Jurassic Park the film captivate audience worldwide when it was released in 1993, and is still to this day highly regarded as one of the classic movies of the 90’s. Numerous Jurassic Park video games have been made, but none have really captured the sense of awe that the film so greatly achieved until now. Telltale Games have ambitiously set out and have created an all new Jurassic Park adventure game.
Fans of the original movie will be pleased to know that Jurassic Park: The Game’s story will be told in five episodic parts and will run in parallel with the film. The game sheds light on what exactly happened on that stormy night when Jurassic Park fell apart, and what really happened to the Barbasol can full of dinosaur embryos that ‘the fat guy’ Dennis Nedry stole.
The world premier trailer is viewable at the game’s official site,www.jurassicparkthegame.com. Customers who pre-order the game will also receive $5 off the full $34.99 retail price.
Jurassic Park: The Game is set for an April 2011 release date
With the impending release of Epic Games’ latest first person shooter instalment, Bulletstorm, scheduled for release on the 24th of February, gamers with access to the downloadable demo have been given an opportunity to test and see if it lives up to the standard that we’ve come to expect from the creators of ‘Gears of War’. How does their venture into the realm of first person shooters deviate from their previous experience with third person? And does it stack up against the myriad of FPS titles already available?
When accessing the demo, player are provided with access to a score-attack game type mode called ‘Echoes’. You take on the role of a self-proclaimed infamous space pirate (and Marcus Fenix doppelganger) named Grayson Hunt. To get a feel for the basics of gameplay, the good Mr Hunt walks players through some of the basics in terms of controls, and how to score points by disposing of enemies in the most creative, or gruesome ways possible. The purpose of this gametype appears to be to have players shoot, kick, leash and blast their way through the ‘Collapsed Building’ stage in an effort to rake up as many points as possible. The points collected are uploaded to international leaderboards where players will be able to compare carnage with their friends. But how does one ideally increase their score?
During the introductory video, Grayson makes the claim that he wants to see the players “Kill with Skill.” Sure, you might be able to simply fire your weapon at an enemy to kill him… But why do that when ALTERNATIVELY, you can use your energy leash to pull an opponent towards you, kick them into the air and fire a charged shot from the Screamer, which then turns the hapless mid-air suspended sucker into a living firework? Then, having the resulting explosion fling his nearby allies off cliffs, into sharp impaling debris, or into the path of an oncoming train? As you can imagine, the latter strategy is the one that rakes in the big points. The best players will use every weapon, tool and environmental aspect to their advantage.
Too often it has been found that no matter how well refined a modern First Person Shooter is, the ways in which players are able to kill opponents are limited, and games can quickly get bogged down in a cycle of repetition. Bulletstorm however takes a different approach by providing multitudes of ways to kill off waves of mutant freak-shows. It must be said that there is something gruesomely satisfying about kicking an enemy mutant into wall mounted spikes.
This is not to say however that this demo is without its own respective flaws. Immediately players will notice that the game is lacking a “jump” function, which many consider to be a standard move for FPS games. Instead the ‘A’ button function acts as the “dash/slide” command. Coming from a company whose major success was in the third person shooter genre, it is understandable why the developer may have chosen to omit this function. After all there was no need to make Marcus or Dom jump around during the Gears of War games. However, in a first person shooter, this gravity bound player feature will take some gamers a while to get used to.
Whether you’re 100 per cent devoted to buying the full release of the game or not, the demo is certainly worth a try. It definitely achieves the purpose of providing a satisfying sampler of gameplay without spoiling too much of the upcoming story, gameplay features, multiplayer capabilities or levels yet to come. If you are simply eager to get into some ass-kicking, Bulletstorm is a game for you. The full game is scheduled for an Australian release on Febuary 24th. (Available on Xbox360, the PS3 and PC)
The zombies are coming for us, and developer Techland is leading them. With a focus on first person melee slaying, Deep Silver will be publishing this awesome game. You can find out more about the game here.Now, watch the trailer below. After watching it, come back to this article and tell us if you would like to see a full length movie based on this franchise. If so, you will be encouraged to hear that Deep Silver has the exclusive rights to create such a film, and they want to do it right, not like a certain *cough*Uncharted movie *cough.*
“We are looking for quality above all else for a movie based on Dead Island. We want to do it the right way as film realizations of games (or vice versa) usually fail to deliver what the fans were looking for. We will not go down this route with Dead Island. Deep Silver profoundly believes in the quality and value of its Dead Island IP,” says Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Deep Silver’s parent company Koch Media. “We would therefore be honored to work with someone who already has a proven track record with blockbuster movies.”
Ever wanted a game where you could immerse yourself into the world of …valet parking? With such an odd concept of a 1989 set valet parking title, I think the subject alone is definitely original. That however is the name of the game in Valet Parking 1989 which will soon be headed to the DSiWare thanks to developers, Zordix AB. Zordix AB have released a lot of information about this title though, and I am starting to think that this oddball title may be a winner. Valet Parking 1989 throws gamers back in the time of bright colors, big hair, and a neon lit California. The concept of the game is quickly park cars for impatient clients. In a way, you can think of it as a Diner Dash, but with…valet parking (of course) instead.
Here is a full list of features for the title:
Park and return cars to patience impaired guests.
One evil bossman! intense and manic gameplay.
Set in a neon lit California 1989.
12 story mode levels all with their own challenges.
Shoulder pads galore.
30 characters that you may or may not (n)ever have heard of.
Mullets, mullets everywhere! 15 songs (quite but not like, anything you heard before)
Two words, handcuffs and ice cream.
15 cars, big and small with their own quirks. Never ending play, with or without a teen movie story.
A nice ambulance, you will need it!
A trailer was also released for the title, which you can check out below. The clip doesn’t show off too much really, but if the music and setting are any indication, this title really looks to be an awesome addition to the DSiWare and a bit addictive to boot. Valet Parking 1989 reminds me of some of the offbeat titles the DS has seen in it’s lifespan that are packed full of clever and humorous dialogue all the way through, which is why the is a must buy for myself. No date has been given yet but I would expect to see this game parking its way to DSis sometime later this year.
If you have been holding off on purchasing Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, now is the time to check it out as Gamestop has the price set at a low $19.99 (both PS3 & 360 versions). This drop was recently listed in the retailer’s latest weekly ad, but it doesn’t seem that it is permanent as of yet as sites like Amazon still have it listed by MSRP at $39.99. With the recent news from Namco that the much praised title failed to meet expectations due to only selling just under 500,000 units, I hope this temporary drop soon becomes the set price as I would like to see more gamers experience it.
If you haven’t noticed though, many games that are not Call of Duty or Halo have been dropping rather quickly after release, and by games, I mean gems like Enslaved and the critically praised Bayonetta which released last year (which can easily be found for under $20 everywhere now). I could go on and on about how I wish gamers would support fresh IPs, but that is a completely different topic on it’s own. For now though, grab this title while the deal is hot as there really is no telling when we might see a lower price come along in the future.
Duck for cover! According to a recent blog post, a sequel to last years Medal of Honor game will be incoming. Executive producer Greg Goodrich was quoted as saying, “We’ve studied, listened and absorbed much of your feedback and are very excited to be marching forward on the next title.”
Last year, EA sold over 5 million copies of the Medal of Honor reboot. Although that falls well short of Call of Duty numbers, those are still respectable digits.
Danger Close will once again be reprising their role as developers of the game. However, it is unclear if they will also be handling the multiplayer portion of the game. In the previous game, DICE hammered out that side of things.
Red Octane, the original publisher behind Guitar Hero, has had Kelly Summers, former CEO, reveal his thoughts on the demise of the franchise.
“(Activision) tried to get too much out of the franchise too quickly. They abused it,” he said. “There’s no reason why Guitar Hero cannot continue. It’s a great product. My gut tells me there is still a significant market for Guitar Hero.
“Not every game can be a billion dollar franchise, but maybe that’s what Activision wants. I’d be surprised if they sold the brand as it’d prove to the world there is still a market for this product and show them up. Look at how Take-Two has handled GTA. They haven’t thrown products out there. They’ve nurtured it for over ten years and it is still a strong franchise.”
Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an entire rebooting of the franchise within a few years. Of course, the game could also go the way of the Sonic…
Anyone familiar with the’ Transformers’ series will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect of another full length feature to hit the cinemas. In late 2010, an official trailer for the next movie was released, and quickly circulated around the internet. On February 6th 2011, Paramount Pictures revealed to the world a short 30 second teaser trailer for the third instalment of the live action Transformers series, directed by Michael Bay. Delivered in the form of a short TV spot during the Superbowl, the people of the world were told: “On July 1st, Earth goes Dark.”
From what can be seen in the trailer, it looks as though the antagonist Decepticons have finally gotten their metallic rears in gear. After their last two butt-kickings at the hands of the Autobots, it appears that the Decepticons have chosen to launch an all-out invasion of Earth. Apparently the time for subtlety is over. With only a handful of Autobots stationed on Earth, will Optimus Prime be able to lead his troops against an entire Decepticon army? And where did this Decepticon army come from?
How this ties in with the previous announcement trailer regarding the moon landing in 1969 is still up for speculation. Was the crashed ship a Deception sleeper cell holding the army Megatron needs to crush the humans? Or does it hold a secret the Autobots might use to once again save the day? And what of the humans? With Shia LaBeouf’s appearance in the trailer, will humanity yet again play a role in the War of Cybertron? Will Bumblebee ever get his voice unit fixed? Of course, there’s only one way to answer these questions for yourselves.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of the Transformers or not, this film is likely to be one of the must-see films this year for any action genre junkie. Previous instalments have always boasted fantastic visual effects, engaging soundtracks, and as always, a storyline that has more than meets the eye. From the teasers we’ve been given, its looks like the third movie will be of a very similar calibre. Transformers: Dark of the Moon will hit cinemas on July 1st this year in 3D, so prepare to once again see the Autobots and Decepticons clash in a battle that will determine the fate of two worlds. One shall stand, one shall fall.
Well, if your into maximizing your video game buying experiences, then you may want to check out your favorite retailers and see what they are offering for pre-orders of Homefront. If you buy the game from Best Buy, you can get a free headset. Check out the sweet pictures above to see I mean.
Buying from Gamestop or GAME will net you some different items, specifically those of the digital variety, like the 870 Express Shotgun, air recon drone, auto repair ability and the SCAR L gun. These little extra bonuses apply to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.
Even Amazon is getting in on the action for the game. Get some new avatar clothes, a digital mini guide and a $10 credit for a another video game purchase down the road.
Game: TNT Racers
Publisher: dtp entertainment
Developer: keen games
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10.00)
Consoles: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PS3, Wii and PSP
These days, a $10.00 game can bring you the same experience that a $40.00 game used too. We also have begun to expect that these smaller prices should give us a great experience. And why not? This is the future. A future where devices are miniaturized, but they cost less to produce. A future where consumers, creators and companies can work together to set the most reasonable and competitive prices.
TNT Racers blasts into this futuristic world with a price that is steadily becoming endangered. Yup, it is only 800 Microsoft Points. But with a price so low, does it bring an experience that rivals its competitors on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace?
TNT Racers is a racing game where you collect power ups and try to ram the other opponents off the screen. You play as a tiny car that must fight for the win. To accomplish this, there are a variety off weapons to use. For example, you can use giant hammers to cripple other cars. Or, catch the other cars up in a whirling tornado. Electrical stunning is another way to disable your enemies. It is really fun to use all these different powers. The sheer creativity of the varying artillery at my disposal made it all the more awesome to blow up the artificial intelligence. However, although there are quite a few weapons to go around, these weapons were very hard utilize due to control issues and some other problems.
The game’s camera angle is situated in a top down view, and thus it is very difficult to accurately control your mini cars. Endlessly jamming my analog sticks around, I was immensely frustrated with how little control I felt that I had over my ride. I would normally praise a game for having a lot of different track surfaces. But with TNT Racers, I struggled to merely keep the car on the marked road. Avoiding the countless puddles and mud was an impossible mission, especially when the other racers are also firing all the weapons they can.
This camera also caused other complications. Because the the action is so far away, it takes away some of the excitement that the game could have had. Using the collectibles is still fun, but when you can barely see what is happening below, it is nearly pointless. Aiming these weapons is also a pain, even when the game uses the auto targeting system (the system still needs your input to work, but once you get close enough, the aiming usually takes care of itself). Getting the game to recognize your input is rough though. I had issues finding my car since there was so much going on. Locating other cars and firing them on them accurately was annoyingly messy. All in all, the cars were just dwarfed by the larger backgrounds and the camera angle made them seem even smaller.
One weird part about the game that I noticed was just how much of a distinction there was between the backgrounds and cars. Let me explain further. The backgrounds and environments were extremely detailed and charming. A ton of different styles were exhibited. From icy oceans to Egyptian deserts, all of them were nice to look at. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the game, and it made me want to keep going when the other parts of the game got on my nerves. I wanted to find out what other kind of artistic touches the developers had put into the tracks. However, although the places you are driving through are magnificent, the cars are bland. Being so small, they get lost in the massive tracks. Just a few different color options are available to paint them too. I don’t know why, but this inequality separating the automobiles and racing locales seemed odd.
There are some interesting car designs though. Take as an example, the UFO car, which sounds exactly like what it is. Sports cars and trucks are featured as well. Even little compacts are an option. Nonetheless, the designs of the vehicles do not seem to matter. No matter how cool they look, there are no speed or power differences between any of them. Therefore, your only reason to choose one over the other would be based on the psychological eye candy appeal of each transport.
It is not all doom and gloom however. The points I mentioned above are true, but they don’t quite destroy all the game’s potential. It is still a awesome to blow up the other competitors. Destroying the others is not the only option in the game though. There are many other game modes included. As an example, you can practice your traffic cone avoidance skills (more fun than it sounds) or you can run over as many cacti as possible in a given time. Shadow mode also allows you to respawn, even if you fail. So, although your just a ‘shadow’ of your former self, you can still wreak havoc even if you died. Its too bad that you have to unlock one race at a time though. If you get stuck, you can only keep trying, unless you want to move to the harder tier and try your luck there.
Multi-player in the game holds a rare treat. Split screen play has been added! What what! I really appreciated this feature, even if I did not actually try it. It is good to see some developers still implement this in their games. But, as with all games, online is where its at. Unfortunately, I could find no other gamers to play with. That is weird too, because there were clearly many players ranked in the leader boards. This was a real disappointment, as I really wanted to try my killing/racing skills in the online world. Also, a good percentage of the achievements are centered around the online playing field. It appears as though most people will be unable to unlock them.
Finally, you can also create your own custom racing games. You can make tournaments or single race events. Pick your favorite modes and tracks and add them in. Now you have a party!
Another sweet morsel of goodness in the game is the soundtrack. The music is delightful. Cartoony in nature, it will put a smile on your face. Featuring trumpets and some drum beats, it transcends the game’s explosion happy gameplay and reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons. Although repetitive in nature, it is still a good backdrop of audio goodness.
In conclusion, TNT Racers tries to go down the same racing path that many of its predecessors have raced down. Games like Mario Kart and Blur. While these games were full of in your face action, TNT Racers almost makes racing feel like an exhausting chore. Flimsy controls and far away action meant that I was constantly trying to just keep up with the others. Even just trying to find the one car that I was controlling was sometimes a difficult task to accomplish. However, some pretty great power ups do make the racing worthwhile. Add in the cheap price tag, and this game is a nice deal. Nevertheless, you may want to check out the demo before you lay down your converted cash.
