It’s great to see that Capcom has kept this game going despite the ongoing (and always lame) bile-fest from so-called fans that didn’t see how hard the law of diminishing returns hit the franchise back when the fourth installment was released. It was time for a new look and a new take on the character and fortunately, developer Ninja Theory has stepped up to the plate to deliver the goods. Now, it’s all about getting the game done and shipped and perhaps some sort of demo that assures those who need it that this one’s going to be not only FUN, but fresh and funny where needed. Keep it going, guys, keep it going!
Travelers Tales has had this LEGO thing all sewn up tightly for a while, but with this game and LEGO Batman 2, they’re doing their best work to date. Between the funny, family friendly gameplay and always cute visual style, there’s something for any gamer with a pulse who happens to love to laugh. WBIE knows that the LOTR franchise had enough legs to stand up to this sort of kookiness, so kudos to them for getting this one out for just about every console or handheld available. Now, about that greatly improved War in the North sequel I hope is being worked on (wishful thinking, but hey… I can always dream, right?)…
Take one of the most innovative console developers and their award winning tech, add in a great actress with huge fan appeal and mix well under cover for a while, let bake and pop off the lid unexpectedly at a huge press event. BEYOND: Two Souls is going to be fantastic for a few reasons, the least of which being it takes place over a period of fifteen years in the main character’s life. The game is also something a lot more action driven than Heavy Rain, but Page’s character is clearly a “normal” human who happens to have some sort of powerful spirit that enables her to do some superhuman things (and attract the notice of a well-armed SWAT team). Other than a probable 2013 release date, nothing else is know about the game, but this first look at the game and amazing trailer should be more than enough to make you want to buy a PS3 just to play what’s bound to be an instant classic.
To me, this was hands down, Ubisoft’s best games lineup to date. Yeah, yeah, we all knew Assassin’s Creed III was going to be great (it’s even better than I thought), Far Cry 3 continues to be gorgeous (and even MORE outrageous with each new reveal) and the new Splinter Cell: Blacklist looks fantastic. ALL of these were superior game experiences I’d buy as well as recommend in a heartbeat. But it was the new IP that made me jump out of my seat (and more than once at that).
Rayman Legends was perfect, nostalgic fun on the Wii U, and that up to five player thing is going to make a LOT of families happy (as well as any gaming party where a little levity is needed). But then there’s Watch_Dogs. Wow. Not only does the game address some things I’ve been whining about for YEARS (our loss of security in this “always online” era), it’s actually one of the best looking games I’ve ever seen, blending cinematic techniques and gameplay seamlessly while surprising me with gameplay that shifted to a new character at the end of the demo.
Oh yeah… I don’t give a hoot about Just Dance 4, but you can’t deny the game has been HUGE on the Wii and sit JD3 last year, the PS3 and Xbox as well. So I’ll give then that and dock point for the boring Shootmania e-sports part I wish they’d relegated to the show floor instead of torturing the audience with for so long. I do want to see MORE on that Avengers game, though – even though it’s not hitting the PS3 or 360, it might be fun to play, as the trailer showed old school versions of Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, Venom and Spider-Man doing their stuff in CG form (but no actual gameplay, boo!). Update: Ubisoft also plans to “port” it’s Wii U titles to other mobile devices as a means to offset development costs, so I guess we’ll see where that goes and if it’s a success other publishers will mimick at some point….
Between Ubisoft’s mind-blowing Watch_Dogs, Naughty Dog’s brutally beautiful The Last of US and Quantic Dream’s stunning surprise Beyond: Two Souls., it’s CLEAR that the current console cycle has at least one great year left in it. Granted, Rayman Legends had me tearing up from laughing so much and YES, Ubisoft showed off how well the Wii U Gamepad and new Pro Controller will work for multiplayer action there, but it’s going to be another might spectacular 2012 and 2013 for gamers who happen to just own a PS3 or 360. More in a bit. I’m still processing a ton of notes…
Nintendo is rolling out a redesigned (well, final design, actually) and renamed controller for its upcoming console (which is still called Wii U, by the way), the Wii U Gamepad.The video also reveals a new social network service, Miiverse, which seems to be set up as a cross between a social site, chat service and help center. It should be interesting to see how this operates for those potential Wii U buyers who have no need for the service or don’t want their kids using a network at all. That said, I’m certain Nintendo has security measures in place to keep things as safe as can be.
As their official press conference isn’t until Tuesday, a price point for the console and controller have yet to be announced. No doubt this will be leaked before the event but the gremlins, but expect the internet to collapse upon itself like a dying star system once the new games are rolled out one by one. Oh, this is going to be quite an interesting week, that’s for sure…
Every time I see bits of this upcoming PS3 exclusive, I have to shake my head in disbelief. But, hmmmm… some fans still want these guys and gals to crank out a new Jak & Daxter game instead of going all out and making another new IP that might be a better move for the developer at the end of the day. I think they’re entitled to that opinion of course, but I also think they’re slightly bonkers with nostalgia. That and perhaps Naughty Dog has simply grown out of and away from making this sort of CG cartoon experience (no doubt thanks to the success of the Uncharted series). For me, outside of Ubisoft’s fun as hell Rayman franchise, some excellent 2D and 3D indie games and a bunch of cool handheld titles, mascot games and particularly, mascot based platformers are a dying breed. OK, save for the new Sly Cooper game coming, plus Mario and a newly revived Sonic doing their stuff on different systems.
Personally, I’d rather see a developer show what an “old” console like the PS3 can do by stretching the hardware as far as possible while doing something innovative and “adult” in the process. Look, I liked the Jak games on the PS2 and while Naughty Dog didn’t program the game, Daxter on the PSP is a classic for that platform. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Vita J & D collection at some point. As it stands, unless there’s a supreme reason for bringing both characters back in an all-new game (for a new console), just beating a dead horse harder won’t make money come out of its ass…
In a prefect world, this wouldn’t just be a free to play game that’s going to blow only the PC crowd away, but hey, I can always hope for the game to do well enough that some publisher throes money at Adhesive Games and Meteor Games to do some sort of console or portable version. Hell, it’s not as if we haven’t seen cool mech combat games before on a disc. Armored Core, the Xbox Mechwarrior games, Chromehounds, Phantom Crash (and so forth and so on) are a few examples of games I’ve enjoyed with a controller and a huge grin on my face, so a little Hawken would make me smile even more…
That, and I’d like to throw money at these guys who keep making games for free (and you should, too).
OK, looks aren’t EVERYTHING (as I say when I look in the mirror each morning), but with Kenji Inafune (of Mega Man fame) and a bunch of talented artists and programmers working away like mad, this one’s looking like an instant classic in its own right. That’s fine by me, as the Vita needs as many solid games as possible if it’s to stomp away the blues and rocket up the sales charts a bit more. Keep ’em coming, Sony!
As I’ve said elsewhere, anyone saying the PS3 has “no good games” either doesn’t own a PS3, is a massive fan-troll with FAR too much time on their hands or just really doesn’t get out to the shops much. This latest trailer from Namco Bandai’s upcoming Level-5/Studio Ghibli collaboration shows off just how gorgeous a game can look when everyone behind it is dedicated to the project. This one’s not out for a little while, but don’t worry, NamBan has some other fine games for you to play (as do a bunch of other developers and publishers)…
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