GamerSushi Asks: What Genres Do You Suck At?

sucking at marvel vs capcom 3

How’s your holiday weekend going, GamerSushi-ites? Me, I’ve been tucking into the Gears of War 3 beta again after doing a marathon Portal 2 session where I polished off the whole game, both single and co-op. I’m pretty sure that we’re going to do a “What Are You Playing” sometime this weekend, so we’ll table that discussion for later. Segueing from that, I am planning on checking out Mortal Kombat soon, which frightens me mostly because fighting games are one of the genres that I totally suck at.

To be totally honest, in a multiplayer standpoint, I’m really only good at first person shooters. Even though I’m loving the Gears 3 gameplay, I’ll admit that my Kill/Death ratio is pretty terrible, with one often outpacing the other (guess which one). The same thing goes for real time strategy games, where I can maybe hold my own in a campaign or a comp stomp scenario, but once I get out into the wild, everything just goes right down the tubes.

All that pales in comparison to how badly I perform at fighting games like Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Tekken and the like. I’ll maybe win the odd round, but more often than not I’m getting Hadoukened back to last week.

It’s rare that anyone admits that they’re bad at games, but we’re all friends here, so go ahead and let us know what genres you aren’t that great with. Fighting, racing, shooting? Drop them comment bombs, yo.

GamerSushi Asks: Would You Play an MMO Shooter?

Brink

Ever since the wild success of WoW, MMOs have been the apple of every major publisher’s eye. They all want one, they’re all desperate to have one, but it turns out that making lightning strike twice is a bit trickier than anyone could have imagined. Note the sarcasm, there.

However, Paul Wedgewood, CEO of Splash Damage (currently working on the awesome-looking FPS Brink), feels that there is a large portion of the market untapped when it comes to MMOs. Specifically, he’s wondering why there aren’t any major MMO FPS games.

“You know, for a long time it hasn’t been technically feasible because you need super low latency connections for good shooter combat and that’s generally incompatible with 1000 people being on a server at the same time… But there are enough solutions around now so that it’s reasonably feasible. I know that there are some teams on the periphery working on ideas for this.”

So what do you guys think? I know we’ve got some WoW players here and more than our fair share of FPS gamers. Would you guys play an FPS MMO? Are we at the point where you think a good one is plausible? What do you think would make you take a peek? And is anyone excited about Brink? Go!

Source – CVG

The Puzzling Anger of Online Gamers (And Gears of War 3 Beta Impressions, Too)

gears of war 3 beta impressions

Portal 2 is out today as we’re all very, very aware, but there was another release this week that’s been overshadowed a bit by Valve’s behemoth: the Gears of War 3 Beta. I know that we’ve been talking about it a lot here on the site, and thanks to my Epic Edition of Bulletstorm, I got to hop in and try out the multiplayer flavor of Gears of War 3.

So far, I’m really impressed with the Beta. There are, thankfully, few glitches and I can actually get into matches, which is a big improvement over Gears of War 2. The progression from cover based shooting to close in melee combat feels natural, and it’s a real thrill to run your chainsaw through someone’s back when they aren’t expecting it. I’m finding the sawed-off shotgun a little over-powered, but that’s probably because I keep running into it like a moron.

Even though I’m loving the Gears 3 Beta, I ran into the angriest gamer I’ve come across in a long time last night. As I’m usually in a party with whomever I’m playing online with, I don’t get to hear the braying of the masses, but last night I put on my headphones and listened to the fury this man had to offer.

He got mad at me for reviving him, got mad at people for not reviving him, was pissed off that he ran into places with no backup, and made one player quit when he wouldn’t stop telling him that he was worse than a bot. I get that it’s a little frustrating when you’re stuck on a team with a bunch of ineffective players, but I could never fathom getting that angry about a match that’s ten minutes at most.

I wish I had recorded this guy’s outbursts, because they were seriously hilarious. I think that abrasive gamers have passed beyond offensive and into hilarious because we’re so used to the weirdness of the Internet as a whole. Have you guys ever ran across a gamer so angry that it stuck with you? Is anyone playing the Gears of War 3 Beta, and what do you think of it?

Battlefield 3 Full Length Fault Line Trailer is the Best B-Day Gift

How sweet of DICE and EA to drop the full length Battlefield 3 Fault Line trailer a few days early so it coincides with my Birthday. I know this is just a small coincidence, but let me have this, damn it. Following up on the previous three trailers I posted for BF3, this twelve minute numbers shows the action in its entirety with the cuts being reserved for getting you to the action quicker as opposed to just teasing the juicy bits. Enjoy.

Even though we’ve seen most of this before, it still looks amazing. Sure, the dialogue and voice acting are a little ho-hum and the AI of the enemies seems pretty basic, but for an Alpha build DICE really have the destruction mechanics and the graphics nailed down. Are you guys still pumped for BF3?

Today’s WTF: Army of Two, Third Time’s the Charm?

army of two 3

Some franchises are not long for this world and have the dignity to go quietly into that good night. Not so with Army of Two, though, as every couple of years it comes kicking and screaming back into the limelight, refusing to be relegated to the dust bin where it belongs. After two games which rest somewhere along the lines of “meh” according to critics, EA Games (more specifically Visceral Games Montreal) is bringing the co-op dude fest back for another go around.

Several job postings on EA’s website (as dug up by GameSpot) reveal that the Quebec, Canada, based studio is looking for a senior producer and an evironment artist (among other positions) to work on the Army of Two franchise, which is apparently a million seller. If you’re itching for more adventures from everybody’s favorite totally hetero dude-bros, then I guess you’re in luck. Given that these listing are on EA’s website, I’d expect to see something about Army of Two 3 very soon.
Continue reading Today’s WTF: Army of Two, Third Time’s the Charm?

Player Investment in Multiplayer: A Necessary Evil?

gears of war 3 beta unlocks

The Gears of War 3 beta is coming out next Tuesday, and I get to partake in it thanks to my holding onto the Epic Edition of Bulletstorm. As I was checking out the Gears of War 3 Beta Featurette that Eddy posted a few days ago, I noticed that Epic Games has taken a cue from their fellow developers and added a bit of player customization into the game, namely the ability to paint your weapons with a variety of colors (and a few other treats as well, I’m sure).

In an age where the game trade in business cleans up and publishers are trying to get people to hang onto their games, player investment in multiplayer has become a predictable addition to any big budget title. While Battlefield 2 was the first game I can think of that pioneered this (and I’m holding to that), Call of Duty 4 brought this out in a huge way. Even Halo has had a bit of that with the different armor pieces in Halo 3, and went whole hog with it in Reach.
Continue reading Player Investment in Multiplayer: A Necessary Evil?

Gears of War 3 Beta Featurette

The Gears of War 3 multiplayer beta kicks off to full effect in just two weeks, so that means it’s time for Epic to start a bit of a pre-roll on the hype train.

That train kicks off with a new beta featurette titled Dedicated Execution. As much as I sometimes ignore these kinds of things, this one actually shows off lots of brand new multiplayer footage. Interestingly enough, there seems to be an emphasis on melee combat, which is a cool enhancement for the Gears series, especially given the penchant for curb-stomping that it’s known for.

While I’ve enjoyed Horde mode more than anything else about Gears of War’s multiplayer, this looks pretty fun. The game drops in September, which will probably be here before we know it.

Thoughts?

April Fools: Grand Theft Auto V Takes Place in Space

GTA5

Well, for weeks now, speculation has been running rampant about Grand Theft Auto V: when it’s going to be announced, who’s going to be in it and what parodies we can expect. However, one of the biggest questions still remaining about the next iteration of Rockstar’s landmark series is where it’s going to take place. It seems that Rockstar has finally silenced the masses with a press release that went out yesterday. The next GTA is going to take place in space.

Yeah, you read that right. Here’s what Rockstar’s VP of Product Development Jeronimo Barrera had to say about the new game’s astounding direction:

We just felt that we’ve “been there, done that” in regards to various other settings in previous Grand Theft Auto games and other Rockstar properties. I mean, we’ve done the 80’s, the 90’s, the Old West, the 1950’s in the upcoming L.A. Noire and even a modern-day post 9/11 America in GTA IV. Space is, quite literally, the Final Frontier in terms of where Rockstar’s games could go. It should be new and exciting for fans of our current games, just like it is for us.

The press release was shy on details, but here are a couple of things that have come to light about the way Grand Theft Auto (or should that be Shuttle, now) is going to play.

  • Multiple cities on various planets
  • Hijack button will dock you with a spaceship, mid-flight
  • Weapons will be futuristic, although some “antique” shops will have good old-fashioned rocket launchers
  • The main character is Max Rifle, intergalactic pirate extraordinaire
  • Earth will be playable, specifically a nuclear radiation infected Vice City

So, that’s quite the bomb to start the weekend with. What do you think of Rockstar’s bold new direction for the series?

Source – Rockstar Press Release

Things Get Hot With Battlefield 3 Fault Line Episode 3

Like clockwork, I bring you another episode of the Fault Line series of trailers for Battlefield 3. Last time, the squad was tasked with bringing down a sniper hiding in a building; this time, we see a little bomb disarming, some first-person fighting and a last stand against overwhelming forces.

These trailers are definitely starting to pick up, and I can’t wait to see what surprises are in store for us when the last video hits in April. What do you guys think? Is Battlefield 3 still looking hot? What’s your opinion on the addition of first-person melee combat?

Shepard Kicks Butt With Mass Effect 2’s ‘Arrival’ Trailer

If you were maybe living under a rock for the past little while, you might not know that Mass Effect 2’s latest and final piece of DLC, ‘Arrival’ is hitting tomorrow with all the force of a biotic punch to the head. To get us prepped for Shepard’s solo adventure to the far reaches of the known galaxy, BioWare has released a trailer that features a little Reaper taunting and a lot of Batarians being blown away. Enjoy.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get ‘Arrival’ day and date, so I’ll have to endure a couple of weeks of listening to all the other GamerSushi editors talk about how awesome it is. I know there was some concern expressed about ‘Arrival’ when I posted a few details about it last week, but have any of you changed your mind? Still feel the same way?

Mass Effect 2 ‘Arrival’ DLC Details…Arrive

mass effect 2 arrival dlc

Sorry about that title folks, but I think you can forgive me in light of the Mass Effect 2 info bomb I’m about to drop on you. Various gaming sites around the Web are getting hands on time with BioWare’s good-bye DLC for Mass Effect 2 (our invite was probably lost in the mail) and there’s been some juicy tidbits leaking out here and there about what your Commander Shepard will be doing when ‘Arrival’ hits next week on March 29.

First and foremost this DLC is a solo outing, so those who were hoping for the possible return of Kaiden or Ashley a la Liara in ‘Shadow Broker’ will be disappointed. Shepard is on a one-man rescue mission to save a scientist named Dr. Amanda Kenson from Batarian extremists. Additionally, fans of actor Lance Henriksen’s gravelly delivery will be happy to know that his character Admiral Hackett makes an appearance after a strange absence in Mass Effect 2.

Since Shepard is on his own for this mission, BioWare will give players the option of sneaking by combat encounters instead of going in, guns blazing. While you certainly can give everyone you see a new hole to breath out of, infiltrating an enemy camp is something new to Mass Effect.

No word on exactly how long the DLC will run, but most previews mention that the first mission took about an hour and there’s five or so in the pack total, so take from that what you will. Are you guys excited to be jumping back into Mass Effect 2? Are you dismayed by the news that you can’t bring your favorite squad members along with you? What else would you like to see from ‘The Arrival’? Put your Paragon/Renegade answers in the comments.

Source – Joystiq

Today’s WTF: Duke Nukem Forever Has a Sexist Take on CTF

The unicorn that is Duke Nukem Forever is coming out freakishly soon, and with it more and more information about the game is being trickled out. One of the newest bits of info concerns the multiplayer offering of Duke Nukem Forever and its take on the traditional mechanic for Capture the Flag. Instead of having an inanimate, emotionless flag (because you know, that’s for squares), DNF will repleace the traditional piece of fabric with a slappable woman. Wait, what?

In the recent issue of the Official Xbox Magazine (via a snippet from PC Gamer) Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that his team didn’t want to “shock” people, but rather wanted the CTF mode to fit with the game’s plot element of aliens capturing Earth’s women to breed an army. Apparently the terrified woman can get a little unruly during the match, and players will need to calm her down with a five-finger reassurance.

OK, wait, what? I get that Duke is not the kind of guy who will be leading a women’s rights rally, but I think I draw the line at abusing women, even if it is in a video game. I was really uncomfortable in Grand Theft Auto 4 when the game forced Niko Bellic to abduct and beat up a girl, so I can’t imagine finding this sort of thing “fun”. Besides the obvious ploy of using this for controversy, what’s wrong with a normal flag?

This news moves Duke Nukem Forever firmly down to my “do not want” list. Call me a sissy if you’d like, but I think gaming has enough problems without adding “condoning abuse” to the rap sheet. What do you guys think? Are you as disgusted as I am? Do you care?

Update: According to Randy Pitchford’s Twitter, we should all calm down because the slap takes place on the butt instead of the face. I’m still of the opinion that this is a stupid idea, though.

Source – PC Gamer

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Trailer Shows Multi-Path Gameplay

While actual gameplay of Deus Ex: Human Revolution has been a little scarce, we’ve seen a few glimpses of the combat here and there. One of the big selling points of Deus Ex is the option to use several ways of advancing through a mission like going in guns blazing, or sneaking around all stealthy like. In a recently unveiled trailer, the game’s narrative designer Mary DeMarle walks us through the neck-snapping or light-tapping varieties of mission progression in Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

The game definitely looks very good, and the option of solving missions in either a lethal or non-lethal manner is something that we really haven’t been able to do since the Splinter Cell games of last gen. Apparently this demo is running the Xbox 360 version of the game, but I’m pretty sure I saw prompts for PS3 controls in there. Anyways, what do you guys think of the multi-path gameplay for Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Are you excited for this? Worried about the game being “console-fied”?

GamerSushi Asks: Gaming Marathons?

Dragon Age 2

Every now and then as gamers we get to bunker down and tackle a game for as long as we want. This doesn’t happen very often due to a number a life circumstances, but sometimes the stars align and clear the way for a gaming marathon session like no other. Needless to say, these always make for awesome days, and if you’re lucky enough, awesome binge gaming weekends.

Yesterday, a few members of the GamerSushi crew got to do just that. For instance, Jeff, finally over-burdened by our constant podcast harassment, took it upon himself to play Mass Effect 2 for about 10 hours. He knocked out the second half of the game and even DLC, including Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker. I know that Anthony has also spent some time plowing through Demon’s Souls. As for me, I think I’ve played Dragon Age 2 for about 23 hours this week, including about 9 yesterday in one awesome gaming session.

So what about you guys? When’s the last time you’ve gotten to jump into a marathon gaming session? What game or games did you play? Go!

Battlefield 3 Returns With Fault Line Part 2

Continuing in the grand tradition of posting videos only I care about, I bring you the next installment of the “Fault Line” series of trailers for Battlefield 3. Previously on Fault Line, we saw our squad of Marines take the fight to some insurgents in a parking lot, but this time around they’re up against a sniper with a fifty caliber rifle. How do you deal with such a threat? Heavy ordnance, of course. Have a look at Fault Line Part 2: Good Effect on Target:

It’s still amazing to me that this is apparently an Alpha build, because the whole thing is really impressive. I know that I’ve said that quite a few times about this game, but for real, take a look at those animations. Part three will debut on the 30 of March, so come back then for the newest episode! What do you guys think of this trailer?

Gaming Pop Quiz: Spring 2011 Edition

Where is 2011 going? It’s already a week into March, and I feel like time for playing games is just slipping through my fingers. I was going to see if I could make a joke about pixels and grains of sand in there, but it kind of fell through last second. Don’t judge me.

As we have no doubt beaten the issue beyond death by now, you probably already know that 2011 is the year of the gaming assault. Already we’ve had some stellar titles, and we’ve barely even scratched the surface. Nearly every single month for the rest of the year is going to have some kind of landmark release (or several), and for March that title is Dragon Age 2. Naturally, we thought it was time to check in with another edition of the Gaming Pop Quiz. You know, because of the dragons and all.

As always with our getting-to-know-you type games, feel free to answer with as much or as little as you like. Answer to the best of your ability. Go! Continue reading Gaming Pop Quiz: Spring 2011 Edition

Battlefield 3 Shakes It Up With The Fault Line Series

When I posted the Battlefield 3 Gameplay teaser last week, I had a pretty decent understanding that a much longer, more involved trailer was going to follow shortly thereafter. The fact of the matter is I’m really digging Battlefield 3, so I apologize for “double dipping”, as it were. That said, I think you’re going to enjoy this trailer (Part 1 of the Fault Line Series) which goes a bit more in-depth with the short snippets we saw last week.

I’d file that under “do want” for sure. Since this is Part 1 of an ongoing series, you can bet that I’ll be posting the remainder as they come. I’m certain that we won’t be disappointed.

Review: Bulletstorm

bulletstorm review

While some may say that the age of the “silent protagonist” in video games is over, there are a few times where I wish that we could return to the days of yore, where our controlled hero just got on with the job and didn’t have a smart-ass remark for everything. Bulletstorm is one of those times. Everyone in this game suffers from a severe form of tourettes crossed with verbal diarrhea. The story in your game doesn’t have to be amazing to please me, but at least make it so I don’t want to jam a power drill through my skull every time I have to listen to one of the characters wax philosophic about dicks.

For a little history, Bulletstorm is a First-Person-Shooter collaboration between Epic Games and People Can Fly where the object of the game is to kill enemies in creative ways to rack up Skillshots. Taking advantage of the Unreal 3 engine, and going out of its way to distance itself from every other FPS on the market, Bulletstorm hopes to carve out a niche with its unique take on FPS mechanics. How well does it fare in that regard?
Continue reading Review: Bulletstorm

Epic Games Talks Gears of War 3 Beta and Release Date

gears of war 3 beta details and release date

At an Xbox 360 press event today, Epic Games revealed a bit more about Gears of War 3, including the upcoming Beta and some additional details on the game’s September 20 release. VG247 has a really good interview with Gears’ art director Chris Perna about the new look for Marcus and friends, the environments, and the recently unveiled cover art for Gears of War 3.

As Gears of War 3 is the end chapter for the current trilogy, the characters are being redesigned to display the wear and tear of the fifteen year war against the Locust, the main enemy of the game. The armor is a worn down, the weapons are ragged and filthy, and the characters faces are tired and grubby. Gears of War 3 will retain the same predominantly brown look endemic to the series, but the levels are going to be a bit more varied this time around as opposed to the city and cavern based backdrops of the first two games.

It’s not just the protagonists that are getting a make-over for Gears 3, but the Locust as well. As Gears of War 2 saw the destruction of the Locust capital city (spoilers), the former alien conquerors are eking out an existence much like the human population of Sera, the planet Gears of War is set on. The Locust are beaten and broken, living in the wasteland and bearing a superficial resemblance to the Sand People of Star Wars (a comparison drawn by Chris Perna). The Lambent, the new enemy that are the bane of humans and Locust alike, are a bit more extraterrestrial in their origin; they’re very different from the Locust, who are more or less humanoid in their appearance. Chris Perna once again makes a reference to sci-fi pop culture by saying the Lambent are more inspired by H.R. Giger’s Alien designs than Conan the Barbarian, which served as the original inspiration for the Locust.

There’s not much more detail about Gears 3 gameplay or story wise that we didn’t already know about, but a bit more information was dropped about the Beta. Hit the jump to see how to get in, and what rewards you get for playing it. Continue reading Epic Games Talks Gears of War 3 Beta and Release Date

Battlefield 3 Gameplay Trailer Looks Oh So Good

Without a doubt, 2011 is going to be a crazy year. If you’ve been hanging around this site long enough, you’ll know that we hit on certain beats over and over again, so the over-the-top gaming goodness of this year is something you’ll hear us bring up a few more times. Speaking of over-the-top, a new trailer for Battlefield 3 dropped today featuring some in game footage, and needless to say, it did a Strike at Karkand…in my pants. This is not pre-rendered, folks, this is all running on the Frostbite 2 engine (on a crazy rig, probably) and it’s amazing.

It really sucks that I’m going to have to upgrade my PC to Windows 7 to play this (I’ve been running XP since it came out), but it just might be worth it. I’ve already put down my hard-earned monies on the pre-order to get the Back to Karkand expansion for free. What about you guys? Down for some Battlefield 3? What system are you getting it on?