Category: Shooter

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

transformers_optimusWelcome to our semi-monthly open-forum post where we pose to you the simple question of “What Are You Playing”? It’s summer now, but the games keep on coming, so much so that I can barely keep up with them. I’ve completely skipped Final Fantasy 13, missed half of God of War 3, only just caught up on Heavy Rain, and I still feel like I’m struggling to stay current. It may have something to do with sinking about two days worth of playtime into Red Dead Redemption, but that game is awesome, so I’ll assume that you forgive me.

Other than that, there’s been a couple of co-op DLC releases, a licensed game that’s actually pretty good, and Steam is having a ridiculous sale right now (you can find all of the delicious savings through this link if you don’t follow us on Twitter). I think I’m going to pick up Torchlight since it’s so cheap. I’ve heard good things about it, but has anyone played it?

Also, before we jump in to your posts, I should mention that next week will be bereft of the GamerSushi podcast since Nick and Eddy are “ascending the slopes of Mount Doom” with Web Zeroes, as they put it. We’ll pick up where we left off with our normal format in a couple of weeks though. Hopefully you can wait a while before our dulcet tones, and my nasally voice, caress your ear canals once again. OK, enough blabbing on my part, get cracking!

Crackdown 2 and Demo Achievements

crackdown2This past Monday, the demo for Crackdown 2, the forthcoming open-world super-hero cop game, dropped on X-Box LIVE, and most of the GamerSushi crew have been getting skills for kills. One new thing that the trial introduced is the notion of “Demo Achievements”, a system where you can unlock specific goals before the full retail version comes out and they will be applied to your Gamerscore. While this is 360 centric, I do think it brings up a neat idea that Sony can probably start emulating in their demos.

While Achievements and Trophies are not popular amongst all gamers, accumulating points is something that most of us enjoy and the prospect of getting a bit more out of demos isn’t bad either. Of course, offering these Achievements may color the perception of the game, or produce a subconscious need to buy the game to get your points.

While I’m all for the prospect of unlocking Achievements in demos, I’d like to know how you guys feel. Is this a good idea, or will it hurt the nature of demos? Do you even care? Also, what are your Crackdown 2 impressions, if you’ve been playing it.

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Co-Op Memories?

heavy rainEver since we’ve been able to use the internet to connect our consoles to each other, cooperative play is becoming more and more popular. I’m all for this, as I enjoy taking on waves of baddies with my friends just as much as I like shooting them in the face in a competitive match. There’s just something about co-op play that is altogether different and more satisfying than a straight-up Deathmatch game, but maybe that’s just because I’m a team player.

Both Red Dead Redemption and Battlefield Bad Company 2, two excellent games in their own rights, are getting co-op add-on packs today. Since both these games should be a blast to play with friends, I thought I would find out what your favorite co-op gameplay memories are. Do you have a specific recollection of you and a buddy (or several) holding out against AI antagonists, or maybe a particularly epic campaign playthrough to the wee hours of the morning? Let us know!

XCOM Returns as a First Person Shooter

XCOM is one of the classics of the the PC gaming scene, an old-school strategy title where you waged war against alien invaders as the director of a Men In Black type organization. In the re-imagining of the series (done by Bioshock developers 2k Games), you still undertake the role of the leader, but instead of issuing orders from behind a desk, you step out into the field to meet the aliens mano a mano. A trailer dropped for the game during E3, and dang if it doesn’t look intense.

Set during the 1950s, this game bares more than a passing resemblance to another period-piece title from 2K that I mentioned above. While similarities aren’t exactly a bad thing, especially given the fact that this is probably the best team to turn XCOM into an FPS, it still remains to be seen whether this will help or hinder the game come release time. What do you guys think about XCOM? Eager to blast some symbiote-looking aliens, or upset about the change in genre?

Review: Red Dead Redemption

red dead redemptionRockstar has a well-deserved legacy of making really engaging, if somewhat wacky and ultra-violent, sandbox titles, one where the player assumes the role of a mass-murderer of some note. Ever since the first Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar has been poking fun at various eras of history, but they’ve never strayed further back than the 80s. The most recent game from the studio, GTA IV, took a look at modern America through a very skewed lens, using the viewpoint of immigrant Niko Bellic to make a commentary on our post 9/11 society.

For their most recent title, Rockstar has decided to eschew the modern trappings of GTA IV and travel all the way back to the Old West; 1911 to be precise, an age where the cowboy still roamed the plains, but the government was slowly encroaching on the frontier. Players assume the role of John Marston, gravelly-voiced gun for hire, forced to hunt down his old gang members at the behest of the Bureau of Investigation. Does Rockstar’s traditional formula survive in the Old West, or does the corpse get picked apart by vultures when I’m done with it?
Continue reading Review: Red Dead Redemption

Fallout: New Vegas Trailer Hits the Strip

After Fallout 3 consumed my life with its cornucopia of post-apocalytpic goodness, I’ve had my eye peeled for anything pertaining to a follow up to that excellent title. As luck would have it, Bethesda contracted Obsidian studios to craft the spin-off, and for all intents and purposes, it looks like it’s shaping up to a worthy successor. A new trailer for the game hit the internet to lead into E3, so let’s have a watch, shall we?

One thing I really like is the juxtaposition of the cheerful swing tune with the bad-ass combat that’s happened on screen. Another thing I like? Slow motion walking in front of explosions. What about you guys? Are you going to go all in on this one, or will you fold?

Multiplayer Map Hall of Fame

You may or may not remember a feature we did some time ago titled the Video Game Level Hall of Fame, where we showcased and discussed some of our favorite single player missions or levels from video games. That got such a huge response, and I have no idea why I never followed up with it. Maybe because I am often too busy snacking on Fail crackers, or something. Who knows?

Anyway, I thought I’d remedy the situation by bringing a Hall of Fame feature back in full force, this time branching over into solo’s sister, multiplayer. Today, we’re taking a look at some of gaming’s best multiplayer maps of all time. Now, as before, this isn’t an end-all list, and it is not in any particular order. There will be several iterations of this feature, all highlighting different entries. Continue reading Multiplayer Map Hall of Fame

PS3 Owners: Soldner X-2 Brings the Good Stuff

One of the things that we seem to miss out on with this site is coverage of some of those random indie games. It’s not that we dislike them, it’s just that none of us are the kinds of people who really seem to seek them out and report on them. That’s why I love Bytejacker, a video game show on Revision3 that covers this topic terribly well, and gives regular folks like me the chance to see something I might have otherwise missed.

While watching this week’s episode, I caught sight of a game that I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t heard of before. It’s a straight up classic style shoot-em-up in the vein of the old R-Type games, and it’s only $12.99 on the PSN right now. It’s called Soldner X-2, and the only word I have to describe the way this game looks is “epic”.

Really, I’ll stop talking about it. Just watch the trailer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ06n20AFbE[/youtube]

Has anyone heard of this game, and doesn’t it look awesome?

Rumor: Mass Effect Going Multiplayer?

mass effect mmo rumor

Mass Effect 2 is one of the premier games of this year, and indeed, this generation. While the game could stand a bit of a slimming down in some areas (pre-patch mining being a good example), what could BioWare add to future iterations of the series? If you suggested multiplayer, it looks like you’re on the same page as the revered WRPG developers, as they’ve recently posted a few job openings for their Montreal, Quebec studio advertising Multiplayer Programmer positions.

Part of the job will be taking “existing single player experiences and making them multiplayer safe”, and ensuring that “the game engine and game systems work reliably and efficiently in a multiplayer environment.” While the job listing doesn’t state what kind of multiplayer the Mass Effect developers have in mind, it seems pretty clear that the studio is going to be making the jump very soon.

The posting doesn’t out and out say that Mass Effect 3 will be going online, but I wouldn’t rule anything out in that regard. Mass Effect 2’s engine was really, really solid so it could probably handle co-op play. Further speculation could point to a Mass Effect MMO, and, to use a term Eddy once coined, that very thought gives me a mind boner.

So, what do you guys think? Are you on board, and what do you predict will come of this? Is Mass Effect 3 going to have Team Deathmatch, or is this more of a long term goal for the series?

Edit: The posting has since been updated to exclude the mention of Mass Effect, so here’s the original blurb, to clear up any confusion:

We are working on Mass Effect, one of the industry’s most beloved and acclaimed franchises, as we build our way toward becoming a fully self-sufficient BioWare studio. If you want to help us achieve our mission of delivering the best story-driven games in the world, and you dream of being part of a dynamic, talented and focused team, now is the time to get onboard.

Source: Kotaku

Killzone 3 Details are Live and in 3D

killzoneI’ll admit that I didn’t play the original Killzone or Killzone 2 (mostly on account of not owning a PlayStation at the time), but the series has always intrigued me. While it may be describe derisively as “World War 2 in space”, that sort of thematic setting is right up my alley. Sony and Guerrilla Studios dropped a bit of a shocker on us last week, revealing the third entry in the series before E3 even started. What’s more, the game is going to be in 3D! A lot of people say that the third time is the charm, but will that ring true for Killzone? Quite a few websites got to go hands-on with the game this week (our invitation got lost in the mail), and Kotaku has a nice write-up detailing all the new changes.

What stood out to me most, besides the 3D, is how crisp this game looks. Perhaps you don’t remember the infamous E3 2005 trailer for Killzone which painted an image in everyone’s mind that the sequel couldn’t quite match. While it seems quaint now, the lasting impressions of the video have given Killzone a lot to live up to, and the third game seems to come the closest to reaching those lofty heights.

Besides looking like the most tasty of eye candies, Killzone 3 is getting some neat gameplay improvements like a revamped melee system and jet packs. Before you go off claiming that Killzone is ripping off Halo: Reach, let me remind you that someone will bring up Tribes, and we’d all like to avoid that scene. The close-combat promises to be more brutal than your average first-person-shooter, which mostly deals with that via a gun stock to head, or maybe a quick stab. While the build being presented was a little early, it did promise face-kicks, back-stabs, and knives through the Helghast’s iconic eye-piece.

For those of you wondering about the 3D, it appears to be well integrated with the head’s up display smoothing nicely, and aiming down the sight offering a nice differentiation of depth. Unfortunately, the preview does mention that the 3D got nauseating at one point. This will differ for everyone, but I got a little sick during Avatar, so I think I might skip on this option.

What do you guys think? How is Killzone 3 looking to you so far? Sure-fire purchase, rental, or are you passing altogether?

Source: Kotaku

Review: Alan Wake

alan wake2010 may become known as the “Year of the Delayed Game” as we’ve already been graced with the release of several titles which may not have seen the light of day. Heavy Rain, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII have all been pressed to discs and have been devoured by the hunger gaming masses, but what about that other game? You know, the next title from Max Payne developer Remedy Studios, the one that was voted the most anticipated game of E3 2005?

In case you’ve somehow forgotten, this product is called Alan Wake, a game where the player takes control of the titular character in an attempt to parse out the mystery of the dark presence in the town of Bright Falls. Playing upon the natural fear of the dark and blending that into the mechanics, Alan Wake promised to be a premier psychological thriller with a great story and gripping atmosphere. Now that the game is out, how well do the boasts of the developers hold up?
Continue reading Review: Alan Wake

The Empire Strikes Back is 30 Years Old, and That Means a Lot of Hoth Levels

If you ask anyone with a brain cell what their favorite Star Wars movie is, chances are it will be The Empire Strikes Back. This movie has all the right ingredients to make a great film, and it’s surprisingly dark to boot. This is the first Star Wars film to show us just what the series is capable of out of the grubby hands of George Lucas, and I’m forever thankful to director Irvin Kershner for giving us this cinematic masterpiece.

My personal fawning aside, The Empire Strikes Back is also known for it’s cinematic Battle of Hoth which pits the Rebels against the titular Empire on the snowy wasteland planet. Naturally, such a big exciting fight is perfect fodder for video game recreations, and since 1982, we’ve had almost a dozen interpretations of the Battle of Hoth. Kotaku put up a nice post collecting all of them, but I’m going to share my favorites after the jump.
Continue reading The Empire Strikes Back is 30 Years Old, and That Means a Lot of Hoth Levels

Bulletstorm Trailer Kicks it Old School

If you miss the days of yore for First Person Shooters, where it was you, a gun, millions of hostile aliens and no plot to get in the way, then you might enjoy the following trailer for Bulletstorm, the up-coming FPS collaboration from Epic Games and People Can Fly. If you played Painkiller, PCF’s previous shooter-oriented effort, then you know that they have a healthy thirst for crazy on-screen action. Bulletstorm looks to be a great spiritual successor to Painkiller’s legacy, allowing the player to use their massive boots to kick guys into cacti and laser whip them around. The video looks like it enables players to combo their attacks together for points, a “chain of pain” if you will.

What do you guys think? Is this on your radar now?

Upcoming Alan Wake DLC to Spruce Up Facial Animation

alanwakeI was originally going to slap this thing with a “Today’s WTF” prefix, but with E3 around the corner, those things are going to be coming fast and furious. Still, this little bit of news is a head-scratcher for sure. Alan Wake, the upcoming X-Box 360 exclusive by Remedy Studios is catching a bit of flack for the game’s facial animations which apparently don’t match up with the tone of voice the character is using. For such a story driven tale, you can bet this has caused some consternation amongst the game’s reviewers.

One would expect such a fix, if it were to come at all, to be included in a patch, not through DLC. Remedy is doing the exact opposite, however, bundling in the change with the supernatural thriller’s upcoming downloadable content. No word on whether or not the additional gameplay will be free of charge or not, but if it includes alterations to the game’s code, it’s a safe bet that there will be some Microsoft Points involved.

What do you guys think about this? Fair or foul on Remedy’s part? For a game that’s been in development for so long, should we have to pay for something that should be there in the first place?

Source: VG247

Review: Splinter Cell: Conviction

splinter cell
Splinter Cell: Conviction is one of those games that was very close to never seeing the light of day. Originally due back in 2007, the game was put in to numerous holds and has gone through several revisions. Many of you probably remember the earliest demos of the game which depicted a scraggly, bearded Sam Fisher slipping through crowds and knocking out cops. This version of Conviction, affectionately called “Hobo Fights” by some due to Sam’s unkempt appearance, eventually got canceled but had some of its innovations make it into Assassins’ Creed (blending in to crowds, and the like).

Against all odds, the Splinter Cell franchise has returned to the gaming scene, but with a few changes. Gone is Sam’s transient-inspired appearance and the notion of mixing with the public; Conviction now features a Sam Fishers out for revenge, trimmed up and ready to fight. But after so many delays, does the game feel like a finished product, or is it spreading itself too thin?
Continue reading Review: Splinter Cell: Conviction

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]

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?

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?

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.

April Fools: Cliffy B. and Miyamoto Team Up for Gears of Wario

Gears of WarioI’m sure many of you heard that next week, Cliffy B. is set to appear on Jimmy Fallon to deliver the dish on Epic’s new game, and quite possibly debut it for the whole nation. While many people foolishly assume that this is going to be the much anticipated Gears of War 3, other sources have learned that this is something even bigger than that: Gears of Wario.

We all know that the secret to good video games is collaboration, and that Epic Studios is no stranger to working across the Pacific to team up with Japanese gaming greats. This is more than evidenced by Epic’s willingness to let Gears of War characters appear in Lost Planet 2 this year. However, Gears of Wario will be an experience unlike any other, as the two super pimp producers Cliffy B. and Shigeru Miyamoto (Shiggy M.) team up to deliver one hell of a gaming curb stomp.

Gears of Wario focuses on Wario and Waluigi as they travel across a war-torn Mushroom Kingdom, on the run from the law and the locusts, who have come out of emergent pipes dotted about the apocalyptic landscape. The game is set to drop in March 2012.

Source- Joystiq