It hasn’t been so long since our last trip to the world of Halo. Only a few months ago Halo 3: ODST dropped into our living rooms to provide a memorable campaign experience. Now, at the Video Game Awards 2009, Halo: Reach premiered in full glory to serve as the finale to this year’s VGA.]]>;)
Sega and Platinum Games’ hyper-violent, over-sexualized blockbuster is spreading its climax action across PlayStation Network and Xbox Live in demo format at this very minute. Many of you may have already had a taste of what’s to come and have formulated opinions of your own about the title by this time.
Right now, I’m staring down the game’s final boss. Here are my impressions.
]]>;)
Following three installments of the Ace Attorney series starring the franchise’s pioneer and leading man, Phoenix Wright, Capcom decided to try and keep the series fresh by introducing a new main character into the courtroom for the fourth game, Apollo Justice, while leaving the game mechanics essentially unchanged. Fans of the series, while they didn’t necessarily reject the title, were mostly let down since they felt like they were merely receiving “more of the same,” fronted by a character that they had no attachment to.
Capcom is trying to change all of those things this time around by putting players in the shoes of fan-favorite character, the cool and collected, unflappable prosecuting attorney, Miles Edgeworth. The series also moves both out of the courtroom, as well as the first-person perspective, this time allowing the player to control Miles from a third-person viewpoint and focusing the action on the crime scene instead of the courthouse.
Visually, the game seems like a clever revitalization of a franchise that, while certainly still enjoyable, has started to grow somewhat stale even for many dedicated fans. But is this latest really all that different in execution?
]]>;)
The popular .hack anime series has had a fair run in the gaming industry with .hack//G.U., the trilogy of games on the Playstation 2. Just when it was thought to be done with gaming all together, .hack sprung back with the announcement of .hack//Link for the Playstation Portable. ;)
LittleBigPlanet on PS3 was a landmark in the creativity of videogames. No longer were you restrained to the levels within the game – now you could play levels upon levels created by the very gamers that play the game.
With such a massive scope, I thought that LittleBigPlanet on the PSP would be impossible to pull off. With the release of the demo on the PSN Store this past week, I realized just how wrong I was.
]]>;)
In the midst of the PlayStation 3’s dearth of “Must have/Only on PS3” titles, an unexpected gem of a tactical RPG appeared by the name of Valkyria Chronicles, and thanks to positive reviews, word of mouth, and Sega having just plain made a damn fine game, the title continued to sell units to the point where it warranted a sequel in the eyes of the publisher. The announcement made a lot of people happy, however the move to put the proper sequel on PSP, well, that stung a little bit for (some) fans and PS3 owners.
‘Tis the way of the world it seems, for many Japanese developers and publishers. With development costs soaring, the young gaming population in Japan rapidly shrinking, and portable hardware booming, the move is a logical one. We might as well accept that this is likely to be a trend to continue at least into the near future. If we can do that, then we can redirect our attention toward more important matters:
There’s a Valkyria Chronicles sequel coming, and based on what’s offered in the demo, that’s certainly nothing to complain about.
]]>;)
Whether or not Wii owners are clamoring for more “core” titles or just “core Nintendo" titles is a topic with a new argument, rant, or rebuttal constantly popping up on blogs and news sites managed by gamers and industry insiders alike. The final ruling? Undecided.
Sega’s titles The Conduit and Madworld, as well as EA’s recently released (and applauded) Dead Space: Extraction, have been the flag bearers supporting the argument that, “Third party games don’t sell on Wii,” and that, “Core gamers aren’t putting their money where their mouth is.” It’s a sad story. I guess those games are pretty good.
However, what if none of these arguments is correct? Based on my (prematurely failing) memory, many of those nursed from young on the tits of Nintendo loved, played, and continue to enjoy plenty of “core” games, its just that the particular variety of “core” games is a bit different. For many, this gaming experience was part of a pre-Halo, Gears, or GTA era. It was even a pre-Goldeneye or Mortal Kombat era, which means that severed limbs, muscle men, and blood fountains played no role whatsoever in the player’s experience. Games were a bit more, shall we say, Japanese?
If the above analysis describes you, deprived Wii owner, might I ask, “Have you caught word of Bandai Namco’s latest action-adventure title, Fragile Dreams?” If you answered, “no,” now is the time to pay attention.
]]>;)
The zombie apocalypse is an idea that's been done over time after time in the media world. Movies, books, TV, games -- the idea of a couple of average Joes like yourself fighting their way through a world filled with the undead is a great concept. It works.
Developed by Amanita Design, Machinarium is a soon to be released, independently developed puzzle adventure. A point and click interactive title, Machinarium looks like an indy game that reverts to the tried and true of the old gaming days, while stirring a bit of new-age flair into the mix.
Today we’ll be previewing the game and having a look at its recently released demo, which features three out of thirty maps that pleasantly tested patience, logic and guile.
]]>;)
Assassin's Creed was one of the first games ever to feature very distinct, fully climbable environments. If you ask anyone about the first game, you will hear one of two answers: "I liked it, but it was so repetitive" or "Yeah, you really could climb on anything!" Both of those comments are true, and represent both the good and bad aspects of the first game. Luckily, after being shown Assassin's Creed II by the developers at Ubisoft, I can say that the game certainly looks like it has fixed any issues from it's maiden voyage, or assassination, so to speak.
Warning: Possible spoilers for the first game follow...
]]>