Random Indie Game of the Week: Driftmoon Hands-On Update

 

It’s allllmost done, folks. Ville and Anne Mönkkönen’s refreshingly fun (and funny) blend of adventure and role-playing as gotten a ton of fixes including new skills, all sorts of little and big optimizations and is shaping up to be a great blend old and new school genre fans looking for something really unique should absolutely buy. Go play the latest demo and see for yourself. I’ll wait, but while I’m waiting, a short report on what’s new:

When we last left our hero (in a previous demo build), an important item was acquired, a relative was rescued and there was a nice air of “this is really going to be even more fun!” at the expected abrupt ending. Picking up right from that save, the game gets funnier and a bit more challenging as new enemies and plenty of nice surprises awaited with further exploration. One thing new players will NEED to learn (other than adjusting to the top-down camera angle, but there’s a potential slight options tweak being considered) is the importance of moving or activating certain objects in the game world to uncover assorted secrets. I found a new room in the old dungeon I was on the way out of by extinguishing a torch (hey!), and there were a wealth of cool items under chairs, chests, wooden boards and heavy rocks (among other places)… Continue reading

Ragnarok Odyssey: A Few Hours Into Xseed’s Vita MMORPG Time Eater…

Well alrighty then – after a chunk of time spent downloading thanks to a sloooooow connection and a bit of a false start when booting up the first time (I got a black screen for ages and had to reboot my Vita twice before the game woke up and decided to start), I’m finally playing Ragnarok Odyssey – well, the single player mode so far. So far, it’s quite fun – easy to get into in terms of setting up and creating your character, but not the grind-fest I thought it would be. You actually don’t gain levels by killing monsters (although you can repeat quests to gain extra items, weapons and other drops plus more Zeny to buy supplies and upgrade gear with). Your rank goes up as you complete chapters that advance the overall story.

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Hands-On: Crytek and Trion Worlds Want You to Put On Your WARFACE

Sitting down with Crytek’s Peter Holzapfel, Producer on the upcoming FPS WARFACE, one gets the immediate feeling that he’s more than happy with the upcoming AAA free to play shooter coming from Crytek through Trion Worlds in North America. We talk about the game’s worldwide appeal to shooter fans, F2P junkies looking for a quick fix and how the game is being published in different territories by different publishers for a few minutes, then we get down to the game proper, which is pretty fantastic and quite fun. Note that this is coming from a guy who doesn’t play shooters heavily. I’m more a fan of story-driven games and not multiplayer focused group shooting each other in the head games, but I do know a well-made game when I see and play it. What’s immediately apparent (aside from some more amazing CryEngine 3 visuals) is how accessible the team-based shooter is. Yes, it borrows elements from Team Fortress, Call of Duty and Crytek’s own games, but the experience is a more contained and faster paced game than any of the Far Cry or Crysis games, making for a perfect online experience.

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Defiance Hands-On: Welcome to the Resistance – It’s Going To Be Really Awesome

I may have been initially skeptical about Defiance based on mistakenly hearing it was going to be a licensed game (in fact, it’s a tie in set at the same time as the upcoming show), but I knew that if Trion Worlds was involved in it, it would be a game worth playing. After ogling movies and screens on and off these past few months, I finally got some hands-on time with the upcoming third-person Action MMO and yes indeed, it’s absolutely amazing. If the demo I and everyone else I saw walking away from with big grins on their faces is any indication, Defiance will indeed be a genre pushing game changer upon its April 2013 launch on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

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EA’s Going To Surprise A Few Folks (Me Included)…

Most of the games I saw and played yesterday are under embargo for a few days or up to next month, so I can’t spill all the beans yet, but let’s just say some of you naysayers are going to be eating a load of crow when it comes to certain titles in their lineup. I’ll start rolling out previews for each title as their embargoes lift, but while you’re waiting, I’ll keep you posted on stuff I can write about over the next few days on the mobile and console front. OK, I’m off to bed for two hours, as I have a LOT to do and need to hop up and get an earlier start than usual…

Silent Hill: Book of Memories Hands-On: The Reliable Chase & Chop Formula Always Rocks

I was instantly intrigued by Silent Hill: Book of Memories when I first heard about coming exclusively to the Vita. The fact that veteran developer WayForward Technologies got the gig was cool enough, but as soon as I saw early screenshots showing the game was a top-down action RPG hybrid, it went on my radar as something to watch.  Of course, me being so stupidly busy trying to get DAF more noticed and generate some income (hey, I like being a taxpayer!) meant I’d forgotten to check in on things until recently when a demo dropped on PSN. Not too surprisingly, the team has whipped up an extremely addictive action-heavy blast that’s sure to draw in those who crave tightly focused dungeon crawlers in all their knocking off of monsters and gathering of much loot glory.

While the BoM demo isn’t as initially creepy or instantly unsettling as previous games in the franchise, it has enough going for it that promises plenty. In terms of gameplay, it rocks in the manner of the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath and Hunter the Reckoning series. Naturally, some Silent Hill fanatics are raging over this intensely all over the internet, but let me put some sanity into place here by saying the game not only looks and plays well, it works as a Silent Hill game once you get over the fact that it’s the most combat-focused entry in the series history. The game deviates from the SH formula in a few key ways, but it also taps into what makes the series compelling. If you’re familiar with the above mentioned titles and love this type of game, I’ll bet you’re grinning already…

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WIkipad Hands-On: Handheld Revelation, Hardcore Price Point

 

I’ll admit that when I first heard about the Wikipad earlier this year I didn’t like the name much until I realized that it has nothing to do with the popular online encyclopedia and everything to do with where the word actually comes from . It’s a good thing I’ve been to Hawaii (although that was quite some time ago). OK, I was also a bit skeptical about yet another tablet hitting the market even though this one had a unique twin analog controller attachment that turned it into a more dedicated gaming device.  After spending time yesterday with the upcoming tablet and company CEO James Bower, I’d say that a handful of people not liking the name is the just about only thing he should be worried about. Wikipad is real, it runs like a dream and once you try it for yourself, there’s no way you can’t be impressed about the product. What we have here, folks is a winning combination of a powerful smartly designed tablet built from the ground up to be as good as it gets and an innovative controller attachment that opens up the tablet market to those “core” gamers who’ve been wary of anything with touch controls.

 

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TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2 Hands-On: Return of the King of Iron Fist (And How…)

 

Playing a build of TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2 at Namco Bandai’s recent NYC press event made for one of those ridiculously comfortable experiences where even after a long time away from the series, everything clicked into place and flowed as it should. The dev team is clearly keeping everything that makes the fighting game franchise a ton of fun intact while adding elements today’s fighting game fan expects in an online enabled brawler. The addition of a Snopp Dogg, er, Snoop LION (sorry, I forgot) stage and music doesn’t muck up the gameplay in any way at all, although the spinning low riders and other flashy background elements may make some players’ eyeballs cross thanks to so much going on.

What works about the game is what’s always worked about TEKKEN for me: accessibility, action, and amusement, as all of the characters have their movement moments that are guaranteed to bring grins when certain moves are successfully pulled off. TTT2 allows for some great dynamic tag-in combos where grab and throw or multi-hit action moments flow from the game pad with ease, no matter which characters are played. Even better using certain fighters (such as Anna and Nina Williams) allows for specific combo animations exclusive to that team. There’s a ton of content to explore in the final version, as well as some amazing new online features that look to turn the fighting game world on its collective ear, but let’s save that for the review. That World Tekken Federation deal looks and sounds pretty wild with all the stat tracking for anyone who joins up, that’s for sure.

There’s really not a lot to say about the game except for it’s going to be one of the best entries in the franchise when it kicks its way into North American stores on September 11th. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go exercise my fingers and maybe buy a new controller (just in case).

 

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Hands-On: Level-5 & Studio Ghibli Do The Genre Proud


I’m not at all sure just how many copies of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will sell when it finally slides into stores on January 22, 2013, but if there’s any JRPG that deserves to fly off the shelves, it’s this one. Namco Bandai is handling the publishing of this Level-5/Studio Ghibli gem that’s bound to be an instant classic and remembered for its stirring story, outstandingly gorgeous visuals and really interesting take on the active time battle system originated in the Final Fantasy games.

My hands-on with the English demo made me wish for a time machine so that I could finally dive right into the story and lovely game world that’s going to be one of the best-looking you’ll see on the PS3.

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One Piece: Pirate Warriors – Taking Musou To A New Level Of Awesome

 
 

Namco Bandai and Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force team up once more for hard-hitting multiple enemy on screen massiveness, but this time, it’s the cult hit One Piece getting the full-on Sengoku Musou treatment. One Piece: Pirate Warriors takes the familiar Dynasty Warriors formula and kicks it up a few notches with the show’s trademark oddball humor, some excellent visuals and gameplay that’s actually a lot more dynamic and frantic than what’s usually found in the DW series. From the level I played as Luffy, everything clicks into place and PS3 owners who can download this game should absolutely put this one on their radars. Controls are solid, with specific combos needed to pull off certain moves and yes, there’s a killer special attack you can unleash once that meter is filled. Enemies aren’t shy about batting you around the map if you’re too slow, a good thing for players who like a bit of challenge.

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