Shortly after it was revealed that Nintendo would be releasing their first ever direct sequels to a Pokemon game, Nintendo of America announced today that they are planning on releasing Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2 this fall season in North America.
Unfortunately Nintendo of America did not go into detail about either title, besides that they will be released on the Nintendo DS, not the Nintendo 3DS despite fans wanting such an updated version. It looks like Nintendo is already preparing to have a hit holiday season in 2012, as all the people who’ve played the original Pokemon White and Black will likely be looking to pick these up to complete their collection. Gotta catch them all right?
Project Draco has been a title that has been in development for quite some time. Despite being very anticipated by Kinect owners everywhere, the Japanese developed Kinect game hasn’t seen much progress over the years, but it seems that the release of said title is growing closer. Famitsu reports that Project Draco is now named “Crimson Dragon” and is still set to be launched sometime this year.
The game itself will allow players to control their dragon through the use of the Kinect as they play through an on-rails shooter that will be similar to Panzer Dragoon in many ways. Maybe this will be the title to finally dust off your Kinect and give it some use again.
Gotham City Impostors Publisher: WB Games, Inc. Developer: Monolith Productions, Inc. Platforms: XBLA (reviewed), PSN, PC Release Date: February 8, 2012 Price: 1200 MSP – Available Here
Overview
Once again The Cape Crusader receives attention in the spotlight, but we aren’t prepared for this rendition. Gotham City Impostors puts everyday people with limited expenses into a heroic Batman suit or villainous Joker outfit. With a small budget our impostors can only afford guns and home-brewed gadgets to unleash devastation on each other.
Watching the original animated Batman series provided the morality necessary for me to forgive my rivals for any wrongdoings. However, you are not Batman in this game – morality can be thrown out the window. So my initial thought going into the game was: “Batman with a gun? Yeah, I can roll with that!”
Gameplay
Beginning the journey as an impostor starts off with a tutorial of how to use weapons as well as unique gadgets. Any gamer that has played a first person shooter will be easily accustomed to the basic movement and aiming controls. Most weapons can be fired automatically by pressing the right trigger while others may require a timed shot. The Freezer is one such weapon that depends on how long it is charged. Charging this weapon provides a higher chance to freeze a target solid.
After the weapons section, players encounter the next round of training involving home-brewed gadgetry. Glider rigs, roller skates, grapple guns, and jumping springs are among the few items at an impostor’s disposal. Each gadget is tested, so players can identify what gadgets will fit their build of character. After testing the mobility items, you get to test out support items like pipe bombs. Did I mention this game is not rated E?
Developing your secret identity is no small task. A player may carry with them a readied weapon, back-up weapon, support item, and gadget item to use in gameplay. Presented with weapons like rifles, light machine guns, and heavy weapons, it may be tough to choose what weapon suits you. Interesting enough all weapons are locked and can only be unlocked by a gaining a weapon unlock through leveling. Use the weapon unlocks wisely as they are not offered frequently. Choosing the wrong weapon will not be entirely detrimental because default identities are available to use at every death screen – “press (Y) to choose new loadout”. Leveling up will also allow for creating separate loadouts which hold multiple custom identities not unlike weapon loadouts for Modern Warfare 3.
In part of identifying yourself, you will eventually be able to unlock character builds that will determine the following attributes: health, speed, and melee. A speedy character will have a high speed attribute while having low health and melee, but a mighty build will focus on melee and health while movement is very sluggish. A speedy sniper may not be a practical choice if you’re planning on making a camp.
Additional to weapons and gadgets, players can unlock perks to help them passively in combat. Listed as Fun Fact #1 and Fun Fact #2, two passives can be chosen and be used at all times. A great combination of perks could be used to create the ultimate tank machine. By choosing the mighty build, we will be concentrating on health and melee damage. Adding Fun Fact #1 “Horse Healthy” will provide extra base health, and choosing Fun Fact #2 “Bulletproof” will reduce damage from bullets. All together this secret identity will be hard to bring down and can serve as a target for enemy confrontations.
Not holding much variety in game types, this particular game is also not bolstering the same population as Modern Warfare 3. However, there are three different online modes (Team Deathmatch, Fumigation, Psych Warfare) as well as a single player challenge mode. Team Deathmatch is by far the most popular mode by offering a simple mission to kill the enemy Bats or Jokerz. In Fumigation you are directed to capture certain locations on a map that emit toxic fumes. By controlling a majority of fume boxes, your team will begin to emit deadly fumes that will set out to kill all opponents. Psych Warfare works more like “capture the flag”. Players will be instructed to capture a battery and insert it into a propaganda machine. If left unattended, the opposing team will run around with arms flailing crazy for easy pickings. Don’t let the arms fool you though; they can still kill you.
Challenge mode offers a series of tests through the five available maps. With three sections for each map, the tests are separated in to categories of beginner, intermediate, and expert. Concentrating on mobility around the map using gadgets, challenge mode will actually help you familiarize with the maps. Identifying vents and mini trampolines is essential for gliding as well as finding ramps for roller skates. Both can be useful in avoiding and reaching enemy targets quickly. You may even gain experience by completing challenges in a timely manner.
Most Xbox Live Arcade titles do not require players to stay online to play the game. Gotham City Impostors does require a player to stay online even at the main menu. If you planned on knocking down a few challenge missions while offline, it is not possible. Seeing how it is strictly a multiplayer title, this aspect is acceptable.
As with most online matchmaking formats, connectivity becomes a major issue for gameplay. Having a poor connection will not offer a palatable experience. I was able to test the game in a fast internet setting as well as a shared connection. I went from enjoying the game will little interruption to a glitchy mess – as to be expected. If you are not confident in your internet connection, you shouldn’t have purchased a FPS game in the first place.
Visual
Environments and characters emphasize the craziness of that is Gotham City Impostors. Bats and Jokerz alike running around in cloth-less costumes with garbage can shields should emanate more than just interesting comments. With visual customizations being purchasable commodity, players can gain points to spend by battling or simply buy suits with Microsoft Points. The more interesting costumes can be extremely revealing but also cost the most. Wearing only underwear may cost you upwards of 3,000 in-game credits. I suppose being killed by a near naked impostor would be somewhat detrimental to your existing FPS gaming pride.
One of the more interesting places to do battle, a carnival is host to a clown themed amusement park. Offering plenty of nooks and crannies to hide behind, the map projects itself as a madhouse for slaughter. Grappling guns provide further discomfort from ground dwelling shooters as plenty of buildings add a canopy above to shoot at prey below. I do not hold much love for clowns, so don’t be surprised when you see a Batman impostor shooting random clown objects.
Audio
One of the small annoyances of the game is the countdown timer during the challenge missions. While it is completely important to have such a device, replaying missions less than a minute in length becomes slightly tiresome. Sound effects can be turned off, but let’s not ruin the rest of the game just for a meaningful buzzer. Additionally, the buzzer sounds off at each medal placing letting players know what medal they can potentially gain during that round. No buzzes means a gold medal packed with some nice experience points.
Background music is oddly motivational capturing the building dynamics found in well-known Batman scores. I mostly noticed this sensation during my free-roaming experience in the solo challenge arenas. As I was gliding around discovering vantage points to gain a gold medal, I couldn’t help but feel empowered by the music. I felt like I was truly imitating my childhood hero – I AM BATMAN!
While the music can be heard clearly in challenge modes, Team Deathmatch drains out any background noise and in its place is a slew of gunfire. Sound effects reign supreme during online play and take priority as action surrounds your character. Effects in some instances will provide a warning that an object will be coming your way or present a package obvious death. Sorry, there is hardly any reaction time when an opponent throws an impact grenade at your position.
Overall
Using a grappling hook to narrow the space between two opponents is a rarity in first person shooters. As a completely innovation Batman title, the game clearly provides an exciting factor that is even new to DC fans. While the content is not overly extensive, the customization of characters has a long lasting impression.
Gotham City Impostors provides a multiplayer shooter experience with several sides of crazy. Never has there been a game where people could play dress-up as Batman or The Joker and deliver as much damage as this game dishes out. Being one of the only games a player can run around in a speedo with roller skates, this might just be the next game for you.
Its befitting that the most bad ass character in video gaming has access to some bad ass weapons and from what Rockstar have revealed lately, Max wont be lacking in the armoury department. Already showcased in a previous trailer has been the 608 Bull revolver which packs quite a punch, and now courtesy of another teaser, we are introduced to the Mini-30 rifle, effective at both short and long range, with a 20 round capacity, accurate over 100m range. The Mini-30 is made to last, is lightweight and comes fully equipped with a scope to make quick work of Max’s enemies.
Also check out the new screenshots showcasing 360 degree renders of Max’s new weapons and its individually modelled components and parts.
Scarygirl
Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Tik Games Platform: Xbox Live Arcade (Reviewed), Playstation Network Release Date: 1/24/2012 Price: 800 MS Points, $9.99 PSN
Scarygirl is a simple-looking sidescrolling platformer that seems to be very derivative of other titles with similar artworks. The game seems to have a very interesting way of playing that is both unique and reminiscent of earlier platformer style games from the past.
Story
The story of Scarygirl follows the story of a girl who lives with this giant octopus dude. During her stay with the octopus, the Tree of Knowledge is threatened and it’s up to Scarygirl to go on a quest to save this tree. The story doesn’t deviate from this path too much, as is par with this kind of genre, and as such is a much more focused game.
Throughout the story, you will meet a few interesting looking creatures that will sell you things or try to kill you, in fact, nearly everything in this story is directly related to the gameplay in some manner. And really for a game of this size, the story should only be relevant to the gameplay. You can not expect a platformer to have 50 hour epic plugged into it’s bowels, just the same as you wouldn’t expect a 50 hour RPG to have no story at all.
I think that this game was adapted from a comic-book and a series of toys, which would explain the amount of quirk found throughout the story. All the characters, even if they’re completely gameplay orientated in some way, have this unique and charming look and feel to them which helps feed the feeling of the game in its unique art-style that is reminiscent of other works that are similar in this kind of style. Stuff like Tim Burton movies and the like.
Gameplay
Scarygirl is like playing Earthworm Jim, in that it’s a sidescroller, you can helicopter around and you use a whip-like weapon to defeat enemies. What I liked about this kind of gameplay is that it lent itself well to the kind of game that this was. For instance, being able to maneuvre around the screen and having the ability to use my whip to fling from platform to tree to platform was kind of fun.
Much like any platforming title, each level gets sequentially harder as you go, and you will encounter a multitude of different enemies on any given level. While there is a variety of ways to kill them, and some are needed to be killed in a certain way, I didn’t find it too difficult to work out the strategies of each monster type, but then again, I don’t think any of the monsters were designed with video games in mind.
One cool mechanic in the game is when you fill up your rage meter. Filling up this gauge will allow you to transform into a much more Scary Girl that has the power to decimate large waves of foes and the like with ease.
From a gameplay perspective, Scarygirl is a lot of fun to play and as such, should be picked up by gamers looking for a fun platforming adventure.
Visuals
Visually, Scarygirl has a fairly stylised look and feel to it. If you were to imagine something similar to Tim Burton’s works, you would be very close to the visual style of Scarygirl. And while I did have some minor gripes with the games graphical presentation, the game functioned as intended in the art department.
Now then my first gripe – Everything in this game looks like it was upscaled, rather than downscaled. What I mean is that the models and textures look like they were made for 720p in mind and were made at that level, rather than being made at much higher levels and scaled downwards. This gives everything this grainy look when displaying on a 1080p display, rather than a clear and pristine look that most other titles have.
There was also an issue of what looked to be the copying and pasting of an asset from a completely unrelated game. Not that I’m saying it was, the effect most definitely is very much suited to the game and it is very highly probable that this is a very similar effect. But still, I can’t help but shake the feeling that this was reproduced from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
Other than that, the game has amazing visuals that suit the games gameplay and story completely.
Audio
Scarygirls soundtrack is very creepy, while also being very catchy. The background atmosphere is enhanced by the music and the ambiance playing throughout each level. Not only is there decent background audio, but there is also a plethora of sound effects and sound-bytes for characters speech.
The voice acting is a pretty decent part of this game. It won’t turn you off the title, but it will also not be winning any awards either.
Overall
Scarygirl is one of the most stylish games I’ve played on the XBLA since Shank 2. Fans of the Tim Burton visual style and/or of the already existing Scarygirl merchandise will most definitely fall in love with this title. As a game, it definitely stands-up for itself and is something that can be played by almost anyone. So if you’re looking for a game that can be played quickly and has a decent art-style, Scarygirl is the game for you.
Rising Star Games has announced that the latest game in their popular match-3 ‘Cradle of…’ series will be arriving on the 9th March, 2012. Jewel Master: Cradle of Persia will bring more match-3 puzzling exclusively to Nintendo DS, with key features including:
-7 historical epochs
-Conquer your way through over 100 levels
-Build 20 masterpieces of Ancient Persia
-Free the Genie from Aladdin’s lamp
-Unlock the wonders of Persepolis and become Caliph of Persia
“Cradle of Persia perfectly shows the evolution of the ‘Cradle of’ series by pushing the boundaries of match-3 gaming with more intertwining challenges and puzzles”, says Martin Defries, managing director, Rising Star Games. “We’re delighted to continue releasing this ever popular series and expect the fan-base to grow ever more.
The Testament Of Sherlock Holmes got a little more mysterious as Focus Home have unveiled some more exclusive screenshots of their upcoming puzzle investigative thriller, soon to hit the PC, PS3 and XBox 360 platforms. The title is being developed by Frogwares and features the famous detective in scenarios that will test his every skill. As more and more bodies are being found around the city of London, Sherlock must continue his investigations while maintaining his distance from the watchful eye of Scotland Yard, hell bent on his arrest. Even as evidence surmounts, suggesting his involvement in many of the cases, Holmes must be unwaivered in his investigations to clear his name and bring the killer to justice. With so few people to trust will Holmes still keep the faith of his most trusted friend Dr. Watson or does even he think the great Sherlock has something hes not telling us. Keep tuned for more Testament Of Sherlock news and enjoy the new screenshots showing off some more locations from the adventure.
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen Developer: Acquire Publisher: Namco Bandai (NA and EU)/ Spike (JP) Platform: Playstation Vita Release Date: 22/02/2012 Price: $39.99 (Available Here)
Overview
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen is one of the launch titles of the Playstation Vita. Developed by Acquire and published by Namco Bandai, players take control of Zen, a ninja seeking revenge while interfering in an ongoing civil war in the land of Utakata. It is a stealth action game, which means a lot of sneaking around and assassinations from behind. It also means coming down upon your enemies from higher ground. Is Shinobido 2 worth your time and money as a launch title for Sony’s next generation handheld?
Story
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen stars a ninja who goes by the name of Zen. After an encounter with another ninja, Shu, and his accompliance, Nagi, kill a close friend of Zen’s, he vows revenge over her death. Meanwhile, as Zen battles his own personal war, another war rages in the land of Utakata. Three rival clans proclaim that their clan is the ruler of the land and their forces are tested on the battlefield. Zen completes tasks sent by the leaders of the three clans while searching for information on the whereabouts of Shu so that he may complete his revenge.
The story could have been told better. This is because of the two separate tales that are running parallel. On the one hand, there is a civil war being conducted while Zen is trying to find Shu for his revenge. While I can see they are trying to weave the two stories together, it simply doesn’t work. Although easy to follow, it becomes formulaic, even when a third main storyline (which involves magic mirrors) comes into play later in the game.
Gameplay
Stealth is the core mechanic in Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen. As a ninja, being stealthy is rewarding. You will learn different stealth moves, the basic being moving up behind the enemy and grabbing them, sending your blade right through the enemy’s body. Zen can crouch and sprint throughout the maps to aid in his exploration. He also wields a blade, which he can fight with or perform a stealthy assassination. Throughout the game, Zen will gain new abilities and skills to use during missions, including the ability to glide over gaps with his Fukurou.
As Zen, you undertake various missions with the three clans. At first, only a few types of missions are available: assassination, which involves murdering an important figure of the clan (usually a merchant) or obliteration, where you must wipe out a small force of one clan’s troops in an area. As you progress through the game, more mission types open up, such as robbery, where you steal provisions or a skill book from one clan and give it to the other, kidnapping, where you will kidnap an agent or someone important to a clan for another to exploit and rescue, where one clan wants you to rescue someone important to them after being kidnapped. Completing the missions is the only way to progress the story. Every so often a story mission will pop out. Afterwards, it is back to working for the clans. Doing missions affects both your reputation towards them and their military might.
The game offers a ranking system after the completion of the mission, whether it is a success or a failure. They range from SS (which is the highest) to an E (which is the lowest and usually obtained after a failure). Items, experience points and money are usually the rewards for each completed mission. Zen can level up with the use of experience points, where he can increase his stamina, offense, defence and the length of his grappling hook. Experience points fill up a levelling bar, while SP are used to increase Zen’s overall statistics as a ninja. Trophies are also present in Shinobido 2.
Outside of the missions, Zen has a tool belt where he can hold up to three types of items to use during missions. Items obtained as gifts from the clans or obtained during missions can be used to help Zen throughout the mission. They can also be used in alchemy. Alchemy allows Zen to create medicine, smoke grenades or sushi with enhancements for himself or ailments for his enemies. They can also be given as gifts to the leaders of the three clans to increase their reputation towards you. There are three types of items available for use: smoke grenades, medicine and sushi. Each of these items can be used by both Zen and his enemies as they can both hold status enhancements and status ailments.
The use of a mission system is fine; however, the way it is conducted is strange indeed. Every time you complete a mission for one of the clans which anger the targeted other, then the reputation should be affected as such. However, it does not end up that way. In fact, despite being considered angered when one looks at the mission brief, the reputation towards said clan is unaffected after the mission. The amount of missions with the clan you have the highest reputation with do increase throughout the game, however, it does not mean missions with the other two clans disappear. In order to reflect the reputation, the mission count should reflect the clan with the highest amount of respect with Zen.
There are touch controls added to the game but they are not compulsory to use, neither are they intruding. On the front touchscreen, the player can bring up the map by simply touching it. The map offers a basic outline of the area and a red arrow, symbolising your position. Other than that, it is a bland map with little information. One can also target an enemy when a small eye begins to appear. However, it can only be used once it is solid. Different eye colours symbolise the attentiveness of the enemy. A white eye means they have not seen you, while a red is the exact opposite. The rear touch pad controls Zen’s first person mode, used to aim his grappling hook and items on the tool belt.
Enemy AI is quite embarrassing in the game, no matter the difficulty you choose. For example, despite being a stealth kill, the enemy does make some noise as they die. In robbery missions where there is a group of enemies guarding the man/woman holding Zen’s target, there are usually six to seven enemies that could hear their dying comrade. Instead, they will completely ignore the sound the enemy makes and continue forward. The first missions will contain some of the worst enemies in the game. Players can simply run behind a corner and the enemy will stop their pursuit, despite seeing Zen run around said corner. There should have been further testing with the AI.
Visuals and Audio
For a handheld game, the visuals in Shinobido 2 are quite impressive. The main players in the story are well-detailed, looking sharp and crisp. The environments are also impressive. Buildings are detailed and quite accurate to the period of time. However, in saying that, Acquire does recycle a lot of the character models and environments, even with assassination targets. Samurai generals all look the same, so do merchants. There will be small variations to distinguish different types of units, but they would be minor. Menus are basic but easy to navigate.
The audio is quite average. The soundtrack captures the time period, but also the mood of the perils in the land of Utakata. The voice acting is hit and miss for me. Since it was developed in Japan, it would have gone through localisation. It does show, as there are some awkward or clichéd moments in the voice acting that made me cringe a little.
Overall
Shinobido 2 won’t be everyone’s favourite ninja game, but it is great for those who feel like sneaking up to someone and giving them a stab in the back. While the story could have been told better, it isn’t terrible. In fact, it is quite enjoyable. Gameplay is great, although you will run into terrible AI no matter how hard the game is. The mission format is perfect for gaming on the go. The visuals are impressive for a handheld game but the audio is average at best, with the often cringe worthy moment due to the localisation process. Nonetheless, expect great stealth action that only ninjas can pull off.
Codemasters have released the first short of a series of videos aiming to explain exactly what’s going down in DiRT Showdown. The response to earlier trailers showed fans weren’t quite sure what to make of DiRT Showdown, some calling for no nitro, others calling for DiRT 4 instead of this destruction derby.
What Goes On Tour should shed some light on what you’ll be doing in DiRT Showdown come its release in May, even if it shows near enough no gameplay. You will be able to step into the motorised mayhem on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 when it releases but, for now, take a peek at the video below:
A free downloadable content pack for Gotham City Impostors is available now on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360, with similar content packs available for PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in the near future. The download includes a match-making update which should make connecting to other players easier as it allows you to join a match in progress, as well as new maps and costumes: The 25th Floor map, the Kingmaker and Falcon Blade weapons, the Toxic Gas Support Item, and a new Fun Fact are all available right now!
Check out the latest trailer which coincides with this DLC:
