Rising Star Games has announced the eagerly awaited survival horror game Deadly Premonition, a refreshingly obscure and compelling title on the Xbox 360, will be available from 29th October.
The release means gamers in the UK will finally be able to form their own opinions about Deadly Premonition, a game which has split opinions across the board: Destructoid awarded it 10/10, naming it “simply stunning”, while IGN US scored it 2/10, saying it’s “terrible”.
“We’re delighted to be able to confirm the release date for Deadly Premonition,” says Martin Defries, managing director, Rising Star Games. “A cult classic in the making, the game continues to divide critics. But when it comes to the consumer, they seem to really ‘get’ the game, with the average user rating on Metacritic 8.5/10.”
Developed by Access Games, Deadly Premonition is an open-world game set in Greenvale, a secluded rural town in North West America. Playing as FBI Special Agent Francis York, gamers are charged with solving the shocking, ritualistic and brutal murder of a local girl, unravelling the mystery via clues, lies and a trail of bodies.
Agent York travels around Greenvale in a variety of vehicles – entertaining gamers with facts about movies along the way – encountering eccentric natives, supernatural creatures and a folklore killer, who stalks his victims in a blood-drenched rain coat.
His appearance changes in ‘real time’ (shaving, showering and eating are essential), and this level of hygiene has consequences as it influences the towns folk’s perceptions of him. Side quests and mini-games, such as darts, fishing and collecting trading cards also feature.
Deadly Premonition will be available for the Xbox 360 for £24.99 on 29th October.
Any Australian readers that were excited upon hearing the news that Deadly Premonition was getting a PAL release have yet another reason to revile the countries lack of an adult classification for video games, as it has been reported Rising Star Games could not even be bothered to attempt to get the game released in the country. Rising Star later stated in a press release that:
As part of our normal procedures in submitting any game for classification, it was determined internally at Rising Star Games that the game would not satisfy the criteria for an MA15+ rating in Australia and further that any changes to the game would not be possible. It was therefore decided, with regret, the game will not be released in Australia.
This is the first evidence of a developer ever choosing to completely forgo release of their product in Australia due to the failure of its classification system.
EA has released several screenshots for their upcoming basketball game: NBA Elite 11. NBA Elite 11 will feature a more true to life sim experience. This includes a new control system based on 1:1 actions between gamer and game. The ‘Hands- On Control’ system applies to every action in the offense and defense. Some other new items in NBA Elite are a real time physics engine and skill based shooting. Skill based shooting takes the randomness out of the equation when making a shot, and it looks to be a welcome addition. The game will release on Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 8, 2010. A demo will be available soon.
Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft Genre: Flying Platform: Xbox 360, PS3 (PC, Wii) Released: 3 September
Zooming onto Xbox 360 this month (among other formats), HAWX 2 set out to ‘break the limits of aerial warfare’ by building and improving on it’s predecessor, the original Tom Clancy’s HAWX. But it’s hard to tell whether or not it prevailed. Initially, you are blown away by the experience. The immersive experience of the first take-off should have you totally mesmerised . It’s all very well done, with the gentle taxi to the run-way followed by clearance from flight control and then roaring of engines as you accelerate down the run-way to achieve a suitable speed for lift-off. Magic. And, from here on, the campaign begins.
Upon starting out, you are greeted with a series of tutorial tasks which introduce newbies to the game, as well as allowing players of the original to reassociate themselves with the HAWX world and any new controls that have been added. These tasks offer a masterclass in all the techniques needed for the missions that follow, from evading enemy missles in aerial combat, to basic flight controls. Before release, many gamers were doubtful of the aeroplane physics and their realism, even over on the official HAWX forums. Unfortunately, it seems their fears were just, because the flight controls and physics are a little dodgy. When playing through the missions, HAWX 2 feels uncertain of it’s identity. Although we have to bear in mind that developing for a control stick rather than a fully-fledged flight stick is difficult, HAWX 2 seems to be stuck between two realms. On one hand, the stunning graphics and aircraft from real life suggest a realistic approach, whereas on the other, the arcade flying physics and the controls the accompany them say otherwise. Fair enough, the game has to be exciting, with an accessible control scheme, but the mix of arcade and reality leaves a strange aftertaste.
Cleverly, the story links with that of the upcoming Tom Clancy’s game, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, in that the infantry units which you provide air support to are often the soldiers you will play as in Future Soldier. This is a nifty touch by Ubisoft, and the fact that the two are intertwined may mean that people planning to buy Future Soldier in the near future will want to pick up HAWX 2 as a prologue, advised you are looking for an insight into the story. To build tension and a sense of atmosphere, there are even special bombing sessions which break down the campaign mode so it isn’t all flying. While these feel like little more than interactive cut scenes, they act well as a resting period to give you a break from constant flying. Plus, dropping a series of bombs on various enemy ground units is fairly satisfying, especially when you decide to upgrade what you are firing out at them. Let’s just say the largest explosions look like near nuclear explosions on the Infra-Red vision, and in a very sadistic way, the flash of colour and the accompanying sound are somewhat beautiful. It is in these sections that the majority of the story-telling is done through the voice-acting, as well as the cutscenes, of course, and it is mainly these missions that will be linked to the missions on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier.
All in all, the campaign mode is average on single-player mode. It gets repetitive, fast. However, thanks to the ability to embark on the story with up to three other comrades in Co-op, online or local, there is still a great dealof fun to be had in the campaign. As things are always more fun with friends, playing with some human players can really spice up the game, even warrating an increase in the difficulty settings if you work together well enough.
The same applies for the multiplayer mode. Playing online with a real person on the end of your heat-seeker-missiles, rather than an AI, is much more satisfying. You can play with up to 8 players online in 3 different game modes, over 5 multiplayer maps. The game modes to choose from are; Regular Match in which you gain points by destroying satellites positioned around the map, on top of obliterating your opponents; Gun Battle, which, as the name suggests, is a straight-up aerial dog-fight; and Hardcore, for those who have developed a mastery of HAWX 2 and are looking to step it up a notch.
Much like campaign, multiplayer is enjoyble while it lasts, in fact, it is superior to the campaign in that there’s a lot more fun to be had. This is based not only on the principal that playing with a group of friends can make any game more entertaining, let alone a good one like this, but that once you start co-operating together, HAWX 2 becomes a very tactically orientated game. You can link attacks, co-incide with a team mate to attack two different places simultaneously, target specific areas of weakness in your opponents, or just fly as a unit, double teaming other players and eviscerating them with your superior fire-power. Yes, similarly to the campaign, after a while multiplayer loses it’s appeal as there is only so much variation to be had when flying and shooting, but unlike the campaign, online multiplayer offers a whole new level of depth tactically, because you can work in-sync with other like-minded gamers to take down the enemy. Also, with the huge amount of freedom that comes with flying and the airspce that is the sky, no two matches will play out exactly the same. Whether it’s a different stunt used to dodge an inbound missle, or an alternative strategy which you haven’t seen used before, there’s always something new happening This is something you can’t do and won’t find in the single player part of the game.
Conclusion Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 provides adrenaline-fuelled aerial combat-based action , which is pleasing on he eye, and for the start at least, an immersive experience. The campaign is average on it’s own, but the ability to play through it co-operatively with up 4 players promises some good times, and the online multiplayer dog-fights are entertaining while they last. Sadly, there is only so much variation you can cram into a flying/combat jet game, and though the scenery and targets may change, it quickly becomes very familiar. The intricately detailed real-life aircraft mean HAWX 2 has real appeal among enthusiasts, and the option to downloads new skins and customise paint jobs is just the icing on the cake. It’s arcade-reality mix make for an odd pairing, and while some will dislike the unrealistic physics, others will just appreciate being able to perform incredible aerial manoeuvres simply and easily.
Pros
Fun while it lasts
Campaign features 4 player Co-op
Stunningly detailed real world aircraft
Physics and controls mean anyone can do great stunts…
Cons
…because the game physics and controls are so unrealistic
Aerial action gets same-y
Mix of arcade gameplay and realism leaves a strange aftertaste
I loved the first Deus Ex for the computer, and hope this new one will again return to the games roots and be an ultimate game. The video below is looking quite promising, and hopefully the CGS isn’t the only awesome thing about the game. Check out the trailer for yourself below.
Today (September 18th) is a special day for all of our friends in Japan as Pokemon Black & White are officially out! These two new revamped versions have already scored 40/40 from Famitsu and look to be quite promising with loads of new features and over 100 new Pokemon to choose from. Players will travel the new Isshu region with brand new updated graphics and a revamped battle system and take on new gym leaders with a whole new evil team that must be stopped along the way.
I will also say for those importing, be careful as if you have a DSi/DSi XL these two titles will not play on anything but Japanese versions of those two consoles due to the region locking of DSi Enhanced titles. For those with the DSlite/Original, you are completely fine and can fully enjoy the game from the looks of it just fine (Without the bonus DSi content of course). My copy has shipped so be looking for some first impressions to be up within the next couple of weeks as I will be sharing some spoiler free coverage of Pokemon Black. For those patient gamers out there, the English versions for both Black and White will be available in stores in early April. As I said, keep checking back as we will be bringing full coverage to both titles all the way up to the English Release!
BOOM SHAKA LAKA! Can you believe the once rumored NBA Jam is now nearly upon us? EA has now released more screenshots, a nice new boxart for the Wii version (shown above), and a production diary for the game which releases next month for the Nintendo Wii. The production diary sheds light on the quality and extensive editing that went into the game to make it fresh yet keep the feel of the original titles. The video also covers how responsive the Wii controls will be now that the game will be getting the motion control treatment. I still remember the hours I put in to NBA Jam, tearing up nets and the excitement of throwing the flaming ball in the hoop at the last second.
From everything I have seen so far, the new entries produced by EA are looking awesome and capturing that same charm that made the games so popular over 15 years ago when NBA Jam was first released. Check out the Production Diary Below as well as a handful of new screenshots. To keep even more up to date on the latest happenings you can also check out the official facebook page here. NBA Jam brings the fire to the Wii on October 5th and to the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade on the same date.
Developer Fun Infused Games has released “Hypership Out of Control.” This XBL Indie game features 4 player coop, online leader boards and 5 game modes. The game is described as simple and addictive. Your main objective is merely to survive. Survive or destroy mines, asteroids and other nefarious space things. Get it for 80 MS points here: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258550659
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, published by D3, is prequel game to Earth Defense Force 2017. The game is about cooperatively slaughtering giant bugs and destroying a city called New Detroit. Sounds fun! Developed by Vicious Cycle, up to three players will be able to battle online with 150 weapons and four upgradeable armor sets. Finally, the game will include a Survival mode, in which six players can battle unending swarms of insects. Expect it on Xbox 360 and Ps3 in Spring 2011.
Attempting to cast a spell on gamers this October is Arcania: Gothic IV, an RPG which has you roaming over a vast magical fantasy universe. Now a lot of you must be wondering what happened to it’s predecessors. Could it be that this series sprung up overnight and tagged “IV” on the end to make it look pretty? In actual fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Piranha Bytes’ Gothic series has been a fantasy RPG favourite for almost a decade now over on the PC, through three seperate role-playing sagas.
However, that’s not to say that this is just a port of an old PC franchise. Developers Spellbound have taken extra care to tailor the experience for the Xbox 360 and PS3, simplifying each and every move and mapping it onto a controller.
My name is… Veterans of the series will be familiar with the nameless hero which the game revolves around, though newbies to the Gothis world will be catered for too. There is a whole island of tutorial quests to allow newcomers to learn the ropes before embarking on their journey. The nameless protagonist is just to adhere to the tradition of the previous games, as there is actually a totally new hero for this new saga.
As you would expect from a medievil RPG, there’s a whole host of medievil weapons on offer. From bow and arrows to swords, this game has got you covered. Also, it will be interesting to see whether the combat system will make a clean transition. For instance, with the lack of keyboard and mouse, the strength of spells (which have five different upgrades), will be determined by how long you hold down the attack button, which could make for some amusing results.
The story will also be accessible to newcomers, with background to the story being cleared-up during the beginning tutorial quests, with the plot pregressing normally thereafter. In a nutshell, during the tutorial island you try to prove to a prospective father-in-law that you are the ideal spouse for his daughter. Sadly, matrimonial bliss doesn’t last long, with the destruction of your home kick-starting a revenge motif which fuels Arcania: Gothic IV’s storyline.
All in all, Arcania: Gothic IV looks like it could be a good console RPG outing. It must’ve been popular among PC gamers for some reason and, providing it makes the transition to the control pad, it should be popular on Xbox 360 and PS3 too. Unfortuantely, it could be overshadowed by other big quest-based games like Fable III and Elder Scrolls V, but providing Arcania lives up to it’s reputation, I’m sure gamers will be happy to get their adenturing fix here until then.
Arcania: Gothic IV will be released for Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as PC, in October later this year.
And so concludes this weeks Nintendo downloads. As you can see, slim pickings this week, with no retro release on the Virtual Console, only a handful of meagre titles. Anyone taking the plunge and dishing out for any of this weeks downloads?
