The much anticipated US release of the 360 RPG, Star Ocean: The Last Hope will be taking place tomorrow and damn, its good to have some new RPGs coming out for the system. Despite all the talk of sub-par resolutions, disc-swapping issues and some questionable differences between the US and import versions (I mean, why didn't they include an option to use the anime portraits? I'm sure a lot of fans would have appreciated this), its still my most anticipated game now other than Killzone 2 since RPGs are basically the genre the love the most.
Hopefully it lives up being a solid RPG since the 360's been dying for a good one from the genre (we are still a long way from FF 13).
February 25, 2009
February 24, 2009
Quake Live now Open!
You read that right folks. For all those who weren't able to snatch a beta key, ID is finally moving Quake Live from closed to open beta stage this Feb 24. There's a timer on the site (7 hours left here) so you know when to start fragging online.
For those of you living under a rock, Quake Live is basically Quake 3 online with some fixes here and there, running straight in you web browser (IE and Firefox for now I believe), all for free! I was able to get into the beta a month or 2 ago and it definitely is Quake 3 in all its glory. Only problem was the missing servers here in Asia, which meant hellish ping times for me (3-second delay anyone?). Hopefully, the people behind this amazing app realize this and put out servers here so we can start joining in as well.
Visit the link below for the website:
Quake Live
February 17, 2009
F.E.A.R. 2
Just got my hands on the latest installment to the FEAR series (xbox 360 version) and I'm having a blast with it! It's no Killzone 2 that's for sure, but it still holds up if you ask me. I'll get a review up as soon as I'm done saving my ass from that freaky psychic Alma.
February 14, 2009
New Trailers Out Now: Resident Evil 5 & God of War 3
Such a wonderful day it is today eh? Over at this part of the Earth, it's Valentines already and I'm about to spend quality time with my girlfriend today to go see some hot air balloons take off to skies near here ^^. Before we leave though, give me 5 minutes to post up info on some new trailers for the up coming Resident Evil 5 and God of War 3 games.
To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with the God of War one. Mostly because it just looks like a higher-res version of God of War 2. It's still pretty much a year away though, so the developers should have enough time to get this game looking much better. Resident Evil 5 on the other hand looks just as stunning as ever. I don't know what sort of magic Capcom has under their crazy multiplatform engine, but it's doing wonders with this game.
Anyway, the trailers can be found at gamersyde.com or just follow the links below to go directly to each one:
God of War 3 Trailer
Resident Evil 5 Trailer
And with that, I'm off to my date. Hope you guys have a wonderful Valentines Day too :)
To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with the God of War one. Mostly because it just looks like a higher-res version of God of War 2. It's still pretty much a year away though, so the developers should have enough time to get this game looking much better. Resident Evil 5 on the other hand looks just as stunning as ever. I don't know what sort of magic Capcom has under their crazy multiplatform engine, but it's doing wonders with this game.
Anyway, the trailers can be found at gamersyde.com or just follow the links below to go directly to each one:
God of War 3 Trailer
Resident Evil 5 Trailer
And with that, I'm off to my date. Hope you guys have a wonderful Valentines Day too :)
February 10, 2009
New Bleach Title again?
I'm a big fan of anime but I admit, I've never watched the Bleach series yet (I mean, I've seen a couple of episodes here and there, but I never really followed the series). Maybe I should start watching it though since it seems to have a big following with all the bleach games coming out:
A surefire candidate for most milked series on the PSP, Bleach will be receiving yet another adaptation on the portable. Sony made the announcement today via a newly opened official website.
Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is, despite the number, actually the seventh Bleach game for the PSP (in addition to the Heat the Soul games, the system saw Soul Carnival late last year). While little is known at the moment, it seems the game will retain the tag-based fighting system that debuted in part 5.
Aside from that, we'll have to wait for Sony to share comment. A short video is available at the official site, so interested parties should check there for now.
Heat the Soul 6 is currently without a final release date.
A surefire candidate for most milked series on the PSP, Bleach will be receiving yet another adaptation on the portable. Sony made the announcement today via a newly opened official website.
Bleach: Heat the Soul 6 is, despite the number, actually the seventh Bleach game for the PSP (in addition to the Heat the Soul games, the system saw Soul Carnival late last year). While little is known at the moment, it seems the game will retain the tag-based fighting system that debuted in part 5.
Aside from that, we'll have to wait for Sony to share comment. A short video is available at the official site, so interested parties should check there for now.
Heat the Soul 6 is currently without a final release date.
Dead Rising 2 Officially Confirmed!
Last Friday I believe, a video with a familiar atmosphere was leaked to the internets and a lot speculated and hoped that it was from the upcoming sequel to the Xbox 360 launch exclusive. Turns out all them guesses were true and we're going to get a new Dead Rising game on both the Xbox 360 and (due to Capcom's multiplatform stance now) PS3.
This is straight from www.DeadRising2.net:
We've been speculating it for over a year and while rumors were rapid in the past few weeks, Capcom has officially confirmed that Dead Rising 2 will be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
In Dead Rising 2, players will once again slaughter their way through thousands upon thousands of the living dead, using a plethora of weapons to butcher them. This time, however, instead of battling zombies in a shopping mall like the original Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2 takes place in a Las Vegas-inspired city loaded with casinos and flesh-eating blackjack dealers and zombified showgirls. Check out the screenshots right HERE to get an idea of what we're talking about. Some other zombies we've spotted in the new screens just released are construction workers, ladies dressed up for clubbing, and police officers.
Capcom says that Dead Rising 2 will take the franchise to a "new level of zombie-killing fun with tens of thousands of zombies" and a chance to kill them in fun ways in the gambling paradise of Fortune City.
Dead Rising 2 is set several years after the zombie invasion of Willamette, Colorado. Unfortunately, Capcom tells us, that zombie virus was not contained at the end of the first game and spread unchecked throughout the U.S. Dead Rising 2 depicts a country where zombie outbreaks continue to strike.
Providing the player with hundreds of weapons was a big part of the original game. In the new screens, Dead Rising 2's protagonist can be seen wielding a baseball bat, a giant-display cell phone, and an electric guitar.
Dead Rising 2 is being handled by a different developer from the first game, Blue Castle Games, who have developed games such as 'The BIGS' and 'MLB 2K8'.
On another note, the Wii edition of the original game, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop comes out February 24, 2009.
Here are some new screenshots of the game:
Looks pretty damn good eh. Capcom's multiplatform engine sure is a beast and one of the better ones this generation (better than UE3 imo since it looks good on both 360 and PS3). I still play Dead Rising 1 now and then despite the brutal Save System so that should say something about how much I'll like the sequel.
This is straight from www.DeadRising2.net:
We've been speculating it for over a year and while rumors were rapid in the past few weeks, Capcom has officially confirmed that Dead Rising 2 will be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
In Dead Rising 2, players will once again slaughter their way through thousands upon thousands of the living dead, using a plethora of weapons to butcher them. This time, however, instead of battling zombies in a shopping mall like the original Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2 takes place in a Las Vegas-inspired city loaded with casinos and flesh-eating blackjack dealers and zombified showgirls. Check out the screenshots right HERE to get an idea of what we're talking about. Some other zombies we've spotted in the new screens just released are construction workers, ladies dressed up for clubbing, and police officers.
Capcom says that Dead Rising 2 will take the franchise to a "new level of zombie-killing fun with tens of thousands of zombies" and a chance to kill them in fun ways in the gambling paradise of Fortune City.
Dead Rising 2 is set several years after the zombie invasion of Willamette, Colorado. Unfortunately, Capcom tells us, that zombie virus was not contained at the end of the first game and spread unchecked throughout the U.S. Dead Rising 2 depicts a country where zombie outbreaks continue to strike.
Providing the player with hundreds of weapons was a big part of the original game. In the new screens, Dead Rising 2's protagonist can be seen wielding a baseball bat, a giant-display cell phone, and an electric guitar.
Dead Rising 2 is being handled by a different developer from the first game, Blue Castle Games, who have developed games such as 'The BIGS' and 'MLB 2K8'.
On another note, the Wii edition of the original game, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop comes out February 24, 2009.
Here are some new screenshots of the game:
Looks pretty damn good eh. Capcom's multiplatform engine sure is a beast and one of the better ones this generation (better than UE3 imo since it looks good on both 360 and PS3). I still play Dead Rising 1 now and then despite the brutal Save System so that should say something about how much I'll like the sequel.
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. Demo This Week
More demo love for you and me ^^
TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.XTM DEMO AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 11 ON XBOX LIVE® AND FEBRUARY 12 ON PLAYSTATION® NETWORK
LONDON, UK – February 10, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announces that an official Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X™ demo will be available for download for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network beginning on February 11, 2009 and for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on the PLAYSTATION® network beginning on February 12, 2009. The demo will be also available for Windows-based PCs beginning on February 26, 2009.
In this demo, players will dominate the skies for the first time and battle planes, tanks and amphibious assaults and have the opportunity to dogfight with other elite pilots in a stunning panoramic boss scene.
Key features of the H.A.W.X demo:
o Co-op enabled for up to 4 players – Jump in/Jump out
o Gain experience points and unlock up to three real, licensed planes in the demo:
o F-16A Fighting Falcon
o SU-35 Super Flanker
o AV-8B Harrier II
o Choose between two different game modes:
o Normal – Default control type
o Expert – Allows full control over the aircraft in “Assistance Off” mode
o Two heart-pounding missions:
o Operation: Off Certification (Training mode)
o Learn the skills of an elite pilot in “Assistance Off” mode and pull extreme maneuvers
o Operation: Glass Hammer (Rio De Janeiro)
o Take flight over GeoEye technology (the world’s best satellite data), and witness Brazil like never before
o Learn to use the Enhanced Reality System in “Assistance On” mode, where your plane’s computer calculates the best interception course for you to follow to attack an enemy, evade a missile or hit a ground target
Not really a fan of the flight-plane genre but I'll give this a try. More free demos is better than nothing.
Oh yeah, there's also a new trailer over at Gamersyde.
UPDATE:
Seems like PS3 owners will have to wait for a couple of days before getting a chance to test fly this new demo.
Saw this over at http://www.psu.com. Hopefully this doesn't affect the overall quality of the game for PS3 owners.
TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.XTM DEMO AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 11 ON XBOX LIVE® AND FEBRUARY 12 ON PLAYSTATION® NETWORK
LONDON, UK – February 10, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announces that an official Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X™ demo will be available for download for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network beginning on February 11, 2009 and for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on the PLAYSTATION® network beginning on February 12, 2009. The demo will be also available for Windows-based PCs beginning on February 26, 2009.
In this demo, players will dominate the skies for the first time and battle planes, tanks and amphibious assaults and have the opportunity to dogfight with other elite pilots in a stunning panoramic boss scene.
Key features of the H.A.W.X demo:
o Co-op enabled for up to 4 players – Jump in/Jump out
o Gain experience points and unlock up to three real, licensed planes in the demo:
o F-16A Fighting Falcon
o SU-35 Super Flanker
o AV-8B Harrier II
o Choose between two different game modes:
o Normal – Default control type
o Expert – Allows full control over the aircraft in “Assistance Off” mode
o Two heart-pounding missions:
o Operation: Off Certification (Training mode)
o Learn the skills of an elite pilot in “Assistance Off” mode and pull extreme maneuvers
o Operation: Glass Hammer (Rio De Janeiro)
o Take flight over GeoEye technology (the world’s best satellite data), and witness Brazil like never before
o Learn to use the Enhanced Reality System in “Assistance On” mode, where your plane’s computer calculates the best interception course for you to follow to attack an enemy, evade a missile or hit a ground target
Not really a fan of the flight-plane genre but I'll give this a try. More free demos is better than nothing.
Oh yeah, there's also a new trailer over at Gamersyde.
UPDATE:
Seems like PS3 owners will have to wait for a couple of days before getting a chance to test fly this new demo.
"The demo was due to be released today on PS3, but it has apparently suffered with technical difficulties. A post on Ubisoft's Twitter page states: "HAWX PS3 demo delayed to Feb 26th, due to the late discovery of an unexpected issue. We apologize for the situation."
Saw this over at http://www.psu.com. Hopefully this doesn't affect the overall quality of the game for PS3 owners.
Crysis Review
"All images used belong to their respective owners. I will be putting up my own once I get the chance to collect a couple for this review."
Better late than never I guess. My first review is going to be for this one game the entire PC World has been craving for.
Crysis is all about its visuals. Yes, the nanosuit abilities are a nice touch to the gameplay, but no doubt people are buying this game just for the graphics. And who is to blame? One quick look at any screenshot of the game and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Developer Crytek has crafted some of the most finest visuals in a game ever. Just like they're first entry into game development, Far Cry, Crysis literally sets the bar for videogame graphics. Gears of War may have had some really nice texture work and Uncharted might have really good foliage and shaders, but Crysis just seems to have the entire package down. The only downside? System requirements and in-game performance. I ran the game on a pretty average computer and well, it didn't exactly run as good as I've expected. Granted I played it on some pretty demanding settings since yeah I admit, I got the game to see the graphics as well. Amazingly, I was able to fight my through the slideshows produced by the ice level and that final carrier map and made it to the end.
So how was the experience? Despite some very low framerates and sometimes questionable AI, it was great!. It was fun running around the jungles and stuff thanks to some really nice physics with the vegetation. The engine allows you to interact with the plants unlike any other game I've seen. Certain trees can literally be shot down and bushes and other foliage react to nearby explosions realistically. You can even tear down little sheds and buildings with explosives, tanks and other vehicles.
Other than the amazing physics at work, the overall atmosphere of the game will literally make your jaw drop hard to the floor. The sun creates convincing light rays every time its obstructed. Day turns to night and vice-versa. Misty fog gathers around when night turns to morning. Dynamic clouds litter the sky during a sunny afternoon. Realistic depth of field effects come into play while zooming in with your weapon sights. Object motion blur simulates how the eye blurs objects at high speeds. Ambient occlusion combined with the engine's dynamic lighting and HDR gives off an almost realistic look to how the world is lit, and allows literally every object to produce a dynamic soft shadow of its own. Etc etc etc....All these elements fall in the right places to create the most convincing game world ever built.
But enough talk of the game's looks. How does the gameplay fare you ask? Its just your standard FPS-type of game with the added nanosuit powers. The nanosuit gives you 4 modes that can alter your style a bit: Strength mode, Speed mode, Shield/Defense mode, and Cloak mode. All these are pretty self explanatory and are pretty much needed if you want to survive. The Cloak mode though will be your most powerful (and cheapest ability if you ask me) mode as it grants you full invisibility (ala Predator). You could abuse this and almost always get through tight spots with it. The only catch is that using a weapon disables your clock and drains your nanosuit energy instantly so you got to be careful when taking down groups with it since enemy soldiers sometimes do a good job at flanking and shooting you down.
Now my only gripe with the game is the computer AI. Games have come a long way already in providing realistic AI, and with games like FEAR pushing the bar in terms of how enemies should react, I was hoping Crysis would at least get this aspect of the game right. And it does, sometimes. The korean soldiers do a good job at listening to audio cues and will try to surround and flank you. They shoot, throw grenades, even man vehicles. Seems pretty good at first but once you play around longer, you'll start to see some inconsistencies in how they behave. These soldiers tend to get stuck in walls and you could sometimes even see them clipping through buildings. They also react too slow if you ask me. You could knock out a couple of soldiers who are standing just a few feet apart and they wouldn't notice anything. They also seem to have an ungodly amount of health when shooting them from far. At one point, I unloaded an entire magazine clip on just one soldier (and I was sure they were connecting since you have this odd "thud" sound that plays whenever a hit registers from your gun) and that enemy was still running around wondering where to run and hide. These subtract a bit of points from the overall game since everything from the presentation side is so well polished. Well, I guess it's improssible to have a perfect game anyway.
My final verdict for this game? If you're a fan of the FPS genre and a hardcore PC owner with the need to buy the ultimate game just to see how many frames your thousand-dollar rig can pump out, by all means get this game. For the average Joe with the average computer, think twice because this game will bring your computer to its knees (and trust me, you do not want to run this game at anything less than medium-high. How good this game looks at high is how bad it looks at low). Plus the AI issues and forgettable story might turn a couple off. It's still an enjoyable game though thanks to the Nanosuit and breathtaking technology at display. Hopefully, Crytek works more on the gameplay-side of things in future games since they got the technology all right and perfect (well, a bit of optimizing too wouldn't hurt).
February 7, 2009
Demo Overload!
I have always been a fan of demos for games before release. I know a lot of people would prefer not to spoil themselves before getting a hold of the next big game coming out, but that doesn't apply to me. Demos are here to help you decide if buying a game will be worth it or not. Plus, they're good for trying something new once in a while, especially if the demo is worth it. And I must say, the demos out now for sure will catch a lot of people's attention.
Resi 4-type gameplay with Next Gen Graphics? Sign me up!
Resident Evil 5 and Killzone 2, together with other titles to look forward to like FEAR 2 and Halo Wars, should have their demos out by now. I personally have only tried the RE demo and I must say, that's one game I'll be buying for sure (this has to be best looking multiplatform now, Capcom sure has built an amazing engine). Halo Wars would be my second next purchase, though I still have to try out the demo since I'm a bit skeptical on how the controls will work (been hearing good things about it though so I hope everything's good).
Check out the best looking FPS game (yes, better than Crysis in motion IMO)
As for Killzone 2, this game sure is making me want to own a PS3 now. Hopefully, some miracle comes my way and a PS3 would find its place in our console collection at home ^^.
Resi 4-type gameplay with Next Gen Graphics? Sign me up!
Resident Evil 5 and Killzone 2, together with other titles to look forward to like FEAR 2 and Halo Wars, should have their demos out by now. I personally have only tried the RE demo and I must say, that's one game I'll be buying for sure (this has to be best looking multiplatform now, Capcom sure has built an amazing engine). Halo Wars would be my second next purchase, though I still have to try out the demo since I'm a bit skeptical on how the controls will work (been hearing good things about it though so I hope everything's good).
Check out the best looking FPS game (yes, better than Crysis in motion IMO)
As for Killzone 2, this game sure is making me want to own a PS3 now. Hopefully, some miracle comes my way and a PS3 would find its place in our console collection at home ^^.
February 5, 2009
Star Ocean: Second Evolution
Saw this on the PSP section of DCEMU. Looks like you can now get your hands on a copy of the US version of Star Ocean: Second Evolution for the PSP. Great news for people like me who have yet to experience the sequel to the SNES RPG, though I would most likely get it later (I'm still working my way through the PSP remake). Hopefully, I finish both before Last Hope comes out.
New from Success hk who ship worldwide.
Space Date 366: A young Federation officer finds himself transported to a mystical planet, where he is suddenly anointed as the Hero of Light. He begins a journey to fulfill a prophecy and save a newfound race. Continuing the franchise for STAR OCEAN fans, this PSP release of the classic RPG delivers the same epic storytelling and dazzling art style. Set 20 years after the events of its predecessor, STAR OCEAN: Second Departure receives special treatment in its PSP incarnation to further entice gamers to relive the adventure. The title takes the next step with fully animated movies, all-new character designs, extra playable characters, fully voiced dialogue, and more.
New from Success hk who ship worldwide.
Space Date 366: A young Federation officer finds himself transported to a mystical planet, where he is suddenly anointed as the Hero of Light. He begins a journey to fulfill a prophecy and save a newfound race. Continuing the franchise for STAR OCEAN fans, this PSP release of the classic RPG delivers the same epic storytelling and dazzling art style. Set 20 years after the events of its predecessor, STAR OCEAN: Second Departure receives special treatment in its PSP incarnation to further entice gamers to relive the adventure. The title takes the next step with fully animated movies, all-new character designs, extra playable characters, fully voiced dialogue, and more.
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