Delay of game aside, the new May 15 launch date also gives me time to recuperate from my birthday a week earlier. Given that I’ll most likely be spending it buried in some new game, I get a few extra days to finish whatever I’m playing before Max makes his appearance. Perhaps Rockstar was thinking of me after all? Well, maybe not, but a guy can hope, right? That new trailer is up on the other blog if you’re curious, George…
With the release of Syndicate less than a week away, here’s a quick (and mostly spoiler-free) update on what to expect from Starbreeze Studios’ reboot of the PC classic. I had the chance to play through the game’s first two missions plus a tough co-op map with a few fellow journalist types at the Spotlight EA event last week and as I’ve been saying, the game absolutely nails the feel of the original game in many areas, improving on things by dropping the camera to first person and putting you into the shoes of cyber-enhanced corporate agent, Miles Kilo. Those of you out there still skeptically on your internet forum soapboxes need to step down and pick up a controller at some point, as any bit of quality time spent with the game will prove that it’s a winner that improves on many elements the original pioneered.
Namco Bandai really, REALLY wants to show off Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch so much that they released not one, not two, not three, but FOUR excellent gameplay trailers and a ton of screenshots for the upcoming Level-5/Studio Ghibli PS3 exclusive. Even better, we’re getting both English and Japanese voice-overs so there won’t be any Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom style ear-scorching voice work. OK, I actually liked most of the voices in that game, but not having the option to hear the Japanese dub was a bit of a pain to a lot of reviewers and gamers. While I’m doing the happy dance about this great looking game (that’s sure to be an instant classic, by the way), I do wish that the Nintendo DS was still seen (or more precisely, would still be seen by Nintendo) as a viable platform, as there’s also a Ni no Kuni DS game that NEEDS to be published by someone and promoted as one of the last (and best) games on the platform.Any news on that, NamBan?
Two more gameplay clips below the jump…
Some folks out there think it’s “easy” to get an HD version of an older console game out, but it’s far, far from just porting the graphics and adding a shiny layer of high def texture maps and too much depth of field. Especially when the games you’re looking at giving the glossy graphics treatment broke all the rules on the console they were created for. If you were wondering why it’s taken so long for Sony to get the Jak games onto the PS3, this video will give you a good idea of just how well Naughty Dog did their job with the original games. Mass Media has their work cut out for them, but it seems that they’re going to be knocking this collection out of the park and making a LOT of fans happy (like yours truly)…
Usually, I kind of roll my eyeballs around in my skull until they fall out of my head and get all linty from rolling under a dresser when I see these pre-order bonuses. This time, I managed to catch one eyeball and pop it back in just so I could do a proper double-take. Pre-ordering ACV from any GS in North America will get you the Heavy Armor Pack DLC, which features 168 parts you can use to give your Core a big honkin’ advantage over those who just grab the game at retail on day one and have to work harder to get the cool gear.
On the other hand, a GOOD AC player will probably figure out a way to rig up a mean mech without taking the pre-order plunge. Of course, 168 FREE parts are very hard to pass up, that’s for sure…
I saw the full-length version of this last week at the Spotlight EA event and it’s pretty spectacular, stirring stuff by time the dramatic ending rolls around. Not that Mass Effect 3 needs the hard sell at all. Hell, BioWare has pulled out all the stops with the upcoming PS3/Xbox 360/PC game an you’ll see many improvements plus a super 4-player co-op mode that ties into the main single player storyline. It’s almost like the developer (and whomever did the CG work) is showing off how well their game is going to yank players all across the emotional spectrum and leave them in sobbing, yet defiant heaps of Shepard-ness right before they hop back in to finish the fight. Wait, wrong game franchise! Oh, you know what I mean. If you STILL haven’t played the other two (or Mass Effect 2, if you’re only a PS3 owner), you should pick them up ASAP, as they’re cheap and will get you even more revved up for this finale. Also, the demo is out NOW, so give it a whirl – the single player is about 2 hours or so and you’ve got some co-op fun added as well.
No huge surprises here, but the addition of Street Fighter’s M. Bison and Akuma plus Tekken’s Jin and Ogre brings the tally to 38 fighters… which to me, means we’ll probably see some more coming via DLC down the road from Capcom. Er, not that 38 fighters is anything to sneeze at, mind you. It’s just that between the two fighting franchises, methinks there are some other characters that are MIA for any number of reasons. Of course, Namco’s upcoming Tekken X Street Fighter may also bring in a few of these new challengers, so we’ll need to see what up with that still in development follow-up at some point…
More trailers below the jump!
Day Three of the show was pretty exhausting and again, I’m BEAT. As I didn’t check my email until now (Hey! I needed a nap after all that walking around), I missed this cool TM Launch trailer (oops) Anyway, here you go (a day late, too). Oh, well… it’s the thought that counts, right? Now, I just need to snag a copy of the game and play it…
POW! Namco Bandai’s firstly familiar to Sony fans fighting franchise finally flies onto a new platform. 40+ characters and a lot of precise button crunching await those 3DS owners looking for another cool fighter for their favorite handheld. Of course, with the publisher also releasing Tales of the Abyss for the 3DS on the same day, it’s going to be a tough choice for some gamers on a budget. On the other hand, that’s what next week’s paycheck is for, right? Game on!
… But don’t worry about ONLY have a measly ONE game, though. Sony’s rather impressive lineup of 25 launch titles includes very few lemons from what I can see and even then, the games that don’t “look” like “core” titles are fun for the niche crowd. Oh, who am I kidding… EVERY game genre is a niche, kids – some are just bigger than others. This is going to be a key week plus for the Vita a the folks that have pre-ordered those first issue bundles will be the ones Sony will be hearing from first (well, after the pro critics have their way with the device and launch lineup) and no doubt adjusting whatever based on that feedback.
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