Not so Legendary. More like it took the legacy of Zork, dragged it out back, beat it for a while, then tethered it to a post and are now charging people 5 bucks for a gander. It’s a painful and awkward experience for everyone and once you are there you realize you just paid 5 bucks too much. Yet you can’t look away.
I admit I was excited to see a free-to-play browser based Zork title. My first thought was a graphical, multi-user experience, a cross between old school MUD’s and the original Zork. Cartoon-ish and playful art, witty and satirical story, and the convenience to play from any internet connect and join up with my friends. I thought it would be something spectacular. Clearly I was aiming too high.
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DICE is trying to give us something to play until Bad Company 2 comes out. BF 1943 is the love child of the BF 1942 maps with the all new Frostbite graphics engine that Bad Company used. The game played like a Low Carb Strawberry beer. It was…..Okay. It was a pre-build so my hopes are not shattered. Asking for 15 bucks for a spiffed up multiplayer only game may be asking too much right now. The game will be available for download in June.
By now, you’ve certainly seen the debut gameplay trailer for BioShock 2. At a recent 2K media event in New York City, we were shown a play-through of that demo level in all it’s high definition and surround sound glory. Will the sequel have the same ground-breaking effects as its predecessor? While I believe it will be a solid game, I don’t think it will have the same impact as the original BioShock.
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During a recent 2K media day, we got a chance to take a look at The Bigs 2 on the Wii. The sequel to 2007’s arcade baseball title adds a few new modes and tweaks to turn up the fun factor. With the Wii version being the best selling edition of the original, 2K chose to show off this version of the game.
The first thing that hit me was how well The Bigs 2 looked on the Wii. Character and stadium models (while tweaked to look extreme) are terrific on the platform. Things look even better on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but based on controls, the Wii version may be the one to pick up. Pitching and hitting with the Wii Remote are very fluid and not over-done or gimmicky, so you’ll definitely enjoy it.
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We rocked a full preview on The Conduit back at NY Comic Con, but this week at GDC, I got to check out a bit more of the game with the Creative Director, Matt Corso. Matt was one who really developed the customizable control scheme, so you can thank him for being able to play the game exactly how you want.
The demo I saw started at the beginning of the game and went through the end of the second level. After the first tutorial-like level, the game takes you back in time five days as the story events unfold. Corso indicated it was a “Pulp Fiction like story”, but wouldn’t comment on whether you play through the previous five days or if the story bounces around in time. If it’s a lot like Pulp Fiction, my guess is bouncing around. All in all, Matt said the story would be a “wild ride” with a lot of information being delivered through the player’s headset as well as radio and TV broadcasts.
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I think above all console digital distribution platforms, the PSN continues to be at the forefront of leading innovation and amazingly fun original titles. The latest being Fat Princess from Darkstar Industries. The concept is simple; two teams of medieval soldiers battle it out to try and get your princess back from the opposing team’s clutches. The gameplay, however, is surprisingly deep, comical, and full of fun. I’d heard a good deal regarding Fat Princess previously but had never gotten my hands on, so I was skeptical of all the hype. After playing it at Sony’s PlayStation.Blog Lounge at GDC, I cannot wait for its release this summer on the PSN.
The game employs a cell shaded look, which is popular right now in various titles. You are among either the red or blue team trying to rescue your princess and prevent the other team from doing the same. As the title suggests, you can continuously feed the princess cake to make her rather portly. The purpose of this insanely funny act is to make it harder for the opposing team to carry her out of your castle. Instead of just one person needed to carry a skinny princess, it’s harder for the other team to get a hefty girl out of the castle without rushing multiple people.
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Fans of wrestling, especially from the good ol’ days when everyone was sauced up on ‘roids and pain pills, but still told you to take your vitamins, will give a good look to WWE Legends of Wrestlemania. There are some real industry icons in here and I cannot wait to have a chance to play the full version. Hit the jump for the full roster as of right now. I am not sure if any of these are unlockables or the default roster. I am also not sure half of these guys are still alive. Hit the jump for more »
Loot Ninja got some hands on time with the upcoming MMORPG, Champions Online, at the recent NY Comic Con. This game allows you to create your own hero from scratch and do whatever you can think of. The game play is similar to many MMO’s where you map all of your powers to certain keys and attack accordingly. Some the powers that you are privy to are fire, water, mind, weapons, you name it. The beauty in Champions Online is the total control you have in creating your own hero. You choose from the clothes you wear to the powers you will eventually harness to make you a force to be reckoned with.
The demo level we got to play allowed us to roam around a park and fight several low level baddies. The demo was pre-alpha so the background textures were not finished but the game play was far enough along to beat some ass. You charge up your “mana” level and you can then allocate it to the powers you choose. Also, attacks can be linked together depending on how much charge you have left and the strength of the attack. The demo was short, so there is not much of actual game to discuss, but there are plenty of pertinent details remaining.
The game, like all MMOs, want you to play in a group. There are no villains here, just heroes, so you are a good guy whether you want to be or not. Furthermore, the game does not have crazy high CPU requirements: 3 gb of RAM, 9200 video card, 3 ghz processor, etc. Again, nothing insane but not WoW levels of hardware. The game right now is slated to just be on the PC, but they claim that they are shopping for a console version. This may be tough with MS’s Marvel Online and Sony’s DC Universe. The game will also have a subscription, probably around $15, although that is not set in stone. With at least 3 hero based MMORPG’s coming out in the upcoming year, Champions Online will have to do something drastic to differentiate itself from the other console iterations to make some noise.
Sega’s The Conduit could easily be the most anticipated title of the year for the Wii, at least from the core gamer perspective. Too long have we been forced to wade through mini-game compilation after mini-game compilation. I’m not saying we need an M-rated game for it to be good, but something that appeals to core gamers instead of the cutesy and gimmicky games that are making up the majority of the Wii’s release schedule is sorely needed.
At Comic Con, I got to spend a good deal of time with The Conduit. Right off the bat, I can say it’s one of, if not the best looking game I’ve seen on the Wii. The amount of textures, destructible environments, normal mapping, and shaders that High Voltage pushed through the platform is intense. I can’t speak too much for the sound, since we were on the show floor.
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Who you gonna call? Even though I want to punch myself in the face for saying that, how can you not start off a Ghostbusters game preview without that classic line? Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what you really care about, the game. Atari picked up the license for the Ghostbusters game and ran with it. What they spit out the end is somewhat impressive.
The biggest news is that the game is being fully written by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis, so you can fully expect a high level of comedic action. All of the original cast members are voicing their respective characters, which is huge for keeping the true to the films.
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