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Guardian Heroes Review – XBLA

October 11, 2011

Guardian Heroes
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: SEGA
Genre: Action/RPG
Platform: XBLA
Release Date: October 12, 2011
Price: 800 Microsoft Points – BUY HERE (HERE)

Overview

The SEGA Saturn is not a console many people have had the chance to play, so, thankfully some of the the Saturn classics are being brought over to XBLA. And if the Guardian Heroes HD remake is anything to go by, I’m quite
dissapointed that the Saturn didn’t make a bigger splash.

Gameplay

Guardian Heroes gives you the choice of four heroes, each with different strength, weaknesses, and powerful abilities. These characters are essentially your classes. There’s the dedicated warrior, mage, and healer, as well as a
warrior-mage hybrid.

At the outset the four heroes celebrate their discovery of a powerful and ancient sword in a village tavern. The party is soon crashed by a defected knight, Serena, who warns them the royal guards have arrived and are out for
the blood of those who possess the sword.

Guardian Heroes is a two-dimensional sidescroller, with different “lanes” you can jump backwards and forwards to within the 2-D plane. The combat is a simple button-mashing affair, however it is complemented by magical abilities,
which you can use to devastate your enemies in various and creative ways. On top of that, every character has different basic attacks and abilities, so the button-mashing results in very different effects based on who you’re playing with.

After escaping the village, the sword resurrects an undead hero of a past age. This hero is there with you throughout the game during your various battles (unlike the other three heroes, who disappear from battlefields until they pop in cutscenes). You can assign him behaviours such as aggressive or protective, etcetera. He becomes a good damage taker, particularly if you’re playing a squishier character on the higher difficulty levels.

It’s after this chance encounter that the game reveals its true vision in its inclusion of RPG elements. You’re given the option to “level up” attribute levels to increase your magic power, damage, and health (among other things). So if you’re feeling limited by the health levels of the mage, you can always invest in upping his health levels.

And then there’s the major one. After the first level-up, you’re offered a choice: Go back to the village, go to a rebel hideout, or seek shelter in the woods. This is the first of a great range of choices you’ll have the opportunity to make on the way to the five various endings, and it is astounding because this game, first released in 1995, implements the choice system far better in terms of gameplay than many games still do today.

Rather than different dialogue choices or NPC responses based on your decisions, your choices lead to entirely different combat stages and levels. Aside from the introduction, your first playthrough, could be absolutely nothing like your second and third.

This does, however, have a problem, as on the story-side of things, based upon your decisions entire characters could be left with Pending Fate Syndrome when you finish a run through the game, so that to truly get a picture of what’s going in the world of Guardian Heroes and reveal all the important plot twists, you will have to play through it at least twice. This is counterbalanced because it’s absolutely no hassle to go back and play a second time and make different choices, but a player really shouldn’t have to play a game several times to understand the most basic of plots.

The game punishes deaths by taking away one of your “credits” and bringing you back up to full health. If you’re playing on easy difficulty, you won’t even have to worry about it as you get 99 revives, but as you up it to normal and hard, you get fewer and fewer credits, and you’ll become much more reliant on dodging, countering, and using the undead hero for protection.

Based on the difficulty and your choices, a playthrough can run anywhere between 45 minutes and two hours.

You can play the entire game co-op with a friend, whether on or offline, and (of course) side-scrolling action-packed mayhem ensues.

There’s also a versus mode packed into the game, where up to six people can team up as various characters and pit themselves against the game’s characters, bosses, and enemies in timed battles to the death.

Guardian Heroes also has the option of reverting to the classic SEGA Saturn control-scheme, though I personally recommend against this, as it less intuitive than the updated Xbox controls.

Visual

Guardian Heroes features a shiny new coat of paint for its high definition release. The updated graphics, particularly with regards to the character models, look great on a big screen without compromising the original 2D art of the original.

For the purists, you can also revert back to the old Saturn graphics, but, sadly, there’s no easy on/off toggle in-game. To change back and forth requires you start an entirely new game, so you won’t find yourself comparing the old and the new mid-game.

Of course, you can tell the game isn’t from the modern era of gaming, as some of the textures and backgrounds clearly harken back to the days when three dimensions and higher polygon counts had only begun to be explored in video games.

Audio

The sound work for the game is outstanding. From the great musical themes, to the sounds of swings, bashes, impacts, and magical blasts, the sound-design sells the world of Guardian Heroes even today, when the graphics are slightly lacking in that department.

There is no voice-acting, as characters speak through pop-up text, but the writing of the text is both sharp and witty, though there was a typo halfway through one of the game’s pivotal moments in my first playthrough, which I found amusing, as it entirely reversed the meaning of a character-defining monologue (I challenge you to find it).

Conclusion

All in all the game is a spectacular re-release of an old classic. Having different choices result in completely different playthroughs is something many games still struggle with today, and Guardian Heroes gives you a unique gameplay experience each and every time (or at least the first ten-or-so times). The updated graphics do the job, holding the game up at high resolutions, and the audio remains spectacular.

The game is a great blend of combat and RPG, held back only by the repetitive nature of button-mashing and the story issues created by the branching levels and decisions.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Xbox 360 Review

Matthew Vella

October 11, 2011

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Developer: Project Aces
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Genre: Arcade/Flight Simulator
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 13, 2011
Price: $51.60 – Buy Now!

Overview

It’s been almost 2 decades since Ace Combat made it’s debut, combining realistic flight simulation with adrenaline-charged arcade action, and while the series has evolved with every title never before has the franchise reached the heights as it’s latest instalment Assault Horizon. With over 30 real-world vehicles, locations and a story written by best-selling author Jim Defelice, Ace Combat has never seemed more believable, and new additions to gameplay focusing on Close-Ranged Assault makes the action more furious than ever before. Ace Combat now no longer feels like a game engineered for a niche audience, but now as a more approachable, believable, engaging and more action-packed experience for any hardcore gamer. While Assault Horizon isn’t perfect, it’s filled with charm and easily the most entertaining addition to the series so far.

Story

While the Ace Combat series has always had an emphasis on dramatic global plots in it’s storytelling, Assault Horizon is the first of which that puts the player in a theoretical real-world setting. Taking place in the not-so-distant future of 2015, Assault Horizon is about a NATO-led task force who includes UN troops as well as Russian support forces, and their mission is to stop an anti-government sergeancy sweeping throughout Africa with a super weapon known as ‘Trinity’. You play mostly as Lieutenant Colonel William Bishop, leader of the Warwolf squadron, but whenever your not playing a typical fighter-piolt mission as most Ace Combat fans are familiar with, you’ll be playing as either Captain Doug “D-ray” Robinson, who is the leader of the Nomad squadron and flies a AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, and as Janice Rehl who pilots the AC-130 Spectre gunship Spooky 01. On top of this there are also levels that have you playing as the gunner of a MH-60L Blackhawk helicopter as well. The story also takes players into a variety of different and interesting locations including Africa, Russia, Dubai and the Middle East amongst many others so it’s pretty clear that the story provides much variety of interesting scenarios. However switching players from one character to another does provide little opportunity to build on character development and can occasionally get a little confusing and hard to follow, but the scenarios set up are executed nicely. Cut scenes are directed with excellence, swapping from first person to third person often to emphasize certain aspects. There is one scene early on in the game which shows Lieutenant Colonel William Bishop parachuting out of his plane and watching the battle continue all around him, and really conveys the emotions of letting his team down creating a powerful response. While the story is great, it isn’t always executed perfectly, but scenes like this one are wonderful highlights. The attention to detail throughout the plot really helps make each scenario feel more believable, proving the decision to include Jim Defelice for the script a really intelligent move, as it really appears to have benefited the game greatly.

Gameplay

Even though Assault Horizon is hyped to be a revolutionary change for the series, the core of the game does feel very familiar with a few extra features thrown in. This isn’t a bad thing however, as Ace Combat fans will most likely feel right at home, and most if not all would want to welcome these new features with open arms. Arguably the biggest problem with the franchise so far has been that shooting enemies from far away often felt like shooting tiny ants as they often just looked like tiny moving dots in the distance. Assault Horizon addresses this issue with full-force, and results in some of the most intense action yet in an Ace Combat game. This new gameplay feature is a system called “Close-Range Assault” which focuses on getting up close and personal with your enemies. During air combat, players will often be forced to enter “Dog Fight Mode” where they will have to chase their opposing pilot and have to gun them down. These moments feature a zoomed-in camera which really intensifies the action, and are easily some of the most entertaining parts of the entire game as you try and shoot them down as they attempt to out fly you. If an enemy begins to chase you and places you into “Dog Fight Mode”, it becomes your duty to escape their target, and if you take the risk of slowing down, you can attempt to fly over them and gun them down in return, when done successfully can feel really satisfying. When shooting at ground-based targets, players will enter “Air Strike Mode”, which also involves zooming-in the camera and machine guns are less likely to overheat, also making terrorizing and destroying the enemy a much more enjoyable experience. The planes control nicely for the most part, with the right amount of weight and rumble helps make you feel like your flying a real aircraft, and a very cinematic in-game cut scene is often shown when taking down an enemy plane, place a strong emphasis on big explosions. Aircrafts also take in-game damage with an impressive focus on detail, making every shot fired feel very rewarding.

However despite all these new additions, many problems players may of experienced with previous titles still exist at the heart of the game. While destroying enemies is fun, and now even more fun thanks to “Close-Ranged Assault”, sometimes finding an opposing pilot can sometimes be an issue. Because your often placed in wide open-spaced areas and enemy pilots flying around so quickly, there are often moments where you are forced to break and take awkward slow-paced turns to look for an opponent. The radar switches from helpful to useless quite a lot, so it’s not always reliable and the distance between you and other pilots is often so great that it’s hard to tell which ones are on your team and which ones are not. While many situations this is easily forgivable, there are some sections of the game where this is hard to ignore and can really make for frustrating gameplay. Also for newer players, the learning curve can be a challenge, so expect to die a lot in your first few plays. Some objectives aren’t always explained well, so in a couple of one-off situations you might find yourself receiving a mission failure without knowing why. If players can overcome these flaws, they will find one heck of an amazing game, but for those who get frustrated easily, this may not be the ideal game for them.

Other than it’s setting and story, the biggest new additions to the Ace Combat franchise are some completely new modes of play. Throughout the campaign, players will find themselves in various other vehicles rather than just the typical fighter plane. The greatest addition is the AH-64D Apache helicopter. Upon hearing this I personally had tragically average memories of Apache: Air Assault but thankfully resulted in being a much more entertaining experience. Controls are much more simplified, and arguably more enjoyable in some cases than some of the fighter plane levels. While the action is more slower-paced, these moments are as equally intense and still retain that same arcade-styled action that Ace Combat fans will be familiar with although the controls are much different. Sadly however, these levels are quite seldom seen which is a shame as they are quite exciting. On the downside however there are also levels where you control the AC-130 Spectre gunship Spooky 01, which feel more like mini-games rather than actual levels. Another new addition is the ability to play as a gunner of a MH-60L Blackhawk helicopter, which work as on-rail shooter levels which are nice additions that switch up the gameplay. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to check out the multiplayer, but from the looks of things there are plenty of options and modes for players and looks to be quite entertaining.

Graphics and Audio

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is a game that is really well polished. If the gameplay won’t captivate you, chances are you’ll stick around anyways as the graphics and audio will hook you in. The attention to detail is outstanding, the vehicle models look wonderful and when taking damage even the tiniest little scraps of metal will fly off making not just every successful shot feel more satisfying, but also more believable. As for the pilots and humans during the cut scenes, they also are modeled quite nicely, even ground troops which you see from afar are nicely done with some decent animation, so it’s nice to see some extra effort went to even the smaller aspects of the game. The elements also look terrific in Assault Horizon, particularly the many oceans you’ll find yourself flying over throughout the game. What truly compliments these graphics is the audio of Assault Horizon, which really helps engage the gamer. The music actually took me by surprise with this title, as I wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by it in a flight simulation game. Rather than typical patriotic music seen in many average military-based games these days, the soundtrack is composed with a more cinematic approach, and really pays off making each moment more entertaining. While most of it isn’t exactly all that memorable, it does leave a successful and strong impact on the player without them directly noticing it, amplifying the action. Where the audio shines it’s brightest however is with it’s sound effects. Every bullet, every shot fired and explosion feels powerful, and when accompanied with the detailed damage animation on your aircraft and destruction going on all around you, you really feel like you’ve stepped into a warzone. When accompanied by a cast of decent voice actors with good dialogue and well directed cut scenes, this can make for a really enjoyable experience. Overall the combination of great graphics and audio builds to a really intense atmosphere that amplifies the game itself, making Ace Combat: Assault Horizon even more fun to play.

Verdict

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is a strong step forward for the series. The focus on close-ranged-combat is a massive improvement and really makes the combat in Ace Combat a lot more fun. The addition of the AH-64D Apache Longbow makes for a refreshing change of pace and the gunner missions are also entertaining. However the AC-130 Spectre gunship does feel a bit shallow and less exciting. The real-world setting and great storytelling really makes for a more entertaining adventure and is also a welcome addition to the franchise, and this is only complimented by the impressive graphics and sound. However what holds Ace Combat: Assault Horizon back is when it’s big, open, aren’t so crowded and contains smaller amounts of enemies, finding an enemy plane can occasionally be a nuisance, and the radar isn’t always as helpful as it should be. Objectives aren’t always clear and the learning curve can be steep for newer players. Regardless, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon on the most part is a blast to play and is a monumental stepping stone for genre, and in my opinion is the best Ace Combat to date, and is easily the best flight-simulation released in a long time.

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Hands On: Playstation Vita

Joshua Spudic

October 11, 2011

You know that cliched saying that, when someone is very excited (maybe too excited for their own good) about a particular object, you describe them as a child in a candy store? Well, I was that child today (metaphorically speaking of course) as I, Joshua Spudic, Capsule Computer’s Resident Playstation Reporter/Expert, had finally clutched the Playstation Vita in my hands. The sheer presence of a portable gaming machine that I want was enough to excite me, but having my hands to touch it… is another thing entirely. From the experience today, this is a portable force to be reckoned with.

The man of the moment was John McLaughlin, a Producer within the SCE Worldwide Studios external development group, known as XDev. Based in the United Kingdom, they are in fact developing a few Vita titles, with two available for show. First up, LittleBigPlanet. Being one of Playstation’s biggest platforming games, there is little to explain. But for others, then time for a gaming lesson. LittleBigPlanet follows Sackboy around the world, encountering exotic and interesting people and puzzles. However, the real strength lies in the creation. It seems like endless opportunities for the imagination of one to flow into this game. Levels, obstacles and other nick nacks can be created. Even Sackboy can be customised. Each iteration offers something new, however, the Vita version could be the best yet.

John boots up the game and, after revealing my experience with LittleBigPlanet on other Playstation platforms, decides that I should just jump right into it. The moment I had anticipated had arrived. The Playstation Vita was in my hands. A message prompted me to slide my finger to pull back the curtains. Behind them was the remarkable graphical capabilities. I am impressed with what was achieved. For a portable, this is a beast of a machine. They are on par with the Playstation 3. If one ever goes to a public event where the Vita is being displayed, they shall not be disappointed with the visuals. On the game itself, it has the LittleBigPlanet feel, bright and colourful.

[singlepic id=10070 w=400 h=300 float=center]

John pointed out certain bright blue elements hanging about. Not what one would collect throughout the level but what one would grab to go across pits and gaps. They are actually touch compatible. Using the front touch screen, one can drag across that element to Sackboy. After pulling the lever, it was time to trek onwards. I had reached to another blue element, this time embedded at the bottom of the screen. With a flick on the front touch screen, Mr. Sackboy launches upwards. That was pretty awesome, ladies and gentlemen. It felt so natural to use.

Of course, that wasn’t the only time I had encountered the unique features of the Vita. The rear touch pad came into play when a row of teeth (comically spelling out Rear Touch) receded, leaving a big gap too big to jump over. So, with my fingertips, a blue fingerprint appears as soon as I make contact with the rear touch pad. I slide across the teeth and they pop out instantly. I was amazed at this feature. So much possibilities lie within this one feature, as well with the others. A puzzle within the level used both front and rear touch areas. The gyroscope was also used, tilting the man on tracks to the right by tilting the handheld to the right. The same thing is done for the opposite direction. The end of the level involves flinging Sackboy in a sardine can, which is pretty cool.

[singlepic id=10035 w=400 h=300 float=center]

LittleBigPlanet will not just feature the main levels. It will also feature a variety of mini-games that will utilise the Vita’s main features. One such mini-game that I tried out was a version of air hockey. Holding the Vita on its side, you slide your puck from side to side. Bumpers will sporadically pop up to the annoyance of your opponent. Another mini-game shown was a car game, where, holding it on its side and only using the right analogue stick, players will drive Sackboy on a multi-lane road, avoiding cars from in front and behind. Nice additions to a game that has already impressed me.

The second game on display was Reality Fighters. Mostly using the camera, Reality Fighters is a fighter where the people around you are the fighters. Yep, that could mean your family, relatives, friends, strangers and, most importantly, yourself. Customisation is at the forefront for this game, as well as augmented reality or AR. Want proof? Let’s check some pictures shall we.

First off, the photo being taken:
[singlepic id=10044 w=400 h=300 float=center]

Then the customisation:
[singlepic id=10048 w=400 h=300 float=center]

Yes, that is me in a disco suit. There are different fighting styles as well, with traditional (muay thai, boxing) and wacky ones available (zombie, ballet). So, in order to fit with the costume, I decided to be a disco dancer.

The gameplay is simple enough to understand but also offer complex moves as well as interaction with weapons such as tongs for pulling teeth out. Both the AR markers and the actual environments will be offered as backgrounds for the game and they really work well. Although I did encounter a few AR glitches, I was told that this early code. A second version was brought with new code, including touch screen controls for the more casual player, but we ran out of time to try that out.

[singlepic id=10051 w=400 h=300 float=center]

Overall, I am excited on what the Playstation Vita shall offer. Both LittleBigPlanet and Reality Fighters both impress me with their use of some of the newer features never before seen on a Playstation handheld (AR did have a limited existence in PSP via a small USB camera). They feel natural and not tacked on for the sake of tacking them on. The handheld is light and the thumbsticks do feel they are cheaply made but they are very minor points. Overall, this experience has convinced me that the Playstation Vita is the way to go.

Check out our gallery below as well as an interview with John on certain features of the Vita and how are they going to be implemented in both LittleBigPlanet and Reality Fighters.

Vita’s UMD Solution?

Joshua Spudic

October 11, 2011

So many people doubted that a solution to the UMD problem would come along for the Playstation Vita. Doubters I bring good news, as there will be a solution to bring your UMD library into the Playstation Vita. However, it may not be a popular one.

Dengeki PlayStation interviewed Sony Computer Entertainment development head Yoshio Matsumoto and he had made some interesting comments. Matsumoto had revealed that they are looking into offering downloads at a special price for those who own the game on the physical medium of the Playstation Portable. This was after a retailer mentioning that a plan was being discussed at a sales meeting.

Now, I’m glad that they are thinking seriously about a solution, however, asking the owner of the game to pay again may not be the right path to take. There are other solutions that may please the consumer a little better. Please note that this is only relating to Japan, but may have implications in the West.

The Sims 3 Pets gets some console karma

Jessica Barabas-Bui

October 11, 2011

The Sims 3 Pets has officially been bestowed with karma points for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game. Karma points were popular in the old Sims 3 console games, replacing the PC/Mac lifestyle happiness points.

Karma points is turning into a bigger thing now, with more points available, however make sure not to overspend because who knows what the consequences will be, especially knowing the Sims developer’s sense of humour.

The Sims 3 Pets comes out on Xbox, PS3, 3DS, Mac and PC on October 20. Keen for The Sims 3 Pets? Stay tuned to Capsule Computers for more information as it hits.

Phi Brain – Episode 2 Review

Luke Halliday

October 11, 2011

Phi Brain
Episode 2 – “Philospher’s Reward”

Now this is what you want from a second episode. This is exactly what you want. The story was left hanging on the previous episode and is quickly resolved here, with Kaito solving the gears puzzle, which is great because it progresses things at a pace I’d much prefer.

I’d be in agony if the focus of this episode was on Kaito solving the cliffhanger from the previous episode. Thankfully the focus quickly shifts to what is without a doubt going to be the over-arching storyline for this series. Kaito has been contracted as a Solver, which is essentially a person who is a genius at solving puzzles. There are many Solvers each tackling Sage Puzzles all over the world, of which the Pyramids and Stone Henge happen to be anicent Sage Puzzles.

It was the universe building that really impressed me with this episode. I am a huge fan of the ancient puzzles concept. While I doubt, Kaito will ever tackle the pyramids, it is nice to know that the history of this secret puzzle world is long and deep.

One problem I have with a lot of series is that the world feels too small and almost as though there is invisible walls blocking them off from the rest of the world. Thankfully this little bit of universe constructing really made the mythology and scale of Phi Brain feel so much bigger.

Other than that we were introduced to a new character named Gammon who has the title of Gallileo. Now while I admit I like his character design, I find his personality to be grating. He reminded me of a poor man’s Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho). It seems they tried to create a similar dynamic, but I found his voice and portrayal to be utterly annoying. However I am willing to give him a chance and hope that he gets given further depth in coming episodes.

As for the focus of this episode, which is the car puzzle. I absolutely loved it! I did not anticipate it’s solution and unlike the gears puzzle, it actually was understandable how Kaito solved it. I look forward to more “Puzzle Time” moments in future episodes. Because honestly that puzzle was just a lot of fun and despite the somewhat one dimensional villain pulling the strings and trying to sabotage the puzzle, I enjoyed it for showing us that Kaito’s Oprheous Armband is not simply a Deus Ex Machina item.

While I can imagine people may have had a few grumblings regarding the skipping of the small puzzle solutions, I don’t think it’s because the creators don’t know the solution, I think it’s to entice you to try it yourself. I personally prefer the focus on the big puzzle of the episode. Here’s hoping for the next few weeks we get a sort of “Puzzle of the Week” formula. I’m enjoying this formula too much for it to end abruptly for the heavy story which we all know will eventually be coming.

Speaking of the heavy story, we have the fabled “Kami no Puzzle” or the “God’s Puzzle”, that Kaito is blazing a trail towards. I’m more fascinated with what the puzzle actually is than how Kaito will come across it. I am going to hazard a guess that the “God’s Puzzle” refers to the meaning of life. Whether Phi Brain will go so philopshical is still to be determined but I am hoping it does. This is a series that I believe can pull of a message such as “Life is a puzzle”. Whether it does, only time will tell.

This episode was a great sign for things to come and has really got me excited for this series. Of all the series that have started this season I feel this series has the most potential to become something truly brilliant. I can’t wait to see what puzzle Kaito has to solve next week.

Dead Rising 2: Off The Record Review

Travis Bruno

October 11, 2011

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
Developer: Capcom Vancouver
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed)
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Price: $39.99 – Available Here

Overview:
One of the most common enemies you can find in the world of gaming today is the zombie. Sure you can find countless reasons as to why that is, but the fact of the matter is that one company has taken zombies and turned them into their bread and butter. Capcom has made quite a name for themselves with their zombie titles, such as Resident Evil and most recently Dead Rising.

Dead Rising 2 Original was released last year and seen by many as a huge improvement to the series as a whole, but it was missing one thing… a certain photo journalist who has covered wars. Now Dead Rising 2: Off the Record has been released by Capcom and it brings back everyone’s favorite man with a camera, Frank West. With a few new modes and adjustments, does this fresh coat of West paint justify a purchase of a title we’ve seen a year ago?

Story:
One would believe that managing to break such a huge story like what occurred at the Willamette Mall would be enough to set one up for life with enough popularity and money to make anyone, even a journalist content. But living in the limelight can only last so long and life has become hard for the now bankrupt Frank West.

Players are given a brief explanation of what occurred in Frank’s life after the events of Dead Rising 1, and pick up in the only place Frank can manage to find some money. That is the reality TV show Terror is Reality where Frank must fight zombies in a twisted version of wrestling including grinders and fire while risking it all to win big. Shortly after his time on stage, Frank’s journalistic senses begin to tingle as he discovers something isn’t quite right about TK and that there is trouble brewing in Fortune City.

Immediately, those who have played the Dead Rising 2 Original will see that the story begins to deviate slightly in detail from the original here, though at its core most of the game is quite the same. The storyline is still more or less the same thing, wherein Frank West must survive for three days before the military arrives. This of course entails rescuing stranded survivors and fighting off psychopaths of every shape and size, quite literally in one case.

One of the biggest differences here is rather than having a daughter to return and give Zombrex to; Frank himself will need it every 24 hours as he is still infected from the events of the first game. This is a nice little addition which helps streamline the game a bit more as you can give yourself Zombrex with a simple tap of a button when you need it, as long as you have some on hand.

The biggest question about the storyline though is whether or not it is worth playing through if you have played Dead Rising 2 Original. Now if you haven’t, then by all means this is perhaps the best way to jump into the series, especially if you managed to just finish the original Dead Rising as the story flows perfectly between the two. But back to originality.

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will feature many superficial differences to the storyline which some may recognize. Whether it be how a psychopath responds to Frank, or even the new psychopaths added in these are nice changes. But the biggest change is how the main storyline will unfold. At its very core the story is still the same, but the twists taken along the way have been changed significantly and near the end players will be given an entirely new experience that quite honestly sums things up better than Dead Rising 2 Original.

Graphics:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record unfortunately hasn’t seen much of an upgrade from Dead Rising 2 Original, which means that a lot of the mall looks exactly the same as you remember it. A few areas have been expanded upon however and a number of small additions have been added to existing places, including the neon lit Uranus Zone which is an entirely new and fun area with plenty of environmental interactions that have been designed well and provide plenty of extra enjoyment.

On the other hand, while there still can be many hundreds of zombies on screen at a time they will still look quite the same minus a few new zombie models that have been thrown in. There is also a small amount of texture pop that I experienced when driving through areas which I did not recall from the original.

Audio:
Being as there is a completely new main character as well as a handful of new survivors and psychos of course there are a few new voice actors who join the scene. Frank’s voice work is handled nice and he sounds the same as he did in Dead Rising 1, and a number of other new characters are given decent voices. Everyone else will sound similar to what they did in Dead Rising 2 Original, but some of their dialogue is re-recorded as new lines are used often in the original story.

As usual the background music as you roam through the mall matches a mall’s music perfectly, something non-obtrusive and calming. That all changes whenever a psycho is met and usually rock music helps get the blood pumping quickly and the new music for the new psychos is enjoyable, though still mildly forgetful.

Something else quite noticeable is the fact that all radio transmissions are completely voiced now. This means that your conversations over the radio, which is now thankfully completely hands free for all your zombie killing needs, are voiced so you will constantly hear Stacey tell you wear survivors are or what she has seen. Also be prepared for a few scares here and there when your peaceful walk through the zombie infested Fortune City is abruptly disturbed by a classic horror movie sound and an unseen or previously thought dead zombie lunges and grabs you from nowhere. This sound effect plus zombie attack never failed to cause me to jump and make me stay alert.

Gameplay:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record doesn’t break from the rest of the series significantly with its gameplay, as everything from Dead Rising 2 Original returns. There are plenty of zombies to kill with a large variety of combo weapons, all of which return from the past game including a handful of new weapons usually focused around the new Uranus Zone and players level up Frank by obtaining PP by saving survivors, performing certain tasks and of course killing zombies and psychopaths.

There is a completely new way to earn PP however, though perhaps new isn’t the best way to put it. Frank West returns complete with his trusty camera and this means that there are many pictures to be taken. Psychos and survivors will flash PP symbols over their heads during special moments, PP stickers are littered around the environment and players can take the same classic genre pictures as before including Horror, Drama, Erotica, Outtake and Brutality. The camera feature makes a welcome return in Off the Record and while some may not use it very often, others will enjoy finding and taking the craziest or most valuable pictures possible.

Something that many gamers may find quite useful is a new adjustment to the way the save system works in Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. Namely players will now be given checkpoints whenever they enter a new area, complete a mission and begin or end a fight with a psychopath. These checkpoints serve like something similar to an autosave which allows you to load them whenever you feel like or in case you happen to die. Saving in restrooms is obviously still necessary as that is the only way to permanently record your progress but this is a huge plus that allows for players not to have to run to the bathroom every five seconds to make sure they won’t lose their progress upon death.

If story mode isn’t quite your thing however, rather than including Terror is Reality from Dead Rising Original, players now have a completely wide open mode named “Sandbox Mode.” This gameplay mode places the player in Fortune City with absolutely no time limit. Frank no longer needs Zombrex, there are no missions to do, just pure zombie killing and exploring fun. Players can also take on certain Challenges which are littered around Sandbox Mode which range from racing to an area in time, killing a certain amount of zombies, obtaining PP, and much more. Players can then rank themselves on leaderboards as well as take any money or levels they earn into story mode to help themselves out.

Of course the co-op mode has returned as well. There are specific co-op only challenges littered throughout Sandbox Mode which means you are more than welcome to bring a buddy along to kill zombies and complete these Challenges. Or for those who don’t want to run around aimlessly with a friend they can also join in story mode and assist in any way possible here.

Overall:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record takes the protagonist and photo mechanic that people loved from Dead Rising 1, the gameplay mechanics of Dead Rising 2 Original and combined them together in a mixing bowl, threw in a few spices of enhancements, story adjustments and new content to create what we have here.

Now the biggest problem is the fact that some may see this as a simple expansion to Dead Rising 2, and in some rights it is, as the storyline is still quite predictable for the most part and there are a few adjustments to Fortune City but not enough to make you feel like you’ve never been there before. But the inclusion of the Sandbox Mode and the new better flowing storyline are certainly enough to make Dead Rising 2: Off the Record a title that surpasses its original.

I give Dead Rising 2: Off the Record

Sonic Generations To See a PC Release…

Dustin Spencer

October 11, 2011

After a bit of speculation, it now seems that Sonic Generations will be released on the PC, right alongside it’s console and handheld counterparts. This news comes today due to listings for a PC version emerging on both Direct2Drive and Greenman Gaming. Not much has been announced of how this version will differ from the others on the market, but it does seem that the 3D and 2D aspects have been left in place based on the information at both online retailers. The price point also will catch many eyes, as this version it priced at a cool MSRP of just $29.99.

Sonic Generations will make it’s PC debut just days after the Xbox 360, PS3, and 3DS versions all launch, with a release date of Nov. 4th.

Brock Lesnar to Appear in WWE ’12…

Dustin Spencer

October 11, 2011

Ya know, I think this was going to be a huge announcement for sometime down the road, but it seems both TMZ and Dana White have let the cat out of the bag. Brock Lesnar, who has been absent from the WWE since Wrestlemania 20 has now been all but “officially” confirmed for WWE ’12 due to Dana White remarking on a new licensing deal between WWE and Lesnar.

Here is the official statement over at TMZ’s website:

After SEVEN YEARS apart, UFC pain machine Brock Lesnar is getting back into business with the company that put him on the map — WWE — in a deal that will make him the “featured star” in a brand new video game.

Multiple sources confirm …the people developing “WWE: 12” approached Brock back in January and asked for permission to use his name and likeness in the game and the advertising campaign.

We’re told Brock loved the idea — but wouldn’t sign off unless his current boss, UFC honcho Dana White, gave his blessing. Fortunately, it worked out.

TMZ spoke with White, who told us, “I love WWE and I have nothing but love for Vince McMahon — I’m totally OK with Brock being in the game.”

This is a big deal for sure for any wrestling fan as while Brock’s stint was rather short, he certainly made a mark in this history books for the brand. A new trailer is set to be released tomorrow for WWE ’12 (according to TMZ anyway), and once it arrives we will be sure to bring it to you here so stay tuned to this developing story.

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