Just bristling with Academy muscle
Recently we got our hands on a closed beta key for Cryptic Studio’s upcoming MMO Star Trek Online, and we’ve been exploring the galaxy since then kicking ass and taking comm-badges. The beta test comes to a close tomorrow, so I thought I’d give you a few observations on how the game is shaping up so far.
Now since I was a kid I’ve been a fan of Star Trek. Nothing fanatical, but I can tell you the difference between a deflector dish and a nacelle, so it was with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation that I booted up Star Trek Online for the first time. The beta only gave access to the Federation races (Klingon allied races will be selectable upon the game’s release), so before long I was sculpting my own little Academy graduate.
The Federation includes all the races you’d expect; Humans, Vulcans, Bajorans, Andorians (with those adorable blue antennae), along with several others and each has their own advantages and stat modifiers. Also, if you’re sick of seeing the same old faces, players can go ahead and make up their own species. In typical Trek style, they’ll still end up looking human from the neck down (no Sheliak or gas monsters, folks), but this offers the advantage of allowing you to choose your own racial modifiers. I don’t give it long before someone works out a way to troll with this option, but where would Star Trek be without oddly human looking species that are only seen once or twice?
An inkblot teaser. Scrawled below is "The nightmare is over but it will not end!"
News from the world of Electronic Arts, Visceral Games has confirmed that they are producing Dead Space 2!
“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing!” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”
-Steve Papoutis, specifying it won’t be the ‘living’ daylights
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not 100% sure where they will be going with plot. The thing I liked about Dead Space was the idea that it was a contained, almost claustrophobic feeling while you’re running from a huge dead thing. I don’t know if it will be as scary in a broader environment.
The press release is here, at EA Press. You can also follow the fun on twitter http://twitter.com/deadspace
In case you're wondering, YES, the game is about sword-wielding cowboys
“You are the last remaining member of a clan that called themselves “The Protectors”. Slain by a fellow clan, calling themselves “The Jackals”, you found your way to safety and now hunt them down for vengeance. You are The Swordsman and you are all that is man!“
I wish that this had been the description of the game given by Ubisoft Paris, but instead they chose to surrender to the press conference and then eat some cheese.
At the “recent” iDef Expo I got my hands on a preview of Red Steel 2, part of the Ubisoft stall. Looking at this game it seemed to check off most of my likes: a Wii game with ninja’s and a slightly cowboy feel. At first glance one would think that this was a video game version of Sukiyaki Western Django (an absolutely boss movie, for all of you out there unaware of it’s brilliance) but it’s not. It’s Wii’s cell-shaded sequel that seems to have made changes for the better. I say that tentatively … tentatively!
Coming in the following months: Tony Hawk: iRide. Same game, white controller!
It’s a little bit disconcerting the amount of plastic peripherals that seem to clutter up the modern day gamer’s lounge room. If you’re a rhythm game fan, you’ve already got enough plastic instruments to equip a Devo reunion, and if you’re like me, the plastic DJ turntable to remix said reunion on. And if you own a Wii and can navigate your way across a floor at night without stubbing your toe on a Wii-mote expansion, well then you’ve gained my respect.
For this very reason, when Tony Hawk: Ride was announced and shown off this year I wasn’t very enthusiastic. Not just because I don’t think they’ve made an entertaining Tony Hawk title since Underground, nor because I’m not actually a fan of full-motion games. It’s because Activision seem to be determined to take up every nook and cranny of my rather small lounge room with peripherals that we may never see used again, for games that it’s impossible to try before you buy.
However, my feelings about my jeopardised personal space aside, the concept for Ride did sound intriguing. The skateboard must be one of the very few sporting apparatus that can translate well into a wireless motion device. So I was quite interested when I found out that the preview would be available for play at the recent Xbox Insider Tour around Australia. In fact (after nabbing myself some graciously free booze), it was the first game I made sure I played on the night.
The Ballad of Gay Tony has made some strange artistic choices.
Yet another nugget of pure unadulterated gold that made itself available at iDEF. WayForward have created what they call a “re-imagining” of the classic NES title, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia, with A Boy and His Blob for Wii. WayForward’s director, Sean Velasco, felt that it was “a title whose time had come to be re-imagined.” Alright, we get it, re-imagined not remade!
For those of you that missed out on this 1989 gem, here’s a basic rundown of the story. The world of Blobolonia is under threat by an evil emperor who has nothing but bad intentions. The blob then makes a quick sojourn to earth to get the boy to help. You play as the boy and, using various jellybeans, dictate the shape that the blob takes in order to help you with puzzles. The blob can take on the form of a trampoline, ladder, parachute etc. Working your way through each level you then fight a boss and advance all the way up. Pretty standard.
The 2009 version uses the exact same story as the original. I have to give props to WayForward for not messing with a winning formula. There was the potential for them to go crazy and make it 3D with the blob having a french accent and Greedo shooting first, but they didn’t. They stuck with a classic 2D puzzle platformer and it has paid dividends!
Once upon time, there was blood everywhere
Fairytale Fights is based on the idea that a group of characters – Red Riding Hood, Snow White, The Emperor with No Clothes and Jack of the Beanstalk – are becoming passe. So they have to hack and slash their way through Taleville to get their fame back.
When I picked up the controller to play Fights, I was anticipating something close to Conkers Bad Fur Day. You know – cute, crude-minded and crazy-coloured. I wasn’t completely disappointed on the Three C’s, but I wasn’t immediately drawn into the world either. The graphics, while being displayed on a decent sized plasma TV, around 34 inches, still seemed small. The playable sprites were tiny! I think I lost sight of my Little Red Riding Hood at least five times, and I’m only assuming it was her because she looked like she might have some red thing on her head. The world was bright, colourful and definitely cute enough to come from somewhere in the Pixar region of animation, but there was something slightly cut and paste about it all. For example, there are lumberjack characters that get their own still screen introduction but the only thing different between the four I fought? Hair colour. Maybe. I think three of them were blonde and my eyes were playing tricks on me.
Am I asking a bit much? Well … when you have games like Zelda: The Wind Waker clocking some beautiful cute graphics, I guess I’m spoiled. Rotten. Just call me Veruca Salt, because I want good graphics now, Daddy.
Surrounding courtesans not pictured
Without a doubt Assassin’s Creed 2 has been one of my most highly anticipated titles of 2009. It used to be a little overshadowed by BioShock 2, but since Ubisoft have managed to stay true to their original release dates: Welcome to first place, AC2!
It was to my childlike delight that I managed to get my hands on the hotly contested controller at the recent eGames Expo, and found out that this sequel is not going to disappoint.
We’ll start with the most obvious factor: the gameplay. It took me a little while to reverse engineer the control scheme from what little my booth model (what do we call male booth babes again?) knew and what I remembered of the controls from the Xbox version of AC1, but the basic “puppeteer” premise still applies. Ezio has two control modes, just like the original, that allow him to move in Low Profile and High Profile. Low Profile allows you to blend in with a crowd, while High Profile gets you running, jumping and climbing.
A little practice later, and Ezio is scaling wall in a fashion that would make Spiderman jealous. The demo was set in Venice, and almost every building was smothered with convenient handholds. The climbing mechanics remain almost identical to Assassin’s Creed 1, where your ascent is fairly fast and easy but requires constant small shifts of direction to get you up to the next grip point.
Up on the rooftops, you’re given far more free movement. While there are various city guards patrolling the rooftop, your mini-map highlights their locations, and so can easily be avoided (or quietly removed, if the fancy takes you). As most of the streets and canals of Venice are tightly packed together, just letting Ezio sprint and leap from rooftop to rooftop was great fun, and the controls flow smoothly enough to allow for last minute direction changes without feeling twitchy. You’ll also meet groups of thugs on the rooftops, who you have the option of hiring to assist you in your missions. Just try not to wonder how they got up there. It was probably a thieves patio party or guild wine mixer or something.
F1 2009 for Wii, not as shit as you've heard ...
This article was originally going to be called “Wii-ing on my dreams of an F1 game worth playing”, but Matt made me simplify. Curse you, editorial control!
In 1912, Franz Reichelt jumped from the Eiffel Tower to demonstrate his parachute overcoat. Let’s just say things didn’t quite go to plan, and there were no follow up inventions by Mr. Reichelt. Not even knowing this could take away from the sheer stupidity of Formula 1 2009 on the Wii.
I’m not new to F1 racing games on a Nintendo console, having wasted many hours on F1 Pole Position 64, which I believe was a problem. Playing F1 2009, I felt that I was playing that exact same game that was released a dozen years ago. During one of my many trips into the wall, I noticed that the animation on the surrounding trees had not changed. They were animated as if 2 pieces of paper had be intersected one on top of the other. I recall a similar set up for a Year 5 project I did. Add to this the fact that as soon as you gain a decent amount of speed (taking into account that these are F1 cars, so that isn’t very long) the scenery becomes pixelated and blocky. Considering what else was on offer at the expo, this lack of effort regarding the scenery was painfully obvious. This doesn’t seem like a major issue, but it really does distract from the game play.
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