Hey, now! Put down that baseball bat! I’m no pervy otaku at all, folks – I just laughed out loud when I saw the trailer title and watched it while my tiny male brain thought of the first two things that came to mind. Er, wait… that came out wrong. Um, boy, are my thumbs going to be sore! No, that didn’t come out right either…. Hmmm, let me quit while I’m ahead (or behind, depending on your sense of humor) or I’ll end up boots up in a Dumpster somewhere…
At this point about the only thing that can’t be driven, flown or dropped on an enemy in this innovative, lightning paced action/RTS hybrid are the planets in the game, but I’m sure LightBox will think of something creative to do about that… May 8, people. Go make yourselves happy and reserve away, as doing so will bump up that game to the Limited Edition version at no additional charge. Granted, if all you want is the single player campaign, you probably have not too much use for any DLC. Hopefully, that campaign will be lengthy and quite replayable for those gamers, but I think they’re covered, as this isn’t looking at all like a game you just play once and put back on the shelf…
One of the near-constant gripes I hear about Kinect from some “core” gamers who hate it is that they feel it’s not for the games THEY want or like (or want TO like, for that matter). Well, thanks to From Software and Capcom, a few of those already made up minds may change a bit. The upcoming Xbox 360 exclusive Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor will be on display at PAX 2012 this weekend and will be playable, so I’m expecting a few folks to be hopping on board for this one once they get their hands on it. No, it doesn’t use the Kinect as the sole means of control – From has integrated both a stock 360 controller and Kinect controls together to make one of the most immersive game experiences using the peripheral to date. Hell, I’d MUCH rather be buying a Steel Battalion Kinect Bundle than that Star Wars deal that’s just a cash cow for Microsoft with a not so hot game strapped into the cockpit. Ah well, in a perfect world, this one would get more hype… Go From! Go Capcom!
I really love the gameplay speed in the video above, but it looks like that as well as the the bloom lighting effect have been sped all the way up for testing purposes. Don’t freak out over this, I say (as hopefully these will be adjustable in the final game). Anyway, check out what’s new to the game: more building types! Better water effects! Pigs! Sheep! OK, maybe I’m getting a wee bit too excited about such “mundane” stuff, but hey – I like it when a plan comes together, and this project is showing off some fine work by a very dedicated bunch of folks. Check out the new screenshots HERE and give ’til it hurts (a little) HERE.
NISA is rolling out some really fun-looking RPGs of a few varieties in 2012 and 2013 (that I wish were allarriving on discs, but what can you do these days but hope?). The company announced three new titles for the PS3 and/or PSN that include:
Legasista (Summer 2012), which SOUNDS like a 70’s Legosploitation flick (har har), but is actually a lovely rogue-like tactical RPG coming from developer System Prism exclusively to the PS3 via PSN:
…which sounds like some import tuner muffler company sticker you’d see plastered on some goofy looking tricked out street whip (oh, I’m on a roll, aren’t I?), but it’s actually a very cool looking PS3 Strategy/RPG from Compile Heart (the folks behind the Hyperdimension Neptunia games) and GCREST.
And finally…
The Witch and the Hundred Knights, an Action/RPG set for a 2013 release on the PS3, has some lovely stylized visuals and while early, has “BUY ME” written all over those screenshots on the teaser site…
Add in a few more intriguing games such as Clan of Champions (Spring 2012), Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention for the PS Vita (Spring 2012), Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (sooner than you think!) and a few other surprises and that’s actually even MORE of a galore! OK, my work here is done – now go pre-order something or get that wishlist updated already!
Just seeing those cars flipping around, blasting and otherwise demolishing each other is causing my poor back to seize up, Sony. No wait, that was all those koo-koo crazy rumors about the new console not doing certain things that will piss off anyone without a huge online data plan and a lot of throwaway cash to spend. Hmmm. One day that will all get sorted out (I hope), unitil then, folks – keep your fingers crossed that this digital deal we’re all being shoehorned into will be somewhat (hah!) “safe” as we throw all our (not so) private personal info into that BIG cloud-shaped blender and HOPE it’s OK…
Er, the game looks nice, by the way. Reminds me of Team 17’s Stunt GP, a dash of Twisted Metal and Argonaut’s Red Dog on the Dreamcast. Nice…
As a longtime JRPG fan, I can safely say that this crowdfunding thing IS getting a whole LOT more interesting. A few weeks and months back some writers and game folks online made note that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to fund a console or portable game project, citing all sorts of reasons. Well, thanks to Victor Ireland (formerly of Working Designs infamy), Gaijinworks and MonkeyPaw Games – Class Heroes 2 Deluxe is not only a reality, it’s coming to the PSP as a digital release. Even better, gamers can expect a physical UMD as well… provided the project goal of $500,000 is met by April 27, 2012. Now, half a million may SEEM like a lot of loot, but hell, getting a physical copy of any game out these days does cost a chunk of change. Getting a DELUXE version of the game out with all the swag listed in the Kickstarter page will make that total seem small when you consider that the game will be a truly LIMITED release with the high probability of completely selling out as a physical game (and being worth a mint shortly thereafter).
The original Class of Heroes was an interesting Wizardry clone developed for the PSP by Zerodiv and initially published by Acquire in Japan in 2008, then Atlus in North America in 2009. While not quite a “classic”, the game’s old-school charm and lengthy quest made up for a few flaws here and there. From reading the funding page, it looks as if COH 2 Deluxe will fix a few things and add others the original developer left out of the first game. So far, the project has raised around $27,000, but still has a long way to go. Can the team get the overly skeptical crowd that SUPPOSEDLY loved JRPGs yet somehow doesn’t understand what a truly limited edition means to clam up and shell out a few bucks so they can get this out AND tackle future projects? Or will the game be doomed to a digital-only release that gets swallowed up in the PSN vaults? We shall see, I suppose. OK, back to bed for me – my back is still out of whack, but I saw this news and had to get my two cents in…
Eight great Capcom games from classics reworked for HD to XBLA-only titles that are worth a spin all for 39.99? Not a bad deal if you’re new to them and want to have something handy for that next game party or for when friends drop in and you want to keep them busy while you’re cooking them dinner. What, you can’t cook at all (except for maybe just being able to boil water for tea)? Well, er… it’ll give you all something to do while you’re waiting for that takeout meal to arrive. I say learn to cook, though – it’s FAR cheaper (you’ll have MORE money for games) and can impress almost anyone who thinks you’re not fully domesticated. I can’t help you out with any messy closet advice, though, as I’m still taking that class…
You KNOW by now that the wondrous NISA Online Store has quite possibly the bestpre-order bonuses for a fantastic price point of any company publishing JRPGs these days and this time they’re going all out for Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland. A measly $65 for ALL that stuff? Wow. NISA’s “Cut out the middleman and lookit the SAVINGS!!” approach to game retail is a godsend in this day and age of overpriced DLC schemes, not so “Limited” editions that have you hanging out in the rain waiting to get mugged at a midnight launch or any other nefarious plans to part you with your hard-earned Zenny while brainwashing you into thinking you’re special. Hell, I’m not a huge Atelier fan, but even I’m tempted to hock some stuff to snap up this set.
Commence the unstoppable automotive puns: It’s a running joke around here that when a franchise does a kart racer, it’s either doomed, running out of steam or jumping the shark somewhat hard creatively. However, given that it’s a LittleBigPlanet spin-off (or spin-out if things go badly for the game), this one might be worth taking for a ride. Of course, Sony already has an excellent kart racer in the ModNation Racers series, but let’s see how LBP turns out before passing any judgement. If what’s under the hood is fast and fun, this one will be firing on all cylinders in play stacks for quite some time. Of course, some creative wags will no doubt create a bunch of Mario Kart clone tracks, which should be really funny because you KNOW someone at Nintendo will be playing them once they’re posted on PSN…
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