Archive for March 12th, 2010

BioWare has, thus far, been true to its word about promising free DLC for "Mass Effect 2" (presuming you're connected to the Cerberus Network, of course). At launch, we saw a new character and two new missions added, and a few weeks back some new armor and a new shotgun was gifted to players. Next on the free DLC train is the "Firewalker" pack, launching later this month, which will introduce a new vehicle to cruise around in. But it can't all be gratis. April will bring with it the first premium DLC for "Mass Effect 2." Thankfully it looks like it should offer plenty of value to justify the added expense.

The new DLC adds a brand new squad mate, Kasumi, who happens to be a master thief. She's looking to steal something priceless from a local muckity muck and she needs Commander Shepard's help to do it.

Unlike the vast majority of the missions in "Mass Effect 2," the PDLC will be much less combat-focused, at least to start. Shepard needs to infiltrate a high society party in order to get close to the object of Kasumi's desire, locked away in an underground vault underneath a mansion.

The first portion of the mission has you going undercover as a party guest, allowing you to case the joint and get a feel for the security. According to Casey Hudson, the game director of "Mass Effect 2," James Bond was a definitely inspiration for the mission, as it requires some smarts and style as well as combat skills.

Once you get into the vault, things go south and you'll definitely have to do some wet work to make it out alive. Thankfully, the mission will gift you a brand new SMG, which should please non-Soldier classes.

In addition, you Kasumi becomes a squadmate. Kasumi is able to cloak herself and sneak right up to an enemy before performing a melee knock-out. She's the closest thing to a rogue in the "Mass Effect" universe, and her cache of stolen merch hidden away in her corner of the ship is definitely a good indication of that.

Once you complete the mission and (hopefully) earn Kasumi's loyalty, you'll unlock a new loyalty power for Shepard. The power is basically a flashbang attack, blinding and stunning nearby enemies. Quite handy indeed.

No price or exact release date has been set for the first "Mass Effect 2" premium DLC, but BioWare is planning for launch sometime in April.

"The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" was originally only announced for the PS2, PSP, DS and Wii. The PlayStation 3 has joined the mix, however, and the game may now be counted among the Fellowship of the PlayStation Move. Sony mentioned some details about the motion control setup as well as a fall 2010 release date.

"Aragorn's Quest" will include "intuitive motion-control gameplay where every controller gesture instantly and accurately translates to weapon strikes in the game," according to a press release. It will also feature "two-player motion controlled co-op gameplay featuring Gandalf allows kids, families and friends to battle side-by-side."

I hope this system doesn't turn out to be a Zelda retread where vertical and horizontal chops are about as varied as the motion-fighting gets. If that's the case, I don't foresee this game becomeing a shining example of the wondrous post-Wii gameplay Sony described at GDC this week. One of the earliest demos Sony presented for the Move did feature sword-waving, though, so there is good reason to hold out hope that diagonal swipes will earn you points as well.

Do you think "Aragorn's Quest" will be a solid title for the PS3? What would you like to be able to do in it with the Move controls? Share your ideas in the comment section below.

"Fable 3" will easily be one of Project Natal's highest-profile games unless Microsoft drops some major bombs in its lineup announcements at E3. If they do, they'll have to compete with Lionhead Studios who will reportedly unveil some major additions, including co-op play information at the summer's big U.S. game show.

"But not to give anything away, there's lots of really good stuff about co-op stuff, which is interesting," Lionhead Studios founder Peter Molyneux told Eurogamer. "There are some nice cute things that we're doing just prior to launch. And obviously we've got new things like Natal to talk about as well. So I think all of that is going to come in one big lump, probably at E3."

Molyneux also mentioned "the emotion of Touch" and the "Ruling section" of "Fable 3" in the interview and foretold one other dimension of the game that will be described at a later date. He made no commitment to a PC port, however, even if he did tell everyone that he would like to make one.

"I love what's happening to the PC, and I would love to see the Fable franchise on the PC," Molyneux said at his GDC panel this week, according to Joystiq.

I play the original "Fable" on PC. Unfortunately, "Fable 2" never left the 360, so there are no guarantees that "Fable 3" would do so. The series is all about alternate paths and options, though -- knock on wood.

What do you want to know about "Fable 3"? Should the game consider a PC launch? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Sega's "Yakuza" series is a bit of an anomaly on Western shores, since, by all accounts it probably shouldn't be here. They're all very Japanese games steeped in Eastern culture and very different from many of the mainstream games on the market here in the States. However, the fact that Sega is releasing the third iteration of the series exclusively on the PS3 speaks volumes about how much faith they have in the American audience. It's been over a year since the game was released in Japan, but "Yakuza 3" is a solid title, which hopefully won't be written off as another "Grand Theft Auto" knock-off.

The Basics

Since the completion of "Yakuza 2" the game's main character, Kazuma Kiryu, has moved from Tokyo to Okinowa and opened up an orphanage, which is a big departure from being the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. He has a reputation for being one of the most intimidating figures ever to be a part of the yakuza, but now just wants to move on with his life. However, Kiryu's orphanage is threatened with closure, and two of his close associates are shot in assassination attempts, and that chain of events brings him right back into the world that he was hoping he had left behind him. The game puts you in the role of Kiryu as he tries to set everything right, and, most importantly, save the home of the nine kids he cares for.

The Highs

Previous Knowledge Not Required
If you never got around to playing the original "Yakuza," or "Yakuza 2," don't worry this game has you covered. Early on in the prologue you have the option of watching recaps of the stories from both of the game's predecessors, so you can catch up on who all the players are, as well as some of the major events that occurred in the past so that when "Yakuza 3" builds on that story and those characters you aren't completely lost.

It's Like "River City Ransom," Just Newer
At its heart, "Yakuza 3" is a beat-em-em, and a very good one at that. Third-person fisticuffs have gone horribly wrong so many times before, but in this game the fights all feel smooth and Kazuma's combos are simple, and pretty easy to master. In addition to the seamless brawling, there is also an rpg-esque upgrade system that allows you learn new moves and techniques as you gain experience adding another level to Kaz's development.

Move Over "Wii Sports"
Forget the Wii, the PS3 has one of the best mini-game collections on the market. If you really want to go exploring in Japan, "Yakuza 3" will offer you some great surprises in the way mini-games. You can play everything from darts to koi-koi, golf to karaoke, and even gamble all your money away playing poker of roulette at the game's casino. While "Yakuza 3" isn't specifically built to handle this wide of a variety of games, the controls for each are fairly intuitive, and easy to pick up no matter what you're playing. Plus, it's a pretty safe bet that the nightlife on the islands of Japan is a lot better than the nightlife on Wuhu Island.

The Lows

Wait. Wait. The Good Part's Coming Up
"Yakuza"'s biggest problem by far is its pacing. Simply put, the game starts off way too slow. The opening chapters drag on as you go looking for lost kids and explore the streets of Okinawa. While these elements of the story help build Kiryu's character, they drag on for so long that by the time the game's action really starts to pick up, most gamers will have moved on to something else. There is a lot of action to be found in this game, you just need to put in an extra effort, and a few cups of coffee, to make it there.

Dostoevsky's Got Nothing On Yakuza
Coupled with the fact that the game takes a while to really get going is the fact that there is a lot of exposition in this game. It's pretty much a guarantee that you're going to spend more time watching cut scenes than you are actually in battles, bashing heads. While there is a very deep and developed story being told throughout the game, there are just so many cut scenes and conversations that really break up the action to the point that you could go for almost an hour between fights.

What's A Chairman?
This game goes out of its way to help explain things to the player so that they have a full understanding of how to play and what is going on. However, outside of an org chart in the pause menu "Yakuza" assumes that you have a basic knowledge of the yakuza. While Western players may be able to piece together elements of the hierarchy based on the fact that the mafia is so similar to the yakuza, there may be a disconnect when trying to figure out if a yakuza Lieutenant is greater than or equal to a consigliere.

Don't Forget Your Reading Glasses
The voice acting in this game is both well done, and well presented, but it comes with a catch; it's all in Japanese. That means when you load up "Yakuza 3" you better be ready to do some reading.

Director's Cut
"Yakuza 3" was originally released in Japan in February of 2009, and it finally made it to Western shores thirteen months later, and a few lines of code lighter. There are a handful of elements, like the hostess clubs and a few of the mini-games, that were included in the original release of the game that Sega opted to leave out of the final Western release. This, by no means, has any effect of on overall length of the game (you're going to get your money's worth) but it does make this game an edited version of the original.

The Verdict

There is a framework for "Yakuza 3" to be a great game, and, if you can work your way through all the superfluous story elements, it eventually turns into one. Unfortunately, most gamers that find themselves suffering from short attention spans may also find themselves dozing off as they spend an hour looking for a dog early on in the game. Once the action finally picks up, mid-game, "Yakuza 3" turns out to be a pretty great ride that could suck you in for days upon days as you set out to discover all that Okinawa and Tokyo have to offer.

Nintendo's "Kid Icarus" hero Pit could have another Wii title left in him. The winged archer appeared as a fighter in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl," and his first game on the NES is available for the Virtual Console, but he may have a shot at title credits once more if his creators figure out how to make him fit.

"I don't know personally about any project underway regarding 'Kid Icarus,' but if so many of those people are interested in it and really want to see it on the Wii they should really speak up," one of the original "Kid Icarus" developers Yoshio Sakamoto told Kotaku.

Conveniently enough, Nintendo producer Eiji Anouma loves arrow-shooting games. Perhaps they should give him a call. Maybe they could give Pit a crossbow in the new game and get some more mileage out of that Wii Zapper. I actually wouldn't mind a good "Icarus" sidescroller that made use of the of the joystick as a way to aim the bow and arrows in a 360-degree range.

Even a WiiWare release could be worth checking out. If "Mega Man 9" and "10" can do it, surely Pit could find something that works.

Would you play a new "Kid Icarus" game on the Wii? Should Nintendo give it some more thought? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

If you're worried that the "Firewalk" DLC pack with its Hammerhead hover tank for "Mass Effect 2" and the "Return to Ostagar" and "Awakening" packs for "Dragon Age" will end and leave you hanging for years until their core games' sequels come out, take some deep breaths and relax. BioWare loves their downloadable content too much to do that to you, and there will be more DLC to come.

"We are seeing a good response to the DLC for 'ME2' and 'Dragon Age,'" BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka told VG247. "The fans like it and we have more in development and the different teams for DLC and the franchise are working together moving back and forth."

Muzyka didn't set a timetable for the next DLC releases in stone, but his account of the goings on in DLC development land sounds like the wheels are in motion. Given his words and the emerging platform they've set up on the Cerberus Network I wouldn't imagine that they'll lay off the protected shipping-cost-less products any time in the near future.

What do you think of the job BioWare has done with DLC for "ME2" and "Dragon Age" thus far? Any complaints? Share your reactions in the comment section below.

It turns out that we weren't reading too much into that "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11" press release this week that mentioned PS3 motion controller and Wii MotionPlus support but left off any mention of Project Natal. That's not to say EA Sports doesn't like Natal. They just didn't find themselves "in a position" to use it for Tiger's new game -- even if the PlayStation Move system worked out just fine.

"We are always evaluating new technologies and Natal would be a perfect fit for the 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour' franchise," spokesperson for EA told Joystiq, "however we are simply not in a position to do so with 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11.'"

That statement answers the compatibility question, but it may challenge Microsoft's assertion that they "announced [Natal] as early as last summer so that [they would] have time to get kits out and get the entire game developer community developing games for it."

Either development kit availability was an issue, or it wasn't. If both EA and Microsoft were completely up front with these statements, the problem had to have been something else entirely. If Natal would really be a "perfect fit," what was the hold up? Did Sony have their kits out sooner, or was there friction behind the scenes?

Why do you think EA left Natal functionality out of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11"? Will the controls affect whether you buy it for the 360 or another system? Sound off in the comment section below.

UPDATE: Trailer embedded at the bottom of the post!

Original Story: The Game Developers Choice Awards took an unexpected turn on Thursday night as its host, Warren Spector, introduced a new trailer to the latest installment to the franchise he created: "Deus Ex: Human Revolution."

The trailer started with a crowd of Renaissance-era physicians circled around a lifeless body. That was until the spirit of the body rose up and spread a wide set of angelic wings, crashing through the ceiling of a massive dome, flying directly into the sky. The wings quickly burned up in the sunlight, mimicking the story of Icarus, and the camera pans to reveal the spirit as that of Adam Jensen, the protagonist of the game, who suddenly awakes from this strange dream in his present-day apartment. He is shown with powerful cybernetic arms and, attempting to take a swig from a glass, accidentally cracks it in his palm.

From there things take a dark turn, showing a grim, futuristic skyline and a world that has seen the effects of widespread cybernetic use.

Unfortunately we haven't gotten a direct feed of the trailer just yet, but when we do, you can be sure I'll update this post so you can enjoy the trailer for yourself.

Posted in Game Talk | No Comments »