armageddon

The successor to Red Faction: Guerrilla is returning to the roots of the series with some more caves. The destruction that has been a gimmick at the core of the series since the start is still important. However, what Volition seems to be most happy about the their magnet gun – you shoot object (or person) A and object (or person) B to make one fly towards the other. It’s another way to destroy the environment and to use the destroyed environment as a weapon. Additionally, the nano-forge rifle is used to repair broken objects in the environment to use them as cover.
Rejoin the Mars rebellion next March.

The Witcher II

I enjoy The Witcher, I’ve read some of the books, played a bit of the game, and like the setting. The Witcher II is seeing some simplification with how the game handles – the E3 demo was done on the PC with a 360 controller. The game is, naturally, seeing some added features to the basics behind the game: dialogue options are now timed and have lasting effects on the story, the combat system is more fluid looking, and the gameplay still has a lot of focus on timing. Geralt’s skills in sword play, magic, and alchemy can be improved as you level. Alchemy, for those unfamiliar with the universe, is essential for any witcher. Witchers, who specialize in hunting really big and scary monsters always keep potions that they’ve brewed themselves to enhance their abilities.
Geralt’s return to the gaming world is not yet dated.

Nintendo At E3: Day 2 – DS Games

Joseppi — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:09:40 +0000

I showed you three new Wii titles earlier today, but there’s also a trio of DS games that should appease your handheld appetite. Let’s take a look.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

Donkey Kong is at it again! After arriving late to the grand opening of Mario’s latest theme park and not receiving a free Mini Pauline toy, he decides to take the real Pauline instead. Now it’s up to Mario and his minis to stop the big ape once more.

In this third installment of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, you guide the minis through the puzzle-based levels by placing girders, springs, conveyor belts, pipes and ladders in different locations with your stylus. You can also create your own levels for other players to play and rate via the internet. Aside from Mini Marios, there are also Mini Toads, Mini Peaches, and Mini Donkey Kongs. And this game also brings back the Super Guide from New Super Mario Bros Wii.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! will be out just in time for Christmas!

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

When Professor Layton receives a letter from his apprentice, Luke 10 years in the future telling him how London has been thrown into chaos, he realizes that only he can save his beloved city from it’s troublesome forthcoming. The game features over 165 different types of puzzles that fit perfectly into the storyline that will put your mind to the test. If a puzzle seems to be to complicated, you can use a “superhint” that will point you to the solution. You can also download extra puzzles for a short time after the game is released.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future will be coming to your DS on September 20!

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs

In the third Pokemon Ranger game, you team up with Ukulele Pichu (a Pichu who carries a Ukulele) to stop the Pokemon Pinchers. The game relies heavily on the Nintendo DS’s touch screen. You can capture Pokemon with your Capture Styler by cycling them. And you can also summon legendary Pokemon to help you progress by drawing their Ranger Signs. The game is also WiFi compatable for teaming up with people all over the world for certain missions.

You can expect to see Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs to arrive at a store near you this Fall!

Nintendo At E3: Day 2 – Wii Games

Joseppi — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:00:21 +0000

Nintendo stole the show yesterday with thirteen games and a new handheld system. It makes one wonder what else they could possibly show us. But today was much slower paced, although there were still some surprises in store. So let’s take a look at a few more titles that have been announced for the Wii.

FlingSmash

FlingSmash is a completely new concept from Yoshi’s Island DS developer, Artoon. The best way to describe the game is that it’s something like a sidescrolling Arkanoid. In FlingSmash, you use your Wii remote with Wii Motion Plus to fling Zip, to smash through enemies and obstacles to progress through the level. Zip is a spherical creature that bounces all over the screen breaking through blocks and other things. You can also get different powerups, such as Split, which gives you 2 more Zips to guide, doing more damaging and racking up even more points. If you have a friend and an extra Wiimote with Wii Motion Plus, you can team up with Player One controlling Zip and Player Two controlling his buddy, Pip.

FlingSmash is set to be released around the 2010 holiday season.

PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure

PokePark Wii stars Pikachu as he is summoned by Mew to set out and find the missing Sky Prism Pieces of PokePark. As Pikachu, you make your way through the park by using the Wii remote held sideways. Throughout the game, you meet up with other Pokemon who will help you on your quest. But of course, you must fight other Pokemon as well using different attacks from Pikachu’s “shocking” arsenal. PokePark Wii also features a variety of minigames that put your skills to the test. In these events, you can choose any of the various Pokemon that you’ve befriended throughout the game. If you liked Pokemon Snap on the N64, you’ll love the photo feature that allows you to take pictures of different Pokemon to save to an SD card.

You can expect PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure to hit store shelves this Holiday season.

Samurai Warriors 3

In Samurai Warriors 3, you can choose from over 35 different samurai; some of which are based on actual figures from Japanese history. Each character has their own takes on the story, which will have you playing for a long time if you want to know everyone’s motives. You progress through the game by fighting armies of enemies on foot and on horseback. SW3 also has a variety of play modes such as “Murasame Castle” mode which has you teaming up with another player via broadband Internet access and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This mode is based off of the classic Famicom Disk System game, The Mysterious Murasame Castle. The game can be played with all of the Wii’s control options including the Gamecube controller; so you can choose which is best for you.

Samurai Warriors 3 will be in stores on September 27.

PC News from E3, Day 2

Kelsey — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:53:14 +0000

Civilization V

Civilization is getting another sequel. A few years ago we saw a pretty big leap from Civ III to Civ IV, and now I believe we’re seeing another huge leap in the series.
Civilization V now uses hexagon tiles instead of the classic square tiles – this isn’t the biggest change but it does change how movement is handled. The game is prettier, as expected. It’s not just the graphics engine that makes it look nice, but the interface. The game features an in-game hub for accessing mods, talking with the community, and even visiting fan sites. The combat system has been revamped. Ranged units will now fire from multiple hexes away – it’s a bit of a wonder that it took almost two decades for this to happen. The diplomatic system is also seeing some new additions and now we have both city-state and nation-state powers in the series.

A big addition to the series is the new culture system, in which you add-on to social policies you made in the past instead of choosing one as you go through the tech tree. The idea is that the player can craft their own society by building on top of the foundations of their previous decisions. It adds life to a section of the tech tree that’s usually a bit of a joke with players.
Civilization V is set to hit shelves September 21 of this year.

Medal of Honor

I’m a fan of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault; I think it’s one of the best shooters ever made. When the reboot was announced, I was happy to see it. Medal of Honor is going the direction of the Call of Duty series (Infinity Ward is composed of many people that worked on Allied Assault, so it is fitting), by entering the world of modern warfare. The Call of Duty influence is not hard to miss. The multiplayer component, developed by DICE, reeks of it. However, a few tweaks have been made to the formula. The biggest, for multiplayer, is the kill streak bonuses are both offensive and tactical and the player needs to decide what would be more beneficial either to them or for their team.

The single-player trailer is gorgeous, no other way to describe it. One of the best looking games I’ve seen. The game will feature some nice charges across open areas as the enemies shoot you, some vehicle sections, and presumably more than a few Afghans to shoot. The biggest change to the game, aside from the rather jarring shift in setting, is how gunplay handles. A bullet that grazes the players will still hurt the player, but not as much as direct hit. Gravity will affect the travel of bullets and the speed of the bullets is more realistic compared to other shooters.

Expect Medal of Honor to hit the shelves this October.

Portal 2

Portal 2 was not the announcement I wanted from Valve – I do recall seeing a trailer for Half-Life 2: Episode 3 after I completed Episode 2 and the wait is becoming a bit unbearable – but I’m not too disappointed. Valve is going for better storytelling – hopefully making this the testing grounds for the advances that they want to implement into the game starring that silent Gordon Freeman. GlaDOS makes a reappearance and there are more AI entities in this game than her. The environments you’ve seen in Portal have changed and will change as you play through the game. GlaDOS is rebuilding the facility you destroyed.

Portal 2 is scheduled for next year – hopefully with Episode 3, but I’m not crossing my fingers.

Rage

Rage has been, and will continue to be, compared to Borderlands. However, iD’s new shooter seems to be shaping up to a return to shooter form for the beloved developer. Rage is about the player being on a nice and twisted game show called Bash TV. The object is to survive – not just enemies but traps. Rage’s corridor shooting is mixed with vehicular combat, which doesn’t seem to be too noteworthy. However, for me, the true appeal of this game is seeing iD finally develop a new IP and seeing them return to what made their old games enjoyable – just having the player shoot at waves of enemies for no reason other than survival.

Rage is slated for sometime next year.

Shogun 2: Total War

Ah, another monolith of the strategy world. The Total War series made it’s debut in 2000 with Shogun: Total War. I’m a fan of Medieval: Total War (and am very sad that it does not work on Windows 7), and seeing a new instalment to this series warms the cockles of my heart. Creative Assembly is hoping to make this the biggest game in the franchise – with the ability to display around 56,000 units on-screen at once, with some units being composed of 1,000 polygons. However, there will be a lower variety of unit, as Creative Assembly felt too many units in previous games were too similar. Naval combat and siege combat have seen some upgrades. The navy units will now have terrain considerations and in a siege the defender can open up the gates and have choke points set up inside their castle.

Shogun 2: Total War is expected to be released in 2011.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

My favourite series of games under the Tom Clancy banner is Ghost Recon; I love the originals. I really like the 360 games, so I was waiting to see this one. I’m a bit worried – the GRAW games were pretty easy and this game includes cloaking technology, tiny shoulder mounted rocket launchers, in addition to the CrossCom we saw in GRAW. This all seems like overkill, to me. The CrossCom system itself has a bit of an overhaul, the HUD associated with it is minimized and enemy detection is a bit to perfect. The cloaking, thankfully, is briefly disabled when you fire your gun. The active camo is justified with a new emphasis on getting up-close and personal; apparently the best and brightest soldiers in the military have never just considering walking slowly and staying in the shadows when they need to sneak. Enemies however, are better equipped this time around – this time with thermal goggles. Active camo doesn’t cover up the heat your body gives off, so you’ll need to be careful of the buggers equipped with the goggles. Like the GRAW games, the game is much less like the original Ghost Recon and more like Gears of War in a more modern setting. Not that I’m complaining, but here’s hoping the game maintains some of the challenge of the original game.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is slated for the first quarter of 2011.

Nintendo 3DS @ E3 2010

Joseppi — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:16:27 +0000

When Nintendo announced the 3DS in March, I was kind of skeptical. I was imagining another Virtual Boy. But earlier today, the successor to the DSi was finally revealed! The 3DS looks a lot like a regular DS with a few noticeable changes. The top screen is a wide screen while the bottom is a square. The top screen is where the 3D effects come in. Nintendo claims that the 3DS can produce “3D effects without the need for any special glasses.” So elements in the game look like they’re popping right out at you. The bottom screen retains the usual touch screen functions of the original DS systems.

Another addition to the 3DS is the Slide Pad, which works as an analog stick. This is something they should have added a long time ago. Although the positioning of the D-Pad looks like it would be a little awkward to use – But we’ll know in due time. The 3DS has some very impressive graphics, right on par with the Wii. Another new feature in the 3DS are motion sensors that allow the system to know when the handheld is being tilted or moved in different ways. And last but not least are the two side-by-side cameras placed on the back of the system. The duel cameras make your photos into 3D images, which is pretty impressive, I must say.

Upcoming 3DS Games

Nintendogs + Cats

Nintendo also announced a few games for the new handheld. Nintendos + Cats will be a lot like the original Nintendogs games, but they’re adding cats into the mix. It would be fun to see how the dogs and cats will interact. And of course, with the new 3D screen, it will be like you can reach down and pet them with your hand.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

When Nintendo announced that their new subdivision, Project Sora was working on their first title, I was expecting a Nintendo/Kingdom Hearts crossover. (I can dream can’t I?) But I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Pit fly across the screen and say, “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Oh Pit, you have no idea. Kid Icarus: Uprising is the third installment in the series and the first Kid Icarus game in almost 20 years. Uprising marks the first time Pit has ever got to move around freely in a completely 3D environment. The game allows you to battle on ground or in the air. The video shows off Pit fighting different enemies including Cerberus and a few other bosses. This game alone has me sold on the 3DS.

Other Confirmed Titles

Animal Crossing
Mario Kart
Paper Mario
PilotWings Resort
Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
CODENAME: Chocobo Races
Dead or Alive 3D
DJ Hero 3D
Hollywood 61
Kingdom Hearts
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D “The Naked Sample”
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Resident Evil Revelations
Ridge Racer
Samurai Warriors 3D
Starfox 64
Steel Diver
The Sims 3
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Tom Clancy’s Splinter: Cell Chaos Theory
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon

Nintendo At E3: Day 1

Joseppi — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:25:21 +0000

I already gave you a look at The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but that was just the beginning of the many treats the Big N had in store for us. I hear they’re teaming up with Activision and Retro Studios to bring us a couple of sequels to some Rare gems from the 90’s.

Mario Sports Mix

We’ve seen numerous sports games in the past staring Mario and friends. From tennis, golf, soccer, basketball, a couple of crossovers with Sonic the Hedgehog in the Olympics and even NBA superstars, our favorite pudgy plumber has proven himself to be one hell of an athlete. Mario Sports Mix looks to be the ultimate games for anyone who loves a good competition in the Mushroom Kingdom. We’re not sure just how many different sports the game will feature, but the video shows us basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, and hockey – which is played both on the beach and on ice.

Wii Party – Wii

Take Mario Party and switch anything that has to do with Mario with Wii Sports elements. Wii Party is just that. It’s a party game, much like the games in the Mario Party series, but played with your Mii characters. The game features plenty of minigames to keep you and your friends entertained for hours. Most of which utilize all of the many abilities that made the Wii romote and the other Wii series titles so popular. Just like its Mario counterpart, Wii Party has players moving from space to space through a board game-like area where you battle it out in the various minigames.

Just Dance 2 – Wii

The popularity of music-rhythm games over the past decade has proven one thing. People love music. And with countless songs out there waiting to be licensed out to video game publishers, sequels are very fast and easy to bust out. If anything Guitar Hero has shown us that. With Just Dance 2, you and your friends can find out just who has the sickest moves and look like a true dance queen while doing so. With over 40 tracks and up to 8 players, Just Dance 2 is a must have for anyone loves busting moves and doesn’t mind looking like a fool while doing so.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn – DS

The Golden Sun series first began on the Game Boy Advance. Almost a decade later, the latest installment comes to us for the Nintendo DS with some impressive visuals. The game utilizes both screens for the cut scenes and requires the stylus to solve puzzles and for completing other tasks. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is surely going to be one of the best titles in the series.

Golden Eye 007 – Wii

If you grew up playing the Nintendo 64, you know what Golden Eye is all about. The original is one of the most beloved games in video game history and is regarded by many as one of the greatest first person shooters of all time. This brand new title features 8 classic James Bond characters, 16 different game modes and a multiplayer mode with all of the elements that made the original so great. But this time you can go online! Golden Eye 007 is being developed by Activision exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

Epic Mickey – Wii

Designed by Warren Spector of Deus Ex and System Shock fame, Epic Mickey delves you into the magical world of Disney. The game features Mickey in his older image; beady black eyes and all. The game is a platformer with some RPG elements, and has you meeting up with plenty of classic Disney characters from your favorite animated films. Mickey’s primary piece of equipment is a paint brush and paint thinner. You can use the brush to “paint” in parts of the scenery to access new areas and the thinner can be used to destroy obstacles blocking your path or even enemies. But this time around, Mickey isn’t just your everyday good guy. Depending on the actions the player takes throughout the game, Mickey can be praised as a “Hero” or feared as a “Scrapper.” Epic Mickey looks to be a must-have title for any gamer who loves Disney.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn – Wii

After seven long years, Nintendo is finally giving our favorite pink puffball his own game on a Nintendo console. But this time, things are a little different. It still has the classic gameplay elements we all know and love, such eating enemies and stealing their powers in a side-scrolling environment. But now there’s so much more! As the title implies, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is all about sewing… Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. The environment, enemies and even Kirby himself are made out of yarn and fabric. To get through certain areas, Kirby must use a string of yarn to unzip zippers to reveal hidden areas or grab certain points to swing like Donkey Kong and even fold sections of the landscape over to make large gaps smaller. The yarn is also used to lasso around enemies and apparently a new buddy character to grab onto and throw. Kirby can also transform into different vehicles such as a submarine, UFO, and a even giant tank.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies – DS

The ninth title in Square-Enix’s epic Dragon Quest series offers many new elements into the mix. Taking a more Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles approach, the game is made primarily to be multiplayer via co-operative wireless gameplay rather than being WiFi compatible. Another noteworthy difference about Dragon Quest IX is that there are virtually no random encounters with enemies other than when you’re sailing. One great thing about this game is that you can customize your characters in many ways including their gender, clothes, hairstyle & color, body type, face, eye color, and even skin color. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies will be released in just a few short weeks for the Nintendo DS!

Metroid: Other M – Wii

Nintendo didn’t have much new for us in regards to Metroid: Other M other than a new trailer. The game does look great with amazing visuals, dark settings and of course, the classic eerie Super Metroid music. The game is set to be released on August 31!

Donkey Kong Country Returns – Wii

The name says it all; Donkey Kong Country returns! Retro Studios, the company who brought us the Metroid Prime trilogy takes on yet another beloved classic. But this time they stay more true to the series’ roots. Donkey Kong Country Returns looks a lot like (only better) the Super NES classics. Donkey Kong finally goes back to starring in the latest sequel to the games bearing his name. Just as it was 15 years ago, Donkey and Diddy run, jump, collect bananas, swing, and ride mine carts through the land of the Kongs. Donkey Kong also has some new moves strait out of the Super Smash Bros. series such as punching and pounding the ground. It is unknown as to what Diddy’s abilities are, but I have a feeling he may be concealing a weapon under that t-shirt of his somewhere. One of the best things about this game is, NO NEED FOR BONGOS!

E3 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Joseppi — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:29:12 +0000

Skyward Sword relies heavily on the Wii Motion Plus attachment for the Wii Remote. The remote is your sword while the nunchuck is your shield. So you must position yourself as if you are actually holding a sword and shield. You shake the remote to draw your sword and shake the nunchuck to draw your shield. Whichever way you hold the remote, Link will hold his sword. Fighting Deku Babas is a little different than how you fight them in the previous games. In this game, you must cut their mouths in two. Some must be cut horizontally, while other need to be slashed vertically.

The reason the game is called Skyward Sword is because you can gain power by holding the sword towards the sky, which in turn allows you to shoot a beam of light by swinging it. Spin attacks are achieved by swinging both the remote and nunchuck in the same directing – not by spinning your whole body in a complete circle, luckily. At one point in the demo, there is a door with an eyeball on it. If you try to slash at it, the eye closes, reflecting your attack. But the eye is usually following the tip of your sword. So what you must do is spin your sword (remote) around in complete circles until the eye gets dizzy causing it to loose focus, allowing you to slash it, which unlocks the door.

Another returning enemy to this game are Deku Scrubs. Much like the past games, you need to use your shield to reflect their projectiles. But this time, just blocking them won’t reflect them back. You must thrust the shield(nunchuck) just as it hits to bounce it back into the enemy. The another returning enemy are Bokoblins who use their swords to block your attacks. So what you have to do is swing your sword in a way that goes around theirs.If their sword are guarding their face, you need to slash at their waist. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the Dark Nuts in Zelda II.

You don’t use many buttons for this game. The A button allows you to run, and while you are holding it, you can roll by shaking the remote. And of course, the Z button is for targeting. The Minus button is used for bottles while the Plus button is your map. The B button is for your other weapons. For instance, if you press B, the item menu will come up. Point to the item you want, and let go of B to equip it. If you have the Bow, you just need to point to where you want to shoot, then hold down C while pulling back on the nunchuck to pull back on the bow. Letting go of the C button fires the arrow. One of the new items in the game is called the Beetle. This is an item you shoot and then guide using the Wii remote. The Beetle flies around and allows you to pick up otherwise unreachable items. Another new item to the game is the Whip. With this, you can go Simon Belmont on your enemies and attack them from a distance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work on all of them, such as Bokoblins, but it seems to work great on those annoying Keese.

One thing that caught many fans off guard was the fact that the game is once again cel-shaded. But it’s not bad at all. Link looks like the hero we know from Twilight Princess but with a brighter tone. The world around him is a lot like the world in Wind Waker, but he fits right in. The best way to describe the look of Skyward Sword is to say it’s a mash-up of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. And personally, I think Nintendo has found the perfect style for the franchise. It really is a beautiful game.

PC News from E3, Day 1

Kelsey — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:05:52 +0000

Bodycount

Bodycount is from the designer of Black, a PS2 and Xbox game I (sadly) missed out on. The game has a humourous side to it, the gameplay footage has a light-hearted nature thanks to the disembodied voice you hear as you play through (“your life expectancy has suddenly dropped”). The enemies are “class-based,” meaning different enemies are basically designed with different functions in mind – such as the canon-fodder enemies (typical dumb FPS enemies), soldiers (use cover well, good aim), and scavengers (they run around the battlefield picking up intel, the in-game currency, which is used to order airstrikes and such). Additionally, one of the top priorities for this game was getting a good multiplayer mode implemented! The game has very destructible environments – which affects how you play overtime. Environments start off very close-quarters, but as the firefight ruins the environments weapons with larger range are more advantageous. The goal is to give the player the ability to improvise how they’ll go through a situation.

Stuart Black’s approach for story telling appears to be more episodic in this game – a move itself which is not too terribly noteworthy. After all, Alone in the Dark and Alan Wake used this gimmick, Telltales Games’ design philosophy is based around this, and Valve is attempting to finish the Half-Life story in this way. However,what is noteworthy is the reason for this in Bodycount is because Stuart Black feels that too many action games pad out a two hour story into ten hours. This is a sentiment I agree with. Well, except for the ten hour game bit; where is this guy finding new shooters that long?
So far, the expected release is sometime before next summer.

Crysis 2

Crytek’s new game, Crysis 2, showcases the new CryEngine. Now, PC fans will cry a river now that even Crytek, developers of FarCry for the PC (but not the console) and Crysis, have decided to develop a game on consoles and PC. However, once diehards wipe the tears away, they will be pleasantly surprised with what Crytek offers. Crytek is known not just for being somewhat lazy with naming, but also for being capable of creating some really good looking games. FarCry was a benchmark for years and I know someone who, when he bought his new PC, bought and installed Crysis to test its limits. Crytek makes pretty games for the hardcore shooter fan. Crysis 2 appears to be no different. Crytek’s CryEngine 3 is efficient enough to run on consoles without sacrificing too much and offers 3D graphics. Now, normally this would seem somewhat gimmicky. However, CryEngine 2 was a showcase for DirectX 10, but was never gimmicky about it and I’m confident enough that Crytek would not throw something into their engine if it was merely a gimmick. These developers seem to pride themselves on being on the cutting edge of graphics, so 3D may not be the future, but it will almost certainly be well-thought out.

Crysis 2 is supposed to hit shelves before the end of this year.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

“Another Deus Ex game is coming out,” if you had said that a few years ago fans would have been indifferent, at best. Invisible War was not a success with fans. The role-playing elements that made the original beloved were toned down, universal ammo was just a bad idea, the interface did not work well on the computer, and the game was unpopular enough that Project: Snowblind was stripped of any overt Deus Ex references. Well, Square Enix is bringing a prequel to the series and, somehow, fans are excited. The trailer shows a lot of cool moves and tricks that the new player character can pull off. By all accounts, it’s flashier than the original game, a lot more style, and a lot of detail is being put into the game. The new protagonist, Adam Jensen (who reminds me of our very own, and stunning, Joe), is one of the first people to get the augments that are a staple of the series. He’s not as pretty and discreet as JC Denton, but he can punch through walls and take cover. This entry will show you how the world of Deus Ex became what it is. It will show the starts of human augmentation, will show the player how the important players of the universe got to where they where, and promises to offer up a new conspiracy to unravel.

That being said, I am still cautious in my optimism about this new game – I remember the hype machine around Invisible War. It made many promises and didn’t live up to many of them. Edios Montreal is a studio that has yet to prove itself, it has yet to release a game and is working on Thief 4 (another game franchise beloved by PC gamers that saw a mediocre sequel last generation). Now, the last time one studio decided to make a Thief and Deus Ex game went under in short order, both games got mixed reviews, and failed to sell. Plus, as an English-speaking Canadian, I’m not sure if I can trust those damned French-Canadians!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is expected to be released in 2011.

Fallout: New Vegas

I’m a fan of RPGs, which is odd considering how few I play. I made the mistake of starting off on Diablo II, Baldur’s Gate II, and Final Fantasy VII – some of the best RPGs ever made. However, one of the few series of RPGs that have managed to exceed those games, in my mind, is the Fallout series. Fallout and Fallout 2 are some of the best games ever made; I even enjoy Bethesda’s Fallout 3, despite not being a fan of their other games. So, I’m looking forward to New Vegas since Obsidian is taking over for this installment.

I’ll give those unfamiliar a little history lesson before I continue. Black Isle Studios developed Fallout and Fallout 2. They went under while working on Van Buren, a.k.a Fallout 3. Bethesda acquired the rights to continue the Fallout franchise (apparently Bethesda is composed of fans of the franchise). Obsidian was founded by former employees of Black Isle and Bethesda is having this studio make a new entry in the series.

Fallout: New Vegas continues in the footsteps of Fallout 3, gameplay wise. It’s not hard to guess where New Vegas takes place. New Vegas was an area that, surprisingly, wasn’t too hard hit in the Great War of the Fallout universe. It seems to have some inspiration from Van Buren, even if it’s just setting (it’s not known how many elements from the scrapped Van Buren are appearing in New Vegas). In terms of gameplay additions, you can now shoot down the sights of a gun, companion orders have been streamlined, VATS is now flashier (with some weapons having special moves that can only be used in VATS), and the player will have to choose to help certain factions. How the player interacts with these factions will influence the story and how other characters interact with the player (an idea Obsidian has played with before, in their expansion to Neverwinter Nights 2). The game will also include “Hardcore Mode,” which will not only have tougher enemies but give ammo weight (thus limiting what you can carry), make resources more scarce, and require you to drink to avoid dehydration out in the desert.

Fallout: New Vegas can be pre-ordered already. Depending on where you pre-order the game, you get access to different in-game items. The expected release is this October.

Homefront

To me, this game brings memories of last generation’s Freedom Fighters to mind. The communist threat takes over the United States, and you’re part of an insurgent group to throw off the yoke of oppression. This time though, the evil comes from Korea, not the Soviet Union.

My only qualm is the playing up I’ve seen the developers doing for this game – which is expected. However, it’s odd to see them pay homage to Red Dawn in one breath and then comment on how they’re doing something unique by having the insurgents not be professional soldiers. The concept they’re playing up is not unique. Freedom Fighters is about a plumber-turned-rebel and Half-Life 2 is about a scientist leading an armed resistance against an oppressive regime from another dimension. It seems to me like the norm for a FPS game trying to achieve that epic storyline is implement this radical viewpoint of a civilian taking up arms. While my complaint seems silly, it’s odd for developers not to acknowledge any influences aside from a piece of (entertaining) Cold War propaganda and it’s even stranger to see developers ignorant of what is the norm in the genre they specialize in (Kaos Studios’ previous credits are a mod for Battlefield 1942 and Frontlines).

That being said, I love this scenario in a game. I loved it in Half-Life, when I was a lone scientist taking on a military and alien threat by myself. And I hope to enjoy it when I take on some Korean pinkos in Homefront. I just hope what I’m hearing from this new studio is an attempt to hype up their project so they can have a hit on their hands instead of legitimate ignorance.

Homefront does not currently have a release date.

X-COM

X-COM is another beloved cult classic getting some love at E3. Fan reaction to this item, however, has been mixed. The X-COM series is known for being a turn-based tactics game, not a first-person shooter. However, Bioshock 2’s developers think this franchise has a place among the shooter crowd. Now, unlike many PC gamers, I am not attached to this series. I have never got a chance to really get into the game. I have also been unable to play Bioshock 2, but from the positive buzz the game received, I have no reason to be too wary of this game. The game features the retro-50s design that makes alien invasions seem so much scarier (how dare they invade this idyllic vision of society?).

The X-COM reboot has the evidence and intelligence gathering that was required in the previous X-COM games – the methods used to acquire information seems to be inspired by Monolith’s Condemned:Criminal Origins. However, there is an openness to this game that one would not expect from a shooter. You can abort missions – and sometimes this is advisable – and provided you come back with new information on the alien threat, it’s not a total wash. Actions have consequences and the player will be required to weigh the options in their head.

X-COM is expected to be released next year.