Month: October 2010

EVE Online Gives New Players a Leg Up With the Commissioned Officer Box Edition

EVE Online Commissioned Officer EditionWe’ve talked about EVE Online here at GamerSushi a couple of times, and both occasions have been about how some unfortunate soul was ruined by the actions of other players. This sort of stuff is the norm for EVE, just on a smaller scale than $1,200 USD in damages or an entire guild being brought down overnight. Understandably, these kinds of stories creates a barrier for people interested in trying EVE for fear that their tender avatar will be ravaged horribly as soon as they click the “create” button.

Fear not, timid noobies, as EVE developer CCP has plans to make things a little easier for newcomers. The Commissioned Officer Edition of EVE Online gives players the Cerebral Accelerator, an in-game item that allows users to gain a significant advantage in skill gain for the first 30 days of playtime. The package also comes with a month of play time and a nifty poster covered with helpful hints (I wonder where “trust no one” falls on it). The box will only be available in brick and mortar stores, and I assume that there will be some sort of fail safe built into the Accelerator to prevent any unscrupulous activity.

There you have it, a nice little package designed to give you a running start in the dog-eat-dog universe of EVE Online. Apparently this is a good a time as any to get into the game as CCP has a couple new expansions coming out in the next half a year.

Anyone going to finally take the plunge with EVE Online now that it’s extending a helping hand?

Source: Massivley

Drastic Changes: Sequels That Changed The Game

A frequent discussion around GamerSushi’s worldwide headquarters is what makes a sequel worthwhile. Is it more of the same, just fine-tuned and streamlined to perfection? Or it throwing out the baby with the bathwater and starting anew? It’s a question that has a different answer depending on what series you are talking about.

Well, the fine folks at GamesRadar put together a list of Sequels That Changed Everything  and as we all know, the Internet loves lists. Personally, I don’t mind if a franchise changes things up now and again, but being a Final Fantasy fanboy, that goes with the territory. But look at the greatness that has come from such changes: Resident Evil 4 (and 5!), Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and even Mass Effect 2.

What games did you like most when they switched the style up? Are there any that you didn’t care for? What franchises need a serious make-over? GO!

Source: GamesRadar

Minecraft Interstate Time Lapse Video Goes to Ludicrous Speed

Trying to describe what makes Minecraft so addicting is actually a fairly difficult task. It’s like trying to describe a color, or a raptor in a time machine. Actually no, that second one is pretty easy and would lead to total doom. Anyway, Minecraft is a game that looks crappy that you dig and build stuff in. It doesn’t sound so great, but that’s why people have to see it for themselves. Either by playing it, or watching awesome videos like this one.

YouTube user brt5470 has created a gorgeous Minecraft time lapse video, showcasing an interstate railway of sorts he built that spans his entire world. In addition to that, he’s running some high resolution textures, creating a stunning and trippy picture when it’s all said and done. Seriously, seeing the moon in the sky and the sun set while speeding along the landscape is worth the price of admission here, which is actually free. Lucky you. Watch!

Call of Duty: Black Ops Single Player Trailer Does Not Exist

If you weren’t watching ESPN tonight for whatever reason, then you may have missed the full length trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The teaser went up a few days ago, but good things come to those who wait, right? Because you’ve been patient, we have the trailer embeded right below for you. Go ahead and get a quick look at the single player campaign of Call of Duty: Black Ops:

Say what you will about Treyarch and their previous efforts, I kind of like the behind-the-scenes, cloak-and-dagger setting that the game is building, which is different from what Call of Duty usually gives us. While I’m sure the game will involve all the bombastic action that we’re used to, having an opportunity to fight through the Cold War is a new one for us gamers. Now that we’ve seen a bit more on the single player for Black Ops, any thoughts? Do you have doubts after Modern Warfare 2, or do you think Treyarch will succeed in single player?

The Question of Replay Value

Metal Gear SolidOne of the things that’s become a bigger part of game design over the last generation or so has been the idea of replay value. With game prices getting higher and used sales taking over more of the market, developers are faced with the problem of giving gamers more game for their money. This takes the form of multiplayer modes, branching narratives and any other number of things.

Over on Gamasutra, Adam Bishop recently posted a blog about The Myth of Replay Value, saying that this is an issue where the video game industry is missing the point. He goes on to cite how these added bits to games don’t really enhance replay value at all, but what really does is just making a good, rich experience. His main citation is Metal Gear Solid, a game that is completely linear with no variation, but still compels gamers to play through more than once.

Honestly, I only partially agree with this point of view. While I think it’s true that people aren’t going to replay through games that they didn’t love, there’s something to be said for offering extra incentives for players to jump back in time and time again. I think there’s got to be a mix of something there, because a great experience that’s only 10 hours long still isn’t my cup of tea, especially when the price tag is $60.

So what do you guys think of the question of replay value? How important is it to you? When buying a game do you care more about the experience or the replay value? Go!

Source – Gamasutra

Everything You Wanted to Know About Batman: Arkham City

Batman Arkham City

As many of you know, Game Informer recently published a huge cover story that detailed previously unknown information about Batman: Arkham City, Rocksteady Studio’s follow-up to the smash hit Batman: Arkham Asylum. What you may not know is that this enormous cover story is now posted online in its entirety, ready for your eager eyes and cautious optimism.

I seriously recommend checking this out if you enjoyed the first game at all. I read this back when it hit shelves and I have to say my excitement level for the game increased ten-fold. For one, it sounds like they’re going for broke here, trying to hit a grand slam after Arkham Asylum’s home run. Their attempt to create a living breathing Gotham is something I’ve always wanted to see in a Batman title, and it sounds like the sidequests are going to be just a joy to play. Also, there are lots of pretty screenshots, and I know how you all like pretty things.

Anyway, check it out and read up. Who else is pumped for this game?

Source – Game Informer

Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Castlevania: GabrielIn 2009, I remember feeling a little left out of the geek fervor when I went to go attend a showing of the new Star Trek movie. For some reason or another, I just had never been a fan of the beloved series, and had only ever seen one movie (which I thought was boring). Still, the new movie seemed like it would be worth a watch, so I thought I would check it out with the rest of the red-shirt masses. Long story short: I left the movie feeling high on adventure, and itching to check out all the Star Trek that I had missed up until that point.

If you want to bring this over to gaming terms, I guess you could say that Castlevania has always been my Star Trek, so to speak. It’s one of those titles that I’ve just missed out on over the years. And now, after having spent a whole weekend plumbing the depths of Konami’s newest entry in the long-running classic action franchise, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the results are the same: I think Castlevania’s got a new fanboy. Continue reading Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

GamerSushi Asks: Boss Battles?

Lords of Shadow

It’s sad that more and more these days, the phrase “boss battle” seem to be getting removed from our vocabulary as avid gamers. Really, with so many shooters getting the green light over traditional games, there just doesn’t seem to be room left for great boss fights in most of the titles that we play. There’s something to be said for tackling a well designed boss, which is why I think Batman: Arkham Asylum resonated so strongly with me as an old school gamer.

Well, consider me stoked up on boss battles again, since I just spent most of the weekend marathon-ing Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The game is not shy about throwing boss after boss at you, and I was in geek heaven because of it. I’ll save some more details for the incoming review, but let’s just say I liked them.

So, since it’s fresh in my mind after completing the game, I thought I’d bring the question here: what are some of your favorite boss battles you’ve faced in games? Any that were particularly memorable because they were frustratingly hard? Sound off!

Gearbox: Steam and Microsoft are ‘Hurting’ PC Gaming

Duke Nukem Forever

Steam. Everybody loves it. What better way to get your games online for your PC than with Valve’s awesome distribution method? Naturally, if a competitor is doing something excellently, Microsoft is going to try and capitalize with its own service: enter Games for Windows.

At the London Games Festival, Gearbox recently called for Valve and Microsoft to fix the incompatibility issues that plague users who purchase their games via the rival distributors. According to Gearbox’s marketing honcho Steve Gibson, the two are “building silos”, which will inevitably “hurt the PC industry.”

With their big release of Duke Nukem Forever in 2011 sure to be a sales grabber, it’s no wonder that Gearbox is concerned about this kind of issue. Honestly, I’m wondering why anybody would purchase a game via Games for Windows when an option like Steam even exists.

Check out the rest of his quote after the jump! Continue reading Gearbox: Steam and Microsoft are ‘Hurting’ PC Gaming

X-Men Arcade Comes to Home Consoles, Makes Me Feel Old

Comic-Con NYC 2010 is going down right now and, true to form, there are plenty of video game related goodies for us to peruse. While I might be a bit biased here, I can say with the utmost certainty that this bit of news is the greatest to grace GamerSushi this week. Remember that old side-scrolling beat-em-up starring the X-Men? Well, Konami and Marvel are pleased to announce that this old favorite is coming to the PSN and the XBox LIVE Arcade at some point in the future. Although no date was given, the downloadable title looks to be a straight-up port, but garnished with a new feature, six player drop-in co-op! Consider me psyched! Take a look at the trailer (shot off-screen, unfortunately):

I didn’t realize that this game came out eighteen years ago, which is why I feel old. However, a brand new generation of gamers can now experience the Earth-rending difficulty that this game featured, so that’s good news. Anyone excited about this? What other old arcade classics would you like to see re-released?

Review: Dead Rising 2

dead rising 2 review

Very few “sandbox” games in this generation give you the option to wear dresses and dye your hair while mixing pie and whiskey into a drink. In fact, only one game in memory allows this, and that is Dead Rising. While Capcom’s zombie-slaughtering game’s claim to fame is both the number of walking dead on the screen and the impossible save system, I liked the game because of the freedom it afforded you. Sure, you could screw yourself pretty bad in the main campaign with the save system, but if you wanted to spend your time in the mall rescuing survivors or killing zombies or even just trying on clothes, then you could do that.

Dead Rising offered a lot of re-playability, but it was still fairly broken. Besides the save system, gamers also had to contend with the sluggish controls, terribly friendly AI and the damn guy from the safe room whose phone calls would somehow paralyze you on the spot in a mall full of zombies. As much as I loved the game, there were some problems with it. Now that we have a sequel, have these issues been addressed? With a new developer, Canada’s Blue Castle Games, jumping on board, is it even going to feel like a Dead Rising game?
Continue reading Review: Dead Rising 2

GamerSushi Asks: Overrated But Still Good?

Bioshock

Every year, the question of digging through the stacks of releases to find which games are worth your time and money is a pretty extensive one. It requires a fair bit of research, a little bit of hocus pocus and also gut instincts to nab the things that you think will jive with your gaming preferences most fully. This becomes especially hard as the video game world becomes obsessed with certain games, sometimes hyping and potentially overhyping whatever new Messiah of gaming has shown up this year.

We’ve all dealt with our share of overrated games not quite living up to what we thought they would be. In fact, we’ve talked about that very thing a number of times here on the old Sushi. However, I was thinking about this issue the other day when talking about the Halo franchise to someone: can a game be both overrated but also still good?

Personally, I think it can be, and the Halo games totally fit the bill. They’re not quite as great as everyone gives them credit for, but they’re still pretty awesome, in my book. Other games that belong here in my opinion include anything from GTA IV to Bioshock (great but over-praised, I feel), Final Fantasy X and even one of my all time favorites, Final Fantasy VII.

So, what games would you guys put in that category? Can games be both very good but also overrated?

This Is The End: Video Game’s Best Endings

In the olden days, a high score was the only goal gamers had in mind. But once games went from being something you play at the arcade to something you do in front of the TV, things began to change. Suddenly, a threadbare story was slapped over the gameplay and some games even had endings! Granted, most were crap, such as a “Thank you for playing” message, but every now and then, you would rewarded with something truly special.

We tend to take endings for granted these days, with any ending to any game just a small trip to Youtube away, but some games have touched us with their endings. The nice folks at 1UP decided to gift us with The Best Video Game Endings, which is a nice feature to start the weekend off with. There are some obscure ones on there, but all are pretty deserving. The Streets of Rage is a favorite of mine, although we all know that Final Fantasy VI warms my heart the most.

What endings do you still remember vividly? Do you think game endings have improved or decreased in quality as the years have gone by? GO!

Source: 1UP

The Force Unleashed 2 Launch Trailer Features The Force Being Unleashed More Than Twice

I’ll admit that I’m anticipating The Force Unleashed 2 despite my current misgivings with Star Wars, but let’s face it: George Lucas’ eminent sci-fi franchise will continue to hold a special place in my heart despite all the attempts he makes at destroying my childhood.

The Force Unleashed is one of the few things in the last couple of years that I’ve enjoyed about Star Wars (except for the Republic Commando books), so a sequel is just what the doctor ordered. Despite the fact that I played it at PAX 2010 and liked it a lot, some people (Anthony) were worried about the lack of gameplay being shown in the trailers. Well, take a look at the launch trailer for The Force Unleashed 2 and let your fears be put to rest:

No too shabby if I do say so myself. October is kind of a ruinous month, considering that every Tuesday from here on out delivers a must-play game. Medal of Honor is next week, followed by Fallout: New Vegas then The Force Unleashed. It will be tricky to manage all these games, but how are you guys going about it? Is TFU2 a day-one purchase or are you saving it for the upcoming slump?

GamerSushi Asks: Skill Progressions and Ability Unlocks?

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Through a bit of a fortuitous circumstance, I found myself playing the first few hours of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow tonight. If you’re unaware, the newest entry into the classic series is styled a bit like God of War or Wolverine, with skill progressions and ability unlocks as you move along, collecting experience for each enemy you slash, decapitate or otherwise maim.

You see, I tend to treat action/beat-em-up games and RPGs with these kind of systems in almost exactly the same way: I horde. Perhaps this is because I’m a bit of a loot whore, I’m not sure, but I find myself desiring most of all the big abilities that you otherwise wouldn’t get until later portions of the game. I figure if I can make due with just the basic attacks, I’ll find myself with some useful combos or upgrades earlier than if I just bought every smaller thing as it became available. I do this with RPG skill points as well, or tend to max up one particular spell/ability rather than spreading it around.

My question to you is this: does this make me a crazy person? How do you handle skill progressions and the like? Do you horde what you’ve got for the big guns, or spend it as it comes in to get upgraded more regularly? Go!

Today’s WTF: Halo Cartoon Apt. 117 is Only Slightly Nauseating

Apparently someone at 343 Industries was taking their crazy pills and signed off on Apt. 117, a cartoon about a “normal, average guy who lives with a Halo fanboy.” Sort of like the Odd Couple, but with more man-boobs. Actually, maybe the exact same amount. Anyways, the trailer for this cartoon recently went up, and you can watch it below if you’re so inclined.

If that didn’t excite you then maybe it’s doing its job, as the cartoon is described as purposely underwhelming. I don’t know if I’ve ever invested my time into being specifically disapointed but hey, this might be a new untapped market. Personally, I think a cartoon dedicated to Spartan 1337 would be better, as his short was the only one from Halo: Legends I enjoyed. Apt. 117 will be hitting Halo: Waypoint on X-Box LIVE soon, making it the only time in history that I will consciously stay far, far away from something Halo. Thoughts?

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Beta Available For PSN Plus

Assassins Creed Brotherhood

If you are one of the lucky chumps subscribers of PSN Plus, the content-based premium access plan for the Playstation Network, then it’s time to go back to Venice. The multiplayer beta for Assassin’s Creed: Brother is now open and ready for all your murdering pleasure.

The not-quite sequel to Assassin’s Creed 2 drops on November 16th, so that gives you more than a month to learn all the tricks of the trade so you can pwn the noobs once the game is officially out. If you do download the beta, try to remember that it is for testing purposes, so if you see something glitchy, be sure to let someone know. We wouldn’t want Mitch to buy it on Day 1 and then have the game crash on him, would we?

In case you have no idea what this is all about, check out this nifty guide of Seven Things To Know Before Playing Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood from the fine folks at 1UP. I plan on downloading this right now. Should I expect to see anyone else on there? Anyone a big enough fan that they plan on signing up to PSN Plus just to taste the beta?

Source: Playstation Blog

Source: 1UP

SEGA Admits to Making Terrible Sonic Games, Removes Them From the Shelves

Sonic Colors

If you were thinking of wandering in to your local video game store and picking up a new copy of Sonic Vs. The Black Knight anytime soon, you might be out of luck. With the upcoming release of Sonic Colors, Sonic Free Riders and Sonic the Hedgehog 4, SEGA is doing a little house cleaning, de-listing Sonic titles that have a poor or average Metacritic standing.

SEGA’s Senior Vice President of EMEA Jurgen Post explained that this was done to help “strengthen the brand” going forward, stating that having a large number of Sonic titles on the shelves will lead to a “cannibalization” of sorts. While it isn’t unusual for a company to phase out older games in a franchise to make way for newer titles, Sonic is sort of a special case considering how many mediocre games we’ve been plagued with since this generation started.

Fortunately both Sonic Colors and Sonic 4 are looking pretty good, so maybe it’s better to sweep those old ones under the rug. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forget Sonic 2006, but what about you guys? Are the memories of old Sonic games still plaguing your thoughts?

Source – MCV

Fallout: New Vegas Dev Diary 4 Introduces You to the Factions

I kind of love these Fallout: New Vegas developer diaries that have been appearing recently. I know that we’ve been humming and hawing about Obsidian and their track record (which is strange, considering that Knights of the Old Republic 2 was like crack to me), but these videos show me that they have a really good understanding of Fallout and what people expect from it. This makes sense considering that Chris Avellone (Senior Designer at Obsidian) worked on Fallout 2 back in the day. Check out the video to get your run down on the three main factions you can side with in New Vegas:

It’s a nice option being able to choose sides, especially considering in Fallout 3 your options were basically “join the Brotherhood of Steel or not”. Personally, I’m leaning towards the New California Republic with Mr. House in a close second. Fallout: New Vegas comes out really soon, October 19, so you’ve got a little bit of time to plan out whether you’ll support once faction or go for total anarchy.

Dear Hollywood: 5 Tips to Prevent a Lame Myst Movie

Myst coverAs you’ve no doubt heard by now, Myst, one of the most beloved and revered adventure game series of all time, has been optioned to be turned into a full length motion picture. While the content of the movie is no doubt up in the air at the moment, people have been taking shots at Myst and other video game properties for years now, hoping to stick some kind of tap into that overflowing font of money-making wizardry.

Here’s the problem: it’s no great secret that many video game movie adaptations are reviled by even some of their most beloved franchise fans. I’m not going to say that all video game movies are flat out bad by any stretch, but if we’re being honest, there is always plenty lost in translation between the monitor and the silver screen. Heck, just ask Mark Wahlberg. Or the Rock. Or Jake Try-To-Spell-My-Name-Without-Using-IMDB Gyllenhaal.

Looking around on the tubes, I’m seeing a considerable amount of concern out there for the Myst movie, with fans like myself wondering how it can even be portrayed in a way that works, and deservedly so. So, we thought we’d put together a list of things that will help Hollywood, and more specifically Mysteria Film Group, keep the Myst movie from suffering the fate of many other less than well-received adaptations.

Here are 5 tips to prevent a lame Myst movie: Continue reading Dear Hollywood: 5 Tips to Prevent a Lame Myst Movie