I've consistently said there won't be a true LittleBigPlanet 2. MediaMolecule would not want to split the community and do anything to upset the ongoing ecosystem.
Now, however, news of LittleBigPlanet 2 got a little bit more plausible. Although the actual magazine isn't out yet, an advance look of an upcoming GameInformer issue appears to confirm that there is a sequel. Of sorts.
From the sound of things, the level editor is going to be miles beyond even the impressive editor in the first game. There's even mention of a working Command and Conquer clone? This I would have to see.
But no news on whether LBP2 would just plug into the existing network, allowing the two titles to share levels and content. At least there is word you can port your characters from one to another. Given that LBP is the only game I've ever gained Platinum on, I want to keep the streak going.
Update, it's for reals.
Showing posts with label PS3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PS3. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Circle Back Around on Valkyria Chronicles
One of my most favoritist games on PS3 is still Valkyria Chronicles. Certainly under-appreciated in the west, probably because it's not Modern Warfare, the game pushes all the right buttons for me: tactical turn-based combat, great art style, a good story, compelling characters. I haven't gotten any new games since March's Pokemon HeartGold, so I was looking through the box to break something old out. And Valkyria Chronicles was there.
Started from my cleared game save data and started a new game. There's a higher challenge level on the second play through, and it allows you to skip straight to the combat missions without having to watch each cutscene, although I've enjoyed still watching my favorites. You also start with all your squads leveled up and with any weapons you've collected along the way. I had fun playing through the first couple story missions, and I hope to keep going with it if time allows. Really puts a smile on my face. Except in the sad parts where I :(
For any of you new PS3 owners who haven't heard about or checked the game out, you really should. I'll even let you borrow my copy!
Started from my cleared game save data and started a new game. There's a higher challenge level on the second play through, and it allows you to skip straight to the combat missions without having to watch each cutscene, although I've enjoyed still watching my favorites. You also start with all your squads leveled up and with any weapons you've collected along the way. I had fun playing through the first couple story missions, and I hope to keep going with it if time allows. Really puts a smile on my face. Except in the sad parts where I :(
For any of you new PS3 owners who haven't heard about or checked the game out, you really should. I'll even let you borrow my copy!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Heavy Rain Complete
I knew I was getting toward the end, but didn't know it was just about done. I finished Heavy Rain last night, and finally got down to the truth of the story. Expertly well done, great conclusion to the story, and as tragic as the events were, a pretty happy ending, mostly. Glad to see that the loose ends were tied up well in an epilogue of sorts, allowing you to enjoy your victory (or stare on in chagrin at your defeat). As I thought, Kasey did have her theory straight way before I had worked things out. I knew I kept her around for a reason.
Overall, the game is a big success. It keeps you tied to the stories and the characters that populate it, and really care about what happens to them. Even if the controls occasionally made me wander around like an idiot in the free-move mode, the quick-time events and on-rails sections are so superb it's worth the tiny frustration to get the game to its close.
I can't wait to discuss my version of the game's events with other players to see how what I did influenced the story.
Overall, the game is a big success. It keeps you tied to the stories and the characters that populate it, and really care about what happens to them. Even if the controls occasionally made me wander around like an idiot in the free-move mode, the quick-time events and on-rails sections are so superb it's worth the tiny frustration to get the game to its close.
I can't wait to discuss my version of the game's events with other players to see how what I did influenced the story.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Heavy Rain Filling Up My Evenings
Started playing Heavy Rain this weekend, and I just about can't stop. From the beginning the game gripped me with its visuals, control scheme, interesting and deep character cast, and mysterious story. I've played about five hours so far, and there have been so many good moments. It's hard to talk about the game without giving much away, so I won't post specifics, but there have been so many interesting and novel elements in the game, combined with so much emotional impact. It's really an amazing example of the new type of story-driven gaming we've seen from the likes of Quantic Dream and BioWare. If your tastes lie somewhere between story-driven shooters, mystery novels, and interactive media, the melding of media within Heavy Rain is not to be missed.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Of Course It's Good; But Will I Play It?
Two of the games from my Top Ten for 2010 released this week: God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII. Both reviewed very well, especially God of War III. The adulations will only increase in their adulation. Last week, Heavy Rain dropped, another critically acclaimed step forward in gaming. But specifically, in the God of War III case, do I even care?
We've been incredibly spoiled for choice in the past year to six months. The quality and scope of released titles have been unbelievably good. The uptick isn't just due to review score creep or the dumbing-down of gaming. There have been so many genuinely remarkable games released in the past year that it's staggering. Consoles are at that sweet-spot of maturity and acceptance, and the Windows 7 release has attracted more people to PC gaming. Developers are experienced enough that every game has a level of polish and innovation never seen before. But the quality and amount of games may be reaching a tipping point in the industry.
All this makes it increasingly hard to shoe-horn games into a busy schedule. The average age of gamers is going up if not growing up, and that can mean less time to play. We also play games that last longer now. Developers and publishers themselves are designing games to be more valuable to us, by adding multiplay or persistent worlds, downloadable content whether free or pay-for to lengthen the game experience, and generally make games better to make us want to play them more. And there are only so many hours in the day to fill up with gaming.
I think all this is leading up to a market for video games that may actually decrease. Even if growth in the market continues, the advance in the longevity of games defeats the growth of new entrants into the market. Even if you never sleep or work, there's still only so much time in a day and time before other games release. If the games increase in length and value in an attempt for publishers to attract customers, that decreases the availability for gamers to buy and presumably play those games. It's a vicious cycle, because if value and length of gameplay is the basis for competition, eventually all games will be perpetual experiences that you'd never stop playing. The market for video games may simply trend to one game per player per lifetime.
WoW of course is the ultimate example. Assuming games are a perfect substitute for one another, a WoW player may never buy another game (expansions don't really count) and keep playing the same one for the rest of their life. That's good for Blizzard, but the market shrinks as a result. The only way to achieve any more growth in the market is to add participants, and it's unlikely that people who play WoW will breed, or to rely upon people jumping ship to another game that they can play for the rest of their life.
Now, games aren't a perfect substitute, and not everyone can play the same game for the rest of their life. But already we, as consumers, pass on so many games and platforms due to time, not price or quality.
Of course I don't want game developers to make short, terrible games. Nor do I want fewer games to choose from. But from where I sit, those publishers and developers might be trying to cut up an ever-decreasing gamer time pie. What might happen in the near future is price increases in games to combat decreasing sales. Frankly, already games are too inexpensive for what we get out of them.
That long aside done, no, I probably won't play God of War III or Final Fantasy XIII. Not because I don't want to, just because I don't have the time.
We've been incredibly spoiled for choice in the past year to six months. The quality and scope of released titles have been unbelievably good. The uptick isn't just due to review score creep or the dumbing-down of gaming. There have been so many genuinely remarkable games released in the past year that it's staggering. Consoles are at that sweet-spot of maturity and acceptance, and the Windows 7 release has attracted more people to PC gaming. Developers are experienced enough that every game has a level of polish and innovation never seen before. But the quality and amount of games may be reaching a tipping point in the industry.
All this makes it increasingly hard to shoe-horn games into a busy schedule. The average age of gamers is going up if not growing up, and that can mean less time to play. We also play games that last longer now. Developers and publishers themselves are designing games to be more valuable to us, by adding multiplay or persistent worlds, downloadable content whether free or pay-for to lengthen the game experience, and generally make games better to make us want to play them more. And there are only so many hours in the day to fill up with gaming.
I think all this is leading up to a market for video games that may actually decrease. Even if growth in the market continues, the advance in the longevity of games defeats the growth of new entrants into the market. Even if you never sleep or work, there's still only so much time in a day and time before other games release. If the games increase in length and value in an attempt for publishers to attract customers, that decreases the availability for gamers to buy and presumably play those games. It's a vicious cycle, because if value and length of gameplay is the basis for competition, eventually all games will be perpetual experiences that you'd never stop playing. The market for video games may simply trend to one game per player per lifetime.
WoW of course is the ultimate example. Assuming games are a perfect substitute for one another, a WoW player may never buy another game (expansions don't really count) and keep playing the same one for the rest of their life. That's good for Blizzard, but the market shrinks as a result. The only way to achieve any more growth in the market is to add participants, and it's unlikely that people who play WoW will breed, or to rely upon people jumping ship to another game that they can play for the rest of their life.
Now, games aren't a perfect substitute, and not everyone can play the same game for the rest of their life. But already we, as consumers, pass on so many games and platforms due to time, not price or quality.
Of course I don't want game developers to make short, terrible games. Nor do I want fewer games to choose from. But from where I sit, those publishers and developers might be trying to cut up an ever-decreasing gamer time pie. What might happen in the near future is price increases in games to combat decreasing sales. Frankly, already games are too inexpensive for what we get out of them.
That long aside done, no, I probably won't play God of War III or Final Fantasy XIII. Not because I don't want to, just because I don't have the time.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Burnout Paradise DLC Deal
Back in January of this year, fans of Burnout Paradise saw the writing on the wall (or the posting on the Twitter) that there would be no more DLC forthcoming. After huge updates like the free Bikes pack (that also included day/night cycles and weather), endless new cars, and the excellent new area Big Surf Island, there will be no more.
However, Criterion and EA are offering us, the fans, a special deal. For $30, those who don't own the game can get the game and every single piece of DLC. For $20, current game owners can unlock every DLC offered. That's one heck of a deal. The offer runs only until March 31st, and is only available on the PS3. Certainly one to consider.
However, Criterion and EA are offering us, the fans, a special deal. For $30, those who don't own the game can get the game and every single piece of DLC. For $20, current game owners can unlock every DLC offered. That's one heck of a deal. The offer runs only until March 31st, and is only available on the PS3. Certainly one to consider.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Story Mode Complete
I completed the story mode of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time yesterday evening. Great conclusion to the story and a couple good boss fights, very satisfying. I did not complete a bunch of the collectible stuff by the end, but luckily there is an option after completing the story that you can go back in time before the last boss battle and continue to explore the galaxy, searching for components, plans, and other collectibles.
I chose to continue my search, and in doing so I picked up the ultimate weapon, the RYNO V. A combination mini-gun and rocket launcher, the RYNO V (aka Rip You a New One) mows down enemies and plays Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as you blast away. I literally could not stop giggling it was so hilarious. I love this game so much.
I chose to continue my search, and in doing so I picked up the ultimate weapon, the RYNO V. A combination mini-gun and rocket launcher, the RYNO V (aka Rip You a New One) mows down enemies and plays Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as you blast away. I literally could not stop giggling it was so hilarious. I love this game so much.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Quest for Booty Complete, Crack in Time Purchased
Finished Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty last night, and immediately went out and picked up Crack in Time. Just from playing the beginning of Crack in Time, I feel like it's the best of the bunch, and the first couple were really good. Of course it's had a couple extra years of polish, but the first couple levels really pop and the interview with Quark to start out the game sets a hilarious tone. This is going to be fun.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Complete
Finished Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction last night. Great ending, good fight at the end and makes me interested to play the next game in the series, the downloadable smaller Quest for Booty. A lot of things about this series really appeal to me, from the quick action gameplay to the high production values and great voice work and humor in the cut-scenes and story elements. I can't believe I haven't played them before, they're exactly my style. Picked that up Quest for Booty last night and should be ready for the snowy weekend coming our way.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
I was able to borrow a copy of the first outing of Ratchet and Clank on the PS3: Tools of Destruction. I'd played the demo of A Crack in Time and loved it, but I wanted to check out the previous game first. I haven't been disappointed.
Tools of Destruction is a fun, funny, light-hearted and explosive romp through varied and interesting environments. The focus of the action, the weaponry and combat, is simple and entertaining. The sheer breadth of weapons, from seeking missiles to nanite swarms and tornado launchers to disco balls, any given fight is yours to approach as you see fit. Get up close and personal with the shotgun-like shard gun or whip your foes into submission with the shock ravager, or just blanket the area with plasma fire. Different foes are weaker against certain weapons, but it's never a mystery what is appropriate, so you never struggle for a suitable weapon to cut through the swaths of foes.
Besides the action, the story and dialog is actually interesting and funny. You play as (presumably) the last survivor of a legendary race, trying to find the secrets of your people before an arch-villain does so, and uses those secrets against you. But the tongue-in-cheek and deliberately corny delivery of some of the lines is great for laughs and contributes to the mostly unserious tone of the whole game.
And that's really what I like about Ratchet and Clank. It's lighthearted all around, from the story to the gameplay, rewarding without being punishing. In other words, perfect for spending hours playing on a weekend. Looking forward to finishing this and grabbing A Crack in Time.
Tools of Destruction is a fun, funny, light-hearted and explosive romp through varied and interesting environments. The focus of the action, the weaponry and combat, is simple and entertaining. The sheer breadth of weapons, from seeking missiles to nanite swarms and tornado launchers to disco balls, any given fight is yours to approach as you see fit. Get up close and personal with the shotgun-like shard gun or whip your foes into submission with the shock ravager, or just blanket the area with plasma fire. Different foes are weaker against certain weapons, but it's never a mystery what is appropriate, so you never struggle for a suitable weapon to cut through the swaths of foes.
Besides the action, the story and dialog is actually interesting and funny. You play as (presumably) the last survivor of a legendary race, trying to find the secrets of your people before an arch-villain does so, and uses those secrets against you. But the tongue-in-cheek and deliberately corny delivery of some of the lines is great for laughs and contributes to the mostly unserious tone of the whole game.
And that's really what I like about Ratchet and Clank. It's lighthearted all around, from the story to the gameplay, rewarding without being punishing. In other words, perfect for spending hours playing on a weekend. Looking forward to finishing this and grabbing A Crack in Time.
Monday, January 18, 2010
God of War Complete
Even though it's been out several years, I just completed my first ever play-through of the original God of War as part of the newly-released God of War Collection on PS3. The graphical update stands up pretty well, even though some of the pre-rendered movies look a little dated.
My overall experience with the game was pretty mixed. There were high points, and then there were really low points. Some of the platforming sections of the game were intensely hard and unforgiving. In fact, most of the stretch of the game in Hades was ridiculously punishing, including the insta-death falls from the horizontal spinning blades of death. Not content only to test your will to throw a controller in one dimension, the vertical blades of death didn't kill you outright, but only forced you to replay the same stupidly difficult section endlessly until you passed it. My relief was short-lived, as I was then greeted by yet another set of vertical spinning blades of death. Yay.
Prior to Hades, there's a section were you have to kick a box across the room in a race to (once again) avoid instant death. You have to get your timing exact, otherwise you have to play it over again, watching the same annoying intro screen. Then there's the Blades of Hades section (not actually in Hades, but in Pandora's Temple) where you have to tight-walk on wooden beams and avoid more spinning blades. What is with these spinning blades? One mis-step, then, and you either fall off straight away or get chopped and pushed off, and you start over.
So, the platforming sections were pretty bad. However, the fights for the most part were intense and rewarding. Especially towards the end of the game, when your Blades of Chaos are maxed you, you can string together immense combos, working your enemies over in a mix of speed and brutality. It was most rewarding, strangely, in Hades, where the toughest sets of normal enemies meet you, and one brief section in Athens facing pumped-up, towering giants. You have so many weapons and moves at your disposal, you can work anyway you want, and this free-form battle system that aids you just enough to never worry too much about targeting or the camera is the greatest strength and greatest enjoyment in the whole game.
It is then incredible that these fight sections are the briefest of the entire experience. For a game that bills itself as a brutal brawler, you do a whole lot of jumping over ridiculous obstacles. I played the game through on normal, and I never once got offered "Easy Mode" (a result of dying too much) on combat sections. Maybe once or twice would I fail a fight, but then get the right of it, and move on. In the platforming sections, it would take me dozens of tries to get it right. Incredibly frustrating.
The final fight of the game then was just the icing on a terrible cake. I simply could not win. By that time, it was 2am, I was incredibly pissed after pulling my butt through Hades and beating two fights already, and the only way I won was by giving into Easy Mode for the first time in the whole gaming and winning with like three button presses. FYI, Easy Mode is Easy. Why couldn't Normal Mode be Just A Bit Challenging?
Given my experience with the game, I doubt I'll play God of War II, or even look much at the new installment coming out for PS3 in the next couple months. I was originally interested in it, but if they put any insta-death platforming sections in that force me to endlessly play the same section of gameplay again, it's not worth my time.
My overall experience with the game was pretty mixed. There were high points, and then there were really low points. Some of the platforming sections of the game were intensely hard and unforgiving. In fact, most of the stretch of the game in Hades was ridiculously punishing, including the insta-death falls from the horizontal spinning blades of death. Not content only to test your will to throw a controller in one dimension, the vertical blades of death didn't kill you outright, but only forced you to replay the same stupidly difficult section endlessly until you passed it. My relief was short-lived, as I was then greeted by yet another set of vertical spinning blades of death. Yay.
Prior to Hades, there's a section were you have to kick a box across the room in a race to (once again) avoid instant death. You have to get your timing exact, otherwise you have to play it over again, watching the same annoying intro screen. Then there's the Blades of Hades section (not actually in Hades, but in Pandora's Temple) where you have to tight-walk on wooden beams and avoid more spinning blades. What is with these spinning blades? One mis-step, then, and you either fall off straight away or get chopped and pushed off, and you start over.
So, the platforming sections were pretty bad. However, the fights for the most part were intense and rewarding. Especially towards the end of the game, when your Blades of Chaos are maxed you, you can string together immense combos, working your enemies over in a mix of speed and brutality. It was most rewarding, strangely, in Hades, where the toughest sets of normal enemies meet you, and one brief section in Athens facing pumped-up, towering giants. You have so many weapons and moves at your disposal, you can work anyway you want, and this free-form battle system that aids you just enough to never worry too much about targeting or the camera is the greatest strength and greatest enjoyment in the whole game.
It is then incredible that these fight sections are the briefest of the entire experience. For a game that bills itself as a brutal brawler, you do a whole lot of jumping over ridiculous obstacles. I played the game through on normal, and I never once got offered "Easy Mode" (a result of dying too much) on combat sections. Maybe once or twice would I fail a fight, but then get the right of it, and move on. In the platforming sections, it would take me dozens of tries to get it right. Incredibly frustrating.
The final fight of the game then was just the icing on a terrible cake. I simply could not win. By that time, it was 2am, I was incredibly pissed after pulling my butt through Hades and beating two fights already, and the only way I won was by giving into Easy Mode for the first time in the whole gaming and winning with like three button presses. FYI, Easy Mode is Easy. Why couldn't Normal Mode be Just A Bit Challenging?
Given my experience with the game, I doubt I'll play God of War II, or even look much at the new installment coming out for PS3 in the next couple months. I was originally interested in it, but if they put any insta-death platforming sections in that force me to endlessly play the same section of gameplay again, it's not worth my time.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Platinum Sackboy
Last night, with a little help from my friends, I got the platinum, 100% complete trophy on LittleBigPlanet. So yeah, just about as complete as you can get.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Assassin's Creed Complete
Finished up the story mode of Assassin's Creed last night. Managed to collect up all the hidden fragments as well. I really liked the ending, and events leading up to it. Little echoes of the first game, in how Ezio approaches the final fight. The ending added a lot to the fiction of the world, and really gets me excited for the end of the trilogy. There are a few ways they can go with this, and all could be cool. Also, the game had one of the best end credits sequences ever.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Music in Games: Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together
The games I've been into lately, and many in the past, have had such a great collection of music. LittleBigPlanet sports such a great set of licensed music that make it a joy to leap around playful environments. Assassin's Creed, which of course I've been into a lot recently, has some incredible original music by Jesper Kyd. Since so many games I've been playing recently have great music, I've been collecting tracks from soundtracks included with games (like Dragon Age), free downloads from the creator (Kyle Gabler), or via the Amazon MP3 store (which has great selection and no useless DRM). So I wanted to share some of my favorites below. Which games do you think have had great music, original or licensed?
My current list:
My current list:
- Sia - Breathe Me (Prince of Persia)
- Lisa Miskovsky - Still Alive (Mirror's Edge)
- Jesper Kyd - Venice Roofops (Assassin's Creed II)
- The Daniel Pemberton Orchestra - Rock The Jungle (LittleBigPlanet)
- The Go! Team - Get It Together (LittleBigPlanet)
- Christopher Tin - Baba Yet (Civilization IV)
- Jeremy Soule - Land of the Golden Sun (Guild Wars)
- Jeremy Soule - Festival of Lyss (Guild Wars)
- Jeremy Soule - Guild Wars Theme
- Inon Zur - Dragon Age: Origins Theme
- 30 Seconds to Mars - This is War (Dragon Age: Origins)
- 30 Seconds to Mars - 100 Suns (Dragon Age: Origins)
- Cafe Tacvba - Volver A Comenzar (LittleBigPlanet)
- Kinky - Cornman (LittleBigPlanet)
- Kyle Gabler - Best of Times (World of Goo)
- Shira Kanmen - Downstream (Braid)
- Jami Sieber - Maenam (Braid)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Restoring the Family Lands in Assassin's Creed II
Having just a ton of fun with Assassin's Creed II. There's always something new and interesting to do. The story missions have been a great source of entertainment, and the story that takes you from city to flooded city is full of action, romance, mystery, and more than a few laughs. I've made it maybe halfway through, and the mystery is really heating up, providing more backstory into Desmond's ancestry and the ancient conflict between Templar and Assassin.
However, probably the most fun I've had is filling up the family estates with an incredible amount of collectibles. The Villa Auditore at Monteriggioni holds all the paintings, codex pages, feathers, seals, weapons, and armor that you collect throughout the world. They're all rewarding, especially the art gallery, where you can browse through the Renaissance artwork you purchase and collect in your dealings. The status of the estates provide a valuable mark against you can gauge your progress within the game, and gives a great deal of satisfaction when you can cross something off your list. It's one of my favorite parts of a nearly flawless game.
However, probably the most fun I've had is filling up the family estates with an incredible amount of collectibles. The Villa Auditore at Monteriggioni holds all the paintings, codex pages, feathers, seals, weapons, and armor that you collect throughout the world. They're all rewarding, especially the art gallery, where you can browse through the Renaissance artwork you purchase and collect in your dealings. The status of the estates provide a valuable mark against you can gauge your progress within the game, and gives a great deal of satisfaction when you can cross something off your list. It's one of my favorite parts of a nearly flawless game.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
An Unlikely Pair: Assassin's Creed II and A Boy and His Blob
Friends and family were very kind to me with their gift-giving this year. Lots of great books and games. I've played a little bit of an odd pair of games, those being Assassin's Creed II and A Boy and His Blob.
I've posted about the game before, but in brief, Blob is adorable puzzle platformer in which you use the Blob's shape-changing abilities to get you around obstacles and past enemies. The challenges are smart but not frustrating, although I've only just started the game. The art and sound are perfect, with the hand-drawn backdrops and animation perfectly presented. It's a slow, smooth game that requires a quick mind without many quick reflexes.
Contrast that with Assassin's Creed II, in which you kill a lot of people. Brutally. But there's a whole lot more to it, thankfully, that breaks up core story missions. This game also has a lot more story than the first, which I'm very much into, dovetailing Desmond with Ezio in a past-future drama that is sure to go deeper into the rabbit hole. I've had fun bouncing around the open world, just finding things to do. You can easily get lost in the sub-missions, finding vantage points and courier missions in the incredibly-modeled environments. Controls are tights and fighting is much crisper than the last game. It really is Assassin's Creed 2.0.
I've posted about the game before, but in brief, Blob is adorable puzzle platformer in which you use the Blob's shape-changing abilities to get you around obstacles and past enemies. The challenges are smart but not frustrating, although I've only just started the game. The art and sound are perfect, with the hand-drawn backdrops and animation perfectly presented. It's a slow, smooth game that requires a quick mind without many quick reflexes.
Contrast that with Assassin's Creed II, in which you kill a lot of people. Brutally. But there's a whole lot more to it, thankfully, that breaks up core story missions. This game also has a lot more story than the first, which I'm very much into, dovetailing Desmond with Ezio in a past-future drama that is sure to go deeper into the rabbit hole. I've had fun bouncing around the open world, just finding things to do. You can easily get lost in the sub-missions, finding vantage points and courier missions in the incredibly-modeled environments. Controls are tights and fighting is much crisper than the last game. It really is Assassin's Creed 2.0.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Top Ten for 2010
Gaming for 2010 is starting to look like 2007 Part II. We've got so many sequels coming out, it's incredible. Bioshock, Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Lost Planet, and Assassin's Creed II (yes it came out in 2009 but not for PC!) are all returning in 2010 for their second chapter. But there are only so many titles you can follow. With dozens coming out just in the first quarter alone, what are the most exciting -- at least to me? Well I'll tell you. Here are my Top Ten games for 2010.
10. Final Fantasy XIII
Rounding out the top ten is FFXIII. The first of the series to appear on the PS3, the futuristic RPG has a chance to be the best yet. Or a huge disappointment.
9. Okamiden
The hand-held sequel to the PS2 adventure game, Okamiden features a cute little dog-deity and a childish rider adventuring and using magic via the stylus. If it shares the same Zelda-like heritage of its ancestor, it should be a great action-adventure game.
8. God of War III
I've always known the first two games were great, if brutal, third-person brawlers in the Castlevania or Diablo style, with a style all of its own. But since playing the recently-released remastered collection on PS3, I'm certainly looking forward to the first native PS3 version. Should be a bloody good time.
7. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. The last game, Prince of Persia, was a delight, with its lighter focus on combat and more centered around acrobatic exploration. This "darker" game may be more towards the fighting and brooding style. Let's hope they go easy on the dark eyeliner.
6. Professor Layton & The Final Time Travel
We've all had a lot of fun around my house with the first two translated games in the series, most recently the Diabolical Box. If Nintendo keeps up, we should have the third game, The Final Time Travel, in the United States in 2010.
5. Metroid: Other M
It's been a while since new life was breathed into the Metroid series. Prime was ground-breaking at the time, and while Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was good, Other M looks to be an incredible remake of the classic franchise. With additional character exposition, there could be a great story behind this Team Ninja-powered brawler.
4. Command and Conquer 4
A fitting location for this game, and only slightly influenced by its title. I've enjoyed the latest outings in the series, and the refinement and final chapter should be a proper send-off. Mobile and flexible bases along with additional options promise expanded game-play options beyond just tank rushes.
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
The first game was an adorable and challenging adventure in a bright and detailed world. The two-player co-op was also a fun game mode, something my wife enjoyed teaming up with me on. I'm hoping the addition of Yoshi and new environments to explore keeps the same charm and bright visual design while still being a challenging platformer in a dynamic, three-dimensional space.
2. Mass Effect 2
This properly epic space RPG gripped me in 2008, and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel. The fact that the choices you made in the previous game will carry over into the new game interests me, and it will be cool to see the impact that you made in the game world. The "darker" feel of the sequel worries me, but should still be a great adventure.
1. Gran Turismo 5
The granddaddy of them all, this is a big reason why I bought a PS3. Two years later, I might get to play GT5 on it. With luck, we could see GT5 in the States by June.
10. Final Fantasy XIII
Rounding out the top ten is FFXIII. The first of the series to appear on the PS3, the futuristic RPG has a chance to be the best yet. Or a huge disappointment.
9. Okamiden
The hand-held sequel to the PS2 adventure game, Okamiden features a cute little dog-deity and a childish rider adventuring and using magic via the stylus. If it shares the same Zelda-like heritage of its ancestor, it should be a great action-adventure game.
8. God of War III
I've always known the first two games were great, if brutal, third-person brawlers in the Castlevania or Diablo style, with a style all of its own. But since playing the recently-released remastered collection on PS3, I'm certainly looking forward to the first native PS3 version. Should be a bloody good time.
7. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. The last game, Prince of Persia, was a delight, with its lighter focus on combat and more centered around acrobatic exploration. This "darker" game may be more towards the fighting and brooding style. Let's hope they go easy on the dark eyeliner.
6. Professor Layton & The Final Time Travel
We've all had a lot of fun around my house with the first two translated games in the series, most recently the Diabolical Box. If Nintendo keeps up, we should have the third game, The Final Time Travel, in the United States in 2010.
5. Metroid: Other M
It's been a while since new life was breathed into the Metroid series. Prime was ground-breaking at the time, and while Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was good, Other M looks to be an incredible remake of the classic franchise. With additional character exposition, there could be a great story behind this Team Ninja-powered brawler.
4. Command and Conquer 4
A fitting location for this game, and only slightly influenced by its title. I've enjoyed the latest outings in the series, and the refinement and final chapter should be a proper send-off. Mobile and flexible bases along with additional options promise expanded game-play options beyond just tank rushes.
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
The first game was an adorable and challenging adventure in a bright and detailed world. The two-player co-op was also a fun game mode, something my wife enjoyed teaming up with me on. I'm hoping the addition of Yoshi and new environments to explore keeps the same charm and bright visual design while still being a challenging platformer in a dynamic, three-dimensional space.
2. Mass Effect 2
This properly epic space RPG gripped me in 2008, and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel. The fact that the choices you made in the previous game will carry over into the new game interests me, and it will be cool to see the impact that you made in the game world. The "darker" feel of the sequel worries me, but should still be a great adventure.
1. Gran Turismo 5
The granddaddy of them all, this is a big reason why I bought a PS3. Two years later, I might get to play GT5 on it. With luck, we could see GT5 in the States by June.
Mirror's Edge Complete
Finished the story mode of Mirror's Edge over the weekend. It was a fitting ending, and one obviously left open for a sequel. Given that there have been statements confirming an eventual sequel, it wasn't surprising. But it was properly dramatic and a good end to the admittedly brief story.
I tried going back to do some of the time trial stuff, but I'd really lost my patience. I wanted to get to the end of the story, but falling over and over just to beat the clock doesn't drive me. Maybe I'll go back to it. But probably not. Maybe the sequel will clear up spiking difficulty and sequences of unarmed Faith versus legions of dudes with automatic weapons.
I tried going back to do some of the time trial stuff, but I'd really lost my patience. I wanted to get to the end of the story, but falling over and over just to beat the clock doesn't drive me. Maybe I'll go back to it. But probably not. Maybe the sequel will clear up spiking difficulty and sequences of unarmed Faith versus legions of dudes with automatic weapons.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mirror's Edge Pickup
I had initially written about Mirror's Edge over a year ago, having played its demo fresh out at the time. I decided not to get it at release after some mixed reviews. But I found a used copy on the cheap, and decided to give it a fair shake.
I'm having fun, but it's certainly at a cost. There are sections that are really tough, especially where guys are shooting at you. It feels deeply unfair that all you can do is run away as five guys mow you down with shotguns. The particular shotgun section took me a good twenty tries to finish, and try as I might I could not get past without killing them, which I feel is a little contrary to how the game works.
However, during the complicated platforming across rooftops, the game is a blast. Especially the time trials, the feeling of racing from building to building is a lot of fun. The sense of speed and danger is in your face, and each fall and failure due to oncoming train is a real jolt.
I probably would have been a little miffed buying this game for full price, especially given its relatively short story mode, but at a bargain price, it's worth plowing through some of the frustrating parts to get to those great expanses of uninhabited rooftops.
I'm having fun, but it's certainly at a cost. There are sections that are really tough, especially where guys are shooting at you. It feels deeply unfair that all you can do is run away as five guys mow you down with shotguns. The particular shotgun section took me a good twenty tries to finish, and try as I might I could not get past without killing them, which I feel is a little contrary to how the game works.
However, during the complicated platforming across rooftops, the game is a blast. Especially the time trials, the feeling of racing from building to building is a lot of fun. The sense of speed and danger is in your face, and each fall and failure due to oncoming train is a real jolt.
I probably would have been a little miffed buying this game for full price, especially given its relatively short story mode, but at a bargain price, it's worth plowing through some of the frustrating parts to get to those great expanses of uninhabited rooftops.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Rumors of New Pirates DLC for LittleBigPlanet
There are rumors of a new DLC pack coming for LittleBigPlanet. New levels, new trophies, and water! The community will be pleased to have real water, if the rumors are to be believed. I'm just looking forward to some fun new levels to play from the MM crew. No word on a release date, still unconfirmed at this point.
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