Asura’s Wrath Hands-On: One Of These Days, Argus… Bang, Zoom!

Posted on October 23, 2011 by geelw

Thanks to a soundproof glass booth where attendees lined up to scream in order to win cool swag, Capcom and CyberConnect 2 had gamers literally screaming to play Asura’s Wrath, the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 cinematic action game that’s so very hard to describe in the space of something like the entire Internet. OK, overblown hyperbole aside, the demo on the show floor was quite an experience that packed in over the top quick time events, a bit of strategic button bashing and a classical music score that made the experience quite hilarious. This is shaping up to be one of those games that has to be seen and played to be believed and even after that, you’d probably wonder what the hell just happened. Think the mighty God Hand on steroids and with a serious case of rage issues and well, that’s about a tenth of what’s coming your way next year. Continue reading →

Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi Hands-On

Posted on July 16, 2011 by geelw

If there was any doubt that Dragon Ball Z had staying power after all these years, Namco Bandai’s upcoming brawler should squash that like oh so many bugs under a hard heel. The game is intense, insane and from what I played last week at their NYC press event, pretty non-stop in terms of the all-out action fans expect. Looking even better than the anime it’s based on, the game might even get some non-DBZ fighting game fans to pick up a controller once they get a peek at the speed and visual flash of the battles. Yes, there are indeed quick time events in these fights, but both players can either get in attack or defense moves by being the fastest to jam on a certain button when prompted. The Super attacks are impressive and can absolutely turn the tide in battle, provided you’ve been beating on your opponent enough so your cinematic blow can get.

Controls are solid, as noted, the game looks fantastic (the huge destructible environments get blasted up pretty good) and yup, there are ridiculously fun boss fights that feel like something from a classic 3D platformer, memorizing pattern attacks and all. The boss demo ended JUST as things were getting good, so it looks as if we’ll have to wait until October to see how it all turns out. PS3 and Xbox 360, of course…

Brink Hands-ON: Splash Damage At The Top Of Their (& Your) Game

Posted on March 11, 2011 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/oFtDU3aMVOQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

UK-based developer Splash Damage has every right to be chest-out, chin up proud of their upcoming shooter, Brink. The game is a total blast to play and everything from the deep character and weapons customization to the smartly paced addictiveness of the team-centered FPS gameplay is stellar stuff. I got to check the game out recently when Betheseda dropped into NYC with it (and InXile's fun RPG action/romp Hunted: The Demon's Forge) and yes, it's not only ridiculously impressive, it's designed so brilliantly that even non-FPS fans will want to pick up a controller and have a go. With its destroyed futuristic “Ark” setting and two groups pitted against each other in a race against time for what each sees as humanity's future, there's a solid sense of urgency under the trappings of what would be just another shooter du jour in less capable hands.Read more »

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge Hands-On

Posted on March 2, 2011 by geelw

Fans of tightly focused “old-school” hack & slash RPG’s as well as anyone looking for a hefty challenge should absolutely stick inXile’s upcoming PS3/Xbox 360 game on their to-do lists. At a recent Bethesda press event, I got to sit down with a final build of the game and was very impressed at the level of challenge in the game (and the presentation’s not bad either). While inXile has noted previously that Hunted’s cover-based gameplay is inspired by Epic’s Gears of War series, the fantasy trappings and two tough yet likable leads should appeal to both male and female gamers alike. I got a taste of both the single player and co-op story modes (with a fellow editor) and yes, you should click on down to read the real deal on what’s going to be a bit of a sleeper hit this June. Continue reading →

Gallery: Ar tonelico Qoga – Knell of Ar Ciel

Posted on January 26, 2011 by geelw

With its March 15, 2011 release approaching, let's take a look at some nice screens and character illustrations from the final installment of Gust's rather intriguing mix of RPG and romance simulation, finally making it's PS3 debut. The first two games were pure 2D bliss packed with lovely hand-drawn art, parallax scrolling and limited 3D elements that gave them a nicely old-school feel. Qoga's shift to 3D battles and an all-new combat system does allow for more dynamic angles as you'll see, but it looks as if the game also uses some interesting hand-painted art in certain non-battle sections. I liked the first two games quite a lot (although the real-time combat system in part 2 was a bit too gimmicky) – fingers crossed that Qoga doesn't disappoint in any department.

More info about the game and screens below the jump.

Tiny & Big in: Up That Mountain – Black Pants’ Instant (Even As A Work In Progress) Classic

Posted on January 14, 2011 by geelw

I absolutely love independent games and this year's crop of IGF 2011 entrants and finalists just may be the most creative to date. From the super-popular and amazingly successful Minecraft or Super Meat Boy, innovative gems such as Desktop Dungeons, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and more, there's something for every taste (as well as plenty of games a non-gamer would try). A few of the nicer surprises have been the as yet unfinished projects that show off some amazing innovation in visuals as well as gameplay.

For me, the best example of this is the beta demo of Tiny and Big in: Up That Mountain, developer Black Pants Game Studio's wonderfully fresh and funny episodic 3D adventure/platformer (for PC, Mac and Linux) that features stunning comic-styled visuals and excellently implemented game mechanics that are simple to understand while allowing for a number of ways to tackle environment navigation. The current demo build is a bit raw and definitely needs more work, but what's here will make you crack a smile that lasts for as long as you're playing.

Mass Effect 2 PS3 Hands-On: BioWare, Beautiful & Brilliant

Posted on December 19, 2010 by geelw

PS3 owners may have missed out on the original Mass Effect, but the stellar sequel plus four DLC chapters and a little something extra (plus a LOT of something extra under the hood) is headed your way in a great standard edition pack that's bound to fly off store shelves faster than the new Normandy hits light speed. I had the opportunity to play a demo version of Mass Effect 2 and was immediately floored by the visual upgrade (thanks to what was recently revealed as the Mass Effect 3 engine), the tweaked puzzles and a few other niceties BioWare has seen fit to add. I'd have to safely say this is going to be the definitive console version of the game and even if you've played the Xbox 360 version, you might want to snap up a copy of this one, provided you also have a PS3 in the house.

MotorStorm Apocalypse Will Make You Want to Save Up For That 3D TV…

Posted on December 12, 2010 by geelw

Yeah, I'm also saying that about Killzone 3, The Sly Collection and that absolutely lovely Ico/Shadow of The Colossus twofer coming your way (and the more the merrier, right?). However, of all the first-party PS3 games I've seen that use 3D enhancements, Evolution Studio's upcoming racer truly takes the cake and even eats the damn candles in terms of total WOW factor. The game screams along at a solid 30fps with nothing stopping the onscreen chaos, except perhaps that building, opponent or gaping crevasse you'll crash into thanks to the overwhelming visuals. Sitting down, popping on a pair of Sony 3D glasses and watching Game Director Matt Southern play through normal and 3D enhanced modes was a quite a thrilling experience (to say the least).

Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll Screenshot Gallery

Posted on December 10, 2010 by geelw

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.

Sony Sure Knows How To Throw A Holiday Party…

Posted on December 10, 2010 by geelw

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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