#1
Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe once called car combat the "Rodney Dangerfield" of video game genres -- it gets no respect. With killer clowns, skull motorcycles, and a hearse that launches exploding coffins, some might dismiss Twisted Metal at first glance. Doing so means missing some of the most fun, most ridiculous competition you can find on the PlayStation 3. Jaffe and his team at Eat Sleep Play have not only embraced the madness of car combat, but married it with the thoughtful, intricate balance found in fighting and real-time strategy games.
Like the past installments in the series, Twisted Metal revolves around a deadly competition by the same name. Run by the enigmatic Calypso, the best and worst of humanity enter the competition to win a single wish. This competition plays out in a series of battles across the world that use cars outfitted with fiendish weapons.
But this Twisted Metal tournament is a little different. Unlike past games, only three main competitors enroll in Calypso's content: Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm, and Doll Face. Each of the demented drivers bring along henchmen to compete with, forming three gangs that wage war across suburbs and cities alike. All three groups (and a fourth group in the multiplayer modes) have access to every vehicle, meaning the iconic Sweet Tooth can drive other cars besides his ice cream truck.
This three-party dynamic splits the single-player campaign up into three chapters. Each chapter comes filled with increasingly difficult, interesting challenges, and ends with a different boss encounter -- all of which rock with increasing degrees of hardness.
This arcade flavor complements Twisted Metal's overall intricacy. Cars boast different rankings for speed, armor, and the potency of their special weapons. Some cars have fairly basic abilities, like Death Warrant's Chain Gun special. Others, like Reaper's Chainsaw ability, feature exciting variations that require a little more skill but reward the effort. Add on the always useful power-ups scattered around and almost any car stands a chance, assuming the driver has the skill and know-how to earn a kill.
In fact, much of the fun in Twisted Metal comes from the weapon variation. Outside of the eccentric and lethal special weapons, the standard power-ups have tremendous destructive potential. From standard missiles to remote mines, these power-ups delight and destroy in the same instant. Some require special care, including the sniper rifle that has a long "lock-on time" but rewards a steady aim with an instant kill.
The freezing blast, shield, and landmine techniques also return, which deplete a special gauge that refills over time. These techniques give every car an extra set of abilities that fulfill both offensive and defensive needs.
The single-player campaign only takes a day of dedicated play to complete, if not less. The majority of the experience comes from multiplayer. Split-screen and LAN support join the online suite, and these local options make for instant fun. After the initial appeal of "so much chaos" wears off, the strategy and finesse of the weapons set in and real competition takes hold.
The online arena of Twisted Metal, even in its infancy, already has tremendous potential. Besides the occasional network error when joining a game, online matches run with sublime smoothness. Even though the AI puts up one hell of a fight in the single-player game, the most entertaining battles come from facing off against fellow Twisted Metal fans. With a nice assortment of game modes across both ranked and unranked match types, Twisted Metal multiplayer proves its worth within minutes of play.
Earning experience by competing also nets you special rewards in ranked matches, such as unlocking new cars, sidearms, and even skin packs. Play enough and you can even earn augmented techniques to employ in the field.
When it comes to Twisted Metal, complaints rarely spring up. As mentioned above, the controls require some acclimation because Twisted Metal feels different from its action-packed peers. The automated lock-on system, used with certain special abilities and power-ups, can frustrate from time to time. Frantic chases that require precise timing often fail thanks to the lock-on system that selects the wrong target. Clicking in the right analog stick -- which forces a target switch -- does alleviate the issue somewhat, but costs valuable seconds in a heated fight.
Also troubling are the armor points of smaller, faster cars like Crimson Fury and Reaper. Although these cars do benefit from super speed and effective special weapons, they seem to fall quickly in battle, even against mid-armored vehicles. A player's extreme skill might keep Reaper alive for a while in the middle of all the madness, but death comes quickly for the weaker rides.
#2
In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race known only as Reapers, has launched an all-out invasion of the galaxy, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction. You, as Commander Shepard, must lead the counter assault to take it back. Only you can determine how events will play out, which planets you will save from annihilation and which alliances you will form or abandon as you rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all.
Battle with your comrades or even your own friends in this all-out galactic war to take Earth back. With co-op online multiplayer missions new to the Mass Effect universe , you can choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as you all fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control in this third entry of the epic intergalactic RPG franchise.
#3
It seems like we've been waiting for The Last Guardian forever, but all signs are pointing to 2012 as the year we finally get to play Fumito Ueda's latest epic. If Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are any indication of what to expect from The Last Guardian, PlayStation 3 owners are in for an amazing experience.
The Last Guardian is the third game by the acclaimed development staff behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. In the game, a young boy and a bizarre, gigantic creature form a heartfelt bond as they attempt to maneuver their way through an unfriendly world.
#4
Lara Croft has never been much more than a giant pair of boobs that pushes boulders and shoots endangered animals. While her Tomb Raider series is one of the longest-running and most popular franchises in gaming, it was time for a change after nine similar outings. I've seen where developer Crystal Dynamics is taking this iconic character, and I feel as excited about Tomb Raider now as I was when I played Lara's first adventure 15 years ago.
When Eidos handed development of the Tomb Raider franchise to Crystal Dynamics, it was a risky but ultimately wise decision. The team managed to reinvent the series while staying true to its roots with Tomb Raider: Legend, while Tomb Raider: Anniversary built on solid foundations to reimagine Lara Croft's original adventure. Tomb Raider Underworld is Crystal Dynamics' third game in as many years, and the high work rate is starting to show. Lara may have plenty of new moves at her disposal, but little has been done to address the many camera and clipping issues still present. Tomb Raider Underworld offers an enticing new adventure, but if you're a fan of the series you'll find that Lara is starting to show her age.
As the "Underworld" suffix suggests, this Tomb Raider covers darker territory than its predecessors. It follows the same adventure template that we've come to expect, but it also deals with death, resurrection, and even Norse mythology in its story. Things start out badly for Lara; a prologue of her racing to escape her lofty mansion as it burns to the ground. Cut back two weeks, and we find Lara trying to take care of some of her father's unfinished business, something that leads her on to discovering more about her mother, characters from previous games, and the mythical Hammer of Thor. It's badly written, poorly voiced, and instantly forgettable for anyone but hardcore fans of the series, but thankfully the cutscenes are mercifully short, leaving you to get down to the serious business of raiding tombs.
Tomb Raider Underworld is constructed in an almost identical fashion to its predecessors, with exploration in exotic locations punctuated by occasional combat and vehicle sections. The interaction between Lara and the environments has long been the draw of the series, and performing daring jumps to scale seemingly impossible heights is as satisfying as ever. Lara's even learned a few new moves in the year since Anniversary, and she can now free-climb, balance along thin beams, and abseil using her rappel line. Crucially, none of these moves complicates Lara's basic movement, and while you have to adjust your eyes to the many new visual cues showing you where to go, they all add new levels to the simple pleasure of adventuring.
While these new abilities expand Lara's already-impressive acrobatic skills, there are a lot of gameplay issues that continue to annoy. The world is incredibly rigid, with strict rules on which platforms, objects, and edges can be interacted with and which can't. The places where Lara can go are well marked out--they feature nice right-angled edges and are usually lighter than the surrounding material to signify your route through. This makes it easier to figure out the correct way to go, but at the same time it means there's little room for improvisation, and the genre has moved beyond such linear progression. Even worse, Lara will frequently clip into a piece of the scenery and then refuse to come out until you stop, turn around, and run out of it again. Add all this to an incredibly unruly camera, and Tomb Raider Underworld is still just as frustrating as its predecessors.
There's an impressive mix of locales in Underworld, and the environments boast greater scale than ever before. The underwater diving is incredibly atmospheric, and while there's often no indication of where you need to go, you won't mind swimming around the beautiful-looking abyss. There are also some great outdoor locations, and you'll race through vast temples, snowy mountains, and jungle environments. While Lara's bike looks and feels more like Batman's Tumbler than anything from the real world, it's much easier to use than the vehicles in previous games, and there are multiple routes that you can take. As the name suggests, though, this game features plenty of underground adventuring, and the sense of claustrophobia as you descend into these lost worlds is wonderfully conveyed.
You won't come across an abundance of enemies in the game, but the ones that you do encounter are incredibly stupid. Human enemies will stand in front of you as you pummel them with gunfire, while the real-world and mythical beasts wait to emerge from the same spot every time. There's still no cover system in Tomb Raider, so you're left to go behind objects, run out to fire, and then repeat until you've dealt with the threat. It's incredibly fiddly when held up to the combat in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but thankfully there's an ultra-powerful weapon toward the end of the game that eradicates the need to take cover completely. The whole weapon system is poorly balanced from the start--you choose one firearm at the beginning of each level, but if you check your inventory you'll find Lara has everything from pistols to an assault rifle into her tiny backpack. Thankfully, the tedious quick-time events have now disappeared completely, while Lara can kick enemies that get too close for comfort.
Where Tomb Raider really challenges is in its puzzles, and while they may be formulaic, the sheer size of the environments means that they can take some time to figure out. They usually revolve around collecting keys or other items to activate mechanics in another part of the level, and while you will have to cover a lot of ground to solve them, they're all logically put together. It helps that Lara can now access a tips system from her PDA, with two levels of assistance available to clarify any befuddlement. Press the A button and Lara will give you a hint on what you need to do next; press Y and she'll be more explicit about your goal. The new map is less successful--Lara's expensive (and curiously waterproof) PDA provides a wireframe model of the current area you're in, but this is useless when trying to backtrack through numerous underground caves.
Tomb Raider Underworld is an enjoyable adventure, but it's one that's just too familiar for anyone who's played the previous games. The basic problems with clipping and the unruly camera are still annoying, and while Lara's new abilities add to her impressive athleticism, the route through most levels is still rigidly linear. The AI and combat are also weak, and while fighting is a relatively small part of the game, Underworld would arguably be better without it. That said, the environments are stunning, and working your way through the many different challenges is still as enjoyable as ever. Ultimately there's still life in the Tomb Raider series, but as the title suggests, it may be in need of another resurrection.
#5
Resident Evil 6 has been announced, and with a release date of 20 November 2012 we don't have long to wait. But what clues has Capcom left in the Resident Evil 6 announcement trailer? We've disected it to find out everything you need to know.
So, we begin with Leon Kennedy, then find Chris Redfield combating enemies in China. Lastly we spot a third, currently unknown and unnamed character who relies on melee combat. Considering the gameplay segments each shows, it's clear these three will all be playable characters. Could that work? We'll have to wait an see.
Leon's gameplay segments highlight quite a number of zombies, but all of these are the slow, plodding types. Meanwhile, when Chris starts opening fire we can see his enemies touting rifles and firing back. Are these Las Plagas enemies? It certainly seems that way. We don't know much about the new character, except that he likes to fight with his fists, he hangs around with Ashley Graham (the president's daughter) and has some kind of special blood: presumably a cure.
During the trailer we hear Ashley and New Guy talking. Ashley tells him that he is needed to save the world, New Guy responds with "No, not me. Just my blood. Well, the world can have it, as long as someone ponies up the dough."
So he's healthy and greedy.
Leon's adventure seems to be in the US, perhaps near Washington, in a town called Tall Oaks. Chris initially is based somewhere in China - perhaps Shanghai - where he's combatting what looks like bioterrorists of Las Plagas. Lastly there's New Guy, who's segments in the trailer take place in a cold, snowy location - perhaps eastern European. We then see Chris fighting - Gears Of War style - in the same cold environment, and the archtecture confirms a decidely European appearance. Then we have the viral site that sprung up prior to Resident Evil 6's announcement, with a map that pinpointed all the locations these 'breakouts' were happening - could this be the many locations of Resi 6?
Each of the three playable characters also seem to have an accompanying NPC. Leon Kennedy had his unnamed female ally, who seemingly knows about what is happening at Tall Oaks. Chris is part of a squad of four, but one of his team-mates (whose face is unhidden, unlike the others) is seen arguing with Chris - will he be the co-op character here? Lastly there's New Guy, who is accompanied by Ashley Williams throughout his segments but is also seen being revived by Ashley in a manoeuvre very similar to Resident Evil 5.
It's clear after watching the video that Resident Evil 6 will try to cater for all fans of the series. "It's Raccoon City all over again" we clearly hear at the start of Leon's segments, suggesting his investigation of Tall Oaks will resemble that of Resident Evil 1 and 2, while keeping the tone of Resident Evil 4. Chris Redfield has become far more action orientated, able to sprint and slide to cover like anything out of Gears Of War. Clearly Chris's role in Resident Evil 6 is to provide a more action orientated experience, like that in Resident Evil 5.
Now I'm very excited on the release of this game because I'm a "zombie-apocalypse" game lover most especially the resident evil series.
#6
Ninja Gaiden 3 will be the first full entry to the Ninja Gaiden series developed without Itagaki's oversight, putting the game in a position of great importance for the franchise. Can the series carry on without Itagaki's direction? I spent some time with the game at a recent press event to hopefully answer this question.
It is a little more grounded than either Ninja Gaiden or its sequel, moving away from some of the more fantastical elements (dragonbone skeletons and the like) in favor of real world enemies and soldiers, a story where Ryu Hyabusa works for the UN, and taking on global threats in Dubai. The game's storyline also aims to "unmask" Ryu, giving it more of a personal tone and a chance for us to see his inner workings.
The single-player demo that I was shown had Ryu fighting off soldiers in Dubai as they flanked him with rocket launchers from what appeared to be mechanized desert snowmobiles. The gameplay included elements like Quick-Time Events that would pop up at times, letting him slide under obstacles or deliver a timed killing blow to his enemies, and the familiar Izuna Drops, ninpo attacks, and Ultimate Technique attacks that unleash devastating damage with stored up Ki have returned.
However, what might be most disappointing to many fans of the series is the single-player campaign's lightened difficulty. My time with Ninja Gaiden 3's single-player mode was noticeably easier than it has been in past Ninja Gaiden games. The franchise has previously worn its toughness proudly, but Ninja Gaiden 3 takes a lot of effort to make the game more accessible. Your health recharges (your ninpo bar will regenerate your health after you take out a group of enemies), using your bow has a generous auto-aim feature, and killing off enemies is generally a lot easier. While there is a Hard mode that delivers some challenge with tougher enemies that hit harder, it's just not on the same challenge level as its predecessors.
One of the big new features in Ninja Gaiden 3 is the inclusion of multiplayer; a first for the series. What I saw of multiplayer dealt with 8-player matchups, including free for all combat and 4-v-4 team deathmatch-style modes. Before each battle, you're able to customize your character by changing his outfit color, his headgear, and other accoutrements. The customization features aren't terribly deep, but do let you distinguish your character before each battle.
My time with the multiplayer was a bit rough at this stage; I experienced some slowdown in the session, even while playing locally. The camera often got caught up on the environment, making it very difficult to tell what was happening. There were some general control issues that made it easy to get beaten on by your opponents, as targeting problems were prevalent and some of the attacks, like ninpo blasts, felt way too overpowered. Of course, what I saw was early code, so there is time for these issues to be fixed before the game's March release date, but they do bear mentioning.
Depending on how you look at it, this could be a good or a bad thing. Some decried Ninja Gaiden's difficulty as an obstacle, so easier gameplay might serve to make it more accessible to a new audience. However, it's tough to imagine that hardcore fans of the series won't take issue with the easier feel.
Purists will likely balk at the some of the new changes, as the lack of difficulty might draw in a new audience while alienating the existing one. Additionally, the inclusion of multiplayer will likely be a divisive feature for many fans who would prefer the game to stay focused on a single-player formula. The changes are certainly ballsy, but will the gamble pay off? We'll just have to find out this March when Ninja Gaiden 3 releases.
#7
BioShock Infinite, the next game in the franchise but not really the sequel, puts you directly in the middle of the action. You play as Booker DeWitt, an ex-Pinkerton agent tasked with finding a woman named Elizabeth in the floating city of Columbia. It turns out the task is even more difficult than the notion of infiltrating a floating city might initially seem, because Elizabeth is capable of wielding incredible powers that phase objects in and out of existence. She's also protected by a monstrous creature called the Songbird, who doesn't like the idea of letting her go.
While you may be used to the slow pace of exploration of exploring Rapture's watery halls, movement is anything but slow in Infinite. That's because DeWitt can latch onto rails that connect all of Columbia's various floating platforms. Using something called a Skyhook, he can latch onto these rails and soar through the air, picking up speed on down slopes and climbing to a rollercoaster-like sound effect. The effect is exhilarating – you're no longer confined to tight hallways when faced with a fight. Instead of stepping out from behind a corner and unloading a few shots to try and whittle down enemy health, you can simply latch onto an overhead rail and be five stories high in seconds.
That doesn't mean you can simply escape every conflict in Infinite by taking to the air. The enemies are just as crazy as you are, and will follow you along rails and even ride toward you. To keep things exciting you're not tied to one rail once you latch on. It's possible to hop between two, either switching to a rail right next to the one you're riding to dropping way down to a rail far below.
The E3 2011 demo made the potential for this rail sliding very clear during a zeppelin sequence. DeWitt had to make is his from the city street to a blimp hovering by the tops of towers, and the ensuing sequence of high-speed, corkscrew movement was a dizzying display of thrilling action and gorgeous visuals. While zooming around the beauty of Columbia was plainly evident, as clusters of skyscrapers bobbed on individual platforms, wreathed in blankets of cloud against the backdrop of bewildering heights. DeWitt hopped from rail to rail on a journey upward, fighting with the occasional enemy but generally just trying to stay mobile. Eventually he made it to zeppelin, disabled it, and then dropped with stomach-churning speed to a rail far below, hooking on, taking fall damage, but surviving.
As much as I'm looking forward to learning more about Elizabeth's mysterious powers, the nature of her relationship with the overprotective Songbird, and her developing dynamic with DeWitt, I'm glad to see Irrational is going in new directions with the combat as well, which feels perfectly suited to the setting. In my mind there's no question BioShock Infinite is one of the most promising games in development right now.
#8
For those new to the series, Soulcalibur V is a weapons-based 3D fighting game that uses a rock-paper-scissors-style fighting system revolving around high and low vertical and horizontal attacks, as well as high and low blocks and the ability to easily sidestep opponents. Higher level play – as in any great fighting game – is almost a balletic dance of tactical positioning and attacks. For the rest of us, the moves are fluid and fast, and it's not hard to pick up the basics and have a good time.
SoulCalibur V is the most complex entry in the series to date. By incorporating some 2D fighting mechanics into its 3D weapon-based system, the game forces you to manage more variables than ever before. In short, this is not a return to the simple times of SoulCalibur II. What SoulCalibur V lacks in accessibility it more than makes up for with its unprecedented depth, fostering a well-crafted, offensive-focused experience that never wants for excitement.
At the center of SoulCalibur V's new design is the critical gauge. This meter can hold two bars of energy used to perform new types of offensive and defensive maneuvers. Critical edge and brave edge attacks are its offensive uses. The flashy, cinematic critical edge attacks cost a full bar of meter and deal substantial damage. Each character has one, and every critical edge has the same input command. Critical edge attacks come out quickly and are great for catching aggressive opponents off guard, especially when you're rising from a knockdown.
Brave edge attacks are improved versions of a character's normal attacks and use one-quarter of the critical gauge. Hilde, for example, has an attack that knocks her opponent into the air and over her head. The brave edge version starts the same way but automatically impales the opponent in midair for extra damage. This combo isn't possible otherwise, hence the meter cost. Both critical and brave edge attacks open up new combo possibilities for the entire cast and help make old characters feel new without altering their fundamental gameplay.
Defensively, the critical meter is used for guard impacting, otherwise known as parrying. That's right: unlike in previous SoulCalibur games, parrying is no longer free. Instead, it costs one-quarter of the gauge--the same as a brave edge attack--and still requires precise timing.
However, there are other ways to parry that don't use the critical gauge. The first is "just guard." This is done by tapping the guard button the instant before being struck. It requires even more precise timing than a standard parry, but if you're successful it will have a similar effect. Certain attacks also incorporate a parry into the attack itself. These attacks are generally slow-moving, highly telegraphed blows that will leave you wide open should you miss.
Guard breaking also discourages defensive-heavy play. Block too many attacks in a match, and your character will automatically drop his or her guard for a few seconds. You can tell you're at risk when the health gauge begins to flash. All of these changes create more intense matches by restricting defensive options and promoting aggressive play. However, the game also keeps itself in check through the limitations of the critical gauge. Since the gauge can hold only four quarters total, and refills slowly as you fight, you can't abuse the new techniques. It's a finely tuned balance that fits naturally atop the existing system.
With all these new additions, there is a lot of information to internalize in SoulCalibur V. What this game desperately needs is a cohesive tutorial to guide you through these changes. Instead, the only tutorial is a screen of text displayed at the opening of story and training modes. That's it. This sink-or-swim mentality is conducive only to a minority of players and is a disservice to newcomers and returning fans.
The game's starting point, the story mode, introduces you to Patroklos and Pyrrha, the children of series veteran Sophitia. The siblings embark on a journey across Europe that leads to the legendary soul swords. Eventually, the two are put at odds, but by that point the narrative has stumbled over so much terrible writing and illogical reasoning that it's difficult to care. This mode also fails to provide any of the interesting battle conditions seen in SoulCalibur II's campaign or SoulCalibur IV's challenge tower. And while the game has two other versus AI modes, the lack of variety across all three severely diminishes the game's offline attraction.
SoulCalibur V takes place several years after the previous game and borrows a page from Street Fighter III: Third Strike. It introduces several new characters with the slightly modified movesets of older characters. There are a few originals as well, such as Z.W.E.I. and Viola. Z.W.E.I. is a short-range fighter who can summon a familiar to help extend combos and attack from a distance. Viola is an indirect fighter who uses a crystal ball. The ball can be deployed on the battlefield and recalled to strike opponents from behind.
Ezio Auditore, of Assassin's Creed fame, is this game's guest character. In addition to being an appropriate thematic fit, Ezio is well-balanced, capable of holding his own but not overpowered like some guest characters of the past. Sadly, a lot of good characters were left by the wayside, including Talim, Yun-seong, and Zasalamel.
Online play is smooth in SoulCalibur V; you shouldn't notice any performance issues when squaring off against players with four- and five-bar connection ratings. The standard offerings of ranked and player matches are available, and the game saves your eight most recent online matches. You can also check out other players' online profiles and download any replay data they've made available. Together, these are great ways for studying combat technique. Player matches support spectator mode when you're not playing, and you can even chat with other viewers.
A fan favorite, character creation, is back in SoulCalibur V and is more robust than ever. Not only does it offer all the features you would expect from previous iterations, but now you can apply patterns to your characters' garments, add tattoos, or attach special items. There is also a unique unarmed fighting style that can be accessed only within character creation that's a nod to another Namco fighting franchise. In addition, characters no longer have stats that are tied to pieces of clothing, so you're free to dress up your fighters however you'd like.
Fans looking to relive the experience of SoulCalibur's early entries may be irked by this game's new additions. But once the steep learning curve is surmounted, you will find a fresh-yet-familiar fighting system that's fun to explore.
#9
Prototype 2 gives players a clearer view of Radical's original intentions through the eyes of James Heller, an emotionally ravaged veteran with nothing left to live for. He's a cliche in concept, but Prototype 2 goes through a lot of effort to prove he's human, and it does so in an interesting way.
Before you get to start running up walls, dismembering mercenaries, and gliding over New York City again, Prototype 2 makes you sit down, observe, and understand. It dedicates a full 30 minutes to cinematics and brief chunks of slow, linear gameplay. The unexpected, decidedly un-Prototype change of pace sets the story stage, of course, while building anticipation. By the time the introduction ended I was aching to unleash havoc on NYC.
When Prototype 2 finally lets Heller loose, it unfolds much like the first game; consume life-forms to heal, morph into enemy officers to disguise, eviscerate dudes with gigantic razor-claws. It stays this way for the better part of an hour, so yeah, it's the same Prototype, but it brings along important fundamental differences.
The art direction in Prototype 2 does much more than simply build upon its (unattractive, even at the time) predecessor. The visual improvements extend beyond the character models and environment textures you'd expect to see in a sequel three years later. Prototype 2 replaces the washed-out, dry aesthetic of the original with vibrant colors, stark contrasts, and some sunshine. Forget the familiar morose palette; this is what the world would look like if an infection actually broke out. The sun would still rise, the sky would still be clear, and New York would still have beautiful parks. People live their lives, miserable though they may be in quarantine, and they exist in an overwhelming state of fear. Walking through camps (where people live in improvised tents, stand around burning barrels, and wear masks to hopefully prevent infection), I got the impression the entire city was on the brink of panic.
Until now, Activision led me to believe the driving force pushing Prototype 2 forward was a feud: Heller, angry at ol' Alex for murdering his wife and daughter, was on a relentless hunt for Mercer's blood. Prototype 2 isn't quite this cut and dry. The first hour establishes a complex relationship with an uncertain future. Mercer mutated Heller, thus giving him the super powers we know and love, for unknown purposes. He reassures him he didn't kill the Heller family. Mercer even has a mutual friend in Heller's priest, who trusts Mercer's unclear motives implicitly. I didn't see anything but an allegiance in my demo, but if a war breaks out between the boys it'll happen for understandable reasons. The air stinks of inevitable betrayal.
There's a more capable, late-game Heller in action. His abilities remain largely familiar, but the effects seemed more devastating than Mercer's previously felt. The organic tendrils, Earth-shaking smashes, and body mutations – claws, blade arms, huge arms, etc. – do a serious number on enemies. Groups of guys become larger groups of body parts as Heller carves through swaths of men. If you don't feel the need to instantly destroy a tank or chopper, you can weaponize it to wield temporary artillery. Because he's a soldier, Heller also takes great advantage of found guns.
Where Prototype 2's gameplay aims to set itself apart is in its RADNET content, which all early adopters earn access to. RADNET collects a series of events and mini-games separate from the rest of Prototype 2 , and they're far better than the term "mini-game" often implies. I fell in love with racing, a stereotypical mission type I try to avoid, because each race covers such huge distances. The navigation and traversal in Prototype is versatile in a way that makes running, jumping, and soaring fun on its own. It's super-powered parkour with a timer and a leaderboard – Prototype, you've got me hooked on knocking friends' scores off the leaderboard like you're Joe Danger or Hot Pursuit. The other mode I saw worked like human bowling – I leapt off a roof, smashed into the ground, and launched as many men as possible for points.
This is all a bit of dumb-fun, a stark contrast to the glum start of the story. Radical is rolling out 55 of these events, which are, to my surprise, the reason I'm most excited to play more Prototype 2.
This is in addition to its most impressive step forward: its deeply human themes, motivated hero, and believable world. Prototype 2 brings new strengths to the merciless murder we already enjoyed. It appears Radical's formula tweaks could elevate Prototype 2 to heights its predecessor couldn't even hope to hit.
#10
This awesome game is Street Fighter X Tekken, where Street Fighter and Tekken series' stalwarts Ryu, Chun-Li, Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams headline a memorable cast of your favorite fighters in a tag battle dream match for the ages! Street Fighter X Tekken (SFXT) is a 2 vs. 2 tag team-based fighting game where players can freely tag in and out between partners. The game promises to marry the styles of both a 2D and 3D fighting game for a fresh take on the genre!
Fans from each series will also be able to play with either Street Fighter's traditional 6 button layout or Tekken's 4 button layout!
Players who are new to either series will be able to join in on the fun with an easy-to-understand battle system that promises excitement and countless hours of fun.
This surely be a hotbed of controversy for hardcore fighting game fans is the inclusion of Gems. Gems are a divisive addition due to what they bring to the game's competitive side. Each character has three different slots that you can populate with gems that give you boost, be it defensive or offensive. The kicker is that each gem has to be activated by satisfying certain gameplay conditions. For example, some defensive gems will only activate if you've blocked a set amount of times, while some won't activate until you've take enough damage. There is a strategic element to selecting your gem set, similar to selecting a loadout in a multiplayer shooter like Call of Duty or Battlefield.
However, assist gems are more contentious. Assist gems outright make certain elements of the combat easier to pull off, and include buffs like Auto-Block and throw-breaks, at the cost of some power or gauges. In some instances, the game will even automate these moves for you. While this is definitely meant to allow newcomers to the genre to have a fighting chance when playing the game online, it does give players a kind of handicap going in, which could disrupt the overall balance of the online experience.
#11
Max Payne 3 is the third installment in Rockstar Games Max Payne series and is set eight years after the events of the last installment. No longer a cop, Max is close to washed-up, drunk and addicted to painkillers. Without a job on the force, Max has left the greater New York area, and finds himself in Sao Paulo, Brazil, working as private security. The story of Max's descent from vengeful, leather-jacket wearing detective roaming the alleys of New York to the broken, shaven-headed man out for justice on unfamiliar streets far from home is at the center of Max Payne 3. In addition to Max's classic shoot-dodge moves, there is now a combination of Natural Motion's Euphoria character behavior system and Bullet Time to enhance his moves. Partners and sidekicks will play a large role in this game to help Max in his quest for vengeance.
Max Payne 3's multiplayer attempts to counter this modern malaise. "We're trying to reduce the anonymity you get in multiplayer games," says Charlie Bewsher, the lead designer on the game's multiplayer. "We want to make relationships. We want to make these players stand out for you."
Payne Killer, the game's take of King of the Hill, is a good example of how it tries to forge relationships. Designed as the natural successor to Max Payne 2's Dead Man Walking mode, it centres on Max and his partner Passos as they fight to stay alive for as long as possible. Two players will randomly start the match as Max and Passos, while everyone else attempts to take them out. All the other players are, essentially, on one big team, hunting down the pair. To make things fair, Max and Passos are equipped with special abilities and powerful load-outs. Points are gained by injuring or killing Max and Passos, or by killing any of the attacking team. The player with the most points wins. Simple.
But all alliances are ultimately ephemeral, with allies being turned upon one another in an instant. "What we really enjoyed about multiplayer games is the relationship you have with other players when you're playing," says Bewsher. Like Gang Wars, the game's flagship multiplayer mode, it's all about forging intimate rivalries and breaking them, creating the familiar drama that would emerge naturally sat next to friends, huddled around a console.
It's a strategy that runs throughout the game's multiplayer. Even smaller features, like the Vendetta system, are designed to foster good-natured rivalry. If Payne Killer is about forging relationships before smashing them to pieces, Gang Wars' Vendettas are all about fuelling competition. If a player is killed twice in a row by an opponent, they can choose to start a vendetta with that player. If they can successfully take them out, they will be handsomely rewarded with a XP bonus. But if they are killed by their target, the opponent will take the bonus for themselves. Those locked into a vendetta will be able to see each other on the mini-map, instigating a cat-and-mouse like scenario.
Whether Max Payne's multiplayer will succeed in its bid to create a more social, more personable online shooter depends, to a large degree, on the type of community it attracts once the game is released and servers go live. Yet it's interesting that its director has tried to counter the anonymity through deliberate design choices, shaping the very form of the multiplayer arena to draw out the very best (and sometimes worst) in players. So far, it's promising to be one of the most engaging online shooters around. I'm already feeling a little less lonely.
#12
Silent Hill returns with the eighth installment in its long-running horror genre series. Experience the psychological torture, ambient story, horrifying enemies and self-evaluative questions of despair. In this story, Murphy Pendleton escapes from a freak bus accident as he is being transferred from one prison to another. He wakes up to find his way into the sleepy town of Silent Hill where he is greeted by locals and brought in. However, little does he know he is going to begin a journey into a slowly developing personal hell. Silent Hill Downpour utilizes Unreal 3 technology which brings the town of Silent Hill and all the characters and creations into a vivid spectacular display. Unlock new areas, attain special items, and bonus content by completing all-new Side Quests within the game.
Downpour's story follows a prisoner named Murphy Pendleton who's en route from one prison facility to another when his bus crashes. He emerges from the wreckage in, you guessed it, the town of Silent Hill. So far, we've only seen a little bit of Murphy's story and only gotten a piece of his personality, but as the plot unfolds we will understand more of what makes Murphy tick.
Combat also plays a very important part in Downpour, but not in the traditional sense. As in other Silent Hill games, guns and ammo are hard to come by, and when facing down enemies you'll often have to get up close and personal to take them out. In order to do so, you'll have to grab melee weapons, which include wrenches, knives, and sometimes even rocks or sticks found on the ground. Harder weapons like wrenches and rocks can be used to bust through locks and give you access to new areas. Unfortunately, melee weapons will degrade after use and eventually bust, and you can only hold one at a time. You'll constantly discard and recover melee weapons, giving a dynamic quality to the combat. While the combat was still a little floaty and detached feeling at this point, there's still time for it to be cleaned up before launch.
The first time Murphy gets transported to the alternate, nightmarish Otherworld is exactly what it should be; confusing, harrowing, and terrifying. The sequence is filled with strange imagery: cages filled with hobbled together body parts, dilapidated walls, and strange collages of destroyed furniture, moving walls, even an old record player with "Born Free" playing on it. Additionally, a crackling ball of light will chase you down, spelling death for Murphy if it manages to get too close and requiring that you haul ass to escape it. Otherworld felt like a hell of Murphy's own making; the aforementioned song, bars slamming shut the way through, the out of control feeling of sliding down a slope and dodging spikes, all seemed to play on and even taunt Murphy's incarceration. The sequence in the Otherworld was definitely a standout of my time with Downpour, and embodied the horror feel of the franchise extremely well.
As someone who felt the series peaked at Silent Hill 2, my time with Downpour was definitely a positive experience. While the game's general mechanics feel like a shift from the traditional survival horror feel we've come to expect from the franchise in favor of something more action oriented, the overall feeling of dread and suspense has been ported over admirably. It hasn't been something I've said in a while now, but Silent Hill is back on my radar.
#13
Naruto Ninja Storm Generations is, as you might expect, a summation of the series thus far. The Naruto series has two distinct eras - a first part featuring a young Naruto, and then the "Shippuden" storyline, which tracks Naruto's adventures a couple years later. Generations will encompass both, featuring one of the largest rosters ever in a Naruto game.
The breaking of tradition comes in how CyberConnect2 is going to tell those stories. The manga and anime predominantly focus on Naruto and his journey through life. The story mode in Generations will certainly allow players to work through the game as Naruto, but now, for the first time, other characters independent stories can be told.
Players will be able to experience the supporting cast's adventures as they run parallel and intersect with Naruto's. These stories have never been fully told before, and therefore will debut in Generations. In fact, 60 minutes of original anime content - produced by the same studio that makes the current Naruto television series - have been commissioned for this game. Unfortunately we'll have to wait to see who will be featured - CyberConnect2 wasn't talking.
Unique, original storyline content isn't all that's being brought to Generations. The development team has been refining the battle system, particularly with control. Substitutions are now activated with their own buttons, and various UI components are being tweaked to make the experience more accessible and logical to both new and veteran players alike.
While getting a sense for Generations' new features and playing a demo of the game - which at its core retains the strong mechanics laid down in previous Ninja Storm games - I spoke with Hiroshi Matsuyama, the president and CEO of CyberConnect2. Matsuyama's focus with Generations was making sure that it represented the wishes and interests of the players. He noted that if the fans want something, they should make their voices heard in places like IGN's comments.
Remembering a comment from a previous Generations article, I asked Matsuyama if character creation would ever come to the Ninja Storm series. I had just seen that idea in Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Tenkaichi. Could that come to Generations?
Matsuyama seemed interested, but said the reality of a licensed game makes that sort of mode extremely unlikely. He did say, however, that the more the fans want something like that, the more he's able to make the case to Naruto's licensors.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations is very much what you'd expect from a Ninja Storm game, but that's not a bad thing. CyberConnect2 long ago crafted a fighting mechanic that was both easy to play while still retaining a sense of skill and entertainment. The notion that the series will now forge into new territory with the franchise is incredibly exciting, meaning any Naruto fan will want to check it out.
#14
There are four multiplayer modes to choose from in Operation Raccoon City, each of which supports up to eight players. Heroes lets you play as notable Resident Evil characters, such as Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong and Nicholai Ginovaef. Biohazard is basically capture the flag, only instead of a flag you're going after lost G-virus vials. Survivors is just what it sounds like, a fight for survival against everything that moves that doesn't end until the extraction helicopter arrives. Team Attack is simply a team deathmatch - if you and your friends score more kills than the other team, you win.
Unfortunately, these modes suffer from the same problems as the main game - namely they fail to capture the RE spirit in any way and are weakened by a handful of bad concepts. Like in the main game, getting bitten by a zombie infects you with the virus, and you start to turn unless you have an anti-viral spray on hand. Sounds cool in theory, but in practice it's just plain annoying. Turning into a zombie basically incapacitates your character, preventing you from joining in on the multiplayer action until you finally die and respawn.
Both the combat and maps are poorly thought out too. Melee attacks are far too powerful, and there's very little difference in how each of the guns feels and handles - a huge failing since the game's whole focus is shooting. The maps are also a bit too large, making it feel like you waste a lot of time running around in search of where the action is. Other small annoyances include the sticking mechanic where your character automatically sticks to any surface you go near. It's frustrating and never useful - making it hard to understand why this wasn't just assigned its own dedicated button.
While the character models look great, the way they interact with the world is quite bad, especially given how powerful the hardware is that the game's running on. Even small ledges can't be jumped over, you can't jump down from anywhere (no matter how short the fall) and some surfaces you should be able to walk across you just can't for seemingly no reason at all.
The worst of it is that the main game's biggest problem was unnecessarily added to the multiplayer mode - the terrible AI. In addition to fighting off the other players, there are also zombies and B.O.W.s like Hunters and Lickers running around making mayhem. Like everything about the game, it's a great concept in theory, but the execution is bad and the end product is less fun than you'd expect. These AI monsters are just plain stupid, even by zombie standards. Even Hunters are worthless opponents, often jumping in front of you intimidatingly only to run right past or randomly jump away. Since when did you have to chase down and beg a B.O.W. to attack you? It's irritating, and only further brings down an already disappointing experience.
RELEASE DATES:
-MASS EFFECT 3 - MAR 6, 2012
-RESIDENT EVIL 6 - NOV 20, 2012
-PROTOTYPE 2 - DEC 31, 2012
-THE LAST GUARDIAN - APRIL 24, 2012
-TOMB RAIDER - SEPT 30, 2012
-NINJA GAIDEN 3 - MAR 20, 2012
-BIOSHOCK INFINITE - DEC 31, 2012
-STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN - MAR 6, 2012
-MAX PAYNE 3 - MAR 15, 2012
-SILENT HILL: DOWNPOUR - MAR 13, 2012
-NARUTO ULTIMATE NINJA GENERATIONS - MAR 13, 2012
-RESIDENT EVIL: OPERATION RACCOON CITY - MAR 20, 2012
I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED FOR MORE UPCOMING GAMES AND REVIEWS. THANKS FOR STOPPING BUY.
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