Games | Video Games | Game Previews

Overview of Mass Effect 2 and its Story

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:04:00 +0000

Mass Effect 2 is the second part of the Mass Effect trilogy. The first one was one of the best RPG games in recent memory and received many awards for excellence. Video games need many things to succeed and Mass Effect 2 is showing that it has them. Many people are eagerly awaiting the release of the game to sink their teeth into this lengthy and engaging story.

Mass Effect 2 takes place 2 years after the first game and you once again assume the role of Shepard. The hero of the Mass Effect video games finds himself in a troubling predicament. After successfully thwarting the Reaper invasion of the Citadel and the annihilation of all known life, human colonies are starting to disappear for no apparent reason. The Normandy and her crew venture into the outer reaches of known space and come under attack by an unknown enemy.

The Normandy is destroyed and Shepard is presumed dead by his friends and commanders. However Commander Shepard is quite alive, quite well, and understandably angry that his ship has been destroyed. He is invited to join an underground organization whose only goal is the survival of humanity by any means possible. Realizing that joining them is the only way to get back into the fight and find out why colonies are being destroyed he agrees to join them.

From here the choices of your character begin to really take shape. Many RPG type games have always tried to allow you to interact with and change the world around you. Sadly many video games fall short of this objective. However Mass Effect has made the best effort in recent memory and while not perfect it is still one of the best experiences seen to date.

After you accept your new post with the organization you are given a new ship and set about recruiting a new crew. Your journey will take you around the known galaxy and you'll encounter many of the first games characters along the way. Depending on the choices you made in the first game there will be variations for everyone's experience. Mass Effect 2 is one of the first video games to use a game to game save system.

The higher level you were in the first game upon completion the better your resources will be at the start of the second game. However the game is not dependant on this system. In other words if you played Mass Effect 1 you'll get a bonus. If you did not play Mass Effect 1 there will be no bonus, but you can still play without a problem.

This reason alone has lead many to play through the original again and level their characters up as far as possible. Many of the technical issues that plagued the first game have been resolved as well. Despite its massive scope and engaging story the game did have its faults. A bulky control system, unresponsive combat commands, and the occasional graphical glitch plagued the game.

Mass Effect 2 has shown thus far that these issues have been addressed. In addition to the games overhaul and fine tuning several extra features have been added. You now have a heavy weapon to use against heavily armored targets. However unlike the first video games infinite ammo for all weapons system this weapon has limited ammunition.

You can now perform research and development in your new ship to upgrade your weapons and armor. One feature of the game that is most notable is the new lighting system that has been implemented. While most people will agree that graphics do not make the game you cannot argue that Mass Effect 2 is a very beautiful game. Many games focus too much on graphics and not enough on story.

Mass Effect 2 like the rest of the video games developed by Bioware manages to walk a fine line between both. This company has long held the standard for RPG's and continues to show that it's on top of it game. The only thing that is left to be seen is the individual player reactions to the game itself.

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best looking and best playing games that has been seen in a long time. Most of the first video games problems were addressed and resolved. The result of this tuning is a deep game with an engaging story and plenty of action. It's easy to lose track of time in this game so make sure to check your clock every once in a while.

Band Hero Preview: Get Ready for a Another World Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Band Hero is the newest addition to Activision's Guitar Hero video games for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. If you've played the previous titles, the only major changes are the included tracks, graphics, and extra content for multiplayer. Everything else is what you'd expect from this musical video games behemoth. The overall theme for the song list is Top 40, American Idol-style bands and artists. It's a bit more commercial than the previous titles, which included groups such as Anthrax, The Sex Pistols, Faith No More, and other hard rock and metal bands.

Will Band Hero open the music video games genre up to a wider and younger audience or will this shift in music styles turn off dedicated fans of the franchise ? Yes and no. This version of the Guitar Hero game is what you'd expect from the series, with a nice package of family-friendly tracks to add to your play list. If you have the latest version, Guitar Hero 5, and are looking for the next insane set of riffs to master, stick to the track packs until # 6. If you want a fun time with nothing but Top 40 hits, this is the version you've been waiting for.

Like the previous video games, you can grab Band Hero for $60 by itself or spring for the $200 band kit. The latter includes a microphone, drum set, and 1 guitar controller. What you get this time is a host of new graphics (I hope you like pink and neon), new songs, and new musicians to play. The biggest star on this installment is Taylor Swift, as she not only has her songs in the game, but is one of the playable characters as well. Other stars you'll be jamming to are Fall Out Boy, David Bowie, The All-American Rejects, and Village People (No, you're not hallucinating. They're in the game). Even though it takes some skill to play, picking up either instrument can be done with ease. Co-op is very simple with drop-in and drop-out capabilities while the song is still playing. You can even challenge your friend on or offline with multiple events thanks to their Rock Fest mode.

There's also a character creator for those who want a custom rocker as their avatar. With a wide selection of styles and make-up, everyone can have their game experience feel more personal. For expert players, there are certain achievements that unlock new outfits and accessories to dress your rock star with style. Quickplay lets players pick a song and allows friends to jump in at will. As you progress, you also receive band trivia to gain a little extra knowledge like why David Bowie dressed as a alien in his early years (just guessing). If you're afraid of ruining the song and getting kicked out of a video games band, Band Hero has all off the settings and difficulties needed to guide newcomers and veterans along without screwing it up for the rest of your friends. For the singers, they get different setups to make sure they're in sync with the words and pitch.

Multiplayer features are kept intact for obvious reasons. It's just as easy to jump in and jam as the at home co-op. Players without a custom character in their video games can choose one of many generic ones to save time and get right into the fun. It's believed that you'll be able to import all previous song packs over to complete your utterly massive collection. There's no word about song editors or several other features, but they're still enough here to keep gamers occupied. New song packs and other content are sure to follow and by the gigabyte. It will probably be full length albums and best-of collections, then the mini packs will follow.

Beyond the new content, Band Hero is just one of many spin-offs for specific music fans that enjoy the chart topping pop music that gets pumped over radios across the world. Younger gamers will be asking for this more than their 16-18 year old siblings. It's not a big enough improvement to be labeled a sequel, but does have enough content to warrant the cost of the video games. It's a great idea for Taylor Swift fans, but I can't say the same for other artists who've contributed the mix. Band Hero is a great addition to the Guitar Hero video games franchise and can at least give families something to enjoy no matter what age group.

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City Game Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City is a unique concept in the video game world because it is two standalone episodes that do not require the original GTA IV to work. Therefore, people who do not have GTA IV can purchase these new mini video games and play them at full capacity. This new game is available on Xbox live on October 29 and is definitely worth checking out because it provides two new missions in the typical GTA style of games.

The new episode that is found on this disk is called The Ballad of Gay Tony. In this episode, you will play as a bodyguard named Luis Lopez. Lopez is also a business associate of Gay Tony, who is constantly looking out for the title character's interests. Tony owns two of the top nightclubs in Liberty City, but has recently gotten himself into trouble with shady individuals and needs your help in straightening things out. If you have played GTA IV, you will recognize some of the happenings in the city while Lopez's story is playing out, as these video games do not have a little bit of overlap. As Lopez, you will be forced to deal with upper class problems, as he does not deal with street hoods the way that many other GTA characters do.

An example of this comes from a mission where Luis Lopez has to lean on the owner of Liberty City's professional hockey team, since a Russian crime lord named Bulgarin wishes to purchase the team and the owner refuses to sell. As with everything else in high society, everyone has a price, so it is up to Luis Lopez to find that price in order to get people what they want. If they will not sell out, as is the case with the hockey team's owner, Lopez is forced to kill them, as is customary in the GTA video games.

Some of the new features in this episode feature more helicopter and other stunts, as the high profile nature of these dealings ensure that Lopez is constantly making daredevil maneuvers. There are also a number of new weapons included with these games, as Lopez has more of a budget than GTA characters have had in the past. Other unique features like planted electrical charges allow Lopez to take care of people remotely, so he does not even have to be in the area to get even with someone. An example of this occurs when some police officers get a little too close to Lopez and Bulgarin. In this scene, the two of you and one other gangster hide while some police officers are blown up while searching Bulgarin's car. As is prevalent in these video games, the police then swarm the area and you are forced to escape and hide. This scene alone makes these games well worth a purchase because it is unique to Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City.

If you feel like you are ready to step into white collar crime, then this game is definitely something you should play. You will deal with some high level crooks in these video games, who have the resources to make you disappear very quickly. Lopez even has the chance to practice running the nightclubs through a series of mini games, which make Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City something that is worth checking out.

The other episode that is included with this game is The Lost and the Damned, which is part of the original GTA IV game. In this episode, you will play Johnny, who is a reformed biker gang member who finds himself in the middle of a turf war. Johnny deals with the lower end of criminals, which is much different from the story of Luis Lopez. The good new is that since you will get both of these video games on one disk, you can experience all levels of crime through these games. This two disk set is available in stores or through Xbox Live on October 29 and every GTA lover will definitely love these video games because they perfectly add to the legacy that GTA has put forth in the past.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 Game Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:38:00 +0000

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is one of the most anticipated video games of the season. It is scheduled to be released on October 20th, but the game has already garnered rave reviews from magazines like GameMaster that awarded it their coveted Gold Award and wrote that it was by far the best version of the game yet.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at what is sure to be one of the hottest video games of the year.

To begin with, the game is available on Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. It is the eleventh game in SmackDown series and it features two of the three biggest brands in wrestling: Raw and SmackDown.

Game Features

One of the first things early reviewers have praised is the games' improved create mode, which lets you design a wrestler of your very own and then compete with him, or her. The game not only allows you to create-a-wrestler, but also makes it easy to create your own entrance, including musical selections.

According to the games' designers, the create-a-wrestler mode has been completely revised and improved since the last version of the game. The new game boasts three-dimensional clothing and accessories, whereas in the old wrestling games the clothes looked unrealistic or painted on. For example, a cape or robe will now move when the wrestler moves. Another big improvement is that the loading time of the mode has been shortened. In past versions and in other wrestling video games, the create mode takes a long time to load, but in the new game it's much faster.

The game also features a brand-new WWE Story Designer mode, which allows the users to design storylines that include WWE's weekly shows (SmackDown and Raw) as well as pay-per-view specials with pre-determined storylines and matches. The player can choose from over one hundred disparate animations as well as 20 different locations for each scene. While the games' other editions did permit players to create storylines, now the player can control how long they want the storyline to last and what happens. Additionally, a player can use WWE superstars and Divas as well as the wrestlers they create in these storylines.

Other important features in the create-a-wrestler mode include the ability to create and design your own logos or tattoos for your wrestlers. It is even possible for players to design three alternative attires for their wrestler and for the other wrestling superstars.

Once again, the video games' designers listened to the fans and have made unlocking abilities for created wrestlers far easier. This means that players won't have to assign points or take them into career mode simply to improve their abilities. Rather, abilities can be improved in every mode of the game. According to the features page, there are now 21 abilities that can be unlocked including brand new ones like the Exploder Turnbuckle Attack.

Like many video games these days, SmackDown can even be used on the internet. If you have the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version of the game, you will be able to share the wrestlers you created online with friends and other players. You can even create a highlight reel of your wrestlers' best move and post it online. Users are then free to rate your creation and will be able to share moves and game tips with you.

Another new feature of this years' game is the WWE Rivals option. This feature allows you to select a group of enemies and allies, which can later be used for your benefit or detriment in exhibition match mode. This means that if a superstar is selected as an enemy, he may simply show up during one of your matches and attack you. But conversely, if a superstar is set as an ally, he may come to lend you a hand.

As far as match gameplay goes, all the early reviewers all agree that it is much improved. Like many video games before it, SmackDown now features a tutorial option designed specifically for new players. The feature allows new users to choose or create a superstar and then select a match type. During these matches, when the tutorial option has been engaged, a series of pop-ups will appear and let them know how to perform certain moves. All together, there are over 100 distinct training tips offered by the games' tutorials.

Meet the Cast

In addition to creating your very own wrestlers, the superstar wrestlers featured in the game is a veritable who's who of the wrestling world. The impressive roster includes John Cena, Beth Phoenix, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Batista, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Triple H, CM Punk, and Big Show.

TrackMania DS Game Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:44:00 +0000

The TrackMania series has left a mark in gaming history with multiple awards in The Guinness World Records. It's most prominent records include Largest Content Base for a Racing Game, Biggest Online Racing and Most Popular Online Racing, as well as a few others. The games have been hailed for their online gaming addictiveness, spectacular graphics, and relative originality. Unlike other racing games, players can opt to race however they wish. Restarting many times by respawning is a viable option if one is faced with difficulty. This recent installment, issued solely for the Nintendo DS, adds even more laurels to the name and honor of the series. It was launched in Europe on November 14, 2008 by Focus Home Interactive and is currently waiting to be released by Atlus in the United States, sometime in March of 2009.

It may sound weird for the average TrackMania fan to hear that this new installment has been developed by another video game company other than Nadeo, but Firebrand Games is more than capable of the task, mainly because of their experience with developing other hit racing games for the Nintendo DS. Also, Firebrand Games has trademark software called Octane Engine, used in the TrackMania DS game, which they would naturally hesitate to let another company use. Nadeo certainly doesn’t seem to mind anyway.

At the start of the game, choice of the player to pick the Solo option on the Menu reveals five levels of difficulty; Practice, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Extreme. The latter options are locked and the only way to select them is to beat the earlier levels. After selecting a difficulty, the player is again presented with three settings for the tracks; Stadium, Desert, and Rally, unlike the PC versions that had additional choices such as Island, Coast, Bay, or Snow. After selecting the settings (let’s say you choose Stadium), the player is again invited to choose around 4 stadiums that one can race in (there’s actually a fifth but you have to buy that in the game).

Yes, there is currency within the game, and it’s useful for shopping great stuff (which is in the game too) like skins for cars and blocks for building your own custom tracks (Yes, yes, you can do that too, if you don’t happen to follow the series). One finally begins to see why this game can be massively addictive.

Before the start of the race, the game gives the player the option to choose the opponent’s difficulty level. Then the fun begins. Unlike most other racing games, which, in their laborious attempts to make it seem realistic, fail completely, TrackMania completely does the opposite. The ridiculous tracks and ghost cars you compete with are so much fun to do over and over. There’s a sense of familiarity as you imagine that this must have been what the driver of your childhood toy race cars felt like when you led them through the slopes, jumps and windings of the toy tracks.

Each track in the game lasts about 20 to 30 seconds. You say; WHAT?! Now, don’t get agitated. Keep in mind, playing the Nintendo DS is not like the PC, wherein the player commits hours and hours, basically spending one’s life in front of the monitor. No, this is about quick fun. One realizes that you can still have a social life while injecting yourself with a TrackMania fix as you wait at the bus stop. Seriously, starting a game and then stopping after one race gives the gamer enough sense of achievement to socialize (parents, take note), unless one gets addicted with the customizations option, that is. The game offers Puzzles by way of editing, where the player can customize the tracks and then beat it.

All in all, TrackMania DS breathes new life to a genre that is wearing thin due to the absurd realism factors that more and more developers are obsessively focused on improving. The fun factor of racing sims is almost being neglected (emphasis on almost) by other video game companies. TrackMania DS goes back to the roots of racing games and braves the storm. It is smooth and fast (graphics wise) and the adrenaline rush is just as it should be. It is probably one of the best racing games for the DS and is heralded for carrying on the torch of the previous original quality of the TrackMania series.

North America Release of Suikoden Tierkreis Game Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:10:00 +0000

The wait is almost over for those of you that are hooked on the game series Suikoden. Unlike the other Suikoden games, Suikoden Tierkreis is set in a parallel universe called Kingdom of Salsaville. The Japanese saw the release of this game in December of 2008, with the next launch in Europe on March 13, 2009. North America will see the game introduced on March 17, 2009. The new game was introduced in the Famitsu Magazine, and the expectations are high for this spin off. The music for this new series comes from the capable composer Norikazu Miura, with the services of Yoshino Aoki and Masahura Iwata.

The game will be for the Nintendo DS system and can be played with D-pad or a stylus, according to the games developer Konami. The genre remains the same as the original Suikoden series, which is that of role playing. You as the player will be able to converse with the animated characters. Battles will ensue with the enemy and your destiny will be to complete the many missions. Although four characters are the optimum number for any battle, there is a chance to use an extra one for assistance.

A great new option in the Suikoden Tierkreis series is the ability to log on and interact with other players. This ability allows gamers to change items with each other. It also allows players to battle extra monsters that are not found in the actual game, but online instead.

The game begins with the one hundred and eight heroes being lead into battle by the head leader. “The One King” is the adversary who faces their wrath. “The One King” rules over “The Order of the One True Way”. You will be witness to a defeat in the opening; however, it is unclear if this defeat has already occurred or is a flashback. The Infinity is still the name of the Suikoden multiverse. The Kingdom of Salsaville where this game takes place is just one of the many universes. As your part of the journey begins only four of the heroes are alive. Your character is the adolescent boy from the village of Shitoro. You have been given the duty of keeping the village safe from all manner of monsters and criminals. An eerie light is coming from the mountains close to your village, and this is where your journey will begin.

The game play will be quick paced, especially the battles. You will find the one hundred and eight characters that you can play with enormous fun. The graphics are intensely detailed and on an enormous scale. You will have to search each area thoroughly to find extra quests. They won’t be part of the storyline, so the possibilities of exploring new aspects of this game are practically endless. You want to be able to locate every one of the characters and help them become superstars.

Konami has made these extra missions easy to accomplish. One such instance uses Moana. You can access her within her caravan or if you have already made her a part of your allies then access her at your fortress. Once you have achieved this with her the missions will be plentiful. You will instantly go to the destination and you will be inserted into the story right away. They have made this transition very easy.

Some of the quests will include extra characters that will support you on a mission. The Search for Nhazu is a prime example of this type of quest. It takes place in a snow covered village in the mountains. The characters battle a monster before they find Nhazu. This is one of the easier quests that you will encounter but it is a good introduction of how the game works.

The excellence of the previous game, Suikoden, has a lot of gamers waiting anxiously for the new series. The graphics are more than you could have hoped for with the characters being anthropomorphized. The animation that you will witness is spectacular, with a sound quality that is entertaining. The storyline is complex, detailed and engaging for players. Considering the storyline encompasses the original Suikoden feel the game will certainly be a success. An added benefit is that all ages will enjoy the whole new world and new characters. There is something for everyone in this Suikoden Tierkreis game. The adventurous quality of the game belies hidden depths of the fantasy world. Luckily the wait is almost over.

A Foretaste of Guitar Hero: Metallica

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:28:00 +0000

The new iteration of the Guitar Hero series release is now closer. Neversoft, Vicarious Visions, Budcat Creations along with publisher Activision is going to release Guitar Hero: Metallica soon. They are offering over 20 guest acts, making it a very solid game. The new installment features rock to heavy metal songs, which supports all of the guitar hero instruments.

Metallica is known for their great metal songs, they have been around since 1981 and making hits continually. With a game dedicated to them, you can always expect that Guitar Hero iteration will be a blast. The game may not include former members such as Cliff and Jason, but they are all mentioned in the band biography otherwise.

Neversoft hinted some things about what to expect on the highly anticipated game. The goal of the game is creating music dedicated to the artists and progressing within the Career mode. The approach is similar to the last game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is to have a gameplay to be chronologically followed from their greatest hits. This is all being done while there is real storyline that puts you in a Metallica-inspired band as they started out playing as a garage band. There are cut-scenes that play between the sets that show the fans doing their utmost to win over the famous rock heads. The graphics is reminiscent and true to the guitar hero franchise of games.

Within the Career mode, there are alternate performances done by Metallica. With complete and accurate avatar models of all four members, they will be playing their hits such as Master of Puppets, Enter Sandman, No Leaf Clover, The Unforgiven, and Nothing Else Matters. There are also many lesser-known tracks. Your garage group will cover the music of bands that have an association with Metallica.

To whether which inspired who, there are many bands that are inclined to Metallica’s music preferences. An example is Mastadons’ Blood and Thunder. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Tuesdays Gone, Social Distortion’s Mommy’s Little Monster, Bob Seger’s Turn the Page and an unnamed Queen Song.

The venues will be inspired to where Metallica had crucial moments in their career that includes Hammersmith Apollo, the Los Angeles Forum, and Tushino Airfield in Moscow.

The game offers a lot of fan services to the band's followers. As the game has a lot of it compared to previous installments, you can unlock bonuses of old live performances, behind the scenes clips, footage from Neversoft, images on backstage photos and setlists and many audio visual fragments that make the game more interesting to play. There is also the “Metallifacts” in which is a computer performance of every song in the game, which are accompanied with pop-ups on screen that shows facts about the songs.

An example is if you haven’t realized that the song “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was inspired by Hetfield’s love on the works of Ernest Hemingway. There are also many literally allusion that are included in the facts. With many unlockables that opens details on each song such as original recording date, complete lyrics, producer, and lyricist is all included to further improve the fan service of the game.

There is definitely more room for improvement even on a well-established franchise. On this installment, there are a few helpful tweaks that provides better gameplay. A new game feature includes new changes in the heads up display. The overall success gauge will not be on the upper left corner but is attached to each player’s own note highway in which it can lessen the time looking for it. There is also the overall feedback system that turns the screen redder as the failure rate goes up; this is also evident on FPS games such as Call of Duty.

There is another new addition to gameplay. This is the one that sets Guitar Hero: Metallica apart from the franchise iterations is with the prominent use of the double bass pedal that is played in the music tracks. With the new difficulty setting called “Expert+”, will allow gamers to plug in an additional kick pedal to play the songs with full pedals. But this is purely an additional bonus to relive how the band plays their songs. The usually difficulty settings are retained and using only a single kick pedal from the beginner to expert levels.

All of the new features included in the Guitar Hero: World Tour will be included in this game where the music studio is available. There are also notable sounds that are distinctively from Metallica are added such as the ESP Truckster guitar tone. Each of the tracks that have been done in the previous music studio can still be available in the game.

The gameplay of Guitar Hero: Metallica is very solid and follows the same formula on previous installments, if you like any guitar hero game, you will definitely enjoy this game. You can play Metallica songs for no end with Guitar Hero: Metallica this spring.

God of War 3

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:44:00 +0000

This is the forthcoming installment of the God of War series of games. The iteration is currently being developed solely for the Playstation 3 console as the project was announced on E3 2008. With the protagonist, Kratos still hungers revenge from the stories in the series. In which he wants to be rid of the nightmares that have plagued him since he had been tricked into murdering his own family. The last iteration ended with a cliffhanger. If you know how God of War 2 ended, you would usually know what lies ahead in the upcoming game.

Kratos has been seen on the trailer climbing Mount Olympus along with many titans to his aid. As hostile as Kratos’ attitude, he is seeking for a way to even the score. The games’ Director Stig Asmussen in which he worked closely since the first game has stated its notable new features.

As the game is purposely being made to show the prowess of the Playstation 3, its other focus is to revamp the story, mayhem, scale, eye-candy, and gameplay. While the ambitions of a game still in development might be dubious but the past series is synonymous with quality and always been a triple A title ever since.

In the trailer, Kratos has been seen running in the forest and racing along with skeletal warriors. In his moves are all reminiscent in the past games in God of War. With the added probability that the new moves he shown on the trailer might be used in real gameplay.

Asmussen stated some elements that are going to show up on God of War 3’s gameplay. First is the titan gameplay, in which it’s also being credited to the Playstation 3’s hardware capabilities. The game would be set on the moving titans whom will change up depending on what the titan is doing. It may be similar to the game Shadow of Colossus but better due to shifting level of orientations from horizontal to vertical. The levels are going to be set on acres of land; this feature will surely make all the God of War fans happy.

The next gameplay elements are the option to mount enemies. With the past games not technically being able to do so, this can have great benefits to the protagonist. It is surely satisfying to use a Cyclops in clearing mobs of enemies. You can also use Harpies to dive-bomb mobs. But the enemy mounts don’t have too much energy and life to spare due to the amount of energy needed to obey Kratos’ commands such as throttling, stabbings and painful contortions but will offer better additions to gameplay.

The third addition to gameplay is the new and revamped weapon system. This was the product of user feedback from past games. People that played the game are very fond of the main weapon as opposed to alternative ones; the producers are working to level the prominence of other weapons to have more variety. The trailer showed a metal ringed lion gauntlets, which showed a faster attack but shorter dodgers along with area-of-effect attacks to mow down mobs of enemies. Another addition to the game is the ability to use different weapons while doing combos, making unholy chains cooler.

The last addition to the gameplay is the new grabs. This is one of the staple cool moves in the past series. An example to the new moves is the battering ram move in which you can grab one enemy to deal with mobs. The new moves are the product of the past series with the need to deal with mob in a different way.

The live demo of the game has already been shown by Asmussen. The demo was set in a massive stone side of Mount Olympus. In which Kratos is seen to come out of a cave with the same time taking view of the battle of Helios and a volcanic titan that disturbed harpies nearly. The director stated that the goal of the demo level is to find a mystic door within the keep that led to a secret path into Olympus. But the story will always not be easy as it seems. With Kratos’ having the Icarus wings, he is seen jumping the gap between the cave exit using it. After he lands, enemies creep out of the woodwork to kill him. With the mob being good enough to try out the battering ram move, the mob then regroups but Kratos is seen using a fire bow to kill his enemies which can also affect nearby enemies that due to the fire. After that, the end of the level spawns a new mod led by a centaur comes up.

Before the centaur gets beaten, there is the familiar button press scene in which you can finish enemies in horrific ways. In this case, gutting him and sprayed out guts and intestines. The release date is still unknown but the game is surely to be as intense as the past installments.

Resident Evil 5

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:46:00 +0000

Capcom has certainly reached a point wherein they are trying to focus on worldwide respect and legendary status. Ok, maybe that was a little exaggerated, but with this new game coming out, one would certainly wonder. Resident Evil 5 is an excellent action packed survival horror game that builds upon its forerunners. The game is massively fun, though this description is referred to the demo (issued for the Xbox 360) that was released in Japan around December of 2008 (and a month later in Europe and North America). Fans of the genre and the series will definitely be amazed at the scale and ambition of this game. Although the demo has its downsides, it is hoped that all the minor irks would at least be tweaked before its official release for better performance and therefore garner praise from the gaming community.

Published by its developer, Capcom, the full game is set to be released on March 5, 2009 in Japan for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It has yet to be confirmed whether it will be issued for other platforms. After its initial Japan launch, the game will then be released in Europe and North America on March 13, 2009. It’s kind of strange to think that the game was announced way back in 2005 but it only proves that the developers certainly had time to think about making the game more appealing to the western gaming community. Jun Takeuchi, producer of this lovely game, brings out the survival horror category in a new light that hopes to attract more fans to the genre.

Playing the game is much like the previous Resident Evil installment, except it’s on a huge scale with a lot more enemies to put down. There’s a new control scheme introduced as an alternative to the orthodox system that fans have gotten used to (or hated). The main character that one plays is Chris Redfield (from the original Resident Evil). Chris still can’t strafe or move while aiming and one wonders why the creators did not include this. Other games have certainly come out with this option but Capcom insisted that this was important for game balancing. The controls are a bit like Gears of War or Call of Duty, obviously to placate the average western Joe Gamer.

Aside from the main character that one controls, the player is assigned a partner that follows one around helping you take down evil bad guys. Sheva Alomar, a beautiful yet deadly BSAA agent (from the Western African Branch), is quite helpful in teaming up with the player. Adept with hand-to-hand combat and loads of different firearms, she is almost too good to be true. Her AI is amazing but it still could use more work. Somehow it gets to the point where she is always in the way, making it a bit irritating to progress through the game. Overall, however, the AI is solid and all the other little annoyances about it are overshadowed by the sheer beauty of the game.

The Demo shown back in December 2008 starts out in the basic slums of Africa. It is still unclear whether all of it will certainly be in that setting. However much of the plot tends to focus on the continent. It has been said that the Progenitor Virus that caused the outbreak of other virus strains in certain parts of the world came from there. The outline of the story starts 10 years from the original Resident Evil. Apparently, Chris Redfield is no longer a member of the S.T.A.R.S. organization and that this group seems to be defunct. The aim of most of the sub plots that reveal themselves as the game progresses is to try to answer some of the mysteries involving the Umbrella Corporation. It seems there’s more to the mysteries than the mysteries itself (if you follow all of the series and including the movies that is).

Overall, the game is promising. The gaming community is very much excited about the possibilities and one wonders if the reality could live up to the hype. Other Gaming Magazine reviewers have stated their content and even with agitation about Resident Evil 5. Most give it 9 out of 10 stars while others give it high praises without fault.

Take a Peek at How Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 is Shaping Up

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:55:00 +0000

What more would you want in fighting robots and wrecking each other. Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 has already been released in its Japanese version. The American release will be on March 24, 2009 on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Playstation 2. There is a slight variation between world regions. Some regions may not avail of the downloadable content. As compensation for this, the PAL and North American versions will also have enhancements to the games versus mode.

The game is strictly to the gaming style of Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors games. With the usual slash and hack methods and slight tactical elements. But having to be of the same type of gameplay, Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 has unique game mechanics such as core content, the games draw its material from many mobile suit gundam animes. There can also be the option to change pilots, allowing any combination of Gundams and pilots.

There are many featured mobiles suits in the game. There are new units playable in the Mobile Suit Gundam series such as:

* MS-06V Zaku Tank

* MS-07B Gouf (Ramba Ral)

* MS-07H8 Gouf Flight Type

* MS-09 Dom (Black Tri Stars)

* RB-79 Ball

* YMS-15 Gyan (M'Quve)

* MSM-07S Z'gok Commander type (Char Aznable)

* RGM-79G GM Command (Sleggar Law)

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam series

* RMS-154 Barzam

* AMX-103 Gaza C (Haman Karn)

* PMX-001 Palace Athene (Reccoa Londe)

* PMX-002 Bolinoak Sammahn (Sarah Zabiarov)

* NRX-055 Bound Doc (Rosamia Badam, Jerid Messa)

RMS-099 Rick Dias (Quattro Bajeena, Apolly Bay, Emma Sheen, Amuro Ray)

* RMS-106 Hi-Zack (Jerid Messa, Kacrikan Cacooler, Sarah Zabiarov)

* RMS-108 Marasai (Jerid Messa, Kakrian Cacooler)

* RX-139 Hambrabi (Yazan Gable, Ramsus Hasr, Dunkel Cooper)

RX-160 Byalant (Jerid Messa)

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ series

* AMX-107 Bawoo (Glemy Toto)

* AMX-004G Mass Production Qubeley

* AMX-106 Gaza D

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack

* RGZ-91 Re-GZ (Chan Agi, Amuro Ray)

* RGM-89 Jegan (Hathaway Noa, Chan Agi)

* RX-93 Nu Gundam (Amuro Ray)

* MSN-04 Sazabi (Char Aznable)

* MSN-03 Jagd Doga (Gyunei Guss Colors) (Gyunei Guss)

* MSN-03 Jagd Doga (Quess Paraya Colors) (Quess Paraya)

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Gundam F91

* F91 Gundam Formula 91 (Seabook Arno)

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Victory Gundam

* LM314V21 Victory 2 Gundam (Uso Evin)

* ZMT-S33S Gottrlatan (Katejina Loos)

* New suits playable on the Turn a Gundam

* CONCEPT-X 6-1-2 Turn X (Gym Gingham)

New suits playable on the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny

* ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (Kira Yamato)

* ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam ( Athrun Zala, Lacus Clyne)

* ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam (Shinn Asuka, Lunamaria Hawke)

p>There is also an addition to the previous installment of the game; there are now more ranged combat options. But the root focus of the game is still in melee fighting, the Gundams are now much more responsive in terms of thrusting, jumping in mid-air and even up to flight.

Another notable improvement in Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 is the games AI. Even with experienced players would be grinding their teeth on its difficulty levels. There is also the ability of combining aerial maneuvers with attacks, which is a nice addition. There are 2D illustrations within intermissions as there are also various outfits in the games pilots. In the official mode, the chronological events are depicted within the Universal Century calendar that is reminiscent of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. There are also mobile suits that appear in the game, although unplayable on the previous game such as Guncannon and Hambrabi can now be playable and added to the roster of Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2.

There comeback of the official mode offers four characters to be playable in the stages set within the order of the Universal Century Timeline. In which it covers the stories of Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Gundan, and Char's Counterattack. But with the games focus is still on its unique story. The Original Mode has now been replaced with the Mission Mode, in which characters are given specific mission objectives such as acquiring parts for their mobile suits, reinforcing status of friendships, and developing rivalry. The game prevents the use of other mobile suits outside their continuity in which they must finish License Missions to pilot other units. There is also the addition of the Gallery Mode being renamed as the Library. In which there are detailed character biographies, mobile suit information, battleship information, music tracks, and movie clips from various Gundam series themes.

Gundam lovers would easily enjoy the whole game with its great missions, interaction, and customization options. But this is solely not for the Gundam fanatics. On the Mission mode, Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 makes it all worth playing due to its various gameplay offerings.

Dante’s Inferno

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:22:00 +0000

Dante's Inferno is a game published by Electronic Arts. The game is situated in a hell-like environment with various monsters. There are usually lots of damned souls and blade-wielding babies. As the protagonist carries a huge scythe, this is EA's portrayal of hell.

The games executive producer Jonathan Knight shows the gameplay of their version of hell. With the first level Limbo looking hellish as on the trailers, this is definitely a game to look out for.

The game follows the literary masterwork Dante's Inferno in which there are nine layers of hell. With the first, one has a morbid and horrific environment with such a medieval version of hell along with the ugly sides of human nature.

Developers have distributed a player build of the game to gaming sits to see how it is shaping up. The epic poem of Dante's Inferno reflects in the gameplay. The producers said that it is complete in terms of adapting the story within the masterwork.

There are nine levels or circles of hell in Dante's Inferno. With the real work, Dante's grim poem is a travel diary in which he travels along the circles of hell. The story is told in first-person narrative as the protagonist is accompanied by a poet named Virgil. In which the real life work can be easily adapted for a real video game, the nine levels will definitely be a terrifying sight to see, surrounded by creatures and described perfectly by Dante's evocative speech. The final boss is none other than Lucifer himself.

There are usually some difficulties in translating a literary piece of art into a game. The people at EA Redwood Shores (people behind the action horror game Dead Space) have come to make sure the game is thrilling as possible.

The game will solely be presented in third-person perspective. Sadly, the game is still a year away from being released but the things have been greatly horrific in terms of gameplay.

Dante's early abilities have also been revealed. In the games narration, there will be a tutorial level before the first one, which is called Limbo, which also explains the logic behind his motive to invade hell as he is on a search for a special woman named Beatrice. Along with the story on how he got the massive scythe. The tutorial also guides Dante on acquiring it. With battling death, after eventually beating him and taking his weapon to Dante's whims.

In which Dante was based as an Italian poet-philosopher, he is more beefy in game. With the massive scythes long reach can easily keep small enemies away. With a complex combo system that can be mixed with light, heavy attacks and midair jumping skills, he becomes a one-man army tearing away the nine circles of hell.

The game is also reminiscent to God of Wars button pressing scenes to soften up demons as Dante goes in for their mounts. There is a huge monster on the game in which he can ride and take control, spewing fire and biting heads of opponents.

As the game progresses, the creatures get more gruesome. In the first level, skeletal shades, huge demons with massive horns and bigger swords, blade babies, and flying harpy-like creatures are all teaming up to stop Dante. The producers mentioned that the blade-wielding babies have the least grounding in terms of religious history to which it is specifically believed that infants would end up in Limbo if they die unbaptized. But there is no logic to where the babies were put in hell and acquired swords in their hands but it's a sight to see in a great game like Dante's Inferno.

After all of the demon massacres, Dante's Inferno's narrative would have a moral underpinning that is seen in the gameplays absolving and punish mechanics. There are periodic enemies that the Dante will encounter as they purposely want to be released from their hellish misery. There is also a game reward in pulling off button sequences as it will give you the games currency and upgrade his weapons and abilities, with more complex absolving of a soul results in a greater reward.

With the game being on its early stages, graphically speaking, the game is the very essence of hell, which is being depicted with thousands of doomed souls over the games backgrounds. As it only portrayed on its first level, the animations still need some tweaking but mostly impressive especially on the Dante's attacks.

Dante's Inferno is a great promising game. With still in its early stages of development, this can be touted as one of the most menacing material found since Doom. The games mechanics might give out to be another God of War clone, but it is a challenge up to the developers to make a distinctive mark on this particular game. As the game progresses, the producers promise to keep the additional information flowing in the coming months.