I played through the Alan Wake DLC, the Signal, yesterday afternoon. For better or worse, it’s more of the same. For those of you who loved Alan Wake, this is probably right up your alley. I would like to hear the opinion from someone like Nick, who really enjoyed the original game though.

As for me, this wasn’t anything new. I felt it was still plagued by the problems that made me lukewarm the first time. Still, I was having problems with the combat, which was my biggest gripe initially. There were still moments when I felt I was in situations unable to handle all the things presented.  Running away seems to be the best option working about half the time, so eventually you’ll get through it. I did try to fight my way through most of it but the endless supply of enemies wore on me. And even more, did the Poltergeist objects. The flying spools, combat TVs, stuffed deer pieces, and the monster trucks with death wishes that can all be destroyed by a flash light, I will never take a liking to. Running around shining a light on things while trying to avoid getting butt-raped by them is by far the worst part of the Alan Wake formula.

Without going to in-depth, most of The Signal is a recreation of the original game, taking bits and pieces or previous sequences and mashing them together into one semi coherent jumble. Remedy used their “Get Out of Jail Free Card” in the new sequences by taking exact locales and not creating anything too entirely new, which is of course the worry in the usage of DLC content. There is one new interesting game play spot, the furnace, but after having to replay the section multiple times, I resorted to just running through it.

As far as adding to the story, nothing much really goes on in The Signal. Nothing is solved and no new conflict created. If anything The Signal serves as a placeholder, reminding players of events so far and reacquainting them with the controls and combat. It does raise the question about when the next DLC will come out though.

I hate DLC Episodes and  The Signal is the weakest chapter in the story but I wasn’t expecting too much out of a free episode and it fits in the nightly episode format that the game is set up in. Plus it was free to a certain extent and I was presented with the opportunity to play the game again, adding a few more Cheevos to the pile.

But again this raises the question about the next DLC’s release date. If Remedy waits too long to release the next Episode, I feel that they run the risk of people not caring about it. And more importantly they run the risk of that lack of interest feeding into not wanting to spend money. They’ve set a good thing in motion with a free episode and gameplay longevity. It’s fresh on people’s minds again. They gave people a reason to keep their game discs around instead of trading them in, here’s a chance to prove that it and DLC are worth it. For all of our sakes, I hope they deliver.

David

I really am getting sick of posting about Bond…. really.  It makes me look like crazy obsessed fan boy but it seems that someone out there (i’m looking at you Yamaha Casey…)  is bent on ensuring that I do get hyped about the upcoming original bond game, Blood Stone,  from Activision/Bizarre Creations.  With that said, I present to you, the first taste of this fully original Bond Game, starring Daniel Craig.

Everything required to make an entertaining Bond experience seems to be present and polished to a level that I have not really seen from a Bond game before. Take-downs look brutal, satisfying, and easy to execute and the driving sequences appear to be a great blend of adrenaline pumping action and cinematic presentation. My only concern going forward is whether or not Bizarre Creations will restrain themselves and spread the pacing a bit. If the action isn’t broken up by exploration, stealth, or even something as wild as an on-foot chase sequence, then the game might seem way too hokey and over-the-top.

I am officially excited for this game but now I have an urge to go back and play one of the 3 original bond titles on the PS2. This is the question I pose to the community: Which original Bond game (Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, or Everything or Nothing) was best and for what reasons?

**Thanks to Yamaha Casey for emailing me this video

Kloonigames, best known for Crayon Physics, have released a new game/prototype called Cut It. It is a puzzle game in which pieces of a tower can be, as the name implies, cut with the goal of landing a white cube on a green platform. The cuts can only be performed one at a time in a straight line and the white cube must remain at rest on the green platform for a short amount of time before the level is cleared.

It is a simple concept but it is applied in very, almost too, challenging ways, especially from the midpoint on. At times it can seem like some of the levels are completed by chance alone and not well placed cuts but in reality, it just requires very lateral thinking. The instant restart function does help with this though, as it allows quick attempts at different solutions.

That is where Cut It is most enjoyable: there are many solutions to each level and how to solve it is up to the player. It provides the set up, you cut it up, and physics take care of the rest. The game is free and available for Windows and Mac OS on Kloonigames.com.

In an unexpected turn of events, Bizarre Creations finally revealed their new Bond game entitled Blood Stone today. The reason I say unexpected is that the game really looks like a traditional bond game, with high octane driving sequences and third person ass kicking included. Speculation had been running rampant that the new Bond game would be almost exclusively a driving based game full of the adrenaline pumping chase sequences that the series is known for. What we get instead is a third person action game starring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench.

I am currently adding the finishing touches to an article describing my feelings about games changing developers and the reasons why I am not opposed to it (in most cases). Well what interesting timing because the bond series has been changing developers with almost every iteration since Goldeneye. Among the developers to give their take on Bond are Eurocom, EA Redwood Shores (Visceral Games), and Treyarch (among others). In what seems like an endless attempt to achieve the success of Goldeneye, almost no team has found the right formula to make Bond relevant again. While Nightfire and Everything or Nothing were both decent attempts, no set formula has stuck. So the question remains, should we be optimistic about Blood Stone or shrug it off?

With the fate of the film series in limbo, I am happy to see Activision shopping the IP around for new studios, I am not so sure Bizarre Creations would have been my first choice. While they have created some fantastic and memorable titles like Geometry Wars, Project Gotham Racing, and Blur, this would be one of their first forays into the world of action titles with the exception of “Fur Fighters” for the Dreamcast and the more recent “The Club”, neither of which received must critical acclaim. One thing is for sure, come December, gamers will have more Bond than they can handle with the highly anticipated “remake” of Goldeneye set to hit stores around the same time.

While I am certain to play Blood Stone when it hits this fall, I will be placing this game on my back burner, hoping to be pleasantly surprised when it launches. Any thoughts? Did I mention Joss Stone (See what they did their) will be providing the music and lubricant?

When playing games with options in combat, if there is a non-lethal path then I try my best to take that pathway. I figure I should take advantage of the ability to not kill people. Though in most of the games with a non-lethal option, the states of a character being dead versus knocked out doesn’t really matter. There is no real reason to feel remorse for killing them either. But while continuing to play Peace Walker, I realize how much more granular lethality and humanity are represented in the interactions with the guards.

There are multiple methods for dealing with the guards beyond just sneaking past them. They range from holding them up to knocking them out to tranquilizing them to lethally shooting them and, in each case, the guards respond differently. They might get up after a little while, in the case of knock outs and tranquilizer shots, or they might stay down, in the case of hold ups or lethal shots. Most of the time, alerts are raised when a guard is found incapacitated, but if they are found asleep from a tranquilizer, it isn’t. Each method results in different behaviors—none of them are just alternate means to the same point.

In one of these methods, there is an option to tell the guards to speak and, while the lines that are available do eventually repeat, they are varied enough to make it seem as if each guard has a different personality. There are some responses one would expect from a video game, like telling me to not fight like a coward. Other guards fear for their life, some provide helpful information and some say they want to join me in my fight. But one said something more profound.

He said, “Do you think I’m here because I want to be?” It is a sentiment everyone can empathize with and I feel good for not killing this man nor his buddies. The question he poses is something to keep in mind the next time a video game forces you kill waves of dudes—in most games, this human element won’t even be brought up.

The reveal of the Infamous 2 trailer at E3 was incredibly underwhelming for me. The Game Informer article that revealed the first concrete details also left me a bit worried about the direction that the series was headed in. The hero, Cole, had been redesigned, the setting didn’t impress me the way I expected it too, and the way it was described, it didn’t seem to point at any major improvements over the original. Today, I eat my words. This first gameplay trailer is not only impressive, it is downright sexy. Check it out:

Rather than recycle the basic combat mechanic in the original which involved shooting electric projectiles from your fingertips “sith-style”, Cole has gained a new electrical staff that can be used to create combos and take out enemies in style. Whether this weapon will serve as his main method of attack is unclear but it does open the door for possibilities in regards to weapons and combat styles.

Environmental traversal was an important aspect of Infamous and this gameplay demonstration illustrates how it has been improved and incorporated into missions in a more satisfying and cinematic way for the sequel. The movements, especially those involving the wire grinding, seem to carry more weight and momentum than the first. Cole is now able to grind side-to-side along horizontal wires and even use vertical conduits to quickly move between the ground and the rooftops. I can imagine that this would make from some very intense and fun chase and platforming sequences.

While I was originally unhappy with the setting of Infamous 2, the cinematic flair and the “Louisiana-esque” aesthetic give it a unique personality that I think will really help separate this game from it’s predecessor. When coupled with the destructible environments (i’m not sure how much of this world is destructible but that was amazing), this could really prove to be an amazing world to bring to it’s knees.

While i’m not sure how far into the game this video was taken from, it is clear that Cole has really come a long way with his abilities since the events of the first Infamous. The powers he uses seem amplified and Sucker Punch did a good job of making him seem like a more confident, focused hero simply through his movement animations. Some of his more basic abilities in the original game such as his glide and push abilities seem way more useful and powerful, making him seem like a force to be reckoned with. It goes without saying that his final attack on the helicopter was just about the coolest demonstration of power I have seen in a game. If that attack is really as immense and intimidating as it seemed in that trailer, I can’t wait to see what else Cole might have up his sleeve.

While there are still a lot of questions to be answered in regards to Cole’s new ice abilities, the handling of choice, and the story, I think Sucker Punch is on track for another hit. It seems like that have taken pages from Naughty Dog’s playbook in regards to presentation and combined that with some excellent design choices to make this sequel really stand out. Only time will tell but for now, I will eat my words and say that my excitement for this title is now through the roof.

Below are 4 clips of leaked Lords of Shadow gameplay footage. After watching them myself, I’ll say this — the game could have been shown A LOT better at E3. While the gameplay in these clips still seems a bit iffy, there is a lot more variety than in the boring arena fights of the E3 demo. More thoughts after the clips.

Don’t get me wrong, I was shitting on the game hard at E3, and I stand by my impressions. The combat in this game (as in the demo) was not very good. It was boring, sluggish, shallow, and it lacked any real challenge — and that was all there was to really do in the E3 demo. If Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was going to be a straightforward hack-and-slash throughout, the game would be terrible. But the clips below show more variety that wasn’t in the demo. There is some light exploration, minor puzzle solving, and a lengthy platforming session. If the game has enough of these elements, and executes on them well, then I’m more than able to forgive a weak combat system. I am a Tomb Raider fan after all. With that said, I do see some issues.

Most of these fall on the platforming shown mostly in the last clip. As a Tomb Raider, Ico, Prince of Persia, and Uncharted fan, I have certain expectations when it comes to platforming in my adventure games. When I think about the platforming in Devil May Cry, the 3d Igavanias, Ninja Gaiden, and God of War, I realize all of them have terrible platforming. It just hasn’t been done well in character action games. I think a game needs to be a platformer first, and a combat game second, if it wants to satisfy my wall climbing needs.

So what do I see in Lords of Shadow? I see Mercury Steam trying to doing the platforming of Tomb Raider with the half-asssed execution of the character action games I just mentioned. First, the climbing and shimmying is way too slow. Secondly, the jumping looks awkward. Not only does it look very floaty and imprecise, but it appears that there isn’t even a “grab-the-ledge-when-you-short-a-jump” option. If this is true, it can single handily ruin the platforming in this game. The only cool thing I saw was using the whip to ascend the side of a wall. That was until the developer himself spent over two minutes trying over and over to scale a single wall.

I’m not nitpicking here, because these mistakes can turn a nice experience into a frustrating mess very quickly. If they tweak some of the problems I’ve mentioned, this game could end up being a lot of fun. I’m still skeptical, but my hope has risen some.

As people who play video games, we normally want things that are bigger, smarter, or even more expansive. We want things to evolve rapidly and become better in every iteration over each generation. But sometimes being dumber is better. Having AI that is a little stupid or even levels that are smaller can be a good thing. This is the case for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

It may be inaccurate to call the artificial intelligence of Peace Walker dumb but they are fairly dimwitted. The guards are surprisingly relaxed about the tranquilizer darts that just hit them in the back. They shrug off many things like this as their imagination playing tricks on them. They should probably get their eyes (and ears) checked as well, since they can’t see their buddy being subdued in the middle of a pathway. The levels that the guards do their exacting pace around are smaller and more tightly knit as well. There aren’t too many options in paths to take, though there are more if there is a cooperative buddy involved.

These seemingly bad elements work because of the limits in which they must be created, the limits of the Playstation Portable system. The AI being worse works because of the more limited control of the system. The available actions are more limited, so in turn, it makes sense for the intelligence of the enemies to be limited as well. As a result, Peace Walker has some of the most enjoyable stealth and non-lethal play because of how much easier it is to be successful. It may be easier but it is not just given away—it still feels like it is earned by smartly using the tools available.

The levels being smaller also works to it’s advantage because, in portable gaming, play sessions aren’t as long. There are more frequent stopping points in Peace Walker and entire missions can be beaten in twenty to forty minutes—side missions in less than ten minutes. The levels being smaller also contribute to the better stealth. Seeing nearly all of the level at a time makes planning out how to tackle it easier to figure out but, again, the way to do it isn’t just given away. If one segment triggers an alarm, just running to the next doesn’t reset it, there is a persistence to this that rewards one for being smart in how they play.

The hardware on which a game is being played on should be heavily considered when designing a game. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker understands this and compensates appropriately. In this adjustment for the platform, it takes some, admittedly, regressive steps but the game is better for it, even if it seems incidental, even if it is only a happy accident.

Most of us have only seen a trailer for Portal 2. Well I have a crazy story for you. You can achieve a great many things by walking through the right doors at E3 and pretending you belong. In short, I was actually able to take Portal 2 for a spin. And it was amazing!

I’m sorry, but I tricked you. I’m not here to talk about Portal 2 at all. Unfortunately, I needed to lie in order to get you to click past the main page. But please don’t stop reading here — even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan. One of the best and most surprising games I saw at E3 this year was in fact Lord of the Rings: The War in the North. And I’m here to tell you why you should care.

First off, the studio (Snowblind) developing this game has a history of making really fun co-op action RPGs for consoles. The many college hours my friends and I wasted on their previous games, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath, are reason alone I’m confident that Snowblind can deliver another worthy RPG experience.

But most importantly, the game looked really cool. Gone is the isometric camera angle Snowblind used in their previous games. Instead, the camera is locked behind the character much like in Dragon Age or Mass Effect. At the start of the game you pick a race and customize the appearance that character. But here’s the cool part — you can play the game co-op online with up to three players. Each player chooses between the Human, the Dwarf, and the Elf. Each class has different abilities that aid the team both in and out of combat. Combat is pretty standard hack-and-slash with spells, but it’s the combination these skills in co-op that looked really fun. For example, the mage character had cast a protection bubble that shielded the team from incoming arrows while the dwarf hammered the enemies that charged at the group. It’s a simple combination of skills, but it’s this type of cooperation that will be a blast online.

The game also appears to have deeper RPG elements than Snowblind’s previous outings. Full Mass Effect style dialogue trees, Dragon Age style character conversations (while exploring the environment), quality voice acting, a loot system that alters appearance(!!!), and the rich Tolkien universe, are all reasons this game might be one of the better fantasy RPGs we’ve seen in a long while. The graphics and presentation were also impressive for a game not releasing till next year. One thing is for sure, War in the North looks FAR better than Bethesda’s Hunted: The Demon’s Forge.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of unknowns with this project. The developers didn’t have answers to my questions about skills and character progression; and I’m still confused how they will present a coherent story when three people are online playing the game online. Regardless, I’m very excited for this game. As for you all — you probably don’t trust me yet. Oh well, gameplay footage will debut soon enough. I will save space on my wagon of hype.

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge (HDF) is one of those games from E3 that I’ve been thinking a lot about.  Sure its been mostly visions of Portal 2, Vanquish and the 3DS that have been dancing in my head like so many sugar plumbs on a Christmas morning, but HDF has been there too with its alluring promises of dungeon crawling goodness.   In fact, I will even go so far as to say that there is a very good chance that HDF could come out like a modernized, cooperative, version of DeathTrap Dungeon from the PlayStation 1 era.

I’m a big fan of Deathtrap Dungeon. A little Tomb Raider inspired dungeon crawler that game out for the PS1.  The game had style, enemy dismemberment, puzzles and a ton of subtle atmosphere in a time when the 3rd person exploration genera was somewhat lacking it in. But it was an underrated and underappreciated gem for its time.

HDF seems to be following many of the same ideals that I believe made Deathtrap Dungeon a development success, if not necessarily a financial one.  Much like Metroid, DeathTrap Dungeon’s quite and claustrophobic atmosphere brought a sense of isolation and dread to the Tomb Raider mechanics which it employed.  Though its hard to recreate that in a cooperative game many of the other subtles I enjoyed so much in those earlier titles seem to be employed here as well.

In the game you take the part of one of two warriors, E’lara and Caddoc, in single player with an AI companion or in multiplayer in full co-op.  E’lara is a female ranged support class while Caddoc is an “in your face” melee class.  Both however have the ability to use both ranged, melee attacks and magic so no one really feels completely defenceless at all times.  Together they crawl their way through swamps, forests and dungeons as they help each other to mow down the usual monstrious foes and solve puzzles.

I was able to play a pre-alpha build with Travis Granger and even though what we played was a little rough around the edges it was also loads of fun.  And already the graphics were quite beautiful for a title still so early in development.  So far inXile Entertainment is doing a very good job with getting the setting right, and also giving our hero’s a good sense of diversity in the ways they can utilize combat. Long and short range weapons, offensive magic and defensive magical buffs are all preasent.  As well as the ability for the player to purcahse skill sets and special moves much like God of War and Dante’s Inferno.

The developers have stated that even more functionality is set to be introduced and I’m excited to see what they can come up with.  In the meantime I’ll be writing to Sony in an attempt to get DeathTrap Dungeon on PSN.

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge is being developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Bethesda for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

-Joseph-

The weeks prior to E3 there was really only one game on my mind. A game that I was preparing to love and to cherish for years to come. A game I worried for, a game I hoped for. Final Fantasy XIV Online is Square Enix’s next step into online gaming. They have learned much from their previous attempt in MMO’s, lets hope they only improve their next.

As I have discussed before, Final Fantasy XI is an MMO not meant for WOW players. Where WOW keeps things simple, XI makes things difficult. For example, World of Warcraft allows people to play solo and level solo. If a player in WOW chooses, they can progress the entire game without even talking to another player. In eleven that would not be possible at all. FFXI forces people to come together for hours at a time just to kill regular monsters to pick up regular loot to gain regular levels. This example specifically is why I enjoyed FFXI so much more than WOW. While some MMOs allow you to play with others by choice, FFXI required people to get close, know one another, spend hours together, and in doing so created an atmosphere in which you felt more connected with the world and your character. WOW is just a game, while FFXI is a community.

If this makes any sense to you, then you may understand why I am excited for Final Fantasy XIV. While I was only able to play the demo at E3 for a short amount of time (demo freaked out on me), I was able to note a few key features that gives me hope that Square Enix will stay true to their formula.

• Ability to choose difficulties in quests. Allows one to solo or set somewhere around XI’s difficulty or higher.
• Simple yet elegant fighting system which blends the previous installments fighting with the HUD of more popular MMO’s.
• General feeling of epicness when it comes to environments.
• Art style is simple and there are no glowing swords. (Thank god. One feature I loved about FFXI was the lack of ridiculous clothing.)
• Addition to complexity with character creation. Star born under, birthday, god you worship, and a “tribe” selection. Will most likely lead to variables in crafting skills.
• Little help from your HUD or NPC’s on quests or getting around.

• Difficult enemies which require multiple people to take down. And for those who like WOW, these enemies are not in an instance you wussies. These are the everyday enemies.

The game is gorgeous, it’s promising, I can’t wait. If I get a beta key I will blow a man.

Until then, I hope that some of our readers are willing to try this game out once its released. I am sure there are some people who will be afraid to try it out after playing XI in the past, but don’t be a girl, attempt to play an MMO with actual depth and you will be rewarded I assure you.

Also, if you are interested in seeing if this game could work on your PC, here is a Benchmark Test.

-Travis

I would rank the original Okami as one of the best titles in the PS2 library. It ranks up high with games like Shadow of the Colossus and Ico because it beautifully melded a unique and beautiful art style with gripping game play mechanics. When you consider that it was also a long game with loads of content and fun characters, it is easy to see why any gamer would appreciate it. Unfortunately, the IP’s future was brought into question when the development studio, Clover, was closed. Now, several years later, Capcom has decided to keep the series alive by bringing us Okamiden, a direct sequel that will surely split the audience in two. Why? Because Okamiden now shares the fate of other great titles like Valkyria Chronicles whose sequels ended up on hand held gaming devices rather than current gen consoles. After playing the game on the show floor at E3 2010, I can honestly say that I can see myself playing this game and enjoying it but the hole in my heart won’t be filled until the game returns to form on current gen hardware.

While the potential of a game like Okami is undeniable, it simply doesn’t appeal to gamers on a widespread level. Considering the poor sales number of the original, I find it impossible to believe that this DS iteration will ever sell enough to rejuvenate interest in a full blown sequel especially since the brilliant mechanics from the original don’t seem to have transferred too smoothly to the DS. In a very odd choice on the part of the developers, the game runs on the top screen while menus and such can be interacted with on the bottom screen. In a game like Okami, where the main mechanic involves painting on the screen to bring color to the world or eliminate obstacles in your path, the player is forced to constantly tap the shoulder buttons to switch the screens for these sequences. Not only that, but I had to keep constantly unsheathing my stylus and then switching back to D-Pad control when I was done. It was dumb and I can see it becoming very annoying as the game goes on. I think a much better fit would have been to control the entire game like Zelda DS with the stylus and use the shoulder buttons to switch the paper like normal. If this had been the case, I think the moment-to-moment gameplay would be a lot more bearable and even accessible to newcomers.

I don’t mean to be overly critical of this game because I am honestly happy to be getting a sequel at all. My problems with the game are not game breaking and while some of the design choices may be somewhat odd, the rest of the game transferred rather well. I was impressed by how well the art style fit with the power of the DS. The game is beautiful and there is always a lot on screen to look at. The stylus makes a few extra mechanics possible as well which should some add depth to the puzzles and combat sequences. For example, Nushi, son of Susano from the original, accompanies Chibiterasu; with a simple button press, Nushi dismounts and can be lead along a path with the stylus to access new areas or collect hidden treasures. It seems that enough has been added to keep the game feeling fresh and the mechanics that were added are a good fit for the platform.

I had an opportunity to talk to one of the developers during my play through and there is one thing that I think is worth noting. One thing that shocked me about the original was its length. The game clocked in at 40 hours for me and when asked about the length of this new game, he told me that the game would clock in around half the time of the original so somewhere around 18-20 hours. That is a lot of content for a handheld adventure game and with the time and effort being put into maintaining the feel of the original, I think Okamiden could possibly prove to be just as engrossing as it’s big brother counterpart.

Unfortunately, I have a tendency to not finish hand-held games and I’m afraid that this will once again fall to the wayside. I don’t feel that the game will reach it’s full potential because the possibility of a console sequel will always be dangling in front of my eyes. It is always exciting to watch a hand-held title make the transition to a console but to watch a console game, especially a game as beautiful and grand as Okami, take a step backward is discouraging and a bit disappointing. All I can say is that fans should be happy and supportive of the game if they ever hope to see Okami return to their home consoles.

As was mentioned in last night’s Day 3 recording, which will be posted Monday Morning, we will each be posting our Game of Show. Here’s mine and in addition, I’ve gone through a run down of games that deserve a mention and a quick explanation on why.

So if you would like, use this as a road map on which titles to do further research about.

Game of Show – Portal 2
After barely being teased at the Sony Conference, there were a lot of questions about this title, leaving me unsure about the future of my 2007 Game of the Year. After going to a behind closed doors preview, I can say that there’s no doubt in my mind, Valve is prepared to deliver new, fresh, interesting content and gameplay ideas. Even more they went into specific details about steps taken towards the second game including difficulty ramp up, game length, and humor. All of which were confidently addressed. Technically, this is my Game of the Show for Seen, not played but it also wins my overall Game of the Show Award.

Game of Show – Ghost Trick/Layton
This is award was for the Game of Show that I actually could play. I thought about giving this to Vanquish as it was one of the more interesting titles this E3, but who am I kidding? I’d only be giving it to another game because I’ve talked about Ghost Trick before after TGS. The two games I’m most excited about coming out of E3 are Ghost Trick and Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. Seeing the new story from Layton this week got me excited. Layton gets a letter from a mysterious person claiming to be Luke from the future while the demonstration of a time machine goes horribly wrong leaving the two presenting the technology missing. In Ghost Trick I got a feel for further levels and while I am cautious about the Trial & Error gameplay, it’s one of the most creative puzzle games I’ve seen in the last few years, so I’m sure I’ll get over it.

Biggest Surprise – Driver San Francisco
I was not expecting this. I’ve NEVER been interested in a Driver game. Why am I interested in this game? You have the ability to “jump” from car to car. Why didn’t anyone think of this before? So instead of all those GTA like chase missions that get ruined by having one crash, resulting in frantically running around trying to find a replacement car,  it’ll be quick and painless to just continue the chase or change directions. Think of it as a car chase sequence while having the powers of an Agent from the Matrix. Yes, it’s a stupid idea. But so is regenerating health in Call of Duty. It’s a video game and it makes it more fast paced and enjoyable. That’s the important thing.

Biggest Disappointment – Child of Eden/Last Guardian
So obviously, I thought we were going to see Last Guardian. Bummer. But for the more interesting discussion, why Tetsuya Mizuguchi is working on a spiritual successor to Rez  is beyond me. I wasn’t too impressed with Rez when it came out and I wasn’t really shown anything that would change my mind this time around. I don’t think Kinect support is what is going to completely change my complete opinion. On top of that it was only playable through appointments and that had me dealing with the douchebags at Ubisoft PR, who eventually said [No, By Appointments Only]. I needed to see more from this title. Big disappointment.

So here’s the rest of my thoughts on what occurred this week.

Kinect & Move
I want to avoid these two like the plague. Both seem like interesting pieces of hardware. I’d love to have them and try the games/modes being offered but most importantly, I DO NOT want to spend the money on this shit. Easily it will run over $300 dollars for all the hardware and then tack on the 3-4 games I’d be interested in playing, it’s not worth it. But because I like to try new things and we do a video game show, I’m sure I’ll be trying to justify these purchases. Not cool.

Rock Band 3
Wow they’re adding a fuck ton of improvements to the series. It really puts confidence that Harmonix knows and understands that part of the music game genre. They’ve either listened to their fans or have played the games themselves to know what is a hassle and what needs to be fixed. You look at Guitar Hero and the lack of changes, really makes me want to shout about their incompetence. Plus now with Midi support, keyboards, and the crazy ass Pro Guitar Mode, what else could you ask for?

Dance Masters over Dance Central
I know I just said a bunch of positive things about Harmonix. I think they’re great with the music game genre. But that doesn’t mean I’ll love every single one of their games, especially over one that’s more tailored to my interests. I think I’ve been labeled as the Just Dance guy. And in someways, that’s fair. But in this case, Dance Central is a Kinect game and honestly, the presentation and visuals are not my thing. I feel that the 3d character models are too complex and difficult to read, at least in the beginning. There’s a game called Dance Masters by Konami, while not any better, has a form of dance I’d much be more interested in learning, Para Para.

I guess that’s it for now. There are a few things rolling around in my brain but I’m not sure if those will congeal into an actual blog post.

For now, thanks for reading.
David

Being a huge Fallout fan I’ve been looking forward to the release of Fallout: New Vegas ever since it was announced.  Lucky for me I was able to get some hands-on time with the game today to see how I might be spending the next 100+ hours of my life once it hits stores.

Fallout: New Vegas brings us a new main character, a new story and a new location. However, other than that you would be hard pressed to find very much thats different from Fallout 3.

New Vegas itself, as a location, looks pretty good although some of the more iconic Vegas locations were noticeably missing from the demo I played.  Some look-alike fabrications were present but if you’re looking for a re-envisioning of the real Vegas as it would appear after the apocalypse then I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed.  From what I’ve seen so far Fallout 3 did a much better job of taking a real world location, in that case Washington D.C., and giving it the Mad Max makeover.  Vegas in Fallout: New Vegas seems like a complete fabrication than any known location.  Perhaps it really is a “new” vegas after all.

The game also sports a new command wheel for companions so that you can give them certain standing orders such as follow or stay away, keep distance or keep close, act aggressive or act passive.  The wheel works well but also takes away any semblance of individual personality that the characters might have had.  Dialogue options remain but there was a certain realism about having companions that would sometimes act in unexpected ways. In any case I think it  to fit the general feeling of an apocalyptic waste land.

All other aspects of the game remain unchanged from Fallout 3. The VATS system remains the same, quests and dialogue trees seem the same and even a few art assets will be instantly recognizable.  Ultimately I felt like I was playing an expansion of Fallout 3 rather than an entire new game. Even the dismemberment and damage mechanic remains identical.

If anything renders it as a new game it would be the scope.  The explorable area is the same as Capital Wasteland with a comparable amount of main story and side missions according to the developers that I spoke to.

Still, I was hoping for something much more new.  I loved Fallout 3, but after logging over 120 hours in that game I’m not so sure if I’m ready to make that type of commitment to something that doesn’t stray that far from the the root.

-Joseph-

Honestly this won’t take long.

One reason I’m writing about this is because I’ve mentioned in past podcasts that I’ve been excited for this game.  Sure the first one had numerous problems but thats what sequals are for right? To learn from past mistakes, to grow as a development company, and to correct past transgressions.  From the trailers I was under the impression that things were looking up for the Reality Pump open world RPG.

Well I spent some hands-on time with the latest build of the game here at E3 and I can report to you that at this time Two Worlds II is a horrific mess of a game.

There I stood, clumisly trying to fight with a few skeletons, my character stiffly spinning around with badly animated swipes as this poor girl from SouthPeak Interactive tried to make excuses for the horror which was transpiring on screen.  Telling me that they were still working out the various systems, adding polish, smoothing out the animations.

The game is set to release in October.   Unless Jesus himself decends from his cosmological UFO, beats the crap out of the lead designer and pours his magic Jesus-blood all over the original source code, I don’t see how this game will be anything resembling a complete experience at that time.

I had multiple questions, and though the girl helping me did her best there really wasn’t much she could do considering the source materials.  I asked what the level cap was. No one in the SouthPeak booth knew.  Seriously.

Two Worlds II has three classes (Ranger, Mage and Warrior) but the skill points allocation tree was dreadfully bare.  All classes are somewhat interchangeable, e.g. a warrior can learn magic, a mage can use swords, but all classes were also equally awful to use.  The option is there to respec at any time…really something I wish more games would do…but the only thing you’re going to want to respec so far is the money you paid when you bought it.

I had a lot of hope for Two Worlds II, but at this point nothing short of a miracle or a long delay, and possibly a change in developers, will do much to help this project.  To put things in perspective, I had a better experience with Divinity II at PAX 2009 than I did with Two Worlds II.

I won’t call the game dead yet. I wouldn’t do that when I didn’t even play release code.  But playing what I did certainly made me die a little inside.

-Joseph-

You should know that I have an erection. It protrudes from me like the proud prow of a mighty Spanish galleon.  And I have given it a name. Vanquish it shall be.

I had some time to play Platinum Games’  sci-fi action game and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since.  Produced by Atsushi Inaba, the creative mind behind God Hand, Madworld and Steel Battalion, it is filled with over the top action and huge mega-bosses that is reminiscent of the Bayonetta series.  Sure the asses might not be as nice but it makes up for it with some of the most fluid and intense firefight action I’ve had the pleasure of playing in a very long time.

The ease of using cover in this game is unmatched by any game that I’ve seen recently. Controls are snappy and responsive without “sticking” at inopportune times.  Your main character has a slide maneuver that allowes him to zoom across the ground on his knees toward cover and then seamlessly take that cover. A completely useful and fantastic tool when the action gets too hot.

Vehicle piloting and hijacking, huge boss battles and beautiful environments.  All this even from just the small taste of the demo and rumour has it (being rumor coming out of Brad Simons’ mouth) that the things shown behind closed doors even put that to shame.

Check out the E3 demo that was available to play below.  Vanquish is set to release this winter for the 360 and the PS3.

-Joseph-

Ninja Theory is the team responsible for PS3′s Heavenly Sword and with that project, they not only demonstrated competent game design but they set the bar for story telling and character presentation in gaming. Today, I kicked off my E3 experience with some hands on time with “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West”, a multi-platform game from the same team. It seems the team has stuck to what they do best and adapted it to an entirely new experience with fantastic characters and an intriguing take on the post apocalypse. While the game has some serious flaws that require discussion, the concept and execution are good enough to warrant my approval.

The demo today began at a segment at some point near the beginning of the game (I assume) in which both of the main characters are already acquainted. The details of their union are left unanswered and instead the demo focused on introducing their personalities, the dynamic of their relationship, and of course, the game-play mechanics. For those not in-the-know, the story takes place far in the future in a post-apocalyptic world where most human life has been extinguished and the remaining survivors live together in tightly knit communities. What I find to be so interesting about this take on this common setting is that Machines, who I assume are responsible for this human fallout, have become so intricately woven into this world that the wildlife has actually become machinery as well. At one point in the demo, Monkey, the main character, is tasked with chasing down and capturing a dragonfly which is actually a robot that can be reprogrammed to scan for invisible land mines throughout the world. Cool right?

Where the game truly stands out for me is in the interactions between the two main characters, Monkey and Trip. The game will tell the story of a young girl (Trip) who uses a special head band to enslave this powerful brute (Monkey) in order to gain his help in surviving the journey back to her home village. Both characters are extremely well presented and it is already easy to see how the tension between these two characters will eventually evolve into unwavering trust and loyalty. These kinds of stories are common, maybe even a bit cliche, but they are engrossing as hell and I can’t imagine another developer besides Ninja Theory helming this project. Both characters were rendered beautifully, with fully rendered expressions, and silky smooth animations (in most instances).

The game-play itself is a combination of Prince of Persia (2008) style platforming, Ico style partner based game-play, and third-person action. The game centers around these two characters and the primary goal is obviously to transport this girl to safety while protecting her at all costs. This is where it gets a little iffy. While the actual combat (w/ the machines) is rather simple to execute and actually rather satisfying, the lack of a cover mechanic and the wonky camera controls make it more difficult than necessary. I often found myself wanting to take cover behind various objects but couldn’t. This obviously led me to try and and compensate with the camera to no avail. While it never became so bad that I failed the mission, it was distracting from an otherwise brilliant experience.

The next sequence demonstrated the ability to give various commands to Trip using the left bumper. I used the right bumper to create an audio distraction while I used the left bumper to command Trip to maker her move into position. After a few competent platforming sequences, I was tasked with capturing the elusive dragonfly that I mentioned earlier. Using the mechanical dragonfly, Trip uploaded the mine scanner data into my head set which made them visible only to me. I loaded Trip on my back and navigated the mine field where we treated to a final cut-scene that set the stage for what is sure to be an epic story.

The game has some issues that need to be addressed prior to release but it is shaping up to be another quality story telling experience with some fun platforming and melee combat to boot. Ninja Theory has impressed me yet again and I hope that they get the feedback they need from E3 to make this a really quality title when it releases later this year.

(Show Floor footage forthcoming, check back)

-Nick

I’ve secretly been excited for Kane and Lynch for a few months now. Ever since they released that trailer that had them barging in on a naked couple, a few random cuts (and shaky camera movements later) they were chasing a naked and screaming woman down an alleyway.  The entire thing was designed to look like it had been shot with an old VHS camera. It was gritty and disturbing. Honestly, that one vision of chasing that woman down lasted with me for days, and today I was finally able to have some hands-on time with the game.

Those scenes from the trailer are actually fairly representative of the build we played today. Gritty reality is the key here and as you are playing the game it feels like you are watching a gritty, or unrated, episode of cops that is actually being filmed from the criminals perspective.  The French movie “Man bites Dog” comes to mind.

Colors wash out by design, shoot someone dead and their faces become pixelated as if they are being censored by some invisible FCC.  This is not game censorship, this is atmosphere, and it works extremely well.  Go into a sprint and the camera shakes violently as if you are viewing your character through the lens of a camera that is being held by someone who is running behind him.  It can be a little disorienting at first but design wise it was a brilliant move.

The scene starts with Kane and Lynch eating dinner in an empty Chinese restaurant.  They are simply eating in silence for about a full minute in a half. The scene is quiet. Until all hell breaks loose.

A swat team charges into the place firing away and you immediately have to take cover while shots ring out all around you and pieces of wall and shelving are torn to bits. The cover system works with a simple directional press on the left stick and hitting the X button. Its actually quite snappy and I found myself getting stuck far less than in other games. Your character has two ways to shoot from cover.  An aiming system that makes you pop out from behind the cover and an indirect aim which has you spray over the cover with far less precision.  Both systems work for different situations and I can see the use for suppression in many of them, especially since it looks like you are going to be outnumbered more often than not.

After clearing out the police you are sent down the back of the building where you come up to some hostages.  They are harmless and of course I shot one of them. Immediately the face of the hostage became pixelated.  I think someone was filming behind me while I did this.

After a few more police encounters you are taken to a main street where the hostage mechanic can be used to take pedestrian hostages to be used as human shields.  It works very much like  Gears of War actually but, at least in this build, I found it far better just to take normal cover since I simple just took too many hits while trying to make it work.

The few problems I noticed may be from the fact that this is an early build. Enemy AI was dumb as a rock. It was extremely easy to flank around them, while they still shot at your last known position, and shoot them down. Even after taking a few shots they never seem to respond to your new location.  Locational damage also seemed off and enemy responded to being shot with mostly canned responses which look especially odd in this age of well-running Natural motion technology.

The sound design was done quite well and the shooting felt good to the touch. Guns felt nice and heavy, rounds echoed off nearby buildings and getting hit with bullets felt extremely visceral.  Kayne and Lynch are very much normal people without the ability to soak up a ton of damage. Take a few hits and your character goes down. You can continue shooting from the ground or take the time to hit the X button and slowly get yourself up.  I saw nothing of health packs or even much regenerating health in this build…no word on if that will be added in later.

Visually speaking Kane and Lynch 2 is as raw as it gets.  It makes GTA4 seem comedic in comparison. If they can flush out and polish the mechanics, and add an engrossing story, this will certainly be a game to get.

-Joseph-

EA’s press conference was by far my favorite conference we have attended thus far.  Not only because of the number of high profile titles that were demonstrated but because of the general approach to delivering content.  But that is for a whole different post (to be posted later).  When EA unveiled their gameplay trailer of Dead Space 2, I was both impressed and a little concerned.  As the demo continued, my concerns deepened as the action ceased to break.  For the entire 10 minute demonstration, limbs were flying, aliens were dismembered, and stuff was destroyed.  Where is the slow, atmospheric build up?  Where is the tension and fear of the unknown?

During our post EA discussion, Brad addressed his concern for the lack of content to differentiate this game from its predecessor.  He mentions the similar textures and environments and the combat specifically.  While these are certainly very similar in this game, I don’t feel these were areas that needed to change much in a sequel.  If anything, the environments should open up, the violence should be amped up, the atmosphere should be emphasized, and there should be even more epic, set piece moments than the original.

Fortunately, EA has stepped up their game with the action aspects of the game but there was very little pacing to be seen.  The demo started in a large open church where Isaac was attacked by a large monster literally seconds after it began.  After taking down a gaggle of living baby corpses, Isaac marched down a series of hallways, taking out necromorphs left and right with several familiar weapons and some new ways to implement the stasis ability.  Limbs were severed and then fired at other enemies like sharp projectiles; nailing enemies to the wall.  While the action was certainly intense, I can’t help but wonder if this will be reflected throughout the experience.  Instead, these combat scenarios should be dispersed through intense moments of silence and tension.

Of course, the demo ended on a cliff hanger.  We were given our first look at the “Sprawl” space station through a series of large open windows.  This seems to really hint at new content and varied environments but unfortunately that wasn’t reflected much in the demonstration.  After a few moments of taking in the overwhelming scenery, the windows are blown out with gun fire creating a vacuum.  Isaac scurried down a crawl space into a room with a rather mean looking tenant.  Apparently, we will see the conclusion to this demo at the Sony press conference tomorrow.  All in all, I am still pumped to get my hands on this game.  I think Visceral nailed a certain atmosphere and pacing that I doubt they will stray from with the sequel.  I hope that the action overload is a result of the company trying to demonstrate so many game play mechanics in such a short period of time and not necessarily reflective of the entire game’s pacing.  I guess we will have to wait and see but one thing is clear; Visceral has another potential hit on their hands.  The game will hit store shelves in January 2011 and it is already looking damn good.  Keep an eye out for hands on impressions from the show floor this week.

-Nick

One of the best things I’ve heard at the conferences we attended today was the upcoming arrival of the next Bad Company 2 expansion.  Taking place in Vietnam it looks to possibly be a redo of what I consider to be one of the best, and one of the most underrated Battlefield games.

We were given almost no other information about this expansion other than the location which was revealed to “Fortunate Son”, an icon anti-war song writen by Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1969.  This was also one of the song available for in-game play in the original Battlefield Vietnam. If you were there at E3, and you played the original game, you would recognize it.

We have almost no other information about the expansion so instead of making things up as I go along and thowing guesses into the dark, hoping they stick, I’m going to tell you how good Battlefield Vietnam was…and why this expansion, if its really a redo of that game, is fantastic news.

Battlefield Vietnam came and went as the second Battlefield in the series, and ended up being nothing more than a blip in the Battlefield series.  The ideas behind the game were well anticipated, especially the in-game music.  Each vehicle, whether it be a car or aircarft was fitted with a radio with a collection of iconic vietnam era music to blare as you mowed down, or ran down the enemy.  The “Ride of the Valkaries” scene in Apocalypse Now?  Yeah…like that.  It did everything to actually put the player into the era of the time.  Especially for those who didn’t actually live through it and only have the music of the era to make any sort of connection to that part of American history.

Not to even mention that the Vietnam war is woefully underrepresented in general when it comes to gaming.  (We won’t even get into the Korean War which might as well as never existed in the minds of developers).  You would think that jungle settings would be well utilized since stealth action has been such a big part of gaming for so long.  A fully organic and natural cover system…one that won’t feel forced or situationally convenient. (The cover placement in Mass Effect 2 comes to mind.)

But Battlefield Vietnam was not a stealth game, it was a shooter. A visceral multiplayer shooter with a kick-ass soundtrack to serve as a background.  The also allowed the player to form teams to play against armies of bots for some free-form defense scenarios.  Sure, the AI became dumber and dumber the more and more enemy bots you would choose to spawn…but even that proved to be a source for some hilarious gameyness in an otherwise blood-strewn experience.

The Frostbite engine in the Vietnam setting makes my pants balloon with excitement.  And I really hope that they add the in-game music feature to the expansion.  Mostly, however, I think Dice knew they had an underrapreciated gem and are considering this a re-do.  A chance to recreate those attack helicopter beach assualt scenarios with full environmental destruction? I’de buy that for a dollar.

After a long time waiting we here at 4Player Podcast made it into the Natal / Kinect reveal show.  We actually found out the new name of the system while standing on line.  After about three hours of joshing for position we were finally let inside.  What happened after that is something that is hardly able to be put into words.  I find myself happy that it will be shown on MTV this week because I feel that you would not believe me if I was all you had to go by.

The event started with them donning us with white robes which had huge shoulder pads, and it just got weirder from there.  The entire audience was wearing these robes, everyone except the few who had enough human dignity to remove them.  We did not have this dignity and wore them with pride.

The lights began to dim and what followed was a wave of narcissistic parading that made nazi rallies look humble and acid trips seem sane. Gyrating bodies, children being carried around the place by tribal warriors, giant…I mean GIANT….xbox symbols rising from the ground while all of our puffy shoulder pads LIT UP GREEN.

Games were shown with no titles, being “played” (it was obviously being adlibed) by a family made up of actors with some of the most process hair ever crafted.  The room the family played in swing upside down various times, and on the ceiling of the upturned room little girls would dance through while bouncing balls.  This happened multiple times.

There was an elephant.  A child was riding it.

I know thats a lot to take in.  At the end of the show we, ourselves, were mentally exhausted by the cacophony of madness we had just witnessed.  I walked out of the show more confused about project natal than I was when I walked in. The one juicy bit of information we were given was the new name. Kinect.  I’m still not sure how I feel about that one.

Ultimately, we the press were nothing more than unwitting participants for a giant, masturbatory MTV commercials that Microsoft happened to be filming at the time.  The show was not put on for us. They needed bodies to make the shoulder glow gimmick work. And since we all flew to LA…and would do it for free…might as well use us for that place.

-Joseph-

Alan Wake, I beat the entire game in one night. Many things to say, and the words will come.

Until then…

It’s worth your money. People will remember this shit.

-Travis

My absence from the site for the past few weeks has been unfortunate but I have been trying desperately to keep up with the new releases and tackle some of my laundry list as of late. My latest conquest has been a fresh experience (to say the least) but also one of the most frustrating experiences I have had in gaming in a long while. I have finally gotten around to playing a hefty amount of the original Professor Layton on the DS and let me tell you: I have NEVER had such a love/hate relationship with a game. Let me tell you why.

Let me start by telling you just how much I am really enjoying certain aspects of this game. Unfortunately, the aspect that I am not really enjoying is the gameplay. What I am loving so far is the beautifully crafted presentation, the music, and the charm. When I play this game, my brain runs wild with memories of some of my favorite Miyazaki films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and even Princess Mononoke. There is just something about the way that the story and the characters are presented that scream “Studio Ghibli!” With that said, I feel that the game suffers from some major flaws that prevent it from being the enjoyable experience that it is striving to be.

The only game-play mechanic to speak of in Professor Layton is puzzle solving. There is no direct control over character movement so game-play consists entirely of moving from puzzle to puzzle until a new story sequence is unlocked. Some of the puzzles are inventive, some are classic concepts revisited, and some are brain bending “mind-fucks” that would work if it were not for one fatal flaw; vagueness. How am I supposed to solve this stupid puzzle if you can’t explain the mechanics or variables efficiently!? Take the following for example. Does it seem to anyone that there is some key information missing from this description:

On the top row of the picture shown below, you have three cups of juice followed by three empty cups. Your objective is to change things around so that the cups are arranged as shown in the bottom row of the picture. Assuming you can only move one cup at a time and that all rearrangement has to be done by hand, how many cups will you have to pick up?

Sure, this may be obvious to some people but my problem with this puzzle is that they aren’t clear on what the rules are. When you pick up one cup, can you move a different one? Can you pick one up and slide another? It turns out, the answer has nothing to do with the rules that they even give you!! Here in lies my problem. The challenge of the game is not always from smart puzzle design, sometimes it is because of an intentional lack of relevant information!

Is this problem addressed or even acknowledged in the subsequent sequels? I honestly don’t want to continue to subject myself to these terrible puzzles in the future. Has anyone else noticed this problem?

-Nick

Just Cause 2 is a wonderful and expansive game. Looking at my game stats I see that I have played the game for over 18hrs but I’m sitting it around 16% completion. For someone who spent a whole lot of time in Fallout 3, those kinds of odds are music to my ears. But more than anything else, it is a game which has pinned down an almost completely vertical game mechanic in a near perfect way. In doing so it achieves something even more liberating than the feeling of just flight. In doing so, to the extent that it does, it brings us very close to something which has been the Holy Grail of space sims for the past 10 years. Atmospheric Flight.

Atmospheric Flight. The ability to go from planet side to space with never a loading screen to come between you and the experience. To, in one feel swoop, leave a space station in a small vehicle, fly down to a planets surface, pick up supplies, mine or kill some alien creatures, and then return to space.

Developer CCCP, responsible for the EVE Online MMO, has been chasing this dream for quite awhile now. They have released some demo video but nothing completely devoid of a loading area. They finally have content which allows players to leave the ships and roam around space stations but those pesky planets are still far off.

Star Wars Galaxies is another MMO which introduced a space component to their game sans any form of Atmospheric Flight mechanic much to the chagrin of the players. (Not to mention that the expansion, at the time, seemed like nothing more than life support for a dying MMO – but that is a tale for another day.)

No game has been able to achieve this with perfection. Just Cause 2 isn’t quite there yet, but it gets us closer than I’ve seen yet in a retail game experience. And much farther than I’ve seen yet in terms of the amount of detail at ground level.

So who’s up to try? A company developing the Infinity Engine seems to be the next up to bat. They have achieved space to planet side flight, but still not with the amount of ground detail that Just Cause 2 has been able to conjure. It will be worth it to see what they dig up and if they are also able to add the content that EVE Online has been able to offer. The fact of the matter is that not only would a successful space sim need to deliver an enormous amount of coded content, it would need to (when atmospheric flight is included) to deliver it with no, or hidden, loading screens.

If anything, embedded menus (on the UI side) and multi-thread technology (on the tech side) would have to work in complete and perfect tandem to make it all a possibility. At the end however would be a major advancement which might lay somewhere between the development of the gravity gun and re-generating health. The fact that Just Cause 2 has come as far as it has, and on a console no less, is a fairly amazing feat in itself.

-Joseph-

In the online world we see “featured” users, boasting stars, colors, banners, pictures, or other such things that represent public recognition. In an online community these contributions usually come in the form of comments.  So are the comments made by a featured individual any better than everyone else’s? What about the comments made by those around him or her? Are they worth any less?

Before I answer these questions let’s take a quick refresher course in symbolism. We see symbols of status throughout human society, be they physical or metaphysical. The military have their medals, doctors have their titles, royalty have their crowns, etc. These symbols convey to us a number of character revealing traits, which can include anything from experience to moral standing. In an online community I expect featured users to be outspoken, well informed, and well versed. So, are they?

Well, in some cases, no. The first question that should come to anyone’s mind is how these users acquired their status. There’s nothing stopping anyone from “buying” their status by doctoring their comments. Editing them so that they fall into favor with whoever they wish to. This starts to form a pool of altered comments constructed by status seekers. We lose honest opinions, instead gaining brown nosers.

So then what happens when someone attains this status boost? Well based off what history has told us, it’s the immediate abuse of it. Suddenly opinions become fact and those who have differing views are immediately considered wrong. The status holders, in turn, alter the ideals of the new users. We make more out of these useless symbols than we should. As Superintendent Pang in Hardboiled says, “Give a guy a gun, he thinks he’s Superman”. That symbol, that status, that’s the gun in this situation, an artificial method of transforming an opinion into fact.

As I see it, the only way to revive pure and honest comments is to get rid of ranking systems. Unfortunately, if there is no system then people will create their own. Users begin to use things like post count, the amount of friends they have, or even signup dates as a symbol of seniority or experience. So is there a solution to this pervading interest in rank and its resulting influence on opinion? If there’s an answer, I haven’t found it yet.

Now I’m not saying that everyone in a higher-than-average position is doctoring their opinions. These are just my observations, processed by me and written out, here, for you to read.   There are no scientific studies or polls (none that I know of anyways) that support any of my claims. So does it matter? Yes, it does to me. I support the sharing of opinions and it is unfortunate when they are altered or ignored all together in the face of shiny pointless symbols.

Signed,
Mr. X

Did I ever tell you guys about the time I met SUDA51?

It was quite an exciting day. I meant to make a post and tell you guys about it while I was still in Japan but it got lost in my last week there and the past few weeks after getting back. But I still remember it clear as yesterday. These are just the kind of things that happen to us at 4Player Podcast and the ways that somehow, things turn out alright.

During my 2 months in Japan, I had sent out a handful of e-mails to a few choice companies ask if they’re be willing to let me stop by their offices and poke around, take a few pictures, or maybe take some video. One of the companies that gave me the green light turned out to be one of my favorite game developers, creating such games as Killer 7, Contact, and the No More Heroes franchise. So of course being a fan, I was thrilled just to be able to visit the offices. But on top of that, they offered me time to talk to the CEO and man behind the games himself, SUDA-51. This was a complete surprise and never did I think I would be able to have a chat with someone who’s games I had played and admired so greatly. Little did I know, it wasn’t that easy.

First off, I had problems with hotels. The last week I spent in Japan I was in Tokyo without a place to stay. I ended up jumping from hotel to friends place to hotel. Each day I would have to pack all my things assuming that I wasn’t going to have a room that night. That is how I woke up the morning of my Grasshopper appointment.

I packed all my things that morning and was about to walk out the door when a member of the hotel staff informed me that a room had just opened up. My meeting was at 1 PM, check out was at 10 AM so I had planned to bring my luggage to a friend place. Now I had all this extra time. So I hung around the hotel lobby not having my room prepared yet. I surfed the web reading a few One Piece comics for inspiration. I noticed later that I was wearing a One Piece shirt that day as well. I left at around 11:30 thinking I had plenty of time on what would be only a thirty minute train ride.

Well, for some reason that day the JR from Asakusabashi to Shinjuku had a mechanical problem. The train stood still only two stations from where I started. I tried to get from the train station attendant, speaking in my poor Japanese, what had happened. “Accident,” he said. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I was able to tell him that I needed to get to Nishi-Shinjuku Station, which he told me the quickest route and which lines to take.

Off I went walking to the closest Tokyo Metro Station at a brisk pace but not running, still a little worried. I took the correct line and found the station I was looking for on the subway map. Twenty minutes later I arrive and got off the subway at Shinjuku-Nishi Station. I had a mental map of where the building was. I remember convenience stores that I was going use as landmarks to find this building. They were exactly as on the map except no building. I asked a few police officers and few business men in the area, none of them knew that building. In America, if I were to ask the name of a large twenty floor office building, you’d think they’d have an idea of where it was. Not in Japan. There it’s all about having the address and possibly calling the office when you’re in the area to have them direct you. Oh yeah, and a map too but seeing as how I had no printer, that wasn’t a possibility.

I wandered around for another twenty minutes with my laptop out trying to find a wifi connection to look up a map but no luck. Just then I stumbled upon a small office with the words “Foreign Language Department” written on the sign. I intruded in order to borrow a computer. There was this one British guys who obliged. I looked up the address and scribbled it down on my paper. One of the secretaries politely asked if she could look at the address. She very nicely told me I was in the wrong area.

I was completely floored. I was explained to that I was at Shinjuku-nishi when I was supposed to be at Nishi-Shinjuku. Nishi in Japanese means West. How the fuck was I supposed to know there was a South Shinjuku and a Shinjuku South? And I swear the subway line I got on did not have both stations or I would have noticed. Here I was fifteen minutes left before my appointment about 5 blocks away and still no idea which direction I needed to go…

To Be Continued,
David

All I can say that I want this game. I saw the trailer and was completely interested in what was going on in the lives of the six people at the “Hospital.” And then after seeing the gorgeous case design, I all but ordered the game from importers.

You want to know why I didn’t order it?

Because it’s coming to America under the name Trauma Team and before the Japanese release. I don’t know how you guys feel about which method is a more appealing way to attract potential buyers, but I know which way worked for me.

Before I saw this trailer, Trauma Team was a half interest. I had seen some advertisements passed out last year at E3. The art was pretty but was extremely reminiscent of older Trauma Center games. Even the game play seemed like minor additions to the motion controlled previous iterations.

But in Japan, it looks like this game is being marketed more like a spiritual successor, similar in look and feel but different in concept and design. The story and characters seem to be fleshed out, as was missing in the Trauma Center/Caduceus games. The focus looks to be on the Hospital and the tension, drama, and antics going on there. While here in the states, they’re still looking to focus on medical interests and banking off the Trauma name, which I’m not too sure that there is all that much name to go off of. I had no clue there were going to be cutscenes and voice dialogue!

Seeing this trailer and box art have completely changed my predetermined opinions of this game. I am definitely going to play this game when it comes out as I want to least get my hands on it before I write it off. Now the questions is does Trauma Team have Japanese Voice Option? And where do I go to get an alternate cover?

Do you feel the same as me?
David

Credits to Siliconera for the video and cover art.

Video games don’t sell themselves. Not anymore anyways. Back in the day when this technology was new and video game journalism didn’t exist, people would rush to stores to buy games because it was cool and exciting. Today, the market is overrun with gaming experiences and genres and consumers often base purchase decisions on a number of different factors including advertisements (billboards, TV commercials, and product placement), review scores, and media coverage. Games are expensive and people are far less likely to shell out $60 bucks for a game when there is a potentially better experience to invest in. My degree in Marketing has fueled my interest in video game marketing and really made me pay more attention to the way these games are marketed to the mass populace.

Trailers and a few thoughts after the jump.

Today we get two high profile trailers from two major publishers; each with their own approach to developing trailers.  Obviously, a lot of factors play a role in building games and the way in which they are marketed.  Decisions are made to effectively effectively appeal to a broader audience.  Sometimes, these decisions don’t make everybody happy.  For instance, Bioware’s obligatory use of a Marilyn Manson song throughout their marketing campaign for Dragon Age Origins made a lot of people upset and even wary of the games quality.  However, the decision i’m sure, was made in order to appeal to the slice of the market who looked at RPG’s as childish and “kiddie.”  Whether you like it or not, there is a large portion of the market that simply won’t touch a game unless it radiates with a violent aura.

In the end, it boils down to the tone of the game being developed and the audience they want to reach.  Take for instance, the new trailer for Crysis 2.  EA could have thrown together a high octane, shoot-em-up trailer with space marines cursing at each other, a la Killzone 2, but instead took a more subtle approach.  The game seems poised to appeal more to the Half Life 2/Bioshock crowd than the more twitch based shooter fans.  Whatever the reason, I applaud Crytek/EA for creating such a beautiful trailer.

Crysis 2

A trailer can be dramatic, emotional, cinematic, artistic, or minimalistic but how does a studio choose which approach to take? With Crysis 2, EA has combined great CG cinematography with emotional music to capture consumers attention. I come away from this trailer ready to see what it is I can do to take a stand against these frightening aliens. I feel like I am needed and I want to step into the boots of that awesome Nanosuit and take the fight to them. Even though there is no gameplay shown at all, the overall feel of the game’s setting and tone is expressed.

Then there are trailers like the following for the upcoming F.3.A.R.  Warner Bros./Day 1 Studios clearly took a different approach.

Remember that crowd I mentioned earlier?  The one that won’t touch games that aren’t violent and in your face about it?  This trailer appeals to that crowd.  Emphasis is placed on disturbing imagery, hectic camera cuts (probably meant to mimc the craziness of battle), and terror.  It seems that FEAR has become less about tension and more about shock value in each iteration and F3AR looks to be no different.

On another note, I have never been a huge fan of live action trailers but their popularity has sky rocketed in recent years. With Ubisoft blazing a trail for these kinds of videos with their live action Assassin’s Creed and Ghost Recon shorts, other developers are certain to step up to the plate. While I don’t necessarily think that this was a poorly made live-action trailer, I don’t think it was the best choice for a debut trailer of the game and it doesn’t seem nearly as effective as EA’s approach to Crysis. It certainly sets the tone of the game but it isn’t as inspired as it could have been.  Do you remember the initial trailers for Project Origin?  Those were great.

So here is what I want to know:

1. Which trailer do you think was more effective at creating excitement and expressing the tone?
2. How do you feel about the recent trend of live action trailers?

-Nick

I like Zelda, but I dislike “The Train One.” Actually, I’d go as far as to say that I borderline hate it. There’s a part I’m stuck at trying to play the DS Microphone Flute and I can’t get the part right. I know that I could probably do it. I’ve had sufficient time away that I’m not utterly frustrated. Also the thought of actually getting to some Zelda Dungeons and Puzzles, instead of roaming around the crappy upper world, excites me. But honestly, I just don’t care enough about the game to give it my time.

I’ve played those types of puzzles before. I’ve forgotten the story. And there’s tons of other games that deserve my attention. I know I’m coming off sounding like a bitter game player. To be honest I am a little. I wouldn’t go as far to say that the Zelda series needs to be over with, I recently listened to a podcast where a guest on the show actually argued that they end the Legend of Zelda series. MORON! It could use a upgrade, maybe a new coat of paint. But to say that it needed to be over and done with? IDIOT! Plus he/she didn’t really even point out reasons to back it up. He/She allowed the other guests to chime in offering up that the game play was tired.

Well, the point of this post was to point out something that possibly might explain “The Train One” a bit. So let me get back to that.

In Japan and many other metropolitan areas, subways are a crucial mode of transportation. Subways and trains are similar and in Tokyo you’ll often switch off between both during normal everyday travel around the city.

During one of these rides, I asked my friend who was with me. You know they make train video games right? She said, “Yeah, Densha de GO!.” I confirmed that she was correct and then decided to  inquire about why a person would want to buy a game only to simulate driving a train. She explained that maybe people liked trains because driving a train was similar to being a pilot. You’d dress up in your uniform, white gloves, long slacks, jacket coat, spiffy hat. You’re responsible for being on time and the welfare of dozens of passengers. You’d operate complicated large machinery and manage high speeds using a throttle stick.

I began to understand a little bit about why someone might be interested in trains. But then I asked,  “Why trains? Why not just become a pilot?” Her answer of “some people like trains ” reminded me of Brad’s reaction to the death of Bobby Baccalieri from the Sopranos TV show to which he exclaimed, “Bobby was just a man who loved trains!”

So long story short, maybe there are people who like trains. As boring and slow paced as they seem to me, I’m sure there are people out there who just like driving around delivering passengers from one station to another. And to you guys, I apologize for giving you crap in the past. I will never like “The Train One” but I can appreciate your love for something so simple.

Take care,
David

PS – Vensito, I’m talking to you.

As I am sure most of you know, I absolutely love Starcraft: Brood War. It is, by far, my number one favorite game of all time (until SC II releases anyways). So I would have to assume it is my duty, especially after getting into the beta, to allow the rest of the community to understand the positive and negative aspects of this new game.

If I were feeling lazy today, I would be able to sum up my description into one word… Awesome.

But I should probably at least discuss a couple of things wrong with it in order to appear unbiased, so  if you care for unbiased opinions,

So first off, the graphics are amazing. Blizzard is well known for creating games which tend not to aim for a high degree of graphics requirements, but more so a stylistic approach. Every aspect of this beta, Battle.net, the loading times, and the actual game play, does a superb job of creating a very comfortable atmosphere within the StarCraft universe. There is absolutely no problems, from what I can tell, pertaining to the overall look and style of this game. Best of all, the graphics are forgiving enough for those who are unable to play most higher graphic tiered games. From what I understand, if you can play WoW, you can play StarCraft.

Alright, secondly, the beta is strictly multiplayer, which is fine for that is the only reason I would want to play StarCraft anyway. This Beta throws you straight into the huge rock, paper, scissors match that is StarCraft at its core. The only thing this beta does leave out are the Use Map Settings custom games, 3v3, 4v4 and Team versus A.I.. Every other aspect of the actual gameplay, units, buildings and races are in tact.

Now on to the actual game play.

Wow.

When StarCraft originally launched in 1998, the multiplayer was completely flawed with all sorts of balance issues. Namely, the Zerg Rush.

This problem is not apparent at all. There doesn’t appear to be any real problem with any units or any of the various strategies I have experienced…

Other than..

My only problem with StarCraft II.

In the first game, you had to be on your toes at every available second. There was normally never time when you could sit back and tech your way into air early game. Most people, especially on teams, would establish some sort of pressure early on forcing those who wished to tech into their gloried Carriers, Battle Cruisers or Guardians to a premature death. Well it seems as if todays StarCraft is a little different.

Rather than most people attempting to screw their opponents at whichever point possible, it seems as if their is a certain fad among the players.

It is almost like an unspoken agreement, this agreement ensuring that both parties are able to tech to air before ever really experiencing much pressure. From most of the battles I played early on I was able to begin to see a common strategy amongst all players. They hold off on most, if all attacks, until they are comfortably in the air with their given power unit.

After noticing this it was simple to take advantage of those who thought they were safe, assuming I was teching just the same. It is quite odd though how some strategies catch on amongst those who play in such online games.

I am assuming this strategy came out of the dark because of the incredible speed in which StarCraft plays out.

But that is not a bad thing at all.

Anyways, in my book, the only problems with the game are the poor strategies that people have attempted to create.

All units, all tech builds, all races, and levels, basically any aspect of the game seems as well polished as possible. It is safe to say that this was definitely worth the wait.

-Travis

P.S. Looking back I pointed out absolutely nothing negative about this game…

If I were you…. anonymous reader, I would kill for a beta key.

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