Assassin’s Creed III Cover Makes Some See Red(coats)…

As for me, after the last couple of installments doing their best to milk things dry, I like the new location the series is headed to. The choice of a Revolutionary War setting shows that Ubisoft is interested in taking the series in a different direction that just may shake up the gameplay in a few core areas. I always get a chuckle out of poking around message boards and seeing the bile flow from the folks that don’t get the fact that the AC series isn’t “their” game. Like it or not, at the end of the day, Ubisoft dictates what goes on in the series and as long as the games continue to sell, you can expect them to keep being made. As for those who were expecting the series to stay overseas as far as settings go… lighten up, already. Sure, it may seem jarring to have things leap from the vast and lovely architecturally dense cities to pre-1800 America and its fight for independence, but let’s just see where this one goes as more info (and some ACTUAL gameplay) are released, hmmmm?

Hell, I’ll only complain if I see the exact same game mechanics and animations (and maybe some Dodge cars being driven during a big battle sequence like in that stupidly overblown commercial from last year)…

Dragon’s Dogma Class Skills Video Updates: Six More Short Strong Ones…

And here you go: six additional super short to short videos of more skill usage from Capcom’s upcoming action/RPG. Just when you think you’ll be sticking with a melee or archer class, along comes some cool mage spells to cast and there goes your game plan straight out the window. As much fun as these are to watch, I’d actually prefer all these DD clips be combined into one longer video or ones longer than a few seconds each, but hey… it’s Capcom’s world and we’re just living in it. Or we all will be when the game hits retail in May…

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The Thing That Ate Much Of A Good Night’s Work…

Normally, I’d blame gremlins or whatever that thing on the left that lives in a closet here, but in reality, there’s nothing like a REALLY chuggy internet connection to ruin a formerly productive writing session. Feh. I’ve a few different updates I was working on that I’ll have to get back to tackling later today, so check back this afternoon/evening. I want to get them all done and posted before I camp out in front of the TV for The Walking Dead, Shameless and Eastbound & Down. We shall see what happens, I suppose. OK, I’m off to bed, as I can barely keep my eyes open and I’m all out of toothpicks (ouch)…

 

Back in a bit.

Starhawk “Build To Kill” Trailer: The Sky Is Falling!

I’m always happy to see more Starhawk in action and hope the game does spectacularly well enough that we see more by LightBox Interactive that keeps the series going (and maybe even a Vita game at some point). Of course, I’ll be all about covering every bit of the single player campaign simply because heck, the team has worked on it for so long and I love to see games that don’t forget those of us who crave a bit of story more than merely hopping online and shooting up the competition. Conversely, the beta seems to be  huge success with PS3 owners who want to do just that as well as those new to this style of RTS/shooter gameplay. Now, let’s hope anyone else who eventually picks up the game will get what’s here and be able to keep up with the blazing fast pace it offers when compared to other action/shooters.

The Ghoster, The Immortal & The Road Wolf Star In Ridge Racer Unbounded Update

Hmmm. That trio of names above sound like a bunch of Mad Max drivers (they must be personal friends of The Toecutter and Humongous). OK, I’m guilty of missing posting this trailer from about two weeks ago, but that’s because I was buried in Toy Fair stuff, so there (nyah!). Anyway, Bugbear’s hard work is paying off in my book, as the game is looking better each time I see it. Sure, it may not be the most original arcade-style racer out there. But if the parts that work as well as they’re supposed to all click into place, Namco Bandai is going to have quite a sleeper here…

Game Appreciation 101 (V): The Basics (Again, For The First Time)…

Yikes. It still seems not enough of you out there know the difference between a developer and a publisher. Yup, I keep reading message board posts on different forums  from or having actual conversations with folks who rant and rage about whatever wrongs they feel certain game companies have committed against a favorite game franchise, but I always see the same mistakes in self-misdirection. You  simply can’t have a rational argument that works at all if you keep pointing your fingers in the wrong places. Once again, a DEVELOPER makes games, while a PUBLISHER gets them out the door into a retail or online shop near you. Yes, sometimes both are the same, but more often than not (in the case of many AAA titles), many hands are working together.  Let’s keep the DISTRIBUTOR out of this for now, as that’s a bit tricky to define and can get bizarre if you follow the twisty trail that loops backward on itself at times.

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Mass Effect 3 Launch Trailer: Are You Throwing Money At Your Screen Yet?

So, it’s come to this has it? Actually, it’s no big deal that we’re seeing launch trailers land online before a game ships, but of course, some out there are over-speculating (as usual) when they should just knock it off and get their grins on that BioWare and EA are getting the final part of Shepard’s story into their hands. Well, issues with DLC aside (for those who can’t access it more than the ones who CAN but still want to complain all day about the cost and availability schedule), I’d say the game is going to be huge (duh) and neither the developer nor publisher should let those pooh-pooh bears rain on their parade.

Tales of Graces F Graces My Mailbox – Review Incoming…

Well, once the embargo is lifted on 3/13, actually.  There’s nothing like getting a good game to review on a rainy Friday evening, that’s for sure.  I haven’t quite fired this one up just yet, as I’ve been busy with some other stuff today, but it’s absolutely on the agenda for this weekend.  As with other Tales games, I expect to get pretty occupied in getting through the game once for the review, then heading back in to tackle stuff I missed out on and whatever other surprises I can find on a more exploratory play through. Alrighty, then – back in a bit with some impressions…

Dragon’s Dogma Demo Day Definitely Doable, Says Capcom

Capcom has revealed that a Dragon’s Dogma demo will indeed be made available over PSN and Xbox Live. Back in January, the company issued a press release stating the upcoming game’s release date (May 22, 2012 for North America) and the awesome news that it will come with a Resident Evil 6 demo. The demo will feature two classes (the melee-based Fighter and bow-wielding Strider) and two different areas, each with a huge boss to defeat. Additionally, players will get to check out the party AI system with three allies (Pawns) fighting alongside them. Based on my experiences with last year’s demo, those Pawns are quite necessary, as the bosses are quite mighty (and mighty cheap).

This updated news about the DD demo should please those who haven’t yet had the chance to try the game out at any of the conventions it’s appeared at. More on the game as soon as new news drops into the inbox here. I see that I have some cool DmC news from Capcom, but I’ll post that later today, as I’m about to head out the door…

Journey Developer Diary: thatgamecompany WIll Make You A Believer

Not only are the folks at thatgamecompany some of the nicest you’ll ever meet, they really know how to make some truly engaging games. While you’re waiting for Journey to drop onto PSN later this month (early reviews are out and yes, the game is a must-buy), take a look behind the curtain and check out what members of the dev team have to say about their baby and the games industry in general. I still think they need to slap all of their games on a Blu-Ray with an art gallery (maybe an actual art book) a soundtrack CD or download with selections from their games and some behind the scenes videos like this one just to get a few more folks who might want to get hooked onto their work up to speed.