Tag: ubisoft

Who’s Getting Left 4 Dead 2 or Assassin’s Creed 2?

l4d2Though they might have been slightly overshadowed by the walking titan we know as Modern Warfare 2, two rather large games are making their presence known this week. One of them is a title that has had some silly controversy around it, and another is a sequel to a less than stellar but promising original IP that might turn into something more. I’m speaking of Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2, of course.

While I’m not one of the boycotters for L4D2, I still don’t have much desire to pick it up at all. I kind of burned myself out on the zombie slaying with the first game, so I’m having trouble mustering up enough gumption to go out and buy the thing. And while I was one of the few who enjoyed Assassin’s Creed, the sequel doesn’t intrigue me all that much, though I’ll probably give it a rental.

So what about you guys? Who out there is getting either of these games?

The Writing’s on the Wall: Splinter Cell in Action

Looks like Sam Fisher’s been taking a few lessons at the Batman School of Stealth, if this new video show-casing the upcoming Splinter Cell: Conviction is any indication. This new Splinter Cell seems a lot more focused on “blitzkrieg” style attacks, relying on brute force exercised with precision and speed rather than a considered approach.

It’s different from the Splinter Cell we know and love, certainly, but that’s not always a bad thing. I’m still looking forward to executing some punks Punisher-style when the game drops in February of next year, but I’m concerned that games like this may be sliding more towards an extended Quick Time Event than any semblance of actual freedom. Maybe I’m just paranoid.

But, as always, we want to know what you think! Does this new Splinter Cell seem like something that you’d want to pick up, or do the differences from past versions make you turn up your nose?

Today’s WTF: Splinter Cell Conviction Has No Night Vision

scconvictionOk, I hate to sound the “WTF” alarm for just anything these days, given the rather easy-to-upset gaming community at large, but this article I read today kind of jumped out at me. As some of you know, one of my most anticipated games for next year is Splinter Cell: Conviction. Chaos Theory still ranks among my favorite games of all time, and I’ve been waiting for a true sequel since then.

Well I might have to wait a little longer. While I’m largely OK with some of the additional gameplay mechanics that Ubisoft has added (the one-button executions, etc), something I read in an interview with the game’s creative director Max Beland disturbed me…

I crept through some dark areas as I worked my way into the building. Even in darkness, I did not need night vision to see, notably. In dark areas the game’s graphics become grainy, but the expected night-vision overlay doesn’t come into play. Beland doesn’t like green night-vision sequences in games and told me that Fisher’s goggles aren’t used for anything like that; just for sonar scans, which show enemy positions through walls.

Seriously? No night vision in a Splinter Cell game? I mean, call me crazy, but that just about throws the game off my radar. Looks like I might not get the proper return of the franchise that I wanted.

So what do you guys think? Am I overreacting to this? How would some of you guys feel if your favorite franchise was stripped of a staple of its gameplay?

Source- Kotaku

Assassins Creed 2 Dev Diary

If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m a big fan of developer diaries. I’ve found the string of Ubisoft ones particularly interesting, especially in regards to titles such as Splinter Cell and more recently, Assassin’s Creed 2. In this video, the creators delve into a few of the new gameplay tweaks, including the new banking system as well as gaining notoriety within certain factions. Both of these are cool because of the way they frame it within the context of history. I really can’t wait to see more of this game. What about you guys?

Beyond Good and Evil 2 Parody

Funny stuff right here. Looks like the dudes over at Destructoid did a parody of the Beyond Good Evil 2 leak that was circulating over the weekend. In order to prove that it was, in fact, gameplay, they added some of the context-sensitive button pushing seen in some of the more recent Ubisoft titles. Gave me a good laugh.

GameCop Vs LameCop #4

GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.

This week, we tackle several issues including Nintendo’s Wii Motion Plus, Ubisoft’s shady DLC and Sony’s penchant for starting the hype train too early.

Continue reading GameCop Vs LameCop #4

Prince of Persia DLC Gives Game a Proper Ending

popI’m not sure how many of you played Prince of Persia, but I’m going to give the tiniest of spoilers here, so watch out. While I won’t go into much detail, there really isn’t a true ending to the game, as everything you worked hard to do is essentially undone in the game’s “resolution”. Many people were upset about this, though I guess a few got into it and found it artsy and well done.

However, Ubisoft is going to rectify this with a DLC Epilogue that continues the events of the story, gives some new costumes and even a new power. Personally, I find this to be a little disgusting. Don’t just cut your game off short to give the real ending away for 20 bucks at a later date. I can’t stand the lengths these developers are going to nickel and dime us to death. Or technically, 10 and 20 dollar us to death, to quote Penny Arcade.

So what do you guys think? Fair or foul?

Source- IGN

Ubisoft Predicts New Consoles in 2012

ubisoftLots of speculation has been going on recently as to when the current generation of gaming consoles is going to give way for newer, shinier, more capable consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. Some people believe these days will come as soon as 2010, while others have said much later, though this is all speculation. Of course, it all depends on what folks in the industry say.

However, game developer Ubisoft says new consoles are coming in 2012, and are already preparing as such. How so? Well, they’re hiring developers, checking out some new technology, and even looking over some potential new brands.

To be honest, this is good news to me, if Ubisoft is correct in their assumption. I’ve always felt like this generation had a lot more potential left, so it’s good to hear we’re getting perhaps an extra couple more years than we first imagined. So what do you guys think? Is Ubisoft right?

Source- GI

TGS: Prince of Persia Trailer

Since the Tokyo Game Show is now in full swing, expect all kinds of crazy news and videos for the next few days. Among these is this gem of a trailer for the new Prince of Persia game (coming December 2nd), which I admit to being completely disinterested in until I saw a similarly awesome trailer for it at PAX.

I loved the first game in the series, and after that it started going downhill. This looks to be a step in the right direction, and I have to say, the art style is just gorgeous. Who else is pumped for this game?

Source- Kotaku