Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tales of Graces F (PS3) New Screenshots
Are you excited for Tales of Graces F? It is a remade version of the Wii's Tales of Graces with updated visuals and content for the PS3. I'm finding myself more drawn to Tales than Final Fantasy which would have been unheard of a decade ago as you'll see with my review of Final Fantasy XIII-2 tomorrow. How the mighty have fallen indeed. For now, check out these pretty promising screens from Tales of Graces F as posted on Namco Bandai's Facebook page. The game is due out in North America in March.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire (Wii) Review
Are you interested in seeing a review from before I really got the hang of the whole "how to review games properly" thing? Perhaps this, one of my earliest reviews on GameFAQs, will shed some light into how if you have trouble with something, that you can become better at it if you work hard and keep at it. At least that was my mantra, and look at how my reviews are now.
Looking through wave after wave of quote/unquote "non-games" and mini-game collections such as WarioWare, Mario Party 8, Wii Sports, WiiPlay, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and many more, the Wii definitely has a reputation of steering more toward the casual gamer. However, the development team of D3 aims to buck this trend with its release of the more "hardcore"-- if you will-- Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. The fire does burn, but it's more of a frail ember than a raging inferno.
You play as a young farmhand named Dal whose destiny is unclear, but when his village is burned to ashes by an evil crew of monsters and his fiancee killed, Dal takes hold of the fabled Dragon Blade whose steel exterior holds within it a dragon's soul to smite foes on his quest to get revenge. All of it is your standard, quite typical, cliche-driven context to the battles that follow.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire is very simple in nature. You go from level to level, area to area, going from point A to point B all the while slaughtering enemies left and right. Every swipe of your sword is used by waggling your Wii remote. Stab forward with the remote to stab forward in the game. Swipe downward to slash downward in game. Slice upward to... well, you get the idea hopefully. However, a problem with this title that many other Wii games that precede it is that not all the gestures are recognized by the game causing added frustration to the already lame and tired hack 'n slash gameplay. You'll come face to face with a swarm of enemies, and you'll simply need to wave the Wii remote around like an imbecile to take them all down. Seeing as each enemy has one or two attack animations it's easy to dodge when you know their patterns. Thankfully you can lock onto enemies to give the battles a little ease.
Yes, running from point A to point B is all this game amounts to. Occasionally you'll be closed in by a magical wall where you'll have to defeat all of the spawning enemies before being allowed the ability to pass. The simplicity and depth (or lack there of) of the levels are only further hindered and made aware of by the extreme linearity of the levels. There's virtually no side-paths to follow, elements of surprise to be had, or sense of wonder to discover. Invisible walls abound, and there's really no exploration to be found. Ooh. I think I had more fun rhyming that last sentence than exploring this game's bland worlds.
Boss battles break up the monotony, and by all stretches of the imagination they are the most intriguing part of Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. Most of these are against one of six dragons each with their own design and battle "strategy". However, the battles seem so random that you'll elementarily be slashing wildly and will win the battle without even knowing what you did to actually survive. It's basically just luck and little skill. That being said, these battles do seem to be the highlight of Dragon Blade, but unfortunately that's like finding a good smelling turd within a sea of bad smelling ones. The fact of the matter is that it's still a turd (what is with my recent obsession with crap?). Regardless, there's little else in the form of depth outside of the many boss battles you'll encounter from misshapen monsters to colossal dragons.
If you get tired of just using normal attacks to vanquish your foes, you can call upon the aid of your Dragon Blade's powers with the d-pad. The range from a flame whip which you swing over your head in-game to a fiery fist to demolish baddies. However, you can't just go willy-nilly with your powers. You have a magical gauge to contend with. These are great to clear out a horde of baddies in a lickety-split fashion, and add some variety to just utilizing normal attacks.
Speaking of things to contend with, you'll most likely be appalled by the horrible graphics this game features. It'd be okay for early Playstation 2 titles, but there is NO excuse for a game on the Wii to look this bad-- seriously. From the bland and embarrassing textures to the featureless character models, this game is quite unappealing to gaze at. The lack of any budget also turns this title into an even bigger presentational stinker. Sure, you get a nice cutscene with the dragon inside the blade narrating the events leading up to Dal's village burning to the ground, but that's all in the form of spoken dialogue. The rest is purely uninspired text.
The only replay value Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire has going for it is in the form of beating times, destroying all of the enemies and objects in a level, and collecting armor shards (one in each level). The former have no bonus for completing them while armor shards give you more health to work with as this game can be pretty challenging to complete. Then again, is it because of the near-broken motion controls or the crap gameplay? You be the judge.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire has a lot of potential, but the mediocre motion controls, lack of any form of depth, level linearity, atrocious graphics and gameplay, pitiful story, and $40 price tag makes this title a bargain bin game-- if even. Those looking for a deeper and more meaningful title should stick with Red Steel and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and wait for Super Mario Galaxy*. Some might find enjoyment from Dragon Blade, but most of us will simply want a lot more. There's way too little this game offers to recommend to anyone but the curious. There is just a plethora of better Wii titles instead of this God of War/Heavenly Sword wannabe.
*Note: This review was originally written in 2007 before Super Mario Galaxy's release.
[SuperPhillip Says: 4.0/10]
I'd rather face the wrath of Khan.
Looking through wave after wave of quote/unquote "non-games" and mini-game collections such as WarioWare, Mario Party 8, Wii Sports, WiiPlay, Rayman Raving Rabbids, and many more, the Wii definitely has a reputation of steering more toward the casual gamer. However, the development team of D3 aims to buck this trend with its release of the more "hardcore"-- if you will-- Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. The fire does burn, but it's more of a frail ember than a raging inferno.
You play as a young farmhand named Dal whose destiny is unclear, but when his village is burned to ashes by an evil crew of monsters and his fiancee killed, Dal takes hold of the fabled Dragon Blade whose steel exterior holds within it a dragon's soul to smite foes on his quest to get revenge. All of it is your standard, quite typical, cliche-driven context to the battles that follow.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire is very simple in nature. You go from level to level, area to area, going from point A to point B all the while slaughtering enemies left and right. Every swipe of your sword is used by waggling your Wii remote. Stab forward with the remote to stab forward in the game. Swipe downward to slash downward in game. Slice upward to... well, you get the idea hopefully. However, a problem with this title that many other Wii games that precede it is that not all the gestures are recognized by the game causing added frustration to the already lame and tired hack 'n slash gameplay. You'll come face to face with a swarm of enemies, and you'll simply need to wave the Wii remote around like an imbecile to take them all down. Seeing as each enemy has one or two attack animations it's easy to dodge when you know their patterns. Thankfully you can lock onto enemies to give the battles a little ease.
The developers are really pushing the Wii to its limits...
Yes, running from point A to point B is all this game amounts to. Occasionally you'll be closed in by a magical wall where you'll have to defeat all of the spawning enemies before being allowed the ability to pass. The simplicity and depth (or lack there of) of the levels are only further hindered and made aware of by the extreme linearity of the levels. There's virtually no side-paths to follow, elements of surprise to be had, or sense of wonder to discover. Invisible walls abound, and there's really no exploration to be found. Ooh. I think I had more fun rhyming that last sentence than exploring this game's bland worlds.
Boss battles break up the monotony, and by all stretches of the imagination they are the most intriguing part of Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire. Most of these are against one of six dragons each with their own design and battle "strategy". However, the battles seem so random that you'll elementarily be slashing wildly and will win the battle without even knowing what you did to actually survive. It's basically just luck and little skill. That being said, these battles do seem to be the highlight of Dragon Blade, but unfortunately that's like finding a good smelling turd within a sea of bad smelling ones. The fact of the matter is that it's still a turd (what is with my recent obsession with crap?). Regardless, there's little else in the form of depth outside of the many boss battles you'll encounter from misshapen monsters to colossal dragons.
Three-headed dragon. Well, that's new.
If you get tired of just using normal attacks to vanquish your foes, you can call upon the aid of your Dragon Blade's powers with the d-pad. The range from a flame whip which you swing over your head in-game to a fiery fist to demolish baddies. However, you can't just go willy-nilly with your powers. You have a magical gauge to contend with. These are great to clear out a horde of baddies in a lickety-split fashion, and add some variety to just utilizing normal attacks.
Speaking of things to contend with, you'll most likely be appalled by the horrible graphics this game features. It'd be okay for early Playstation 2 titles, but there is NO excuse for a game on the Wii to look this bad-- seriously. From the bland and embarrassing textures to the featureless character models, this game is quite unappealing to gaze at. The lack of any budget also turns this title into an even bigger presentational stinker. Sure, you get a nice cutscene with the dragon inside the blade narrating the events leading up to Dal's village burning to the ground, but that's all in the form of spoken dialogue. The rest is purely uninspired text.
The only replay value Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire has going for it is in the form of beating times, destroying all of the enemies and objects in a level, and collecting armor shards (one in each level). The former have no bonus for completing them while armor shards give you more health to work with as this game can be pretty challenging to complete. Then again, is it because of the near-broken motion controls or the crap gameplay? You be the judge.
Call your doctor if your hands are on fire like this lad.
Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire has a lot of potential, but the mediocre motion controls, lack of any form of depth, level linearity, atrocious graphics and gameplay, pitiful story, and $40 price tag makes this title a bargain bin game-- if even. Those looking for a deeper and more meaningful title should stick with Red Steel and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and wait for Super Mario Galaxy*. Some might find enjoyment from Dragon Blade, but most of us will simply want a lot more. There's way too little this game offers to recommend to anyone but the curious. There is just a plethora of better Wii titles instead of this God of War/Heavenly Sword wannabe.
*Note: This review was originally written in 2007 before Super Mario Galaxy's release.
[SuperPhillip Says: 4.0/10]
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Top Ten Brand-New IPs of This Generation
Yes, I know the generation isn't over, but I don't think I'm alone in thinking it has overstayed its welcome. And yes, I know there's still new IPs still being created like Dragon's Dogma and Asura's Wrath. That notwithstanding (some people will whine about anything, seriously), new IPs are so often just the same game we've seen before with a different name. Not so with these ten new franchises. They are the best of many series given birth in this seventh generation of game consoles.
10) Assassin's Creed
Play in the role of either Altair or Ezlo in this third-person open world series. Oftentimes focusing on stealth, Assassin's Creed uses a structure much like other sandbox games where you take on missions such as sneaking through a castle or accomplishing an assassination of a public figure. The city is yours to scale with virtually everything being able to be climbed. Being an assassin is hard work, and sneaking and killing is just a sample of the activities available in the city. You can make a leap of faith into a haystack, scan the city from atop a high perch, discover hidden treasure all around, manufacturing an abundance of fellow assassins to claim a brotherhood, and even invest in some real estate to rebuild ruined parts of the city. Following the company's long line of reputable franchises such as Rayman, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon, Ubisoft climbs high with the Assassin's Creed franchise. Here's hoping yearly sequels won't fatigue players.
9) inFamous
Crafted by the fine folks behind the awesome Sly Cooper series, Sucker Punch lands a knockout with their inFamous IP. The three games (inFamous, inFamous 2, and inFamous: Festival of Blood) star superhero Cole MacGrath who holds the power of controlling electricity. Think Spider-man's Electro but without the tights. By performing feats of either heroics or villainy, Cole steps forward down a path that he cannot turn back from. Depending on your path your powers and appearance change, the citizens of the city react differently to you, and the game's ending alters. There's nothing like grinding on a power line, slowly floating down to the ground below while shooting off lightning bolts at unwitting foes. The PSN game, Festival of Blood, was the top-downloaded game of 2011, and it came out in October. That says something to the power of the inFamous franchise.
8) No More Heroes
Suda 51 may not be a household name, but he has dabbled in off-the-wall, zany games before with something you may or may not have heard before. It's a little game called Killer7. Regardless, Suda 51 moved on to a new series called No More Heroes. Starring an eccentric otaku with his own beam katana named Travis Touchdown, all Travis wants to do is make it to the number one spot on the UAA (United Assassins Association) rankings. How does he accomplish this? Simply by killing all ten of the assassins that rank above him. The original game featured a sandbox-style open world, a city called Santa Destroy. The Wii-exclusive sequel got rid of this and opted for a menu-like system of choosing destinations and automatically being transported to them. The process was streamlined. Suda 51 expressed an interest in continuing the series on Nintendo's next console, currently known as the Wii U. With as wacky and wild as the action of the original two games, I'm excited to see where Suda takes the franchise next.
7) ModNation Racers
Sony took a lot of chances this gen. Of course, five hundred and ninety nine dollars will always be the one that kicks them in the ass the most, but there's something to be said about creating the most new IPs out of the competition this generation. ModNation Racers is but one of many new Sony-published franchises. Everything was yours to build: tracks, karts, and yes, even your Mod or avatar. Unlike a popular kart racer starring a portly plumber, the item balance was even, offering a proper array of varied items without being overly cheap. The developer-made tracks gave players ideas to create their own masterpieces to share with friends and the world at large, the story mode was entertaining, and the leeway given to you to craft your own creations was immense. The only thing holding the game back was technical issues like long loading times and framerate problems. Regardless, this racing franchise has potential, and it is a shame that more people aren't taking notice.
6) Resistance
Resistance isn't futile in this case. For some, they might consider this franchise essential. Armed with incredibly creative weaponry, epic (I hate to write that overused word as the Internet made it meaningless) set pieces, big, sensational battles with the Chimera horde, and breathtaking graphics make this series a wonderful one. Many agree that the second installment is the weakest, but I found the large-scaled online encounters to be incredible, the co-op play with up to six friends or total strangers to be awesome, and the story mode to have many memorable moments. That notwithstanding, I'd go as far to say that there is no stinker in the bunch of four Resistance titles (Resistance 1-3 and Retribution). The upcoming May release of Burning Skies on Vita will most likely show developers how a true FPS is supposed to play on Sony's powerful portable.
5) Mass Effect
Set in the great unknown, outer space, Mass Effect is an ultra-popular, bestselling series that has appeared on Microsoft's Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the PC. Players take on the role of Commander Shepard as he strives to continue the galaxy's era of peace. However, a Reaper menace threatens to destroy this and Shepard is flung into a space-wide battle to restore law and order to the universe. BioWare might not have the best reputation as of late (here's to you, Dragon Age 2 and your massive amounts of glitches, bugs, and bad gameplay), but there's no denying that their influence put Mass Effect on the intergalactic map. With a compelling story (at least for video game standards), a massive galaxy to explore, and gorgeous visuals, Mass Effect continues to astound and amaze. The upcoming third installment is set to end the trilogy later in March. Here's hoping it's more like the first two Mass Effects and less like Dragon Age 2.
4) Saints Row
The original Saints Row was a competent GTA clone. By Saints Row 2, Volition doubled the quality of their series, adding interesting missions, an intriguing setting in Stilwater, and multiple missions that remember solely that games are supposed to be fun and not have realism be in the game for realism's sake. Yeah, that was a problem with the vanilla version of Grand Theft Auto IV. Then Saints Row: The Third released, and it took an already crazy world and made it even more insane. Bashing baddies with sex toys, surfing on corpses, free-falling from an airplane while inside a tank, streaking in front of Steelport's denizens for mad money, commandeering vehicles such as muscle cars, tanks, and futuristic VTOLs, getting purposefully ran over by cars and trucks for insurance fraud reasons, escorting call girls to a safe location, away from their abusive pimps, and entering a Tron-inspired virtual reality setting to defeat a gang leader were just some of the wacky things players could do in Saints Row: The Third. I'd claim that Saints Row has now out-GTA'd GTA. We'll see if Rockstar antes up and delivers like they used to in their Vice City and San Andreas with Grand Theft Auto V. Here's wishful thinking at the very least!
3) Wii ____
Some would argue that the Wii ____ franchise isn't a franchise. These people would do anything to argue that Nintendo never develops new IPs even though Rhythm Heaven, Nintendogs, Brain Age, Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, Electroplankton, and many more disagree with them. Apparently if it's not an AAA budget it doesn't count. Anyway... the Wii series is one of the most successful ones of the generation with over 190 millions units sold. This includes Wii Sports (to be fair, it was packaged with the Wii in North America and Europe), Wii Sports Resort (bundled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory) Wii Fit, Wii Party, and Wii Play (which was bundled with a Wii remote). Each game utilizes Nintendo's creation, Miis, in them. Wii Sports alone introduced millions of non-gamers to the industry, and some have even gone on to become full-fledged gamers as evident by the attach rate of the Wii. It's a mystery to everyone whether Nintendo can recapture that ever-fickle casual audience with the Wii U or if Microsoft has them ensnared via Kinect.
2) Uncharted
Naughty Dog created an Indiana Jones-esque character with the smart-mouthed Nathan Drake and crafted an intriguing series of adventures with the Uncharted brand. Taking players from steamy jungles to arctic wastelands, Uncharted is a globe-trotter's wet dream. Of course, most globe-trotters would probably want to actually visit these places for themselves, but if they're lacking the funds, these virtual tours are always nice too. Drake is your typical Caucasian lead-- good-looking, smart, well-read, able to kill armies of enemies with perfect precision via weapons like guns and grenades, and capable of climbing and leaping with death-defying jumps of faith. ...Okay, maybe he's not that typical after all. Regardless, Naughty Dog, for better or worse, is focusing more on making games that resemble interactive movies rather than having games just be games. Whatever side of the argument you are on, it's hard to deny just how amazing the Uncharted line of titles truly is.
1) LittleBigPlanet
Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet is cute, is charming, and is a joy to play. The aesthetics of having a world built of cardboard, foam, and other craft materials make for a visual sensation that other games could only hope to achieve. The mantra of the series is "Play, Create, and Share", and you can do all of that effortlessly. Every thing is yours to build. From customizing your Sackboy (or Sackgirl. Right, ladies?) with outfits found via prize bubbles in levels to making a veritable level of platforming peril, LittleBigPlanet is your personal playground. The only real limitation is your imagination. Some craw at the floaty physics. So they aren't tight like Mario. So what? I'd hate it if every platformer aimed to be Mario. Where would the variety be? Well, the answer currently is in the world and franchise of LittleBigPlanet. Even if you lack a creative bone in your body you can venture into the worlds of other creators and enjoy their takes on what good levels are. My favorite new franchise of this generation and my favorite series on the PlayStation 3, LittleBigPlanet is a terrific toolkit for players to jump in to.
Half of the entries on this list are from Sony-owned studios. Isn't that something? My time to shine is over, so now it's your turn! What new franchises of this generation do like the best? Hit me up with a comment below and join the conversation!
10) Assassin's Creed
Play in the role of either Altair or Ezlo in this third-person open world series. Oftentimes focusing on stealth, Assassin's Creed uses a structure much like other sandbox games where you take on missions such as sneaking through a castle or accomplishing an assassination of a public figure. The city is yours to scale with virtually everything being able to be climbed. Being an assassin is hard work, and sneaking and killing is just a sample of the activities available in the city. You can make a leap of faith into a haystack, scan the city from atop a high perch, discover hidden treasure all around, manufacturing an abundance of fellow assassins to claim a brotherhood, and even invest in some real estate to rebuild ruined parts of the city. Following the company's long line of reputable franchises such as Rayman, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon, Ubisoft climbs high with the Assassin's Creed franchise. Here's hoping yearly sequels won't fatigue players.
9) inFamous
Crafted by the fine folks behind the awesome Sly Cooper series, Sucker Punch lands a knockout with their inFamous IP. The three games (inFamous, inFamous 2, and inFamous: Festival of Blood) star superhero Cole MacGrath who holds the power of controlling electricity. Think Spider-man's Electro but without the tights. By performing feats of either heroics or villainy, Cole steps forward down a path that he cannot turn back from. Depending on your path your powers and appearance change, the citizens of the city react differently to you, and the game's ending alters. There's nothing like grinding on a power line, slowly floating down to the ground below while shooting off lightning bolts at unwitting foes. The PSN game, Festival of Blood, was the top-downloaded game of 2011, and it came out in October. That says something to the power of the inFamous franchise.
8) No More Heroes
Suda 51 may not be a household name, but he has dabbled in off-the-wall, zany games before with something you may or may not have heard before. It's a little game called Killer7. Regardless, Suda 51 moved on to a new series called No More Heroes. Starring an eccentric otaku with his own beam katana named Travis Touchdown, all Travis wants to do is make it to the number one spot on the UAA (United Assassins Association) rankings. How does he accomplish this? Simply by killing all ten of the assassins that rank above him. The original game featured a sandbox-style open world, a city called Santa Destroy. The Wii-exclusive sequel got rid of this and opted for a menu-like system of choosing destinations and automatically being transported to them. The process was streamlined. Suda 51 expressed an interest in continuing the series on Nintendo's next console, currently known as the Wii U. With as wacky and wild as the action of the original two games, I'm excited to see where Suda takes the franchise next.
7) ModNation Racers
Sony took a lot of chances this gen. Of course, five hundred and ninety nine dollars will always be the one that kicks them in the ass the most, but there's something to be said about creating the most new IPs out of the competition this generation. ModNation Racers is but one of many new Sony-published franchises. Everything was yours to build: tracks, karts, and yes, even your Mod or avatar. Unlike a popular kart racer starring a portly plumber, the item balance was even, offering a proper array of varied items without being overly cheap. The developer-made tracks gave players ideas to create their own masterpieces to share with friends and the world at large, the story mode was entertaining, and the leeway given to you to craft your own creations was immense. The only thing holding the game back was technical issues like long loading times and framerate problems. Regardless, this racing franchise has potential, and it is a shame that more people aren't taking notice.
6) Resistance
Resistance isn't futile in this case. For some, they might consider this franchise essential. Armed with incredibly creative weaponry, epic (I hate to write that overused word as the Internet made it meaningless) set pieces, big, sensational battles with the Chimera horde, and breathtaking graphics make this series a wonderful one. Many agree that the second installment is the weakest, but I found the large-scaled online encounters to be incredible, the co-op play with up to six friends or total strangers to be awesome, and the story mode to have many memorable moments. That notwithstanding, I'd go as far to say that there is no stinker in the bunch of four Resistance titles (Resistance 1-3 and Retribution). The upcoming May release of Burning Skies on Vita will most likely show developers how a true FPS is supposed to play on Sony's powerful portable.
5) Mass Effect
Set in the great unknown, outer space, Mass Effect is an ultra-popular, bestselling series that has appeared on Microsoft's Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the PC. Players take on the role of Commander Shepard as he strives to continue the galaxy's era of peace. However, a Reaper menace threatens to destroy this and Shepard is flung into a space-wide battle to restore law and order to the universe. BioWare might not have the best reputation as of late (here's to you, Dragon Age 2 and your massive amounts of glitches, bugs, and bad gameplay), but there's no denying that their influence put Mass Effect on the intergalactic map. With a compelling story (at least for video game standards), a massive galaxy to explore, and gorgeous visuals, Mass Effect continues to astound and amaze. The upcoming third installment is set to end the trilogy later in March. Here's hoping it's more like the first two Mass Effects and less like Dragon Age 2.
4) Saints Row
The original Saints Row was a competent GTA clone. By Saints Row 2, Volition doubled the quality of their series, adding interesting missions, an intriguing setting in Stilwater, and multiple missions that remember solely that games are supposed to be fun and not have realism be in the game for realism's sake. Yeah, that was a problem with the vanilla version of Grand Theft Auto IV. Then Saints Row: The Third released, and it took an already crazy world and made it even more insane. Bashing baddies with sex toys, surfing on corpses, free-falling from an airplane while inside a tank, streaking in front of Steelport's denizens for mad money, commandeering vehicles such as muscle cars, tanks, and futuristic VTOLs, getting purposefully ran over by cars and trucks for insurance fraud reasons, escorting call girls to a safe location, away from their abusive pimps, and entering a Tron-inspired virtual reality setting to defeat a gang leader were just some of the wacky things players could do in Saints Row: The Third. I'd claim that Saints Row has now out-GTA'd GTA. We'll see if Rockstar antes up and delivers like they used to in their Vice City and San Andreas with Grand Theft Auto V. Here's wishful thinking at the very least!
3) Wii ____
Some would argue that the Wii ____ franchise isn't a franchise. These people would do anything to argue that Nintendo never develops new IPs even though Rhythm Heaven, Nintendogs, Brain Age, Pushmo, Sakura Samurai, Electroplankton, and many more disagree with them. Apparently if it's not an AAA budget it doesn't count. Anyway... the Wii series is one of the most successful ones of the generation with over 190 millions units sold. This includes Wii Sports (to be fair, it was packaged with the Wii in North America and Europe), Wii Sports Resort (bundled with the Wii MotionPlus accessory) Wii Fit, Wii Party, and Wii Play (which was bundled with a Wii remote). Each game utilizes Nintendo's creation, Miis, in them. Wii Sports alone introduced millions of non-gamers to the industry, and some have even gone on to become full-fledged gamers as evident by the attach rate of the Wii. It's a mystery to everyone whether Nintendo can recapture that ever-fickle casual audience with the Wii U or if Microsoft has them ensnared via Kinect.
2) Uncharted
Naughty Dog created an Indiana Jones-esque character with the smart-mouthed Nathan Drake and crafted an intriguing series of adventures with the Uncharted brand. Taking players from steamy jungles to arctic wastelands, Uncharted is a globe-trotter's wet dream. Of course, most globe-trotters would probably want to actually visit these places for themselves, but if they're lacking the funds, these virtual tours are always nice too. Drake is your typical Caucasian lead-- good-looking, smart, well-read, able to kill armies of enemies with perfect precision via weapons like guns and grenades, and capable of climbing and leaping with death-defying jumps of faith. ...Okay, maybe he's not that typical after all. Regardless, Naughty Dog, for better or worse, is focusing more on making games that resemble interactive movies rather than having games just be games. Whatever side of the argument you are on, it's hard to deny just how amazing the Uncharted line of titles truly is.
1) LittleBigPlanet
Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet is cute, is charming, and is a joy to play. The aesthetics of having a world built of cardboard, foam, and other craft materials make for a visual sensation that other games could only hope to achieve. The mantra of the series is "Play, Create, and Share", and you can do all of that effortlessly. Every thing is yours to build. From customizing your Sackboy (or Sackgirl. Right, ladies?) with outfits found via prize bubbles in levels to making a veritable level of platforming peril, LittleBigPlanet is your personal playground. The only real limitation is your imagination. Some craw at the floaty physics. So they aren't tight like Mario. So what? I'd hate it if every platformer aimed to be Mario. Where would the variety be? Well, the answer currently is in the world and franchise of LittleBigPlanet. Even if you lack a creative bone in your body you can venture into the worlds of other creators and enjoy their takes on what good levels are. My favorite new franchise of this generation and my favorite series on the PlayStation 3, LittleBigPlanet is a terrific toolkit for players to jump in to.
===
Half of the entries on this list are from Sony-owned studios. Isn't that something? My time to shine is over, so now it's your turn! What new franchises of this generation do like the best? Hit me up with a comment below and join the conversation!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (PS3, 360) First Screens
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 wasn't very good. However, Sega and Sonic Team have created an entirely new graphical and physics engine to ensure that part two doesn't suffer the same kinks and mistakes as part one. The addition of Tails and rumored co-op online play all lead me to believe that even if this game doesn't gel with me it will still be better than Episode 1 (though that task isn't necessarily difficult to achieve). For the time being, see these first screens from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
