Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Friday, 4 November 2011
Rayman: Origins trailer has 10 ways to die
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/rayman-origins-trailer-has-10-ways-to-die
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City release date
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-31-resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city-release-date
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Vidrhythm trailer
Sunday, 23 October 2011
News: No left-handed mode in Skyward Sword
Southpaws will have to make do.
Nintendo's incoming motion-controlled epic The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword does not feature a left-handed mode, the publisher has confirmed to Kotaku.
This could cause lefties a few issues as the MotionPlus-enabled game demands rather more precision from your sword swipes than the more primitive Twilight Princess did back in 2006.
The games sees Link wielding his sword in his right hand, matching the gestures the player makes with the Wii Remote.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-17-no-left-handed-mode-in-skyward-sword
Preview: Torchlight 2
Relight my fire.
Max Schaefer's tasted success, and he's got the scars to prove it. The CEO of Runic Games, a man with an engagingly gentle demeanour, placed a bet with his colleagues that the studio's first game wouldn't break a million units. If it did, he'd get a tattoo - and so too would the rest of his team.
Ask most people and they'd happily take that bet on. Torchlight was a humble action RPG from a fledgling studio, yet its loot-happy mechanics scratched an itch that's been nagging at players for years since Diablo 2's release in 2000.
"There were so many risks with what we did, because we were making a single-player RPG, which was poison," says Schaefer. "You don't do that, and we were releasing it primarily on digital distribution and at 20 dollars, so we had no idea if we would sell 50,000."
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-18-torchlight-2-preview
News: Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar PAL release
DS farm sim coming to Europe.
Nintendo DS farm sim Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar will launch in Europe this year, Rising Star Games has announced.
The game launched in Japan in 2008, and in the US in 2010.
Keza MacDonald grew a 6/10 in Eurogamer's Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar import review.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-12-harvest-moon-grand-bazaar-pal-release
Appetite for Distraction - Angry Birds History, Alternatives, Asian Challenge
In this special Angry Birds episode of our mobile games show, we take a look at the history of the series, some top Angry Birds alternatives, and Mark goes a little crazy in the Angry Birds Asian Challenge.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Preview: The 3DS games of TGS
Hands-on with Rhythm Thief, Bravely Default, Kingdom Hearts, Rocket Slime 3 and more.
Given the number of delightful oddities that came out of Japan when the DS first launched, it's been rather sad to see such a conservative first wave of 3DS software. With that in mind, not to mention the relative paucity of announcements at E3 a few months back, this year's Tokyo Games Show was an important week for the handheld. Would developers finally step up with some serious support for the system, or would the industry place all its chips on Vita?
Nintendo's potentially game-changing announcement last week that it had somehow wrestled Monster Hunter 4 away from Sony and onto 3DS firmly put paid to those fears, but the healthy number of interesting titles playable on the show floor was further proof that the 3DS is finally starting to pick up some steam.
While the Vita stand unsurprisingly hogged much of the spotlight, with enormous queues to check out Sony's new system in its first Japanese public appearance, the biggest buzz undoubtedly surrounded a 3DS game. We headed over to the Monster Hunter Tri G booth about an hour after the doors opened only to be told all tickets for a 10 minute slot on one of the 20 or so 3DS units had already gone for the day.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-21-the-3ds-games-of-tgs-preview
Review: Dark Souls
Tough love.
If Demon's Souls was purgatory, Dark Souls is a descent into hell. From Software's follow-up to its celebrated dark fantasy ordeal is even harder, even more remorseless and bleak.
The grimy half-light that fails to illuminate the hateful monsters lurking in the shadows is no longer bluish and sorrowful, but has a smouldering, angry tinge. The Nexus, your hub in Demon's Souls, is gone entirely, along with the brief sanctuary and distant promise of redemption it held.
Once again, there's a doomy set-up, intoned over the appalled shrieking of a chamber choir in an intro movie, but its pretext for your heroism rings hollow. You're already dead, and so is everything else, and all of it hates you. You're on the hunt for four great demons but you've no confidence that slaying them could save this ruined world. It's just your punishment and theirs.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-03-dark-souls-review
Review: Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One
Not-so-super Smash Bros.
Co-op gaming looks easy. Just take a one player game and stick another playable character in it, right? Bingo! Instant co-op! That's the approach that a lot of games take, and it's to Insomniac's credit that it has broken out of the traditional platform game mould for its underdog mascot's first fully co-operative adventure. It's just a shame that breaking out of that mould has left both characters and developer lost in a fog of half-baked ideas, restrictive level design and simplistic gameplay.
The plot, for what it's worth, finds Ratchet and Clank forced to team up with ineffectual superhero Qwark and perennial villain Doctor Nefarious when all four are snatched by something called the Creature Collector. In the tradition of The Defiant Ones and Enemy Mine, former rivals must work together to survive.
"Work together" is a somewhat relative term, however. This is a co-op game in the sense that up to four players are on-screen at the same time. Sometimes two or more players will have to stand in the same spot and press a button at the same time. More rarely, you'll have to collaborate to get an electrical creature into a socket, with one player holding it open while another fires it in. Some larger turrets must be distracted, allowing one player to slip behind and deliver a killer blow to the obligatory weak spot.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-21-ratchet-and-clank-all-4-one-review
Jigsaw Screens
1 new shots posted.
Get the full article at GameSpot
Source: http://www.gamespot.com/windows-mobile/puzzle/jigsaw/images.html?sid=6326256
Original 'Soul Calibur' Slated For iOS Release Soon
Source: http://toucharcade.com/2011/10/21/original-soul-calibur-slated-for-ios-release-soon/
News: Bounder's World release date announced
Bank Holiday Monday!
Bounder's World, the first new Gremlin game for more than a decade, launches on iPhone/iPod touch/iPad on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August.
It costs $0.99/?0.79/�0.69 for iPhone and iPod touch. Bounder's World HD is available for $4.99/?3.99/�2.99 for iPad.
Bounder's World is a remake of classic puzzle-platformer Bounder for iOS devices via new digital publisher Urbanscan.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-26-bounders-world-release-date-announced
Review: Batman: Arkham City
Where does he get those wonderful toys?
It's a role-playing game, when you get down to it. Not just because you gain XP, engage in a little light levelling and are free to sharpen your combat skills one upgrade at a time. It's a role-playing game in the most literal sense of the phrase, a game in which you're encouraged to give in to the fantasy, and to see what life is like when it's composed of rooftop brawls and zip-line getaways. Animations, traversal mechanics, takedowns: they're all building towards the same thing. In Arkham City, you become Batman.
And it's an easy role to play, partly because Arkham Asylum already laid out such an excellent framework, delivering not just the power of the Dark Knight but also his cunning and his tightly controlled rage. And partly because, if you're like me, you've secretly been Batman since primary school anyway.
Pretending a series of bedrooms and attics were subterranean strongholds. Daydreaming of dangling cyclists over the ledges of skyscrapers when they rode their freakin' bikes on the sidewalk. Promising to avenge your parents' deaths, even though they were still alive and well and sat in the next room, arguing about why the Morris Minor wouldn't start that morning.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-14-batman-arkham-city-review
Preview: Project Draco
Dragoon on.
A cherry-red dragon swoops low in a green-topped canyon, its wings skimming against still blue waters as formations of flying insects attack, all disposed of with a sweeping lock-on. Despite the familiarities, this isn't Panzer Dragoon - but the download-only Project Draco flies as close as is possible to Sega's much-loved on-rails series.
Take one look at Project Draco producer Yukio Futatsugi's CV and it's obvious where that particular influence has crept in from. When working at Sega's Team Andromeda in the Saturn era, Futasagi created Panzer Dragoon, helping oversee its sequel and the cherished but all-too-rare RPG spin-off Panzer Dragoon Saga.
But Project Draco's resemblance to Panzer Dragoon isn't born from one man's obsession with flying reptiles or a sign of a designer falling back on past success - it is, its creator claims, born from the possibilities and limitations thrown up when designing a shooting game that's exclusively for Kinect. "We tried to make a 3D shooter with Kinect, and following the logical steps of that we ended up with an on-rails shooter," admits Futasagi, a cheery, talkative man who's surprisingly forthcoming about the genesis of this game for his upstart outfit Grounding.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-23-project-draco-preview
Review: Mobile Games Roundup
Glowfish! Moki! Detective! Siege! Minesweeper!
Now that Steve Jobs has handed the CEO reins over to Tim Cook, there's a general assumption that Apple will continue to do just fine. Given how powerful the company now is, and how many unfeasibly talented individuals work for it, it'd have to work extremely hard to let it allow one person to affect the incredible momentum it has built up.
Then again, those with longer memories can be afforded a little wince at the prospect of such a pivotal, inspirational figure not being in full command. He is, after all, renowned for caring about the details on a legendary scale, and in the business that Apple is in, it's the details that make the difference.
Whatever the pundits might say, one way or the other, there's little doubt that he leaves a legacy to be proud of, and at a time when there's a strong possibility that Apple might find itself outflanking allcomers in video gaming to dominate a sector that it has openly had little interest in.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-26-mobile-games-roundup-review
Start/Select - UK Chart, Gears of War 3 leaked, Black Rock to close
Guy takes you through this week's UK chart toppers, Gears of War 3 springs a leak, and Disney closes Black Rock.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Preview: The Sims 3 Pets
Animal magnetism.
Expansions for The Sims have become so regular and so familiar that they've rather appropriately become part of the gaming furniture. Rarely do they make headlines or arouse much interest beyond the (enormous) niche audience that is Sims addicts. So when the invitation arrives from EA for a special press day for The Sims 3 Pets, it's hard not to do a double take. Really? A whole press event? For pets?
The first thing we learn is that Sims 3 Pets is really two related, yet different products sheltering under a common banner. For PC players, it's an expansion in the traditional sense. For console players, it's a complete standalone game in its own right. Each has its own unique and exclusive wrinkles, and together they do add up to a substantial addition to the Sims canon, worthy of a moment in the spotlight.
There have been pet expansions for the previous two Sims games, but this time the pets are more than mobile accessories. These are fully customisable animal Sims, as much a member of the family as your human creations. Console players get to create cats and dogs, while the PC also adds horses to the mix. Not only do you get to pick their breed, from a list of over 100 for each pet type, but you can then tweak and customise their appearance to your heart's content.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-17-the-sims-3-pets-preview
Fruit Ninja creator to open second studio
Job posting reveals Brisbane-based mobile gaming specialist Halfbrick planning a Sydney branch.
Although Halfbrick Studios has been around for 10 years, the breakthrough hit Fruit Ninja has brought the development house new levels of awareness. In light of recent success, the studio is now looking to expand its operations.
A recent listing on Australian developer hub Tsumea reveals that Halfbrick is looking to fill positions in three areas to start its new Sydney branch. The current listings include openings for gameplay programmers, artists, and designers.
Halfbrick has seen success on mobile phones with titles such as Fruit Ninja, Monster Dash, Age of Zombies, and last month's Jetpack Joyride. While primarily a mobile developer, the studio is not completely new to console development, having made Fruit Ninja Kinect earlier this year and produced the Halfbrick series of PSP Minis playable on the PlayStation 3.
The proliferation of Halfbrick's produce-slicing phenomenon continues with the recent announcement of Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots, a tie-in with the Dreamworks Animation film hitting theaters next week.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Review: Radiant HD
It?s been almost 35 years since those Space Invaders first threatened the small change of mankind?s pockets. They were slow and pretty stupid, but they were endless. And they really wanted that money. They deserved it, too. Space Invaders was simple, yet drenched in fun. In Radiant HD, developer Hexage invokes the spirit of that classic arcade game,...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PocketGamerLatestGameReviews/~3/T1K8G8zLyxk/review.asp
Preview: DMC Devil May Cry
Platinum meddle.
Who knew a dodgy haircut could provoke such an outcry? We now know Capcom itself insisted on Dante's extreme makeover, expecting a reaction. Nevertheless, his newly recruited hairdresser seems shocked by the ferocity of it.
"Responding to the haters," Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades begins, working himself up to a statement of intent via a wounded chuckle: "We've got our plan and we're not changing it. It's a cohesive world that makes sense when you get your hands on it."
The knee-jerk outrage of change-fearing loyalists was premature, in other words. It's not that Ninja Theory doesn't care what fans think. Quite the opposite, actually, and we'll get to that shortly. But judging a largely unseen game on the haircut of its protagonist is, well, possibly not the best barometer.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-18-dmc-devil-may-cry-preview
Preview: WRC 2
Rallying on.
Last year, Milestone's World Rally Championship ended a long hiatus from video games for one of motorsport's top-tier series. It wasn't the only one, of course - but while Codemasters' F1 2010 came with all the swagger and polish that's befitting of the world's noisiest circus, then WRC was perhaps a reflection of rallying's more diminutive following.
The worlds of S�bastien Loeb and Sebastian Vettel, though revolving around four wheels, couldn't be more different. Glamour and mud don't necessarily go hand in hand, and while champagne is the tipple of choice in the Grand Prix paddock club, when the WRC came to the UK last year and wanted to put on a show, it did so in a damp Cardiff car park where a thermos of tea was the only sensible choice of refreshment.
It's fitting, then, that last year's WRC game wasn't the glitziest. A bare-bones driving experience, it nailed the essentials of flinging a car through thick forests well enough, though it was lacking elsewhere. It's not unfair to say that, at times, WRC was as pretty as mud.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-15-wrc-2-preview
Preview: Ridge Racer Unbounded
Crash course.
It's more than just the concrete that comes tumbling down in Ridge Racer Unbounded. In this, Finnish developer Bugbear's first game in coming up to five years, the very definition of a series that's been about overstated drifts and nitrous trails is smashed to pieces too. In the rubble that's left at the end of a race, it's hard to pick out where exactly Namco's racing staple has got to.
Gone are the high-gloss world, LED trails and eccentric handling of the Ridge Racers of old; in their place is a punchy, physical and playful game with a very literal impact. It's about driving through things rather than fishtailing around them, and it couldn't feel further removed from what's gone before.
There's been no shortage of disquiet since Unbounded's unveiling, and in a way the naysayers are right: as a Ridge Racer game in the traditional sense, this feels like a failure.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-05-ridge-racer-unbounded-preview
Review: Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Ghost story.
The conventional wisdom is that everyone hates conventional wisdom. I saw a poll recently that asked the readers of a political blog, "Do you think the average voter is adequately informed?" Ninety-one per cent of respondents answered "no." Later in the survey came the question, "Do you think you yourself are adequately informed?" You already know the punchline: ninety-two per cent said "yes."
It's odd, but our democratic society has a near-universal disdain for average ways of thinking. We love to imagine ourselves as unconventional, above the fray. That fantasy is what drives the Layton series, which celebrates the power and pleasure of a non-average intellect.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (that's the U.S. title - more on that nonsense later) is the fourth game in the series. As usual, the professor's Holmesian adventures bring him to a charming village populated by simpletons. Sure, they're eccentric and often loveable characters, clever in their own way, but still doltish on the whole. They'll buy into pretty much any urban legend, just because it's what everybody else in town believes too.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-21-professor-layton-and-the-last-specter-review
Preview: Guild Wars 2
PVP tested and dungeons discussed.
Guild Wars 2 was a major draw at this year's Eurogamer Expo, and yesterday we named it as our Editors' Game of the Show. Below, John Bedford tries out player-versus-player and discusses it with lead content designer Colin Johanson; on page 3, Robert Purchese interviews Johanson about dungeons, the endgame and Guild Wars 2's distinctive dynamic events.Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-27-guild-wars-2-preview
News: Double Fine unveils Happy Action Theatre
Part of Microsoft Kinect kids initiative.
A new title from Tim Schafer's Double Fine studio called Happy Action Theatre is among a raft of new kid-friendly Kinect titles announced by Microsoft today.
Due out this Winter on Xbox Live, it's a collection of 18 mini-games "designed to activate gross motor skills, inspire imagination and entertain players of all ages," according to the announcement.
The various mini-games have you mucking about with molten lava, smashing buildings up as a giant monster and generally laying your living room to waste. See the trailer below for more.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-18-double-fine-unveils-happy-action-theatre
Minecraft dev wins interim injunction in Bethesda battle
Bethesda's parent Zenimax has the right to appeal, but the Minecraft firm can continue to use the Scrolls name in the interim.
Minecraft developer Mojang today revealed it has been awarded an interim injunction in its legal dispute with Bethesda over use of the word "scrolls" as it relates to games.
Studio founder Marcus Persson, more commonly known as Notch, said via Twitter, "We won the interim injunction! We can keep using the name 'Scrolls.' Zenimax/Bethesda can still appeal the ruling, but I'm very happy." Persson added, "We never meant to infringe on anything Bethesda does, and this means we didn't." This ruling will allow Mojang to continue to use the Scrolls name while the court case runs its course, unless Bethesda successfully appeals the injunction.
The court case erupted in August when representatives of Zenimax contested that Mojang was infringing on a trademark of the Elder Scrolls series with its upcoming game, Scrolls. Persson suggested the parties settle the dispute with a game of Quake III. In another Twitter post today, Persson said, "No matter how this plays out, we should still do the Quake game."
Zenimax and Bethesda had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment as of press time.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
News: Apple: iPod is world's biggest handheld
It's the "most popular portable game player."
The iPod Touch is now the most popular portable gaming device in the world, so says Apple.
As noted by Destructoid, CEO Tim Cook made the boast during its Autumn media briefing yesterday, insisting, "Not only is it the most popular music player in the world, but we're excited to announce it's now also the most popular portable game player in the world."
You're probably going to want some figures to back up that claim, right? Well, Cook failed to fully detail his maths, but did reveal that Apple has sold 300 million iPods to date, though obviously a significant chunk of that total is made up by the traditional, non-touch screen model.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-05-apple-ipod-is-worlds-biggest-handheld
Review: Mobile Games Roundup
League! Fight! Tiny! Draw! Fin!
It's a sign of the general health of the mobile gaming sector when every one of our weekly roundups elicits howls of derision about the absence of a particular game from the line-up.
The truth is, there's no magic formula for covering this fast-moving, ever-changing scene, and at times it feels like we could triple the coverage and still miss out on something.
So as of next week, Eurogamer is changing the way it deals with digital download content. Rather than try to shoehorn mobile games into one roundup and have the inevitable crossover into the download realm (with the same games, like Hector for example, often appearing on both), we're simplifying the coverage.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-12-mobile-games-roundup-review
angry birds Mooncake Festival angry birds Seasons Ham\'o\'ween
Preview: Torchlight 2
Relight my fire.
Max Schaefer's tasted success, and he's got the scars to prove it. The CEO of Runic Games, a man with an engagingly gentle demeanour, placed a bet with his colleagues that the studio's first game wouldn't break a million units. If it did, he'd get a tattoo - and so too would the rest of his team.
Ask most people and they'd happily take that bet on. Torchlight was a humble action RPG from a fledgling studio, yet its loot-happy mechanics scratched an itch that's been nagging at players for years since Diablo 2's release in 2000.
"There were so many risks with what we did, because we were making a single-player RPG, which was poison," says Schaefer. "You don't do that, and we were releasing it primarily on digital distribution and at 20 dollars, so we had no idea if we would sell 50,000."
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-18-torchlight-2-preview
Tsquared Competition Breakdown - Interview
Tsquared gives a pro-gamer take on the last day of competition.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Review: Aliens: Infestation
In space, no one can hear dual screen.
Death has always been a significant part of video games, but in recent years, he's had to settle for a relatively minor role. His mortal enemies, the checkpoint and the regenerating health bar, have relegated him to bit-part status. No longer feared, he's a minor inconvenience, a small bump on an otherwise smooth road to the finish line.
But some developers aren't prepared to let Death shuffle around in the wings, promoting him to a crucial role as both fearmonger and educator. Demon's Souls and its imminent follow-up hark back to a time when games weren't afraid to kill the player. You die, you learn. You take better care. You improve.
There's arguably no finer proponent of this old-fashioned mentality than WayForward, whose most recent game, Bloodrayne: Betrayal, set blood boiling with its brutal difficulty level. WayForward's Aliens: Infestation is slightly easier, but still punishing: reach a save room and you'll exhale deeply. When your life meter is but a single swipe of a xenomorph's tail away from empty and you're a long room full of motion signatures away from safety, the elation and relief as those metal doors slide shut is euphoric.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-30-aliens-infestation-review
News: Xbox Live Marketplace schedule update
Daytona, WOTW, Toy Soldiers DLC, more.
Sega's updated port of Daytona USA, the Patrick Stewart-narrated War of the Worlds game and new DLC for Toy Soldiers: Cold War headline the latest Xbox Live release schedule update.
Xbox Live mouthpiece Major Nelson has firmed up the rest of this month's Marketplace release schedule, including a new alien themed add-on for last year's World of Keflings and a paranormal-themed pinball table for Pinball FX 2 - free for a limited time over Halloween.
Gamers can also expect savings on Halo Reach map packs and Dead Rising 2 standalone episodes Case Zero and Case West.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-18-xbox-live-marketplace-schedule-update
News: Valkyria Chronicles 3 denied EU launch
Sega blames PSP unpopularity, VC2 sales.
Tactical RPG Valkyria Chronicles 3 will not see a release in Europe or North America, publisher Sega has confirmed.
The strategic PlayStation Portable role-player will stay in Japan where the PSP is more popular, according to Sega's console sales manager Hiroshi Seno.
Seno also said a lack of Western sales for Valkyria Chronicles 2 meant Sega could not justify VC3 translation costs, Gamespot reports.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-12-valkyria-chronicles-3-denied-eu-launch
'Monster Island' Review ? A Colorful Physics Puzzler Chock Full Of Content
Source: http://toucharcade.com/2011/10/21/monster-island-review/
Review: Rochard
Crate expectations.
We tend to talk about physics in gaming as a reasonably recent innovation, something that came about as first-person shooters gave us ever more elaborate ways to knock lamps off abandoned desks on the way to our next frenetic firefight. In reality, game physics has been around for decades. Almost since the beginning, in fact.
It is, after all, the driving force of the entire platforming genre. Ever since Mario tweaked Newton's laws in his favour to change direction in mid-air, the tactile feedback between thumb and avatar has told us not only how far we need to jump, but how far we can jump.
There's a lot of jumping in Rochard, a physics-based puzzle/platform/shooter hybrid from Finnish indie studio Recoil Games. It's really good jumping as well. The sort of immediately satisfying leap that feels tangible and assured. One of the first abilities you acquire is the option to lower the gravity, enabling epic weightless lunges across the screen, the sort of small-scale action movie heroics that would leave slo-mo evangelist Zac Snyder in a post-orgasmic state of bliss.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-04-rochard-review
Preview: Vita Launch Line-up
The best - and more interesting - of Sony's day one releases.
Nintendo may have done its best to spoil Sony's party by announcing that Monster Hunter would be coming to the 3DS, but the air of celebration continues around the Vita. 31 games for the handheld made an appearance at the Tokyo Game Show, and - Monster Hunter aside - it was the biggest pull of the event.
With no firm word of a release date outside of Japan and no region locking for the console's software, there is of course a huge temptation to import Sony's Vita when it comes out in the East on 17th December. 26 games launching alongside the handheld ensure that, unlike this year's 3DS launch, there will be a wealth of options when it comes to picking up games.
Sony's first-party games provide the obvious highlights - and Uncharted: Golden Abyss is as close to an essential purchase as there is for the Vita, both a technical marvel that's perfect for showcasing the console's power as well as an extension of one of this generation's best-loved series.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-19-vita-launch-line-up-preview
News: Apple bans satirical Phone Story game
Criticised exploitative phone production.
Apple has banned satirical iOS game Phone Story from the App Store.
Phone Story made a game out of the apparently exploitative smartphone production industry.
Four mini-games attempted to shed light on the unwholesome practices hidden from popular view.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-14-apple-bans-satirical-phone-story-game
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Review: The Cursed Crusade
Hexy Beast.
The Cursed Crusade is a lot like Metal Gear Solid. Not in any meaningful gameplay sense, unless Solid Snake has taken to slowly swiping away at mindless enemies in a lacklustre hack and slash style, but it does love cutscenes. It loves them so much that it can't let ten minutes of gameplay go by without another one.
If Cursed Crusade wins any award, it should be Most Long-Winded Game of 2011. It opens with a lengthy cutscene, which leads into another cutscene which then leads into another. Finally, you get to start mashing the attack buttons and kill a handful of enemies. Then you get another cutscene. Skip a cutscene and the game just takes you to the start of the next cutscene. And so it goes on, tiny croutons of gameplay adrift in a sticky broth of heavy-handed exposition and endless peripheral chatter.
And, again, this wouldn't be so bad if Cursed Crusade had a gripping story, compelling characters and satisfying gameplay. It doesn't.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-07-the-cursed-crusade-review
Preview: Champion Jockey
Just let your feet go clippety-clop.
In the words of an ancient meme, I love horses. What's more, after three years of working freelance in a home office dungeon, I've developed a flutter fixation. I have a Paddy Power account (other holes to pour your money into are available) that seeps small change to every ebb and flow of John McCririck.
Tecmo Koei knows this. It's seen deep into my lonely Ladbrokes heart, and now they think that they can push me one step nearer to the abyss. First off, they think they can get me to drag my coffee table into the kitchen to make enough space to get Kinect running. Secondly, they think they can turn me into this man?
Champion Jockey, you see, is the latest rendition of the G1 Jockey series - albeit newly monikered and repackaged to give it a degree of extra sway in the UK and Irish horseracing heartlands. You can play it whatever your motion control poison (Kinect, Move or Wii) although traditionalists can of course moodily finger their pads if they'd rather stay sofa-bound. The motion controls certainly make you look like a gargantuan tit - specifically, some sort of failed equestrian children's entertainer - but let it not be said that they don't slot neatly into the game.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-24-champion-jockey-preview
Debut Trailer for 'Evertales' from Thunder Game Works and Crescent Moon Games
Source: http://toucharcade.com/2011/10/07/debut-trailer-for-evertales/
News: EU PlayStation Store update 5th October
Crysis! NBA Jam! Portal 2 DLC!
PC shooter Crysis fires onto the PlayStation Store this week. It's a polished port of the original's single-player campaign, available for �15.99.
Arcade slamdunker NBA Jam: On Fire Edition also courts your wallet this week, while new and free Portal 2 DLC continues the adventures of co-op robots P-Body and and Atlus in a new two-player test track.
There's still no sign of Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection - now over a month late - and Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, expected last week.
Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-05-eu-playstation-store-update-5th-october
Review: Jelly Defense
The tower defence game is growing more prevalent on iOS, but few recent examples ? Anomaly Warzone Earth being the most notable exception ? have added much to the increasingly staid genre. Other than looking gorgeous, Jelly Defense doesn't have much to add either. But at first you might wonder if that matters...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PocketGamerLatestGameReviews/~3/1VJGkWhsxKo/review.asp