Your Friendly Neighbourhood Videogame Blog
As many are aware, Mr. Wake as decided to finally grace us with his presence, and we find ourselves again amidst mixed reactions to this Survival Horror with a strong background that reminds some of the greatest Noir Graphic Novels. In as many reviews as we could dig through (seeing as we were not blessed with a copy of the game on our doorstep) the most rightful and that gives you the peanut butter of the yummy sandwich that is Alan Wake is the always reliable Joystiq review.
Also, if you want to get in on the groovy pull-me-into-the-darkness-and-rip-my-bowels-out kinda feeling going on around Bright Falls, go ahead and check the series of webisodes that follow Jake Fisher (no, he is not the long lost son of the main character of the Splinter Cell Series) around the small province as darkness falls around him. That and his seriously strange encounter with deers.
We thought we should share this with you, because we’re tight, you know?
Recently leaked footage has arrived on the interwebs of a in-production Sonic 4 game. Now, we know you all might fringe at the thought of another Current-Gen Sonic game, but this, this looks promising people. Stick with us.
By the looks of the leaked video (which takes on more of a viral-marketing facade, in our opinion) it appears as the premise is that which was back in the 16-bit Era.
Take a look at the video below and make your own thoughts about such blue-hairy rumor.
We’re just gonna crawl back to our corner of the internet and feast on the video a few more times.
For the video, click here.
[Source: 1Up]
This is not a review, since we are not ones with high enough credit within the Industry to receive early copies of fresh-of-the-stove games, for our Reviewing pleasures. Although, whenever you want to start doing that, Industry, we’re totally ok with it. Seriously.
Now, onto what we’re to say about the Heavy Rain demo that dropped on the PSN, last Friday in Europe.
The demo plays out through 2 scenes within the game, giving you control of Scott Shelby, a private detective hired by the families of the victims of the Origami Killer, and Norman Jaydan, an FBI agent with a strange condition, still unknown to the common mortals who have not yet played the actual game, which causes (in the demo) his hands to shake.
As many have been pointing out since the beginning of the in-game videos provided by Quantic Dream, that this might fell like a giant QTE. In the first scene, where you get acquainted with the game feel, I have to admit it does not come through that way. Sure enough, everything controllable is done by swift movements of the right analog stick or by pressing some buttons in order or quickly before time elapses, which may leave a feeling that you’re not so much in control of your character has one might wish to be. However, playing through the demo left a good feeling, making us wonder what happened next within the plot.
Visually, the only thing I would like to address with Quantic Dream is the somewhat lack of facial expression on the characters I’ve seen in the demo. Including Mary, who’s son has been taken away and murdered by the Origami Killer. One would expect a bit more from such a deeply involved character, who’s eyes and brow apparently do not move. At all. Maybe too much botox.
In a clear conclusion, Heavy Rain seems to be a game which will talk to each gamer individually, and we truthfully believe that this game will go on the shelf of the “You will unconditionally love it, or hate its guts.” type of games.
EDIT: If you wish so sink you fingertips on a juicy Review of the game, have Joystiq’s, they’re right on the spot. Or so we think.
Trying to make out what Snake was trying to communicate to his partners or simply reading instructions on the MGS: PW demo released during the TGS was something only one kind of people could understand: those who speak Japanese.
Gladly, we can all join them now as an English version of the Demo will come out today on the Playstation Store.
Go about and download it, have some fun. Now that you can understand Snake, we’re sure that cuddling in that cardboard box is going to be even more awkward.
Source: [Joystiq]
There’s nothing like a little taste of Hell right before sitting down for Christmas supper. At least that’s what 360 owners will be doing, throwing their souls in the eternal fire for a taste of Dante’s Scythe.
According to a recent post in Joystiq, PSN users will have the Dante’s Inferno demo available on the 10th of December, while the XBL will only see it on the 24th. Why the difference of, oh say, 2 weeks?
We are not sure, but we bet our special eggnog mug that Mr Lucifer is behind it.
[Source: Joystiq]
Valve’s “remastered” version of the Zombie Apocalypse is out, and we can assure it has been long awaited by the ever growing community.
Many of the concerns raised by most “day-one” fans of Left 4 Dead, was that the first installment was lacking in terms of content. With Valve jumping on the development cart of Left 4 Dead 2 within few weeks of the launch of the first, it did came across the idea that Left 4 Dead was an “experiment”.
The sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, is here to perhaps present the results of such experiment.
The story picks up where the Left 4 Dead left off, with the global virus spread reaching the southern parts of the US, and that is what we can advance, in order to keep this spoiler free.
And the ones who have played the first one might wonder “what type of spoilers can you expect from a game like Left 4 Dead?”
While in the first game this might have been true, seeing the formula was always go through the map, kill everything that moves, crescendo event and get to the safe room.
With Left 4 Dead 2, there is some diversity to what needs to be done to go through the chapters of the 5 campaigns. We will keep them to ourselves so that you might indulge on such sweet surprises.
The 5 campaigns take you through a mall, a swamp, a carnival, and much, much more.
The main characters are also new to the series, each with their unique personality traits, that shine throughout the many dialogue lines shared during the course of the game.
With this month being so filled with releases that shine with amazing graphical performances, such thing is not to be expected from this game, due to the use of the Source Engine.
Although seeing that Valve is pushing the engine hard, it does produce some “eye-candy” visuals.
With the fast pace of the game, we doubt however that you will have time to enjoy the scenery. Nonetheless this is still a visual treat, however after playing some Uncharted 2 or Modern Warfare 2, you tend to notice the lack of detail in certain props within the game.
Gameplay seems to be everything within this game, and it does deliver.
With multiple modes, co-op play has never been so much fun. You can go through a campaign playing solo, with 3 AI’s helping you all the way, however if you really want to feel the harshness and social gathering of the Zombie apocalypse, you might want to gather 3 friends and try to survive. There is also Versus, where 4 v 4 human players will battle each other, switching from Survivors to Infected every round. The new mode Scavenge can be seen as a Objective based version of Versus, where the team playing as the 4 survivors must gather gas cans in order to get a generator working, where the team with most gas cans wins the round.
Survival is also present where you and 3 friends can try and battle the increasing horde of infected and special infected, in order to survive the maximum amount of time. A new mode to mention is also Realism, where some “true facts” of Zombie lore come into practice, has the only way to kill zombies is shooting them in the head.
In terms of the Infected you will be battling, besides the now always varying types of common infected (in terms of visuals, seeing Valve has increased the number of models in which the Common Infected present themselves) there is a new type of Infected, called the Uncommon Common Infected, which consist of Common Infected but in Police Riot Suits, which are bullet proof and Hazmat Suits, resistant to fire. The Special Infected still remain the Smoker, the Hunter, the Witch, the Boomer and the Tank, however, there are few additions to the roster. The Spitter is a deformed young woman with a bad stomach, that can spit acid which will form a pool of the “spitting goo shit”, according to the Survivors. There is also the Charger, which is a smaller version of the Tank, which can ram you head on, and pick you up and slam you to the ground several times, until a Team mate rescues you. Last but not least we have the Jockey, which is a small little annoying fella which will jump on your head and “ride” you to danger.
In terms of weaponry available, there is a new set of firearms in which to fight with, including an AK-47, a SAS 12 and a Grenade Launcher, as with new throw-able items, such as the Bile bomb, a flask full of Boomer bile that will attract the Horde to anything that its. Including a Tank.
Also, the implementation of the melee weapons is something widely welcomed, and with the different ammount of everyday items to bash zombie heads with, there’s something for everyone. From the conventional frying pan to the electric guitar, going through the crowbar (Freeman-ish don’t you think?) and the katana, finishing with the Zombie-lover-all-time-favourite, the Chainsaw.
Yes, there is a Chainsaw.
To wrap up this review, we can assure you that Valve took up the realm of Left 4 Dead and brought it up a couple notches.
No it’s not a tottally diferent game, but that was the point of this sequel. We all love Left 4 Dead for what is is.
Essentially, if you are looking for a game that is fun, guarantees a great ammount of hours of play, and lets you hook up with your friends to rid the world of the Zombie infection, look no further.
According to a post in Joystiq.com, later this week, the first Metal Gear Solid to appear on the old beloved Playstation will make its stand on the European Playstation Store.
This was something that was available in the US Side of the PSN for quite sometime now, and we believe that Sony saw the potential in sales in Europe, seeing as we have taken Snake in our homes as a long lost cousin returning to the family.
For those of you who have not yet played(there are actually people like that?) the first 32-bit instalment of Solid Snake, here is your chance.
Take it. Do yourself a favour. You’ll thank us later. And by thank us, yes, we do mean send some cookies.
P.S.:Oh, and make sure you have visited your shrink before playing. Mind-controlling situations may occur.
We know that this is all over the internets now, but as we managed to get our grubby mitts on one of the Prestige Editions of Modern Warfare 2, we decided to share the magic with you. Because we’re BFF’s right? Right?
Unboxing this “Beast” of Extra Content is something overwhelming, even if it is just the sight of the Night-Vision Goggles set in a McTavish bust, on top of your desk.
Feast your eyes on the gallery, where we go more in depth on the contents of the box. Now, when your friends come over, just kill the lights, put on your Sam Fisher specs and have some fun. We’re sure that’s what the guys from Infinity Ward had wanted us to do with them.
November 2009. Remember this month as one of the most horrible dates for us ones with a tight budget.
And why is that? Several reasons, kids.
This November we will witness a tide of releases that have been long anticipated by ever-growing gaming community. Great things will come, like the Most Pre-ordered game ever in Gamestop in the US , living the live of an assassin in fifteenth-century Italy, surviving the zombie apocalypse or taking part in an epic journey.
With this much “awesome-sauce” in this current month, we bet your wallet is already weeping. We know ours are.
So we know you have seen the footage, the videos and everything else about the God of War III E3 Demo.
And of course, you heard the news about it coming along with the God of War Collection for US and Japan PS3 Owners who buy the HD comeback of the first installments of Kratos and his blades.
In the aftermath, it seemed that European gamers were left out. But just when you were about to send that anger filled email to the Sony HQs, along comes Thach Quach – European Software Product Manager, SCEE announcing that a few lucky PSN users will get an Email with a Voucher code to download said Demo. However, this was only distributed between members who had subscribed the SCEE promotional newsletter.
So, you if you have a friend of a cousin, who has a brother who received such wonderful form of electronic mail, get in touch and see if you can punch a few skeletons at their house. Hey, that’s what distant relatives are for, right?
[Source: PS3 Blog]
