So now that we have had a taste of the first bit of Alan Wake DLC, The Signal, we now have what is being called the final piece of DLC that will be released for the game. Named “The Writer” the trailer states that it will finish the nightmare and end Alan’s journey throughout his nightmarish world and try to survive using various tactics, mostly revolving around his flashlight.
The DLC will cost your pocketbook 560 MSP, which for DLC is not a horrible price considering the usual going rate. In the trailer below courtesy of GameTrailers we see that Alan has gained mastery over the floating words and can use them in combat by causing objects to spring into being for his benefit. An old friend even shows up but in what way he will be in the nightmare is yet to be seen. But we will all find out when “The Writer” hits the XBLM on October 12th bringing even more horror to the month of October.
It’s the weekend now and it’s the perfect time to be lazy and not cook any food and go out for fast food. Now while your thinking about what type of food you would want to eat, Taco Bell is offering a tantalizing treat if you happen to purchase a kids meal though. They are offering a free copy of MySims for the PC, or a sticker case or MySims Sky Heroes poster.
Personally I’d request the game and not leave it up to chance considering the other options are a far cry lower than the game itself. We’ve seen Burger King create their own brand of games for the Xbox 360 that made them a decent income of money, though they were largely seen as a marketing tool. Bear in mind though that the promotion is only as supplies last, but if you feel like getting their new chicken flatbread sandwich and a kids meal to go with it, you might also get a game for your troubles. You can see the deal here on Taco Bell’s website.
I can imagine everyone reading this knows about the huge surge of casual titles online. I can’t even check my facebook page anymore without seeing someone needs their crops fertilized or their cow died, got hit in the mafia, the list goes on and on. These titles are highly popular (and strangely addicting) for gamers online and on mobile phones everywhere. Atari took notice to this casual gaming trend and have now announced Atari Games Online also known as Atari GO.
Atari GO initiative will support the development of new online casual and social games and help game developers navigate the increasing complexities of publishing online games. Here is a look at the official press release of Atari GO that Atari CEO Jeff Lapin announced earlier:
Thom Kozik, who recently joined Atari in March, brings more than twenty-five years of experience in games, technology and online beginning with Microsoft followed by leadership roles with Yahoo!, Bigpoint and K2 Network. Kozik has been leading this new initiative, focused on attracting independent developers and content distribution partners with Atari’s multi-platform approach to development, marketing and distribution. More than a dozen studios are actively developing new casual and social games around the Atari GO suite of services.
“Thom brings a wealth of experience and insight to his role here at Atari as he joins our management team during this high growth period in online gaming,” said Lapin. “We look forward to bringing modernised versions of our well-known games, such as Asteroids, and new original games to global online marketplace.”
“The programs, tools and support structures behind Atari GO allows developers to focus on making great games that can then be delivered globally,” said Thom Kozik, Executive VP, Online & Mobile at Atari. “Developers can already sign up for our programs and collaborate with us as we envision the future of cross-platform gaming.”
Atari Games Online will offer programs designed to connect great games to online gamers across a number of platforms:
The Independent Developer Program will cultivate new original games and games based on Atari’s deep catalogue of classic IP while supporting them with the strength of the Atari brand, marketing and platform support.
The Affiliate Program will enable popular independent sites to embed genuine online versions of Classic Atari games along with our new titles, directly into their site and share in the revenue.
The Distribution Program is focused on identifying and partnering with top portals, social networks and game aggregators to expand Atari’s audience.
Marketing and Platforms support will help developers with distribution, marketing, and metrics. Atari will also help developers navigate the increasing complexities of publishing on multiple social networks, sites and portals by assisting with registration, inventory management, monetisation tuning and advertising support. Complementing the announcement of Atari GO, the company is showcasing a new production slate of re-imagined classic games that will roll out in the coming months.
I could definitely get behind some official online releases of classics for sure and this may look to be targeted towards some casual, but I am glad Atari have made it clear that Atari GO will have a bit for both worlds of gaming. I think the true winners here will be the indie developers that Atari GO will employ to help jump start the program.
For more information about Atari’s online initiatives (ATARI GO) and developer, affiliate and distribution programs please visit: www.atari.com/go
Story
“The glorious high-definition chaos continues in Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter, the highly anticipated arcade action FPS sequel to Serious Sam HD. The Second Encounter features single-play, deathmatch, and cooperative play mixed with brilliantly updated visuals and classic over-the-top action from the golden age of first-person shooters.
Brand new multiplayer modes include Survival, Capture the Flag, My Burden, and Coin-Op Co-Op for up to eight players, and over a dozen multiplayer maps make Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter a worthy successor to the original masterpiece.” [Via Xbox.com]
Sam “Serious” Stone is from the future, fighting in the past, in order to stop Mental and his horde of minions. Other than that subtle story line, Serious Sam HD: TSE doesn’t really have a story, but it doesn’t need to have one either. Unlike most games which try to slap on a story that is easily forgettable; Serious Sam places a bit of story as to why you are killing all these enemies, but focuses more on the gameplay aspect and the enjoyment it gives players by throwing tons of enemies at them for their slaughter happy needs.
Gameplay
Serious Sam HD: TSE is a twitch shooter. This pretty much means that the game throws tons and tons and tons (may I add another ‘tons’ in there?) of bad guys at you. These bad guys will try to kill you and you in turn have to kill them and make sure you don’t get hurt. The combat gets quite crazy and you will be jumping around a lot and shooting even more. Each opponent has unique traits, and they will all try to kill you at the same time. Dodging is important and killing everything is even more important.
Serious Sam doesn’t really require any thought processing and only requires a happy trigger finger and the ability to quickly dodge. This mechanic creates a game experience which is perfect for relaxing and just having a good old time killing tons of enemies. Of course there are harder difficulties for when you want a challenge, but the overall mechanic is still the same; Kill Everything.
There really isn’t much more to say about the gameplay. Use your immense arsenal of guns to kill everything in your way. The formula is a formula which succeeds brilliantly in what it tries to achieve and creates a pure “kill everything” experience. There is no need to worry about figuring out where to go, there is no need to find a certain item, there is only a need to traverse the level and kill everything in your path. Although occasionally you do need to hit switches and pick up keys, they are always located directly in your pathway.
Serious Sam HD: TSE also includes a bunch of online multiplayer modes, such as deathmatch and Capture the flag. These extra modes gives more to do within the game, but require people to actually be around to play as well. The life of Arcade online communities isn’t very long, so I don’t expect these to be populated for that long; however, what I have managed to play has been quite fun and hectic.
Audio & Graphics
The audio in this game is slightly odd. You don’t actually hear the soundtrack until there are no enemies left because you are so busy killing, and when there are no enemies left the music changes to something less epic. On the other hand, Serious Sam relies heavily on sound based cues in order for it to be played right. The type of sound tells the player exactly what enemy is approaching and lets the player dodge and shoot the opponent accordingly.
The graphics are really nice. There are tons of plants this time around. While the first game was pretty much just vast deserts; this time there are trees and tons of shrubbery. These additions to the scenery create a much more beautiful world. On the other hands, the enemy models seem out of place; but what can you expect when there are so many of them. The developers had to make some sacrifices in order for so many enemies to be attacking you and keep the engine running smoothly. You kill them so quickly anyway, and there are so many; you barely notice them before they turn into bloody body parts.
Achievements
I don’t often say this, but Serious Sam HD: TSE has an extremely bad achievement list. First off, the most fun part of this game is the online co-op, yet all the achievements that have anything to do with the story force you to play singleplayer. Next the multiplayer achievements are excessive and require a lot of grinding, and hoping that you can find a game. As we all know, arcade games usually don’t hold onto their online community for a long time (with some exceptions) and these multiplayer ones will take a while; particularly winning 100 Deathmatches. You could boost them, but no game should ever force you to boost achievements. So while the achievements will give you plenty to do within the game, they aren’t exactly fun to get. I’d suggest to ignore the achievement list and just have fun playing; because only a few people will actually get all these achievements, and those that do won’t enjoy it. Below is the achievement list:
Serious Beginner – 5 – Complete any level in single player.
Game Master – 15 – Complete the game.
Serious Sam – 25 – Complete the game in single player on serious difficulty.
Look, It’s a Secret – 20 – Find at least 80 secrets in single player.
Cathedral King – 30 – Complete The Grand Cathedral level on serious difficulty without dying or loading.
Coin-op Co-op – 15 – Complete the entire Coin-op cooperative game on normal or higher difficulty.
Capture The Flag Beginner – 5 – Win a CTF match with at least 2 players on each team.
My Burden Beginner – 5 – Win one My Burden match with at least 3 players.
Beast Hunt Master – 20 – Win a Beast Hunt match on all game levels.
Survival Beginner – 5 – Earn at least a bronze medal on any level in single player Survival.
Sam I am – 35 – Accumulate a total of 100,001 enemy kills and frags combined.
Overview
Serious Sam HD: TSE should be treated more like an expansion to the first game, rather than a true sequel. The developers have taken everything that works so well in the first game and added even more too it. There are new multiplayer modes to give a larger variety of gameplay, new locations to slaughter enemies in, and new weapons to slaughter enemies with. Serious Sam HD: TSE is meant for fans who just couldn’t get enough of the first game, and it doesn’t disappoint at all. Many people may feel like they are just playing more of the same, but Serious Sam is all about slaughtering lots and lots of bad guys, and when it comes down to it Serious Sam fills the slaughter quota extremely well. If you want it laid out in front of you, and want to treat it even more as an expansion; think of it like getting 3 new campaigns at $5 each. My score is based on that logic.
I give Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
Picking up three years after Phantasy Star Universe Saga, this latest title sets out to bring the world of Phantasy Star to the PlayStation Portable. It brings an exciting new adventure to the PSP, with all new content and a return to it’s online roots. New to the franchise on PSP is Infrastructure mode and improved social interactivity features, integrated to improve the experience for players of the game.
Phantasy Star Portable 2 cummulates the series to its conclusion as players take on the role of mercenary to save the Gurhal system. Phantasy Star Portable 2 offers a gigantic dose of original content from new combat moves, weapons and character customisation options, a promising proposition for fans of the series and newcomers alike.
Phantasy Star Portable 2 is available on PSP now. Take a glimpse at the story trailer below if this game tickles your fancy and you’d like to know more.
This latest trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (which will hit the PSN and XBLA late 2010), showcases the Casino Street Zone. As you will see from the video, the game looks very fluid, and the Casino-theme, a concept already explored in many previous Sonic games, seems to work well, with a whole manner of cards and slot machines meeting you along the way.
Overview:
What happens when you combine platforming gaming with the agile quickness of a catgirl bounty hunter? Well you get Blade Kitten of course! Coming to us from Krome Studios and the web comic creation of the same name bySteve Stamatiadis we are placed on a lawless world currently occupied by the Sol Army and the native alien Squamatans.
Story:
Kit Ballard is a space bounty hunter, known as a Breaker, and has just landed on Hollow Wish looking to pick up a very expensive bounty, the leader of a group of bandits known as the Norteun Wolves. Only problem is there are no laws on the planet of Hollow Wish, and another bounty hunter, Justice, just blew up your space ship.
What initially occurs will begin to set the whole story of the game with small snippets added in between levels that help to drive the game along. There is little character development occurring beyond the fact that Kit eventually joins with her new ally/pet Skiffy and they begin their journey together. The story stays quite set on following the bounty, but Kit is very easily persuaded into helping anyone that asks her to perform a task which can cause the story structure to flutter and lose track of what it was initially trying to establish.
The story is little more than a structuring to the game that starts to take a back seat to the action shortly after the game begins. The various cutscenes between levels and during levels will help fill the voids and sometimes explain why you are where you are, but there are many things that have been unexplained, but then again this is only Episode 1 of a two part series. Also in the help area of the menu the game has a helpful glossary which will explain a few small details which aren’t explained normally through the story.
Graphics & Audio:
From the very opening cutscene players can expect to see very bright visuals that appear very much comicbook like in design but also gives the feel of an Anime styled game. Kit Ballard is well drawn and comes with many different costumes you can eventually purchase later in the game to help change her appearance adds a nice touch to the heroine. The other characters in the game, unique characters that is, also contain the same amount of care put into their design that singles the game out for its unique appearance. One downfall though is that many of the enemies you will be facing always have the same exact appearance regardless of which level you are playing.
Each level you play through will have action not only happening on the main pathway you are traveling but behind you as well. Most levels will have action occurring in the background which provides a more immersive experience into the breathing world that one would not usually find in Arcade game.
To top it all off with the gorgeous visuals, the cast of characters has believable voice actors performing their rolls in the story. There are moments when you are fighting enemies that they will continue to spout the same lines over and over again but more often than not the characters you meet and talk with sound perfectly in character. Though the games background music does slowly begin to become repetitive as the longer levels drag on, each level contains a unique song which provides a break in the occasionally repetitive sounding beats.
The graphics are not without their errors though. As I said before the game does feature three dimensional space even though you can only traverse left, right, up, and down. This can lead to problems where an enemy soldier will glitch halfway through his intended path and become stuck and unkillable due to not being able to reach them. Also the Sol soldiers occasionally sink into the floor while still alive.
Gameplay:
Despite the graphical glitches the game may have, navigating around the world of Hollow Wish is extremely enjoyable. The fact that Kit Ballard is part cat aids her adventurous spirit greatly and provides players with a number of different ways to get around. She is able to easily climb nearly any wall and even swing along the most ceilings with ease which provides her access to many varied paths to take.
Many of these off shooting routes however will simply lead to a treasure chest or another collectible which the game has an abundance of, as well as costumes for Kit as a reward for finding them all. These collectibles provide an extra bit of replay value to the game as you explore each level thoroughly to make sure that you had not missed anything that could make you miss out on a new costume.
Besides being able to climb walls and climb along ceilings Kit also inherits her feline grace in the form of a stamina bar which, when used, will make Kit run faster, make long leaps through the air, and even climb up walls faster. The turbo is very useful for quick navigation throughout a level but sometimes can lead to the controls acting unpredictable and causing you to make your way back to where you once were. In the same display of the stamina bar, there is also Kit’s health meter; signified by a pink ring. Plus an anime style picture of Kit’s face which has a nice touch of changing depending on how much health Kit has, her situation, and even when she is angry enough to perform a special attack.
As in any good platformer, there needs to be a decent combat element to go along with all of the various jumping and climbing. This is unfortunately an area that Blade Kitten falls short on, but not in the standard way you may think. Since as it turns out, the actual attacks you are able to deliver are very intriguing and the way attacks are handled with the Free Floating blade is definitely unique. Only problem is the enemies that you are facing are extremely simple.
There are close up attacks and long range attacks each handled with a respective button press but unfortunately the enemies you will encounter can easily be dispatched with just a few simple presses of these buttons and when stronger blades are bought, just one swing can drive your opponents into the ground. The special attacks are simply a pre-set attack movement but each is unique to the blade you have equipped. Though as I said before, except for a few interesting boss fights where you will have to outmaneuver your enemy with Kit’s array of attacks, most enemies are simply way to easy to defeat.
Another small feature is the fact you will be able to collect money known as Hex around the world and more often than not following these paths of Hex can lead you down different paths you would not have before. This Hex can then be used to purchase food items which can increase your health and stamina bars, stronger blades and outfits for Kit to wear. Some of these outfits even change her into a completely different character in appearance but can cost quite a lot of Hex to acquire. The food items are very beneficial as with the purchase of enough health upgrades Kit is nigh impossible to kill. But without a modifiable difficulty she really does not need the extra health boosts to make it through the levels.
Kit doesn’t travel alone throughout her adventures on Hollow Wish as she shortly makes friends with Skiffy the skiff. Skiffy is more or less a tool used for the small puzzles you will encounter throughout the game and retrieves Hex that is outside the 2D plane that Kit can travel. She also will be rewarded with a lizard/horse creature called a Noot which will allow you to traverse the landscape of the larger levels. The Noot is an interesting feature but ultimately feels slightly clunky to control especially in the dismount which can cause frustration from Kit constantly getting back on the Noot after hopping off.
Overall:
Blade Kitten is a very fast paced and light hearted game that falls short in some areas. The game itself is presented with gorgeously bright graphics which are unique to Blade Kitten alone and definitely provides a unique gaming experience, albeit a very easy one. However if you can overlook the easy gameplay, Blade Kitten has plenty to offer and you will be hard pressed to find any game like it now or in the future on the marketplace. At the price tag of 1200 MSP it offers quite a bit of replayability thanks to the collectibles and level exploration on top of a respectable amount of play time from start to finish.
And the hand grips on it are ridiculous in appearance. I know what you must be thinking too, that it bears a striking resemblance to nearly any Playstation controller you can think of. Well surprisingly enough this is the official controller for the upcoming online MMO Final Fantasy XIV. Sunflex, in partnership with Square Enix, has set this controller for a release day on the same day the game comes out, which is September 30th.
The buttons are numbered which most likely means that they can be mapped to various in game skills to allow an easier playing experience, but they are also very unappealing. Without the Final Fantasy XIV name one may think that this was just a rip off controller by a third party developer. However as it is official from Square Enix it’ll be interesting to see if the controller makes any significant improvement to MMO players experience within the game.
So with the release of Dead Rising 2 in the US less than a week away Capcom has released perhaps one of the longest trailers for the game, called “What would Chuck do?” As you will see below this video not only gives us an even more in depth look into the combination system, it also gives us a look into a couple of combinations and ways to find certain cards which may not have been easily discovered.
Also who doesn’t like seeing zombies torn apart or blown to pieces while having a dragon mask on their head? Expect to see Dead Rising 2 on shelves September 28th in the US, though those everywhere else already have their hands on the game.
If you don’t have a PS3 you may have thought that you were left in the dark when Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’s demo was added exclusively to the PSN, but fear not it is now on the Xbox 360 as well. Though you do have to be a Gold member to play it. You can queue up thedownload right here for the demo. Though if you want to be surprised you can simply wait until October 5th and the 8th when the game comes out in the US and the UK respectively.
Also being released is a nice demo of ArcaniA: Gothic 4. Now I may have been far out of the loop on this game, as the last Gothic I played was the very first one on the PC many years ago. But now we are seeing the first iteration making its way to consoles and you have the chance to play the demo right now. If you wish to explore the Southern Islands that make up Gothic 4, then queue up the demo right here. But just like with Enslaved you can wait a few more weeks and pick the game up on shelves fresh to the experience when it releases on October 12th for the 360 and PC, though the PS3 release date has been pushed back to sometime in 2011.
