As promised, here's a look at some screens from Koei Tecmo's upcoming fantasy Action/RPG, set to hit the PS3 on February 8, 2011. There's a decidedly rustic look to these images that I like – not over-polished at all, but still intriguing enough to get me interested in playing the final product. Check them out for yourself below the jump.
There was a lot of stuff to cover at the event, but some of the nicer surprises are embargoed for a few days. Nope, there wasn't a PSP2 or PSPhone to be seen (or heard about) at the event, but throw a stone and you'd hit a great game surprise or someone playing something pretty damn cool. Media Molecule, Guerrilla Games and Evolution Studios folks are great to chat with and make me think of setting up forums on the site just to get their input. For now, my creatively constructive to creatively cranky comments on the industry show up on a few industry news sites where other developers and journalists post so as not to have too many rabid debates here.
Like the sweet Killzone 3 book? Sony was laser-burning whatever text attendees wanted into nice leather journals featuring some key 2011 titles and I chose Guerrilla's upcoming shooter as my pick for the DAF branding. Wish I had a dozen of each to give away on the site, but you'll have to do with ogling that photo for now.
Below the jump is a quick rundown* on what I can talk about images to come in a gallery update this weekend (*well, part one of a quick rundown, as I'm dead tired from a long day and am about to keel the hell over):
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Some of you might be a tiny bit depressed that this year is rushing to a close too darn quickly, but for me, that just means that it’s closer to seeing the final version of Hudson’s Lost In Shadow hit retail on January 4, 2011. Here’s the final developer diary, featuring a peek at some of the cool secrets to be found in this Wii exclusive – enjoy!
I was wondering when D3Publisher was going to answer the call of the wild ones who either sold off or traded their copies, missed out on Sandlot’s superior sleeper or just want to play what all the fuss is about. Having played and beat the disc version to death and beyond a few years back, I’ll re-review the downloadable version shortly and see if it’s still as addictive as ever. in addition to the Xbox Live Games On Demand relaunch, D3 is looking to draw in fans old and new by reviving the EDF 2017 website.
Sadly, there’s no news of a PS3 port of 2017 any time soon, but I’m hoping D3 has plans to introduce western gamers to the two previous games in the series in the form of the PAL versions of the game (Monster Attack and Global Defence Force). While PSN would be the best format for some EDF fans, I’m also hoping (memo to D3: DO this for the fans!) the games are added to the Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon Blu-Ray disc for those who don’t yet have PSN accounts. Hell, there’s more than enough space on that format to fit the localized versions, that’s for sure…
In case you haven’t played EDF before, it’s a fantastic chunk of run ‘n gun arcade action that’s surprisingly deep and incredibly long in terms of netting the game’s small amount of achievements. 53 levels, completely destructible structures in the outdoor maps, split-screen co-op (no online play, sorry!) Over 150 weapons to collect and some of the toughest difficulty spikes (in solo play particularly) you’ll ever see await those daring with twenty bucks in hand. Trust me, the experience is worth twice the price, folks…
Talk about an explosive finale – the first season, short as it was, went out with a bang as CDC headquarters was obliterated in a nice fireball of non-nuclear but still blazing proportions (along with two more characters). There were a couple of tense moments inside the bunker including an interesting look at the virus cycle that causes otherwise dead folks to pop up and start chomping on the living and Shane’s confrontation with Lori (the man needs a new fixation, pronto). While this one was superb from start to finish, the episode somehow felt too short for my tastes, as some old ground was retread (we get it – showers rock when you haven’t had one in weeks) and it would have been interesting to see more of the doomed scientist as a character.
Nevertheless, AMC clearly has a major smash with the series and the long, long wait until October 2011 is going to be hugely unbearable yet highly exciting for those of us looking forward to more Dead. Brilliant stuff (and thank goodness for AMC Free On Demand, as I’ll be haunting that channel for as long as they rerun episodes). Still… I’m wondering about the first season on DVD or Blu-Ray (whenever it hits), as a mere six episodes really isn’t enough to justify shelling out for a box set unless it’s packed to the rafters with bonus features… We shall see, I guess…
Score: A-
First Season Score: A
Hey, I'm no star-chasing paparazzi, folks – just an creaky old gamer with a crappy digital camera. I just point and shoot that crappy camera in the general direction of smiling people and try to get good enough shots to post. Submitted for your approval, perusal or whatever – here are a bunch of pics taken at the Times Square Disney Store during the Epic Mickey launch. I'll also note that Kyle Massey is pretty funny in person and both Warren Spector and Peter David are two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, period.
P.S. Jennifer Grey is cute as a button and can probably fit into your coat pocket, but let's not tell her I said that!
Thank you, Good Morning America… for my day off work!
Having some of your staff walk off with multiple Disney Epic Mickey press gift bags earlier this morning means that I don't have a copy of the game to review today nor the assorted goodies I'd planned to give away as a means to drive much-needed traffic to my blog.
However, being the sole games journalist at the event, I didn't walk away completely empty-handed thanks to a Disney Interactive staffer that handed me a shirt and poster upstairs and made mention about not forgetting to pick up the aforementioned gift bag waiting for me when I left. Meeting Warren Spector, Peter David and a few other folks who worked on the game was pretty special as well.
November’s NYT Game Night (NYTGN) will feature Bit.Trip.Fate, a cool side-scrolling shoot-’em-up game with chip tune music developed by Gaijin Games. Join us on Nov. 30th (Tue) 7-11PM at: Fat Buddha, NYC (13th St. and Ave. A)
We’ll have an exciting special music guest! Chip Music virtuoso and contributor to the sound track of Bit. Trip. Fate, MINUSBABY live at 8:45PM!
As always, FREE Asahi Beer early on in the evening, plenty of games to play and music by NYT resident DJs. There will be BIT.TRIP T-shirts, stickers, and other giveaways!
This week’s episode had the survivors literally pick up the pieces as they buried their dead, burned the undead and left the formerly safe quarry camp for the supposed safety of CDC headquarters. A pick-axe through a head multiple times and a gunshot were the “big” gore moments, the former intentionally shocking, the latter, a tense yet touching re-death. As for poor Jim, whose premonition last week predicted the aftermath of the zombie assault… well, he found himself in a rather unfortunate pickle that ended with him abandoned by the side of the road. This fate was his choice, by the way. Meanwhile Rick’s leadership skills came under question a few times during the episode, but it seems that the mental stress of the attack has left everyone either on edge or not quite thinking rationally…
Speaking of not thinking rationally, at CDC, things aren’t as safe as Rick wants to believe. The lone scientist living there and slowly going mad thanks to weeks of isolation underground and pure stress, botches an experiment (some sort of treatment for undead bites, perhaps?) and after his work is destroyed thanks to a too-precise security system, he’s at the end of his rope. That is, until he sees a few potential guinea pigs show up in the form of Rick and the camp survivors. Things are really going to get interesting next week, especially given that it’s the season finale. I’m still tempted to FINALLY pick up a few back issues or one of the graphic novels, but I probably won’t until the show runs its course (or at least until Season Two is over and done).
Hell, I absolutely WANT to read the comic, but I also don’t want to spoil knowing what will happen down the road. Based on the animated version of the first issue I caught on AMC (gotta love that Free On Demand and its special features), the show doesn’t follow every single panel in the comic to a T and in fact, adds some elements and changes others entirely. It’s all good, though (and definitely some of the best dramatic TV to date).
Score: A
Sega’s not even taking Thanksgiving off, releasing these six nice shots as well as a new game trailer for the Wii-exclusive first-person shooter set to blast into stores on February 15, 2011. High Voltage is really doing wonders with the Wii here. I’ll run the trailer later, as I’ve got some stuff cooking I don’t want to burn up – enjoy!
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 