Upcoming Dungeons & Dragons game, Daggerdale, is set to be released by ATARI in the next week.
The game is set in the fan favorite Forgotten Realms universe of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise and promises to give an accurate 4th ed. experience in an episodic title available over the Xbox Live arcade, as well as the PC. Featuring hack and slash gameplay, the game in question looks like it’s going to be an amazing experience for all fans of the Dungeons & Dragons phenomenon.
Daggerdale is going to be playable both solo and co-operatively with a friend offline, or upto 3 friends online. Questing, immersive combat, and character development over the course of a series of stunning levels and locations are going to bring you an authentic Dungeons & Dragons experience.
There’s been a flood of games recently based on movies from the 80s and 90s, such as Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park. And now TikGames have announced they are currently developing a game based on a film franchise that has never been adapted to this medium: Chucky.
The game will be released onto PC and console for digital distribution in fall (September/October/November), and will allow players to control the murderous doll on one of his rampages, following an original storyline and using a creative set of methods to stealthily murder the probably-undeserving victims.
The developers state that “in the end, it will be up to the player to decide how many (or few) people survive this stealth-action romp.” This may be nothing more than creative publicity speak, but it hints at something more interesting than simply murdering everyone in sight. This is pure conjecture, but maybe it will be a stealth game in the vein of Hitman, giving players multiple murder methods to explore in each situation, including not killing them at all. This could make it an interesting title, if it avoids the usual pitfalls of licensed games.
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Developer: Traveller’s Tales Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios Genre: Action/Adventure/Family Platform: Xbox 360 (PS3, Wii, 3DS, DS) Released: 13th May
It has been a busy year for Traveller’s Tales, with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean complementing the other LEGO games put out so far this year, LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Star Wars III. This is further added to by the recent announcement of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 coming towards the end of 2011. I imagine the employees at Traveller’s Tales now dream in LEGO, with Pirates of the Caribbean becoming the latest franchise to be immortalised in plastic brick form.
As you’d expect, the basic gameplay remains at the games core, simply carried over from previous games in the series. Levels are made up of a balanced mixture of adventuring as you traverse different platforms and climb or descend to other areas in order to obtain objects of some relevance, action as you engage the other LEGO characters in combat, and simple, logic-based puzzles presenting obstacles to solve before you can move on to the next zone. Like previous games, what comes as a result of this LEGO game is a refinement of the formula. With each new game, the developers try to make an even smoother playing experience, and, as such, a few smaller improvements have been made that only fans of other LEGO games are likely to notice and appreciate. One example of this the new character wheel, accessed by holding down the Y button. In previous games, swapping characters meant walking up to the playable character you wished to change to and pressing Y in order to transfer control to the other character. However, this could be a minor nuisance due to the fact that, sometimes, you’d have to track back to find the other character you wanted, or if there were multiple characters, you could end up rallying back and forth between the wrong characters in a game of soul ping-ping, until eventually becoming the character you meant to.
One of the other new additions is split-screen co-op, something that is likely to cause a divide among players in opinion, as well as while playing the game. You see, unlike any other LEGO game before it, LEGO Pirates features the same iconic drop-in, drop-out co-op, only now, co-op play introduces a dynamic split-screen bar. By this I mean that the position of the divide separating each players’ screen is constantly changing, meaning that while being able to be in the traditional horizontal or vertical positions, often the split-screen divide slices diagonally through the screen. This only happens when players are a certain distance away from each other. Unfortunately, this distance is very short, so it’s hard to get comfortable with the screen continually adjusting, in many cases reuniting with the other player for a brief moment only to split again, leaving players on flipped sides of the screen (for example, player one is usually associated with the left side of the screen, but with this system they are constantly changing from left to right).
It’s a hard system of multiplayer to get to grips with, despite the fact that you don’t have to do anything and segments of the screen control themselves as you move around, and for this reason, it could cause differing opinions among the players. Some will prefer the freedom to explore the level almost individually due to this addition, because in the past the limits of the camera in LEGO games could be quite frustrating if the other player was refusing to co-operate. However, a lot with find it to be a slightly confusing and disorientating experience, and whereas all other games have had a concentrated focus on teamwork, that attitude sort of slips away now that you aren’t limited to the same screen.
All in all, there are 4 films to get stuck into, with each movie broken down into 5 levels summarising the key scenes. As always, the cut scenes are a great watch, offering a cheap laugh for children and adults alike, providing you’ve seen the films and have a frame of reference. For this reason, the chapters on the brand new film just hitting cinemas, On Stranger Tides, would be more enjoyable to play after having seen the film so you know what’s going on. In this iteration, the developers have also managed to give the characters a lot more personality. Emotions used to only be conveyed during cut scenes in sequences of grunts but during gameplay the characters seemed like plastic mannequins. In contrast, LEGO Pirates features the same clever sequences of grunts to make for amusing cut scenes, but also during gameplay, the swashbucklers have been given an injection of personality, with Captain Jack’s tipsy swagger and Will Turner’s frequent looks of bewilderment ringing true to the films.
With the luscious Caribbean setting, LEGO Pirates is the best looking LEGO game yet, with the showing off coming in the form of dense forests, sandy shores and glimmering water effects. In some ways, Traveller’s Tales have even gone a bit too far with the sheen, with overly shiny character models, but it’s easy to forgive them due to the fantastic-looking environments. Memorable music is carried over from the films, with slapstick LEGO sound effects playing their part too, making for a great overall feeling for the game.
Regretfully, like all other LEGO games in the series, the occasional bug or glitch rears its head. These are mainly excusable and can often be quite amusing, such as someone getting jammed on a piece of scenery, or even more entertaining, upon getting snagged on a piece shrubbery, being flung into the air higher than ever possible by jumping. Like I say, however, these have almost always had a presence in the series and are nothing particularly new. Conversely, some of the bigger bugs can’t be overlooked, such as one I encountered on the Smuggler’s Den level regarding the final cut scene. Despite completing the necessary task to initiate the completion cut scene, thus ending the level, the video failed to go off, meaning I was stuck in the level with no choice but to quit out and restart again, all the more frustrating as there is no checkpoint system to chart progress mid-level. Other than that, some of the platform sections can be a bit fiddly, such as a swinging chandelier near the start of the fourth movie.
However, even with minor drawbacks taken into account, it’s still another quality LEGO offering, and though it may not quite have the best gameplay, it certainly has the best graphics of the current line-up. Adding fantastic brand of LEGO humour that’s imaginatively applied to the Pirates of the Caribbean films, characters have a personality during gameplay too, each with their own different mannerisms drawn from their silver screen characters. If you’ve seen at least a couple of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and have enjoyed other LEGO games, chances are this is one for you.
In case you missed out on their original release, or didn’t have enough money to buy the premium editions of NIS America’s anime series then you will be able to buy a couple of series cheaper than usual. This is because NIS America has announced today that they will be re-releasing Toradora! Volume 1 and 2 as well as WAGNARIA!! in a Standard Edition format. This means that although you may not be able to get the special edition packaging and art book but you will still have the anime to watch.
Both series will still contain the original Japanese audio with English subbing. These Standard Editions will come with both DVD discs containing the anime itself as well a Story Guide leaflet that looks to give a brief summary of the episodes contained on the discs. The discs will still include any bonus content that was on the Premium Edition meaning that you wills till get most of the same experience those who picked up the Premium Edition obtained. All of these Standard Editions will be available for sale on July 5th at the following online retailers: Right Stuf, The Anime Corner Store, Anime Pavilion, Anime Castle, and NIS America Online Store. You can also read up on our review of WAGNARIA!!’s Premium Edition here.
Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Team Bondi Consoles: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3 Release: 17 May 2011 (US), 19 May 2011 (AUS) Price: Fishpond Australia ($67.97), Amazon US ($59.99), Amazon UK (£37.99)
Overview
Often when an upcoming release title is hyped up to ridiculous proportions, it’s difficult for the game to live up to its expectations (take Homefront, which seemed certain to score 9’s and 10’s in the gaming community but fell short of its target by only scoring 6’s and 7’s). However, sometimes the companies get it right and the game is everything it promised to be.
It’s no secret: L.A. Noire has been my most talked about game for 2011 and ranks on my “most anticipated” list. When Rockstar Games first announced the title, I had high expectations for the game. Combine it with the character dossiers, a nomination for Tribeca, and impressive gameplay trailers released prior to its street date, and it seems the game just could not fail. From its MotionScan technology to its mult-layered storyline, L.A. Noire ensures a fresh and innovative gameplay experience which is sure to keep any player on their toes.
Storyline
Based in 1940s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire sees players assume the role of Cole Phelps, a WWII veteran and hero who has returned to Los Angeles to join the police force. Phelps begins his career in the LAPD as a patrolman, and quickly moves up the ranks to the other desks: traffic, homicide, vice, and arson. As he moves through the ranks, he uncovers the truth about Los Angeles: actresses that will stop at nothing for fame, men and women who have affairs and conspire to kill off the husband, and people in power who will do anything to hold on to it. The cases are often based on actual crimes from the era, including the Red Lipstick Murder which takes elements from the real life case, which adds to both the authenticity of the game and the corrupt tale of L.A.
A world where corruption exists on every corner.
While there are set cases to solve which paint a smaller picture of a post-war Los Angeles, there is also an overarching crime which is ever-present in the game through newspaper clippings. The game also features flashbacks to Phelps’ days in the war and uncovers the reason he came back to join the LAPD.
I have to say that, prior to playing the game, the constant solving of cases seemed repetitive to me and I was worried I would get bored of it. However, the flashbacks to Phelps’ time in WWII and the newspaper clippings ensure that the entire game is cohesively strewn together. Each individual case also houses its own storyline, and it was surprising to see how unpredictable the cases were. I have a habit of being able to guess what happens in games far sooner than it actually happens, but in L.A. Noire each case had so many different twists and turns that I eventually stopped trying to guess and just used my evidence to make a judgment.
And on that note of evidence, judgments, and solving cases: the cases aren’t the only thing that makes the game’s storyline as great as it is. Cole Phelps is the greatest example of a true cop. If you looked up “justice” in the L.A. Noire dictionary, his name would be the first definition there: he’s the pursuer and upholder of the law, and the antithesis of everything else in a corrupt Los Angeles. While his partners may believe it’s time to give up on a case, Phelps refuses and it’s really because of him that the game is that much more enjoyable: after all, sometimes it’s fun to play the unwavering good guy.
Graphics
L.A. Noire’s graphics are a delight to look at – to put it simply, I felt as though I was in a noir like Double Indemnity. With the MotionScan technology, and the faithful rendition of 1940’s Los Angeles, Rockstar and Team Bondi have really created a visually stunning game. It’s fun to solve the cases, but sometimes what can be more entertaining is cruising around the city Grand Theft Auto style and checking out what’s what.
The resemblance is uncanny.
From the very beginning of the game, I was impressed with the visuals. The main menu, the pause menu, Phelps’ notebook, and even the conversation log exude the very essence of both noir as a film genre and the time period the game is set in. The world of L.A.Noire is sharp and vivid, and there aren’t any moments where the images look pixelated or blurry – in fact, it’s the essence of an open world game where every place and everything can be examined and explored (unless there’s a fence blocking the way!). The chase scenes are great: I was chasing a guy around on a movie set for one case, and I actually stopped chasing to look at how great the setting was…needless to say, I failed the case because my suspect ran away.
However, it’s the attention to detail which really gives L.A. Noire that authentic feel. Every nook and cranny has had thought put into it: the writing on the blackboard at the LAPD is all legible, the houses have household items all clearly laid around the place, and of course, the characters move and look like their real life counterparts. With MotionScan and questioning/interrogation, every little move is so evident and L.A. Noire really makes the most of this: when looking for signs that a person is lying, it’s not always crystal clear. Even the most subtle swallowing or glance downwards can indicate so much about what the suspect or witness is saying, and every motion the character makes is so similar to a person’s in real life that sometimes it’s hard to remember this is just a game and not actually Los Angeles.
Audio: SFX and Soundtrack
I was fortunate enough to receive the Verve Remixed album with my copy, which was a real treat because the soundtrack is just filled with those jazz beats that everyone loves. L.A. Noire’s soundtrack features a number of unique songs as well as iconic songs from the era (think Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday) and really sets itself apart from other game soundtracks in that respect. Whoever believes a game should only feature hard rock or poppy beats needs to pick up L.A. Noire because the sultry jazz fits the game like a key fits into a lock. The graphics are great at recreating the look of Los Angeles, but what really recreates the feel is the soundtrack. Take the moment when Phelps walks into a jazz bar: I could have sworn I could see the man at the piano, playing away to the song request of a patron. While it’s not as award-worthy as a game like Dead Space 2’s soundtrack, L.A. Noire’s soundtrack most certainly does establish the tone of the game and helps create a brilliant atmosphere.
The audio is as sultry as Candy Edwards.
The audio is integrated into the game not only as a soundtrack, but as a hint to the environment around Phelps. When searching for clues, the music is a great indicator of where things are – kind of like a musical “hot” or “cold” – and the music fades out once all the clues in a certain room have been found. This music is often eerie and adds to the suspense of a creepy case; however it’s also useful as an indicator of whether or not Phelps asked the right question during interrogation. When Phelps correctly guesses whether a person was telling the truth, lying, or to doubt the witness or suspect, there will be an approving tune from the soundtrack; if Phelps is wrong, an ominous sound will play.
Gameplay
The easiest way for me to describe the gameplay is to say this: imagine L.A. Noire as Grand Theft Auto meets Phoenix Wright. It’s got that open world element to it where any car can be taken, any road can be driven on, and people make comments if you run into them or steer your car off the sidewalk; meanwhile the detective side of the game is akin to Wright’s investigation of crime scenes and interrogation of witnesses on the stand (minus the “Objection!”, of course).
In L.A. Noire, the style of gameplay is simple to describe: there’s a case, you investigate the crime scene, drive around to different locations to collect evidence and question witnesses and suspects, and help maintain justice within the city. Sometimes witnesses or suspects will run and it’s up to Phelps to catch them and beat them up; other times people will shoot and Phelps has to protect himself and his witness. However, despite the gameplay being simple to describe, there’s a lot of time and energy that is required for playing L.A. Noire which gives it a totally new experience.
The navigation most definitely has Rockstar’s imprint on it.
Investigation of the crime scene and of various other locations tied into the case, and involves Phelps examining the body (if there is one) and the surrounding area to search for clues. Phelps can pick up objects and – by rotating the left analog stick – examine them closely to judge their relevance to the case. Not everything you find is going to be relevant, but nevertheless it’s great to pick up a bottle of beer and look at the detailed label on it just for fun. Phelps can also look in the victim’s pockets, examine their neck or head for signs of foul play, and speak to the coroner for any extra information involved with the case. Occasionally, some clues will even involve doing a small puzzle, which adds a fun little element to what can otherwise be a very serious game.
From here on, gameplay involves collecting evidence and talking to witnesses and suspects, and building up your knowledge of the case in Phelps’ notebook. The notebook contains Persons of Interest, clues, and locations which all contribute to the solving of the case. Additionally, there are “Intuition Points” which Phelps can use as a hint for clues in the vicinity or when players aren’t sure whether the POI is telling the truth, lying, or to be doubtful. Intuition points are earned through asking the correct questions in the game, and are a real help when you’re stuck in a tight spot.
When interrogating people, I’m going to give you one hint which will make everything easier: unless you have evidence, don’t press the “lying” button! I’ve dropped down the rating in some of my cases because I knew they were lying but didn’t have anything to back it up. While the interrogations are fun though, the chasing and shooting parts of L.A. Noire are my favourite because they add a certain degree of balance to an otherwise slow-paced game. When suspects run, Phelps chases them until they give up – alternatively, some suspects can be very uncooperative and require a bit of a brawl to set them straight. There are also shooter phases where a suspect could take a person as their hostage and Phelps has to get them down before they kill the hostage. Needless to say, while L.A. Noire definitely has many question-and-answer moments, these action-packed sequences reignite the game for those who need a bit of guns to make gameplay complete.
Doubtful…definitely doubtful.
The only thing which annoyed me slightly in L.A. Noire was how repetitive the cases could become at times, as I mentioned earlier. Rockstar certainly did a great job of minimising repetitiveness and balancing out the game with chase scenes, puzzles, and shooting, but going through the game case by case by case can become formulaic at times. Thank goodness the cases are all different enough and intriguing enough to take away from the sometimes formulaic moments, and overall I found that as I got further into the game, I stopped caring about repetition and started focusing on suspects.
Final Comments
L.A. Noire provides gamers with a new experience which is sure to intrigue even the most genre-specific players. After months and months of reading news about the game, talking about it and watching trailers, I have to say L.A. Noire lived up to every one of my expectations. However, from a stellar combination such as Rockstar and Team Bondi, I wouldn’t expect any more. This title is innovative, fun, and a challenge to the traditional genre games in the industry…and for me, that’s a winner. Case closed: I love this game.
Although there hasn’t been a lot of information released about the title, there sure have been a lot of screenshots released for Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3. In this batch we see a whole bunch of combat shown off between the various types of Gundams that players will be able to control as well as a few of the characters performing what I can only guess is their special moves, or beginning of a fight of some sort.
Who will be picking this title up when it releases on July 1st for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? Being the third iteration of the Dynasty Warriors Gundam series, the developers have most likely been able to create an experience that all fans should enjoy, both those who enjoy the Gundam series and those who enjoy the Dynasty Warriors series. of course with both Namco Bandai and Tecmo Koei teamed up for this one, it better be. Check out all of the screenshots below.
MonkeyPaw Games have been quite busy as of late, preparing for the release of BurgerTime World Tour, previously known as BurgerTime HD which will make it’s way to the XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare later this year. The re-imagining of the age old classic puts Peter Pepper in a circular, 3D world in which players must dodge obstacles and quickly stack up burgers.
In a new “E3 trailer” released today, we get a fantastic glimpse into the game as everything appears to be fast-paced and addicting and you can easily spot several new power-ups with the meaty enemies roaming about. Multi-player is also shown off a bit in which four players can go head to head to gain the crown of top chef. Out of all the gameplay that is shown though, the remixed track used in the clip brings back a lot of good memories from the classic version for myself and thankfully, the original formula looks to run through the veins of World Tour. Hopefully, a release date for BurgerTime World Tour will come forth at this years E3, but for now you can watch the hunger-inducing trailer below.
Did you ever wonder how some games get their sound effects to sound so scary or so real to life? Well in some cases they may use some pre-recorded stock sounds but that won’t be the case in Hunted: The Demon’s Forge. Instead that creepy sound you may be hearing could be something as simple as random household items being run together. Or a concoction of different liquid items all mixed into one to make it sound like you are stabbing into flesh.
inXile has spent a lot of time developing the sounds of Hunted: The Demon’s Forge and you can watch the following trailer to find out just how they came up with some of their ideas. Also detailed is the way that the team has implemented puzzles into their game, by making them meld into gameplay without it being to jarring. From the sounds of it some of these puzzles won’t be as easy as some may hope. We’ll be seeing much more of Hunted: The Demon’s Forge next month when it is released on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is looking like an awesome addition to the franchise with it’s own merits, but one thing many have been looking forward to is the demo for 2012’s “Resident Evil: Revelations” which will be packaged with the title. In a new interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, Resident Evil producer Masachika Kawata detailed the experience players can expect to see for the demo itself.
“We have included a very short Revelations demo so you can get the feel of it,” said Kawata. “The playable character will be Jill Valentine and the game takes place inside a cruise ship liner so she goes into the boat which is like a very eerie type of Resident Evil universe.”
He added: “There isn’t much of a storyline – it’s a very short demo – but you will get a feeling of what Resident Evil Revelations will be like.”
I did expect a little more from the demo honestly as Capcom have been heavily promoting it as of late, but even though it doesn’t outline a plot, hopefully the atmosphere will give us a true taste of what is to come in true RE style. During the interview, Kawata also mentioned that the script is also now complete for Revelations, and that Capcom “are full-on developing the game”.
Fans hoping to get a taste of a new MMA experience are going to have to wait a little longer because the only MMA game releasing this year, Supremecy MMA by Kung Fu Factory and 505 Games has suffered a delay. Originally the game was set for a mid June release but now it has been delayed until September 20th for unknown reasons. The game itself will take the MMA experience to new heights unlike what we have seen in the past from previous titles.
505 President Ian Howe said that “Supremacy MMA is an extremely important new IP for 505 Games and represents another level of depth to our growing roster of games. With that in mind, we believe the tremendous value of the title combined with the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve had from consumers and writers during early gameplay sneak peeks, tells us this title deserves to launch in the thick of the fall buying season.”
From what I’ve seen so far on the title it will definitely be something interesting and it will also be the first MMA title to include actual female fighters. The whole roster has yet to be revealed however and we will know more as time goes by, but all MMA fans should mark on their calender that September 20th Supremacy MMA will be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
