OK, OK, fan favorite or not and guaranteed big, BIG deal to those who know despite the “M’ rating, the kids who want this WILL be playing it, I still don’t get this fascination with Deadpool. I guess he’s so unconventionally non-PC a comic book antihero (basically he’s the insane adult cartoon version of Beavis and Butthead and Bart Simpson with access to all sorts of weaponry) that his antics are immediately appealing to that crowd, but maybe I’m getting old or something. Anyway, if the game is good, I’ll give it a try. I’m not expecting much at all, but that’s actually the best way to go into ANY game, I say. It’s best to end up always surprised by something as it helps keep the jade eye somewhat more closed.
The problem with five minutes of one game (or two and a half minutes give or take of two games) is it’s IMPOSSIBLE to grasp what the hell some games are about. That said, in the case of Ubisoft’s stellar-looking upcoming action/adventure game Watch_Dogs, five minutes on a crazy and funny talk/variety show with a giddy host is excellent yet somewhat less than perfect for a game so huge. Don’t get me wrong, kids – I’d invite Jimmy Fallon over to the home office and show off some wacky games he’s most likely never heard of at the drop of a hat, BOOM, I’m there… er, he’s here (oh, you know what I mean). Thankfully, Aisha Tyler (also a HUGE gamer and comic as well as Ubisoft’s go-to celebrity as she also happens to be a character in the game) did a great job of explaining the concept and some of the open world gameplay before Jimmy took over and failed a mission (*sigh*). Well, he got further than I thought, but still. I’d actually love to see the guy host an ALL gaming show one day, not just one with funny segments and a few stars popping up to plug their assorted projects.
Of course, that would be a different show entirely, but a NEEDED one for gamers and G4 is no more (although, like a zombie with a steel-plated skull, the damn channel is STILL on the air pumping out movies and reruns of old shows including X-Play and Spike TV is too damn dumb to watch unless GTTV is on, as it’s just macho crap and blood beat-fests all day and then some. Yuk). I suppose internet “TV” shows are a good source, but not if one has a crap connection or hell, prefers gaming news from eight feet away and doesn’t own a damn Smart TV or whatever it is that basically means you’re online watching Honey Boo Boo when you COULD be learning a new language or something else more interesting…
While the Xbox One got two games crammed into five minutes, Sony’s new PS4 showcased one game, the family friendly platformer, Knack was the showcase title on this second day of Late Night’s Game Week. Game Director Mark Cerny was on hand to show off the new console and controller, noting that it’s been redesigned for shooter fans, most likely to let them know they’re not forgotten despite the somewhat cute game on display Jimmy was about to dive into. He also got in a quick shot at Microsoft by noting that used games could be played on the PS4 and (yes!) the console can indeed be used offline. Microsoft takes another knock there, thanks to it’s spotty PR performance not doing the best job at explaining things. As for Knack, Cerny showed off a quick cut scene and played for a quick bit (the game looks great, but Jimmy was easily distracted by some amazing looking water for a split second) before turning over control.
Fallon played a cool ice level that showed off some great-looking Pixar-like visuals and a familiar mix of 3D platforming and combat. Knack can smash and absorb bits of the environment in order to grow and take on the characteristics of whatever he’s busted apart. It’s sort of like a Metal Men comic meets Crash Bandicoot with the aforementioned Pixar visual style and it looks pretty incredible. That said, I’m gathering Knack was shown for a few other important reasons. Fallon’s viewer base covers a wide age range, so Sony wants to get the console buying adults on board with a non-violent game they can immediately buy with that PS4. The game is a first-party title and Sony’s first party studios are responsible for a good deal of the system’s hits, so as a launch title, Knack needs to show it can be as good as the best games of its type on the new hardware. Finally, I think the game may be a hard sell to some of the shooter fans (thus the earlier shout-out by Cerny), so I think Sony wants them to know their games are indeed coming (and on launch day, at that). Then again, those shooter fans DID get a great demo of Killzone: Shadow Fall three months ago.
Oh yeah, Jimmy didn’t suck too much at Knack, but he’s still like a box of puppies bouncing in the back of a moving truck when it comes to getting all giddy about stuff. You have to love the man for his sense of wonder other TV hosts fail to activate in anything like a realistic manner, so I’ll give him that much…
Hoo boy. Sometimes, I’ll see an article that criticizes certain types of genres of Japanese games for being too sexist or exploitative or out of touch with or whatever and I usually chuckle because often the game or games in question have zero chance of arriving here because of that content. Of course, of the games that do make it over with saucy scenes or imagery that may offend, some of the content is altered or snipped out completely so as to appeal to more puritanical American tastes. Granted, this sort of censorship offends fans of imports arriving unsullied and over time, some game companies has slowly allowed much of the silliness to slip in in various states. Well, Yakuza 4 and its in-context Geisha club antics and the Ar tonelico series’ eyebrow-raising “Dive Station” mind dating elements (trust me, it’s weirder than it sounds) have nothing (and I mean no-thing) on what’s going on in Xseed Games’ upcoming Vita exclusive, Valhalla Knights 3.
That trailer above doesn’t show anything outrageous – it’s below the jump, you pervs (and a link at that!)… Continue reading →
Welcome to Trailer #4 for KILLER IS DEAD – please be sure to keep your hands inside the ride, ladies and gentlemen. I like how this starts out all sad and moody before going into the crazed gameplay and finishing with a it of humor and a little step into crazy at the close. That’s a Suda 51 game in a nutshell for you, so his fans are certainly pleased. I’m one of them, so I guess that means I’m grinning a wee bit too broadly right about now. One day you’ll all understand, trust me. It’s hard to go into detail about what makes a grasshopper manufacture game so wildly fun, but that’s where a trip down that certain road reveals all (or some of all)…
Well, 700 or so, to be a bit more precise. Japanese gaming site Gamer has a nice long look at the weapons types for each class in Sandlot’s upcoming giant insect run & gun game set for a July 4, 2013 release there (and a February release in the US and Europe). Fans of the older EDF games will see plenty of ordinance from the older games all redone as different weapon types (a great and welcome touch), and Sandlot has gone above and beyond the call, thankfully not delivering a simple EDF 2 reskin with more levels and gear. The weapons look and behave more “realistically” (well as realistically as you can get in a game packing nine-foot high and 15-foot long ants, bigger, hairier tarantulas, wasps with wingspans like a small plane and building-tall pissed off robots), ejecting shells and rockets that drop a bit when fired and yes, the destruction elements are also improved.
Of course, if you’re deathly afraid of bugs or giant robots the size of skyscrapers, well… I can’t help you much there. But hey, the game DOES have local co-op and online play, so you can hide behind someone skilled and maybe take up a support class role, as they do have those nice healing tanks and lovely turrets you can drop and run away from as they do their dirty work…
As someone who’s been looking forward to Lost Planet 3 since a bit of early demo hands-on time last year, I’m glad to see that Capcom rolled out the more recent demo at E3 for some live stream fun. As you can see here, it’s “only” about 50 minutes long if you bypass a lot of exploration in the base and zip through the hidden area quickly after the boss battle without dying, but it’s intriguing overall because Spark is promising even more thrills as the game progresses. Rig upgrades, some big boss battles and a story that should pack in a few surprises (despite the number in the title, it’s a PREQUEL to the first game, kids) might make this one a bit of a sleeper when it finally launches on August 27, 2013.
If there were any doubts that a new development team would sink the Arkham franchise, WB Games Montreal (taking over from Rocksteady) has killed those negative vibes dead and then some. Racking up all sorts of “Best of Show” awards, Batman Arkham Origins looks to takes gamers back to the beginning of the series on consoles PC and portable systems with a power-packed prequel that seems to show a meaner Dark Knight with some nice toys that should make the game a blast to play (although the poor thugs getting knocked together loaded with that explosive grapple gun are probably asking for some hazard pay). As usual, pre-ordering will be the way for those who want it to get that bonus content, but no one is twisting your arm. Unless you know something and Batman wants more info… “WHERE IS IT?!!” (twist!) “Ouch! OK, OK!! Um, Amazon or GameStop?”
– Yeah, that Batman does tend to get a wee it pushy, doesn’t he?
Throwing all their press conference antics aside, you have to admits that this new ad is pretty amusing and amazing because it throws a nice amount of overkill at you and makes your gamer eye start poking about for references to current or upcoming titles. Sony says there are a few here, so get your thinking cap on (or bug your favorite Sony fan). I haven’t had time to watch this more than twice, so don’t even get around to shooting me an email or post asking for assistance…
Most new console and PC tech demos I’ve seen are frankly speaking, boring as hell once you get past the usual showoff effects and buzzword flashiness tossed around. Ooh, look at those thousands of boxes falling! The particle effects in that explosion look so REAL! My, that’s a lot of rubber duckies in that bathtub! That water ripples so realistically that I want to lick my screen (wipe off the dust first, please – a tongue full of yuk isn’t a good thing). On the other hand, there’s Quantic Dream and their story-based demos that manage to impress the eyes as well as the sense of wonder because you get something memorable on a few more important fronts all meshing in a way that makes you see where the future is headed when a developer who can follow up with more that pretty images is at the wheel.
Also, as you can see here, BEYOND: Two Souls is looking more and more remarkable with each reveal. David Cage and his team are making AAA games that matter in this era of bloated game development and game advertising budgets that disguise too many “mee-too” sequels. BEYOND is definitely unique on a few technical as well as gameplay fronts, so I’m hoping this one’s sold to and played by those who appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into making it.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 