Review: Remember Me

Remember_Me_Logo_white_bg

2D Boxshot Wizard v1.1Platform: Xbox 360/PC (also on PS3)

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: B+ (85%)

A stylish and thrilling combination of cinematic elements and action featuring a memorable new character, Remember Me is a grand example of the “shut up and play it!” game. You can be on the sort of clueless “Well, my friend says he heard it’s not like so and so…” side of the fence, or you can step right up, slap your money down and enjoy a well made, always entertaining and somewhat innovative thriller that, while borrowing elements from a few sources, ends up feeling original and refreshing on a few fronts. This is a game that, if you’re in the mood for a good story (save for a slight stumble near the finale) delivers on that promise pretty well. While it may not seem sequel-friendly, the overall experience makes you want to see a second game that features a lot more of the richly detailed 2084 Neo-Paris developer Dontnod Entertainment has created.

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E3 2013: Saint’s Row IV Trailer: Bigger Means More What The ****?! For Your Gaming Buck

THQ may have gone down in flames last year, but Deep Silver’s acquisition of Volition and their popular Saint’s Row franchise means fans of the increasingly outrageous series have a new game on the way this year that’s even more completely bonkers that the last installment. Don’t take this Hollywood-style trailer too seriously (well, it’s a bit hard to anyway, given the F-Bomb gets dropped twice in it and is seen once onscreen as a character’s nickname), as the open world gameplay, newly super-powered characters and sci-fi elements are only adding to the mayhem the franchise is known for. THAT said, I hope this adding of fantasy elements to the mix means that Volition will FI-NALLY try their hand at making another game in the Summoner series. The first was flawed but interesting and the second was better overall (and had a female lead and some intriguing party members and plot twists), so it would be cool to see something coming on a new console that takes elements from the previous titles and adds a new chapter to things. Hey, that’s what I’d be thinking of as a follow-up, but we’ll probably get a Saint’s Row V instead…

Lost Planet 3 Multiplayer: One Way to Keep Cool This August…

And here you go – another piece of the Lost Planet 3 puzzle (multiplayer!) plus a peek at the Best Buy exclusive Assault Pack if you’re one of those folks that goes the pre-order route. The new experience based unlocking system has been done on other shooters, but I think it’ll be nice to see how those LP fans who aren’t wasting time whining about the developer and Capcom doing or not doing this or that without having laid a pinky on a controller take to the game when it launches. I think it will do fine among those who want to see it succeed and will play and enjoy it based on what it gets right as opposed to picking it apart because it’s not the same as the first two installments. Granted, those folks are the ones who still can’t seem to understand this is a p-r-e-q-u-e-l, but I guess they’ll also be the ones missing out on things in a few months…

Batman Arkham Origins TV Spot #1: Good (And Slightly Unbalanced) Guys Wear Black…

I’d say by now that the older 60’s era campy Batman is no longer the “ideal” version of the character (and hey, I’m old enough to have been around for that original series), so it’s good to see the darker Dark Knight get so fully embraced by the bulk of the fans out there. OK, mostly embraced, as I know there are some REALLY stubborn die-hards who refuse to submit to “gritty” being the new black for their favorite hero. Granted, there IS that exclusive Adam West skin for the PS3 version that’s going to be fun to dink around with (although, I’d also want DLC that adds a ton of those campy full screen sound effects for the combat and you KNOW you want those as well), but I’m going to stick to the cranky newer guy I’m more used to these days. Sometimes, nostalgia needs to have a seat in that comfy chair with its feet up and sleep for a bit in front of whatever old stuff it used to watch on TV…

Wolfenstein: The New Order Update: Meet Torvenius!

No, it’s not the name of a villain from the upcoming game, silly rabbits. It’s Axel Torvenius, one of the artists at Machine Games. His Speedpaint skills are pretty awesome, I have to say. Of course, I need to actually get around to doing more art myself, so it’s cool to get inspired by assorted people in a few places… OK, back to work before I start getting distracted by too much other stuff…

E3 2013: Deadpool Trailer: Um… Well… I Suppose… Oh, Nevermind…

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.

E3 2013: Oh, Valhalla Knights 3… What Are We Going to Do With You?


 

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!)…
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E3 2013: KILLER IS DEAD 4th Trailer: Everyone Dies (But Not as Stylishly as Here)…


 

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)…

E3 2013: Lost Planet 3 Gameplay Stream: Nice, Ice, Baby…


 

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.

E3 2013: Batman Arkham Origins: Rock Steady, Even Without The Original Team Aboard…

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?