Minority Media’s sleeper PSN game has a great soundtrack that reacts to what you’re doing (or not doing) in the game in some interesting ways. Here are looks (and sounds) at how the team did the music and how well it’s integrated into the final product. Yes, this is a Video Game Appreciation 101 class – the test is you buying and playing the game to see and hear the results.
So, it looks as if Sanzaru definitely has the programming chops to whip up a great Sly Cooper adventure. Sly’s original creators (and powerhouse development team, Sucker Punch) have gone on to bigger (and it seems better) things for Sony, so some fans have been a bit anxious as far as what sort of quality to expect in this new entry in the series (especially after so long between installments). Me, I don’t care who makes a game in any series as long as it’s a good one. I suppose this will get Cross Play for the Vita as well (hopefully), as it looks perfect for some long road trip action.
Capcom’s fan favorite dino-hunting series with its learn it or suffer control scheme and spectacular prehistoric beasts of assorted sizes is coming to the Wii U soon enough, so they’re rolling out videos to show off their baby. I have a bunch of MH games here, but have never gotten around to completing one because I only play them solo and just can’t muster up the patience to deal with the quirks some fans adore. I think it’s the timed missions that tick me off the most, as I want an open world and enough breathing room to muck around and learn stuff with zero pressure. The superb Dragon’s Dogma was and is PERFECT for this style of play and I hope Capcom sees fit to get Wii U owners that game (or its upcoming sequel), as it’s one of those memorable experiences that gets better the longer you play it.
Granted, I’m used to games with plenty of learning curves, but there’s just something about the Monster Hunter series that hasn’t clicked with my old self. That said, I’ll definitely buy this, no doubt and you should to if you’re a fan of the franchise or are looking for a great game to kick your butt around the room and make you laugh when it offers up its comic relief moments. Just don’t expect it to be a cakewalk and realize once you’re in, you’re in for the long haul and you’re golden.
Amusingly enough, I was talking to someone yesterday about fan-made indie games and this one came up, as it’s now some sort of standard in terms of a big game company like Capcom actually approving of a project like this before making sure it gets done right. Of course, the bigger story will be how well the game does with the fans once it’s let loose on December 17 as a free PC download. I say it will do well, but I’d also expect other creative fans have been flooding Capcom and other publishers with even more ideas and suggestions than they usually do. I wonder how many people come up with exactly the same ideas, write them up (and maybe do up some nice art to go with their projects) and send them off thinking they’ve struck a gold mine. Live and learn, yes indeed… but wise up at some point and create your own original content at the end of the day. Sometimes, it’s better to make a little money from all that hard work than to just keep giving away the farm for free, I say. Hey, Han Solo didn’t walk away from a cargo hold full of Rebellion credits in Star Wars (AND he later got a Princess out of it to boot)…
I’ve decided to keep things a bit lighter on such a heavy day here and not post reviews of a couple of games just out of common courtesy, Anyway, time for some much-needed comedy:
For his final encore (that’s a little vaudeville joke there, I think), the great W.C. Fields created one of the more surreal comedies of the era that’s just as quirky today as it must have been back when it was originally released. 1941’s Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is the not quite true, but very true story of Fields’ problems in getting his often outrageous for the time comedies past brainless executives and censors who deemed his material too wild for movie audiences. Playing himself, the film is basically Fields trying to sell a screenplay he’s written to a producer at the aptly named Esoteric Pictures with scenes from the script turning into some pretty bizarre and hilarious stagings thanks to some really fun special effects work and plenty of Fields’ comic genius.
The EDF Wants YOU! Well, not right now, but soon enough. Get ready for more big bugs, big robots and big futuristic weapons to take them out with sometime in 2013. Although the game is still working its way through development over in Japan, Sandlot’s upcoming Chikyuu Boueigun 4 (Earth Defense Forces 4) is indeed coming to North America and Europe as Earth Defense Force 2025 next year. For hardcore EDF fans like me, this is fantastic news, particularly given that we’re also getting Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable on the PlayStation Vita in February. Yep, I have the import and in fact, I’m currently playing through EDF 2 Portable on the PSP because I’m that hooked on the awesome fun of this pick up and play run ‘n gun series since about 2004.
As you can see from the lovely screenshots below, EDF 2025 is going to be Sandlot’s most polished work to date. Not bad at all for what was initially created as a budget game for the Japanese market. Now, all we need to see are some official game trailers and it’s even more on than it already is. While a concrete release date for EDF 2025 has yet to be revealed, the press release is dated “June 28, 2025”, but let’s not make anything of that until there’s a more official update in the future. All D3Publisher of America needs to do now is actually update their official site to include this game as well as EDF 2017 Portable, which is set to hit the PlayStation Vita on February 12, 2013. Between these two EDF games and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim coming out next year, it’s going to be an absolutely epic year for kaiju fans. And if that new Godzilla gets let loose next year, expect lots of screaming in the streets as we all run into the theaters to see these flicks and then into game shops to snap up these two games.
It figures. The first Dead Island got a surprisingly emotional CG trailer that drew acclaim and major attention to the game, which turned out to be OK, albeit a bit buggy in spots. I actually held out for the recently released Game of the Year retail version after playing about an hour of the original because I knew Deep Silver and developer Techland would fix things up (and add all that DLC content I couldn’t get). Anyway, this new trailer for the sequel is another superb two-hanky CG masterwork which also makes me never want to go anywhere on vacation ever again. Damn undead and their people-chomping ways mucking up everything like that. Imagine that last postcard from the doomed couple in the video: “Having a blast on our trip – Wish you were here!” BOOM.
Hmm… then again, I actually don’t actually believe in zombies at all (thank you science education!), so my ass is safe as the breeze wherever I go. You can hole up with a shotgun, machete and a few thousand cans of beans if you like when the so-called zombie apocalypse hits. Me, I’ll just see some cranky-looking people stumbling around because all the Starbucks in the world will be closed. I’ll just carry a pocketful of coffee beans to toss at them and be able to get away while they’re rolling on the ground fighting each other for that fix.
Konami in Japan has been posting a bunch of spectacular trailers and game footage from this upcoming Kojima/Platinum collaboration and I’ve just been looking at them and shaking my head at the rather insane amount of talent these guys have. Despite their rather vocal fan base, i don’t think Platinum Games gets true recognition for their work from some pro gaming journalists and that’s too bad. Granted, if you’re a supremely jaded internet know-it-all and just look at their action games as similar to other titles based on first impressions, you’re cheating yourself immensely. Bayonetta and Vanquish have some interesting depth and details you’ll discover only upon multiple replays and it looks like Revengeance will be their most impressive game to date. Of course, getting some hands-on time will be the true barometer of whether or not the final product is a winner, but I’m gathering that given the combined experience of all involved, that won’t really be something to worry much about.
Ho, Ho, Ho! Once again, the fine folks at gog.com bust out something awesome and FREE for gamers everywhere this crazy holiday season. This isn’t the normal Duke, mind you, but Duke Nukem: Atomic Edition, which packs in the original game and a megaton of bonus content. In case you’re new to Duke Nukem, it’s the seminal politically incorrect first-person shooter that’s also a master class in game design, outrageous humor and tons of hidden goodies. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kiss the hours goodbye and even better, you’re not paying a cent. Hell, if that fat man flying around in his sleigh wasn’t busy doing that, he’d be sitting at home in front of his own computer blasting baddies and peeling off digital dollar bills to check out some jingle bells. Just don’t tell Mrs. Claus!
Let’s see now, based on this rather action-packed UK trailer, Guillermo Del Toro’s PACIFIC RIM is not:
a) A reality show about a custom tire shop in sunny California.
b) Anything resembling a porn film made in sunny California. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
c) For people who don’t like movies with and about giant robots beating the snot out of giant monsters and such.
I think that’s all you need to know for now (there may be a test later)… oh yeah, Earth Defense Force fans are probably happier about this one that your average film fanatic. It’s going to be a really crazy summer next year with all these cool flick hitting theaters, that’s for sure…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 