Crysis 2 Makers Call Out More Games

Uncharted 2 Vs Crysis 2Dang. I always knew that Crysis sported itself some pretty graphics. Gorgeous, even. But I didn’t realize the original Crysis was such a groundbreaking smash of a hit in terms of narrative. Or at least, that’s what its writers and creators seem to think.

Earlier this week, Crysis 2 writer Richard Morgan called out Modern Warfare 2 for its story and its narrative. Then, he proceeded to follow that up with a shot at Halo, calling its archetypal characters “bullshit”. While it’s one thing to nip at the heels of the big dogs, it seems that Crytek isn’t quite done taking shots at other games. A new interview with the company’s CEO, Cevat Yerli, has now added Uncharted 2 to the list of giants that Crysis 2 is trying to fell with its stones of wordy criticisms. Here’s what Yerli had to say about the game.

It’s really great, and that’s an alternative style, but I don’t think they do justice to the medium of game. I think Mass Effect 2 is doing a better job to the game market, although it’s a completely different style to us, rather than Uncharted 2 or Modern Warfare, for that matter.

Say what you will about whether or not Richard Morgan or Yerli is right about any of the stuff they’ve made bold claims about with Crysis 2… but these dudes are dropping some major gonads down on the table. I mean, seriously, this game’s story had better start blowing some mothers out of the water with its brilliance when this game comes out.

Personally, I think their comments about Modern Warfare 2 are totally justified, and the ones about Halo slightly less justified (but not wrong), but calling out Uncharted 2 as not doing videogames justice seems a little out in left field for me. And this is coming from a guy who loved Mass Effect 2 just as much.

What do you guys think? Are these guys biting off more than they can chew? Have they been right about their comments?

Source- VG247

New Alan Wake Trailer Finally Excites Me

While I’ve posted about Alan Wake before, I’ve never quite caught on to the fever that the gaming media at large seems to throw behind the XBox 360 exclusive. It always looked interesting, I guess, but it’s hard to judge a game by the same cutscene clips and trailers that we’ve seen for several years in a row. Granted, that’s how I felt about Final Fantasy XIII, but now I’m in love with that game, so…

Anyway, this new Alan Wake: Building the Thriller trailer shows off some cool gameplay for the title that I hadn’t seen before, and finally has me itching to play it. It looks like a crazy mix between Heavy Rain, Silent Hill and Resident Evil 5, and I love the idea of darkness and light in combat. To me, one of the coolest shots is the character at the end wrapped in Christmas lights to ward off enemies. It just seems like a cool idea from a writing standpoint. Anyway, if you can bear the cheesy narration, I’d suggest giving this one a watch.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjNZT9QobIY&feature=related[/youtube]

Are Single Player Games Going the Way of the Dodo?

Splinter Cell Conviction Co-OpYou all know that I love me some co-op. In fact, more often than not, I’d rather play co-op over some kind of versus multiplayer. To me, there’s nothing quite like jumping into a game with your friends, and playing alongside them while you chat about how things are going or how much better you are at everything. Not that I do that… often.

Anyway, I’m one of the biggest proponents of co-op appearing in most games, but it doesn’t mean I want there to be a death to single player as we know it. In a recent interview, Patrick Redding, the multiplayer director of Splinter Cell: Conviction, had some interesting things to say about playing games solo.

I see this co-op as fitting within a trend or a tendency that I think is emerging – actually it emerged a long time ago, but I think it’s just moved into the mainstream – which is that before, co-op was a relatively hardcore gaming paradigm for people… They don’t want it to be a solitary experience, they want to be able either to sit on the couch with their girlfriend and play, or be on Xbox Live with their best friends and play, and feel that something is unfolding according to some design intention, and they’re getting a chance to experience that but it doesn’t have to be that alone.

While I’m not saying this spells doom for single player gaming, it’s a telling perspective from someone inside the industry. No doubt this is why we see single player games getting multiplayer add-ons, or why Splinter Cell: Conviction only has a 5 hour solo campaign. Don’t get me wrong, I am dying to play the co-op, but it did surprise me to hear that the solo was so light.

So what do you guys think? Do you agree that nobody wants a solitary experience any longer? Personally, I see a place for both, and I don’t see why they have to be mutually exclusive. Tell us your thoughts.

Source- Videogamesdaily

Review: Just Cause 2

just cause 2You’re dropped onto a tropical island playground with a reusable parachute, a grappling claw, and the ability to take thirty bullets to the face and survive. What do you do? Well, if you’re Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist of Avalanche Studio’s open world adventure Just Cause 2, you blow stuff up. I mean, sure, you can collect resource crates, hijack a variety of vehicles and earn some cash on the side, but the main objective of Just Cause 2 is to make things explode.

More than any other open world game out there, Just Cause 2 is about freedom, and it isn’t about to let silly things like a coherent narrative and tasteful voice acting get in the way. No, from the minute you’re dropped onto the island until the moment you actually bother to take on an assigned mission, you can pretty much do whatever the heck you want. Unlike a lot of other sandbox games, which shoe-horn you into a ridged progression before you’re allowed to access the cool stuff, you can hop into a jet and lay waste to military bases within the first half-hour of Just Cause 2’s campaign. But is the game worth a purchase?
Continue reading Review: Just Cause 2

Gears of War 3 Trailer Drops on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

We all knew it was coming, but somehow the promise of a trailer for Gears of War 3 made us forget that the surprise had been spoiled last week. Cliff “Dude Huge” Bleszinski himself made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and he brought with him the first trailer for Gears of War 3, entitled “Ashes to Ashes”. Take a gander:

Very, very cool, and definitely in the vein of Epic’s previous trailers, all of which have paired the traditional shooty-shooty vibe of Gears with some somber strains of music. There’s a few things that attentive fans may spot in the trailer, such as a female Gear, and the first signs of the new enemy for Gears 3, the Lambent. What did you guys think of the trailer? Should we start the hype train? Anyone else get a sort of “Pompeii” feeling from all the ashen bodies in the video?

Today’s WTF: Fable III Allows XBL Friends with Benefits

Well, for those of you who have always longed to knock boots with that sultry voiced minx on your friends list, you may have finally gotten your chance. It seems that Fable III is going to allow for players to get intimate and create babies with their friends in co-op games. Hot stuff, right?

I mean, as with anything that goes in a Peter Molyneux game, this should be taken with the grainiest grain of salt one can think of, but still it’s interesting to talk about. The idea of a unique weapon that is tied to your profile and gamerscore? Sounds good, I hope it makes it in. The idea of a king-like RTS that takes over part of the tale? Another great idea, can’t wait. Sleeping with someone on my friends list to make virtual babies for our co-op game? Not so keen on that one.

However, if I’m being completely honest here, if there is an achievement for doing someone on your friends list to make a baby… someone out there is going to have to help me do this. I’m not a picky man, either. I only ask that you be gentle with my evil avatar.

Source- Kotaku

Pay For Play: A Look At The Big 3’s Digital Pay Systems

As the video game industry moves more and more towards complete digital distribution, I thought it would be a good idea to see where things stand right now in terms of how we buy our games and DLC. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony all have platforms for digital distribution and each has strengths and weaknesses, but today I plan on talking about what I personally like and dislike with each of them, specifically, the manner in which we fork over our hard-earned cash monies.

First, the best: Sony’s PSN network is just the smoothest interface, in my opinion. No silly point systems, just straight up money. You can add a few different games to your cart and buy them all together or one at a time and they will download in the background. The only problem I have with this is that you always have to add at least $5.00 to your “wallet”, which sucks when you buy something that is only $1.99 because then you have money that you have spent in real life and is now just waiting to be spent digitally. A minor quibble, but one that can be annoying.

Microsoft comes in a close second. Xbox Live Marketplace has many of the same features that makes PSN so strong and in fact, there is only one thing that really holds it back: that mystical point system. See, whenever you go to purchase something, you need points. So you have to add points, but thankfully, your credit card is saved, so you don’t have to enter it in every time.
Continue reading Pay For Play: A Look At The Big 3’s Digital Pay Systems

Crysis 2’s Writer Slams Modern Warfare 2

crysis 2First Battlefield Bad Company 2 takes a swing at Modern Warfare 2, and the newly-announced Crysis 2 is attempting to kick them while they’re down. EA Games recently revealed a trailer for the up-coming military sci-fi First-Person-Shooter, and now they’re trotting out the various people who are working on the game to let you all know how awesome their game is.

One such person is Richard Morgan, who you may or may now know of as the 2003 winner of the Philip K. Dick award for his novel Altered Carbon. Turns out he’s also a huge video game nut and he’s stoked to be penning the story for Crysis 2. As a video game junkie, he’s probably played a few of last year’s mega-titles, and in a recent interview with CVG, he’s let the world know that he doesn’t have a very high opinion of Modern Warfare 2:

“I thought Modern Warfare 2 was an immense disappointment,” he said.

“It was a massive stepdown from CoD4. What I thought when I played it was, ‘Jesus guys, what have you been doing? You’ve not ramped anything up. The story is worse and the game doesn’t really hang together, it’s just a bunch of mission levels.

He goes on to say that the whole campaign was basically “bad storytelling”, and that Infinity Ward were “too impressed with themselves”; he also states that Modern Warfare 2 was “the same but…way worse. And it cost more money”. While taking pot-shots at the competition is nothing new in the video game industry, he did have a few good things to say about Uncharted 2, praising how developers Naughty Dog created an excellent storytelling vehicle.

You talk a big talk, Mr. Morgan, but let’s not forget that the first Crysis had a story that didn’t amount to much either. You’ve got some big shoes to fill, but you definitely seem to be qualified for the job.

What do you guys think about these comment? Any of you PC guys worried about Cyrsis 2 making the jump to consoles? What’s your opinion on the trailer? Finally, is anyone going to get this game?

Source: CVG

When Videogames Attack

If you’re an avid of Web Zeroes (shameless self promotion plug), then you’ll know from Episode 14 that the secret to viral videos is relevant references plus humor or special effects. Well this newest video called Pixels by Patrick Jean combines all of that and then some.

The concept? New York is under attack by pixelated video game characters. It’s a few parts nostalgia, a few parts cleverness and all parts awesome.

Who else loved this?

Top Six: Games You Shouldn’t Play Around Non-Gamers

As a lifetime gamer, I’ve come to accept certain facts about our pastime. The most difficult one to swallow, though, is the undeniable truth that gaming is very, very strange. Sure, we may not see it that way, but have you ever been playing a game and had your parents or a sibling walk into your room, pull a disgusted face and walk out? It may be because you were covered in Cheetos dust and Mountain Dew stains, but the greater probability is that they saw something on the TV screen that they just couldn’t comprehend. Well, to help you along with your family, I’ve assembled a handy list of games you should never play around non-gamers:
Continue reading Top Six: Games You Shouldn’t Play Around Non-Gamers

Kojima Says Consoles Will Be Dead Soon

Hideo KojimaWhile I’m not normally one to chalk hardly anything that Hideo I’m-On-Crack Kojima says up to rationality, occasionally he says something just wild enough that it’s worth a second look. After all, this is the same guy who said he wouldn’t be doing Metal Gear Solid 3 or 4. And yet, here we are reading updates about Peace Walker, the new PSP entry into the popular sneaking franchise.

Anyway, at yesterday’s press conference for the portable game, Kojima had a few rather bold claims to make about the future of gaming. In short, he basically said that soon, we won’t have consoles any more. O rly? Check out the quote.

In the near future, we’ll have games that don’t depend on any platform. Gamers should be able to take the experience with them in their living rooms, on the go, when they travel — wherever they are and whenever they want to play. It should be the same software and the same experience.

I certainly hope this quote is mainly coming from his desire to promote the new portable game that he’s making, rather than having any kind of insider knowledge about new technology. But like I said, I don’t put much stock in anything the guy says. I think the more interesting point of discussion here is the idea that people would ever transition from home console gaming and PCs to handheld only. It seems like such a niche market to me, I can’t see it ever becoming the mainstream way to play games.

So what do you guys think? Just promoting his game? Being a loony (not the Canadian kind)? Or is he a Gamestradamus, predicting our console (or no console) future?

Source- VG247

Modern Warfare 2 Fan Video is Too Good Not to Share

I already know what you’re saying: “Two Modern Warfare 2 videos in a row, Mitch? WTF, you crazy Canuck!” Well, slow your roll, dude, because this film is a little different than your average bear. Freddie Wong, the man behind the Bike Hero video and the real life Portal Gun is back, but this time he’s dishing up some MW2-flavored action. Filmed for the budget price of $209.42, this fan film pays a wonderful tribute to Modern Warfare 2. Take a look:

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Despite having a production cost of two hundred dollars, Freddie Wong and his crew did pretty well. What do you guys think of the video?

Today’s WTF: From Zero to Nuke in 30 Seconds

I’m sure that, by this point, most of us have ventured into Modern Warfare 2’s online arena and have seen some crazy shenanigans go down. From the Javelin glitch and speed skating to ridiculously accurate knife tosses, Infinity Ward’s leviathan continues to provide quality entertainment at other people’s expense. Just take a look at the following video where some lucky dude grabs a early multi-kill and proceeds to dominate everyone:

Too wild, eh? What do you guys think? Is this legit, or is the user engaged in some shady activity?

RoosterTeeth Builds a Grand Theft Auto Car

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we could drive cars the way we do in video games? You know, from a third person point of view so that you could see everything around you. Well, so did the dudes over at RoosterTeeth.

As a result, they decided to build a rig that mounted a camera in a way that mimics the kind of driving we do all the time in games like Grand Theft Auto. They then blocked out the windshield and hooked up a monitor so that a few test subjects could try it out. The end product equals hilarity.

Source- RoosterTeeth

SEGA Admits Mistake in Putting MadWorld on the Wii

madworldAh, the Wii. No other console in the history of gaming has done more to both bring together and tear apart the masses. While it is introducing a whole new generation of people to the joys of our hobby, the reception to Nintendo’s little white juggernaut by the enthusiast gamers has been nothing short of underwhelming.

Last year’s MadWorld, a black-and-white blood bath death match by Bayonetta creators Platinum Games, is a great example of the divide between the game’s target audience and the people who actually own a Wii. No one knows this better than Mike Hayes, President and COO of SEGA Europe, who recently commented that putting MadWorld on the Wii was a bit of a “mismatch”. He went on to elaborate why he thought that, in hindsight, MadWorld should have been a 360, PC or PS3 title.

“Clearly that was a mismatch with the Wii audience — particularly in terms of the amount of cross-ownership between Wii and the other home platforms. If you’re going to play a mature-rated game, you’re going to get your 360, PC or PS3 out to do so. But you can’t knock us for having a go.”

Continue reading SEGA Admits Mistake in Putting MadWorld on the Wii

The Addictive Nature of Gaming

Video Game AddictionIt’s 3 o’clock in the morning. My eyes are heavy like somebody has tied weights to them. I can feel them starting to droop, but I don’t care. Who cares if I have work in the morning? What does it matter if I’m running on empty with only the blinding light of my TV casting dark shadows about the living room? I’m just trying to get to the next boss. Trying to reach the next level. Trying to grab that upgrade. Wanting to get another headshot.

Whatever the reason for doing this to ourselves, we’ve all done it at one point or another. And while it may not always be the lure of a soft pillow to sleep on, we’ve all blown off plenty of things to do just a little bit more in a game we love or loathe. Sometimes it’s a girlfriend, a spouse, a job, a duty, or a social activity. They’re all just different suits that represent the same thing: distractions.

And the thing that is really odd to me, is that I don’t really do this with my other hobbies. There are plenty of other things that I love to do, besides playing videogames. I write, play guitar, watch movies, read books, hang out with friends. But none of those things make me think about them when I’m gone to the level that a Final Fantasy does. Or a Call of Duty. Or anything in Bioware’s library. So what makes videogaming so different than everything else?
Continue reading The Addictive Nature of Gaming

Best Lines of Mass Effect 1 and 2

It’s no great secret that I am a massive nerd for anything related to Mass Effect. As far as video game franchises go, it’s one of my favorite, and ranks among some of the most well thought and planned universes that has ever existed in gaming. Yes, that is quite a lofty claim but I will knife fight a person about it. Truly.

Anyway, if you don’t want any spoilers for the Mass Effect games, I’d say to stay away from this new video. However, there aren’t really any plot spoilers per se, just spoilers about some of the game’s awesome writing and unique brand of humor, all edited together to showcase the best lines of the two Mass Effect games. Pure hilarity.

Bee tee dubya, I want that Shepard’s facial hair.

Weeping for Games Lost

Goldeneye Xbox Live ArcadeAs avid videogamers, we’ve all grown used to the hype machine. Every year it bares itself before us, offering up plenty of food for us to feast on, all the while luring us into its clutches. Kind of like that scene in Pan’s Labrynth. Only instead of the weird hand-eye dude it’s Master Chief. You know what I mean. Anyway, because of all this pumping of videogames that we’ve seen, we’ve grown equally used to the disappointment when some of these games somehow fall into the nether regions of gaming vaporware.

Taking a look at some recent entries into the ever-expanding catalog of games that won’t see the light of day, GamesRadar has posted a list of 19 Incredible Games You’ll Never Play. It really is astonishing to take a gander at the list, because I remember reading about a couple of the games in particular (Tiberium and Cipher Complex) as featured stories on magazines like Game Informer. In addition, there were a few of these titles that I didn’t know had been canned, such as Division 9.

I think the title on the list that makes me the most upset would have to be the Goldeneye HD remake that was going to release on XBox Live Arcade, which eventually got shelved. I also would have loved to play the FFXII spinoff mentioned, which is described as Helm’s Deep meets Chocobos. Um, yes please. And last, but certainly not least, Star Wars Battlefront III, a sequel to one of my favorite games of last generation.

Anyway, were you guys looking forward to any of the games on this list? Which of those titles do you think you would have wanted to play, and what games have been canceled in the past that really stung?

Source- GamesRadar

The Freedom of Movement

just cause 2Well, we all had a lot of laughs on Thursday, didn’t we? We fooled a few of you, but it was all in good fun. With that out of the way, I had some time yesterday to really sink my teeth into Just Cause 2. While the demo did give me some pause, I was willing to look past my reservations and give the game a go. It turns out that second guessing myself in this instance was a good call, because so far the game has been excellent. While the story is non-existent and the voice acting borders on offensive, the freedom that the game allows you is nothing short of revolutionary.

For those of you who haven’t picked the game up yet, you’re basically dropped into a massive island playground after a couple of requisite missions and you’re left to your own devices. When I say this island is huge, I’m not exaggerating. I stole a helicopter from a mountain top military base and flew it all the way into the capital city; all told, the trip took me twenty minutes. So, with a sandbox on such a massive scale, how does the game allow you to move around so easily?
Continue reading The Freedom of Movement

The Law Abiding Engineer Puts TF2 on the Big Screen

I thought I would interrupt the madness of the day to post this, because this video is worth noting.

YouTube dude TrueOneMoreUser has posted a couple of videos which I found terribly impressive, given what he did with these TF2 characters. Basically, he re-edited live action footage of the trailer for Law Abiding Citizen and replaced the real actors with the characters from Team Fortress 2. The result is the amazingly awesome Law Abiding Engineer.

He’s also posted a vertical comparison video, which shows the original and the new trailers next to each other. I’d recommend checking that one out as well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjGrHBpfqCo[/youtube]