Egad! Salamanders!

So I’ve spent the last week or so getting my snow-pirate on and testing out the new beta release of Lost Planet 2‘s multiplayer component.  The beta offers just one map for players to try out called “Turbulent Jungle”, which attempts to show off little bits and pieces of what the eventual product will offer.

To be brutally honest, it’s not looking like anything special so far.

That said, the game is of course still in beta, so it’s far too early to start heaping judgement upon it.  All I can do is tell you about my experiences so far, which haven’t exactly filled me with confidence for the final product.

Without boring you with a Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions recap, here’s just the happenings since the end of the last game: Ten years have passed and the colonisation of E.D.N.3 (or just plain old ‘Eden’ if you’re not a fan of acronyms) is essentially complete.  The desolate ice planet from the first game has been transformed into a lush jungle planet.  Players take control of a Snow Pirate, the name given to soldiers on Eden and pits them against a native race of fierce insect-like creatures called the Akrid.

The multiplayer test map, Turbulent Jungle, goes a long way to show how far E.D.N. has changed.  Rich vegetation covers the ground and water flows freely around the map.  Most buildings are covered with crawling vines and moss, showing that the terraforming has possibly exceeded it’s original expectations.  Using both this and the single-player demo as a guide, I think we can say for sure that we’re in for a visual treat when the full game arrives, as not only do the environments look fantastic, but the player models and weapon effects too.

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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?

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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!

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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.

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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!

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Dancing?  Check.  Accurately dressed representations of the period?  Check.  A video of Matt and I making fools of ourselves at iDEF while checking it out?  Double check!

At the recent iDEF convention (whilst feeling physically ill at their representation of F1 racing) Matt and I wandered over to the Ubisoft stand, which was pretty much central to the whole expo.  Being habitual trouble-makers, we saw the potential for some fun.  It was Ubisoft’s Just Dance, which was being manned by some very bored (and very tanned!) models.  I turned to Matt, he saw the pleading in my eyes and gave a nod of ascent.  We then marched ourselves onto the underlit disco-style floor and took up our positions.  After an extremely short tutorial Matt and I were thrown head first into MC Hammer telling us that we Can’t Touch This.  I would love to tell you that it was at this point that Matt and I decided to throw down and school everyone regarding dancing … unfortunately it was not to be. (more…)

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.

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