Battlefield 3 Launch Trailer: War Is Good For Games, At Least…

Posted on October 21, 2011 by geelw

Electronic Arts, DICE and their mighty Frostbite 2 engine definitely has a winner on both consoles as well as PC. I got to play some multiplayer last week at EA’s holiday event against the DICE team on the PS3 and not only is the gameplay lightning fast and frantic, BF3 looks REALLY spectacular on the system. As fas as the whole “which is better” nonsense going on between the big shooter franchises, I say who cares as long as BOTH games are as good as their respective dev teams can make them. In the end, I see some folks buying and playing both or at least buying one and renting the other to compare. Expect productivity in a few countries to drop even further (er, provided those calling in sick with BF3 flu actually have jobs).

Ridge Racer Unbounded Hands-On

Posted on October 21, 2011 by geelw

Bugbear Entertainment has been hard at work on a much different Ridge Racer, but it’s clear than this new game isn’t being made to completely take the place of the more familiar franchise that’s been a key title for nearly every console it’s appeared on. Rather, Unbounded is a high-impact spin-off that takes the drift-crazy gameplay and fictional vehicles the series in famous for, adds in destructible elements and the ability to create your own courses and hits the ground running. I took a demo build for a spin at a Namco Bandai event about two weeks back and liked what I played quite a lot. There’s definitely a nod to Criterion Studios’ last few Burnout games (as well as Burnout-inspired titles such as Split Second) as well as Bugbear’s own FlatOut series. As Burnout has morphed into a top-down family fun arcade game with disco tunes blasting during crashes and FlatOut has been retired (for the time being), it looks as RRU will be the go-to game for crash fans when it’s released next year. Continue reading →

Max Payne 3 Preview: Rockstar Does It Again (But Better)

Posted on October 18, 2011 by geelw

At this point, you can pretty much bet on anything Rockstar Games does turning into an instant hit and Max Payne 3 looks to continue the solid streak of titles coming from one of the most consistent studios working today. Bringing Max into the current generation of consoles after too many years away, four of Rockstar’s studios are carefully crafting what’s looking like a genre classic in the making. Last week at New York Comic Con, I had the great opportunity to sit in on a “hands-off” demo that showed off some truly impressive visuals and spectacular animation, refined gameplay and an all-new cinematic style that combined graphic novel and film techniques using the in-game engine to its fullest. This isn’t a “reboot” or a re-imagining at all – it’s the next chapter in Max’s story and he’s going through some major life changes… Continue reading →

Activision Has Me Doing Silly Stuff & Liking It…

Posted on October 15, 2011 by geelw

I kicked a helicopter yesterday. Twice. Once in that picture to the left and once while playing the fantastic Prototype 2 demo at NYCC. The game is coming along REALLY nicely, as Radical Entertainment is pulling out the stops to create a faster-paced, brilliantly bloody chunk of a game that’s bound to be a hit. Everything I played at the Activision booth was pure fun on a stick and yes, worth a purchase when it hits stores. Also: Eurocom just rocks. GoldenEye: Reloaded’s multiplayer is lighting fast and looks even more spectacular on the Xbox 360. I’m still looking forward to the PS3 version to review as I want to play with the Move controller and see how well it’s been implemented into the game. I also liked the bit of X-Men Destiny I tried and Spider-Man Edge of Time is Beenox’s nifty little effects-packed sleeper starring everyone’s favorite wall-crawler. The developer is also at work on a tie-in game for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man film (nice!). Speaking of licensed games, the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron teaser was too short, but in a great, “Holy Cats, you can play as a big metal dinosaur!” kind of way. If it’s as good as War for Cybertron was, fans are in for a hell of a ride. Back in a bit…

EA Just Keeps it Coming…

Posted on October 13, 2011 by geelw

A quickie post before I keel over, as I need to bounce out of bed bright and early for day one of New York Comic Con. EA has some really nice surprises coming up this year and next in pretty much every category. Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the PS3 was amazingly fluid and controls like a dream (seriously, Call of What?). There was a really nice Mass Effect 3 surprise I can’t share just yet (as it’s embargoed until10/27). Speaking of surprises, Syndicate is going to make even the most hardcore fans of the PC classic bow to Starbreeze’s skills. They nailed the dark feeling of the original but as a first-person experience (it’s not a Deus Ex: Human Revolution clone either, which is even better). SSX is another shocker – don’t let the more realistic visuals fool you at all – the game is SUPER fun to play (the tricks flow off the controller) and the mountains are massive. SWTOR is an instant addiction (I had to stop playing before I got hooked) that’s sure to be huge once it ships (look out WoW!). The Secret World brings a fresh, modern take to the MMO (and NEEDS to come to consoles with a single player offline mode, as there’s a lot of good under the hood that begs to be explored). There’s a LOT more to yak about, but that’s for later – i need my beauty rest…

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One Team Up Trailer

Posted on October 10, 2011 by geelw

Yes, it’s almost too darn cute and funny for words, but then this would be a really short blog post. Insomniac’s latest is on the way (October 18th), so here’s a look at the short version of the latest trailer. Hmmm… wait, that WAS a short post, wasn’t it? OK, initially I wasn’t sure I’d be a fan of the multiplayer-centric gameplay, being an antisocial cuss and all, but it looks as if playing solo will be just as fun. Insomniac DOES know what they’re doing, folks. So that’s that, I guess… We’ll see next week how it all turns out…

Uncharted 3 Cargo Plane/Chateau Gameplay: Naughty Dog Shows How It’s Done

Posted on October 9, 2011 by geelw

Nathan Drake (above), meet Nathan Drake (below). As you can see from these videos (thanks, CVG!) clearly, we’re watching a developer at the top of its form getting the most out of the PS3 hardware. Sure, they’re definitely showing off here, but when the results look this good, it’s hard to find fault with that at all. Sony’s first-party lineup has been solid for a while, but between last year’s hits and this year’s follow-ups, there’s little doubt that the console still has a lot of life left in it. That November 1 release date for Uncharted 3 is rolling up really quickly and there’s little doubt that this one will be a huge hit in a rather crazy year of major releases.

The Lord of The Rings War In The North Boss Battle Vignette

Posted on October 8, 2011 by geelw

I like the quote in the email that prefaces this trailer, so here it is:

“The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone.”
Celeborn, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings

Snowblind Studios is really going all out with this one and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s all turned out. I think fans of the books should be pleased as the game doesn’t shy away from the violent elements found in the books and it’s looking as if it will let you venture to a few areas chopped from the movie trilogy. Granted, the M-rating might be a initial turn-off for those expecting one of the simpler hack & slash movie games geared toward the entire family. However, I say let’s see what happens as people play the game and share it with friends in co-op. I’ll bet any hesitance over a purchase based on the amount of blood in the game disappears once folks see how much fun it all is.

SSX “Defy Reality” Trailer (Things To Come, And Soon)

Posted on October 8, 2011 by geelw

Nice new trailer, guys. I’ll have the chance to play three stages from EA’s upcoming extreme snowboarding reboot in a few days at their Naughty or Nice press event. Patagonia, Siberia and the Himalayas are on the agenda at the event, so expect a hands-on shortly afterward. Given that New York Comic Con is the day after, I don’t expect to have a preview up until the weekend, but I may skip the final day of the convention just to make sure I’m home for The Walking Dead Season 2 premiere (which means yes, I’ll be reviewing this season’s episodes as well).

Kill Screen & Capcom Present Fright Club

Posted on October 7, 2011 by geelw

Got plans for October 11? If you happen to be in the NYC area (a few days early for New York Comic Con, perhaps?), Kill Screen Magazine and Capcom are whipping up a nice event for fans of the Dead Rising and Resident Evil franchises. Here’s the when and where: