We talk with one of the producers on Inversion about fighting in zero gravity, grappling enemies and cars, and massive destructible environments.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Children of eden Preview
11:14 PM
The Game Peddler
posted on Feb 28, 2011
We talk with producer, James Mielke, about Child of Eden and how music, abstract graphics, and Kinect makes this game a piece of art.
..Harmonix brainstorming 'reimaginings' of Rock Band, new motion games
10:48 PM
The Game Peddler
by Andrew Yoon 
on Feb 28th 2011
on Feb 28th 2011
It may be difficult to share Rigopulos' optimism. Since the beginning of the year, Viacom sold Harmonix (back to Harmonix), MTV Games was shut down and Activision hit the pause button on its long-running Guitar Hero franchise. Still, Rigopulos offers a "glass half-full" interpretation of Activision's retraction from the genre, seeing a newfound opportunity to expand the developer's audience. "We think there are also a lot of devoted Guitar Hero fans who have probably never given Rock Band a try," Rigopulos told Destructoid. Harmonix wants to convert them and "let them know that Rock Band 3 is worth giving a try."
Rock Band 3 will continue receiving updates through the year, as Harmonix tries to "cultivate" the platform -- though Rigopulos added that "fundamental reimaginings of the Rock Band franchise" are being planned. "The marketplace is clearly demanding something very new," Rigopulos noted. "It's clearly demanding a dramatic evolution of the Rock Band franchise, I think, and I think that's actually exciting for us."
While rebooting the band genre will be an uphill battle for the company, there's still one bright star in the studio's portfolio: Dance Central. Finishing the sequel is an obvious next step, but it seems Harmonix has more motion-gaming ideas. "It's safe to say you'll see a lot more in that domain from Harmonix beyond Dance Central," Rigopulos teased. "We'd be absolutely open-minded about that."
With their future projects still shrouded in secrecy, it seems Rigopulos is confident that his team will easily bypass this dark era for music gaming. Contrary to industry perception, the company might have too much on its plate. "We have a lot of very cool new ideas in the works right now, looking out beyond both Rock Band and Dance Central."
Grasshopper announcing new title next month
10:39 PM
The Game Peddler
by Ben Gilbert on Feb 28th 2011 10:30PM
Suda51's Japanese dev studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, is working on a ton of stuff. Between Shadows of the Damned, Sine Mora, codename D and an uannounced NPG project, we have to imagine the folks at Grasshopper don't have much free time. Regardless, the studio will take a timeout on March 30 to host a Ustream event, during which Grasshopper will announce a new game -- perhaps that NGP title?
Dubbed "Grasstream 2: Travis vs. Garcia" (named for the main characters of No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned), the event will feature frank discussion from Suda51 on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, an acoustic performance of music from No More Heroes, the aforementioned "new game announce," and "hands-on impressions" of said game from "Vanilla Beans and model/gamer Kayo Sato." Yes, really.
on Feb 28th 2011 10:30PMSuda51's Japanese dev studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, is working on a ton of stuff. Between Shadows of the Damned, Sine Mora, codename D and an uannounced NPG project, we have to imagine the folks at Grasshopper don't have much free time. Regardless, the studio will take a timeout on March 30 to host a Ustream event, during which Grasshopper will announce a new game -- perhaps that NGP title?
Dubbed "Grasstream 2: Travis vs. Garcia" (named for the main characters of No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned), the event will feature frank discussion from Suda51 on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, an acoustic performance of music from No More Heroes, the aforementioned "new game announce," and "hands-on impressions" of said game from "Vanilla Beans and model/gamer Kayo Sato." Yes, really.
Devil May Cry movie rights acquired by Screen Gems
10:31 PM
The Game Peddler
by Andrew Yoon on Feb 28th 2011 8:45PM
41
Screen Gems' last partnership with Capcom was a resounding success: the Resident Evil films have grossed over $580 million worldwide. It is undoubtedly looking to replicate that success with its latest acquisition, Devil May Cry.
Kyle Ward has been hired to write the script. Ward is currently unproven; his first feature-length script, Fiasco Heights, will debut later this year. In addition to Devil May Cry, Ward is also signed for another video game adaptation: Kane & Lynch. According to Variety, the film will feature Dante on a quest to "avenge his mother's murder by killing off demons."
Given the early status of the project, it's unclear if the film will be based on the classic games, or on Ninja Theory's upcoming reboot. Given Paul Anderson's creative freedom on the Resident Evil franchise, it's entirely possible that the Hollywood Dante will be an entirely original one, as well.
41
Screen Gems' last partnership with Capcom was a resounding success: the Resident Evil films have grossed over $580 million worldwide. It is undoubtedly looking to replicate that success with its latest acquisition, Devil May Cry.
Kyle Ward has been hired to write the script. Ward is currently unproven; his first feature-length script, Fiasco Heights, will debut later this year. In addition to Devil May Cry, Ward is also signed for another video game adaptation: Kane & Lynch. According to Variety, the film will feature Dante on a quest to "avenge his mother's murder by killing off demons."
Given the early status of the project, it's unclear if the film will be based on the classic games, or on Ninja Theory's upcoming reboot. Given Paul Anderson's creative freedom on the Resident Evil franchise, it's entirely possible that the Hollywood Dante will be an entirely original one, as well.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Spartacus Finale episode review
9:12 AM
The Game Peddler
Friday's Spartacus: Gods of the Arena finale left us feeling abused, amused and slightly bemused. Bloodshed we expected, even a few tears, but a happy ending? We didn't see that one coming from across the arena.
In the wake of Titus and Melitta's death, the House of Batiatus was out for blood. Believing Tullius was behind the tainted wine, Batiatus' crew ambushed Tullius and his minions in an alley, where his life was initially spared, but only so Batiatus could kill him later and then wall his body up in the new arena he had built. What is with these ancient Romans and extreme displays of disrespect? On the arena's opening day, Sextus decided to treat the crowds to public executions including one for escaped slave Diona. Also, Solonius proved himself to be a good student at backstabbing after taking all of Vettius' gladiators, shorting his conspirator Batiatus who expected half of the men. But that's okay because Gannicus was the ultimate victor of the bloody Primus, thus winning elevated status for the House of Batiatus. Miffed, Solonius maneuvered Batiatus into making the ultimate sacrifice and show of public generosity: granting Gannicus his freedom.
Spartacus' Manu Bennett teases Season 2, praises Liam McIntyre
There was no messing around in the bedroom, which, for once, we're thankful for (especially considering last week's messed up episode). That means this week's highlights is a pure violence and bloodshed ranking.
And with that, we present our final breakdown of Spartacus' most egregious, shudder-inducing moments of "Ew!":
The Blood
Body count: 4. Okay, that number only reflects the ones we could name, but a whole slew of other miscellaneous slaves, gladiators and minions also fell under the blade (or ax or trident...).
1. When Gannicus clocked the guy in the alley, at least half of his teeth get knocked out. It's not the bloodiest scene, but we're not fans of things that should be inside the body taking flight outside the body.
2. Hell hath no fury like a Batiatus (and Gannicus and Oenomaus) scorned. The three of them stabbing Tullius relentlessly for the death of their loved ones was hard to take. We didn't see a bunch of blood here either, but the brutality -- whew! His dazed eyes as he was walled up reflected our feelings as well.
3. The public executions were heartbreaking on two levels: Not only did Naevia have to witness her friend Diona die, but watching all four of the prisoners kneel and wait for the sword to stab into their spine was torture. Oh, and Cossutius, who'd already proven himself as the vilest of the vile Romans, laughing at Diona's death made us wish for a blade of our own.
Spartacus, Episode 5: Things that made us go "Ew!"
4. Slicing and impalement are nothing new on this show, but did anyone else feel that those scenes were slowed down even more than usual for the finale to emphasize the icky squish and splash factor? The four worst offenders: Gannicus slicing two throats leaving them gaping... Cabarus slowly stabbing a guy in the face through the gap in his helmet... Crixus beheading a guy during the Primus... Gnaeus setting the guy on fire with his net.
5. Ashur deserved so much worse (especially after killing his countryman Dagan), but we're finally glad to see the moment when Crixus got fed up with the Syrian's swagger and chopped at his leg. Even so, seeing the bone sticking out of his shin was pretty gnarly. Deserved, but gnarly.
6. Grossest. Death. Ever. So remember our complaint about slow impalement? Gannicus took that to ridiculous lengths at the Primus' final matchup when he broke off the end of Caburus' spear and then used it to stab him excruciatingly, almost lazily, in the mouth. Really, it was glacial. The continents had time to shift. Justin Bieber entered his 20s. To cap it, Gannicus then broke Caburus' jaw off, leaving the bottom half of his face open for all the world to see inside his neck. Even the audience in the arena went "Ew!" Really. Rewind and watch Lucretia's face.
Check out the rest of today's news
Bonus
1) Ouch, so that's how they did tattoos in the olden days? We can hear Naevia saying, "No thanks, Lucretia" in her mind.
2) Batiatus shoving his dead father Titus' ashes into Tullius' mouth. That's not only disrespectful to his father, but distasteful as well.
What disturbed you the most? Were you surprised at Gannicus' happy ending? How did this finale stack up against Season 1's bloody finale?
In the wake of Titus and Melitta's death, the House of Batiatus was out for blood. Believing Tullius was behind the tainted wine, Batiatus' crew ambushed Tullius and his minions in an alley, where his life was initially spared, but only so Batiatus could kill him later and then wall his body up in the new arena he had built. What is with these ancient Romans and extreme displays of disrespect? On the arena's opening day, Sextus decided to treat the crowds to public executions including one for escaped slave Diona. Also, Solonius proved himself to be a good student at backstabbing after taking all of Vettius' gladiators, shorting his conspirator Batiatus who expected half of the men. But that's okay because Gannicus was the ultimate victor of the bloody Primus, thus winning elevated status for the House of Batiatus. Miffed, Solonius maneuvered Batiatus into making the ultimate sacrifice and show of public generosity: granting Gannicus his freedom.
Spartacus' Manu Bennett teases Season 2, praises Liam McIntyre
There was no messing around in the bedroom, which, for once, we're thankful for (especially considering last week's messed up episode). That means this week's highlights is a pure violence and bloodshed ranking.
And with that, we present our final breakdown of Spartacus' most egregious, shudder-inducing moments of "Ew!":
The Blood
Body count: 4. Okay, that number only reflects the ones we could name, but a whole slew of other miscellaneous slaves, gladiators and minions also fell under the blade (or ax or trident...).
1. When Gannicus clocked the guy in the alley, at least half of his teeth get knocked out. It's not the bloodiest scene, but we're not fans of things that should be inside the body taking flight outside the body.
2. Hell hath no fury like a Batiatus (and Gannicus and Oenomaus) scorned. The three of them stabbing Tullius relentlessly for the death of their loved ones was hard to take. We didn't see a bunch of blood here either, but the brutality -- whew! His dazed eyes as he was walled up reflected our feelings as well.
3. The public executions were heartbreaking on two levels: Not only did Naevia have to witness her friend Diona die, but watching all four of the prisoners kneel and wait for the sword to stab into their spine was torture. Oh, and Cossutius, who'd already proven himself as the vilest of the vile Romans, laughing at Diona's death made us wish for a blade of our own.
Spartacus, Episode 5: Things that made us go "Ew!"
4. Slicing and impalement are nothing new on this show, but did anyone else feel that those scenes were slowed down even more than usual for the finale to emphasize the icky squish and splash factor? The four worst offenders: Gannicus slicing two throats leaving them gaping... Cabarus slowly stabbing a guy in the face through the gap in his helmet... Crixus beheading a guy during the Primus... Gnaeus setting the guy on fire with his net.
5. Ashur deserved so much worse (especially after killing his countryman Dagan), but we're finally glad to see the moment when Crixus got fed up with the Syrian's swagger and chopped at his leg. Even so, seeing the bone sticking out of his shin was pretty gnarly. Deserved, but gnarly.
6. Grossest. Death. Ever. So remember our complaint about slow impalement? Gannicus took that to ridiculous lengths at the Primus' final matchup when he broke off the end of Caburus' spear and then used it to stab him excruciatingly, almost lazily, in the mouth. Really, it was glacial. The continents had time to shift. Justin Bieber entered his 20s. To cap it, Gannicus then broke Caburus' jaw off, leaving the bottom half of his face open for all the world to see inside his neck. Even the audience in the arena went "Ew!" Really. Rewind and watch Lucretia's face.
Check out the rest of today's news
Bonus
1) Ouch, so that's how they did tattoos in the olden days? We can hear Naevia saying, "No thanks, Lucretia" in her mind.
2) Batiatus shoving his dead father Titus' ashes into Tullius' mouth. That's not only disrespectful to his father, but distasteful as well.
What disturbed you the most? Were you surprised at Gannicus' happy ending? How did this finale stack up against Season 1's bloody finale?
More from Arkham
8:30 AM
The Game Peddler
by Hilary Goldstein
Batman and Gotham City share a special connection. On the rooftops, it's as if the Dark Knight is connected to the soul of the city. He knows every alleyway, every criminal safe haven, every trouble spot. Trapped in Arkham Asylum last game, Batman was disconnected from the city that speaks to him. In Arkham City, Batman is in his element. This isn't Batman trapped in an asylum; this is a city full of criminals trapped with Batman.
Arkham City is a section of Gotham run by Warden Hugo Strange where the inmates of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate prison have been placed. The major criminals have secured their own districts and run them with some autonomy. To ensure gamers feel like Batman at his best, the city is wide open from the start. Each district has its own set of missions, its own narratives to experience. Go where you're needed and unravel the clues to the larger plot and Hugo Strange's true motivations.
Batman starts out strong, with the gadgets he needs. His grappling hook, cryptographic sequencer, Bat Claw, remote-controlled Batarang and more. These items can be upgraded, but you don't begin Arkham City stripped down. Far from it. Arkham City is a large open city and Batman is ready to take full advantage of familiar ground.
Probably the two most crucial pieces of equipment are his cape and the grappling hook. Gliding is a major part of Arkham City, with Bats making use of momentum to adjust his speed. Couple this with the grappling hook and Bats can easily get around the city. He can grab onto billboards, the sides of buildings, even the legs of patrol choppers. Movement was fairly limited in Arkham Asylum, but the city is a very different story. This is Batman's city and he's developed these tools over the years to best take advantage of Gotham's architecture.
The city is quite a sight. It's a gritty underworld filled with seedy bars, dark alleys, and danger around every corner. Though I only saw Two-Face's district, the sense of scale in Arkham City's impressive. The game world's five times the size of Arkham Asylum, but more importantly, it has vitality and a sense of life. It's worn down but seems brimming with activity.
It's amazing to view, but there is one downside. Detective Mode is not only back, but it appears far more crucial this time around. In the span of 20 minutes, there must have been a half-dozen occasions where Detective Mode wasn't just helpful but necessary. Hidden Riddler clues, tucked away criminal, armed guards and so on. I'm really excited for a fully powered Batman to take on an entire city's worth of criminals, but not if I am watching the world through x-ray goggles most of the time.
It sucks to have Batman being such a badass right from the start -- punching through walls, diving from the air and landing with his hand around an enemy's throat, disarming an thug and cracking their head with their own bat -- only to see him relying on the same old Detective Mode crutch.
Detective Mode complaints aside, there are some welcome upgrades for Batman's tools of the trade. This includes the Cryptographic Sequencer, which pops up a small holographic panel above Batman's arm. Batman can then locate signals across the city and hack into them, listening in on what the armed militia or others are up to.
Combat plays out much like in Arkham Asylum, with Batman fluidly chaining attacks between large groups of enemies. But he has more tricks up his sleeve. The Bat Claw can grab and zip baddies towards Batman's waiting fist, new silent takedowns allow for impressive sleeper hold moves, and there's just a higher level of brutality to Batman's combos.
This is the Dark Knight as I imagined him. As a big Batman fan (I own around 200 Batman graphic novels -- yes, nerd) I have a pretty critical eye to all things involving the Dark Knight. 2009's Arkham Asylum was a good start, but this Batman seems more like the one I knew and loved for years in the comics. And this is his Gotham, on the verge of collapse but someone remaining solvent seemingly by the force of Batman's willpower.
Batman's Rogue's Gallery is as important to his identity as Gotham. His psyche is as linked to the criminals as it is to the city they seem so desperate to destroy. The more they escalate their activities, the harsher Batman's response. And things seem to have gone to extremes in Arkham City. Two-Face tries to dump Catwoman in a vat of acid at a dilapidated courthouse and Joker nearly blows up Batman. That's in the first chapter of Arkham City. The bad guys are playing for keeps but so is Batman.
Despite the heightened stakes, there is some evidence that the fun little Easter Eggs that brought Akrham Asylum to life are also in Batman's newest adventure. Early on, Batman finds a babbling Calendar Man locked in a cell. He's murmuring about St. Patrick's Day and a crime he committed, but he won't give details. As it turns out, if you return on St. Patrick's Day (in real life, not in the game world), Calendar Man will give vivid details on his crime's from that day. Each holiday has a story for those who want to revisit Calendar Man throughout the year.
It's these little details that can make for a special experience. I don't know how many of these little touches exist throughout the city, but if Calendar Man is just one small example, then Batman: Arkham City is going to be a real treat for Bat-Fantatics. I've always wondered why anyone would live in a city home to the criminally insane -- people who shoot up the neighborhoods, poison the water, and set off massive explosions every other week. But there's this unspoken contract every citizen has with Batman. They keep the city working, even in the face of madness, and he keeps them safe. This is Batman's city and he's come to reclaim it. I can't wait.
Fight night Champion...wait it's more like runner up
8:07 AM
The Game Peddler
by Hilary Goldstein
It was my first fight as the great Roberto Duran. A few rounds in, I noticed Duran's white trunks had this odd red pattern on them. After a moment, I realized it wasn't dye in the fabric, but blood. My opponent's blood.
Fight Night Champion shows the brutal price boxers pay for stepping into the ring.
You can practically see the imprint of the glove on someone's face when you tag them enough. You can tell the severity of a cut – from mere scrapes to deep gashes – on the cheek just by looking. And once the blood starts flowing, you'll know it. It's all over the ring -- and Roberto Duran's trunks.
Fight Night Champion, the fifth entry in the series, does an excellent job of enhancing the experience in the ring. Not only can you see the impact of punches, but some gameplay tweaks give you better control over their delivery.
Gone is the old punching system that required complex analogue stick moves, such as half-circle moves for uppercuts. Now, every punch is thrown by flicking the stick quickly in a specific direction. The altered punching system not only speeds up the flow of a bout, but also puts the emphasis of your fighting skills on your strategy. It's nice to know you are definitely throwing an uppercut rather than hoping you made the right movements with the thumbstick to pull one off. You can still attempt a ridiculous rapid-punch session, but the penalty of exhausting your fighter quickly is severe. No one can really play like a fool and have long-term success with Fight Night.
Other changes include replacing the over-the-top haymaker with a modifier to simply add a little oomph to any punch, simplified blocking, and a new stamina/endurance system that's a touch more sophisticated than before. Streamlining the gameplay makes the technical aspects of a fight easier to grasp, allowing you to focus on more important areas -- like trying to actually box.
And when I say "box," I mean as opposed to brawling. The option to just wail away is still present in Fight Night Champion, but only at the default settings. Even then, the addition of flash knockouts requires even mindless punch jockeys to consider using defense. If you don't move around the ring and protect yourself, you risk more than just abuse. The threat of a one-punch KO is constant. Previous Fight Nights had "flash knockdowns" before, which means getting dropped to the mat suddenly with one hit, but a flash knockout means that you are immediately unconscious with no chance to get up. It's an instant KO.
That's new and the danger of such a sudden ending to a fight has an impact on how you play Fight Night Champion. I've had matches where I was winning easily, but because I got careless, I left myself open for the perfect strike at the perfect angle and took a shot that stunned the world.
The AI is smart. In fact, it's smart enough that boxers feel like individuals when you face them. Ali and Tyson don't fight the same way. Ali plays with you; Tyson tries to destroy you. Fighters react well to situations. If you're in the seventh round and they know they're losing on points, they might become more aggressive. If cut, they are often overly protective of that side of their face. Sometimes fighters make dumb moves. Like if Jake LaMotta, the Raging Bull, is pounding them inside, they don't move around and play at a distance. Sometimes they just keep coming.
Maybe that's because some fighters are just plain stupid or maybe the AI simply isn't reacting correctly. It's hard to say. I've had fights that feel authentic and others that just don't seem to match up. A cautious Iron Mike Tyson? It happened to me once (at least for three rounds before he landed a punch that flattened Holyfield in a flash).
Even with all these improvements, the battles in the ring are missing the key element that makes professional boxing special -- the drama. As good as the gameplay mechanics are, it still feels like an exhibition. EA must have sensed this, because it took a bit of a gamble and created an all-new story mode that, at least for a few hours, injects some humanity into a generally soulless experience.
Champion Mode has you living out the rise, fall and rebirth of fictional boxer Andre Bishop. The five-hour story is a seamless mixture of cutscenes and boxing matches. Just about every boxing movie cliché is thrown in and yet the story is incredibly compelling. Fights suddenly have meaning. Whether it's kicking the ass of a white supremacist in prison, earning a gold medal at the Amateur World Championships, or stepping into the ring for your first professional fight -- the story creates an incredible impact for Fight Night.
This can lead to some interesting gameplay situations. At one point, you bust your hand on someone's head and have to fight like a southpaw the rest of the match. To get the attention of the boxing world, your corner man demands you knock your opponent on his ass. Winning isn't enough. You have to score a knockout. Some of these criteria get a little tedious, but for the most part it makes Champion Mode stand out from the rest of Fight Night. While it serves as a training tool, Champion Mode also adds some emotional weight to a series that has ignored the human drama of boxing for far too long.
If only everything felt as fresh. Much of the rest of Fight Night feels like the same old game with a new coat of paint splashed on. I don't mind the announcing styling of Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas -- I've heard them on Fight Night before -- but hearing the same people despite new lines of dialogue just feels stale. There's still no great long term stat-tracking happening. Example: there's a Trophy/Achievement for defeating every boxer in the game, so it must be tracked internally, but it's not shown to players. Why not some way to know which boxers I've beaten and whom I've beaten them with?
The real drag is Legacy Mode. This is the career mode for your own created boxer. It's very much like Fight Night Round 4, but with the addition of an economy. You can pay to train at better facilities and fund your career with the sponsorships you earn. Otherwise, this feels like it did before -- a slow, plodding, uninspired drag. I can't say strongly enough how much I dislike Legacy Mode. It's off the mark in almost every way. The training modes are too hard and become tedious. And why do boxers start off fighting so pathetically? No stamina, no power. The matches are slow and boring. I want to be a rising star. Legacy Mode acts like Mike Tyson's first professional fight had him swinging like a kid on the playground.
Legacy Mode is made all the worse by contrast to the genius of the Champion Mode storyline. Frankly, Champion Mode should be the career. All that's needed is to allow users to customize how Andre Bishop's stats improve and then to let them continue the career after the story concludes.
The only way to enjoy a career in Fight Night is online. Though you still start off way too underpowered, the online setup is clever and well worth EA investing more in for the future. Players can create their own gyms, which others can join. It's basically a boxing clan. There are tournaments as well as regular online bouts. It's a great idea, and if taking on real people and not the AI is your thing, the online mode will definitely do the trick.
Closing Comments
Thursday, February 24, 2011
..Killzone 3 review: Third time's the harm
1:47 PM
The Game Peddler
Critics, myself included, praised that last game, even though a few turn-offs still slipped through. Killzone 3 systematically addresses every complaint voiced: the graphics have become more colorful, the story has been greatly expanded, and the controls have been tweaked to feel less sluggish. But reactionary development doesn't always work. Fixated on correcting what wasn't necessarily broken, Guerrilla has forgotten to focus on what really matters in the solo game: making it fun. Set immediately after the events of Killzone 2, most of the game's major changes will go unnoticed until later in the campaign -- except for a major overhaul of the game's handling. As if someone hit fast-forward on the game engine, your character and your gun are both nimbler than ever. The noticeable weight of each weapon has been removed, letting you run around carrying an assault rifle and a sniper rifle, should you please. You can even rip out turrets, Master Chief-style, and still hit L3 to dash across the environment. This is meant to speed up the pace -- and it succeeds -- but as a fan of the last iteration, I couldn't help but feel like a crucial part of the game's spirit had been killed.
Rectifying the control lag certainly makes the game more accessible to the mainstream standard set by Call of Duty. A consequence of removing that weight, however, is that it makes similar classes of weapons feel nearly indistinguishable from one another. A submachine gun feels like an assault rifle feels like a machine gun, whether you're playing on a DualShock or a Move controller. The only difference between the weapons you'll really consider is the size of its magazine, an unfortunate misstep for those who appreciated the tactical aspect of the last game's combat.
Killzone is no longer a military shooter that simply happens to take place in space. Guerrilla fully embraces the sci-fi aspect of the franchise and, in doing so, finally gives the game a "gimmick" its predecessor sorely lacked: lots of robots and crazy alien stuff. Killzone 3 is a playground of new toys and new enemies that sounds absolutely delightful on paper. In one level, you'll fight intimidating Predator-esque enemies in the Helghan wilderness, while dodging a fire-breathing dragon-robot-thing. In another, you'll liquify electric-shooting soldiers while jumping around in a low-gravity space station. Oh, and let's not forget the jetpacks.
But every brilliant moment is countered by another of frustration, anger, or boredom. For the most part, the gameplay devolves into a mindless shooting gallery, where the greatest threat isn't enemy intelligence, but a hilarious amount of grenade spam. It's not uncommon to come to a barrier and have three grenades land at your feet ... every thirty seconds. And even when you're not under explosive assault, the game lobs equally temperamental objectives your way that tend to be unclear and poorly communicated. Considering how much of the game is driven by set pieces, it's amazing how often you'll feel lost.
The game's excessive reliance on rail-shooting segments quickly outstays its welcome. Sure, the vehicle you're in may change -- whether you're in a gunship, a tank, an ice plow, etc. -- but the tactics are mercilessly mindless. Just keep holding R1 until everything explodes. Don't think. Just watch the explosions! They're so pretty!
It's easy to see why Guerrilla added so many of these rails segments. Not only do they give off the impression of variety, they show off how stunning the graphics are in Killzone 3. You'll be hard-pressed to disagree -- the stylized HDR lighting, the overabundance of color, and the sheer variety of locations really make the game a treat for the eyes. The most compelling reason to soldier through the campaign may be just to see where the game takes you next. Somehow, the levels seem to look better and better, and you'll never want the engine to render brown ever again.
Unfortunately, the spectacle of the graphics can't rectify the travesty that is the game's narrative. Killzone 2 didn't have a story, some complained. I'd much rather have nothing than the heavy-handed, absurdly edited tale of Killzone 3. There's a feature length film's worth of cutscene tucked away onto the Blu-ray disc, and were it placed into theaters you would walk out in anger and ask for your $12 back. The performances are strong, but the script is miserable. The lack of characterization makes it difficult to care about the plot, and the cutscenes' inability to convey something as simple as cause and effect makes it impossible to even try.
Stripping the game of its story actually makes for a better product, as evidenced by the stellar multiplayer mode. Whereas shooting becomes a chore in the campaign, I never tired of the multiplayer experience. The class system in Killzone 2 makes a return here, streamlined to make it much more accessible to newcomers. There's no "grunt" class anymore. Instead, you'll be able to play as any class with powers, making the game immediately more gratifying. Leveling up gives you access to "points" that you can use to strengthen each class: create stronger turrets for the engineer, earn a cloaking device, etc. If you focus on a specific class, you'll make progress rather quickly.
Like its predecessor, Killzone 3 doesn't offer much in terms of modes, but the three included on the disc greatly expand the single option previously offered. Warzone makes a return, offering the same objective roulette that fans have come to expect. Each team competes to win as many constantly-changing objectives as possible: assassinating a specific team member, defending a certain territory, or just raking in kills. Killzone 3 fixes one of the biggest missed opportunities of the last title: vehicular combat comes into play -- and in a big way, too. Depending on the stage, you'll be able to commandeer a mech or a jetpack. It should be obvious that the dynamics of battle drastically change when these come into play.
But the most effective new ingredient in the multiplayer is the Operations mode. Similar to Uncharted 2's co-op, Operations adapts pivotal battles in the single-player campaign and turns them into objective-based clashes between the Helghast and ISA. The objectives are widely spread across the map, meaning teams will have to really coordinate well to attack or defend. The victor is rewarded a rather satisfying outro, with the winning team humiliating the losing side, with screen names highlighted on both sides.
Multiplayer does what the campaign simply cannot, which is to make you care. Despite that, I have to wonder if Killzone 3's multiplayer offers enough content to remain competitive with the other players in the space. There are only three modes to play through, one being a straightforward team deathmatch. The three maps available in Operations are a lot of fun, but I couldn't help but want more. And why aren't there more maps with jetpacks? Why aren't there more modes that use the mechs? What about a low-gravity mode, as seen in the campaign? (The answer is likely "DLC.")
The feature set of Killzone 3 is impressive: 3D support, PlayStation Move compatibility, split-screen offline co-op campaign, and offline multiplayer with bots, but no amount of 3D waggle can change the fact that the Killzone 3 campaign is a miserable experience. Killzone 3 certainly offers more bells and whistles than its predecessor -- it's just a shame they've been affixed to an inferior game.
More Skyrim
1:45 PM
The Game Peddler
by Justin McElroy on Feb 24th 2011 10:27AM
on Feb 24th 2011 10:27AM
We thought we couldn't be more excited for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but the just-debuted first in-game footage for the game has proven us terriffically, comically wrong.
Dragon fights? Beautiful environments? The kind of score that makes you want to leap out of your chair and just LARP? It's all here. Come with us after the break. Come, have a boner ... or a lady boner.
Bizarre's Wilson: 'perfect storm' led to studio's death
1:40 PM
The Game Peddler
Wilson explained that getting attention for Blur, a new IP, at this point in the console cycle, was difficult -- especially with high-quality breakouts and juggernaut competition on the field. He believes that the quality of the competition, along with the state of the global economy, meant that gamers weren't ready to "take a risk." He points out several other quality IPs like Enslaved, Alan Wake and Vanquish that also struggled in 2010.
Wilson now feels that the "middle ground," selling two to three million units is "getting hard to find," explaining "Games either 'break out' and sell four million plus, or really struggle to break even."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Hands-On - Combat, Monster Forensics, and Side Quests
8:14 PM
The Game Peddler
Geralt of Rivia is called upon to investigate a crime of passion during our hands-on demo of The Witcher 2.
It has been four years since Polish developer CD Projekt Red released The Witcher back in 2007. Inspired by the works of fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski, this dark, high-fantasy role-playing game followed the stoic Geralt of Rivia, a "witcher" well versed in the study of monsters and other creatures. Set after the events of the first game, The Witcher 2 pits Geralt's martial and magical prowess against a deadly elven spy, Iorveth, as well as the mysterious assassin Kingslayer. The sequel also changes up the combat mechanics and forgoes the rhythmic timing and constant stance switching of the original Witcher in favor of one fluid system. We got the chance to see a few of the changes in motion during a hands-on demo set in one of the game's numerous side quests. Be advised that although this story focuses on a side quest, it may contain minor plot spoilers.
Our journey began in the city of Vergen in front of an old tavern. Nearby, an elf was anxiously looking about, and we could tell just by looking at him that he was eager to tell his tale to anyone who would listen. Seeing his distress, we decided to approach but then passed right on by into the warm glow of the tavern beyond. Inside, we took the opportunity to try out one of The Witcher 2's mini-games in a friendly round of arm wrestling with one of the dwarven patrons. While playing this mini-game, a bar appeared onscreen underneath the characters with a constantly-moving slider. In order to win the match, we had to keep our mouse cursor within the area of the slider long enough for Geralt to pin his opponent's wrist to the table. Having proven our manliness, we were now properly warmed up for the inevitable adventure and stepped outside.
After talking to a few patrons, we made our way out of the pub to begin our mission. Ele'yas, the elf we had met previously, had explained to us that he had uncovered the body of an elf who had died mysteriously. He wasn't sure, but the presence of numerous cuts and gashes on the body suggested a violent end at the hands of some sort of monster. Since Geralt is an expert on monsters, he asked us to seek out the cadaver in a nearby tomb and determine the cause of death. We agreed and headed toward the main gates of Vergen. On our way out, the locals met us with equal parts fear and loathing, suggesting that Geralt's status as a vagabond and troublemaker hasn't changed much since the previous game.
Not long after we ventured past the city's walls, we were ambushed by a troop of well-armed highwaymen; they even had a wizard in tow. But, before they could slice us to pieces, we reached for our secret weapon--The Witcher 2's new radial action menu. This new menu system lets you swap Geralt's weapons, items, and active magic spells on the fly, and it also has the handy property of slowing down time while it's open, even in the middle of battle. We used this new feature to our advantage by equipping a steel sword, Geralt's patented stun traps, and a magical telekinetic spell that flings enemies away.
The bandits quickly encircled us--while their pesky wizard scampered around in the back--and attacked in pairs of two or three. This was a crash course in the merits of blocking and rolling out of the way of stuff as a trio of swords and one scorching fireball bounced Geralt around the battlefield like a pinball. As one of the bulkier assailants raised his weapon for yet another blow, we (finally) responded with a block. This sudden change of tactics from doing nothing to doing something caught the brute off guard and sent him reeling back; thus leaving him vulnerable to a counterattack.
When attacking, the left mouse button controlled our light strikes, while the right mouse button controlled the heavy blows. There wasn't any switching of stances or timing of hits. Instead, it was just raw, uninhibited carnage: fast, loose, and limited only by how quickly we could dish it out. A few heavy body blows left the towering oaf in a heap before his buddies could even react. As they closed in with cries of vengeance, we blasted them right back with a forceful push of magic before tumbling away. After rolling back a safe distance, we lobbed a stun grenade in the crowd's direction. There was a loud crack and a blinding flash of white. When our sight returned, what was once a band of murderers was now a groaning pack of meat awaiting the butcher. Now that our enemies were in a stunned state, each swing triggered a stylish execution scene featuring plenty of swords and sorcery. Not even the wizard escaped our wrath.
After defeating the villains we collected our spoils, which came in the form of a new chest piece and a pair of gauntlets. Equipping these items altered our character's appearance to reflect his new threads. After this encounter, we pushed onward across the shoreline and into the woods beyond. Ahead, we spied a serene glade where a tiny lake had formed. A few stray rays of sunlight slipped in from between the treetop's canopy and gave us pause to admire this beautifully rendered scene. And then, of course, there were more bandits. But not just bandits, there was also a vicious pack of Nekkers: small, blue-skinned creatures that look not unlike satanic children. The two groups were at each other's throats in a flurry of fangs and steel. Not wishing to miss out on all the fun, we popped our shield spell--accessed again through the radial menu--and charged into the fray.
Ultimately, it was the magical shield that did most of the work. Our control of the infamous witcher amounted to mostly swinging the sword wildly and rolling headlong into enemy attacks. This made us a pretty easy target, but when our foes did strike, they received a nasty shock from our electrified shield that, in many cases, incapacitated them on the spot. Leav
ing yet another pile of corpses in our wake (no wonder folks are scared of Geralt), we finally made it to the rocky, cliffside entrance to the underground tomb our elven employer spoke of earlier. With a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink, one of our CD Projekt Red copilots suggested we switch from our atypical steel sword to our sexy silver sword for the fights ahead. Inside the dusty old tomb, we found all the classic trappings of an underground complex: old bridges, burnt-out torches, and rickety walls that looked just ripe for the smashing. Armed this time with our trusty, wall-smashing fireball spell, we blasted our way into the tomb with little regard for the structural integrity of this ancient resting house.
Our journey began in the city of Vergen in front of an old tavern. Nearby, an elf was anxiously looking about, and we could tell just by looking at him that he was eager to tell his tale to anyone who would listen. Seeing his distress, we decided to approach but then passed right on by into the warm glow of the tavern beyond. Inside, we took the opportunity to try out one of The Witcher 2's mini-games in a friendly round of arm wrestling with one of the dwarven patrons. While playing this mini-game, a bar appeared onscreen underneath the characters with a constantly-moving slider. In order to win the match, we had to keep our mouse cursor within the area of the slider long enough for Geralt to pin his opponent's wrist to the table. Having proven our manliness, we were now properly warmed up for the inevitable adventure and stepped outside.
After talking to a few patrons, we made our way out of the pub to begin our mission. Ele'yas, the elf we had met previously, had explained to us that he had uncovered the body of an elf who had died mysteriously. He wasn't sure, but the presence of numerous cuts and gashes on the body suggested a violent end at the hands of some sort of monster. Since Geralt is an expert on monsters, he asked us to seek out the cadaver in a nearby tomb and determine the cause of death. We agreed and headed toward the main gates of Vergen. On our way out, the locals met us with equal parts fear and loathing, suggesting that Geralt's status as a vagabond and troublemaker hasn't changed much since the previous game.
Not long after we ventured past the city's walls, we were ambushed by a troop of well-armed highwaymen; they even had a wizard in tow. But, before they could slice us to pieces, we reached for our secret weapon--The Witcher 2's new radial action menu. This new menu system lets you swap Geralt's weapons, items, and active magic spells on the fly, and it also has the handy property of slowing down time while it's open, even in the middle of battle. We used this new feature to our advantage by equipping a steel sword, Geralt's patented stun traps, and a magical telekinetic spell that flings enemies away.
The bandits quickly encircled us--while their pesky wizard scampered around in the back--and attacked in pairs of two or three. This was a crash course in the merits of blocking and rolling out of the way of stuff as a trio of swords and one scorching fireball bounced Geralt around the battlefield like a pinball. As one of the bulkier assailants raised his weapon for yet another blow, we (finally) responded with a block. This sudden change of tactics from doing nothing to doing something caught the brute off guard and sent him reeling back; thus leaving him vulnerable to a counterattack.
When attacking, the left mouse button controlled our light strikes, while the right mouse button controlled the heavy blows. There wasn't any switching of stances or timing of hits. Instead, it was just raw, uninhibited carnage: fast, loose, and limited only by how quickly we could dish it out. A few heavy body blows left the towering oaf in a heap before his buddies could even react. As they closed in with cries of vengeance, we blasted them right back with a forceful push of magic before tumbling away. After rolling back a safe distance, we lobbed a stun grenade in the crowd's direction. There was a loud crack and a blinding flash of white. When our sight returned, what was once a band of murderers was now a groaning pack of meat awaiting the butcher. Now that our enemies were in a stunned state, each swing triggered a stylish execution scene featuring plenty of swords and sorcery. Not even the wizard escaped our wrath.
After defeating the villains we collected our spoils, which came in the form of a new chest piece and a pair of gauntlets. Equipping these items altered our character's appearance to reflect his new threads. After this encounter, we pushed onward across the shoreline and into the woods beyond. Ahead, we spied a serene glade where a tiny lake had formed. A few stray rays of sunlight slipped in from between the treetop's canopy and gave us pause to admire this beautifully rendered scene. And then, of course, there were more bandits. But not just bandits, there was also a vicious pack of Nekkers: small, blue-skinned creatures that look not unlike satanic children. The two groups were at each other's throats in a flurry of fangs and steel. Not wishing to miss out on all the fun, we popped our shield spell--accessed again through the radial menu--and charged into the fray.
Ultimately, it was the magical shield that did most of the work. Our control of the infamous witcher amounted to mostly swinging the sword wildly and rolling headlong into enemy attacks. This made us a pretty easy target, but when our foes did strike, they received a nasty shock from our electrified shield that, in many cases, incapacitated them on the spot. Leav
ing yet another pile of corpses in our wake (no wonder folks are scared of Geralt), we finally made it to the rocky, cliffside entrance to the underground tomb our elven employer spoke of earlier. With a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink, one of our CD Projekt Red copilots suggested we switch from our atypical steel sword to our sexy silver sword for the fights ahead. Inside the dusty old tomb, we found all the classic trappings of an underground complex: old bridges, burnt-out torches, and rickety walls that looked just ripe for the smashing. Armed this time with our trusty, wall-smashing fireball spell, we blasted our way into the tomb with little regard for the structural integrity of this ancient resting house.
The tomb's spirits were not pleased with our progress. Inside one of these busted-out rooms, we were met with numerous bodies that had been covered and set into the walls. From their dusty corpses poured the spirits of the deceased. These took on the form of wraiths: vengeful spirits of the dead. Because there were only three of them, it looked like it was going to be an easy fight, but these suckers could move. Before we had time to even raise our blade, they were upon us with swiping claws and wailing cries. As our body shook on all sides from their relentless barrage, we (totally not by accident) fired off another fireball that lit up the trio like an oily rag. We then drew our weapon and, with the added bonus the silver provided against undead foes, made quick work of our attackers.
After blasting through a few more corpse-ridden rooms, we discovered the body we'd been sent to find. Peeling back the pale white sheet covering the body revealed a young man who had obviously died a violent death. Now, we were presented with a variety of options regarding what parts of the corpse we wished to examine. The arms showed deep gashes from a source we were unable to identify. When we checked his back, we uncovered some light scratch marks that were less violent in nature and more…passionate. We also recovered a battered book of poetry that, upon further examination, could only belong to our good friend Dandelion, the bard. After we finished our investigation of the body, we concluded that it certainly had several of the telltale signs of a succubus. However, as Geralt revealed, a succubus typically doesn't slay its victims, and the violence on the body was certainly out of place. At any rate, Dandelion needed his book back, so we headed back to Vergen.
Things are just never that easy, though. No sooner had we set foot outside of the tomb than a hulking monstrosity came into view. It was the Arachas, which looked not unlike a giant crab covered in blue fungus. Our tried-and-true tactic of "hit it with a sword" quickly failed us against the beast's hard carapace. Fireballs made it angry, but not much else. In a last-ditch effort, we reached for our stun grenades in preparation for making a speedy retreat. However, the blast ended up wrecking the creature's day much more effectively than we could have hoped. With trepidation, we approached, took one final swing, and ended it right there. A little blip in our monster journal informed us that Geralt had noted that this item was very effective against these creatures.
The remainder of our trip home was uneventful. When we finally crossed back into the walls of Vergen, we zipped right on past poor Ele'yas and made straight for the place Dandelion was sure to be: the bar. He was, of course, regaling some patrons with fanciful tales of battles won and lost, mostly in the realm of love. The poet seemed less than pleased to spy us, as if he knew we were bringing the proverbial raincloud to spoil all his fun. He cheered up a little when we returned his lost book of poetry, and after a little persuasion, he agreed to help us track down the local succubus lair so we could question the beast.
We took the opportunity for Geralt to meditate--a resting state he can enter at any time to advance the in-game clock--since his prey was apparently a succubus, and in the world of The Witcher, those things only come out at night. Under the cover of darkness, we slipped out of town to seek out the creature's lair. Geralt and Dandelion took to a knee and laid out the mission ahead of them. Geralt would squat over in some nearby bushes while Dandelion pulled out his lute and began playing love songs. With any luck, the succubus would hear them and invite him into its den. At this point, we were placed in control of Dandelion. But because we had not first surveyed his book of poetry, we did not know how any of his romantic melodies went. After a few vulgar attempts at seduction, our CDProjekt friends once again showed us the way; this time to the heart of a succubus.
A tiny hatch opened in the distance, and we were invited down to experience pleasures beyond our wildest dreams. At this point, we were still in control of Dandelion and had two options. We could either return to Geralt, tell him what happened, and be completely boring; or venture onward and--as Dandelion so eloquently put it--plow a succubus. Not wanting the lose Dandelion's wit and charm to a sex-crazed beast, we decided to go the boring route and report back to the professional.
Naturally, the monster wasn't pleased when the grisly visage of Geralt dropped into its den rather than the boyish bard from before. After a brief interrogation, the creature revealed that it did know the unfortunate boy we found and had lain with him but had, in fact, not killed him. Convinced it wasn't lying, we determined that the elf who had hired us must know more about this situation than he revealed. However, before we could track him down, our demo ended.
And all of this--the mystery, the investigation, and the inappropriate poetry--was part of just a single side quest. If the main story arc is given this much detail, and we have no reason to think otherwise, then The Witcher 2 should be another masterfully woven tale in line with its predecessor. Combat was fluid, if not a little simple, and being able to switch spells and equipment on the fly without having to fully pause the action really kept things moving. Be on the hunt for The Witcher 2 in the early part of 2011 on the PC.
[Editor's Note 2/22/11: Previously, this story had suggested the game was headed for the PS3 and the Xbox 360, when in fact, the console versions of the game have not been officially confirmed. GameSpot regrets the error.]
After blasting through a few more corpse-ridden rooms, we discovered the body we'd been sent to find. Peeling back the pale white sheet covering the body revealed a young man who had obviously died a violent death. Now, we were presented with a variety of options regarding what parts of the corpse we wished to examine. The arms showed deep gashes from a source we were unable to identify. When we checked his back, we uncovered some light scratch marks that were less violent in nature and more…passionate. We also recovered a battered book of poetry that, upon further examination, could only belong to our good friend Dandelion, the bard. After we finished our investigation of the body, we concluded that it certainly had several of the telltale signs of a succubus. However, as Geralt revealed, a succubus typically doesn't slay its victims, and the violence on the body was certainly out of place. At any rate, Dandelion needed his book back, so we headed back to Vergen.
Things are just never that easy, though. No sooner had we set foot outside of the tomb than a hulking monstrosity came into view. It was the Arachas, which looked not unlike a giant crab covered in blue fungus. Our tried-and-true tactic of "hit it with a sword" quickly failed us against the beast's hard carapace. Fireballs made it angry, but not much else. In a last-ditch effort, we reached for our stun grenades in preparation for making a speedy retreat. However, the blast ended up wrecking the creature's day much more effectively than we could have hoped. With trepidation, we approached, took one final swing, and ended it right there. A little blip in our monster journal informed us that Geralt had noted that this item was very effective against these creatures.
The remainder of our trip home was uneventful. When we finally crossed back into the walls of Vergen, we zipped right on past poor Ele'yas and made straight for the place Dandelion was sure to be: the bar. He was, of course, regaling some patrons with fanciful tales of battles won and lost, mostly in the realm of love. The poet seemed less than pleased to spy us, as if he knew we were bringing the proverbial raincloud to spoil all his fun. He cheered up a little when we returned his lost book of poetry, and after a little persuasion, he agreed to help us track down the local succubus lair so we could question the beast.
We took the opportunity for Geralt to meditate--a resting state he can enter at any time to advance the in-game clock--since his prey was apparently a succubus, and in the world of The Witcher, those things only come out at night. Under the cover of darkness, we slipped out of town to seek out the creature's lair. Geralt and Dandelion took to a knee and laid out the mission ahead of them. Geralt would squat over in some nearby bushes while Dandelion pulled out his lute and began playing love songs. With any luck, the succubus would hear them and invite him into its den. At this point, we were placed in control of Dandelion. But because we had not first surveyed his book of poetry, we did not know how any of his romantic melodies went. After a few vulgar attempts at seduction, our CDProjekt friends once again showed us the way; this time to the heart of a succubus.
A tiny hatch opened in the distance, and we were invited down to experience pleasures beyond our wildest dreams. At this point, we were still in control of Dandelion and had two options. We could either return to Geralt, tell him what happened, and be completely boring; or venture onward and--as Dandelion so eloquently put it--plow a succubus. Not wanting the lose Dandelion's wit and charm to a sex-crazed beast, we decided to go the boring route and report back to the professional.
Naturally, the monster wasn't pleased when the grisly visage of Geralt dropped into its den rather than the boyish bard from before. After a brief interrogation, the creature revealed that it did know the unfortunate boy we found and had lain with him but had, in fact, not killed him. Convinced it wasn't lying, we determined that the elf who had hired us must know more about this situation than he revealed. However, before we could track him down, our demo ended.
And all of this--the mystery, the investigation, and the inappropriate poetry--was part of just a single side quest. If the main story arc is given this much detail, and we have no reason to think otherwise, then The Witcher 2 should be another masterfully woven tale in line with its predecessor. Combat was fluid, if not a little simple, and being able to switch spells and equipment on the fly without having to fully pause the action really kept things moving. Be on the hunt for The Witcher 2 in the early part of 2011 on the PC.
[Editor's Note 2/22/11: Previously, this story had suggested the game was headed for the PS3 and the Xbox 360, when in fact, the console versions of the game have not been officially confirmed. GameSpot regrets the error.]
Ipad 2 coming March 2nd??????
8:06 PM
The Game Peddler
Apple sends out quasi-cryptic invite teasing likely reveal of its next gaming-friendly tablet.
Next Wednesday, the Game Developers Conference will be in full swing, with a keynote address by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata kicking off the event's biggest day. However, not far away, Apple will be convening the technology press for what will likely be the unveiling of a new iPad.
The less-than-subtle invite, obtained by tech blog Engadget, shows a large number "2" underneath a small "March" being peeled away from what appears to be an iPad. At the bottom, a line reads "Come see what 2011 will be the year of." The date appears to confirm earlier reports on the Wall Street Journal's All Things D blog, which predicted a March 2 unveiling of the device.
No details are yet known about the new iPad. However, the Journal cited analysts who expect that the tablet will be thinner than the original iPad, with a front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. The financial daily also said it will have an improved display that's powered by a Qualcomm chip that allows it to run on both GSM and CDMA networks. Other than the display, no details about possible gaming improvements were mentioned.
To date, Apple has sold nearly 15 million iPads worldwide, moving 7.33 million in the October-December quarter alone. The company's App Store, which sells programs--including many games--for the iPad and iPhones, marked its 10 billionth download last month.
The less-than-subtle invite, obtained by tech blog Engadget, shows a large number "2" underneath a small "March" being peeled away from what appears to be an iPad. At the bottom, a line reads "Come see what 2011 will be the year of." The date appears to confirm earlier reports on the Wall Street Journal's All Things D blog, which predicted a March 2 unveiling of the device.
No details are yet known about the new iPad. However, the Journal cited analysts who expect that the tablet will be thinner than the original iPad, with a front-facing camera and Facetime video chat support. The financial daily also said it will have an improved display that's powered by a Qualcomm chip that allows it to run on both GSM and CDMA networks. Other than the display, no details about possible gaming improvements were mentioned.
To date, Apple has sold nearly 15 million iPads worldwide, moving 7.33 million in the October-December quarter alone. The company's App Store, which sells programs--including many games--for the iPad and iPhones, marked its 10 billionth download last month.
Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll Review
8:00 PM
The Game Peddler
A trio of would-be heroes enter a clearing in a burned-down forest. They come to a sudden stop, unsheathe their weapons, and take a deep breath. A troll stands before them. He stares down at the miniscule pests who dare enter his home. The guttural roar he unleashes would turn a ghost white, but it's the oversized club in his hands that proves his bite is what you should really fear. It's covered with the remains of the last living things that dared to challenge him. This is an image that has been reproduced in countless games before. Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll has no interest in subverting how this classic battle unfolds, instead ensuring the game's traditional take on hack-and-slash role-playing excels at its most basic elements. There isn't much to this expansive adventure other than unending bouts of combat, and that repetition can make you pine for gameplay diversions and a story that demands your attention. But it's hard to care about much else when you're engaged in mortal combat against another fabled beast. Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll offers such varied and satisfying combat that it's easy to lose dozens of hours while you cleanse the world of evil.
A prophesy has foretold the death of a king. No monarch wants to have a bloody assassination to look forward to in his elder years, so King Balor issues a proclamation to avoid a messy end. You can't escape your own fate, though. Balor's eagerness to squash a seer's vision only makes his enemy that much more determined. You play as his forsaken grandson Areus, who inherits a mighty score to settle. The setup has been done before, and Trinity doesn't offer interesting twists to make this tale compelling. Static dialog screens try to build character and motivation, but there is so much text to read, and so little of it worth paying attention to, that it's hard to care about the events as they're unfolding. After you sink dozens of hours into this tale, you grow to care about the world enough that you at least want to see how things pan out, but story is definitely one of the weakest aspects of this game. The sense of place is also quite dismal. Instead of walking through towns and exploring the world at your leisure, you click on dialog boxes against bland backgrounds in each new city you enter. It's disappointing that this world wasn't given much of a personality, and this lack of attachment makes it difficult to become invested early on in your adventure.
The focus of Trinity has been placed squarely on the combat. As the name implies, you travel with two other soldiers during most of this adventure. Areus is a master swordsman who's equally adept at long-range magical attacks; Dagda is a giant man who specializes in up-close, punching-focused moves; and Selena uses speed to her advantage, dancing around the battlefield while inflicting damage with her razor-sharp daggers. Combat unfolds in real time, and you switch between characters at the push of a button. In addition to a jump, a guard, and a roll, each character has access to three different attacks, and you can chain them together to form deadly combos. If you think the basics sound pedestrian, you're right. Early battles have you mashing on your various attack buttons while mounting minimal defense, and it's easy to turn your mind off while you cut another horde of goblins down to size.
But first impressions prove to be the devil's mistress. Trinity has an enticing rhythm that makes even mundane battles against bats far more engaging than you would imagine. The most pertinent reason for this is the smooth controls. No matter which character you choose, your actions are dished out as soon as you slam on the button. It's the sort of thing that's easy to take for granted, but Trinity demands a high degree of precision if you're going to make it deep in the game, and those exact controls make it not only possible to cut your enemies down to size, but eminently fun as well. What's really impressive is that even though each hero feels unique, it's still easy to jump between them midbattle and continue to heap on the pain. There's an inherent joy in flipping between breathtaking air attacks as Selena and thunderous ground slams as Dagda, and melding these vastly different styles together provides a continuous rush that makes each battle special.
Leveling up is a mostly automated affair. You earn experience after every fight and buff your strength and defense with each rank you climb. It's a shame you can't tweak your stats individually to mold characters in whatever manner you desire, but that lack of involvement is offset slightly by the skills you acquire. You buy skills from magic shops or earn them during special missions, and these give you a bevy of interesting moves to build your characters. Some of these are passive, such as an increase to your HP, while others give you new attacks. Each of the three characters has around 20 different abilities, and every one of them can be upgraded with the experience you earn in battle. Ultimately, upgrading your skills doesn't provide a huge draw. There isn't a big difference between a level-one and a level-three ice spell, for instance, so it's not a great reward for your hard effort. But the new attacks add a layer of depth that makes it difficult to pull away. Areus starts with a basic fire spell and sword swipe, but things get more varied as you get deeper into the game. A host of unique sword techniques, such as leaping strikes, give you new strategies to play around with, and Areus' dark magic powers veer even further away from his initial path. You earn these new moves at a slow and steady rate, so you always have time to master your previous skill before the next one unlocks. It's a tantalizing system that does a good job of keeping you invested throughout the adventure.
You need every one of your skills as you get deeper into the game because Trinity offers up a satisfying challenge once the basics have been laid down. The mix of weak and strong enemies makes you fight for every victory, which means you could end up dead by the hands of an ordinary grunt if you aren't careful. It's the bosses that do the most damage, though. Many quests have you face off against a powered-up monstrosity at the end, often with a dozen or so weaker enemies surrounding it. Trying to build your combo meter by beating up on the lesser foes is a viable strategy at first, but before long, the bosses are so tough that you have to rely solely on alternate methods to survive. Figuring out what each boss is weak against requires trial and error, and it's a rush to dodge attacks while trying out every move in your arsenal to dent their impenetrable hides. This is where you have to make smart use of all three of your characters. You may need to conjure a clone of Selena so you can unleash deadly air attacks, or coat Dagda in thick armor so you can get close enough to score a hit. The later bosses pack a mean punch, which makes it more empowering when you do come out on top.
The growing difficulty means you should take part in every quest, optional or story, if you want to make it through to the end. Like most of Trinity, there isn't much variety in the quests, so don't expect any huge twists thrown your way. Almost all of them boil down to killing enemies while you venture to a certain point in a dungeon, so it's hard to distinguish between the necessary and superfluous missions. But what seem like extra quests early on become integral to your survival as you progress later in the game. If you don't take the time to do every quest and level up as much as possible, battles become crushingly difficult, and you may have to grind just to get your strength up. If you do want to bulk up before heading out, arena missions are always open for your hunting enjoyment. These encounters introduce a ticking clock to keep you moving, and the added pressure forces you to be as precise and efficient as possible. Trinity extends for longer than 60 hours, and you need to do most of the missions if you want to be strong enough to make it all the way to the credits.
Aside from the combat-focused quests, there's almost nothing else you can do in Trinity. You earn equipment throughout your adventure, and there's undeniable pleasure when you equip a powerful new sword, but that excitement is short-lived. Each character has only four different pieces of equipment (a weapon, ring, bracket, and necklace), and you don't even get a variety of armors to play around with. Instead, you earn new clothing at certain story points, and your duds don't even affect your stats. It's a shame there isn't anything else of consequence to do in Trinity aside from the combat. A few diversions could have added immensely to the overall experience, giving you a break from the nonstop bloodshed, but there's no such reprieve here. Your fierce bouts are interrupted only by mundane trips to town, and those aren't nearly interesting enough to make you excited for your next visit.
At least the varied environments give you plenty of eye-catching vistas to stare at along the way. The early areas send you to underground caves and confined forests, and the murky visuals give the impression of a low-budget game. A cross-hatching visual effect gives these sections a unique feel, but it's not enough to compensate for the bland view. Thankfully, things become much more pleasing to the eye as you get deeper in the game, and Trinity looks quite impressive at times. In one area, called Sea of Trees, you are fenced in by walls of foliage lining narrow paths. The rich trees are detailed and full of life, and the monsters luring around you add just as much personality to the adventure. Creature design is a strong point in Trinity. There are a huge array of beasts to fight, and all of them have a smart design that makes them stand out from generic tropes. The most impressive are the gargantuan beasts that can squash you in one hit. Facing off against a two-headed chimera is a chilling experience, making it even more exciting when you take it down.
It's to Trinity's credit that it stays interesting for dozens of hours when there is almost nothing to do except fight. Excellent controls, a wealth of different moves, and a variety of angry beasts keep things fresh throughout, so you won't even mind trudging through the same dungeon multiple times. It's just a shame that nothing interesting was built around this enticing combat. The weak story is difficult to pay attention to and even harder to care about, and the streamlined leveling system takes out much of the thrill of earning experience. Trinity feels like one half of a must-play role-playing game. You may crave more variety, but the combat in Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll is so good it sucks you into this adventure anyway.
A prophesy has foretold the death of a king. No monarch wants to have a bloody assassination to look forward to in his elder years, so King Balor issues a proclamation to avoid a messy end. You can't escape your own fate, though. Balor's eagerness to squash a seer's vision only makes his enemy that much more determined. You play as his forsaken grandson Areus, who inherits a mighty score to settle. The setup has been done before, and Trinity doesn't offer interesting twists to make this tale compelling. Static dialog screens try to build character and motivation, but there is so much text to read, and so little of it worth paying attention to, that it's hard to care about the events as they're unfolding. After you sink dozens of hours into this tale, you grow to care about the world enough that you at least want to see how things pan out, but story is definitely one of the weakest aspects of this game. The sense of place is also quite dismal. Instead of walking through towns and exploring the world at your leisure, you click on dialog boxes against bland backgrounds in each new city you enter. It's disappointing that this world wasn't given much of a personality, and this lack of attachment makes it difficult to become invested early on in your adventure.
The focus of Trinity has been placed squarely on the combat. As the name implies, you travel with two other soldiers during most of this adventure. Areus is a master swordsman who's equally adept at long-range magical attacks; Dagda is a giant man who specializes in up-close, punching-focused moves; and Selena uses speed to her advantage, dancing around the battlefield while inflicting damage with her razor-sharp daggers. Combat unfolds in real time, and you switch between characters at the push of a button. In addition to a jump, a guard, and a roll, each character has access to three different attacks, and you can chain them together to form deadly combos. If you think the basics sound pedestrian, you're right. Early battles have you mashing on your various attack buttons while mounting minimal defense, and it's easy to turn your mind off while you cut another horde of goblins down to size.
But first impressions prove to be the devil's mistress. Trinity has an enticing rhythm that makes even mundane battles against bats far more engaging than you would imagine. The most pertinent reason for this is the smooth controls. No matter which character you choose, your actions are dished out as soon as you slam on the button. It's the sort of thing that's easy to take for granted, but Trinity demands a high degree of precision if you're going to make it deep in the game, and those exact controls make it not only possible to cut your enemies down to size, but eminently fun as well. What's really impressive is that even though each hero feels unique, it's still easy to jump between them midbattle and continue to heap on the pain. There's an inherent joy in flipping between breathtaking air attacks as Selena and thunderous ground slams as Dagda, and melding these vastly different styles together provides a continuous rush that makes each battle special.
Leveling up is a mostly automated affair. You earn experience after every fight and buff your strength and defense with each rank you climb. It's a shame you can't tweak your stats individually to mold characters in whatever manner you desire, but that lack of involvement is offset slightly by the skills you acquire. You buy skills from magic shops or earn them during special missions, and these give you a bevy of interesting moves to build your characters. Some of these are passive, such as an increase to your HP, while others give you new attacks. Each of the three characters has around 20 different abilities, and every one of them can be upgraded with the experience you earn in battle. Ultimately, upgrading your skills doesn't provide a huge draw. There isn't a big difference between a level-one and a level-three ice spell, for instance, so it's not a great reward for your hard effort. But the new attacks add a layer of depth that makes it difficult to pull away. Areus starts with a basic fire spell and sword swipe, but things get more varied as you get deeper into the game. A host of unique sword techniques, such as leaping strikes, give you new strategies to play around with, and Areus' dark magic powers veer even further away from his initial path. You earn these new moves at a slow and steady rate, so you always have time to master your previous skill before the next one unlocks. It's a tantalizing system that does a good job of keeping you invested throughout the adventure.
You need every one of your skills as you get deeper into the game because Trinity offers up a satisfying challenge once the basics have been laid down. The mix of weak and strong enemies makes you fight for every victory, which means you could end up dead by the hands of an ordinary grunt if you aren't careful. It's the bosses that do the most damage, though. Many quests have you face off against a powered-up monstrosity at the end, often with a dozen or so weaker enemies surrounding it. Trying to build your combo meter by beating up on the lesser foes is a viable strategy at first, but before long, the bosses are so tough that you have to rely solely on alternate methods to survive. Figuring out what each boss is weak against requires trial and error, and it's a rush to dodge attacks while trying out every move in your arsenal to dent their impenetrable hides. This is where you have to make smart use of all three of your characters. You may need to conjure a clone of Selena so you can unleash deadly air attacks, or coat Dagda in thick armor so you can get close enough to score a hit. The later bosses pack a mean punch, which makes it more empowering when you do come out on top.
The growing difficulty means you should take part in every quest, optional or story, if you want to make it through to the end. Like most of Trinity, there isn't much variety in the quests, so don't expect any huge twists thrown your way. Almost all of them boil down to killing enemies while you venture to a certain point in a dungeon, so it's hard to distinguish between the necessary and superfluous missions. But what seem like extra quests early on become integral to your survival as you progress later in the game. If you don't take the time to do every quest and level up as much as possible, battles become crushingly difficult, and you may have to grind just to get your strength up. If you do want to bulk up before heading out, arena missions are always open for your hunting enjoyment. These encounters introduce a ticking clock to keep you moving, and the added pressure forces you to be as precise and efficient as possible. Trinity extends for longer than 60 hours, and you need to do most of the missions if you want to be strong enough to make it all the way to the credits.
Aside from the combat-focused quests, there's almost nothing else you can do in Trinity. You earn equipment throughout your adventure, and there's undeniable pleasure when you equip a powerful new sword, but that excitement is short-lived. Each character has only four different pieces of equipment (a weapon, ring, bracket, and necklace), and you don't even get a variety of armors to play around with. Instead, you earn new clothing at certain story points, and your duds don't even affect your stats. It's a shame there isn't anything else of consequence to do in Trinity aside from the combat. A few diversions could have added immensely to the overall experience, giving you a break from the nonstop bloodshed, but there's no such reprieve here. Your fierce bouts are interrupted only by mundane trips to town, and those aren't nearly interesting enough to make you excited for your next visit.
At least the varied environments give you plenty of eye-catching vistas to stare at along the way. The early areas send you to underground caves and confined forests, and the murky visuals give the impression of a low-budget game. A cross-hatching visual effect gives these sections a unique feel, but it's not enough to compensate for the bland view. Thankfully, things become much more pleasing to the eye as you get deeper in the game, and Trinity looks quite impressive at times. In one area, called Sea of Trees, you are fenced in by walls of foliage lining narrow paths. The rich trees are detailed and full of life, and the monsters luring around you add just as much personality to the adventure. Creature design is a strong point in Trinity. There are a huge array of beasts to fight, and all of them have a smart design that makes them stand out from generic tropes. The most impressive are the gargantuan beasts that can squash you in one hit. Facing off against a two-headed chimera is a chilling experience, making it even more exciting when you take it down.
It's to Trinity's credit that it stays interesting for dozens of hours when there is almost nothing to do except fight. Excellent controls, a wealth of different moves, and a variety of angry beasts keep things fresh throughout, so you won't even mind trudging through the same dungeon multiple times. It's just a shame that nothing interesting was built around this enticing combat. The weak story is difficult to pay attention to and even harder to care about, and the streamlined leveling system takes out much of the thrill of earning experience. Trinity feels like one half of a must-play role-playing game. You may crave more variety, but the combat in Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll is so good it sucks you into this adventure anyway.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
3DS launch games
9:45 PM
The Game Peddler
Michael McWhertor — The Nintendo Channel has released new video of three of theNintendo 3DS's North American launch games, PilotWings Resort, Steel Diver and Nintendogs + Cats. Will any of them convince you to put in a pre-order?The 3DS will launch later this week in Japan, so we'll soon have extended hands on coverage of some of its overseas launch titles. It doesn't hit North America until March 27, alongside the three aforementioned games and 15 others joining the Nintendo 3DS launch line-up, so you have plenty of time to decide.
Petroglyph Enters The Online Arena With Rise Of The Immortals
9:34 PM
The Game Peddler
The strategy masters at Petroglyph Games take a stab at online action with Rise of the Immortals, a free-to-play Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game aimed at both casual and competitive MOBA players.
Much like Riot Games' League of Legends or Stunlock Studios' Bloodline Champions, Rise of the Immortals will put players in control of a powerful champion, taking on other players in mouse-based arena combat. It's the sort of competitive multiplayer us older players can really get behind as we grow too stiff for competitive first-person shooters.
What sets Rise of the Immortals apart from other games in the genre? For one, Immortals gain experience points as you play them that stay with you throughout your RotI career. You level up your characters, unlocking new skills, as opposed to other games in which leveling is limited to one battle only.
It's this persistence, along with a strong focus on the social aspect of online play, which makes Rise of the Immortals something new in the genre.
"Many people at Petroglyph are huge fans of MOBA gameplay, so developing Rise of Immortals was truly a passion project for the studio," said Steve Wetherill, executive producer of Rise of Immortals for Petroglyph. "We recognize that there can be a high barrier to entry in current MOBA games on the market, and we wanted to expand the genre with a title that offers new features that will appeal both to current fans, as well as those who are new to this type of game."
To overcome that high barrier, Rise of the Immortals features plenty of single-player and player-versus-environment content for timid newcomers to enjoy, leveling up their characters outside of the competition before taking the battle online.
It sounds lovely. It looks lovely. And hell, it's free. Head over to the Rise of the Immortals website today to check out screens, read up on the game, and sign up for the upcoming closed beta test.
Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review
9:06 PM
The Game Peddler
Though it is dubbed "Unlimited", a developer has to be selective when making something as huge and ambitious as Test Drive Unlimited 2. In extensively re-creating the island of Ibiza for its open-world, online driving game, Eden games presumably had to give up foam parties and club-addled tourists at an early stage. The omissions are few, however. TDU2 is a smorgasbord of open-road driving, single- and multiplayer challenges, exploration, social features, car collecting, and luxury lifestyle trappings, played out on 3,000km of road modeled on the real island--and that's before you unlock Oahu, the Hawaiian island on which the first game was set. Quality, not quantity, is TDU2's occasional issue; uneven handling and visual and online hitches hold it back. But though its shortcomings are offset by the sheer wealth of content, the game's real saving grace is the combined experience: the pleasure of cruising the open road and the satisfying tick of progress through the collection, discovery, competition, and social categories.
Competition is the most structured of the game's categories, based around the Solar Crown championship: a set of classic, asphalt, and off-road contests made up of race, speed, and time trial events. In the competition events there's a stab at a story and characters--it's bland stuff, but puts a face on the racers in the other cars and sets up rivalries between you and the star driver in each class. How taxing you find the events, as with driving throughout the game, depends on your choice of vehicle handling. Full assistance is all-forgiving, hardcore is demanding, with sport mode pitched in-between, but none quite satisfy. Though the inconsistent hardcore handling is tough to master, it doesn't serve up the simulation-like experience promised, with cars feeling too light. The other handling modes are less exacting but no more convincing--less twitchy, but a not-very-happy medium between simulation and arcade racer.
But once you've mastered the quirks of your preferred setting, there's fun to be had, with bombing along dirt roads and rumbling down sloping hairpin turns a highlight. Collision physics and the limited destructibility, meanwhile, are unpredictable. Sometimes you are the irresistible force, obstacles crumpling before your mighty bumper. Other times they are the immovable object that will send you bouncing improbably away or stop you dead in you tracks--just as well, then, that vehicle damage is all cosmetic.
Besides the championship competitions, there are single-player challenges such as taxi and car delivery missions, the latter a nice opportunity to sample flashier cars before you own them. A police chase mode triggered by flagrant traffic violations turns your leisurely-though-careless drive into a frantic scramble to dodge cop cars and evade police helicopters. Multiplayer challenges include race and speed camera events, in which you compete to barrel through a set of speed traps--coming at a trap from the opposite direction and sabotaging other players' attempts is underhanded fun. Among the multiplayer co-operative events, the follow-the-leader mode comes out on top, asking a group of players to race in convoy under the leader's direction. Photography missions have you scout out locations around the island and snap them with the in-game camera under the right conditions, such as at night or with a certain car in shot, and are an entertaining diversion in contrast to the driving and racing. Yet another system makes skilful free-driving its own reward, giving you money for producing high-speed combos of drifting, dodging, and jumping. There's so much to TDU2 that it's to the game's credit that the many activities don't overwhelm. Progress funnels reassuringly into the intertwined levelling categories, and the scale of the island gives you space to breathe and find your own way.
That island (and, after level 10, Oahu island) is handsome and varied, enlivened by weather effects. Electrical storms light up the sky and slick the roads with rain. Day turns into night according to the sped-up, game-world clock accompanied by some glorious sunsets and shimmering tarmac. The beach locations, with turquoise water and palm tree-lined ocean roads, are lifted straight out of an Ibiza tourist brochure. Disappointingly, the landscapes can be troubled by items popping in at a distance, such as trees on a hilly horizon and fence posts on a long highway. Busy scenes suffer slow-down from time to time, a cardinal sin among driving games. Other driving games have more consistently impressive visuals, but despite occasional chug and pop-in, the lasting impression is of a good-looking game, largely thanks to Ibiza's beautiful scenery
Overall progress is measured as the sum of your levels across the four categories (competition, discovery, collection, and social). Discovery relates to your exploration of the island, clocking up mileage across Ibiza's road network and unlocking new stores as you go. Collection relates to how much of everything you have bought, from cars and houses--increasingly luxurious hubs in which to hang out as your avatar and store your cars--to clothes for your avatar. In this way, discovery and collection progress go hand in hand; discovery makes more car and avatar customizations available to collect as you explore the island map, uncovering car dealerships, shops selling car stickers and upgrades, as well as hair salons and clothes stores. Through these shops, there's plenty of scope for car customization, which extends to "tuning"--upgrading a car's acceleration, speed, and braking--and decorating your car with stickers and paint jobs across the rainbow spectrum.
Avatar customization is more comprehensive still, with clothes, hair and facial surgery to modify the basic avatar you pick from a handful of models at the start of the game. You control your custom avatar inside player housing, clubhouses, shops and in the multiplayer race lobbies--a stretch of road along which the competitors' cars are lined up before an event. In avatar mode, you can gesture at other players with animated emotes such as waving, clapping, or laughing while you exchange pleasantries or trash talk over voice chat. With this many ways to personalize your car and avatar, it's a shame there's not as much choice on the car radio, with just a dance station and a rock station to tune into.
As you cruise past seaport or salt marsh, you'll find other players sharing your session, either in sight or as waypoints tagged with names. This is the basis of TDU2's much-touted massively multiplayer component. You can flash your headlights at those other players to initiate a quick race or co-driving session in which one of you rides shotgun and gives directions in lieu of the usual GPS on the mini-map. The latter is a novelty more than a compelling co-op mode, but it is fun and straightforward to spontaneously meet and challenge other players to races, and just having them in view on the same road creates the sense of what TDU2 intends: a shared, living world in which solo and multiplayer action, both ad hoc and in set multiplayer events, mingle. The integration is not seamless, though; between a clunky party system and technical problems, we found it hard maintaining a stable link with friends. The menu listing other players online or sharing your session doesn't prioritise friends, accepting an invite to join them in the game world doesn't always work, and entering and exiting modes, such as the co-driving, seemed to break the link, sending us into separate sessions.
Happily, many other social features are better executed. You can create and edit custom challenges and share them in the Community Racing Centre, or go there to pick up others' gauntlets with a shot at cash rewards. The player clubs with fancy clubhouses and shared garages are likewise neat, offering multiple membership ranks with various privileges and a useful base for seeking out multiplayer action. Both clubs and individual players have persistent, customizable profiles, with an insignia for the former and avatar headshot for the latter, letting players advertise their preferences and achievements in search of like-minded drivers. Activity in clubs, in community challenges, and with random passers-by adds to your leveling progress in the social category, the last of the four.
By the time you've hit the level 60 ceiling in the four combined categories, you will have bought a lot of cars and clothes and haircuts for your avatar, and upgraded from the trailer hovel in which you begin the game to, most likely, a lavish yacht moored in a sparkling blue marina--all funded by your winnings in the Solar Crown championship and in the single- and multiplayer challenges. The abundance of activities and collectables keep play from feeling like a grind, since there's always something different to do if you tire of one thing. TDU2's not quite got everything--it's a shame the streets are free of Ibizans, and there are no motorbikes to be had. (In addition, a corrupt Xbox 360 savefile might halt your progress, as it did ours.) Nevertheless, the freedom of open-road driving, backed by beautiful landscapes, is like few other games, and the huge, shared world of races and missions can be as addictive as a good MMORPG. The catch is that TDU2 isn't best in any class; it doesn't do any one thing better than a number of more specific, less expansive driving games. It does do an awful lot, though, and won't be kept down by its faults--which are hardly few, but aren't deal breakers either.
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