Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Stomps Into Retail. You’ll Need Patience And Practice To Survive, Period

 

And even if you HATE Kinect with a passion, this super-niche game is worth a look because developer From Software has cleverly cooked up a game that uses BOTH the peripheral and the Xbox 360 controller to give players a realistic simulation of being inside and out of that VT (Vertical Tank). The low-tech alternate time period setting adds a nice touch as well to the world war whatever locales you’ll be trying to survive in. That said, be prepared to put in some heavy time with this one (you can read the manual here just to see what you’ll be getting into), as it’s not aiming for the casual gamer at ALL.

Tip: Pay attention to that tutorial to learn the ropes, get fully immersed in the story and don’t do anything stupid to break the mood the game sets up, as the idea is to put yourself into the boots of one of the crew of that VT during some tough combat missions. Before you get to all that, expect to spend a good deal of time calibrating your Kinect and game area so you’re able to get the game to do what you want it to when you want it to. Yes, this will seem strange to gamers used to simpler stuff, but Capcom and From want you to work hard here (as with the first SB game) and this one’s only going to be enjoyed fully by the hardcore that put in the time necessary to learn and play the game. Besides, any game with a live action trailer directed by Mamoru Oshii can’t be all bad, I say…

 

Review: Sniper Elite V2

Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Rebellion

Publisher: 505 Games

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A-

The crowded and set in its ways military shooter genre needs games like Sniper Elite V2 and developers like Rebellion just to remind gamers that sometimes, slower pacing and more methodical play can be as exciting or even more so that a constant thrill ride shooter with not much room to catch one’s breath. Here, the game (and aim) is all about taking time to survey, spot and shoot with just enough level and mission variety to keep things moving when they need to. You don’t have to have played the first Sniper Elite back on the PS2, Xbox, PC (or the more recent Wii port from about two years ago) to fully enjoy this game, but if you remember that sleeper and loved it, much of what’s here will feel familiar. An online-only co-op mode seems restrictive (and is, if you don’t use PSN), but it’s seamless and about as good as it gets, while the multiplayer also has a few cool touches that lift the game above the usual run & gunning extravaganzas other shooters deliver.

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E3 2012: ZOMBIU: Ubisoft Gives Us Survival Horror As It Should Be.

 

Ubisoft is definitely the publisher to watch in terms of creating Wii U experiences that will draw in the core as well as casual crowd, and here’s one for the horror fans out there. The title reminds me of ZOMBI 2, Lucio Fulci’s classic gore-fest from 1979, released here as ZOMBIE (if it’s intentional, it’s a great touch), and after seeing some actual gameplay, I think this one is about as good as it gets for a launch or launch window release.  I absolutely love the idea of a one-life survive as long as you can experience with a real-time inventory as it adds an almost rogue-like feel to the experience.

I also love the fact that when your character dies (and he or she WILL die), you lose all your gained skills and your all important survival kit, which needs to be retrieved by the next person you play as. This makes the game a far more frightening experience as you’ll be constantly fighting to survive every single foot you travel and make it to whatever ending awaits. I’m also betting bragging rights about who made it through the game and lost the least amount of characters will be a big thing for a while. Color me thrilled…

E3 2012: Sony Press Conference: Beginning And Ending With Superb, A Bit Of Flab In The Middle.

For the first time in a while, Sony opened things up with a complete shocker no one knew a thing about. This time, it was BEYOND: Two Souls, the upcoming game from Quantic Dream. With incredible visuals and Ellen Page as the lead character, the clip ended up leaving SO many questions unanswered, but that’s how David Cage wanted it. I did find it pretty amusing that after Cage touted how stunning Page’s performance was in the game, her digital character was mute for the bulk of the clip shown.till, it’s a must-buy I’ll be tracking until it’s released. God of War: Ascension finally got a live single player demo that showed fans really had nothing to fret about at all, as Kratos is as brutal as ever, the enemies are all deadly and the trademark QTE kills are even gorier than ever.  Pre-orders are already being taken for this one, even though it’s not in stores until March 2013, so make that a priority if you’re good about hanging onto receipts.

The Vita got some props with a few new titles announced and a bit of cross platform play from PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale that was slick and flawless. While it looks like a TON of fun, I’m still not sold on the Super Smash Bros. influenced game completely, as I think not having old PS mascot stalwarts such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon (both owned by different publishers these days) makes for a lesser experience (Fat Princess? Really?). And where’s Solid Snake? Then again, Uncharted’s Nathan Drake and Big Daddy from BioShock will please some folks out there, as they were announced as new fighters in the game as part of a quick teaser.

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E3 2012: DmC Trailer: Ninja Theory Nails It, Capcom Knows It.

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!

Update: Dragon’s Dogma: The Game That Just Keeps On Giving!

OK, how many times did YOU defeat that Ur-Dragon? Did you find all those hidden in plain sight storerooms and dungeon entrances? Did you get the Salvation Key the first time through and explore those areas you thought you couldn’t access? I’m stopping my second playthrough about 12 hours or so in to do some E3 stuff, but, as noted in my review, this game is MASSIVE. Capcom has a definite keeper here and I sort of wish I hadn’t truncated my review so much (I didn’t want to spoil so much of the wild second chunk of the game that opens up when you get into a certain location). Anyway, if you’re looking for a game that’s going to surprise you as much a hundred hours in as it does the first hour, DD is worth that $60. I’d buy a sequel in a heartbeat, provided a few tweaks are made. Change #1: the button for giving someone a gift should NOT be the same one for a basic attack. The only times my character went to jail were due to accidentally hitting someone I wanted to give a present after closing the dialog too quickly. Yeah, it my fault, but I’ve heard of others doing it, so I’m not the only klutz with a controller out there….

E3 2012: Spec Ops: The Line TV Spot: I’ll Have a Shot Of Yager, Please…

2K Games and developer Yager really have a hit here, what with all that amazing sand technology and the source material (Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) being perfect for the game they’re presenting. Here’s yet another example of a genre game defying the usual conventions and stepping outside of the box to do it differently. Like a few other titles pushing the envelope, I’m hoping gamers can free up a few extra brain cells to actually appreciate the hard work that went into this one without complaining about the experience NOT being what they “expected.” Hell, sometimes, it’s NICE to be surprised about a game, I say…

E3 2012: Castlevania – Lords of Shadow 2: Mercury Steam Is Back On Drac…

 

Castlevania – Lords of Shadow was the first truly great non-2D game in the fan favorite series that did a great job of bringing the long-running franchise to current -gen systems, keeping elements from the classics intact and adding influences from a few key games of this decade. Super talented developer Mercury Steam is once again going all out to bring gamers a hardcore action game that looks to be the best it can be for the platforms it’s coming to, and that just makes me grin even more. The official site is alive and kind of kicking, so go check it out. If you still haven’t played the first LoS, go grab a copy and try it out – it’s super fun, long as hell and the story is really good stuff.

Of Orcs & Men E3 2012 Trailer: Spiders And Cyanide Are Good For You? Who Knew?

This is one of those games that I’ve liked ever since I saw the first images and this latest trailer shows it coming together even more. From the nicely stylized fantasy characters to the richly detailed game world (which I’m hoping is a bit more open than Cyanide’s dark and deep Game of Thrones, which I just got on Monday and am still playing to review), this one looks like a game to spend many hours exploring. That and heck, the chance to play as a pair of characters who normally are the ones you’re killing off in other RPGs makes for a nice twist to ye olde formula.  Will it be a sleeper of prisoner of the bargain bin because people want their usual square-jawed hero in his dragon-busting armor? I’m hoping for the former and more… Keep an eye peeled for this one as more info gets out….

Review: Dragon’s Dogma

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3)

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A-

 

After a lengthy and rewarding partnership resulting in loads of treasure, experience and some deadly dungeons being cleared out, you take stock of your traveling companions and see that the two pawns you’d hired some 15 or so hours previously are no longer suitable for the tougher enemies ahead. As much as you hate dismissing them, you absolutely must in order to progress further onward. Touching a Rift Stone, you dip into the void and discover that you probably should have replaced them a few levels ago with two much stronger and better equipped allies. As you’ve socked away more than enough points, you decide to add two pawns that are about five or so levels higher than your level just to keep them around longer. However, before you make your final selections, you decide to look at a few more pawns before choosing a pair that’s even stronger. Satisfied (and after saying goodbye to your former traveling companions), you set out for new territory, knowing that you’ll see your old mates on the road at some point in passing. After enhancing your gear, crafting handy items from gathered loot and learning some new skills, you and your new team take on an escort mission into uncharted territory, unsure of what awaits, but more than confident you can defeat anything…

And so goes just a tiny fraction of Dragon’s Dogma, Capcom’s new open world high action RPG that’s one of the nicer surprises of the year (so far). While the game isn’t quite perfect, the level of immersion, excellently fluid movement and combat system plus the massive game world insures those who like this type of game will be hooked in for quite some time. While you can follow the main quest in a mostly linear fashion to the endgame in about 30 – 40 hours, the land of Gransys is big enough to spend much more time exploring and adventuring in. That and the fact that this is a game where multiple replays are a must just so you can experiment with different character builds and party formations as you take on the many dangers the game throws your way. Continue reading