Excellent in-progress footage from the upcoming Devil May Cry prequel shows off Ninja Theory’s skills quite well, I’d say. Amusingly enough, the first thing I thought of when watching this footage was that old Police song “When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around”. Of all the franchise reboots coming next year and onward, this one’s in my short list as one to definitely watch out for. I want to see their take on Dante’s younger days not only in terms of action sequences like this, but also for how they’ll tell the tale. Anyone who’s played and enjoyed any of Ninja Theory’s other games KNOWS they’re amazing storytellers who know their way around dialog and acting when it comes to the memorable characters they’ve created.
Tag Archives: PS3
Review: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
# of Players 1 – 2 (Online 2 – Eight)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Score: A-
Featuring a dozen new characters, eight new stages and a number of excellent balancing fixes, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 makes one of the year’s best fighters even better. Capcom’s creatively insane development team has pulled out all the stops here and yes, this one’s a must-buy even if you’ve already sunk time into mastering the original. Although this super-enhanced update is as good as it gets, the exclusion of he original’s DLC characters is a tiny bit of a cheap move that may disappoint some hardcore players. That and a few other missing features that would have made this deal even better keep the game from a perfect score. However, warts aside, there’s more than enough here for fighting fanatics of any skill level to get their thrills in offline or online play. Continue reading
The Last of Us VGA Trailer: Survival. Instinct.
Naughty Dog’s been busy it seems (and what else is new?) and I, for one an actually really pleased that they’re not doing a Jak & Daxter reboot or showing off Uncharted 4 (just yet). Instead, the developer has moved into a more survival horror vibe with its latest PS3 exclusive. The Last of Us is looking pretty intriguing based on this brief peek and given the developer’s pedigree, it’ll be a sure-fire hit when it’s released. Radar has been activated, now I just need to wait for SCEA to shoot an invite over so I can see this up close and personal…
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Coming to PS3/PS Vita
According to a posting on the PlayStation Blog by Simon Harris, Executive Producer for BBC Worldwide, Supermassive Games is working on a new Doctor Who game for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. No info was released as to what genre the game will be, although in the past two years, there have been two previous games featuring The Doctor made for the Nintendo Wii and DS that weren’t received too well. This new game looks to turn the tide as it’s being developed by a different studio and while no gameplay info or footage has been revealed, I’d imagine it’s going to be a mix of adventure and puzzle elements while being light on the action (given the good Doctor’s penchant for non-violent actions). We’ll keep an eyeball peeled for screens and updates as they become available. Fingers crossed that this one’s solid, as I’d actually love to see Torchwood get the video game treatment at some point on a console. Oh yeah… let’s HOPE this one comes out in an actual retail package, as too many digital-only games just get buried after a short time on PSN even with decent review scores.
Hyperdimension Neptunia* Mk2 Trailer: Fan Service, Plus Tax (Where Applicable)
Yikes, Nippon Ichi is doing it again (and doing it again sooner than you think). Yup, the beloved (and mildly insane) Hyperdimension Neptunia is getting a sequel and yup, it’s looking like another otaku dream game come true. OK, I bought the first game and it baffled me mightily (I must be getting too old for certain things, eek!), but I just might give this sequel a chance just because the promised improvements look, well, promising!
As usual, NISA is pulling out the stops with a slick Limited Edition Premium Box at an excellent price direct from their Online Store (The best place to buy any Nippon Ichi games, I say). Yup, it’s NOW available for pre-order (as is the standard edition). Did I mention the NISA Online Store has FREE domestic shipping? No? well, it does! Hmmm. I bet February 2012 can’t get here fast enough for some more of you, right?
*And yup, it SHOULD be Neptuniaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa *cough!* aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!, but NISA probably hates when I do that…
Review: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softwroks
# of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Score: A
At some point, if you happen to know someone who’s also playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you WILL get a phone call, email or text with some variation of the following: “Hey, can you help me out on this quest?” It’ll most likely be something you’ve already done and maybe bragged or shared a tale of woe about to your buddy, but you’ll find the results in their case may be slightly to very different. Sure, some of the basics will be familiar, but after that, it’s up in the air. Perhaps they got challenged to a drinking contest, woke up in a temple in a faraway city, had to help clean up the place (or not) and now have a big mystery to solve that sends them to a new town they’d never even seen before. Or maybe it’s the odd Argonian woman who desperately wants you to take that strange item off her hands, and now your friend has a creepy cube that looks like something from a Hellraiser film stuck in their inventory. Or maybe it’s about that strange note handed to them by a cryptic courier asking them to visit an unusual museum in a most unexpected place where a darker mission lurks. Or the paid assassins that assaulted them while traveling and after killing the thugs and looting their possessions, an odd letter is revealed that only brings up more questions than answers. And so forth and so on… Continue reading
Of Orcs & Men Gameplay Trailer: One To Watch While It Cooks…
Shaping up to be quite an interesting surprise in an overcrowded genre, Cyanide Studios and Spiders’ upcoming Of Orcs & Men is looking to be one of those games RPG fans will want to keep an eye on. This first gameplay teaser shows off some gorgeous visuals and as it’s coming to consoles as well as PC next year, both camps should be happy, provided the game looks and plays similarly across all platforms. I’ve got my fingers crossed that this one’s got a story as good as the visuals as well as enough gameplay depth to keep me busy for a while and coming back for more.
The Last of Us: Cryptic, Indeed. And A PS3 Exclusive…
I usually avoid Spike TV’s Video game awards (and hell, ANY game awards shows) like the plague (you pretty much always know who’s going to win in this skewed “Popular = Good!” scenario that crops up year after year) but the teaser trailers and mysterious website for the upcoming PS3 exclusive has me maybe wanting to break my self-imposed stubborn streak. Then again, I’m supposed to be immune to this sort of marketing (and maybe I am after all), but I really want to find out more about this upcoming game. I’m getting a modern survival terror vibe from the site and trailer, but we’ll see what’s what. The Spike VGA’s are on TV December 10. Maybe I’ll watch them this year… maybe not…
Review: Tekken Hybrid
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco Bandai
# of Players: 1 – 4
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Score: B+ (80%)
One of the most underutilized features of the PS3 has been the ability to play Blu-Ray and game hybrid discs, which is quite strange in my opinion. Considering how licensed movie games could have a second life if bundled with the films they’re based on at a reasonable price point, it’s a no-brainer to me that MORE game/movie discs haven’t been produced. Tekken Hybrid manages to do a pretty decent job as a package, although a few more bonuses would have been cool to beef up the replay value somewhat. For $40, you’re getting the CG movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance, an HD version of Tekken Tag Tournament and a brief demo of the Japanese arcade version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (all with optional 3DTV support), plus a few interviews with a few folks behind the games and film. While this package is geared more towards hardcore Tekken fans, those new to the long running fighting franchise can pick it up and have a blast, provided they’re not looking for online play or tons of bonus content (other than the newly added Trophies). Continue reading
Review: Dark Souls
Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360)
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai
# of Players: 1 (Online: 1 – 4)
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Score: A (90%)
If Dark Souls doesn’t scare you silly at some point, you’re either fearless, slightly to moderately insane or so jaded that nothing can faze you. Like 2009’s PS3 smash sleeper, Demon Souls, what’s here is a purely terrifying blend of old school difficulty and current gen tech that’s beautiful yet brutal and definitely not for those looking for an easy ride. From Software has created one of the most compelling game experiences to date (and if you’ve been a fan of the developer as long as I have, you could see this coming) that’s an absolute essential for any gamer willing to take the plunge. While the lengthy solo campaign is superb, it’s in the innovative online mode where many will see the game’s full range. That said, the dev team has wisely made sure that folks who can’t play online can still complete the game. It’ll just be a bit harder at times thanks to the punishing difficulty and intentionally vague storytelling that requires a bit of thought (and a lot more exploration and combat) to fully comprehend. Continue reading

