I think everyone remembers the whole “on rails” E3 fiasco that Fable: The Journey went through last year, and since then, we have heard very little about the game itself or any information about how this Kinect title will actually control. Luckily, Microsoft seem to be ready to share some tidbits and have went as far to create a home page for Fable: The Journey on Xbox.com.
On the page, we see 5 new screenshots (which you can view below), along with more details of how this experience will play out. As far as the screenshots go, things look slightly better from what we seen on display. Yeah, it still looks like it’s on rails as horse carriages and first person-views are still very present, but it does look like there is some type of movement as there are a couple other perspectives shown. Judging by the overview posted as well, this Fable will be more on the humorous side (much like Fable 3) and be more aimed towards fan who have enjoyed the past few entries.
I want to want this title so bad, but I still am not sold with this new information. Fable was a series about character development and lore and has taken a turn towards gimmickry and fart jokes as of recent. Hopefully this The Journey will be a smash hit for Molyneux and his team…but without shaking that dark cloud I just don’t see this one taking off like it should upon release.
Oh yeah, the release date…12/31/2799. They did tell us the Kinect was the technology of the future, after all.
Gantz: Perfect Answer Studio: Shuiesha Publisher: Madman – Eastern Eye Release Date: February 15, 2012 Format: Blu-Ray Disc (Reviewed), DvD Price: $34.95 (Buy Here)
Overview
“Your lives have ended.
How you use your new lives is entirely up to me.
That’s the way the cookie-crumbles.”
Gantz: Perfect Answer is the second and final chapter in the Gantz movie franchise from Japan. The movies are based on the Manga series by the same name, but alter some elements to better fit a movie. The manga was renown for its gratuity, both sexually and with violence and has amassed a pretty large fan following. I myself am one of those fans.
Story
Gantz: Perfect Answer takes place just after the events of the first film. The main character, Kei Kurono, is living with his deceased friends younger brother and works part-time at a burger joint to support his studies. It is at this time that we are also re-introduced to his love interest, Tae Kojima.
“Hi, I’m a homely and plain girl that you’re not supposed to notice in your day to day life.”
The basic story in Gantz is that when it is that you die, and you are selected, you are taken to this room with a black orb and are pitted against alien monsters who’s intentions are not made all that clear. You get told to kill something, and then you do. The more you kill, the more points you receive and if you reach a certain threshold of points, you can set yourself free, or resurrect a player that has died during the game. There was also a difference here between the movie and the manga, where you could also purchase a special weapon for your private use in battles, but this was not present in the movie.
I really loved the mystery aspect of this story, and I’m pretty sure that they adapted one particular segment of the story from one of the manga’s arcs, which I thought was pretty cool. I have to say though, that while this is adapted from the manga, it has it’s own unique story. So while there are segments that seem like they were lifted, the majority of the movie is new material. I’d have loved to have seen a straight up adaptation of the manga in both parts of the movie, but the original story present in the second part is so well done, that I didn’t mind it being almost completely different.
The original Gantz works featured an emphasis on violence and tits, and not so much on the mysteries of the Gantz itself, whereas the movies are the opposite. Yes, there is action and yes there is a little blood and guts, but ultimately, it’s nowhere near as graphic as the manga, or even the first movie. The mysteries presented in this movie keep you drawn to the characters and the story that the movie is presenting, what is Gantz, who are these Men in Black types? And just why do people get sent to the Gantz room anyway? Some of these questions are answered, while others are not.
Ultimately, I found the story to be quite intriguing and am quite satisfied with it.
Visuals
Visually, Gantz is a treat, especially for a Blu-Ray Disc movie. There was nothing wrong with the film from a visual stand-point when it came to the technical levels of the quality. At 1080p, there was no stutter or weird artefacts that are sometimes prevalent in movies on this format.
The X-Gun (not named in the film) looks just like the one from the manga.
One thing that really struck me with this film visually, was how they seemed to have forgotten about one key concept of the black suits worn by the Gantz team. And that concept is basically when you need to enhance your speed or strength, the suit would bulk itself up to meet your demands. However, in this movie, I didn’t notice the suit bulk up in any significant way, which was a huge shame as it was included in the first movie.
What’s a movie based on a game of death without battles? Gantz: Perfect Answer has some amazingly choreographed fight scenes, which are also very well directed and engage with you on an impacting level. The aliens have some amazing effects thrown onto them to represent their abilities. Regeneration, extra-generation and the like look brilliant. Blood effects, awesome! The weapons used in these battles are amazingly impressive and almost too accurately portray the weapons in the manga.
One of the more unrealistic things in this movie, visually speaking, is that all the characters look they’re models. Well, I guess that the actors actually are models, but still. Everyone just seems a little too pretty. Take Tae Kojima for example, she’s supposed to be this plain/ ordinary looking girl that most guys would overlook. Not in the movie! I found her to be the most attractive female on the cast, though, it could be due to some kind of cultural dissonance, rather than her actually being the prettiest.
Gantz: Perfect Answer is a visual beast, especially on the Blu-Ray Disc, and people who love their moves sharp, fast and awesome will definitely fall in love with this film.
Audio
I have to say that Gantz: Perfect Answers tune that plays during the intro sequence is simply amazing. It somehow captures the essence of the movie while also being catchy and memorable. Fortunately all of the audio in this movie is as good as this tune.
“I think there’s danger over there, but I have to tone down my expression to keep myself pretty.”
What I particularly loved about the sound in the movie was that all the weapons sound how I envisioned them to sound whilst reading the manga. This was an amazing treat for me, and it felt as though the creators of this film had validated the manga as it’s source material through the use of the sounds, in my mind at least.
One gripe with this version of Gantz: Perfect Answer was its lack of an English Dub. I don’t think the original movie had the dub down here in Aus either, but I had seen the first movie on an imported BD and it had an English dub on it. While reading subtitles and watching the film wasn’t particularly hard, it’s understandable that some people may not be that interested in reading as they watch, or may simply lack the skill-set to do so.
The 5.1ch soundtrack included with the film gave a great sense of cinematographic direction within each scene, which really amplified the atmosphere of the film. The movie also includes a 2ch soundtrack for those of you without a surround system.
Extras
Gantz: Perfect Answer has a small selection of special features which are both interesting and worth taking a look at. The special features are as follows –
The Making of Gantz: Perfect Answer
Fight Choreography
Trailers
These should prove to be an interesting view for you, especially if you’re interested in the making of the film, or the awesome work that went into the choreography.
Overall
Gantz: Perfect Answer is one of my favourite films of this year, and it has only just begun. I will definitely be adding this to my cycle of movies that absolutely have to be rewatched regularly. If you purchase this Blu-Ray Disc, you will not be disappointed.
Max Payne 3 has, from the beginning, boasted a strong story line with some great graphics and a tight sense of gameplay. However, it wasn’t till now that those separate from the game development have been able to get their hands on the game and give it a go, myself being one of the lucky ones to be given a shot at one of the chapters. And, can I just say, drool.
I was allowed to play Chapter 3, which is set after Max has moved to São Paulo and his boss has received a ransom note for his missing wife. Because, as usual, Max can never have a simple job. Ever. The cut scene at the beginning of the chapter is a marvel in itself, there is a grittiness to it that fits Max’s character like a glove. There are plenty of smash cuts, comic book style visuals, and it just looks awesome. The voice acting is some of the best I’ve experienced, and the tension in the room is palpable. So, in terms of creating an environment, Max Payne 3 gets a big tick.
The transition between cinematic and gameplay is seamless, the only thing that will really alert you is the appearance of your health bar in the bottom right corner. There aren’t any load screens, no wait time, it just flows straight into it. It’s this, along with the fantastic look and feel of the cinematics that makes the game feel more like an interactive movie. There’s no break to the flow, at all, and that really improves gameplay in a way I didn’t really consider possible.
Even though Max Payne 3 is a third person shooter, everything about it feels like a first person experience. The controls are smooth and you can play around with lock if you like, with either manual, soft lock or hard lock options. The whole game is influenced and sensitive to Max himself, so when he’s been seriously injured (in the cinematic, not in gameplay) the screen flashes, fades in and out, and is generally in a state of distress.
Bullet Time and Shoot Dodge are two new aspects being brought to the table by Max Payne 3. Both of these are designed to help you with the large quantities of Brazilian men who are trying to kill you by slowing down time and giving you a bit more breathing space. Personally trying to incorporate another method into a typical shooter situation was a slight adjustment, and it wasn’t necessarily flat out required, although on ‘Hard’ I’m sure it would be, but it would make your life a lot easier, and once it becomes a standard then other games just won’t quite be as fun. There’s something immensely satisfying about taking out a group of ten street gang thugs.
Another big thing is Revenge Kill. Without this option I’d be lying in the gutter far more times. The ability to cheat your way out of death by shooting the bastard that shot you is another aspect that will help you conquer the hordes. Sometimes finding him is a bit tough, although the person you are aiming for is the only one who will turn the aiming crosshair red, and the crosshair is aimed in his general direction.
Three Dead Zed Developer/Publisher: Gentlemen Squid Platforms: PC/Mac/Linux Release Date: Jan 25, 2012 Available Here
Overview
There’s a real sense of pride and love in indie games that permeates the entire product. Since it’s not usually about money, developers have to be working on something they enjoy to keep team morale high, and that often results in a unique concept, or interesting twist on an old one.
Three Dead Zed is a commendable effort from first-time devs Gentlemen Squid, employing old-school design principles in a quirky puzzle/platformer, wrapped in a distinct hand-drawn visual style.
Gameplay
Growing up, I loved the classic 2D platformer/puzzle/shooter games like Biomenace, Commander Keen, early Duke Nukem, and The Lost Vikings. Three Dead Zed conjures that kind of feel, putting you in control of a zombie, escaping from the science lab where he was created. This ain’t no regular zombie though: he can swap between three different forms at will, each with different abilities.
One form has retained some motor skills: he can flip switches, pick stuff up, climb ladders and attack. The second is more nimble, able to jump higher and further, run faster, and wall jump, but can’t attack. The third is a powerhouse, with a strong attack and a lot of damage resistance, but limited movement.
Combining the abilities of all three forms, players must escape the science facility. Oh, and rescue some blue cats in tin foil hats.
The level design is loosely linear, often providing multiple paths to the same goal, and hidden areas aplenty. It makes you feel like there’s always something that you’ve missed somewhere, and I mean that as a good thing. That sense of exploration is rewarded with computer logs, revealing a bit more about the story.
The central mechanic of swapping between forms with different powers translates to a basic lock and key system, but you have all the keys with you all the time. Unfortunately, this limits the potential for interesting puzzles. As soon as you see a wider gap, you just switch to the speedy zombie and jump it. Concrete pillar in the way? Use the powerhouse zombie to smash it. It’s not so much a challenge as it is simply a matter of recognizing which ability you need and using it.
The challenge then comes not from identifying which ability to use, but in the execution. You can see that you need to use runner zombie to wall jump up to a ledge, then you’ll have to quickly switch to tank zombie to attack the soldier there. Timing and precision become key.
Pixel-perfect jumps and timing can be frustrating, but that’s part of the old-school appeal. Often though, the challenge comes not from the well-designed levels, but from tackling floaty physics, imprecise triggers, or collision bugs. As such you might find yourself dying without knowing why. On several occasions I found myself insta-killed between an elevator and a tiny lip of another platform I assumed I would miss. These aren’t game breakers, and they might be patched out later, but for now they do detract somewhat from the game.
Thankfully, dying only puts you back to the last checkpoint, without resetting everything. The persistent levels mean that you’ll only lose distance, not progress, with each death. Unlimited lives are also a welcome addition.
Perhaps one weakness is that the level designs don’t fully utilize the abilities of all three characters. I hardly ever needed the big strong zombie, while almost every jump required the nimble zombie. As such I spent most of my time as the runner guy until I specifically needed another. More chances to put the other abilities to use would have been appreciated.
Visuals & Audio
Gentlemen Squid are quick to tell people that the game is entirely hand-drawn, and the result is stylishly imperfect. The zombie idle animations look about four frames long, but not badly so – as a design choice, it works.
The zombies look awesome, oozing character from their gaping head wounds. Next to the stars of the show though, the human scientists lack that special something. Individually the scientist characters look fine, but taken together, they don’t quite mesh right; they look like they belong in other games. To hazard a guess I’d say the differences reflect the input of different artists – it’s a shame that they weren’t combined into a cohesive whole.
Blood splattering across walls adds a nice visual touch. Eating a human will redecorate the walls red; take damage or die and you’ll spatter them yellow. It looks cool, and can provide a visual indication of your success and failures. Finally getting past that laser, where the walls are now completely yellow, makes victory all the sweeter.
Humour is another aspect the team is quick to promote, although it may not play as large a part as they’ll have you believe. That’s not to say it isn’t funny: signs like “Buzzsaw sharpness testing in progress” and “What doesn’t kill you needs a redesign” should elicit at least a chuckle.
The music is practical, albeit a little bland, save for the final level’s escape theme, which is genuinely thrilling. The rest of it keeps you from sitting in silence, but does little more.
The rest of the sound design shows signs of greatness: in particular, the noise the middle zombie makes while attacking, and the indignant meow of the foil hat cats, make me smile every time.
Final Comments
Three Dead Zed is a labour of love, and that love is as infectious as the zombies within. It’s a fine cobbling together of old-school design, stylish visuals and a sprinkling of humour, and despite a few easily forgivable imperfections, it’s definitely worth supporting the team – especially considering the tiny asking price.
Ever wanted to cook and eat a human but was way too scared of the law? How about wanting to eat and cook video game characters? Well now is your chance, with the released update of Cannibal Cookout, you can do just that. For free. On the iOS.
Cannibal Cookout gives a whole new meaning to the term “pressure cooker”. You will be tasked with cooking multiple lively recipes while you work your way up the cooking ranks. Sounds easy right? Along your way you will have to fend off an array of pestering hurdles ranging from sneaky birds and bolts of lightning to UFOs and army tanks.
Players will have to defend their couldron of death from incoming pests and rodents, hellbent on stealing your precious meal of men. Even more hilariously, players will also have to defend their meal from armies of UFOs and soldiers, making this an entertainingly silly romp.
Apparently, Darkstalkers 4 has secretly been in development at Capcom since last year with the producer of Street Fighter, Yoshinori Ono, supervising the project himself. This news comes from an inside source that has spoken with Venture Beat. According to the source, Darkstalkers 4 will be using a modified version of the Street Fighter X Tekken engine.
To lend credence to the believability of this rumor, the same source leaked out various, accurate, details about Resident Evil 6 before Capcom revealed it themselves. This news comes on the heals of Capcom filing a new trademark for Darkstalkers so perhaps fans of the series won’t have to wait much longer for a reveal. Could we see something at E3 2012 or even sooner?
A week and a half ago Atlus revealed that they would be bringing Persona 4 Arena, known previously as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena, to North America sometime in the summer of 2012. However it seems that release window has been narrowed down rather significantly, as we now know that the company meant the end of summer.
A posting on the PlayStation Blog has revealed that the company is planning on releasing the title on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in August 2012. Atlus will be attempting to keep all of the English voice actors used in Persona 3 and Persona 4 to represent the characters that they played during the console exclusive story mode. This would be great if Atlus can manage to keep all of the voice actors used in previous games, however I have a feeling a lot of gamers will default to the Japanese voice track because some people are just like that.
Retro Racing Developer: Jamie Woodhouse Publisher: Jamie Woodhouse Platforms: iPhone (Reviewed), iPad, iPod Touch Release Date: Feb 23, 2012 Price: $0.99 USD/AUD – Available Here
Overview
Retro Racing is a top-down old school; micro machines style game from the same developer as Amiga and Nitro from the 90’s. This game follows their tradition, but this time around on the touch screen, and the simple controls translate well to such a device. Left, right and accelerate, that’s all you get and that’s all you need. Everything old is new again, and this is the sort of the game that works perfectly on a platform like the iPhone, taking up small amounts of time for a single race and it’s easy to pick up and just go. I quickly went for a race just then and it was great, it also happens to look pretty cool and the menus are slick.
Visuals & Audio
8bit graphics are all over the place these days, from T-shirts to street art and even tattoos. Most people born between the late 70’s and 80’s loves them, I’d say it’s coming to point of saturation now, but Retro Racing still has it’s charm. It runs beautifully in high resolution, and the primary colour palette works well against the arcade feel. To a degree all the tracks looks fairly similar, but the diversity does open up later on. The game happens to run at 60fps as well, which is pretty awesome.
The sound effects are fairly standard, they sound like Race cars should, but I’m not exactly a rev-head expert. And I’m all for trashy rock tracks at title menus (with solos), and that’s what Retro Racing gives you. It’s theme takes you back in time, to when games were simple, yet designed down to the last detail. It would be nice to have the option to play with landscape mode though, especially as the multiplayer mode (iPad) offers a wider view of the action than single-player does.
Gameplay
Retro Racing is fairly short, on the surface it doesn’t look like there’s much, but once you’re used to the controls it does offer more longevity, encouraging you to get the best placing. There’s no career mode, it’s basically like an arcade game against AI opponents around the 12 tracks. You basically start the races slowly, the opponents start a bit more quickly, and you spend the duration of the race playing catch up. But the A.I. is pretty decent and they’ll defend their line and even make mistakes, and the front two cars are the hardest to catch, as they should be. If you win, you get some Game Center achievements, a few stats and the opportunity to try again or progress to the next race. Simple, huh? The multi-player fun comes on iPad where you can split the screen and engage in some face-to-face tablet-sharing (its an intimate affair), which is pretty old school in nature. To be honest I didn’t like the controls on the first run, but they catch on pretty easy and once they do, it only gets better.
There is depth to the core of the game, you’ll notice this with the little power ups that are strewn across every track, hidden in various corners and nooks. There’s a standard nitrous power up, but other collectables upgrade your little racer for the rest of the current contest, tweaking speed, acceleration and grip. And as races become more difficult, it can be vital to use the shortcuts throughout the track and find the best way, so you can win. Once you’re used to the vehicle physics and control of the game, it’s quite satisfying to skid around bends and basically dominate the trac, the skid mechanic is quite nice. Retro Racing is one of the more unique racing games on the App store, there are others like it, but RR makes you think: why hasn’t someone done this before? And it’s possible that someones tried, but just never done it this well.
Overall
This is a brilliant little racer for what it is, simple fun. The Game Center implementation is well done, the graphics will remind you of the good ol’ days and the game walks between the lines of casual and hardcore. What’s not to love?
While Retro Racing doesn’t necessarily last long, it’s great while it does, and there’s always the quest for first place finishes on each track and iPad multiplayer to get the most out of the game. I should mention that these screenshots don’t do the game justice, pay the 99 cents and check it out for yourself. There are downloadable items around as well, and hopefully more tracks and online multiplayer will become possible in the future (there’s a news section in the main menu). Retro Racing is a pocket sized arcade game, lovely crafted, and it shows.
Everbody’s Golf Developer: Clap Hanz Publisher: Sony Platform: PlayStation Vita Release Date: February 22, 2012 Price: $39.99 (available here)
Overview
Also known as Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Everybody’s Golf has a reputation for showing up on every new piece of Sony hardware somewhere around launch day. The PlayStation Vita is no exception, and despite the fact that Everybody’s Golf is perhaps a bit more low key than titles like Uncharted Golden Abyss, it should still be considered something of a big hitter. No matter what your previous relationship with sports games, Everybody’s Golf provides a bucket load of content backed up with some whimsical style, and should definitely not be overlooked when it comes to picking out your first few Vita titles.
Gameplay
In this game you can track your stats in every last detail, fly over golf courses to plan out your shots and compete with players from every corner of the globe in daily tournaments. You can unlock a myriad of new players, clubs and balls, and customise their outfits and your own online mini golfer. You can play in tournaments to beat AI competitors in Challenge Mode or against your own merits in Stroke Mode. Your best shots will automatically be recorded so you can watch them again later, and if you’ve improved your perfect impact shot percentage the game will let you know.
All of this is carried off with a perfect marriage of a bright and breezy cartoon style with realistic gameplay. From the main menu you can choose to launch into six modes: single player, multiplayer, online, customise, shop and data. Single player provides a robust selection of courses over challenge, stroke and training modes, multiplayer allows you to join or create a play room, and online holds the Daily International Tournament, lobby, and online rankings. Customise, shop and data are fairly self explanatory, and host a wealth of options to tweak and unlock for all the characters and equipment, allowing you to spend points earned in other game modes on everything from different balls to background music.
In single player you can enter into challenge mode or stroke mode. Both will earn you points and player loyalty, but challenge mode will earn you stars with every win with which to unlock new players and courses. Difficulties are gradually unlocked, meaning that you have to get to grips with the game before you’re allowed to play against the big boys, nicely limiting the difficulty level whilst also bringing a good sense of achievement and progression to the party.
The actual mechanics behind the golf allow for a lot of customisation and flexibility. Golfer’s have different strengths and weaknesses as do balls and clubs, and there are several different gauges to choose from for playing your shots. All of these options gradually unfold as you play the game and level up, so the vast amount of content on offer never feels like too much at once. Taking a shot is a matter of one push to determine power and another for timing, with direction predetermined by the way your player is facing. Wind and weather all come into play, as of course does the gradient of the land and the club you choose to take your shot with.
The game holds your hand in the appropriate places, making the interface appropriately simple despite being packed with information, and flagging up the optimum distance for your shot on the power gauge. You’ll know how many yards you have to go and the maximum distance your club can hit, as well as the wind direction and when putting, the slope of the green. It certainly takes practice but the difficulty curves smoothly upwards, providing just the right amount of motivation to keep playing. Constantly unlocking new content provides even more of an incentive, and the number of courses is pitched so that you can learn the holes without becoming bored.
That said, one messed up play in a 9 or 18 hole course can completely ruin your play session, landing you with a pointless second place or a terrible score. It is incredibly easy to make a simple error on hole 16 and end up ruining half an hour to an hour of play, and with no option to restart a hole you’ll have to play through the entire thing again to gain anything from it. It’s unfortunate that simple mistakes are punished so greatly, because it mars an otherwise relaxed and pleasant experience.
And that’s the key selling point of Everybody’s Golf – it’s all in the title. This is an up beat game, one that let’s you savour the details of every set up and shot, the colour of your players hair and the ball you’re using. This is golf without the stifling, dreary atmosphere that often pervades the game for those who aren’t fans, this is everybody’s golf.
The multiplayer adds some great longevity to the game. Every day sees a new International Tournament, allowing players across the globe one shot to face off against each other on a chosen course. As you would expect there’s a ream of stats and graphs that come with it, allowing you see how you;ve improved over the days. It reflects the incredibly extensive stat tracking across the entire game, and provides a constant source of competition when there are no matches available in ad hoc.
The Vita’s motion based control options aren’t really much of a player here, and although you can use the touch screen to swoosh between the multitude of camera angles available there’s no forced use of anything – Everybody’s Golf is all about button controls.
Audio & Visual
Everybody’s Golf is a lot more of a mixed bag when it comes to presentation. The characters all have a nice splodge of bubbly personality, but the courses and obstacles on them can be a bit on the grainy side. There are a few nice details in there that back up the light hearted nature of the game, but you can’t help but feel that certain objects could have been a bit smoother or clearer – here’s looking at you foliage…
The background music is chirpy and light without ever becoming irritating, but the constant comments of the caddy’s may have you developing a whole new set of rage issues. Menus are easy to navigate and the loading screens are handy mini tutorials, and the screen layout in game manages to provide a shedload of information without ever becoming over cluttered. There are a ridiculous amount of camera options to choose from, which allow you to pan over the entire course or follow your ball from every angle – you can even take a shot from a first person view and follow it using augmented reality, which is a neat if superfluous touch.
Overall
Everybody’s Golf comes to the Vita armed with bucket loads of charm, a mountain of stats and plenty of unlockable content. The realistic golf mechanics are backed up by a welcoming dose of light hearted cartoon quirk, and the gameplay is quietly addictive in it’s own way.The kick in the ribs that it gives you for the tiniest of mistakes can very suddenly mar the experience, but in the scheme of things it’s a small blot on the largely green and cheery landscape of Everybody’s Golf. The graphical quality could be higher and the caddy’s can go and die in a fire, but those minor irritations aside this is an incredibly detailed, well built game that deserves a place in your Vita collection.
Modnation Racers: Road Trip Developer: SCE San Diego Studio Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: Playstation Vita Release Date: 22/02/2012 Price: $29.99 (Available Here)
Overview
Modnation Racers is Sony’s kart racing franchise which spans two of its platforms: the Playstation 3 and the Playstation Portable. These games offer customisation on a grand scale, from tracks to karts. Now the franchise makes its debut on a third platform: the Playstation Vita. The gameplay and scale of customisation do make the jump to the new handheld, which could mean the racer can cross the line in first place. However, will the finicky touch controls and lack of online multiplayer make the racer stall at the starting line?
Gameplay
Modnation Racers: Road Trip can be split into two areas of gameplay: racing and customisation. In terms of racing, you can expect the thrills of the Playstation 3 version of the game in the Vita port. In the races, one can drift, bump and jump throughout the track. Shortcuts will pop up during the races. Weapons are also in the game. They are colour-coded and can be powered up by collecting weapon orbs of the same colour, up to Level 3. A bolt of lighting and a fiery attack are two examples of weapons present in the game. If you don’t want the weapon you have, then you can convert it to your boost bar for an extra edge in the race. What I love about racing is how quirky it can be. It doesn’t take itself seriously, even though it is quite a competitive race. While the race can be quirky, it can also be challenging. Through the default and created tracks, the races can be tough with the various obstacles lying around. Don’t expect any race to be a breeze.
In terms of race modes, players can choose a quick race, which is jumping into a race on one of the default tracks, a track you have downloaded or a track you have created. Then there is time attack, where it is you against the clock. The game also has a career mode, which included five tours of six tracks. Here you can unlock pieces of gear for both your kart and racer. These usually involved grabbing a certain amount of weapon orbs or obtaining a certain amount of drift points. Tokens are also scattered along the tracks. Trade them in at the Token shop for more gear. Finally, there is adhoc multiplayer. This is the only form of direct multiplayer with the game, there is no online multiplayer. This is a decent selection of game modes for the player to try out.
The strength of Modnation Racers: Road Trip is the customisation features. They are extensive. One can customise their racer, their kart and create a track, as well as pose with their racer using augmented reality. First up, let’s look at the customisation of the racer. There are a lot of options in terms of what the character can look like. One can change their skin, eyes, clothing and more. Players can also add stickers to various clothing. Karts follow the same formula plus it also adds wacky and crazy parts, like a nuclear powered engine. There is so much one can do with their kart and racer. However, the menus for the customisation can be a little finicky. Precision is required to select the items and to navigate through the menus.
Track creation is on another level all together. Players begin by drawing the track on the Vita’s front touchscreen. Once that is done, players can do one of two things: auto populate the track with the player’s chosen theme or add the props themselves. Buildings, obstacles and even mountains and lakes can be created, all using the Vita touchscreen and rear touch pad. Yes, none of the physical controls are used for track creation. The time of day can also be changed. Players can test race the track. What I can say is that, with the creation tools, anything is possible. All of this can be shared via Wi-Fi. You can also download created tracks.
What makes Modnation Racers: Road Trip disappointing, however, is the lack of online multiplayer. The kart racing genre is best played with friends. This is possible, but only through Vita to Vita, which is adhoc. This makes the player feel alone and isolated, despite the sharing abilities. There is another form of multiplayer known as asynchronous multiplayer, which is used for the time attack mode. However, players must be always connected in order for it to work properly, meaning that, if you have the Wi-Fi only model, don’t expect your time to be saved for the world to beat. This is not the most ideal situation. Hopefully, Sony can fix this with a patch to add online multiplayer.
Visuals and Audio
I really do enjoy the visual style of Modnation Racers: Road Trip. It feels quirky, cheeky and somewhat right. The kart animations are smooth, although there will be a minor drop with the frame rate when the action heats up. The tracks look beautiful and also bring their own personality to the game. All of the buildings and the terrain are smooth and bright, thanks to the natural brightness of the OLED screen. The audio also brings personality to the game. The tunes are decent, but quirky. I do love the kart sound effects, which is dependent on the parts of the kart, as well as the weapons.
Overall
Modnation Racers: Road Trip does so much right, yet falters with certain elements needed in this genre. The gameplay is enjoyable and does offer something else to other kart racing games. The customisation is in fact the strength of the game. However, there is no online multiplayer and navigation via the touch screen seems to be finicky, requiring precise control. These also extend to the customisation of the various elements. The visuals and audio are quite good. For those who want a kart game that is different or are big fans of Modnation Racers should pick this up. However, it would be hard to recommend it to anyone else.
