Brink is one day closer to release, and this first person shooter is geared up and ready to go. Trailer number 5 out 6 is now out and ready to watch. It details all that you will need to know about the different classes available. For example, the soldier class restocks ammo, etc and the operative can hack stuff. Other class options are also available. This video also explains how the UI in-game works and how you can change classes at anytime during a match.
Class based multiplayer is always very fun and addictive. This game certainly looks to match those requirements.
Bioware has just announced that Mass Effect 3 was kicked out of a 2011 release spot and will instead find a new landing zone in the first 3 months or so of 2012.
The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations.” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer Mass Effect series.
More facts about the game will be forthcoming as the year wears on. For now though, we will all have to content oursleves by replaying the previous games to get more endings, or finally getting around to the Arrival DLC. Or, you can take a look at the two new screenshots released for ME3:
Do you.. (A) run and hide, or (B) step up to the plate, amp yourself up with crazy amounts of ionic powers and take that thing head on !!!
Today MasterAbbott had the pleasure to speak with Ken Schramm and Joe Ishikura from Sucker Punch Productions about their highly anticipated sequel inFamous 2 for Playstation 3.
Joe (Game designer over at Sucker Punch who’s in charge of all the missions in the game) takes us through what you can expect to see, feel and experience in inFamous 2. A whole lot of major upgrades have been implemented into the game; these include Cole new abilities and super powers, upgraded environments, new and improved enemies which are stronger, faster and more deadlier, new missions which now include UGC (User Generated Content). This works similar to the UGC used in Little Big Planet and Modnation Rachers where the Playstation community can create their own missions and have them appear in the game (if Sucker Punch feel there’re worthy of being in there). This potentially can increase the games longevity immensely.
inFamous 2 is not just a 1.5 upgrade from the original but a fully revamped sequel running off an updated version of the inFamous 1 engine, as explained by Ken the cut-scenes are no longer in a 2D comic book style but 3D in game engine scenes(similar to Uncharted). Gameplay wise inFamous will keep you entertained for a minimum of 12-13 hours. That’s if you just rush through the main missions, there are approx 150 missions in total, consisting of around 40 main story missions, 100 or so side missions, then of course as explained before 10 preloaded UGC missions with potentially hundreds and hundreds of new UGC that will keep you coming back for more, Ken explained that some of the UGC that players have already created and you can expect to see are Frogger type missions, Angry Birds (entitled Angry Cole) and a hole lot of others. Players are given the tools to create and share with the community, so expect to see an amazing array of fun and talented missions.
This time around Cole will not be alone, along the way he will team with two new super heros, one named KUO who weilds powerful ice ability. KUO represents Order and reason in true super hero fashion. On the other side of the fence we have NIX who represnts Chaos and is empowered with napalm and oil based abilities. Cole will get to battle alongside KUO and NIX on certain missions in the game. The two companions as explained represent your two moral choices based on your actions, with that the world you are in changes to reflect the actions and choices you make. This will also effect the game’s story development. Just like the first inFamous it’s recommended to play through the game twice to experience both Good and Evil story plots and ending.
So are you ready? Do you have what it takes to battle the beast and come out on top ? Remember with great power comes great responsibility. inFamous 2 is scheduled for release on June 7th
Solatorobo: Red The Hunter was originally released in Japan last year by Namco and thankfully Nintendo decided to pick this rather unknown title up and bring it to a larger audience across seas. While it is still unknown if the future RPG will hit the U.S., Nintendo of Europe have now set the date for the anthropomorphic adventure, having it hit shelves in the region on July 1st on the Nintendo DS.
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter puts players in the shoes (or paws for that matter) of Red Savarin, a 17 year old anthropomorphic dog and his robot sidekick, Dahak who do battle with giant robotic “mecha” and other enemies on a journey through the floating islands of the Shepherd Republic. After encountering the mysterious “Elh”, Red gets caught up in a mess of trouble and now must save the world from destruction against the evil being, Lares.
What makes Solatorobo different from other RPGs is the many different modes within the game. Battling is very present in which you must “lift and smash robot opponents” to gain more health for Red. There are also 70 different quests to partake in as well to level up your character and earn money along the journey through the islands in a overall 20+ hour experience.
I always enjoy seeing new IPs come out for any console, and Solatorobo: Red the Hunter seems to stick out from the other title’s in the genre for the DS. The art is also quite stunning for the title, which was designed by Nobuteru Yuki, who also designed characters for Chrono Cross, Dragon Force II, and many Japanese anime TV series and movies. While there isn’t a whole lot of footage from the actual game, I will leave you all with a Japanese trailer until something else surfaces which you can check out below.
Guilty Gear Isuka Publisher: DotEmu (2011), Sammy Corporation (2004) Developer: Arc System Works Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS2, Xbox Price: $5.99 US, €3.99 EU – Buy Now!
Overview:
Arc System Works has most recently been known for its stylized fighting series Blazblue. The series contains fast paced action with unique fighting moves and even more unique fighters. But before there was Blazblue, Arc System Works had another fighting series that helped lay the groundwork for what we are seeing today. That series is the Guilty Gear series. Guilty Gear Isuka was released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2004 and it took the standard fighting formula that Guilty Gear had been using and changed it up a bit. Now with DotEmu releasing the title for the PC, just how great does this title work on a computer?
Story:
Now previous Guilty Gear games before the creation of Isuka had a story mode of some sort. Whether or not the story was any good however is not the issue here. What is the issue is the fact that Isuka has absolutely zero story whatsoever to go along with it. There is no semblance of a story mode; rather players are presented an arcade option.
However this arcade option, which most other fighting games use as a story telling device, is nothing more than a series of survival battles. Rather than starting each consecutive fight with full health players are provided a small increase to what they had left at the end of their last battle. Occasionally a random fighter will enter the battle and force you to enter a new stage and sometimes entirely new opponents at the same time. This event is announced by the words Here Comes Daredevil! but actually has zero impact on the non-existent storyline.
All the favorite fighters from past Guilty Gear games return with the addition of A.B.A. Again however anyone who hasn’t played a Guilty Gear series before will find themselves struggling to identify any of these characters as there is little introduction. Still it is good to see favorites return, meaning players can still choose to play as a man disguised as a nun that uses yo-yos and fight against a woman with two different colored wings and a tail that can attack with said wings.
Graphics:
Guilty Gear has always been a game that has had a unique visual style and Guilty Gear Isuka impresses just as much as previous iterations of the title. As a 2D fighting game the series as a whole has always stood out amongst its peers graphically and despite the seven year age, the graphical style chosen still holds up well today.
The anime-looking characters are amazing to see and every one of them has a unique look and character design. The vibrant colors that are implemented into the characters are ever impressive looking even on the PC. Players are given the option to modify the character coloration but playing the characters as they are is best for tradition’s sake. Despite the hectic action that happens all at once players will not experience any frame rate issues as Isuka is not a heavy draw on computer resources meaning that most modern computers shouldn’t have an issue with the title.
Audio:
Just as with the graphics, Guilty Gear has always been famous for its driving rock soundtrack and Isuka contains exactly that. The soundtrack is very impressive to hear and fits right into the fast paced action that players will be experiencing. The music may not be for everyone as the songs are quite rock and roll heavy with a tinge of the metal genre thrown in but overall the soundtrack is quite impressive and fans of the series will not be left wanting. Newcomers will be able to appreciate the ability to enter the combat feeling easier due to the rock and roll soundtrack implemented in the title.
Gameplay:
Now your standard fighting game consists of fighters doing battle with one another until the health bar of one opponent drops fully. The same is true in Guilty Gear Isuka but rather than having one health bar players are given two. Fighters are given a full health bar as well as an orb that will replenish the fighter’s health automatically once.
Now while this inclusion isn’t anything too different from the standard fighting game, the rest of the game is. First and foremost the biggest feature touted for Guilty Gear Isuka is the fact that it can allow up to four different players to fight at the same time on computer. You and a friend can do battle with two other computer opponents, or you can simply enter battle with a computer partner, or face a three on one situation through teams. However the game’s lack of online multiplayer is truly a hindrance here. Besides having your friend come over and share the keyboard with you, or use a gaming controller for the PC you will not find yourself actually making use of the four player options to do battle with your friends on one computer.
Now beyond the limitations of the platform itself, the battles for Guilty Gear have always been hectic affairs with wide ranging attacks able to deal out damage in a wide range. What makes matters worse however is the fact that players on the same team can attack one another without warning and in the heat of battle you may find yourself striking not only your enemies with a powerful strike but also your teammate. The multicharacter fighting system provides an intense combat situation at times and fighting game fans will find their skills put to the test but some may find the actual combat difficult due to a number of bizarre design choices.
Guilty Gear Isuka draws one of its ideas from another famous fighting game series, Fatal Fury. The idea taken from that series is the background and foreground fighting areas. Meaning players can switch between two different fighting planes during battle or even knock your enemy around these two fighting planes. Unfortunately this gameplay element actually becomes a hassle to be concerned about during the game’s fast paced battles, especially in four fighter fights.
Now what makes matters worse than the two separate fighting planes is the fact that players literally have to manually press a button to turn their character. In your average fighting game, if your enemy ends up making its way behind you your character will turn to face them either automatically or as soon as you attacked the next time. That isn’t the case with Isuka however, instead you will be forced to press a button to turn and face your opponent or else you will be at their mercy. Attempting to turn around by moving left and right is useless and will only result in your fighter receiving more damage. Managing not only the background and foreground fighting areas while also having to manually turn your fighter around is a major gameplay flaw.
This is only heightened by the fact that playing on a computer keyboard is far from ideal for a fighting game. Even with keys customizable outside of the game players will find themselves struggling to manually turn their fighter with one button, move around with another set, fight with another set and handle the shoulder buttons with another. Also it is interesting to note that actual in-game control customization still shows the PlayStation 2 buttons, meaning it is more or less a direct emulation of the title.
Now while most combat will take place through the arcade or vs. modes players will also be able to experience something called Boost Mode which draws upon the Final Fight style of action. Meaning players will take their chosen character and fight against mobs of similar enemies in a series of areas, constantly moving to the right as they defeat enemies. Unfortunately the inability to automatically face your foes is an almost game breaking flaw to the Boost Mode as you will often find yourself facing opponents on all sides, so while you may be trying to attack an enemy ahead of you, enemies will close from behind and start to deal out damage. To make matters worse the game does not recognize the turning of direction while you are suffering damage which means you may find yourself locked into damage taking situations for periods of time.
During this mode you will be able to gain points that you can then implement into something known as Robo-KY II who is a robotic fighter that is able to learn most of the main characters’ fighting skills making him an all-around customizable fighter which is interesting to dabble with but most will still find their favorite characters more reliable.
It is worth noting that the game itself is also not very easy to pick up and play. On the easier difficulty players will find gameplay relatively easy to get used to and enemy fighters will fight well enough to provide a small bit of challenge. However on increased difficulty settings enemies become much more adept at using both the back and foreground fighting areas and their instant ability to turn and face your fighter puts you at an automatic disadvantage. The harder difficulties above easy or beginner are best left to those with a heavy amount of experience in Guilty Gear as new players will find themselves soundly defeated.
Overall:
Guilty Gear Isuka is a game that took an odd premise back in 2004 when it was first released. It took elements from a number of different games that were popular at their time and are still popular today. With four player brawl fighting similar to the Super Smash Bros. series, a Boost Mode similar to Final Fight and a foreground and background fighting system from Fatal Fury it seems like everything should blend together well. Unfortunately it does not blend well, with poor control implementation into the title originally the controls only become a further hindrance on the PC. With the lack of any substantial story mode and little to actually do outside of setting up random battles or fighting hundreds of generic enemies in Boost Mode, Guilty Gear Isuka does not stand up to the test of time and could have been better left in the past.
The last few days the R18+ debate has taken some interesting twists and turns. It started off with the idea that even if Australia decides NOT to release an R18+ rating for video games down under, South Australia had decided to go at it alone. The catch is Attorney-General John Rau would like to remove the MA 15+ rating to distinctively show a more clearer difference between games designed for children and adults. Games currently rated MA 15+ will be reclassified either as R 18+ or modified to suit the M rating better.
“I will push for the South Australian position on MA15+ games to be adopted nationally, but if it isn’t, I’m prepared to go it alone,” said Mr Rau on Thursday.”The outcome being that there will be a serious gap between what children will be getting in games and what adults will be getting in games.”
“The fact is that many of the games that are now MA15+ in Australia are sold in other countries as R18 games,” He mentioned. “In other words the present scheme is actually bad for parents who are trying to do the best thing for their children.” It should also be noted that Mr Rau said under this scheme for South Australia, some games would still be refused classification if they were considered inappropriate for anyone to play.
However a few doubts have now come up surrounding this statement, some claiming that the statements are misleading and alot of criticism has been aimed at the idea.
“For videogame distributors it would be extremely difficult – especially when games rated MA15+ in some states are rated differently elsewhere. They would require different advertisements for different states, different print ads, different TV ads. It’s difficult to see how it would all work.” Said Ron Curry, CEO of the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, “And what happens when they distribute the games? The games would have to have different classification logos on the box. Logistically it would be very difficult.”
Furthermore word is the ACT is leaning towards a similar decision as well, by including the R18+ rating even if other states disagree, but still including the MA 15+. However, its not too clear at this point in time. The debate has just gotten even more heated, and the results seem quite unclear. Rumour does have it that all states are leaning towards approving the R 18+ rating, but once again we can’t be too sure. I suppose we’ll just have to wait until the decision in July.
Early film noir films were influenced by pulp fiction writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet, and video games like Assassin’s Creed and World of Warcraft inspire novels and short stories. Therefore, if we do our math correctly then it’s almost a guaranteed fact that Rockstar’s upcoming title, L.A. Noire, would spawn at least some sort of story.
In conjunction with Mulholland Books and Rockstar Games, eight notable authors from the thriller genre will publish a series of short stories based on characters and events from the video game, L.A. Noire. The collection will be titled “L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories” and will see authors such as Megan Abbott, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andrew Vachss create their own stories from the 1940s backdrop of L.A. Noire.
The short stories will examine tales of actresses desperate for Hollywood starlight, heroes turned into defeated men, and Noir villains – just to name a few. Select stories will be available across various media outlets prior to L.A. Noire’s release (May 17 in USA, May 20 in Europe and Oceania), and an excerpt from Megan Abbott’s “The Girl” is available now at Rockstar’s official site here.
Any month is not complete unless it has a dose of SBS DVD, and Madman’s July 2011 release lineup features some awesome new titles coming to DVD. Here’s our pick of the bunch!
The Protectors
In the tradition of breakthrough Danish dramas such as THE KILLING and THE EAGLE, THE PROTECTORS is the latest hit series to arrive from those Nordic masters of crime and suspense.
In today’s violent world, the lives of many politicians, industrialists, heads of state and other VIPs are often endangered. To counteract these threats, the Danish Intelligence Bureau created The Personal Protection Unit – a force of competent, quick-thinking and dedicated bodyguards. This award winning Danish crime series centres around the lives and missions of these specialists, the people they protect and their enemies.
The Yes Men Fix The World
Who knew fixing the world could be so much fun? Brüno meets Michael Moore in this gut-busting wake-up call that proves a little imagination can go a long way towards vanquishing the Cult of Greed.
THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world’s most outrageous pranks. From New Orleans to India to New York City, armed with little more than cheap thrift-store suits, the Yes Men squeeze raucous comedy out of all the ways that corporate greed is destroying the planet.
Stripped – Greg Friedler’s Naked Las Vegas
In August of 2007, director David Palmer set off on a journey with avant-garde photographer Greg Friedler to capture his shooting of the final book in his critically acclaimed “Naked” series in the only city in the world that is synonymous with the term “strip”: Las Vegas. Entering a single white room with a red curtain, the 173 participants of “Naked Las Vegas” open themselves up, baring not only their bodies, but also their souls.
PAX is rapidly approaching and if you haven’t yet snatched up a ticket to the festivities, then Halo Waypoint has recently announced some exciting news that will make you want a ticket even more. The third floor of the convention center will be turned into a an indescribable , amazing, crazy event appropriately called “Halo Fest” that will be “the largest and most expansive live Halo experience ever.” This celebration of the series 10th anniversary lets attendees enter tournaments, pickup giveaways and sit through panels. The best part? Entry is guaranteed as long as you have a PAX ticket. I’m scared that the next charge on my credit card will read “PAX Ticket” and/or “American Airlines- Seattle.”
Last month, the following domain registrations: Metro2033LastLight.com, MetroLastLight.com and LastLightGame.com lent credence to a rumor that THQ would be making a sequel to Metro 2033. Previously known as Metro 2034, the sequel is now confirmed and it will be called Metro: Last Light. Danny Bilson, the head of THQ, has said also that the new game will be subjected to a “first-class marketing campaign.”
Metro 2033 was hailed by many critics as an interesting, innovative experience that fell short in a few key areas. Hopefully, the new game will fix the faults present in the first game and be as awesome as possible.
Early film noir films were influenced by pulp fiction writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet, and video games like Assassin’s Creed and World of Warcraft inspire novels and short stories. Therefore, if we do our math correctly then it’s almost a guaranteed fact that Rockstar’s upcoming title, L.A. Noire, would spawn at least some sort of story.
