Earlier today, Major Nelson revealed through his blog that Microsoft will be raising XBox Live prices by $10/year from $50 to $60 on November 1st.  Unsurprisingly, the Internet exploded with both negative and supportive commentary.

In this edition of #GameChat, we ask you what YOU think of the $10 price hike.  Leave a comment below, or let us know via Twitter by using the hashtag: #GameChat.

XBox Live at $60/year: Blown out of proportion, or the nail in your Live coffin?

I had a sort of dilemma when planning my review of Singularity. On one hand, it is pretty clear in what genre this game wants to be classified in — the hybrid FPS/RPG style of BioShock, for example — but it could never be as fresh or groundbreaking.  On the other, it is the middle of a scorching summer filled with late-night work weeks, and I’ve wanted nothing more than escapism to make me forget about the projects that have been haunting me.

To try and review Singularity from the standpoint of its artistic significance and how it fits in against similar games wouldn’t do it (or my experience with it) any justice. The game isn’t special; it’s hardly spectacular.  In fact, had Singularity been released at any other point in the already jam-packed gaming year, it might be reviewed with much poorly in comparison to the high profile properties surrounding it.

But it wasn’t released in the Spring, and it isn’t going to be released in the Fall. It was released during the aforementioned Summer when it was the only game of it’s type, much like Red Faction was last year. And for that reason, for the need to play a game and forget about the automotive industry that I work in, Singularity is the perfect getaway.

There may not be a lot to “love” about Singularity, but there is a lot to “like”.  Like Jennifer Aniston in Office Space, the game manages just barely enough flair to keep us employed in its story and mechanic: a Russian calamity unleashes a shifting timeline, and it’s up to US agents to utilize time-bending tools to resolve it.

Time travel? Check. Changing the past affects events in modern time? Check. Cool weapons that relate to time travel? Check.  It’s not new, but add in shades of BioShock Lite and it works.

The game clocks in at about 8 hours, follows a fairly linear path of moving room-to-room, and uses the linearity to emphasize the fast-paced (and surprisingly entertaining) story.  It’s impossible to get lost or not know what the next goal is, which makes it kind of a mindless experience resulting in a lot of room-clearing and weapons du jour.  This also allows the game to employ situational experiences such as: escaping a sinking freighter, fighting a giant boss on a collapsing train, and time-shifting objects to exit a room.  It never seems like the mechanics are repeated either, so it’s almost as if each section of the game is disconnected from the previous.

The multiplayer portion of the game is designed much in the same way, going beyond the standard “kill or be killed” to include a massive variety of weapons based on the choice between human or mutant.  The humans can manage healing, guns, and teleportation; while the mutants can control the minds of opponents, vomit acid, or multiply. It’s a lot like playing the Zerg in StarCraft, except much more sadistic.

Singularity really excels at some of its physical design.  The weapons are all enjoyable and are varied enough (almost like MegaMan weapons) to feel different. I found myself gravitating towards the time-based sniper rifle, which allows its bullets to be slowed and controlled, but anyone who plays the game for long enough will find their own favorite weapon. Everything can be upgraded — armor, weapons, tools — which provides that RPG flavor: time effects last longer, bullets are more explosive, etc.

The only thing that remains a mainstay throughout the game is the TMD (Time Manipulation Device), a device that allows the user to modify time in a few different ways.  The device can shift boxes and items forwards and backwards in time, allowing a collapsed box to become whole again to wedge open a gate or aging humans and enemies into extinction.  The TMD is also used to power up reactors and open holes in space-time, but these are specific situations.

The TMD provides, but it doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of what we saw of the game at E3 last year (where entire buildings were brought down and enemies were converted back into humans).  The potential to really push the idea of altering time  is there  – especially in some of the environmental puzzles — but remains unrealized.  But what is there is just enough to keep the game entertaining and provides a good base for what may end up being the beginning of a franchise.

Singularity has everything that a fun Summer flick has: explosions, plot twists, speedy action, and more explosions.  It’s a diversion from the big guns hitting in the fall.  Singularity doesn’t try to be the greatest game ever, so it makes up for it by being highly entertaining at an optimal 8-hour length. It’s fitting, then, that it all comes down to the game’s release window.  Singularity isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s perfect for the Summer.

This review was based on a copy of the game provided by Activision.  The single-player campaign was completed in Normal difficulty.  The multi-player campaign was played across all modes.  All images and video provided by Activision.

When I first heard about Inception, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. “It looks cool, I guess. Nothing I haven’t seen before.” I’m normally a sucker for mind-bending or “smart” sci-fi.  It wasn’t until the Twitter and Facebook chatter of “how great the film was” spread like an epidemic that I decided to actually see it.

I look back at my initial thoughts, and I can’t help but repeat them: It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.

Which, I guess, is why I enjoyed it so much.

Inception is a great Winter film.  Were it released during the Holiday season, it may have been this year’s Benjamin Button: a nice thought-provoking diversion, but not a movie that we all had circled, and probably not one that could have been as successful as it has been.  Released during the Summer, though, it stands out as being something a little more than just the typical blockbuster action we often expect from the season.

Designed to be Ocean’s Eleven meets The Matrix, the film centers around a team of dream-entering spies on a quest to lay the foundations of an idea in the mind of a businessman.  The ability to enter dreams and modify them is (apparently) a near-common thing in the movie’s world.  The focus falls on DiCaprio’s Cobb character and his emotional, romantic issues… though the film is quick to move the role of romance to the back of the line.

The visuals are awesome.  In one scene, buildings are folded on top of each other to create a Möbius strip of a city which reminded me of Dark City.  It’s total eye candy.  The idea that the worlds were designed like levels, meant to be inescapable loops, completely fascinated me.  The MC Escher stairway references were great.  I only wish now that I’d seen it in IMAX instead of regular screen, as some of the wide-angle shots were breathtaking.

From the moment the opening title rolled, to the closing tension-filled (and perhaps stereotypical) “twist” at the end, Inception is constructed to make every moment enjoyable without spending too much time explaining itself.  It’s built as puzzle on a few levels: visually, to explore the limits of physics and our ideals of what they could be, and mentally, to keep us wondering what is real and what is dream world.  Through its hand-holding of the plot, it begs us to figure things out but doesn’t require anything to be solved for the story to be completed.  It’s like watching the best parts of the Matrix with none of the slow “why?” in between.

This does lead to some plot holes, though.  For example, the “perfect” team is assembled rather quickly without any of their histories explained and with no real character-building taking place.  We never learn if their ultimate plan was successful or not.  Finally, the film switches back and forth all too often between a solid story about a team and a shaky story about Cobb’s personal dilemma, leading to confusion about his motivations throughout.

Regardless, it makes for a more enjoyable experience.  The film already clocks in at 2.5 hours long and zips by when watching, so any desired depth would have severely slowed and broken the pacing.  I don’t believe it’s meant to make us think after the credits roll, but for those who want to the film has a decent amount of layers to it.

We never find ourselves worrying too much about solving all of the film’s riddles.  The satisfaction of watching a fun, albeit somewhat formulaic film may be enough to keep us happy for the duration.  In a Summer that’s had some downer sequels, it’s a great end cap.  And for that alone, I can’t recommend it enough.

[Images and video courtesy WarnerBros]

Written and Contributed by: Alex Rubens | Videogame Journalist | @alexrubens

When Shank, the latest stylish game from Klei Entertainment, was revealed, it created a buzz that spread through the internet for days.  On the eve of its release, I talked to Jamie Cheng, Founder and CEO of Klei, about Shank and its development.  He talks everything from inspiration to his favorite weapon in the game.

Alex Rubens: What was your main motivation in making such a different style of game?
Jamie Cheng: It was a spark of an idea that we couldn’t get out of our heads — working with Jeff to create a classic beat-em-up, and make it our own by way of amazing animation, visuals, story and our own flavor of gameplay.

How would you compare your original direction for Shank to how it turned out now?
You often hear about how much a vision changes over time. This is not one of those cases. Shank has always been about bringing in the influences of Desperado and similar aesthetics into a beat-em-up world, and we nailed that feel within the first couple months. After that, it was all about how to create a consistently solid experience throughout and polishing the core game mechanics.

How much of a focus is the story in Shank?
This was a key part where we differed from the classic games like Double Dragon — the story is not simply an excuse for the gameplay, but instead a focal point that we had to think about early on and throughout development. Watching people enjoy not only the carnage but also the character development that Marianne crafted is very satisfying.

Shank’s score has garnered much praise on the Internet, did you expect that it would be loved so much pre-release?
Vince and Jason’s work on the score is amazing, and I simply wanted to share that with everyone. The little promotion we concocted was a little experiment and also something we figured could drive more people to check it out, but I honestly had no idea what the reaction was going to be. Vince was really floored — but these guys deserve the recognition for sure.

Before EA had signed on to publish Shank, you had been showing the game off on the 360 platform but you had a Dreamcast controller there also, was this sense of humor always present throughout the development process?
We’ve always been a bit tongue in cheek and campy, and that totally shows in the game. Yes, we deal with mature content, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun. I’d say more people laugh when playing Shank than I’ve seen in most video games.

When Shank first debuted at PAX 2009, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Did you expect this and did it change your direction for the game at all?
Like the score, we simply set out to make something we were passionate about and felt others might be, too. We walked into PAX thinking the fans would probably like it — who doesn’t like beat-em-ups and Desperado? — but we got these insanely big smiles and sweaty hands playing the game, and that’s when we realized that it wasn’t just us who loved Shank. He is pretty sexy, afterall.

Did we change direction because of it? No — I think that’s what was great — people loved the game for what it is and we’re absolutely unabashed about it.

The addition of co-op was a great idea in my opinion, had this been in the plans since the beginning or was it a late addition?
Okay now I take back my last comment — we were undecided whether or not to implement co-op, and in fact HOW to implement it properly, but after the reaction we got at PAX, and having every other question being “is there co-op?” we decided to take the leap. A lot of people are asking why it’s not online co-op, and the answer is that we had to take a stand in what was important to the end user. We decided that two separate campaigns, each with their own storyline and specially designed levels to take advantage of singleplayer and multiplayer, had to be made at a level we were proud of. We couldn’t do that, and also add online, so we made the choice to choose the core experience over features.

What is your favorite weapon in the game?
Later in the game you obtain an Uzi. It’s actually a little more difficult than, say the shotgun, to use effectively, but if you can get the hang of it, it’s brilliant at dealing rapid damage.

Where did you draw inspiration from when crafting Shank?
Visually: Jack Kirby, graphic novels, Golden Age comics
Aesthetically: Movies by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino — specifically Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn
Gameplay: Double Dragon, Soul Caliber, Prince of Persia

When does Shank come out and how much will it cost?
Game launches really, really soon. August 24th for PSN, August 25th for XBLA. PC version will be out in the Fall (we’re working on it!) and the price is $14.99 or 1200 space bucks.

[Images courtesy Klei Entertainment. Video courtesy Klei and GameTrailers. For more information visit ShankGame.com]

Over the next three days, the fine folks at 72 Hours Remain are punishing themselves for the greater good.  Hosting a gaming marathon inspired by the 72 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, the team will be playing a plethora of games over the next few days in efforts to raise donations for Child’s Play, a charity devoted to providing games, movies, and toys to hospitalized children around the globe.

From 6AM August 13th (THAT’S TODAY!) until 6AM August 16th, the group will play and complete classics like Shadow of the Colossus, ActRaiser, Wind Waker, Pikmin and more as they aim to beat last year’s total of $1500 donated.  At key intervals, specific secret “events” will take place, hopefully prolonging the length of time the team will play.

The entire marathon can be watched live on their website, via Ustream.

Here’s how you can help:

- Donate to their cause!  Every little bit helps.  Click here to donate.

- Mention the event on Twitter, Facebook, in blogs, and in your podcasts… The more people know, the more will join in.

- Follow their official twitter account at @72hoursremain for information, news on the event, etc

It’s a great cause, and a great way to reach their goal!  Now, click that donate button!

Red Dead Redemption.  It’s one of the best games of the year thus far.  Many of you have played it, often touting its great use of storytelling in a Western open world setting.

For those that HAVEN’T played it, now is your chance!  We have one copy of the game for PS3 available to send to a lucky reader, courtesy of Rockstar Games!  All you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what open world setting you’d like to see Rockstar tackle next! Europe? Space? Caveman days? It’s your call.  One random commenter will receive the game.

[UPDATE:  Winner, #25: ANDREW!]

How to win?  Simple!

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what open world setting you’d like to see Rockstar tackle next
2) Enter up to once per day Friday (Aug 13), Saturday (Aug 14), and Sunday (Aug 15)
3) Winner chosen & announced on Sunday night at 10PM EST using a randomizing number selector.

Good Luck!

We love BioShock.  The world of Rapture is incredible.  But, what many feared was that the confines of a liquid universe would eventually become stale.

Enter Irrational Games’ latest: BioShock Infinite.

The game, taking place in 1912, precedes the world of Rapture by catapulting us into the stratosphere, literally.  Set in Columbia, a giant sky city, the game follows former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt as he must rescue Elizabeth, a girl trapped in the city.  Infinite will follow their relationship as it builds, and as the couple’s bond allows their “abilities” to form, merge and adapt.  The couple must escape from the city together, with DeWitt protecting Elizabeth along the way (a la Ico).

The game is set to capitalize on a lot of the action and suspense that the original BioShock brought forward, coupled with intriguing new weapons and abilities, “high speed air battles” along rail lines, and a setting which hasn’t been done in an FPS nearly as strikingly.  Steampunk style is everywhere, as the early 20th century brings with it the flavor of the Chicago Worlds Fair and the beginnings of American Imperialism to the dream of a floating city.  But, much like with Rapture, something goes terribly wrong.

In essence, it’s more BioShock, with the familiar tropes that the series brings with it, but in a new setting… But is that a bad thing?  I don’t necessarily think so.  The idea of bringing a fantastically fun FPS play mechanic to a new, equally exciting setting pings my interest-o-meter to extreme heights.

Yes, I’m excited.  And you should be, too.

2012 is suddenly my favorite year ever.

You know what happens after hours and hours of writing, follow-up, and more than a month after a big conference or expo?  You forget things.  Well, YOU might not, but I sure did.

Almost 2 months ago we hosted our first ever staff E3 predictions game, with the winner receiving a prize.  Here’s how we did, and who won.

The winner was… Mike McGarrigle, successfully adding up 5 points (and barely edging out Ryan’s 4.5 points).  Using the “safety net” approach of stating the obvious and already confirmed, the tactic wins Mike a snazzy new SQ t-shirt.  Great job!  For a complete breakdown, read on below.

Nathan Andrews

Microsoft
- Big push for Natal, obviously +1
- XBox360 Slim: BluRay option, 3D HD option -1

Nintendo
- Wii HD (Possible BluRay option, but that might be a stretch) with Netflix HD streaming built-in (rather than a disc) -1

Technology
- 3D tech: Judging by the clamor at CES, I’m going to say that 3D output is going to be the catch-all for the week. Many of the major display manufacturers are streeting 3D hardware already, and just about all of them have at least one 3D offering planned for before the Christmas rush (half of them buy their panels from Samsung, anyway, amirite?). +1

Total: 0 points

Doug Lang

Microsoft
- Natal to be “less” exciting after more extensive showcase at E3, nothing “core” will be shown +1
- New bundle at $299 price point with Natal and Core 360 (no HDD) +1
- MS will not go 3D, as it is still very cost-prohibitive (special TV, glasses). The 360 may not be technically capable of 3D that can match the PS3′s quality. Plus, the 360 can’t play 3D movies, which is a point in Sony’s direction. +1

Sony
- Move to be “more” exciting than initially thought, may show better than Natal at this years E3, and “win” in that respect +1/2
- Sony will be only maker pushing 3D on the console, will see PS3-branded glasses w/ integration with other Sony products, (auto turn on and off when 3D capable blue ray is put in PS3 and similar Bravia line) +1/2
- Will have a 3D bundle option with glasses, separate from “Move” bundle -1
- Sony will have same pricing problems with the PS3+Move that we saw with PSPgo last year +1

Nintendo
- They will bring the 3DS out at aggressive price point (if they declare price) -1
- We will see Zelda playable and Pikmin 3 will be touched on in some way shape or form +1/2
- They will announce a unique launch title for 3DS with a franchise that seems unexpected +1
- Nintendo will get serious about online offerings for the 3DS, possibly with an app store approach (recently, Iwata took aim directly at Apple as future competition) -1
- Unexpected media playback features to be included in 3DS, may get into content business with movies/shows +1
- The Vitality Sensor will be exactly as expected: Expanded audience -1
- Nintendo will not say anything about “Wii 2″, as their opinion is that the current Wii still has lots of life +1

PC Gaming
- Totally wishful thinking, but… Steam client on Linux -1

Individual Publishers
- The Bungie team will unveil their new project w/ Activision -1
- The COD well may be dry, and with Treyarch up to bat next it may be “meh” at the sho -1/2

Total: 2 points

Jon Kehoe

Microsoft
- 360 Slim / Natal bundle debuts this Christmas, Natal also sold separately of course. +1
- Full Fable 3 trailer plus Natal integration shown. +1/2
- New Viva Pinata game for use with Natal. -1
– Full scope of LIVE on Windows mobile revealed, including cross-compatibility with XBox LIVE games for leaderboards, etc. -1
- Rock Band Led Zeppelin (will be revealed at presser, though this is multiplatform) -1

Sony
- Sony unveils 3D gaming compatible with the PS Move. Unfortunately it’s mostly casual/minigame fare. +1
- Details on Uncharted movie, starring Nathan Fillion! -1
- Infamous 2 and Killzone 3 announced. +2
- PSPGo price cut “RIGHT NOW” -1

Nintendo
- 3DS is fully unveiled, launch titles are include Nintendogs 3DS, Brain Age 3DS, Donkey Kong Country 3DS and a bunch of Artstyle downloadable dames. +1/2
- Pikmin 3 -1
- “Zelda Plus” is finally revealed, with Motion Plus implementation demoed to many oohs and aaahs. +1
– Yet another Wii Fit iteration/sequel that uses the Vitality Sensor -1

PC
- Torchlight 2 announced -1 (too early!)

Individual Publishers (Activision, EA, etc)
- THQ announces Red Faction Guerilla 2, Darksiders 2 and some more original IPs. +1/2
- Valve shows trailer for Half Life 2 Episode 3 and also announces co-op mode in Portal 2 with the new trailer. +1/2
– Teaser Trailer for BungiVision project, with little to no details. -1
– Teaser trailer for Infinity Ward project, with little to no details. -1

Total: -3 points

Yaniv Pereyaslavsky

Microsoft
- Huge Halo:Reach push (it’s gonna be all about the numbers) +1
– They’ll show how Natal ties in with games we already own and new ones like Fable 3. -1
- They’ll show hints for Mass Effect 3 -1
- Natal, Natal, Natal +1
- No other hardware announcements. -1
- No price drops -1/2
– Lots of numbers about how awesome they are. +1/2

Sony
- 3 new exclusives +1
- 2 IPs that WERE exclusive to Xbox are now multiplatform -1
- Sony Move will have new games announced, BUT majority won’t be interesting (casual) -1/2

Nintendo
- Zelda +1
- Pikmin 3 -1
- More. Casual. Games. -1/2

Other publishers
- Activision will blaze out da gate with a Bungie project -1
– Another new Call of Duty +1
- EA will pimp their sports games… again +1
- Ea will also have 3 new awesome IPs +1/2

Total: -1 1/2 Points

Dali Dimovski

Microsoft
- XBox Slim w/ Natal for $250, internal memory of up to 4GB? +1/2
- Natal by itself for $100 -1
- XBox Arcade to $179.99, XBox Elite to $250 -1
- Mass Effect 3 debut trailer -1
- Mass Effect MMORPG -1
- Natal in Fable 3 0
- Major NXE interface update +1/2
– Natal sports pack-in game +1
- Natal health game +1
- Halo:Reach push +1
- New Halo game teased -1
- Minimal 3D gaming push (“Hey look, we can do it too. But you don’t want it, anyways.) +1/2

Sony
- PSP2 (Will be $200 PSP with hard drive, can still accept UMD, and have second thumb stick) -1
- PSPgo price drop to $150-$175 -1
- Final Fantasy XIV push +1
- Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be released in 2011… still PS3 exclusive -1
- Gran Turismo 5 to have MOVE compatibility and be released in October (finally) +1
- Uncharted PSP debut trailer -1
- Little Big Planet 2 +1
- PS3 MOVE combo system = $350 -1
- PS3 MOVE with mostly casual games revealed. Potentially show a God of War MOVE demo-type-thing as the one “killer” core game… maybe Kratos will be in that Motion Fighter game that they have coming +1/2
- Major interface update, to include better PSN integration, more “social” PS3 features -1
- Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 +1/2

Nintendo
- 3DS debut +1
- Star Fox game for 3DS debut +1
- “Killer app” 3DS game will be a brand new IP -1
– $199 3DS to have small hard drive, SD card slot, bigger screens than DSi, GameCube/Wii-level graphics, motion-sensing, rumble +1/2
- 3DS online store to be more like iTunes store, with more focus on apps and games and the 3DS marketed as more than just a games system -1
- New menu/user-interface update for the Wii -1
- New Donkey Kong game (perhaps retro-style, like New Super Mario Wii) +1
- New Mario game… Not Galaxy or NSMBWii, but completely different and perhaps casual-influenced. +1
- Vitality Sensor games: WiiParty, Pikmin 3, WiiFit 2 (or similar health game) -1
- New Legend of Zelda +1

Other Publishers
Valve
- Giant push for Portal 2, Half Life 2 Episode 3 0

Activision
- Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay to debut during XBox press conference +1
- Another Call of Duty game (MMO? Third-person action game?) -1
- Next Tony Hawk game to include snowboarding +1/2

EA
- Madden, NBA, Fifa to have some type of physical fitness training included (like EA Sports Active on Wii, but included in games) -1
- New SSX game -1

Rockstar
- Grand Theft Auto 5 teaser… will take place in foreign country (maybe Europe?) -1

Total: -3 1/2 Points

Mike McGarrigle

Microsoft
- Project Natal will be reveled with pricing for standalone unit from $75 to $99. It will come bundled with the new Slim 360 for $299. +1/2
- More updates to the dash board. Friend count will be increased and group support will be shown. Update to come on or before Slim 360/Natal ship this fall. +1/2
- We’ll see a partnership with a major ISP (probably Comcast) to bring some On Demand TV to the 360. +1/2
- A Zune Marketplace subscription will be announced. -1
- They’ll highlight integration of the 360, PC, and Windows Phone 7. -1
- No Blue Ray player (sorry Nathan) +1

Sony
- Focus on Move and first party games. Move will retail at $99 and the bundle will be $349. +1/2
- We’ll see a paid subscription model coming in the near future. +1
- Kevin Butler will make a stage presence. +1
- PSP will get a new model at same price. -1
- PSPgo will drop to $199. -1
- Gran Turismo 5 SHOULD be dated and hands on, BUT it won’t be. (Please note: I really hope it is, but I lost faith long ago. I will be happy to get this one wrong). -1

Nintendo
- There will be no Wii HD. +1
- New Zelda will be shown off. +1
- New Metroid will have hands on. +1
- More first party games will be announced. Third party and more hard core game will continue to be ignored. +1/2

Publishers
- We’ll see nothing from Respawn and EA, but I’m sure they will be there and hinting at something big to come in the future. +1
- Activision will be trumpeting their partnership with Bungie and we’ll get a teaser of what’s coming from them. -1
- Ubisoft will continue to crank out Tom Clancy branded game. We’ll see Rainbow Six, Advanced Warfighter, and Hawx, but they won’t be playable. +1/2

Technology
- 3D… will be there, with little support behind it. +1/2
- On Live will be there, but have nothing really new to show. +1/2

Total: 5 points

Aaron Kirchoff

Microsoft
- More information on Natal including a better idea of price and a vague release scheduled for holiday ’10 +1
- Rare’s next project revealed -1
- Showing off more of Halo: Reach. Maybe playable campaign on the show floor? +1
- Fable 3 gameplay presentation narrated by Molyneux +1
- Halo HD for XBLA -1

Sony
- Move demonstrated with an actual game, not just tech demos – release date announced +1/2
- new Home-related announcements -1
- Infamous 2 teased +1
- Killzone 3 teased +1

Nintendo
- 3DS talked about, maybe show a prototype. Not playable. +1/2
- Vitality sensor dated/priced, possibly bundled with an exercise game -1
- New Zelda for Wii +1
- Pikmin 3 makes an appearance in some fashion -1

PC
- …there are PC games? -1

Individual Publishers
Activision
- Announcement of new project with Bungie, possibly a description (unnamed) -1
- COD: Black Ops shown off +1
- (Blizzard) StarCraft 2 somethingorother +1/2

EA
- Mirror’s Edge 2 teased -1
- Dead Space 2 new footage, possibly playable (will at least show gameplay) +1/2
- Madden ’11 +1 (it was a gimme!)

UbiSoft
- AC: Brotherhood shown off +1
- More shown of Beyond Good & Evil 2 (It’s not dead!) -1

Suda51/Grasshopper
- New project -1

Technology
- Some kind of new force feedback gear: a helmet, gloves. Created by an indie team or collegiate group. Electrodes are likely to be involved. +1/2

Total: 1 1/2 points

Ryan Gan

General
- “Noticeable” amount of iPad games at booths (noticeable = at least 3) +1
- Microsoft wins E3, but most interesting announcements are 3DS-based -1/2

Microsoft
- Big Halo: Reach push +1
- Lots of playable Natal crap (some kind of shooter, sports) +1
- Xbox 360 slim mention with 250GB HDD + Natal, priced at $350 +1/2
- Big wows from Peter Moleyneux’s Milo -1
- New New Xbox Experience w/ Natal’s release +1/2

Sony
-Sony Move, playable w/o price point +1
-PSP2 named, no UMD for it, all downloadable content -1
-New Playstation UI experience +1/2

Nintendo
- 3DS named +1
- No Wii HD +1
- More on Wii Zelda, nothing playable for attendees +1/2
- Metroid Other M playable +1
- Mario for 3DS shown +1/2
- New Super Mario Bros 2 (DS) -1
-some game that will require a new peripheral for the Wii that will make people mad -1

Individual Publishers
Square Enix
- Big push for FFXIV +1
- FF Versus XIII downplayed, not mentioned at all, or jettisoned into the deepest depths of space +1
- A few new IPs that are not FF +1
- FF 4, 5, 6, and Chrono Trigger to be put out in some downloadable form on Wii, 360, or PS3 +1/2

EA
- Mirror’s Edge 2 shown -1
- Dead Space 2 shown and/or playable +1
- No mention of Mass Effect 3 yet +1
- Mentions of Dragon Age stuff -1
- Star Wars: The Old Republic shown -1/2

Capcom
- MvC3 playable (a few characters only) +1
- New Resident Evil game shown for PS3 and 360 -1
- Some arbitrary Mega Man stuff in-booth -1

Ubisoft
- Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood shown +1
- Far Cry 3 -1

Valve
- New Team Fortress -1
- Portal 2 playable +1/2
- Half Life 3 announcement/demo/mention -1

Activision
- Very short movie about Bungie’s new IP -1
- Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay shown, not playable for attendees +1
- A variety of sequels from existing IPs +1

Sega
- Some new Sonic stuff +1
- Playable Alpha Protocol mission for attendees -1
-Virtua Cop Wii! -1

Total: 4 1/2 points

Mike Wehner

Microsoft
- CoD Black Ops is shown, just as MW2 was at the 360 conference last year. +1
- Natal, duh +1
- 360 Slim, double duh +1
- Lots of Numbers, triple duh +1/2
- Renewed push for Xbox Originals -1
- Mirrors Edge 2 in-conference announcement -1

****OK, heres the one insane prediction I allow myself each year****
Are you ready for this? Are you?……….. Steam. For Xbox. Valve just added Steam to Mac, and the people working on that conversion could have started working on another conversion right after that. Yes, it would fragment a bit of the downloadable games market on 360, but lets not kid ourselves, Xbox Indie Games isn’t really going anywhere at the moment. They need another push. They’ll want a piece, or at least their name on the front. Steam. Steam For Xbox 360. Believe. +1/2 (it went to PS3 instead)

Sony
- New Little Big Planet +1
- Gran Turismo 5 is still going to be awesome… whenever it comes out! “Trust us!” +1
- PSP2 will not be called PSP2, and may not carry the PSP name at all -1
- “Sorry about Linux” -1
- 3D BluRay update coming for PS3 +1

Nintendo
- 3DS, half a dozen launch titles shown/playable +1 1/2
- SOMETHING about F-Zero, not for 3DS, sooner than that. Possibly a DSi-ware version of the original game -1
- Wii Vitality Sensor makes a comeback, bundled with some new title -1
- Metroid Other M big push +1
- New No More Heroes (WiiMotion Plus functional) -1

General
- Bigger iPod/iPad presence than any past years, as companies like Activision and EA will have a lot of the devices on display +1/2

Total: 3 points

Like several of the people on my buddy list, I’ve been playing XBLA gem Limbo.  The game, with its eerie settings, story, and gameplay is trumped only by its striking visual style: black and white silhouettes amidst a silent film’s grainy design.  The experience is borderline beautiful, and will probably still be beautiful when the eventual next gen and next next gen consoles debut.

It got me thinking about what other games will be just as good to look at in 10-15 years’ time.  What makes a game’s visual style stand the test, and truly be “timeless”?

I should note that this isn’t a conversation rooted in games being pieces of beautiful art, like a Picasso or DaVinci, but more about long-lasting visual appeal. Think of this as a comparison to great animation or stylized films, like Fantasia or Pi (or even Metropolis) where a purposeful visual design is executed.

Before deducing what makes a game look “timeless” I felt it would be beneficial to find out what games people think may currently fit within that description.  A quick Twitter poll yielded answers.  Among the most popular responses were Another World, Mirror’s Edge, Odin Sphere, Mega Man 2, Wind Waker, Rez and Chrono Trigger.

I felt it was interesting that the games spanned across a couple decades of hardware, with very few modern generation products mentioned.  Was this because modern games are using similar middleware like Unreal Engine or MAYA to create their visuals?  The games that were heralded most seemed to be doing more with less, such as working with sprites on the SNES, or were purposefully using technology to achieve highly stylized aesthetics.

“Doing more with less” was the theme I found to be most interesting, as I never really sat back and realized the work that designers in the 80s and 90s went through to create the visuals that I had been passing off as colored blocks and squares. Great 16-bit experiences, which were confined to now-minuscule hardware limits, were crafted by artists who had to think out of the box to create the look they wanted.

The early cel-shading of Another World (Out of This World in the US), the colorful and emotional Amano-inspired sprites of Final Fantasy IV and VI, the carefully hand-painted sprites of Link to the Past, the scribbles of Yoshi’s Island; all of these still look terrific today, though they were meant to hide the limitations of the SNES by emphasizing other avenues.  There are a few modern games that manage the same “hardware knows no boundaries” mantra, usually landing on consoles like the Wii (MadWorld) or on size-restricted download services like XBLA (Limbo) and PSN (flOwer). Hardware limitations can, by great developers, actually force creative thought and innovation.

As noted above, technology also allows developers and artists to create new aesthetics regardless of limits.  Part of the appeals of Wind Waker and Okami were their choices of cel-shaded visuals.  Odin Sphere and Muramasa utilized hand-painted art on 2-D backdrops to create cult appeal.  Mirror’s Edge used soft shading, high contrast, and lack of extensive detail to emphasize the graphic parkour cityscape.  In the right artist’s hands, the technological “paintbrush” can lead to stunning and unforgettable design.

So, after looking at all those examples, what makes a video game’s visuals timeless? Creativity, I guess. Knowing where the boundaries and limits are and how to utilize technology to surpass them. In the cases of some games, it’s about not trying to be accomplish something that isn’t technically feasible. In others, it’s the innovation of the artist and the message that they are trying to convey. Regardless, it’s all about personal taste, really. My idea of beautiful visuals doesn’t match yours, and our individual histories with gaming dictates that too, but at least the notion of a game’s style having the ability to touch us even past technological accomplishment will always be there.

I’ve put together a gallery below of screens from these games, as well as others that people have mentioned.  If there are games that you think will always be beautiful, please feel free to comment!

Some of the other games suggested: Jet Set Radio/Future, Beatles Rock Band, Curse of Monkey Island, Katamari Damacy, Bit Trip Series, Super Metroid, Little Big Planet, Team Fortress 2, Cave Story, Street Fighter II, Super Paper Mario.  Special thanks to the following individuals for supplying game recommendations: @RussWalsh, @JonKehoe, @Spizarelli, @JohnParie, @MikeJWall, @Lolztimus_prime, @Mainfinger, @LudwigK, @SheepOnFall, and anyone else I missed.

[Images courtesy PlayDead, SquareEnix, Nintendo, SCEA, ThatGameCompany, Valve, Harmonix, Capcom, Electronic Arts, UTV Ignition]

CodeMasters released a teaser for the third installment in the DiRT series today, appropriately titled “DiRT 3″. A slickly-designed video using transitions to showcase some of the different environments that will be available in the next game is all we get for now, but I’m already liking what I see.

As expected, particle effects are improved over previous iterations (rain and snow in particular are looking better than ever), as well as vehicle and environment rendering, which are beginning to cross into the uncanny valley as far as realism goes.

No specific release date has been announced as of yet, just a nebulous “2011″ at the end of the trailer. A simultaneous cross-platform (PC, PS3, 360) release is hoped for by this PC gamer in particular.

I don’t always agree with what I read on gaming websites.  In fact, I’ve been known to rant (often) about the quality of the posts that appear on them.  Do I care about your review of the gaming-branded potato chips you’re eating?  Do I worry about the influence of David Hasselhoff on video games?  Is it worth my while to read about what your top ten pre-rendered gamerboobs are?  In most cases, NO — gamerboobs aside.

I’ve railed on Kotaku, IGN, Joystiq, Gamespot, Giant Bomb, Facebook groups, and podcasts.  In some of those instances, the people I’ve been critical of were friends.  In others, the hatemail was directed towards those I’ve had issue with.

Recently, I came to the conclusion (and realization) that I’ve been wasting my time.

Game Journalists Are Incompetent Fuckwits (GJAIF) is a blog created by writer/actor Ben Paddon outlining the general fails of videogame media.  Paddon has noted via his personal blog that the site was created with his general distaste for some of the “dumb things gaming journalists do”.  And admittedly, gaming journalists (like journalists, bloggers, and writers for every other industry) do manage to produce some bad work now and again.  As more outlets are formed and people take up the pen — er, the keyboard — it can be safe to assume that not everyone has managed to graduate with a journalism degree, or even to have minored in basic English grammar.  Paddon even maintains a similar blog showcasing the British public’s failures, But, Sir…

I’ve followed the Twitter account for the simple reason of reaffirming some of the issues that I’ve had in the past with various outlets.  It’s an interesting read, even if I don’t agree with everything.  And besides, it’s just an opinion, right?

But then I began to notice that it was starting to irk some journalists and outlets.  Paddon, whether it was his goal or not, seemed to purposefully target publications to get a “rise” out of the writers.  I point to this recent back-and-forth between Joystiq’s Chris Grant and GJAIF, referencing a preview written in 2009 for Modern Warfare 2.  Other recent instances of rise-inducing were aimed at Kinect articles by MCV, or responses across Twitter.

Yes, GJAIF had essentially turned itself into a flame-bait house, hoping to stir up pots where it could.  It pisses off writers, and does a good job of it.  But, why should that matter?

I’ve dealt with flame-bait and fanboyism for a while now (and it should be noted, GJAIF has become a Jim Sterling fanboy recently) and while it annoyed and bothered me early on, it’s just an opinion.  In most respects, it may not even have been a correctly-presented response — there were often grammatical errors in the comments from Grammar Nazis — and yet it managed to get me to pull my hair out at times.  GJAIF is just a Digg-like collection of opinions, like those I had to sift through many a Saturday morning after a night of drunken blogging about the inefficiency of Social Media or Eastern European politics.

It wasn’t until recently that I “gave up” hating “bad” games journalism and realized that it wasn’t really bad, just not to my pleasure.  And it wasn’t always journalism, but sometimes criticism or old-fashioned blogging.  GJAIF hasn’t given up yet, fueled by the response from both fans of the site and writers of others, who are all-to-happy to stab each other in the back given an opportunity to make the competition look bad.  It feeds off of what Paddon feel’s is incompetence, given his “experience” at being an editor himself and ability to discern the difference between the content.

The trouble with games journalists is that they still take this to heart, though they don’t admit it.  The trouble with GJAIF is that it often can’t distinguish the relevance of the content in an article, misunderstanding the readership of a website and how it affects the content that is posted, whether it is good, bad, or simply bad ethical practice by the outlet.  GJAIF sometimes really “reaches” to get a tidbit of bad journalism, making a flamboyant mountain out of an issue that isn’t even there.  And, he often gets the response he desires.

It’s easy to pile on GJAIF with its own inconsistent practices (bad Twitter usage, grammatical errors, bad website design, etc) but it’s easier to forget about it.

I sometimes wonder if gaming writers monitor the GJAIF website to see if their content is on there, or that of their competitors, and to reply only to justify something for themselves.  No one needs to “stick up” for their articles or their practices, only to keep writing and hope (or know) that they’re doing the right thing.  GJIAF (now Paddon and his readers) will continue posting about what they do, or don’t, like about the content that is written.

Personally, I’m hoping that our articles make it to the front page of GJAIF some day, if anything more than for high-fiving during sessions of XBox Live or for a few extra “clicks”.  Maybe, just maybe, I’ll even have an acknowledgment by the GameJournos Twitter feed about this article, possibly getting torn apart for click-baiting or lack of proper fact-checking.

Naw, nevermind.  I’m not a journalist, just a blogger.  I don’t count.

[Until Twitter's rules change, these Tweets are owned by the Internet Cloud, and are fair play in reposting and linking, though regards to the providers for at least making them public.]

We know: it’s 2010.  And yes, we’re still fans of the occasional spin on Rock Band or Guitar Hero, though the series have become repetitive in recent years and milking is undoubtedly in full swing.  The music rhythm game genre has slowly (but surely) become this generation’s DDR.

But, there’s still opportunity in there, somewhere:  Rock Band is becoming more simulation-based (real strings!). Guitar Hero is getting more “gamey”, with pseudo power ups and a more fantasy-based story.  Now may be the optimal time to experiment with the genre.  That’s why we are offering up a sidequest for the band games, one that may be different enough to spur a whole new niche of a game genre.

We present to you: Guitar Hero RPG.

Now, why the hell hasn’t it been made yet?

Why?

When Puzzle Quest was released some odd years ago, the idea of mixing Bejeweled with Dragon Quest seemed out of the blue, unorthodox, and a shot in the dark.  Well, guess what?  It landed perfectly, resulting in a well-executed and fun cult classic game that has spawned dozens of copycats.  The puzzle RPG genre was born.  With interest in music games waning, the same tactical mix can be used.

The pairing may not seem ideal, since music rhythm games have a “set” execution to playing: there is one way to play the song and get a perfect score, with any deviation resulting in a lower score.  However, the ability for variables to be thrown in the mix can create a whole new way to play.

How?

Story

The story can be as basic as possible, aping that of Brutal Legend or Warriors of Rock.  An evil being has banished music from the realm, deafening the citizens.  The King calls upon traveling minstrels to battle the beast and bring sound back to his kingdom.  Basic stuff.

Gameplay

Firstly, the game would be played with a music peripheral controller: guitar, drums, keyboard, even microphone.  These wouldn’t be special new peripherals, either… just the ones that are already collecting dust in the corner of your living room behind the sofa.

The premise of the game would be one-on-one battles with enemies, much like the boss battles of Guitar Hero III.  But unlike that game, the way in which these were played would be somewhat similar to Puzzle Quest.  As a battle unfolds, a song (or setlist for boss battles) would begin.

The notes highway would appear, much like in any other music game, but the notes would be much more randomized in their locations.  This would allow for challenging play for even the most diehard music players and prevent blind playing of music.  Each enemy would have unique note randomizations: weaker enemies may rely on notes close together, while more challenging foes would utilize notes across the highway, in slides, and in other combinations.

As notes are hit in succession (combos of 3, 9, or 15) the enemy’s life meter would be reduced.  Each denomination of notes increases their strength as well: hit 9 notes and the strength of an attack is doubled, hit 15 and the attack is tripled.  Any notes in combinations hit beyond 15 would remain in triple strength.  A missed note allows the enemy to hit the player in succession until the player manages to break out with a 3-note combo during a shaky screen.

As a note color is hit, a corresponding meter on the side would fill up, dictating that a spell or attack is ready to be used.  Once full, the traditional “star power” shake or button press would initiate a spell casting mode in which the player has a short duration of time (2-3 seconds?) to enact a spell.  This would take place by hitting the corresponding colored note to begin the spell and play a short “star power” section.  The short section would require 100% perfection to complete and execute the spell.

The battle would last as long as the song, so if the song ends before the battle is over, the remaining HP would be tallied up and a winner chosen, but no bonuses, EXP or items earned.  Skills can be learned or purchased, and the character can buy weapons and armor, much like a traditional RPG.

Multiplayer

Music games are fine played by ourselves, but excel when played with friends.  Full band multiplayer, both offline and online, would be an important aspect to include.  As bands of minstrels travel across the kingdom, encountering groups of enemies, they play out songs together and earn credit only for the enemies defeated during the length of the song.  Much like Monster Hunter, this can be played online as well, and even in PvP combat.

And Finally…

So there you have it: an RPG based on a genre who’s popularity has peaked.  This niche game may breathe life into those plastic instruments that have been abandoned since each Fall, while at the same time satisfying a market that didn’t necessarily want a rehashed game from the year before.  And, if there is one franchise both badly in need of a reboot and willing to take a risk, it would be Guitar Hero.

Here’s to rockin’ some orcs into oblivion.

[Images courtesy Activision, D3P]

Episode 207. SideQuesting Summer break is over!  Join Ryan Gan, Mike Wehner, and Dali Dimovski as we discuss what we’ve been up to over the past month, our (semi)official Halfie Awards for the best games of the first half of 2010, and the return of Word Association!

Epic!

Hosts:
Ryan Gan, Mike Wehner, Dali Dimovski

Music:
Notorious BIG – Juicy

Links:
Twitter.com/ryangan
Twitter.com/mikewehner
Twitter.com/kewlrats

Click here for Part 1 of the trends review | Part 2

As technology advances and pushes the limits of gaming, there has been an inevitable resurgence in classic gaming standards, with possibly none more so evident than the return of several franchises that older gamers fondly remember.  Along with these classics come their play mechanics, seeded in memories of Friday night college gaming in dorm rooms with friends huddled around glowing 19″ CRT screens.

This third and final part of the trend report focuses on the “safe mode” in game development this year, as well as the advances in multiplayer gaming, music rhythm game divergence, and dance music games.

Safe Mode

Return of known properties

Spurred by the influx of remakes and demakes over the past two years, 2010 will continue to see this trend take hold, with a shift towards the tail end of the 16-bit era and the dawn of the 32-bit era as the focus.  Properties that defined consoles — Donkey Kong Country, Kirby, GoldenEye, Castlevania, Marvel vs Capcom, and NBA Jam — will make a strong comeback.  Nintendo especially is banking on the success of the popularity of classics for their Fall/holiday line-up.

Much like New Super Mario Bros and Bionic Commando in 2009, the continuation of classic franchises is an important theme for returning sales to post-Recession levels.  Unfortunately, this is an indicator that many new IPs will need to take a back seat for the next year until the industry regains momentum.

Sequelitis

As noted above, with the Recession affecting game design in 2008 and 2009, publishers have put their focus on safe practices to salvage sales.  Sequels to popular modern franchises is perhaps one of the best ways to do just that.

The annualization of game franchises is a norm in the sports genre, but has made it’s way to others as well.  Call of Duty: Black Ops aims to continue the record-setting sales of it’s yearly predecessors. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood introduces multiplayer elements to one of 2009′s Game of the Year candidates.  Super Scribblenauts was spurred by the incredible sales of the 2009 original for the DS. Even DJ Hero and the Conduit, which met with tepid sales in 2009, are receiving sequels.

This year will be pivotal in dictating if annualized sequels will result in sales growth, or if they will begin to wear on a sharply more discerning consumer.

The Next Modern Warfare

Several years ago, video games set during World War II where a normal occurrence.  Now, the same can be said for modern settings.  Thanks to the success of 2007′s titanic Modern Warfare , the FPS genre has firmly relocated into more modern times.

Homefront brings an alternate universe in which North Korea invades the US.  Medal of Honor‘s return sets it in modern Afghanistan as the player takes the helm of an elite team of Tier 1 Operators. SOCOM 4 brings the popular PS2 tactical combat franchise to High Definition and MOVE support.  Spec Ops: The Line, due later this year, brings combat amid sandstorms to Dubai.

Publishers are aiming to capitalize on the trend, releasing wave after wave of games that first began development after Modern Warfare was first revealed.  While the majority of the games involve realistic storylines, a sub-trend is that of alternate timelines in which games like Homefront are beginning to explore.

Multiplayer

Co-Op

Though multiplayer gaming continues to be a factor in games, in 2010 co-op play looks to surpass competitive play on many genres, as well as appear on new ones.  In 2-D platform games, co-operative play has gone from a “nice to have” to a “must”.  New Super Mario Bros Wii may have popularized the mode, but new entries in Donkey Kong Country and Castlevania will help make it become a norm in 2010.

The standard definition of co-op is being stretched, as developers are innovating the ways in which the mode can be utilized in games.  Gears of War 3 pushes 4-player co-op play to the graphical limits, Dance Central allows additional players to jump in as backup dancers, and Rock Band 3 pushes the band depth to 7+ members with keyboards, real guitars, and harmonies.

Music Rhythm Gaming Evolves

Game vs Realism

As the music rhythm genre continues its decline, developers and publishers are squeezing the most out of what remains by refocusing on the target audiences.  With Warriors of Rock, Activision will begin to push Guitar Hero as more of a game rather than a simulation of band play.  Since the 3rd revision, the series has been playing catch-up to Rock Band.  This latest version marks a decidedly more fantasy-based game, and should be a fresh direction as the series begins to separate itself from its competitors.

Rock Band 3 and Power Rig are taking the opposite path.  Entrenched in realism, the games allow for actual instrumental play and are meant to be simulations with the niche, expert audience in mind.  Though the games may be too much for the casual audience, they should be well-received by the core group of fans that continues to play the games regularly, and often seriously.

Dance Games

Several years ago, Dance Dance Revolution burst onto the scene with a pseudo dance game genre and a giant plastic pad, relegating it to a continuous fad.  Now, with the popularity of motion controls expanding, the technology to improve and provide dance gaming has caused the genre to explode.  With the addicting gameplay of Just Dance 2, the technology of Dance Central, and the music & dance combination of Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson Experience, among others, the momentum looks to place the genre at sales levels that music rhythm games witnessed 2 years ago.

Finally

Though the trends were plentiful this year, their grouping into three tiers — technology evolution, aesthetic design, and safe game design — tells us that this year is more geared towards rebuilding than anything else.  As the industry’s sales have predictably dropped, the need to build upon knowns and known properties is ever more important, at least for the foreseeable future.

“Final Fantasy XIII is absolutely a satisfactory game, dampened only by its focus on being bigger than it needed to be.”

When Final Fantasy XIII was first announced eons ago, and unbelievable images of spectacular battle scenes and flawless character animation were shown, my mouth dropped low enough to puncture every level of Dante’s Inferno (the book, not the game).  As a fan of the series since its NES-fueled inception, I had been anticipating the “next gen” Final Fantasy since the today’s consoles were announced.  It appeared that this would be the be-all, end-all RPG that I’ve always wanted.

That was over 4 years ago.  It is now 2010, and the videogame landscape has vastly changed.

Final Fantasy XIII hasn’t.

After months of grinding through futuristic alien worlds and battling bazooka-wielding soldiers with divining rods and brass knuckles, I’ve come to a realization about Square Enix’s latest adventure:  Final Fantasy XIII was late to its own party.

That’s not a bad thing, mind you, but it is perhaps an accurate way to describe this digital epoch.  FFXIII is designed to be the biggest, best,  “all things to everyone” RPG ever made, much like the console that the game was originally designed for.  The PS3 was initially marketed as a mysterious monolith that would usher in the BluRay era, revolutionize digital content, and offer gaming experiences unlike any ever had before.  Final Fantasy was the centerpiece of that promise, as Final Fantasy VII was to the original Playstation.

The only problem was that the PS3’s success was hurt early on by horrible leadership decisions, causing gamers to migrate to the XBox 360 and Wii in droves.  Final Fantasy XIII, still in development for a Playstation that was saturated in its heritage, allowed RPGs like Mass Effect and Fallout 3 and visual behemoths like Gears of War and Bioshock to catch up and even lead with their own unique experiences.  Its promises of wonderful visuals, epic storyline, and intense action had become the norm.  Once the videogame leader, the game was falling behind the competition.

Let me backtrack before I go any further and reiterate: That’s not a bad thing.  As much as the game is comprised of promises that don’t quite connect, it is the other details of the game that prove more than successful.

From the onset, you can tell that the game is meant to be something special.  It is easy to be absolutely floored by the visuals as they’re so beautiful, so meticulously (ridiculously?) detailed that they’re almost overwhelming.  Unfortunately, the game moves so fast that it can be impossible to stop and enjoy any of it.  The characters are constantly running from point A to point B, with little in the way of sightseeing except for opening up the random treasure chest and taking part in battles.

Later on, when time finally stands still long enough on Gran Pulse, the incredible scenery takes center stage.  Wonderful creature design, with massive beasts (some even visible in the distance towering over mountains), provides memorable battles and adventuring.  Though grinding became the norm for several hours, I welcomed seeing the animation of feral wolves and behemoths set amidst the ever-expanding fields full of sand, forest, and crystals.  What really comes to life here is the importance of the worlds, Cocoon and Gran Pulse, as characters in their own right.  Cocoon plays the part of the technologically advanced teenager, with a linear path design that mimics Tokyo’s bright lights and big city.  Gran Pulse portrays the weathered story-telling grandfather, allowing open-world travel completely devoid of linear travel.  The world was clearly modeled after Australia’s Outback, allowing for nature, instead of man, to determine the order of things.

Final Fantasy XIII’s storyline choice isn’t the series’ typical apocalyptic love story.  The end of the world is secondary to the interaction between the six main characters.  Much like the structure of TV show LOST,  the characters’ pasts are linked together and told through a series of flashbacks that affect their actions.  The end game isn’t about saving the world; it’s about developing the characters and their backstories to the point where we understand their motivations completely.  No matter what happened on the screen, the story was always advancing.  It feels much like an FPS at times, with its linearity designed to keep us moving along and avoiding sometimes time-consuming deviation like unnecessary grinding.

The protagonists may be stereotypical, but that isn’t unexpected.  The women in the game, Lightning, Vanille and Fang, are extremely well-developed.  Though the acting for Vanille is sub-par, her inability to judge outcomes and over-trusting fate causes her character to be surprisingly important.  It is her mistakes that cause the other characters to find both failure and salvation.

At least, that’s what the developers wanted.  With such a fast-paced story and emphasis on growth of the heroes, the game misses out on developing the enemies. I never get to really “hate” Barthandeleus as an enemy. In fact, none of the enemies become hated because they don’t appear enough through the game.  The focus on the heroes, while great for developing our relationship to them, does injustice in progressing our goal of saving the world.  It also causes a strange “rubber band effect” in the game’s pacing.  The scenes shift from action-packed to mellow, and back again, sometimes even filling the plot with unnecessary climaxes.  It doesn’t help that the heroes spend 80% of the story not knowing what they have to do next.  All too often, the only answer to their self-questioning about their ultimate goal was “I don’t know. We just need to go forward.”

The non-traditional plot development highlights the element of the game that is far and above the most intriguing: the battle system.  The Paradigm system may be the best turn-based battle mechanic… maybe ever.  They feel highly tactical, with each choice I make having a direct impact in the outcome of the battle.  Even little things like using potions to replenish HP or casting buff spells were methodical endeavors.  This may be more like a strategy RPG than a turn-based one.  It is such a good mechanic, that it is worth playing the game for, regardless of the character development or visuals.  Square would be wise to use it in future games as it doesn’t really come into its own until the second half of the game.

Final Fantasy XIII is absolutely a satisfactory game, dampened only by its focus on being bigger than it needed to be.  The game is still a remarkable experience, with a focus on the development of the heroes reminiscent of great TV, visuals that rival Avatar, and a battle system that is enjoyable beyond comparison.  If only the pacing were better and the apocalyptic plot realized with more emphasis on a final objective, the game would be a benchmark for this generation.  And, it still is, just maybe not in the way that we were expecting it to.

This review is based on a copy of the game for the Playstation 3 purchased by the reviewer.  The game’s story was fully completed, and some extra time was spent afterwards returning to the overworld for sidequests.

Every so often, friends of Team SideQuesting need a little help.  Sometimes that means stepping out beyond our day-to-day lives and donating a little to support a cause.

Our friend and yours, the Internet’s James Gillard, has recently been in-and-out of the hospital, out of work, and dangerously close to losing his place of residence.  If you’ve been following his tweets, you’d understand how much of a dire situation he is in.  And, since he’s a pretty good guy (apart from the constant murdering of us on XBox Live) he’s been as positive as you could ever hope someone could be. Though he’s not asking for it, we, virtual and actual friends of his, are banding together to host an online event.

Much like the “New Gums Day” fundraiser this past January 1st, this event — Romancing the Stones, taking place this Sunday, July 25th — will help James in great ways.  Featuring an auction, prizes, and a terrific live show with some incredible guests, Romancing the Stones will not only be a great charity event, but a great event overall.

So, help out!  Donate, join the event page, or spread the word!

Facebook Event Page

Full info below! (Thanks to everyone who’s helped to arrange this!)

Dear Big-Hearted Friends in This Here Club the JPAG,

In case you didn’t know, this is a real love-in of a Facebook Group. Every now and then a serious need arises among our group, and so we band together to do good. We’ve helped repair consoles; we’ve helped pay crazy dental bills.

And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, I now sound the clarion call once more.

While we’ve jokingly adopted Twitter memes when James “Take My Bike — Please!” Gillard has been hospitalized, he has unfortunately suffered multiple hospitalizations of late, and British healthcare unfortunately doesn’t come with British job security for part-time teachers. It’s been one damn thing after another, and none of those things are generating dough.

Put bluntly, he hasn’t been able to work for some time, and times are desperate. As in, eviction-desperate, and in short order.

Are we going to sit idly by while Mr. Sophistication gets kicked to the curb? Most assuredly not, fellow fans of Battenberg cake!

To wit: on July 25, from 2 – 5 PM CDT, the JPAG will host a live JPAG podcastravaganza, featuring fabulous prizes and live call-ins! This time, no prawns will be present.

Oh, yeah, I said PRIZES. Prizes to be awarded in a fashion TBD (likely similar to the New Gums Day method); there will likely be a raffle for some items of particular significance, and some other thank-you gifts sent to all those who donate, or who donate at some TBD level. Here’s what people have committed to donate thus far:

*** BEGIN PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS, LARGELY PLAGIARIZED FROM DONOR COPY ***

Evan Hodgins (Toronto, America’s Hat): Evan will put you in as a guest in his comic Of Noobs and Men (a two-time winner of the Joystiq Weekly Webcomic Wrapup). Get famous, in line-art!

Kyle Collis: Kyle donates three prize packs, as follows…
1. Dreamcast Prize Pack – PAL Dreamcast with two controllers, a VMU, and a scart cable. Also comes with four games: Mr Driller, Shenmue, SoulCalibur and Jet Set Radio.
2. Promotional Consideration Prize Pack – Eight promotional PlayStation 2 games: Destroy All Humans, Burnout Revenge, The Warriors, Brothers in Arms – Road to Hill 30, Ultimate Spider-Man, Fantastic 4 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006. He says: “Since these are a little crap I also included a copy of Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box on PS3 (without the sleeve), Final Fantasy VII Complete (a two-disc DVD set of an entire playthrough of FFVII I bought off eBay years ago for some reason) and The Legend of Zelda: Melodies of Time (a soundtrack CD that came with an issue of the official UK Nintendo magazine).”
3. Arty Prize Pack – Art books for Devil May Cry 4, InFamous, Dead Space (hardback, includes 3D glasses), Jade Empire and five art cards for Halo Wars. Also includes the 10th anniversary Complete Pokedex hardback book and comics for Halo: Uprising, De Blob and Wanted.

Jarret Green (St. Louis, Missouri):
Seth Cohen Starter pack:
2 lucky winners will get 1 book, 1 game (PS or Stream, prob), 1 cd (or mix CD), 1 movie, and 1 wildcard item from Jarret’s personal collection based on your own taste (and ability to enjoy such a items)*
*your taste to be determined by painfully generic facebook quizzes.
It’s like JPAG Secret Chrismakkuh Guy in July!**
**All prizes will be related to The O.C.***
***in that they are in the same house as every season of the O.C.

Patrick Young (Waldorf, Maryland): A homemade plush Sackboy made out of some of his BBMT wristbands from PAX East.

Klee Baker (Manhattan, Kansas): Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition Players’ Handbook.

Jeff LeClerc (Chicago, IL): New copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum (360 version).

John Moore (Medford, Oregon): Two MP3/CD audiobook packs!
Pack one includes:
-Death by Black Hole, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
-The Pluto Files, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
-Where’s My Jetpack?, by Daniel H. Wilson
Pack two includes:
-Sex Lives of Cannibals
-Getting Stoned with Savages
-Lost on Planet China, all by J. Maarten Troost
Pics here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140366112655950#!/photo.php?pid=1548586&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=140366112655950&aid=-1&id=1242062878

Dustin Deckard (Wichita, Kansas): Lord of the Rings Online limited edition box signed by the entire lead development team. These boxes were given away at PAX Prime and include the game (no expansions) and soundtrack, as well as a poster and map of Middle Earth. It’s a big, cool-looking box, and although it’s not shrink-wrapped or anything, it’s brand new and the code has never been activated, meaning it’s good for 30 days of gameplay. Considering that LOTRO is going free-to-play this fall, it’s a great way to dip your toes into the game. Also: digital codes for 2,000 Turbine Points, usable in Dungeons & Dragons Online (retail value $20).

Steven Strom (Fargo, North Dakota): Custom-designed t-shirt, designs TBD.

Justin Russo (Oak Park, Illinois): A complete set of his videogame art posters, signed and numbered by the artist, PLUS the super-secret pack-in poster, given only to those who backed at a premium level. I got my posters the other day, and let me tell you, this is a SWEET PACK. As in, better than my joystick. It took a lot to write that. So there.

Alan Black (Asheville, North Carolina): An invaluable chance to be ‘chopped in with the Joystiq Podcast hosts in one of his podcast banner pictures.

Mare Odomo (Seattle, Washington): Personally donated copies of his Pokexistentialist mini-comic _Letters To An Absent Father_. See more here: http://mareodomo.com/#425319/Letters-To-An-Absent-Father

Alexander Bevier (Tacoma, Washington): A brand-new, unopened Razer Boom Slang 2007 Collector’s Edition mouse, numbered 05978 out of 10000. See more here: http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169415700

Holly Attesi (Springfield, Massachusetts): XBLA codes, nature TBD.

Wesley Johnson (Greenville, Kentucky): Some “pretty sweet graphic novels.”

Jesse “Mainfinger” Gregory (Bellevue, Washington): Three copies of Mode7, his game music CD compilation, physical copies of Save the Princess Vol. 1 (previously available only via digital distribution), several games in pristine condition, and the right to pick ANY game music song you know and have him make a custom remix of the song just for you. Remember that this is the guy who won the Capcom Dark Void contest for doing just such work. Now he can do it for you! See prize pics of the games and Mode7 CDs here: http://www.mainfinger.com/misc/prizes.jpg

Oscar Mancia (Chicago, Illinois): A Fulgore Killer Instinct T-Shirt (size XL), two 500 Nintendo Points cards, Pokemon Gold and Silver display boxes, Scribblenauts/A Boy and His Blob posters, and a digital photo of Ryan Mulvaney in front of the Eiffel Tower.

*** END PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS ***

So mark your calendars, peeps! This is going to be all kinds of fun, and all for a cause that will have immediate and lasting impact on one of our own.

Lastly, if you are good at something or make things that could be used as raffle prizes and you’d like to help, please message me right away. If you have the time and willingness to help organize this dealio, that’s also appreciated.

NOTE: This year, instead of mailing all donated goods to a central location whereupon a bedraggled volunteer packs it all up again and sends it out, we are relying on donors to take on the task of shipping the goods to the winners. Bear in mind that in some cases, international shipping may be involved, and thus it could tak…e several months for your prize to arrive by ice floe.

*** If you want to donate now, you can paypal your funds to jpaganimalrescue@gmail.com. ***

Your brother who never beat you up and always defended you in the schoolyard,

-Randall

What wasn’t so old is new again as Super Mario Galaxy 2 sets out to expand on what we saw in the original Galaxy game. New levels, new power ups, 242 more stars to collect and the return of Yoshi are all here to achieve that expanded gameplay experience. But is that what Super Mario Galaxy 2 simply amounts to – an expansion pack? Or is Super Mario Galaxy 2 a step towards 3D platforming game perfection? Pick up your Fire Flower and let’s burn through this to find out.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn’t muck around much with extra story, it sticks with the tried and true Mario game premise.  Once again, you have to rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach from Bowser, but this time he’s been made giant-sized by an infusion of cosmic power from stars he has stolen. The Lumas help out again  as you travel through space to retrieve stars that provide power to your new “faceship,” yes that’s a spaceship shaped like Mario’s face. The faceship is really a (welcomed) minimalist hub world. Where you had to walk from station to station on that huge ship in Galaxy 1, in Galaxy 2 you select destinations on a simple map. Think the top-down world maps of Super Mario Bros 3 or New Super Mario Bros. By stripping down the story and the hub world, Galaxy 2 feels like a series of individual levels rather than a cohesive experience. It’s not really a bad thing as Mario games, historically, have always been light on cohesiveness.

Like its predecessor, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a treat for the eyes. Bright colors and that classic smile-inducing Mario esthetic persist throughout the game. At a glance, it’s easy to dismiss the graphical quality as being the same as Galaxy 1; however, Galaxy 2 looks noticeably better to me on my 46” LCD than the original. There must have been some technical improvements as things just look smoother even at far camera distances. It’s an impressive amount of polish, which is understandable as they’ve had loads of time to hone the visual output. It’s still running at just 480p but Nintendo is definitely squeezing more out here than most other Wii games are doing. That also applies to the controls as the motion controls are surprisingly tight, even though they’re still minimal. Take the Super Monkey Ball-type levels and the Bluzzard flying levels in particular – both felt remarkably responsive and accurate despite not requiring Motion Plus.

The difficulty level is solid as the game seamlessly integrates a difficulty curve that should satisfy novice and expert players. As in the original, newbies can get through the game without having to complete every single galaxy if they don’t want to, and the hardcore platforming fans can face the sometimes vicious challenges available — just have a decent stock pile of 1-Ups you’ll do fine.

Of course difficulty goes hand in hand with level design, and again Nintendo has crafted some levels that push the limits of 3D platforming games. The way many levels vary the direction in which gravity will act and the way the drill power-up makes you think about the environment differently are both excellent stuff. I liked how some levels through the game are designed to end with you feeling like you just made it, giving you a fun sense of accomplishment. Most of the exploration that was in Galaxy 1 is gone, in favor of level design that is even more linear. So again, things feel even more focused and, in turn, a little more bite-sized — which is good for those wanting to be able to pick up and play to collect a few stars and then turn it off. Yoshi is a fun addition to the game, the pointer mechanic for eating enemies and items with his tongue is spot on. I still wish you could bring Yoshi from galaxy to galaxy with you, but it’s not a hindrance. The new power-ups are well-implemented. Though the cloud flower has a similar feel to the bee mushroom, and I still get annoyed at the spring suit. Some very fun and unique bosses are also in the game, especially after the first world.

While it’s quite obvious that I really enjoyed this game, I do have some complaints. First, I think the subtle uses of classic Mario music here and there and even a couple of full-on homages to Mario64 add a nice feeling of familiarity and recognition as you play. However what I didn’t care for as much was the make up of the Special World that’s unlocked after you beat Bowser at the “end” of the game. I had myself built up wondering what new and wonderful craziness Nintendo would try in the Special World, as it was for the more seasoned players who had finished the game. However, what you get are a series of Galaxy 1 level rehashes including a boss rush level. Sure, they’re still fun and challenging but I felt like I’ve literally played them before — which I did. I felt this way a handful of times in other places in the game but none as much as the Special World.

It almost feels a little foolhardy to complain about repetitiveness in Galaxy 2 when it is a game that thrives (and nearly succeeds) on giving the player a new experience around every corner. I was pleased to see enemy rarities like the Hammer and Boomerang Bros, but there are way too many Octoombas around, in their various color incarnations. They’re the spotted guys that spit rocks at you, you know the ones. They’re everywhere. I would have liked if some of the score-based chimp challenges didn’t always have to involve them on top of their generous use in the main game.

My final complaint involves the final encounter with Bowser. It was very anti-climatic. Outside of an easy extra end sequence, the main Bowser fight is the same battle you have with him several times through the game. I don’t see any reason why the final encounter couldn’t have been a little more different.

My only real complaint about the original Super Mario Galaxy was that I just wanted more. With Super Mario Galaxy 2, I got that in spades. It turns out that “more” also included more refinement and expansion of what was already one of the best games I’ve ever played. Despite my qualms with the Special World, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is really the new benchmark for the Wii and sets an awfully high bar for the other systems as well.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 will make you smile even in the most frustrating parts and have you repeating the phrase “just one more star” over and over again.

Click here for Part 1 of the trends review

With the massive push for new technology this year, other aspects of game design are being affected.  Visual design, game environments, and story-telling take center stage to make sure that not only are the games technologically impressive, but entertaining as well.

Part 2 of the trend report deals with how visual aesthetics, environments, and character design trends are taking shape.

Visuals

Trend: 2D Platforming

As developers and publishers aim to out-do each other with high technology, there is a considerable backlash taking place. The desire for a pure game experience that is devoid of technological gimmickry is leading to a resurgence in 2D platform games.  In some respects, this is an evolution of retro-inspired gaming, but in other cases the genre is far-surpassing classic games.

“Re-makes” are a popular trend again, with updates to classic games (either in HD, 2.5D, or retro-influenced) currently peaking.  Nintendo’s approach is to leverage their popular franchises, pushing Kirby and Donkey Kong as their premiere 2D titles this holiday season much like with New Super Mario Bros Wii last year.  Konami is creating modern sequels to Bonk and Hard Corps, as well as a multiplayer Castlevania with an incredible zoom-out play feature.  Even the new Mortal Kombat and Marvel vs Capcom fighting games have gone back to 2D.

Independent developers see the opportunity to look at 2D platforming very differently. Indie developer Playdead is creating Limbo, a highly artistic game based on storytelling and shadows with Mario-like mechanics.  Super Scribblenauts, the sequel to last year’s E3 darling, improves the mechanic that made it popular by adding adjectives as to allow an exponential amount of variety in play-throughs.  Prope’s Ivy the Kiwi? looks at game controls from a more passive attitude.

2D platforming, thanks to playing on our classic gaming memories, isn’t just making a comeback, it’s already here.

The resurgence in 2D platforming is leading to companies evaluating alternative presentation methods for visualizing their games. Sprites, soft material, and hand-drawn visuals are in abundance this year.

Trend: Visuals as Art

The use of art-like visuals in 2D platforming has always been common, yet this year the idea is being stretched in unique ways… literally.  Kirby’s Epic Yarn draws influence from Little Big Planet in using materials to portray the pink puff and his worl, even using the physics of the materials in game play.  Prope’s Ivy the Kiwi? uses hand-drawn visuals that look as if they have been sketched on craft paper.  This is a continued extension of previous “art-aesthetic” games such last year’s Muramasa, or even Street Fighter IV.

Silhouetting (designing the games as shadows) is another visual aesthetic that is showing more in indie games.  World of Goo somewhat fit the concept last year, and Echochrome before it, of manipulation of dark on light.  This year, the use of shadow (and adversely, light) as a key game play element allows for a high-contrast use of black.  Both Lost in Shadow and Limbo, for instance, utilize a shadow character amongst a shadow world to design the visuals.

Trend: Anti-Post Apocalyptic Colors

A few years ago, the plethora of post-apocalyptic or alien invasion game settings utilized grey and brown.  This inadvertently became known as the “next gen” look, as popular games — Fallout 3, Bioshock, Gears of War — used the earthy, crumbled color scheme to portray a worn and dirty world.

This year, though the post-apocalyptic settings are similar, the colors have become much more saturated, perhaps cuing off of the success of the stylized Borderlands last year.  Bright red, “living” green, and bluish-gray are the popular colors we’ll see in games, with an electric yellow used as an accent to show off special powers or weapons.  Things are looking up for the doomed world.

Growing Trend: Environments

Every year, a new visual “schtick” takes place that highlights the latest graphics technology. Two years ago it was water. Last year developers showed off fire effects.  This year snow is in, specifically in mountainous landscapes and cities.  The reason that snowy scenes are becoming popular is possibly a correlation to the growing use of particle physics in games.  Killzone 3‘s battle scenes are reminiscent of the blizzards in Uncharted 2 or Modern Warfare 2.  Expect to see more game snow and mountains in the next two years.

Another locale that is trending is directly related to the war-torn post-apocalypse.  Collapsed cities are found in upcoming games like Rage, with the ability to take down deteriorating structures even more of a draw.  Crumbling buildings, with falling blocks of cement and dusty interiors, push the limits of texture technology, even though they don’t necessarily appear as dynamic as forests or war zones.

Growing Trend: Character Design

Middle-aged men with beards.  If there was any character design that has become prevalent in gaming it is the “Nathan Drake” look, a variation on the scruffy, middle-class, white male that’s been popularized by TV shows like LOST.  Protagonists in games like Infamous 2 and Medal of Honor are becoming more realistic, which means that there is more of an emphasis on the half-shaven, stuck in a bad situation look.  This may be a reflection of the film industry, where realistic takes on comic book properties (The Dark Knight, for instance) are becoming more popular as directors aim to create believability.

Growing Trend: The Motion Control “Look”

As Microsoft and Sony unveiled their motion control peripherals at E3 this year, both publishers had distinctive ways at marketing the games via aesthetic.  Microsoft, aiming at the Wii audience, is pushing “offend no-one” cartoon-like visuals with avatar support.  Sony, on the other hand, is using realism to showcase its MOVE games, focusing on more of the core audience.  It remains to be seen if either of these aesthetics will take hold for the respective technologies.

Conclusion Part 2

As new technology is being brought into video games, the aesthetic and design follows.  Though there is a sort of “backlash” against high-technology, 2D platforming is actually incorporating ground-breaking and revolutionary design and storytelling.  This also showcases a defiance in the peaking post-apocalypse and zombie trends in gaming that have been prevalent in recent years, with more of a focus on brighter, more pleasing colors amid new environments.  In the next one-to-two years, expect developers to begin to move away from death and destruction towards more positive experiences as a reflection of the seemingly positive turn in the economy.

So you want to play Transformers: War for Cybertron, but you don’t want to pay for it.  Well today is your lucky day!  We’re giving away a copy for the Xbox 360 and all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us who your favorite transformer is.

You can comment up to once per day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).  The winner will be randomly selected Monday morning (7/19) at 12:01 am EST.  Good luck and check your email!

UPDATE: Alright, folks.  The contest has ended and our winner is … *drum roll* … Matt W!

*Entrants must be from the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec).  More than one entry per day will result in disqualification.  The winner will be given one week from awarding of prize to provide a shipping address.  Failure to do so will result in another winner being chosen.*

VITALS

Game: Transformers: War for Cybertron

Developer: High Moon Studios

Released: June 22, 2010

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

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I’m going to be honest here; I’m not a fan of G1 Transformers.  Sure, I’ve seen the show a couple of times and watched the incredibly cheesy 80s film, but most of my exposure to the franchise of poor marksmen in disguise was through the 90s iteration: Beast Wars.  That said … OK, are you done booing now?  That said, I’m familiar enough with the source material to recognize the major players, most of whom make an appearance in War for Cybertron.

Cybertron is, for those of you not in the know, the home world of the Transformers and, as the subtitle indicates, the scene of a war between the Autobots and Decepticons.  The Decepticons do some bad, the Autobots do some good, and a lot of stuff blows up.  That’s pretty much the entire plot of Transformers: War for Cybertron, but do you really need any more motivation to take control of a transforming robot/vehicle equipped with lasers and a giant energy sword?

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While the content of WFC may not be surprising, the quality far exceeded my expectations.  A far cry from the previously released movie tie-in cash grabs, Transformers is — to put it bluntly– really, really fun.  Controlling your robot of choice is a delight thanks to the seamless transition between forms, solid combat, and movement controls; nothing is more thrilling than zooming toward your target at breakneck speeds only to transform at the last second and wallop them over the head with an energon hammer.  And the sound!  Oh, the sound: nothing but bullets, butt-rock, and most of the (living) original voice actors.  It’s the closest you can get to Cybertron without actually being there.

High Moon Studios hasn’t reinvented the third-person shooter, but they did craft a surprisingly competent addition to the genre.  Missions are pretty standard: you break into the opposing force’s territory (the game offers five Decepticon and five Autobot campaign missions) and wreck shop between every switch activation and slow elevator ride.  Thankfully, this monotonous formula is kept somewhat fresh by the option to pick one of three slightly different bots, each with their own weapons and abilities, at the start of each mission.  Oh, and a few missions let you play as flying Transformers — like fan-favorite, Starscream.

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The real high point of War for Cybertron, however, lies in its end-of-mission boss battles.  Some are vehicle-sized, some are skyscrapers, each is completely different from the one before it.  Whether dodging enormous pistons or exchanging salvos of rockets on a fall from orbit, I thoroughly enjoyed each encounter.

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As for the multiplayer portion, it’s mostly standard fare: deathmatch, CTF, etc.  There’s also a Horde/Firefight-esque mode called Escalation and a class-based leveling system that grants access to new abilities for your customizable bots.  From what little time I spent with it, it seemed fairly deep.  But like most multiplayer shooters, it wasn’t really my cup of tea.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

For the most part, Transformers: War for Cybertron hits all the right spots.  It looks good; it sounds good; and most importantly, it’s fun to play.  Should you have even the slightest interest in the franchise, it would be well worth your time to spend a night or two destroying and then saving Cybertron.

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This review is based on the 360 version of the game provided by Activision.  The campaign was completed in about 11 hours with 39 of 50 achievements earned for 650 out of 1000 possible points.  About 2 hours was spent playing various multiplayer modes.  Images courtesy of Activision.

And be sure to stick around for …

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And now I get to the most important part of any game — the achievements.

The majority of the achievements in Transformers: War for Cybertron are obtained by simply running through the campaign and collecting/destroying various doo-dads.  That’s good.  Unfortunately, the remaining points are locked away in multiplayer.  Many of these online-only achievements require you to max out all four classes, which at an estimated 20 hours per class and four classes total, is no small feat.  So, unless you find yourself enthralled with the multiplayer, don’t expect to get more than 3/4 of the available gamerscore.

Each year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) showcases the games and technology that we will be playing over the foreseeable future. Often, that can mean products that are debuting in the Fall, or even those that are 1-2 years away from completion. These products guide the industry in design and technology for years, as consumers flock to those products that they find more enjoyable.

This year’s E3 continued that formula. The products that were on the show floor and behind closed doors displayed clear trends and direction for 2010 and onward as to what game designers and publishers are proposing to the gaming public. From technology, to visual design, to the cultural sphere around gaming, this year’s show was more subdued in blockbuster announcements, instead focusing on revision and evolution over revolution. Over the next few days we will discuss the leading trends that were apparent at the event.  This is part 1 of 3.

Part 1: Technology

Trend: 3D Gaming

The major focus of Sony and Nintendo at the show was aimed towards 3-dimensional gaming.  The technology has been hot and cold over the decades, found in film, books, and gaming.  This time around, James Cameron’s film Avatar set the precedent for immersion with 3D visuals that were designed to place the viewer into the scene as opposed to having objects thrown out of it. It should be noted that 3D visuals are presumed to cause strain on eyes to some viewers.

Sony’s Playstation 3 console effort relies on special glasses and televisions, a technology that is in minimal adoption at the moment.  Even with several impressive 3D titles set to arrive this year, such as Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone 3, the slow return of the economy has consumers hesitant to make large home purchases such as expensive new televisions with unproven technology.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is utilizing glasses-free technology that has been available on mobile devices for the past 2 years.  Their 3DS portable allows for a narrow-angle glasses-free view of 3-dimensional visuals.  “It really works,” was the common comment coming out of E3.  Intent to purchase for the 3DS should be relatively high when it arrives, as consumers are ready to move on from the current DS and PSP generation.

There is an interesting phenomenon taking place with 3D.  Most developers and publishers are currently exhibiting a “wait-and-see” attitude towards the technology in the living room, but are excited by the idea of a self-contained mobile 3D experience.  The technology may be a nice-to-have for the PS3, but a driving force of sales for the 3DS.

Trend: Motion Control

Last year at E3, both Microsoft and Sony debuted their concepts for motion control, Natal (Kinect) and Move, respectively.  This year, the updated technologies took center stage as the companies aimed to sell to distinctly different markets.  Microsoft’s controller-less Kinect seemed focused on capturing the Wii’s casual crowd, while Sony showcased more core efforts such as FPS and racing games.

Both Microsoft and Sony are using motion control to extend the life of their respective consoles, with Microsoft also launching a a redesigned XBox 360 to coincide.  Once again, Sony is adding support for the new tech to a large percentage of their future software, while Microsoft is leaning towards technology-specific games that cannot be played without the Kinect.  Though the technologies are different, the software is still very similar, and we may not see “killer apps” until next year’s E3 show.

Trend: Cloud gaming

As ISP networks become more stable and quicker, Netflix-like streaming of video games is becoming a reality.  Last year, OnLive debuted their service in early form, showcasing how games can be played without a console or disk and just a fast internet connection.  Since then, the product has launched and companies like Gamestreamer and Gaikai have begun testing their own versions.  Browser-based games have gone from fad to norm on desktops and laptops, as Facebook games like Farmville and Mafia Wars have consumed the time of millions of players.

OnLive has been the most publicized of the emerging group, with a technology that allows for playing of the newest games on even some considerably sub-par or older computers.  With the popularity of Netflix streaming continuing to grow at an accelerated pace (appearing on all consoles and several mobile devices), the technology is just now becoming realized in the gaming world.  Its advantages include near-perfect piracy control, play-anywhere (regardless of device), and accessibility; within a few minutes after signing up, anyone can play without purchasing any new hardware.

Expect the technology to continue to grow, especially once ISPs like Comcast and AT&T decide to partner with the service providers as early as next year.

Growing Trend: Augmented reality

Augmented reality became a buzz word in 2008 with the release of several novel apps for the iPhone 3G, and the 3GS in 2009.  At this year’s show, augmented reality began to appear in the mobile platforms as well as on consoles.  The technology brings realistic visuals or locations into the games that we play and meshes them with unique gameplay mechanics.

On the mobile front, Nintendo showcased a tech demo that wowed users.  Using the 3DS and its exterior 3D cameras, the portable captured an image of a question block on a table.  The image then transformed into a fully playable battle scene, showcased in the hand-held’s glasses-free 3D technology.  Almost instantly showgoers began wondering what StarFox or Mario might look like in augmented reality.

Sony is utilizing the EyeToy in the EyePet software, due in 2010.  The game uses live video of the users and overlays a 3D image of a creature that is played with, either hands-free or with the Move motion controls.  The software can also interpret 2D images and sketches, allowing for even more interaction.

Though still fairly small, the use of augmented reality in gaming is being pushed more on portables than it is on consoles, thanks to location services and built-in motion sensors, but will remain a novelty experience for the foreseeable future.

Growing Trend: Everything to Everyone

When the PS3 launched on 2006, it prided itself on being the only console that gamers would need. Almost four years later, Sony has renewed its push with the “It Only Does Everything” campaign.  Thanks to recent firmware updates the console can display Netflix and Hulu content, video editing, social network connectivity, and 3D gaming, along with the ever-expanding Home and Playstation Plus.  Sony has capitalized on being first-to-market with recently new technology.

Microsoft is doing the same, albeit with more focus on networked tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix.  Kinect is aimed at the casual audience, and ESPN and video conferencing is also coming this year.

These companies are hoping to expand the potential sales “bullet points” of their devices, as they work to capture the check list mentality of how consumers view value.  Thanks to smart firmware updates, both Sony and Microsoft, along with Nintendo and its 3DS and Apple with its iOS devices, are able to continually expand the usability of their products.  This is easily the “Most Functional Generation” of gaming products, to the point where gaming often takes a back seat to other applications.  This will continue even more so with the growth of 3D and motion control.

Conclusion Part 1

This year marked the push for extending the life of the current console generation with new technology and a refocus on gaming audience. The key trends to consider going forward through 2010 and into 2011 are clearly based on the adoption of three key technologies: 3D, motion control, and cloud-hosted gaming. These trends are affecting both haptic interaction with and visual design of games and consoles.

It’s 100 degrees outside. It’s the middle of July. It’s an unbearable Summer.  IT’S HOT.

The best way to prepare for going outdoors? This sweet zip-up jumper from Bethesda!  At E3, the Rage and Hunted publisher gave us this ultra-limited piece of swag to pass along to you.  With several notable Bethesda logos screen-printed on, you’ll at least be ready for the chilly nights of gaming in Autumn.

How to win?  Simple!

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what upcoming game of 2010 you’re most excited about.
2) Enter up to once per day Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday
3) Winner chosen & announced on Tuesday night at 10PM EST using a randomizing number selector.

Good Luck!

[UPDATE: Winner is Memo, who's excited about Crysis 2!]

Finding a good Spider-Man game can be a difficult task. Though you won’t find anything that’s quite on the level of Arkham Asylum, there are a few good games out there. Some people would argue that Web of Shadows was good; some would argue that the last good Spidey game was Spider-Man 2. These two games were successful for the same reason that Arkham Asylum was successful. Arkham Asylum let you be Batman and do Batman-type things. Web of Shadows and Spider-Man 2 presented the player with an open-world environment, so you were free to do what Spider-Man does — web-sling.

Activision’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions demonstration at E3 didn’t show off any open-world web-slinging. In fact, the environments in Shattered Dimensions seemed slightly restrictive. But Shattered Dimensions will have things that Web of Shadows and Spider-Man 2 doesn’t have: four different Spider-Men, four different universes, and four different styles of gameplay. Will these be enough to make up for the lack of an open-world New York City?

Shattered Dimensions begins when an ancient tablet breaks into four pieces, resulting in the creation of four parallel dimensions. Each dimension has four Spider-Men: Spider-Man Noir, The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, and a fourth mystery Spider-Man to be revealed in a few weeks at San Diego Comic-Con.

This game is full of fan service — that is, once you get past that magical tablet thing. People who have kept their noses in comic books recently will recognize Spider-Man Noir from the Marvel Noir books that were released last year, while older fans may recognize Spider-Man 2099 from his own series of books that ran in the 90s.

Voices may also sound familiar as developer Beenox was able to secure voice actors from the 70s and 90s animated series to do the voice overs for Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Man 2009, respectively. Moreover, the most faithful Spider-Man fans will probably feel at home as Beenox has signed on writers who have worked on the Spider-Man universe before to write the story for Shattered Dimensions.

Although fan service will help pull in some faithful web-heads, it’s not enough to bring success to a game. The four different Spider-Men and their worlds should provide four different experiences.

Spider-Man Noir’s dimension is the most unique of the three shown to us at E3. It’s color palette give give it a unique look and also helps to highlight a mechanic that has yet to be seen in a Spider-Man game — stealth.

The level we saw at E3 was a carnival level that would eventually lead up to a boss encounter with Norman Osbourne — a circus freak in the Noir universe. The easiest way to advance through the level was to stay within the shadows, and to use Spider-Man Noir’s webbing to yank enemies into the darkness when their backs are turned. Fireworks periodically went off in the distance, which provided more than looks to the stage. The fireworks would illuminate more of the area, and could give away your cover if you’re not careful.

We were told that staying hidden was the “easiest” way to advance in a level. But what if the stealth element was cranked up to somewhere between the “easiest” and “only” way to advance through the level? This would be an interesting avenue to explore as it would work towards drawing a clear line between the other dimensions as opposed to playing as “Spider-Man with a different skin.” However, focusing on more complicated stealth might frustrate a lot of players out there. Focusing on more stealth could be key — of course, that’s assuming that the stealth in the game is any fun.

The Amazing universe has a more colorful and a slightly cel-shaded look. This universe features the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man we all know and, based on a boss fight against a powered-up Kraven the Hunter, it looks like he plays like the Spider-Man we all know as well.  This universe looks like it will have a lot of the 3D action that you’re used to seeing in a Spidey game, but the boss fight did bring up something alarming: The environment looked somewhat flat. Although this is the only bit we saw from this universe, hopefully there will be tall buildings to web-sling from in between battles.

The 2099 universe is a step up from the Amazing universe. It’s just as colorful, but… shiny. As Spider-Man 2099, Beenox will have you be doing more daring, high-velocity stunts. Spider-Man 2099 will be doing a lot of base jumping and free falling (like those falling/flying scenes in Bayonetta). The webbing under his arms will allow you to speed up and slow down as you dodge obstacles in the way. From the demo, it looks like the Spider-Man 2099 will be doing the most web-slinging of the three Spideys shown. Those flying cars? You’ll be traveling through Nueva York by web-slinging off of them. He’s also equipped with an accelerated vision power which allows you to slow down time.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has three acts, with four levels per act (one for each Spider-Man). It will be important to ensure that all Spider-Men play equally as fun so that players aren’t slogging through parts (I’m looking at you, Amazing Spider-Man) just to get to the more exciting levels. Fortunately, you’ll be able to choose the order in which you complete each level.

Shattered Dimensions seems to have removed the open-world structure that made Spider-Man 2 and Web of Shadows successful and replaced it with fan service, the variety of four different Spider-Men, environments, and styles of play. Although the Noir and 2099 universes seemed to be more exciting than the Amazing universe, Beenox told us something reassuring: the final Spider-Man is the staff favorite. Your guess is as good as ours as to who it will be.

And as to whether or not Shattered Dimensions will be successful? Spider-Man fans will enjoy it. Gamers looking for a good action game may find something worthwhile in Shattered Dimensions, but they should be slightly cautious in doing so. To be safe, better keep those spider-senses sharp when you’re thinking of playing this game.

Castlevania.  In many languages, the name roughly translates into “Bad-Ass Side-scrolling Adventure”.  The foundations of many past & present 2D gaming experiences fall within the Transylvanian walls of Dracula’s 8-bit castle.  And while the magic worked in pixelated worlds, it never quite translated into the third dimension.  E3 brought us a hopeful new game, looking to break that streak.  Our hands-on time revealed an interesting conundrum:

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the best 3D Castlevania game, though it doesn’t always feel like one.

The scenery, the environment, the characters of Lords of Shadow are all inherently Castlevania, right down to the triumphant return of the Belmont family and their stable of weapons.  But something doesn’t feel quite right, as if the game, fun and exciting as it is, was built as different experience with a Castlevania decal applied on top.

The game’s 3D design is reminiscent of Devil May Cry 4, with the first area I played — a tutorial town infested with werewolves — set in just a few areas and specific camera angles.  The rain is pouring around Gabriel Belmont, the new protagonist called in to thwart the attack, with the moonlight dancing off of puddles and the rain-soaked ground.  Extremely atmospheric, and with the limited camera control it sometimes felt like a pre-rendered scene.  The rain purposefully hid some characteristics of the werewolves, with only their blood-red shining eyes visible at times.

The werewolves all appear similar and move in a predictable way: wait, wait, wait for the attack, dodge (with a flick of the left stick), and strike back with the whip.  Gabriel automatically locks onto the enemies, providing a method to mimic the precision of the attacks in the 2D games.  Should the whip flail wherever I want it to, it may be nearly impossible to strike the werewolves.  It is almost like playing a tiny QTE, but it works.

After a few rounds of werewolf murdering — and with an explosive toss of the cross, it definitely feels like murdering — a giant werewolf leaps over a wall onto the scene for a mini-boss battle.  Completion of this relatively simple fight, a tutorial meant to showcase specifically how to dodge and strike, lead to the next scene, a chase on a horse through a chilly forest.  And, more giant werewolves.  Also available was the ability to upgrade weapons and skills along the way, designed like an unearthed tome with a truly giant list to work through.

Though the game looks beautiful and plays extremely well, it seems to lack some of the staple touches that made classic Castlevania so wonderful.  Namely, I miss breaking boxes, candles, and the straightforward and consistent progression of the 2D games.  Lords of Shadow seems like several (exciting) scenes strung together, with nothing really screaming uniquely “Castlevania” at me.  It almost, almost, feels like God of War II with Vampires.  This is possibly a fault of the short length of E3 demos, so playing the full game during it’s Fall release will hopefully correct that.

Nonetheless, it’ll be an exciting romp through Europe of the 1800s, especially with exploding werewolves.

[images and video courtesy Konami]

Well, it’s been two weeks and we’re still riding high from E3.  [Editor's note: That was a lie.  We're still totally tired.]

Our pile of E3 swag is slowly diminishing each week, thanks to you, our intrepid readers and visitors.  However, we still need your help to relieve us of the remainder.  This week, we’ve bundled a couple sets together to create some truly yummy prizes!  Two winners will be crowned this time, so your chances are doubled at winning!

Prize Pack 1: APB T-shirt, Blacklight dog tag, Portal 2 iPhone 3G/3GS skin and wallpaper, and Gamercoins card

Prize Pack 2: Gamers’ Rights T-shirt, Blacklight dog tag, Portal 2 iPhone 3G/3GS skin and wallpaper, and Gamercoins card

How to win?  Simple!

1) Leave a comment in this post telling us what your favorite SideQuesting E3 preview was. (Click here for the cheat sheet).
2) Also note which prize pack you’d like, #1 or #2.
3) Enter up to once per day Friday, Saturday and Sunday (that’s 3 chances total).
4) Winner chosen & announced on Sunday night at 10PM EST using randomizing number selector.

Good Luck!