E3 2011: Bioshock Infinite (Part 2)

As promised - the full closed-doors demo for Bioshock Infinite from E3 2011. This demo, released to the public last night via a 30-minute Gametrailers TV special on Spike, is really something to behold. Whether it be Elizabeth tearing holes in space/time (pay attention for a clever Star Wars reference!), riding around rails in the sky like the world's biggest and most suicidal rollercoaster, or taking down a Zeppelin with a shotgun (and my description doesn't even do its coolness justice), Bioshock Infinite is really something to behold. I am going to have to watch this video several more times just to soak up all the little tidbits of information to be found!

For those looking to see Ken Levine's interview before the demo, head on over to Gametrailers.com to check out the full special.

E3 2011: Mass Effect 3

Shown at E3 2011, Mass Effect 3 is the final title in the trilogy starring Commander Shepard. In this video, we see that the Reapers have finally arrived in our galaxy and are in the process of conquering Earth. The game promises to be a finale that lives up to the expectations all the fans have for it, with every decision you made in the past two games coming to bear in this one, drastically altering your circumstances and who your squadmates are. According to Casey Hudson of Bioware Studios, you will encounter either Kaiden or Ashley during your time on Earth, depending on who you chose to save in the first game - pretty crazy, huh? If the second game was any indication, where almost every major decision you made (and even some that were fairly minor) comes back around in a positive or negative way, the "butterfly effect" of your decisions is going to be quite impressive - I'm interested to see how the Rachni situation plays out!

In this trailer, we see that a lot of changes and tweaks have been made to the gameplay, with more dynamic animations and cover systems, as well as a melee weapon called the Omniblade and grenades. While this description makes it sound like Mass Effect 3 is abandoning its RPG roots and is instead embracing the third person shooter side of its personality, that is not the case. Rather, this is the natural evolution of the combat we have seen over the course of the series. I will say, I was slightly disappointed with the demo for two reasons, the first being I find the animations to be somewhat stiff, but it is a problem that has plagued the series since its beginning (and I admit - I have been spoiled by Uncharted 2). My second disappointment comes from the color scheme - it could just be the environment that the demo takes place in, but all the colors just look a little washed out. However, these are just nitpicking issues, ones that ultimately do not affect the game, or my excitement for it, much.

To be fair, I am also a very big Mass Effect fan - this could very likely be my favorite science fiction universe outside of that of Star Wars, and there are enough similarities between the two to keep a self-professed nerd like myself quite happy. Just like I geeked out for months on every crumb of information on the second game before it came out, so I will do with this game. It's not healthy, but I'm okay with it! Included below is another part of the E3 demo, as well as a trailer for the game shown at E3. Enjoy the videos!

Reaper Base E3 Demo


Fall of Earth Trailer

E3 2011: Bioshock Infinite (Part 1)

Dear readers, I title this post Part 1 as the video shown above is only the first two minutes of the fifteen minute behind-closed-doors demonstration of Bioshock Infinite given to the press at this year's E3. Next week, on July 7th, Gametrailers and Spike TV will be debuting the demo in its entirety, a demo that, to date, has received Game of the Show from over 30 different publications (so, naturally, I have been very excited to get a look at it).

I am a huge self-admitting Bioshock fan - despite paying little attention to the first game until a playable demo was put on Xbox Live back in summer 2007, I was hooked from the first time I played it. To date, I have played the first game several times, as well as having played its sequel, despite its paint-by-numbers nature. Everything about Rapture and its universe was utterly captivating and compelling, and changed the way I look at games. Whether it be Bioshock introducing the concept of an unreliable narrator in a video game, to the moral choice of saving or draining a child for your own personal gain, everything about the 1960's underwater dystopia reaffirmed in me every reason I love being a gamer.

When Bioshock Infinite was first announced, I was over-the-moon excited that Ken Levine and his studio were back behind the reins on the series, after 2K Marin (and various other 2k studios) developed Bioshock 2. Instead of playing it safe, Irrational Games has brought the series into the skies above the United States, with the game taking place in Columbia, a city held aloft by a fleet of hot-air balloons and existing as, essentially, a floating World's Fair to demonstrate the might and ingenuity of America. While there is a whole lot I could tell you about the warring factions in the game, the captor holding the "damsel in distress" your character, Booker Dewitt, is tasked with saving, or even the methods of travel you will use in the game, I will instead leave you with the above video from this year's E3, as well as last year's demo in its entirety. Enjoy!

E3 2011: Journey

Shown at E3 2011, Journey is the third outing from the Thatgamecompany studio, whose previous works present some of the best examples of the "video games as art" argument being made by gamers and industry members alike today: flOw and Flower were games that were more appropriately designed and labeled as "relaxation exercises", getting rid of menus and even buttons in lieu of Sixaxis control. This year's showing was the first public demo this Playstation Network-exclusive title has received, and it didn't disappoint. The animation and attention to detail being given to this game is astounding; if you do not believe me, just look at the sand and the character model!

At its heart, Journey is a very simple game with a simple goal: you are a wanderer, making your way towards the mountain in the distance (the pillar of light shown in both of the videos I am posting). While there is co-operative play in this game, there are no user names or voice chat of any kind, simply a basic "shout" you can issue to other players, and they can only respond with their own shout. This lack of interaction is meant to connect you to others through your mutual exploration of the desert, without ruining the experience by having an obnoxious thirteen year-old listening to loud rap music on the other end of the voice chat - somehow, voice cracks and epic quests just do not quite go together.

For you readers, I have included the Gamespot E3 demo (posted above) and the IGN demo, which I will post below. With an expected release date of late 2011, after its closed beta finishes this summer, we still have a few months until this game comes out, and what a long few months they will be: I've been excited about this game since they first announced it over a year ago. Now if I could only just get into the beta... Guess I'm going to have to wait to play it!

Review: Brink

Brink is the first in-house outing for the Splash Damage studio, known previously for contributory work on the Quake Wars and Wolfenstein brands. A title based solely in online play (the single-player campaign is merely the multiplayer offering, with AI teammates instead of human players), Brink is a class-based shooter based in a dystopian future in which two factions, Security and Resistance, battle for control of the Ark, a floating, nigh utopian city originally developed as a self-sustaining and environmentally conscious living space that becomes the home of its creators and thousands of people displaced from their homes due to globally rising oceans. With a class system reminiscent of the Team Fortress titles, a parkour-inspired movement system for players, and a unique art style, does Brink stand above its competition, or does it buckle under the weight of its promises?

The Good:
The Art Style - The very definition of a "risk", the characters have a very cool, semi-animated look to their appearances, with elongated faces and very muscular bodies; however, due to the slender character models, this seemingly "human" conflict that is the central focus of the game is lost on the player, as the whole thing just ends up looking like a war of the Gumbys (click here if you don't know who Gumby is).

The Class System - A common affliction of first-person shooters is everyone acting in a self-centered manner; everyone is working to get the most kills, often to the detriment of their teammates. This game approaches this differently, by having objectives throughout multiplayer that only specific classes can complete (for example, an operative hacks a database or an engineer fixes a crane) and by having each class perform specific functions during battle: you can have an engineer setting up a turret while a medic improves his health and a soldier provides him with extra ammunition. Team Fortress and the Battlefield games approach this similarly (if only in class function), and it adds a much needed change of pace and depth to the experience.

The Conflict - While the story is not the best ever seen in a game (by a long shot), I very much enjoyed being given the opportunity to play as either side in a conflict; for a missions where I was trying to bomb a wall as Resistance, I would be tasked with holding down that area as a Security member.

The Bad:
Glitches - The first day I got this game, it was nearly unplayable online; massively slowed-down servers brought gameplay to a standstill and every game ended with my quitting back to the main menu leading eventually to just playing with bots for the first few days. This experience is fairly indicative of the final product, which just feels entirely rushed. Texture pop-in is to be expected in the majority of the matches you will play and the parkour-inspired movement system is a glitchy mess the majority of the time. To be frank, unless you are playing on a very stable internet connection, expect frustration, and lots of it.

Storyline - With one-dimensional characters and conflicts that are fairly self-explanatory, this is a very paint-by-numbers game when it comes to the story. Each side fights for control of an island - that's all you really need to know. Everything else is just gravy, most of which goes mostly unexplained.

Security/Resistance Campaigns - When this game was in development, Splash Damage would often talk about how there would be two campaigns: that of Security, and that of Resistance. What they neglected to mention was that they are exactly the same thing. For each mission where you play offense as one side, the other side's mission will be defense, and vice versa. While it makes sense and is fun to play as both sides in a conflict, us gamers as consumers are essentially given fifty percent of the product that we expected to receive; it would have made more sense to have each faction with its own storyline, and players have the option to either play as the opposition to one faction or to play their own storyline.

The "Why?"
Multiplayer Lobbies - This is what I still do not understand: there are games out there that, despite the success and ease of the multiplayer lobbies found in titles such as Call of Duty or Halo, still release their products with a lobby that is either convoluted or simply counter-intuitive to the point of making any multiplayer match a chore (if you can even get into a game). Brink is one of those such games, with several different menus for each mission you can embark on, requiring the player to back out of a menu and find another mission just to go through the menu system all over again. It gets the job done, I suppose, but there were much more elegant and simple solutions to the problem that Splash Damage either chose to ignore or simply was incapable of executing.

My Score: 5.0/10
Once one of my most anticipated titles of 2011, Brink was a huge disappointment. From a multiplayer system crippled by glitches to mission structures that were flat-out unenjoyable, this is a game that completely squandered its potential. The SMART system (Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain, or parkour) is the most enjoyable aspect to the game, and even it is functional only about 75% of the time. While this game borrowed heavily from the big names in the first-person shooter industry, namely the Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Team Fortress franchises, it relies mostly on its gimmicks to get by, not learning the lessons that its predecessors have to teach when it comes to crafting an enjoyable online experience. If you want parkour, check out Mirror's Edge. If you want class-based combat, your best bet is Team Fortress 2 or Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It is not a horrible game; it just falls short.

My recommendation: Avoid it.

E3 2011: Overstrike

Announced at E3 2011, Overstrike is the first cross-platform (read: not a PS3 exclusive) game to be developed by Insomniac Games, who you may know as the developers of the Ratchet & Clank and Resistance series. While not a lot about this game is known, short of the small blurb featured on Kotaku, this game seems to be focusing as much on humor as it does on action (or at least the trailer is), something that really has not been a major player in a video game since the Timesplitters series.

And did anyone else love the response to the "collateral damage" line as much as I did?

 The four team members: Naya Deveraux (Interpol's most-wanted thief), Dalton Brooks (the ex-mercenary), Isabelle Sinclair (the scientist), and Jacob Kimble (the detective).

Again, I know nothing about this game short of what is seen in the trailer, but I can imagine, based on past Insomniac games, that this will feature co-operative play (likely four people, given that there are four squadmates) and will be an absolute blast to play; really, Insomniac's credentials speaks for themselves.

With a likely release date somewhere in the late 2012 months, it will be quite some time before us gamers get our hands on this title, but if the trailer is any indication of what we have to expect from the final product, color me excited!

E3 2011: Halo 4

In a surprise move by Microsoft this year on the 10th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved's release, a teaser trailer was shown at the end of their press conference at E3 2011 officially announcing Halo 4, a game often asked for by gamers but expected by very few. Although details were sparse at the event, and very, very little is revealed in the teaser trailer for this new game, we do know that this is the first game of another planned trilogy for the franchise, and it will be released around the 2012 holidays. While this is not much to go on, it is good to know that we will be learning more of Master Chief's story for many years to come!

Review: Infamous 2

Infamous 2 is the sequel to the smash 2009 hit Infamous, in which an ordinary bike messenger is given electricity-based superpowers after he survives an explosion that levels several city blocks. While the original focused on Cole adapting to his new abilities, making a (positive/negative) name for himself in Empire City and combating the various forces that were trying to overrun the city, the events of the beginning of Infamous 2 force Cole to leave the city and flee south. This game has Cole arriving in New Marais (which is Sucker Punch's version of New Orleans, much like Empire City was a variation of New York City) in the hopes of acquiring new abilities to combat the Beast, a superhuman entity without equal that Cole is required to stop. It is in this city that Cole not only discovers superhumans like himself, but discovers the nature of The Beast and its ultimate purpose.

Over the course of this review, I will focus only on the single-player experience of Infamous 2, mostly because the experience you have online with the Mission Creator and missions created by other users will depend entirely on what you find and is not indicative of the game as a whole.

The Good:
Cinematics - While the first game had many comic-book styled cinematics, which were mostly still frame, Infamous 2 puts equal emphasis on comic book cinematics and in-engine cutscenes, which make interesting use of the camera and help the characters feel a little more flushed-out in human - it's hard to sympathize with a character if they are just a series of drawings when you are not playing as them.

Graphics - This game is much better-looking than its predecessor: particle effects are excellent and have been entirely redone (explosions and electricity drains especially), there is more attention to detail on buildings and character models, and the in-engine cutscenes look fantastic - a big step up from last game, which had every character looking pan-faced and constantly surprised.

Melee - The Amp, the weapon designed for you by Zeke to basically use as an electrified baton, makes the hand-to-hand combat much more viable in this game, and much more useful - I found myself using it quite often, and it never felt watered down or boring. While I do miss backflip face-kicks, the finishing moves add a much-needed flair to what could have easily been a very drab and dull rinse-and-repeat method of fighting.

Supporting Characters - While Nix felt a little under-utilized (but that could just be because I played as a good character), Kuo was a very interesting inclusion, especially after her abduction. You occasionally have to choose sides between the two characters, and the way they react to your decisions will not always be what you would expect from them. I do wish they had delved into the characters a little more though - they were interesting enough to justify it, and it would have greatly improved the story to focus on what they had both been through and how they handle it.

The Bad:
Story - This game, already with a premise that promises to have incredible knock-down, drag-out fights, unfortunately does not deliver. Don't get me wrong - this is a fun game, and you'll enjoy throwing large electric tornadoes at your enemies. But the game never feels... right. It feels like a song with the metronome off by just a little. The build-up to the finale falls a little short, bad things happen to allies just a little too quickly, and there are several repercussions from Empire City that are touted as "awful events" that you really just do not feel the impact of. Near the end of the game, you are left with a decision that will have huge consequences, and it just feels so lackluster. And to be honest - of all the types of villains they could have gone with for the game, Bertrand was a particularly lame one; it never truly feels like there is any conflict between you and him, but you fight him anyway.

The Beast - He just seems like the most interesting pieces pulled from other sources (take Dr. Manhattan and mix him with Magneto) and applied towards this terrible ongoing event in Infamous 2 that you really do not hear about until much later in the game. Really, Sucker Punch? You guys usually know what you are doing, but this feels like your Force Unleashed 2. Awesome game, lacking story. The Beast never feels like the world's greatest threat - even though you do not win your first fight, he certainly never feels invincible. I feel like they should have shown footage of him leveling a city to really drive the point home. However, I will say this: the Beast is freakin' cool.

The "Why?"
Your Powers - Most of your powers are cool, yes. But since the events of this game occur not long after the end of the first, one would assume you would still have all your superpowers, as it does not make sense to "neuter" your character, right? Wrong - while you still have grenades, basic bolts, and static thrusters, it takes a while before you are able to unlock your polarity shield, missiles, precision bolts, and lightning strikes. Much more troublesome is the complete lack of explanation given for this, and that ties back into my issue with the story. Additionally, later in the game you acquire a new means of traversing your environment, one that is given to you so late in the game that it makes no sense - you are barely given enough time to use it before the final boss fight occurs.

My Score: 8.5/10
Infamous 2 is a fun game - there is no denying that, and I had an absolute blast playing through it. The gameplay mechanics are fun and much better than the first game, you can still climb and glide everywhere, and throwing tornadoes really never gets old - there is nothing like being cornered in an alley and then sending an entire platoon sky-high. However, my issues with the story and the conflicts in the game keep it from getting a higher score - while I very much enjoyed the game, the pacing was very inconsistent and there was no real emotional weight to anything that happened except for your final decision, and even that felt a little off. That being said, it is definitely an enjoyable story, and with the ability to experience two drastically different stories (depending on whether you play good or evil) as well as an unlimited number of missions to be played online in the form of user-generated content, this is definitely a game worth checking out.

My recommendation: Buy it.

E3 2011: Prey 2

I figured it was best to, after an unexpected two-week hiatus from the blog, lead into all the new information and gameplay videos from E3 2011 by devoting the first article to a game that completely and utterly blew my expectations away: Prey 2. For those who have not played the Prey series before (or just Prey, as the "series" consists of one title), the original game was about a Native American man, uninterested in the heritage of his ancestors and just trying to make his way in the world with his girlfriend Jen, is abducted by a race of aliens looking to harvest Earth's living organisms to power their starship, a large craft known as The Sphere. The story is not just a simple abduction story, however, with a heavy emphasis placed on Tommy's ability to walk in the spirit realm of his ancestors and the use of portals to solve puzzles and progress through the game (I would not be surprised if this game influenced the original Portal). During the course of the game, while in the Sphere, you see an airplane, recently teleported, crashing in the Sphere, many miles above the Earth. While not a large event from Tommy's perspective, as it functioned more as an "where the hell am I?" moment, that is where Prey 2 begins.

In Prey 2, you play as Killian Samuels, a US Air Marshall on board that same crashing plane that you witnessed as Tommy in the first game. While this is where the game starts, you do not spend much time on the plane itself - instead, the game fast-forwards to some time later, where you have been taken to the planet Exodus and have found work as a bounty hunter. Don't worry - I thought this sounded incredibly stupid at first, as well.

After watching the gameplay demos and hearing the game explained by its developers, I have completely changed my tune about it - this game looks incredible (and you will encounter Tommy in the game - you just won't play as him). It is a beautifully realized world, looking like a cross between the cityscape found in Blade Runner and that of Coruscant (from the Star Wars films). This is an absolutely incredible game, visually speaking - neon signs, metal walkways precipitated with moisture, and a very cool use of ambiance and lighting. But that pales in comparison to the gameplay - it is being touted as "alien noir meets Red Dead Redemption" (Kotaku.com). The game seems to take all of its best qualities from other games, with a parkour ability that seems to be an evolved (and much better) version of Brink's, an anti-gravity mine ability similar to one of Commander Shepard's abilities in Mass Effect, and a shield ability similar to Gears of War's self-proclaimed "meat shield". While it may seem like it is taking some very good ideas from other games, I do not think that is an issue here - if it isn't broken, why fix it? These are all very fun gameplay elements, and Prey 2 puts its own spin on them. Plus, to be fair, in Prey 2, you have a radar that outlines targets for you and hover boots.

Yes, hover boots. They look awesome.

As fascinating as all of that is, I'm sure all of you are saying "blah blah blah, show us the videos already!", so I will oblige you. Embedded below is the cinematic trailer for this game, as well as a lengthy demo from Gamespot's E3 2011 coverage. Keep visiting the blog for many more updates from E3, including the coverage of Nintendo's newest console, footage of Bioshock Infinite and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and information on all the big games of the next year. Have a great weekend!

Cinematic Trailer:


Gamespot's E3 2011 Gameplay Demonstration:

Should You Buy: Infamous 2

After having played the demo for Sucker Punch's Infamous 2 several times (it is currently up on the Playstation store - gasp! It works now!), I have decided to create a guide to help those still on the fence trying to figure out whether or not to buy this game (warning: this may be biased by my undying love for people with superpowers). This is not a review - just added information for people still unsure.

Did you love the first game? If you did, then this game is absolutely for you. It sticks to its strengths and seems to have improved on most, if not all, of its weaknesses.

Do you love throwing cars like guided missiles? Honestly, who doesn't? But even though that is the only new power of Cole's shown during the demo, it is absolutely awesome and worth the price of admission. Melee has also been tuned up to actually be fun in this game (although I did love the kick-to-the-face backflip from the original).

Did you play the first game? Although the opening cutscene explains a lot of what happened in the previous game, if you still have yet to get around to playing the original, maybe you should get that first to get your feet wet (from a story standpoint - combat is fairly straightforward).

Do you like sandbox games? Games like Grand Theft Auto are "sandbox" games - games that allow you to explore the environment instead of guiding you from mission to mission. If that is not your type of game, then Infamous 2 will not be for you. For those of you who love them, myself included, you will enjoy this.

Do you have a soul? Well, do you? If you do, get this game. If not, get this game so you can suck the souls and life energy out of pedestrians and street performers (yeah - you can do that in the game).

If you answered "yes" to any and/or all of the above questions, then this game will be for you - look for my review of the game the week after E3!

E3 2011: Konami's Pre-E3 Press Conference News

Released online Friday night, Konami offered gamers a look at news and games to look forward to next week in the form of a one-hour long promotional video; the video has been uploaded to Gametrailers and can be found here. Detailed below are information and games to be aware of come next week:

Metal Gear Solid: Rising A No-Show

Confirmed by Hideo Kojima in the video, he states that the game is looking at a "2012" release window (that sounds specific...) and did not mention it further - due to the large popularity of the game, I am very surprised that Konami will not be showcasing this at E3 - seeing as the title was announced two years ago, it should be nearing a release date, and the lack of any type of showing for the game for the majority of the past year seems like it would hinder rather than help the building up of hype for this game.

Metal Gear Solid/ Zone of the Enders HD Collections

Also confirmed in the video is the upcoming releases of two new HD collections for the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 (which is a first - the past HD remakes, such as Prince of Persia and Sly Cooper, have been Playstation exclusive) - the Metal Gear Solid games and the Zone of the Enders games (the first one ranking fairly significantly in my top ten all-time favorite games). The Metal Gear Solid Collection will featured MGS 2, 3, and Peace Walker (one of several releases for the Playstation Portable) and will be released in November of this year. The Zone of the Enders collection will feature both games, 1 and 2, and will be released sometime in 2012 - a specific date has not yet been set. Also likely but unconfirmed is the possibility of Zone of the Enders coming to either the PSP or the forthcoming Playstation handheld.

The "Fox Engine" Unveiled

While details are sparse during the course of the video, Hideo Kojima showed off a little of his multi-console-spanning game engine that will power his next project (read: not Metal Gear) in the press conference video. The engine, demonstrated at the 51 minute mark in the press conference video, looks very impressive, especially with the attention to detail; the foliage and lighting as especially excellent eye-candy.

Also in the video:

-footage of Konami's upcoming soccer game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2012
-Silent Hill: Downpour announced for the forthcoming Playstation handheld
-teaser footage of a new Contra game
-footage of the upcoming Konami game NeverDead
-information on Metal Gear Solid's 3DS outing

Confirmed: The Witcher 2 Coming to Xbox 360

The Witcher 2 is an RPG released approximately two weeks ago for the PC. You play as Geralt of Rivia, one of the last remaining Witchers in the world; Witchers are people who have been trained since birth to fight monsters. While there had been much speculation that a console version of the game was being developed as the same time as its PC brethren, these rumors looked to be false when no announcement was made prior to launch. Today, however, all that changed when CD Projekt Red, the game's developer, announced that they have been, in fact, developing The Witcher 2 for consoles as well, and the game will be demonstrated live at E3 2011 next week.

The PC release for The Witcher 2 is a critic's darling, earning an average score of 89 on Metacritic after 49 reviews (that's VERY good). This is a franchise I have been interested in ever since the first game came out, but, given that I have a laptop, I was not able to handle the game and was forced to wait for a console release - I'm glad one is finally coming!

I've included some gameplay and an official trailer to give you readers an idea of what to expect from this action RPG franchise:

News: Catwoman Playable in Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is the follow-up to the smash 2009 hit Batman: Arkham Asylum, the first video game to truly do justice to the titular character. While it was originally thought (unsurprisingly) that you would only be playing as Batman in the upcoming game, you will be able to play as Catwoman as well, demonstrated in a trailer and gameplay write-up released earlier today on Gamespot's website. It is being said that her story/playing time will run for about 10% of the full game.

Her style, as demonstrated in the trailer, is much different than that of Batman's. Her combat is more acrobatic, and she has her own set of gadgets and special moves to pull off (including her "kissing" distraction - hope she brought a mint!). Additionally, if the trailer is any indication, she has her own method of traversing the buildings of Arkham City, which looks to be a mix of free-form climbing and a whip to swing from. She is still very much a thief, however; for those not familiar with her character, she is both an ally to Batman and a criminal, but not like Two-Face or the Joker. Instead of Batman's "detective mode", she is reported to have a thief version that shows her what she's going to steal. It is not yet clear whether the Catwoman missions will take place all at one time or will exist as side quests.

I will update this blog with an embedded trailer as soon as one is made available online. Keep your eyes peeled!

Update: here is the trailer, as promised. Enjoy!

The State of Gaming: E3 2011 Predictions

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 as it is known to most, officially kicks off next week, running from June 6th until June 9th (technically the 7th, but there is at least one major press conference on that Monday) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an industry-only event, meaning only game developers and members of the gaming press, where companies debut new footage of their games, announce projects they are working on, and unveil which products will effectively dominate the entertainment markets over the next year. The unveiling and/or demonstrating of some games goes without saying at E3, such as a new Call of Duty title showing off its first gameplay, but not all developers are as predictable. Featured below is my list of things to look for, or not to look for, at this year's E3:

Confirmed

-The first showing and demonstration of gameplay from the upcoming Call of Duty game Modern Warfare 3 (even more likely given the unveiling of the first Modern Warfare 3 trailer during the NBA Finals.
-Nintendo's next console, codenamed "Project Cafe" will be officially announced, and playable for the press, at the show - get excited, people; this system is rumored to have graphics capabilities that surpass both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. Looks like Nintendo is finally ready to step up to the table!
-More information on the NGP, Sony's new handheld game system that is said to rival the graphics currently seen on the Playstation 3, will be released, including (likely) its release date, which is said to be sometime in 2011.
-Minecraft for Android will be shown to the public; for those of you who don't know, Minecraft was a huge indie hit that brought itself several million downloads. This is Minecraft.

Likely To Be At E3 2011

-Gameplay demoes for any and all games coming out in the second half of 2011 and the first half of 2012, including (but not limited to) Bioshock Infinite, Battlefield 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City, and Uncharted 3
-The line-up of titles scheduled to be released to coincide with the launch of Project Cafe/Wii 2
-The announcement of a release date for the upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, as well as a new cinematic trailer (if the past two E3's have been any indication)
-More information on Team ICO's game The Last Guardian, including a possible release date
-Information on Respawn Entertainment's first game; for those who don't know, Respawn Entertainment is the studio formed by the former president and CEO of Infinity Ward, Jason West and Vince Zampella respectively, and 38 of the 46 Infinity Ward employees who quit en masse after West and Zampella were fired by Activision for insubordination and breach of contract (West and Zampella allege that Infinity Ward fired them as a result of unpaid royalties owed to them after the success of Modern Warfare 2)

Not Likely To Be at E3 2011

-Information from Valve Software on Half-Life: Episode 3, the long-gestating continuation of the Half-Life series, which saw its last release four years ago as part of The Orange Box. In fact, there will be no Valve games of any kind at this year's E3.
-No new information on a potential sequel/prequel? to Metal Gear Sold 4, as Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid's creator, will be sitting out of this year's E3
-Sony's announcement of their new console, which is currently in development but is not ready for public demonstration yet
-A first look at what new project Bungie is working on since it finished with the Halo series; they are reported as not having an official presence at this year's show

Things I Am Most Excited For

-The unveiling of Nintendo's next console - I can't wait to see what they have planned for this system to follow up on the success of the Wii, which continues to beat out the competition in sales numbers 
-A Bioshock Infinite gameplay demonstration, this one set to focus on the Vox Populi, the other warring faction featured in the game (the first focusing on the group known as the Founding Fathers)
-Finally knowing the release date for The Old Republic (I have patiently waited for so long!)
-The first gameplay of the next SSX game; I have powerful feelings of nostalgia for SSX Tricky... I loved that game.
-More information about Link's next outing, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Games To Look For at E3 2011 (in no particular order)

-Bioshock Infinite
-Battlefield 3
-Batman: Arkham City
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
-Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
-Rage
-Star Wars: The Old Republic
-The Last Guardian
-SSX
-Mass Effect 3
-Prey 2
-Dead Island
-The Darkness 2
-Max Payne 3
-Gears of War 3
-DmC (Devil May Cry)
-Uncharted 3
-Resistance 3
-Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Video: Infamous 2 - "The Beast Is Coming"

Wow... While I am not in love with the 2 seconds of game/5 seconds of black ratio in the trailer, it is nothing if not stylish. I admit, when I first saw an image of The Beast at the end of Infamous 1, I did not expect him to be very big, just the size of a man, possibly with superpowers. But after seeing this trailer... wow, he is going to be one hell of a formidable foe; did you see the size of that hand?! I am especially loving the new cinematic aspect of this game, as it seems to have taken a step back from the cartoon-y aspect of last game's "cutscenes" (read - not the graphic novel-style ones). Makes the character feel a little more alive, and not just like some comic book character who you just happen to be playing as.

 The Beast

As the game is due to be released two weeks from today, this is likely the last trailer Sony and Sucker Punch will release for this title. However, there is likely to be plenty of leaked footage from the game and the beta over the next couple weeks - check on Youtube or gaming message boards for 'em!

Infamous 2 is due out on June 7th, 2011 exclusively for the Playstation 3. For those of you Uncharted fans, like myself, picking up a copy of this gets you early access to the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta that will be occurring in late June.

Video: Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Trailer

This trailer, which aired last night during the NBA Conference Finals, is the first demonstration at what Modern Warfare 3 will look like when it is released to the public in November this fall. The video, while short, does give you a taste for the kind of action you'll be seeing in this game: guns, running, and lots of explosions (all good things).

The game is still running on the IW Engine used in the past four Call of Duty games, but tweaks have been made to it to make the visuals that much better. Explosions are still crisp and the action dynamic, and there are some very interesting motion blur being used during the "car over a man's head" scene.

The release of this video during the Finals indicates something very important - video games are finally becoming mainstream. Call of Duty, having celebrated several record-breaking launches over the last five years, has emerged in the public eye and appeals to people not just a part of the "core gamer" fan base the series used to boast.

This trailer is just a taste of what is to come soon; if past years are any indication, E3 will debut the first gameplay, extensive or otherwise, of this game to the world, likely with an on-stage gameplay demonstration by one of the game's designers. And, if history repeats itself, the demonstration will be absolutely awesome (anyone remember that breathtaking cliffjumper demonstration at E3 2009?).

Keep your eyes posted to the blog over the next couple weeks for my reviews of Brink and LA Noire, as well as information on the PSN hacking/outage and my pre-E3 2011 coverage!

Review: Portal 2

After a two-week hiatus, The State of Gaming is back in business! Check back frequently, as there will be several big updates, including leaked information on the next Call of Duty game, the hacking of the Playstation Network, and my review of the team-based first person shooter Brink. Without further ado, however, here is my review of Portal 2:

 

Portal 2 is a puzzle game masquerading as a first person shooter (that gun-like object your silent protagonist is totting shoots portals, not rockets), made by the company responsible for the Counter Strike, Half-Life, and Team Fortress games: Valve. Just in case you have never heard of them. Which I sincerely doubt, as these are some of the biggest titles on the planet. Portal 2 picks up many years after the end of the first, with the main character awakened from stasis by an AI named Wheatley (whose voice actor you may recognize from the Ricky Gervais show) desperately trying to escape the dilapidated facility and unwittingly awakening GLaDOS in the process. As GLaDOS was your main nemesis in the last game, a sociopathic computer with an addiction to testing, this is bad. You spend the rest of the game trying to escape the facility, and to survive the testing you are forced to do.

The Good:

The Writing - This game is funny. Not "weak chuckle" funny, but "I'm crying and I can't breathe from laughing all at the same time" funny. The writing is absolutely superb, and never gets stale, and JK Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man) is especially funny as the CEO of Aperture Science, the company for whom you are doing your testing. Notable funny moments in the game: GLaDOS' opinions on your parents abandoning you at birth, and when you discover more about Wheatley's past and purpose.

The Mechanics - The first game was excellent, and this one is as well. Fixing what was broken, keeping what wasn't, and adding only sparingly to the dynamics of the first game, there really are no flaws in the set-up of the game. Jump in portal, jump out of portal, get to end. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Some of the puzzles will frustrate you, and then further make you angry when you figure out how simple the solution was. On the other side of the coin, you will feel like a genius when you are on a roll. But really, you're not. Or you are, I have no idea.

The Pacing - Never at any point in this game do you feel like you are spinning your wheels and accomplishing nothing; you're always running, subverting, or avoiding a threat. For the approximately 12 hours I got out of the single-player campaign, it was interesting from start to finish.

Two Campaigns - Enough said; there is a cooperative campaign for two players, either split-screen or online, and the single player campaign. That's a lot of portals, and the more the merrier, I say!

Co-op Campaign - This is a totally different storyline, set after the end of the single-player campaign, and it is equally as fun; P-Body and Atlas, the two playable characters, look like they belong in a Pixar movie (I'd watch it if they were!). Figuring out puzzles with friends is a lot of fun, and there is an entire gesture and marking system to curb the difficulty a little, mostly because screaming "OVER THERE YOU IDIOT" generally is not terribly effective or informative.

The Bad/The "Why?":

Co-op Campaign - Because face it, other people are idiots.

The Engine - Still running on Valve's Source Engine, the same one they have been using since 2004's Half-Life 2, the visuals of Portal are beginning to show their age. While still looking pretty good running on a seven year-old engine, some textures and particle effects are fairly low-res. This is an issue with several developers currently; many do not wish to update their engines due to high sales in their products (namely the developers of Portal and Call of Duty).

Replayability - Unless you REALLY wanted to go back and play everything again, once you finish the game, you are done. In a market with games that are often $60 a pop, you want a game you can play multiple times. While this is not one of those games, you do have two fairly lengthy campaigns to play through, definitely giving you your money's worth.

My Score: 9.5/10
This game is absolutely brilliant. The often-dark humor will have laughing so hard you're gasping for breath and yelling for your roommate to "get out here" to listen to the next bit of funny dialogue from the various computer AI's and from the Aperture CEO. With puzzles that are as inspired as they are difficult, and a well-paced story that throws a couple semi-unexpected curve balls, Portal 2 is a hilariously fun and challenging game, whose quality should come as no surprise to anyone who has played a Valve game before.

My recommendation: Buy it.

Milestone #2

I just wanted to let everyone know that, as of 5:35PM PST, the blog has hit 1,000 views! Thanks to everyone who has kept reading the articles and giving me feedback! As of right now, the blog is on a small hiatus (only until next Monday, but I will attempt to update at least once this upcoming week - finals are a time-sink this year), but I will have some BIG stories coming in a few weeks. Expect a Portal 2 and Outland review on May 9th, and all information regarding the hacking of the Playstation Network and the current legal status of Sony (hint: they are currently being sued and the Department of Homeland Security is involved - who said video games weren't currently relevant?)

Things to look forward to in May:

-Portal 2 review
-Outland review
-Brink review
-LA Noire review
-Information on the PSN hacking
-pre-E3 updates
-and much more!

In related news - I hate papers. Just thought I'd add that in there.

News: Wii 2 / Project Cafe Confirmed

The successor to the Wii, which has yet to be named and is currently being called the "Wii 2" or "Project Cafe", has been officially confirmed by Nintendo. Most of the details about the console are only rumors at this point, but there will be a playable build of the system available when the console is officially unveiled at E3 2011 this year, which takes place from June 7-9.

Rumors thus far:
-Backwards compatible (this means the system will be able to play Wii games as well as Wii 2)
-Hardware rumored to be significantly greater than that offered by the Xbox or PS3 (which means graphics will be much better than what is currently available on any console - a much needed advancement, especially since the current Wii cannot compete with the graphical capabilities of the two current systems being offered by Microsoft and Sony
-a new controller that boasts both analog consoles (joysticks and buttons) and a touch screen (not sure how I feel about this news, but Nintendo usually knows what they are doing, for the most part)

Especially given that Microsoft and Sony likely don't plan on releasing a new console for another three years, this will certainly shift the playing field even further in Nintendo's direction - the Wii currently and consistently outsells both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Impressions: Sonic Generations

Sega recently announced the development of a new Sonic game, Sonic Generations, with the above trailer. This game, as a celebration of Sonic's 20th anniversary, is a return to form for Sega and Team Sonic, allowing the player to play Sonic as he was meant to be played, in classic 2D. I am very excited for this game; it's been a while since I have had the opportunity to play a Sonic game that was not completely terrible!

The Good:
2D Sonic - Sonic is a fast game, a fast game whose precision makes running around in 3D nearly impossible to do without killing the flow of the gameplay. Sonic was at his peak on the older consoles like the Sega Genesis when he was running around in two dimensions, and this seems like a return to form for the series. To be honest, this game just looks like it will be way better. There is no werewolf Sonic, no snowboards, no Mario, none of that garbage from the shovelware Sonic games Sega has been releasing for the last decade - this is Sonic as he's meant to be.

Nostalgia - This is Sonic as I played him as a kid. There was nothing wrong with him then, and there's nothing wrong with him now! This game is a total blast from the past.

The Bad/ The "Why?"

The Developer - Sega / Team Sonic is/are developing this game. Given their history, I am hoping for the best but expecting the worst on how this game ultimately ends up playing; Sega's track record with Sonic is less than stellar.

Impressions: Uncharted 3 Multiplayer and Beta

Naughty Dog, the developers of Uncharted 3, recently announced a very large amount of information pertaining to the game's multiplayer and what to expect from it. The developers have decided to overhaul the multiplayer system, but don't fret, Uncharted 2 fans: the gameplay itself is not really changing. They have not taken anything away; rather,they are just adding a boatload of new features to an already robust online mode.

First and foremost, this game has split-screen for online play. Yes, split-screen. Which means if your buddy is over, you no longer have to make him sit on the couch, hug a pillow, and wait for an hour as you level up "just one more time". Now he can play too!

There is now a completely revamped customization system for the game, as well. You can edit your weapons pretty much any way you want, which the above trailer alludes to, adding scopes, bigger clips, etc. In addition, you can edit your character as well, which are more of an aesthetic change than anything, but they do add a very cool amount of variety to the game - I'm giving my Nathan Drake some sweet shades when this game comes out!

Also worth noting is the addition of a 3-Team Deathmatch mode, which will certainly shake up the monotony of a normal Team Deathmatch game, and of a Buddy System, which rewards you for working together with a Buddy in multiplayer with points, special weapon boosters, and even a mobile respawn point!

But to the meat of this article: the beta. Sucker Punch has announced the release of a multiplayer beta for the game (to test for bugs / check that their servers can handle the amount of players they will have in the fall when the game releases) starting July 5th. Anyone who is a Playstation PLUS subscriber (not me) or who owns a copy of Infamous 2 by June 28th (me) will be able to download the beta a week early.

I. Am. Excited. Anyone else going to be online come July 5th?

Videos: Portal 2 Co-op and Funny Advertisements

I tried, internet. I tried so very hard to resist the siren song of this game. I feigned indifference during the E3 showing, shrugged off all the showings at various gaming conventions like PAX. I even pretended not to care when I found out that the release date is next week.

But then I found out that this game has a separate co-operative campaign, and that said campaign can be played online or in split-screen. I pre-ordered this game so fast it made my own head spin. I loved Portal; I thought the concept was cool as hell and Valve, as per usual, made a great game. I wasn't sure how I felt about Portal 2 being a single release, but two games in one box, and one of them is split-screen? Ooooh, count me in.

As expected, this game looks absolutely incredible, but I won't waste your time talking. Instead, here are several comical videos made to advertise the game, and a video of cooperative gameplay itself! Look for my review of this game in the later part of next week!




(The trust video, by far, is my favorite of the series.)





Gameplay, as promised (I apologize for the quality; it's filmed off a screen):

Impressions: Infamous 2's Mission Creation System

Infamous 2, a game I did an article on recently, is a single-player only game, something that has prospective customers a little leery of, as the single-player storyline does eventually end, even if it is as extensive as the first game's.

Not so anymore. Announced by Sucker Punch a few weeks ago, the game will have a "Mission Creator", where any user can create any type of mission to then play out as Cole. What's cool about the Mission Creator is just how expansive it is - you can insert checkpoints, decide which enemies will appear in which parts of your level, and even insert text as story points to give your mission its very own plot!

To put it simply, I absolutely love the idea and think it is very novel. You are essentially given the tools to craft your own superhero storyline, complete with bad guys, damsels in distress, and the craziest scenarios you can think of. This is the kind of thing I would love to see implemented in all sandbox-style video games (including Grand Theft Auto... can you imagine how cool it would be to create your own missions?!).

I have a small issue with the fact that you cannot design the level itself for your mission (you just use whatever part of the city, New Marais, for your level), but it is a very small gripe. Often when you see level creation in a game, its in a fairly linear game with a relatively small scope; simply put, there is not enough space in the single-player areas to allow for customization. Not so in this expansive open world. I am very excited to see what users come up with when this game comes out; several examples of which can be seen here).

A limited beta is scheduled to begin today, but unfortunately I will be unable to participate due to an increased workload with finals just around the corner; I will be sure to post any videos I find of user-generated content as it is posted on Youtube.

News: Brink Release Date Change

The upcoming multiplayer shooter Brink has done what is almost unheard of in the gaming industry today: Bethesda, the publisher, has moved up its release date, instead of delaying the game. The game will now be available in stores starting on the May 10th, 2011 for North America and May 13th, 2011 for Europe. I admit, when I first heard the news, I was totally blown away. A very large percentage of games in the industry experience some type of delay these days; it is almost a common practice. I can think of only a couple examples of dates being moved up in the entire history of my life as a gamer.

Brink is a title that I have been looking forward to for quite some time. Its promotion of the idea of an entirely multiplayer game (if you play the game in single player, it will be the same as it would be online save for you playing with bots instead of people) is one that is not done that often these days, save for a couple titles, and it promises to be a fresh new take on the shooter franchise. The story of a dystopian future, coupled with a fantastic art direction (this game looks great, and the character models have a very unique design that is immediately distinguishable as being from this game), and a very interesting parkour system a la the "S.M.A.R.T" button, have made this game an interest of mine since it was first announced several years ago. The ability to completely customize your character's appearance and weapons has been a pretty big selling point for me as well.

I am including several videos below to give you a feel for what this game will be like when it launches a little less than a month from now.

Impressions: Infamous 2 "Quest For Power" Trailer

To say that I am looking forward to this game is a bit of an understatement. I love superhero stories, whether they be in comics, books, movies, or games, so it should come as no surprise that I was a big fan of the first game, even if it was a tad repetitive. Luckily, from what I've seen in gameplay trailers, this game seems to be rectifying all of the faults from the first. In the first game, you played as Cole, a guy who delivers packages until one explodes in your hands, destroying a portion of the city but granting you electricity-based superpowers in return. The upcoming second game has you reprising the role of Cole in a different city akin to New Orleans, having had to run from a foe he was not ready to face yet in search of new and more powerful abilities (as it turns out, he is not the only "super" in the world). I really enjoyed the story of the games, and it had one of the most surprising and gratifying final twists of any game I have played before, which completely changed the dynamic of the game's events and what they were building to; without spoiling too much, the foe you encounter at the beginning of Infamous 2 is a foe Cole is warned about in the first game.

One of the cooler parts of the first game was the way the story was told, which was mostly through comic book-style storyboards with a voice-over. While not as technically impressive as a cinematic or in-engine cutscene, it did help to reassure superhero fans such as myself that it was a title that was very aware of the roots of all great superheroes (comics) and paid homage to them in a way that was not cheesy or lazy. These comic-book sequences will be returning in Infamous 2, but in addition to in-engine cutscenes; I've included one of the cutscenes from the new game at the bottom of this post. What I will not miss from the first game? Cole's "I need to pee" run, which he did if you were standing on ledges or just not sprinting:



If you're wondering what this game plays like, imagine Grand Theft Auto if you were trained in parkour and had superpowers. You scale buildings, grind rails like a mag-lev train, and rain down lightning strikes on streets full of enemies. It is definitely as cool as it sounds. I'm including several trailers of this awesome-looking game below to give all you readers a feel for what you'll be playing come June.

But the real reason you should play this game: because you can lift up a car with your mind and throw it like a football *insert nerdy giggles here*. If that was the only thing I knew about this game, I would still pre-order it.

Video: LA Noire Trailer #3 - "The Set-Up"

Today Rockstar Games posted their third official trailer for their upcoming crime investigation game, LA Noire, due out in May. Having previewed this game before in previous posts, I won't say much here to distract you from watching the trailer. As per usual, it looks absolutely awesome, especially with the inclusion of John Noble. I am very excited for May.

Review: Spiral Knights

Spiral Knights is a free-to-play MMORPG made by Sega, whom everyone should know as the developers of the classic Sonic games, and available for the PC. This is a title that I actually came across completely by chance after noticing a tiny little blurb on Kotaku's website a couple days ago that this had been released, and it looked curious enough to warrant setting up an account and giving the game a try. Although I have not gotten very far into the game, which I attribute to both schoolwork and the fact that if I play any game longer than thirty minutes on my computer, it overheats and shuts off, I am very much enjoying this game thus far and am offering my impressions below:

The Good:

Gameplay - For anyone who ever played the old-school Zeldas (before Ocarina of Time), this game is very similar. It's a simple hack-and-slash dungeon crawler, focusing on loot collection and upgrading your weapons/armor. While simple in execution (it's very simple to pick up and play through a dungeon), there's a level of complexity to the game in terms of upgrades whose surface I have yet to scratch, and am still figuring out.

Controls - Hold the left mouse button to move in the direction the mouse is pointing, attack with the right mouse button. Very simple.

Art Design - This is a colorful and very cool-looking game. Graphically-speaking, it is not a demanding game, but for a free-to-play game, it is very creatively designed and colored. The design of the Clockwork especially (the staging area for the dungeons) is surprisingly awesome for what I was expecting from this game (not much).

Addicting - This game will pull you in. Nothing you can do about it. Just submit. But seriously, it does hook you in the strangest of ways - it is not the most intricate game, but the nostalgia and fun experienced while playing it will have you coming back for more.

The Bad/ The "Why?":

"Free" - This game is not exactly "free to play", as it claims. It is free to join and to play at first, but in order to make any progress, you need to buy energy with a credit card (or paypal, whichever you choose). You are given an allotment of 100 energy points, to be used to revive yourself in combat or to progress through dungeons. Unfortunately, 100 points does not get you very far, as it takes about 24 hours to fully regenerate the 100 points. You are thusly forced into buying energy - not so free after all, eh? I understand the inclusion of the system, as you cannot develop a game like this for free and expect to break even, but I feel this is a form of false marketing that is very present in the gaming industry these days.

Complexity - I like that this game has depth, I do. But I would like to be able to access that depth by knowing what the hell I am doing, which I most definitely do not. Short of explaining attacks and the game world (barely) to you, you are left to figure out everything else on your own. There is no in-game guide, nor is there one on the website. It is a bit of a frustrating oversight.

My Score: 8/10
This game greatly surpassed my expectations for what to expect from a free-to-play MMO game. The dungeon crawling is a very fun bit of nostalgia that does not linger in the past unnecessarily, and the simplicity of the controls makes this an easy game for anyone to pick up and play. The payment system for energy is not my favorite thing in the world, but it is a necessary evil. The fact that it costs nothing to pick up and try out for a day, along with the fact that you do not need to download it (you can play it from the website), makes this a must-try.

Recommendation: Give it a try.

Opinion: Spider-Man - Edge of Time

Beenox and Activision, the developers of last year's game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, announced today the development of their next Spider-Man game, Edge of Time, scheduled for a Fall 2011 release. This game, instead of focusing on the four different Spider-Men from the previous game (Noir, Amazing, symbiote, and 2099), will just focus on the untimely death of the original Spider-Man and the attempt to change the events that transpired both in the past and in the catastrophically affected future as Spider-Man 2099.

Having played Shattered Dimensions recently, I am markedly concerned by the news that Beenox is developing a new game. I did not like the first game at all - the story was very paint-by-numbers Spider-Man, and the gameplay was not nearly good enough to justify the poor story. Beenox made the very strange developer decision to nix an open world for Spider-Man and instead have very linear levels with very diminshed amounts of web-swinging, and what they did have was too sloppy and glitchy to truly be used effectively. To put it in perspective, having a Spider-Man game where you cannot swing from your webs at any given time (and there were parts where you simply were not allowed to use them, without any contextual explanation) is like a Batman game without a grappling hook.

Maybe I am just hoping for another Spider-Man 2 (seriously, how good was that game?), but from what I am hearing about the story and who is developing it, I am worried about a similar game to Shattered Dimensions, which felt a little like shovelware to me. This is one of the issues of the game industry that worries me, and holds back video games. Activision will likely stick with Beenox for the next several years with the Spider-Man license, much like Atari with Dimps regarding the Dragonball franchise, which never makes any progression (creatively or financially) due to the refusal to attempt to create something interesting with the license.Companies need to branch out and work with studios that are going to do something different, my case and point being Rocksteady Studios with Arkham Asylum, a relatively unknown studio who completely broke the mold on what to expect from a superhero game by releasing an absolutely brilliant title. When Activision released Web of Shadows a few years ago, it was flawed, but definitely a step in the right direction, allowing the player greater freedom in how they would fight their enemies and incorporating a web-zip function that was actually useful (if a tad overused). It gave me hope that the franchise would continue to evolve into a game that would be much better, but I view their partnership with Beenox and Shattered Dimensions as a step back from the promise offered by Web of Shadows.

So, if you read this, Activision (not likely), please go back to the drawing board and what truly makes a Spider-Man game fun: freely swinging around New York City and pummeling super villains with an acrobatic flair while making terrible, terrible jokes. Spider-Man is too good of a superhero to be squandered on uninspired games like Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time.

Video: Battlefield 3 Fault Line Episode III: Get That Wire Cut

Today, DICE released the third and final part in its Fault Line series of gameplay videos for Battlefield 3, which placed special emphasis on both stealth and hand-to-hand combat (regardless of whether that scene was scripted or not, that was pretty cool). As in the other videos, the sound and visuals for this game are topnotch and drool-worthy, and my excitement and anticipation for this game just rises with each new video that's released.

Stay tuned after the "credits" of the video to catch a small glimpse of how the incredible new Frostbite 2 engine creates an earthquake that breaks the ground apart and tosses the main character out of the back of a truck. Keep checking the blog around mid-April to see the full 12-minute gameplay reveal once it is released by DICE.

Video: Mass Effect 2 DLC - "Arrival"

Scheduled to be released today, Arrival is going to be the final piece of downloadable content (DLC) for Mass Effect 2, and is (reportedly) meant to act as a bridge between the two. The Mass Effect series has been my favorite series of the current console generation since the first one came out back in 2007, successfully capturing in both its gameplay and storyline what it is to make a great science fiction story, with compelling characters, awe-inspiring new alien races, and edge-of-your-seat action sequences and choices that affect not only the immediate game but future occurrences.

Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to the new downloadable content, which will hopefully help explain just what is going on in the teaser for Mass Effect 3, featured below. The next Mass Effect game will be released somewhere near the end of 2011.

Video: Jedi Knight Armor Progression in SW:TOR

Released today (as Bioware releases a bit of new information each Friday, dubbed "Fan Fridays", the "Jedi Knight Armor Progression" video for Star Wars: The Old Republic focuses on the types of armor you will be unlocking and/or acquiring over the course of the game.

Guess I know what I'm playing as! The only issue I am having with what I am seeing in the trailer is the lack of greatly varying armor sets - all of them look the same! Given the copious amounts of rich material available to the game's designers based on the Star Wars universe and the types of armor all the different characters can have (yes, I know, I am a huge nerd), I was expecting a much more varied set, a la the armor featured in the Bounty Hunter trailer.

Impressions: Deus Ex - Human Revolution Developer Walkthrough

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the prequel to the original Deus Ex game that was made just over a decade ago, and the first time the series has been made available on current-generation consoles. I've been following this game since it was first announced, and I have very much liked what I have been seeing so far. I will include several videos below, and my impressions of the gameplay.



The Good:
Versatility - I like a game that gives me options. As much fun as first-person shooters are, there usually is only one way to beat a level. Even Bioshock, with all the different ways you could take out enemies, did not give you the option of stealth or exploration as an additional option. This game looks like it does, giving you the choice of stealth, exploration, or combat.

Old-school-ness: Demonstrated in one of the videos below, this game, in some ways, seems like a return to the roots of RPG's, with the option to combine different materials to form new ammo types (and possibly weapons, but I'm not sure about that one).

Color Palette: This is a cyberpunk story, and the colors of the world reflect this. The colors being used, from the trailers to the logo for the game, are black and orange and the game seems to stick to them heavily, but uses them softly enough as to not be overwhelming on the viewer.

The Bad/ The "Why?"
Takedowns: Violence is a part of most video games; there's no way around it. Normally, I have no issue with it, and have certainly played enough video games to have run the gamut of good and bad taste, but the lethal takedowns were something I was not a fan of in this walkthrough. Not because there was blood, but because it was bloody and combative when it did not make contextual sense. If you're trying to take someone down without alerting other guards, why are you doing grand sweeping sword slices?

View Shifts: Switching from first-to-third person games are not something we have never seen before; Rainbow Six Vegas (both of them) uses it frequently when it comes to the cover system in the game. However, for this type of game, especially with the potential for melee combat (c'mon, the guy has sword arms!), I feel it hinders, rather than helps, the game.

Gamescom 2011 Trailer:


Cinematic Trailer:


IGN Gameplay Trailer:

Downtime

My apologies for the lack of updates over the last several days - we had a campus-wide (and most of the surrounding area) power outage recently, which created a backlog in work to get done. We'll be up and running again tomorrow with some big updates, including some new Deus Ex 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim footage - keep your eyes peeled!

-Matt

The Emotional Impact of Children in Video Games: Bioshock

Video games are usually a teenager/adult-only affair, with everyone fighting in the battles being age-appropriate and with sufficient traits/flaws to make their fates reasonable. Every protagonist is an able-bodied adult male or female. However, occasionally in this day and age, you come across a game featuring children, either as a driving force for the protagonist's motivations or as a representation of an important moral choice. It is around this time that the social and action dynamic of the game often changes to reflect the subject matter.

Bioshock: In this game, the player (you/me) is presented with what I believe to be one of the bravest gameplay mechanics I've ever seen in a title: the moral and practical consequences of the salvation/destruction of a child. Your character, through a sequence of seemingly random events, discovers a city at the bottom of the ocean that thrives on ADAM, unstable stem cells harvested from sea slugs that are modified to give the citizens of Rapture (said city) varying abilities, from an improved physical appearance to the ability to move objects telekinetically. The player, in order to survive, splices their DNA with Adam in order to combat the remaining residents of the city who have spliced their own DNA until they lost their minds. During the course of the game, the player comes across Little Sisters (shown above), little girls who have been implanted with the ADAM-producing slugs and conditioned to collected ADAM from the corpses around the city, and are given a choice:

On the one hand, you can choose to forcibly remove the slug which kills the little girl in the process, a reprehensible act but one that yields a very large amount of ADAM with which to combat those trying to kill you.



On the other, you can choose to save the little girls by removing the slug safely, allowing the girl to live, but giving you a limited amount of the genetic material in turn.



As you do not obtain much of the material throughout the game, each little girl is a decision, both for the character and for you: can you live with the death of a little girl on your conscience?

Videos: Star Wars - The Old Republic footage from PAX (Part Deux)

In this post, I'll show you guys a presentation of the space combat in Star Wars: The Old Republic, which will seem very similar to anyone who ever played the Star Fox games, as well as several of the planets that players will be able to visit and explore!

Space Combat Presentation:



Bounty Hunter and Hutta gameplay (homeworld of the Hutts):



Hoth Presentation:



Tatooine Presentation:

Video: Battlefield 3 Fault Line Episode II: Good Effect on Target trailer

The second in a series of trailers for Battlefield 3 that EA and DICE are releasing focusing on stealth and sniper combat in the upcoming game. The game looks downright awesome, with destroyable cover (look at how those sniper bullets chip away at the covering walls and put holes in the pipes), very smooth prone animations, and some of the coolest destruction I have seen in a game (did you see that building go kaboom?). You can check out my original post on Battlefield 3 at GDC for my impressions on the game.

Videos: Star Wars - The Old Republic footage from PAX

Without further ado, over an hour of PAX East footage of the upcoming Bioware MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic to sink your teeth into, and there's still more coming - stay tuned!

Official Developer's Walkthrough of the Taral V Flashpoint:



Public gameplay of Taral V Flashpoint as: Jedi Knight



Korriban gameplay (Sith origin world and where you start as a Sith)



Tython gameplay (Jedi origin world and where you start as a Jedi)

Impressions: Arkham City Gameplay Trailer

I'm just going to jump right into the nuts and bolts of the first gameplay trailer for the newest Batman game, Arkham City.

The Good:
Animation - There is still a lot of versatility to the way Batman moves and fights; it does not look like this game is going to disappoint in that category.
Graphics - Arkham City is just as good-looking as its predecessor, if not more so. Gotham looks decrepit and evil, which is exactly what they are going for. The atmosphere especially is excellent.
Voice Acting - The voice actors for both Batman and the Joker are the same as they were in the 1990's television show, and everything sounds great as usual.
Flight - The "dive-bombing" that you see in the trailer will be how Batman gets around in the game. I wasn't sure if Rocksteady was going to be able to pull off flight for Batman in an open-world game, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
Combat - Smashing two enemies together, the way Batman was always meant to? Yes, please.

The Bad/ The "Why?"
Trailer - As cool as the game looks, I don't like how they went about making the trailer. The slow-motion, accompanied with the song... I just can't quite buy it. The game still looks awesome, but the trailer reminds me way too much of Call of Duty: Black Ops (which was accompanied by Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones).

As promised, I've also included the cinematic trailer below:

Rumor: Arkham City Gameplay first look tomorrow

According to Greg Miller's Twitter (he works for IGN), IGN will be posting the first look at gameplay for Rocksteady's next Batman game, Arkham City, tomorrow morning at 7:00am PST. Anyone who played the first Batman game can tell you that not only was it the best Batman game ever made, it remains to this day one of the best games to come out for the present generation of consoles. Seriously, if you have ever even remotely thought Batman was cool and have not played this yet, there are no excuses. Borrow, rent or buy it - I assure you, you will not be disappointed. This love of the incredible tribute Rocksteady did to both the Batman character and his universe only heightens the excitement for Batman's next outing, especially given that the game is set in Gotham City (well, part of it) and this is Mark Hamill's last hurrah as the Joker before he hangs up his voice-acting chops for the character; for those who do not know, Mark Hamill has primarily been the voice of the animated Joker for the past several decades, and should be familiar to anyone who saw the 90's Batman cartoon, or anyone remembers Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars films.

I will have the video posted on here by 11:30am tomorrow morning. Check back in around then to enjoy what is sure to be an awesome trailer! I will also be sure to post the cinematic trailer from the Video Game Awards, for anyone who has not seen it yet.

Impressions: Star Wars - The Old Republic at PAX

At PAX this past weekend, there was a very large showing of the upcoming Bioware MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, with a brand-new trailer released (featured above) showing both story and gameplay elements extensively, and a hands-on/playable demo of several parts of the game, including the Old Republic's equivalent of an instance, called a "Flashpoint". While I admit, I was positively drooling over the footage, I did have several qualms that I am hoping they address and iron out before the release of the game, whenever that is; Bioware has yet to set a specific date for release, as it is unknown to them that the wait will kill me. Just kidding. Or am I?

I am.

The Good:
Gameplay - It looks fun (important for an MMO) and very reminiscent of World of Warcraft, and if that's any indication of how the final game is going to play (WOW meets Mass Effect), my school grades are doomed.

Graphics - While not stellar, given the semi-cartoon-y art style of the game, they do accomplish one important thing that some MMOs tend to overlook: it makes the game an equal-opportunity employer for all gaming rigs and computers. As cool as ultra-realistic Jedi would look in an MMO, there would be ten computers that could run that game. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but one of the things that makes World of Warcraft so successful is that it runs on every computer, even terrible ones.

Story - Yes, there is story in this MMO; not only is there a fully-fleshed out story in this game, but each class has their own storyline, different from other classes. Which means I'll have to play this game eight times. I may need to take a leave of absence from school...

The Bad:
Graphics - While also listed as a good, the problem with the graphics is the same - they are not leaps and bounds forward. So yes, this game can sell and will be able to be played on all computers, but a realistic-looking Star Wars MMO would be awesome. Not a great loss, but still, a negative aspect.

Bugs - Throughout the gameplay demos I've seen from PAX, all of which I will be posting later this week, I have seen a bunch of gameplay bugs, from shaky scene cuts, buggy image appearances, and delayed reactions on the part of both the player and the NPCs to attacks. It's not unheard of in an MMO, but wishful thinking is that they will iron it all out before release.

The "Why?"
Voice Acting - While I am ecstatic that this game will be fully-voiced, an MMO first as others in the past just used text for both speech and for missions, I would like it a lot more if there was a lot more variance between character voice actors (as they all sound like they have the same accent). Maybe it's just me, but if I'm talking to a Sith Lord, I would like him to sound appropriately menacing, such as a gravelly voice, not like he's going to offer me crumpets and a spot of tea.