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Impressions: 'Alan Wake' runs toward darkness
by Xav de Matos 
{ Oct 9th 2009 at 12:10PM }
click to enlarge
In the latest demo of Alan Wake, the title character is without a weapon or the protection of a light source -- the only thing that can slow down the darkness taking over the small town. During this section of the game, Alan must retreat into the darkened forests, pursued by an FBI agent named Nightingale who is sure Wake is to blame for all of the terrible things happening in the town. Sadly, Nightingale may not be wrong.
Gallery: Alan Wake
PAX 2009: Hands-on with Torchlight
by Kevin Kelly { Sep 7th 2009 at 8:00PM }
Gallery: Torchlight
Impressions: Afrika
by Ben Gilbert { Jun 10th 2009 at 5:30PM }
Oh, wait, that's right! There is no "trample." In fact, there's no interaction with the animals of any kind. You don't even get the satisfaction of oddly petting them like in Endless Ocean. With Afrika, you get an African safari simulator and little else. Which really makes it hard for us to even classify Afrika as a "game" as opposed to edutainment. Sure, there are assignments and "challenges," should you so choose to engage them, but there is little (if any) real progression through the experience.
Better cameras do unlock as you complete assignments and a whole mess of National Geographic footage/stills/information also serve to reward various complete objectives, but none of this makes the "game" any more game-ey. Those of you looking for an interactive African safari simulation, Afrika is for you. For those of you whose first interest is seeing if you can run down a rhino, look elsewhere -- this "game" ain't for you.
Gallery: Afrika
Impressions: Heavy Rain
by Jem Alexander { Jun 8th 2009 at 11:00AM }
Heavy Rain is not your typical game -- the experience promises to change and morph throughout the different scenes. While the Taxidermist and Mad Jack scenes are reasonably similar, with our protagonists infiltrating areas for clues and then making their escape after being discovered, the new scene shown off at E3 by Quantic Dream's David Cage illustrated how situations and gameplay styles will differ throughout.
This new scene does exactly what it says on the tin. Named "Madison At The Blue Lagoon," it follows the exploits of our female protagonist, Madison -- who you may recognise from the Taxidermist scene -- at a busy club called the Blue Lagoon. Madison has gone in search of the club's owner, Paco, in order to get new information regarding something. As usual, Quantic Dream's David Cage is appropriately cagey about giving away too much of the story.
In contrast to the other scenes we've been shown, which have involved only a couple of characters at a time, the Blue Lagoon is packed full of people. Madison weaves through them naturally and realistically as she makes her way through the dancing throng towards the bar. This game's graphical fidelity tends to range from "incredible" to "a bit iffy," but this scene looked great, despite the relatively large number of characters on screen. With a Q1 2010 release date and with the game 70% done, there's still time to iron out any graphical kinks.
This new scene does exactly what it says on the tin. Named "Madison At The Blue Lagoon," it follows the exploits of our female protagonist, Madison -- who you may recognise from the Taxidermist scene -- at a busy club called the Blue Lagoon. Madison has gone in search of the club's owner, Paco, in order to get new information regarding something. As usual, Quantic Dream's David Cage is appropriately cagey about giving away too much of the story.
In contrast to the other scenes we've been shown, which have involved only a couple of characters at a time, the Blue Lagoon is packed full of people. Madison weaves through them naturally and realistically as she makes her way through the dancing throng towards the bar. This game's graphical fidelity tends to range from "incredible" to "a bit iffy," but this scene looked great, despite the relatively large number of characters on screen. With a Q1 2010 release date and with the game 70% done, there's still time to iron out any graphical kinks.
Gallery: Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer
Impressions: Splinter Cell Conviction
by Xav de Matos { Jun 4th 2009 at 5:45PM }
click to enlarge
We had a chance to sit down with Splinter Cell: Conviction and learn the ins-and-outs of Sam's latest adventure. Have questions about what you saw at the Microsoft Press Briefing? Then you have to read this.
Gallery: Splinter Cell Conviction
Impressions: Final Fantasy XIII
by Jem Alexander { Jun 3rd 2009 at 7:00AM }
Final Fantasy XIII? That's so yesterday. Despite the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV, XIII still isn't out yet and much of the game is still shrouded in mystery. We were given a very brief demonstration of the title behind closed doors at Square Enix' booth, where we were shown more of the combat system. Specifically: summons. More specifically: Shiva.
The demo -- which, we reiterate, was very short -- was taken from an early part of the game. Motomu Toriyama, who was controlling the demo, took control of Snow in order to show us his partnered summon, Shiva. Each character has a partnered summon and it seems this is story specific, rather than a Final Fantasy VIII style "Junction" system.
Toriyama quickly initiated a battle and explained how the new "assault" combat option automatically selects the most approprate combat option for you. In other words, it's an autopilot for the smaller scale combat situations you're likely to come into contact with while grinding -- and if we know Final Fantasy, there'll be plenty of that.
The demo -- which, we reiterate, was very short -- was taken from an early part of the game. Motomu Toriyama, who was controlling the demo, took control of Snow in order to show us his partnered summon, Shiva. Each character has a partnered summon and it seems this is story specific, rather than a Final Fantasy VIII style "Junction" system.
Toriyama quickly initiated a battle and explained how the new "assault" combat option automatically selects the most approprate combat option for you. In other words, it's an autopilot for the smaller scale combat situations you're likely to come into contact with while grinding -- and if we know Final Fantasy, there'll be plenty of that.
Gallery: Final Fantasy XIII
New SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 screens emerge
by Kevin Kelly { Apr 29th 2009 at 12:30PM }
click to enlarge
Though their static presentation may not adequately capture the game's intensity, these latest screenshots from Sony Gamers Day 2009 should at least awaken that inner desire to shoot people getting in the way of freedom.
Gallery: SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions
by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 12th 2009 at 2:16PM }
EA is talking up its first G.I. Joe game, a movie spin-off, as "cross-generational." It's so easy to control that even "mom" can play. Which means, moms -- if you're reading -- not only will you be subjected to chaperoning a mission to the local theater to suffer through the G.I. Joe film adaptation this summer, you also may be expected to idle away your weekends with the game. Let's hope it's a short one.
G.I. Joe: The Game plays as any generic third-person shooter, with the bonus of the aforementioned base layer Mom Controls®. Literally, all that is needed to proceed is the left thumb steering the on-screen character and the right index finger, locked down on the designated shooting button -- just keep on holding it and the game will automatically target a new enemy once the current one has absorbed too many laser blasts and disappears into the well known in-game ether. Of course, "hardcore" gamers will find melee and character-exclusive secondary attacks, along with a rolling dodge and cover mechanic mapped to their controllers.
EA is throwing out some big-name inspirations for its game: Contra, Ikari Warriors and Ikaruga. We suppose you could consider G.I. Joe as a like-designed title in so far as it is built as an "arcade" throwback, with high scores being the ultimate reward. Actually, the ultimate reward is unlocking all twelve playable characters -- unlocking characters requires score points, though. Scoring is linked directly to difficulty setting and one's play. Dying, for example, decreases one's overall score, but, on the lowest difficulty setting, will not produce further setbacks. Think of this as a "no fail" setting -- you know, the one mom can play.
Joystiq hands-on: Halo Interactive Strategy Game
by Zack Stern { Nov 6th 2008 at 9:00PM }
Interactive level design to the max!
The Halo Interactive Strategy Game is a crown of shame, aiming a Christmas-ruining SPNKr at happy children everywhere. Sure, I tempered my expectations of a board game based off a video game -- especially an "interactive" one. But after imposing it on my regular game night friends, the Halo board game's missed potential let me down. Building the map was fun. Playing capture-the-flag, deathmatch, or an objective-based contest wasn't.
The game is full of weak and unclear rules and an optional DVD just distracts from the strategy. This could have been a chess-like adaptation of Halo, but it just ends up feeling sorry.
Gallery: Halo Interactive Strategy Game
X3F Hands-on: Gears of War 2 - Act One
by Xav de Matos { Oct 27th 2008 at 10:00AM }
Disclaimer: While major story elements have been made purposely vague in this article we should qualify that some of the following feature contains spoilers of the characters and scenarios in Act One of Gears of War 2.
Gallery: Gears of War 2 -- Act One
TGS 08: Hands-on with Demon's Souls (PS3)
by Jem Alexander { Oct 15th 2008 at 5:45PM }
click to embiggen
Gallery: Demon's Souls
Joystiq hands-on: Call of Duty: World at War beta
by Ross Miller { Oct 14th 2008 at 8:00AM }
click for the full, embiggened gallery
 Alexander Sliwinski: Um, isn't it just Call of Duty 4 with a different setting? |
 Ross Miller: More or less, and I think that's a great way to describe the game: It's Call of Duty 4, with a few differences. For example, instead of helicopters, you've got dogs. |
TGS 08: Ninja Blade cut from familiar cloth
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 8th 2008 at 7:30AM }
We were quite pleased to have figured this part out on our own, shortly before From Software's Kazuhiro Hamatani laid down the pertinent facts in a pre-Tokyo Game Show presentation of Ninja Blade. Which, as you can see, is a "cinematic action game." For better or worse -- and it's better if Ninja Gaiden II failed to satisfy your unhealthy hankering for third-person kill-em-ups -- Ninja Blade appears to be almost exactly what you'd expect. We're not proponents of judging a game by its cover, but in this case, we're almost able to peer through to the back of the box and recite the bullet points:
- Cinematic Action Game (i.e. quick time events)!
- Ninjas (i.e. running on walls, being a badass)!
- Hideous enemies (i.e. giant spiders and bats)!
- Crazy Ninja Powers (i.e. bullet time and highlighted weak points)!
- Upgradeable Weapons (i.e. kill more to kill better)!
- Exotic Locations (i.e. monsters just won't leave Tokyo alone)!
Gallery: Ninja Blade
Joystiq hands-on: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
by Majed Athab { Sep 18th 2008 at 8:00AM }
One of the elements that stands out the most in this new Castlevania is the glyph system. In order to carry out actions, characters absorb glyphs (which are usually either weapons, i.e. a rapier, or magic, i.e. flying fire balls) and assign them to the X and Y buttons. You can equip the same glyph more than once, making things slightly more economical. You have a green bar under your red health bar -- this is a magic gauge. This depletes as you use your glyphs, but refills quickly as soon as you stop performing any actions with them; it basically regulates your attacks, so you won't be able to mindlessly breeze through the game.
Gallery: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Joystiq sticks-on: Final thoughts on the ION Drum Rocker
by Ross Miller { Sep 14th 2008 at 3:00PM }
