Revel in dying in ‘Dark Souls II’
James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?”
Auric Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.” (from Goldfinger)
It seems the creators of “Dark Souls II” may have been watching a little too much Bond movies when working on their latest title. At an event revealing new gameplay, co-director Yui Tanimura really wants players to enjoy death, because they are going to get a lot of it from the new title.
Tanimura emphasized two major concepts they wanted to incorporate with “Dark Souls II,” a loose connection of sharing with players around the world and the sense of achievement by overcoming difficulties. It is that second part that will likely drive players insane with frustration or joy, depending on how you want to play the game.
The original title created much discussion about the considerable difficulty players had during the game. Even today, there is very little ground – gamers love it or hate it.
Tanimura said all the improvements and enhancements to the battle system and the visuals were to drive the player deeper into the game. He said players will have different types of deaths they can experience and suggested games should enjoy the deaths.
“I don’t want it to be unfair,” he said through a translator, “but I want to give a solid sense of satisfaction when you advance. We want you to kill with substance.”
A new graphics engine and motion capture of player movements make “Dark Souls II” visually appealing in the short video trailer. The battle system has gone for simple controls and emphasizes strategy. You’ll also need trial and error to find enemy weaknesses, which accounts for the multiple deaths along the way.
Enemies have been improved with unique situational reactions and strategies of their own. There has also been a change in how the difficulty level will ramp up for a stage.
“We wanted to get rid of the start to finish template,” Tanimura said. “Bosses can now appear in the middle of the state and can actually be defeated early although it is much tougher.”
While he did say they do want to take care of newcomers to the franchise, he said they did listen extensively to what previous players told them about the original title. With that in mind, they made improvements geared toward giving gamers more freedom during the story.
“We don’t want to force actions for players, but make it more free roaming,” Tanimura said. “The choice for players will be risk versus reward.”
Tanimura is proud of how flexible the game is going to be so players can enjoy it the way they want. He said he’s looking forward to seeing gamers figure out how to conquer the game.
“Dark Souls II” will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They were not prepared to talk about next-gen console releases or provide a release date at this time.
‘God of War: Ascension’ stunning, brutal, missing soul
“God of War: Ascension” blends combat effects with traditional moves for a great game, but is somehow missing the soul that made the franchise story a joy to experience.
Since Kratos dies (but did he really?) at the end of “God of War III,” the only place to go is back to the past. We find our oft-blood-covered hero being hounded by the Furies, the mythical beings who punish wrongdoers – in this case, those who break oaths with the gods. Kratos has already reneged his pledge to Ares, the god of war, and is trying to escape from the clutches of the immortal judges.
Much of the game bounces back and forth in time as Kratos attempt to differentiate between realty and illusion. This creates some discontinuity as one of the Furies is seen with only one arm early on, then two arms later. Of course, we find out quickly enough why she has only one arm, but the time stream lurching wasn’t a very effective method of moving the game forward.
The environments are gorgeous, broad and bold. While the action is very linear based, the surroundings have a look and feel that would normally encourage exploration. Distant peaks beckon, magnificent statues impress, and the area feels wide open and colorful. Too bad Kratos is always a man on a mission.
Evolutions in combat from previous franchise titles were a pleasure. Developers at Sony Santa Monica combined magic effects with the powerful attacks from the Blades of Athena often wielded by Kratos. This created some very powerful and visually appealing combat moments. Brutal, bloody and very effective, the blades whirled with fire, ice, electricity or souls power to create a devastating field of attack.
Fights with mini-bosses, like a new Medusa or the monstrous Elephantaur, provided new lessons in mythological anatomy. Yeah, we’ve all seen the insides of a Minotaur spilling out, but to bisect a Medusa through the head, neck and chest, and see the bone structure of the creature is definitely something new.
The mini-boss fights have also evolved from the simple quick-time events of the past. Sure, timed button pushing is still important, but is also key to pick up clues on when to dodge. Otherwise, Kratos can and will take some punishment while he’s conducting an anatomy lesson.
Kratos’ movements also seem a little jerky this time, not as fluid as in previous games. There are moments when he literally glides across the battlefield instead of a solid foot plant to push off toward his quarry. His wall parkour moves in particular felt lacking in any type of weight or effort of movement. A minor quibble, but one that will cause fans of the franchise to be distracted.
As much as I love this franchise, the character of Kratos, and the highly technical development of the combat system in “God of War,” I can’t help feeling a little let down. Where are the gods?
The main opponent in “God of War: Ascension” isn’t Ares or Zeus or any other occupant of Mount Olympus. It is the Furies, not gods but also not mortal. There are often allusions to Ares and we see Zeus and Hades in flashback cut scenes, but the lack of any godly power or might makes the game feel less than “God of War.”
This is the soul of the franchise – the battle of mortal Kratos against the godly forces of Olympus. I get this is supposed to be a precursor to all the “future” battles against the gods, but that’s what makes the game great, pitting your skills and talents against a foe that can’t be defeated. While the Furies do offer challenges, the feel of the game just never seemed to get the full flavor of a “God of War” game.
I also have to point out the difficulty ramp gets a little out of hand in the latter stages of the game.
During the Trial of Archimedes chapter, I was faced with multiple mini-boss enemies in a confined space. Playing on normal mode, attempt after attempt was met with failure. While my Blades of Athena were not fully upgraded (missing two upgrades in basic blades), they were extremely powerful and had dispatched enemies like this before.
Yet, I could not get past these groups. What was I doing wrong?
I reached out to Sony reps in desperation. Was I missing some trick? Were my tactics off? How could eight years of “God of War” experience not be enough to progress?
Sony Santa Monica responded and talked me off my controller-throwing ledge. I was told the Trial of Archimedes was supposed to be the ultimate challenge in combat and would require a near fully powered Kratos and Blade of Athena to complete.
While I can understand developers wanting to challenge players close to the end, requiring a new player to know he has to search out most of the chests for red orbs to upgrade the Blades is a little on the sadistic side. In short, the challenge was unbalanced.
Sony was kind enough to get me through the area to let me finish the game, but the bitter taste left behind would not go away. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one to have this issue.
The God of War development team recently issued a patch to increase the amount of health orbs and magic orbs that were available during the fight. From a release on the godofwar.com site, the team wrote, “the degree of challenge offered here was short of our goal of being perfectly balanced.”
It is good that they responded to community feedback in this fashion rather than just telling players to tough it out. I understand and applaud what they were trying to do in the game. The execution was literally killing us though.
Overall, I had mixed feelings about “God of War: Ascension.” The gameplay and combat were absolutely stunning and well done. The environments are majestic; the battlefields are detailed. Nevertheless, I still have a problem with a game that seems to lack … something. It was nice to portray Kratos as a family man in the latter stages of the game, but the mood shift from bloodthirsty seeker of truth to doting dad was abrupt.
I remain conflicted about “Ascension” and its place in the “God of War” lore. It doesn’t really answer any lingering questions I had about Kratos’ history or really push him into new territory as a character. However, the combat and action makes the game worth playing.
Just beware the Trial of Archimedes.
“God of War: Ascension” is available as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. It is rated M for Mature due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, and Sexual Content. This review was done playing a provided retail copy for the PS3.”
‘Crysis 3′ keeps at a distance for trilogy finale
You’ll keep your distance from most enemies throughout the game.
When you get to the end of a trilogy, a few things can be expected – a final meeting with the ultimate villain or menace, introduction of a new element to keep things fresh, and a feeling of resolution at the end – all with the idea of immersing the player one more time in the game’s universe. “Crysis 3” closes out their trilogy by not drawing in players, but keeping them at a distance and leaving them with a feeling of confusion.
The latest first person shooter from Electronic Arts and Crytek follows the exploits of Prophet, a soldier who is part man and part machine due to the Cryosuit he wears and seems confused about what’s going on in the world. New York is now overrun by vegetation, under an energy dome and the CELL Corporation runs everything. He hooks up with an old friend of his who gets him back up to speed and on task.
Prophet realizes Alpha Ceph, the leader of an alien hive mind race bent on assimilating Earth and responsible for the Cryosuit’s tech, is somewhere out there and still working on destroying life on the planet. While trying to defeat CELL and restore freedom to oppressed people (who are remarkably absent for New York City), the Alpha Ceph is released and contacts its homeworld to begin the full-scale invasion.
Player will have access to 28 different weapons, but the Predator Bow is new to the game. The bow has very limited ammunition – nine normal arrows and three sets of three trick arrows, so accuracy is key. In that vein, cover and use of the Cryosuit’s cloaking technology are heavily relied on to get through the game.
For my style of play, the stealth elements were perfect. I enjoy sneaking around, using my wits and outthinking the battlefield. However, after a while, I discovered I could get through an entire mission without firing a shot just by utilizing effective cover and the stealth mode. I didn’t try to do it; it just happened, and made me sit back and wonder if I had missed something.
The heads-up display on the suit’s visor made it easy to spot and tag enemies from a distance and through obstacles. This decreased the likelihood of accidentally walking around a corner to find an enemy squad in waiting. It also meant I could go quite some time before having to actually interact with anything on the screen.
Even when I decided to battle, the bow made the combat enjoyable, but also mystifying. I was taking my time, picking out my targets from a distance and shooting to kill (92.8% accuracy). But once everything was dead or destroyed, it was a simple matter to walk up to the mission goal and complete it, creating a bit of a disconnect in my experience.
Could I have armed myself with one of the more traditional guns and tried to blast my way through waves of enemies? Sure, but why turn the game into a typical shooter when there are other options to explore and even apparently preferred? A friend whose style I would describe as “bull in a china shop” said he made it through the game in about 4.5 hours. I can’t believe blasting everything in sight was how developers planned for the game to progress.
Even the main character Prophet seemed detached throughout most of the game. Much of the emotions in the interactions came from the characters around him, rather than Prophet himself. Was that part of his humanity being absorbed by the alien tech in the cryosuit? Because Prophet was so unique, did the developers purposefully keep him from integrating with the other people to symbolize how alone he truly was? Only when everyone else was dead or missing did we get to experience emotion from the character, but by then, it almost seemed like a temper tantrum rather than something organic.
The ending also offered a mixed bag of intensity and separation. Of course, Prophet faces off against the big bad guy at the end and it was an exciting battle of strategy, strength and accuracy. Too many games these days use quick time events to get the story to an end rather than creating a feeling of accomplishment by the player. This felt good, fun, enjoyable… and yet…
There were a couple more scenes after the big battle that left me unfulfilled. I keep reflecting back on the denouement and wondering what really happened. A trilogy should not leave the player wondering if he’s alive, dead, in the future, dreaming, etc. There was no ultimate feeling of accomplishment at the end, but apparently lets the player interpret the final scene whatever way they want – or even if they can.
Eleven different multiplayer are where you can flex your bullet flinging urges, but even there, the new Hunter mode utilizes the bow in a really cool way. It isn’t a matter of if you are going to die, but how quickly. Teams of CELL soldiers face off against cloaked Hunters who are trying to pick them off. Once killed by a Hunter, the player rejoins the game, but this time as a Hunter. This decreases your odd of survival but heightens the tension and fun.
Much of what’s in and new about “Crysis 3” portrays distance. Whether it is the new Predator Bow, which allow you to kill from great distances, and the heavy use of the Cloak to avoid enemies completely, or the emotional distance from Prophet and the strange conclusion, they all come into conflict with a game that technically is enjoyable, but emotionally adrift.
“Crysis 3” is available now in North America, February 21 in Australia and Europe, February 22 in the United Kingdom, and March 7 in Japan. It can be played on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Windows PC. The title is rated M for Mature due to blood, strong language, and violence. This article was done with a provided copy of the Hunter Edition for the Xbox 360. Multiplayer was done with PR personnel and QA people from Crytek.
‘Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time’ enjoyable, missing Sly connection
The Sly Cooper franchise celebrates its long awaited return with a fun romp through time in their latest title, “Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.”
Sly and his Cooper Gang are Robin Hood thieves. They only steal from other thieves. But in this version, someone is stealing Sly’s past and they must go back in time to restore things to normal.
Players will visit five different eras in history – feudal Japan, the American Old West, Canada during the Ice Age, medieval England and ancient Arabia. Each era contains a member from Sly’s family tree for whom history has changed his path. They also represent different aspects of Sly’s personality – stealthy, adventurous, athletic, noble, and yes, sometimes lazy.
The villain for this adventure is going back in time to steal the Cooper staff from each time period. Players must complete “jobs” or missions in each era to try and stop the ancestral thefts.
While each relative of Sly has unique powers, Sly also gains new abilities through period costumes he finds. Bentley the Turtle and Murray the Hippo from the Cooper Gang accompany Sly through each era, lending technical support (Bentley) or muscle (Murray) to each mission.
Oddly enough, it feels like Bentley is the star much of the time. He coordinates all the missions, handles the hacking and generally directs most of the dialog throughout the jobs. Sly is relegated to a sidekick role and I didn’t get a good connection with him. Even with the final boss battle, my feelings about Sly were less than they should have been for the title character.
The missions in the era are fun. There is great variety in the gameplay and it doesn’t feel repetitive at all. The Cooper staves in each time period help keep things fresh and it was great to try different things to get the job done. The game also makes good use of the motion sensors in the DualShock controller, which often is overlooked in many games.
Each Cooper relative was fun to play with their own powers. The back stories on each were also unique and helped connect me with what was going on in their eras. Pro tip: turn on the subtitles when you get to the Ice Age area. You’ll have a better idea what Bob is saying if you do.
You will also get an education along the way. Did you know that a raccoon invented sushi? It is (apparently) true! The voice acting and dialog is also fantastic with each character doing a good job of interacting with others. The jokes and puns are hilarious.
However, I could have definitely done without the quick time events tied to musical missions, ala “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band.” They were way too long and really slowed down the pace of the action.
There are also A LOT of load screens and they soak up time. The frequency seemed excessive and really diminished the immersion into the gameplay. Get a mission – load screen. Walk outside to another location – load screen. You get the idea. I’m not sure why the mission, the area of the mission and all its parameters couldn’t get loaded all at once.
While the environments were colorful, they weren’t overly expansive. You are in a confined space for each time period so the idea of loading it all at once or on the fly shouldn’t have been that difficult. Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t think so.
For completionists (which I am not), there are collectables in each era as well. Collect enough clue bottles and you can open chests for a special reward. Cooper masks can also be found as well and treasures. These collecting mission are a nice diversion if you like that sort of thing, but definitely not necessary or part of the storyline.
Cross-saving, saving your progress on one console and downloading it on another was very awesome and the best argument yet for the handheld Playstation Vita. The difference in controls was very slight and highly manageable. It made playing more fun knowing I could take it with me and complete missions while away from my PS3.
If Sony really wants to kick the Vita into more households, they would have more games with cross-saving.
Overall, “Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time” has a variety of gameplay actions, playful environments and a wide-range of characters to enjoy. Cross-save is a blessing and will keep you involved even on the go.
I didn’t feel very connected with Sly in this one. Maybe it was too many characters, but he just seemed to be in the background quite a bit. The QTE missions are overly long and disappointing, and the final boss battle wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped. But if you want hours of fun, comedy and some drama, Sly and the Cooper Gang are a great choice.
“Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time” is a PlayStation 3 exclusive title and is rated E 10+ for Everyone older than 10 years old. It does have warnings for alcohol reference, cartoon violence, suggestive themes, and use of tobacco. This review was done with a provided copy for the PS3.
Battle tactics, deep characters make ‘Fire Emblem Awakening’ exciting
If you like games involving strategy and tactics along with some very well developed characters, “Fire Emblem Awakening” comes to the Nintendo 3DS to satisfy your desires.
The turn-based strategy game for the handheld console is a joy to play while retaining some bit of fun and whimsy with their 8-bit character battles. The challenges increase as the game progresses, but you and your characters will be well battle tested by then.
Your journey begins as part of a lord’s retinue while he attempts to vanquish a rising evil in the land. Chrom (not Crom as in Conan the Barbarian) starts as a young, headstrong prince, fighting bandits and quelling the borders between his country and an aggressive neighbor. You are found by his group with no memories and barely knowing your own name. Thus, your adventure begins!
Battles are laid out almost like a board game. A square grid covers the terrain and tiny 8-bit characters represent your friends and your foes. Melee combat can only occur when one character is next to another, but only on the north/south/east/west squares – no diagonal melee allowed. However, ranged melee can occur on the diagonal or one square away.
A character can also move freely around other enemy units so it can be difficult to set up a wall of fighters to protect your other units. Believe me, you’ll want to figure out choke points on the map to save your healers.
Combat is done on each character’s turn and involved percentages, rather than any player skill, to be successful. The percentages are influenced by many things – weapon used, armor, character skill points – but it all comes down to the digital roll of the die. Failing on a 95% chance to hit will definitely cause moments of frustration, but it all balances out – you hope.
With combat determined by numbers, tactics become paramount to success. There are many different classes of characters, but they gather into some specific types – fighters, archers or magic-users, healers, riders. They all have specific advantages and weaknesses, and it is up to the player to work those to their benefit.
Characters side-by-side can assist each other in battles or actually join up to provide even more support. Lone wolf characters will not do well. Keep your characters together and don’t split the party, if you can help it. Some of their battle cries are really good too. Frederick’s “Pick a god and pray!” is one of the better ones.
Your group will grow larger as you meet and recruit new adventurers to your gang. If you play with perma-death active – a character is gone for good if he/she dies on the battlefield – those new members will come in very handy to fill your ranks. They do come in at lower levels so don’t think you can sacrifice one character for another equally. If ultimately taking on 20 bad people with only a handful in your group is not your idea of fun, turn off perma-death and you’ll still get the enjoyment.
However, if your character or Chrom dies on the battlefield, the mission is over. This makes for some difficult choices because those two are usually the strongest on the field. But you can’t just have them rush toward the objective. They need support and protection while still allowing them the opportunities to defeat enemy combatants.
Surprisingly, the non-player characters are really deep. They exhibit their own personalities and quirks, making for some very interesting conversations. As two characters work together on the battlefield, their relationship off the grid grows. This opens up new dialog areas, diving deeper into each characters thoughts and dreams.
Some characters will even end up getting married and having children. Not what you expect from a turn-based strategy game, but it works very well with these well-thought out and unique characters.
Because it is on the Nintendo 3DS, I tried using the 3D feature when playing. It really is astounding how different aspects of the game leap off the screen. However, the feature still gives me headaches when I play for extended periods so I keep it off. You will be hooked for huge chunks of time as your battles become more convoluted and complex.
Beyond the main quest, there are side missions to help your characters gain experience, recruit new members or even rescue merchants who will then give you discounts. Nintendo is also planning to release new maps and content through SpotPass and the in-game store in the coming months, so the adventures will continue.
“Fire Emblem Awakening” is an excellent game if you are into the finer details of directing combat. Analyzing your choices, making the best moves, utilizing your resources to their maximum effect – these skills will be needed as you and Chrom wage a battle for truth, justice and the Ylissian way. The added bonus of relatable and interesting characters just adds more enjoyment and depth to a wonderful title for the 3DS.
“Fire Emblem Awakening” is available exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS. It is out now in Japan and North America. It is rated T for Teen due to alcohol reference, fantasy violence, mild language, and mild suggestive themes. This review was completed using a provided digital download copy.
‘Dead Space 3′ full of action, story, missing scares
Issac! Look behind you! On second thought, don’t.
“Dead Space 3” introduces new monsters, a crafting system for weapons and supplies and a co-op feature, but loses some of what made the franchise great – intense horror.
Isaac Clarke returns as the reluctant hero in a quest that starts out personal but quickly falls into chasing the Markers, those alien monoliths that are able to turn humans into necromorphs. Isaac is still tortured by the memories from the first two installments of the franchise and is called upon to use his knowledge to prevent the destruction of humanity.
If you never played the first two, never fear. A movie at the beginning helps tells the backstory and bring players up to speed. However, it would be better if you take the time to grab the others and give them a shot before diving into this one.
It is the year 2314. Earth is in turmoil and an alien presence is making its mark on the people. A religion worshiping the Markers as key to the next evolutionary step of humans takes over and tries to set the planet on a path of rebirth.
Issac is called in to find his ex-girlfriend and ends up dealing with the movement in brand new environments. Beginning missions happen in space and involve moving from ship to ship during the story. Having Issac move through space gives players the feeling of openness, choice and lonliness. When the action moves planetside, that feeling is intensified by the backwater ice planet where most of the action occurs.
Tau Volantis is literally a frozen wasteland trapped in time. Blowing snowdrifts, rocky cliffs and twisty paths hide enemies well and do give a sense of tension when you can’t see what’s coming. The locator, a piece of tech that keeps you on the story path, was helpful when branching caverns had me going in circles.
New enemies lurk on and in the ice ball. Some of the familiar necromorphs return, but new hideous creations are ready to pounce and rip Isaac apart. Much like their previous incarnations, you are never really quite sure if they’re dead until you stomp them into goo.
Do stomp them like you are dancing. While many aliens will drop loot after being shot, some are still hiding ammo or components within their shells and you can only find it by beating a dead corpse. Yes, there is a lot of loot to be found, but you’ll use it along the way to stay alive and also craft new weapons and supplies.
The crafting element is new, but doesn’t really feel enjoyable. The idea is to collect components as you go, build weapons from the ground up, then augment them with new, deadly components. Don’t want to design your own? Blueprints will help you get basic and advanced weaponry without mixing and matching components.
Once I obtained a gun I was happy with, crafting really became an afterthought. Although I did upgrade damage, rate of fire, clip size and reload ability, I never did any more tweaking to them. Components were used to max out my armor’s capabilities, and create health and ammo packs. For most of the game, I only visited the workbench to dump off items I didn’t want to carry anymore. Just didn’t feel the need or desire to build a weapon for building’s sake.
The action is intense and satisfying. Waves of enemies try to overrun your position and it always seems like there was one or two monsters lurking behind you. Dead necromorphs explode into a shower of limbs and ichor. Like the previous games, shooting off the limbs works much faster than blasting away at their bodies.
Big boss monsters are also on tap and one particular battle was gross and funny. I don’t know if it was meant to be that way, but I was laughing through parts of that mission.
Optional missions offer new challenges and new loot packs. They are nice diversions to the main story, yet feel like they are a part of the overall success. Text and audio logs found along the way also do a nice job of filling in the blanks in the story and help players understand what is happens and why.
Isaac gets some help this time in the form of a co-op player, John Carver. Carver is a drop-in/drop-out character that a second player can control, but is also around during the solo adventure. He has his own story, background and motivations, but those can only be truly explored by playing as Carver.
There are also co-op only areas that are locked off if you are doing the solo mission. These areas offer specific missions that must be done by two and get a little into the minds of each character. Players can support and revive each other without making it seem like everyone is only out for himself or herself.
One important thought – play with someone who plays like you. The experience will be much better if you find a second player has a similar style to your own. Otherwise, one player will be creeping along, examining everything while the other charges into another room. It isn’t as much fun, so pick your co-op buddy carefully.
“Dead Space 3” was selected on many lists as a “most anticipated horror game for 2013.” And while the franchise has been considered one of the finest horror games, this title doesn’t quite reach that pinnacle.
There are a couple of factors to consider. Players may be used to seeing necromorphs, so those horrific visions that filled our nightmares after a gaming session may actually be what we expect to see now. Our minds have been conditioned to twisted bodies and unearthly sounds so we don’t get the fright factor we used to.
Also, the franchise story is wrapping up, and I appreciated the development team doing a great job of tying up all the loose ends, the quest for those answers got in the way of just having horror for horror sake. Sure, there are some “jump out of the dark” moments that startle, but nothing scary like what I experienced in “Dead Space” and “Dead Space 2.”
Overall, “Dead Space 3” was a very good finale for the story of Isaac and the alien Markers. There are excellent moments that hook you emotionally and the combat is fun. While the horror factor is unintentionally dialed down due to familiarity, there is still a lot to love about this final (?) chapter.
“Dead Space 3” is available now in North America, February 7 in Australia and February 8 in Europe. It can be played on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It is rated M for Mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, strong language. This review was done with a provided PS3 version of the Limited Edition “Dead Space 3.”
Revel in dying in ‘Dark Souls II’
James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?”
Auric Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.” (from Goldfinger)
It seems the creators of “Dark Souls II” may have been watching a little too much Bond movies when working on their latest title. At an event revealing new gameplay, co-director Yui Tanimura really wants players to enjoy death, because they are going to get a lot of it from the new title.
Tanimura emphasized two major concepts they wanted to incorporate with “Dark Souls II,” a loose connection of sharing with players around the world and the sense of achievement by overcoming difficulties. It is that second part that will likely drive players insane with frustration or joy, depending on how you want to play the game.
The original title created much discussion about the considerable difficulty players had during the game. Even today, there is very little ground – gamers love it or hate it.
Tanimura said all the improvements and enhancements to the battle system and the visuals were to drive the player deeper into the game. He said players will have different types of deaths they can experience and suggested games should enjoy the deaths.
“I don’t want it to be unfair,” he said through a translator, “but I want to give a solid sense of satisfaction when you advance. We want you to kill with substance.”
A new graphics engine and motion capture of player movements make “Dark Souls II” visually appealing in the short video trailer. The battle system has gone for simple controls and emphasizes strategy. You’ll also need trial and error to find enemy weaknesses, which accounts for the multiple deaths along the way.
Enemies have been improved with unique situational reactions and strategies of their own. There has also been a change in how the difficulty level will ramp up for a stage.
“We wanted to get rid of the start to finish template,” Tanimura said. “Bosses can now appear in the middle of the state and can actually be defeated early although it is much tougher.”
While he did say they do want to take care of newcomers to the franchise, he said they did listen extensively to what previous players told them about the original title. With that in mind, they made improvements geared toward giving gamers more freedom during the story.
“We don’t want to force actions for players, but make it more free roaming,” Tanimura said. “The choice for players will be risk versus reward.”
Tanimura is proud of how flexible the game is going to be so players can enjoy it the way they want. He said he’s looking forward to seeing gamers figure out how to conquer the game.
“Dark Souls II” will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They were not prepared to talk about next-gen console releases or provide a release date at this time.
‘Dishonored’ wants gamers to play it their way
These Tallboys can rain death from on high, plus see you in the rooftops. Be wary.
“Dishonored” blends a unique gameplay system with expansive environments to provide the right experiences for gamers to play their own way.
The game from Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks puts players in the role of Corvo, a bodyguard to an Empress who is wrong accused of her murder. You are tasked with clearing your name, ousting those who currently hold power and putting the Empress’s daughter back on the throne.
CNN Tech - ’Dishonored’ creators buck sequel trend, give players freedom
Apparently, Corvo’s skills at stealth and assassination are what got him his bodyguard position and what he’ll need to use to accomplish his goals. A sword in one hand and a projectile weapon (pistol or crossbow) in the other, he has the option of confronting enemies directly or finding ways to sneak around them.
Here lies the heart of the game – there are two distinct ways to play and succeed, through combat or stealth. Both can be utilized throughout and interchanged as needed, but there are consequences to taking the bloody route.
Combat, if you choose it, is fast paced and frenetic at times. All the action is from the first-person perspective, so bad guys get up in your face with swords flashing. Blocking and counterattacking with your own sword is often the best way to defeat them because they will do the same to you.
Players can also drop down on unsuspecting victims and dispatch them with ease.
Using a pistol or crossbow loaded with a variety of bolts will do the job from a distance if you want. The loud crack of the gun will attract attention, but also has the most devastating effect on enemies.
Crossbow bolts come in different flavors for different effects. Standard bolts should be aimed at the opponent’s head for maximum effect. Sleep darts do a great job if you don’t want to kill someone or attract too much attention. Incendiary bolts will set people (and things) on fire.
Stealth, on the other hand, will take patience and a keen eye and ear. Developers filled the environments with many different passages to the mission goal. Look high across the rooftops or low through alleyways and corridors to bypass many guards. Listen often for the sounds of conversation or footsteps so you don’t blindly stumble into someone’s path.
There is an additional element to completing your missions: magic. Early on, Corvo meets up with a mystical figure that bestows magical abilities on the assassin. Your first power, Blink, allows you to teleport a short distance, which comes in handy when trying to sneak up on guards or for quick escapes.
More abilities get unlocked as runes are discovered. These runes grant players access to offensive and defensive abilities for combat and stealth. What powers you select will likely be based on how you want to play the game.
Tip: it doesn’t matter if you want to go the combat route or the stealth route, take the Dark Vision power. It allows you to see through walls and spot enemies before they can see you. Level two of Dark Vision highlights their field of vision so you can determine when they are facing you and when they are looking elsewhere.
In addition to runes, there are also bone charms which convey small bonuses to different abilities. While there are many scattered around, only three can be active at a time. Upgrades can raise that number to five.
The world of “Dishonored” is a mix of steampunk and science fiction. Many of the surroundings have a retro, Victorian era look and feel to them. The clothing and buildings are stylized to resemble the 1800s, but there are some very distinct futuristic elements in place as well.
Electricity has been turned into a weapon as scientists have created defensive structures that have devastating effects. Wall of Light is a field of electricity that will disintegrate trespassers and Arc Pylons shoot out bolts of electricity to fry enemies. However, these can be used against Corvo’s foes by simply rewiring them so they recognize him as a friendly and the guards as targets.
The world itself is a new, and apparently, dangerous place. Events occur on one of a series of islands where civilization apparently resides. There are mentions of a vast continent, filled with savages and wild beasts, but Corvo never ventures there. All of the action transpires in the city of Dunwall, the capital of the Empire of Isles.
The city is dark and foreboding, even in daylight. It is an industrial whaling town that once was prosperous, but has fallen on dark times due to a crushing plague transmitted by rats. Indeed, the rats are everywhere, including some of the posh parties in the cities, and larger swarms of them will attack people immediately. Oh, and they particularly like unconscious or dead bodies.
Trinkets found along the way are automatically converted into coins, so no selling of items or overloaded inventory screens to deal with. Coins and potions (both health and mana) can also be discovered. There are some vendors who will accept your money in exchange for ammo, upgrades and potions.
The story plays out as a series of mission taking Corvo to various parts of Dunwall. These areas are open and offer many side missions along the way. While there is an ultimate goal and end to each segment, how you get there and what you see can and will vary from player to player.
Streaking to the goal is not advisable. While it can be done, you’ll miss out on a lot and, my big complaint, you can’t go back after you’ve completed the mission to see what you’ve missed. There are conversations to be heard, people to rescue, items to find and new ways to explore that will likely get passed over by players if you don’t take the time to wander.
In a conversation with co-creator Harvey Smith, he said the average player will only get to see about 30% of the narrative because there is so much to see/read/do on each mission. He and co-creator Raphael Colantonio truly wanted to give players the options to play the game their own way, which is to their credit.
“Dishonored” is about choice – stealth or combat, high road or low road, magic or no magic. The list of options goes on and on. Letting players choose their own adventure allows enjoyment of the game by a wide variety of gamers.
The new, highly detailed environments add to a gripping story that evolves and changes as the player progresses through the game. While the missions themselves are linear, the areas are expansive enough to give players freedom without letting them run wild in a sandbox.
Bloody or not bloody? Which path do you choose? And how will you get there? It is all in your hands.
“Dishonored” will be released Tuesday, October 9, in North America, October 11 in Australia and Japan, and October 12 in Europe. It is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Death makes ‘Darksiders II’ worth playing
Button-mashing fighting style with fantastical weapons, a lead character born from legend and an engaging story involving redemption over mythological pantheons – it must be the new “God of..”
No, wait. It isn’t. However, it is just as exciting due to a strong lead character.
“Darksiders II” is a wonderful (but a bit buggy) action-adventure, role-playing game putting you in the starring role of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death is upset with how his brother, War, is being treated at the hands of the Creators for War’s role in the demise of humanity (as seen in “Darksiders”). So Death comes up with a plan to resurrect humans on Earth and prove his brother was tricked.
To do this, Death must travel to various realms, engage in quests for creatures that should be able to do these things for themselves, and struggle against physical and psychological attacks by those who want revenge.
Death looks like a mix between a heavy metal guitarist and a modernized version of Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe cartoon, but Michael Wincott is superb as his voice. He gives the Grim Reaper the right amount of attitude and gravitas while still portraying humor when needed. This blend gives Death a splendid personality that players should be able to identify with easily and enjoy throughout the game.
Combat is straightforward hack and slash with twin scythes acting as his main weapons. A single button activates the scythes while secondary weapons (axes, maces, specialty weapons) use to a second button. Fighting is a button mashing frenzy of combos and whirling weapons.
Non-player characters will offer training in the form of special attacks. Some of the attacks are simple enough to use with repeated button pushing. Others are more complicated, requiring a shoulder button push while moving the directional joystick in a certain direction and pressing another button. The effects in combat can be devastating and visceral.
Death can also unleash different types of damage depending on his weapon choices. Different damage (cold, for example) can have a greater impact on particular types of enemies (fire enemies). There are also possessed weapons that grow stronger when other gear is “sacrificed” to increase its power.
He also gains Reaper energy during combat, allowing him to transform into true form of the Grim Reaper, complete with hooded cape and huge scythe. During this mode, his damage is increased, but the transformation only lasts a few moments before he reverts to his normal self.
Because it is also a role-playing game, Death can level up by earning experience points for completing quests and slaying foes. Spending skill points for leveling up in one of two talent trees offers protection from harm or the ability to call forth allies to harm your opponents. Summoning ghouls and sending them at my foes turned out to be a very nice buy with my skill points, especially when I added fire damage, which caused them to explode when killed.
Wrath energy fuels those talents, much like mana in other RPGs for magic. This resource can be gathered from fallen foes or discovered inside bottles stored in chests. Some weapon abilities can also increase the rate of Wrath gathered from dead enemies, so pay particular attention to those bonuses if you plan to utilize your skills during combat.
Death also has two companions available during his travels, a death horse and a crow. Despair, his horse, allows him to truly become one of the Four Horsemen and cover vast distances with ease. Despair does have a “charge” ability, dealing damage to anyone in his path. Dust, his crow, helps players stay on their quest paths. By showing Death the way, Dust flies to the quest points, perches on nearby areas of interest or leads the Grim Reaper to easier ways around obstacles. The bird has no combat abilities and stays high above any fighting.
To prove his brother’s innocence, Death must traverse through different realms between heaven and hell. The different worlds offer many quests and opportunities to increase levels and loot. Despair will help you get around the landscape, but Fast Travel allows you to leave a marker in a dungeon so you can easily return when you want. Be warned: only one Fast Travel marker can be used at a time, which means traveling from dungeon to dungeon and back again is not easy.
Each realm is beautifully rendered and unique to a specific theme for that world. Character movements are fluid and natural while some facial animations can be a bit jumpy at times. The personalities of the inhabitants come through on occasion, but it is hard to empathize with them as you jump from quest to quest. Although, one character in particular earned my distain very nicely and I was glad to see Death vocalize that emotion as well.
The dungeons are concentrated battles broken up by puzzle scenarios to progress to the end boss fight. There is a lot of wall walking, rail shimmying and growth climbing to get over obstacles. Some areas require some back tracking to accomplish your mission, so find a dungeon map in one of the many chests to help you out.
However, while there are no loading screens per se, the scene will freeze while the next scene loads, causing a weird pause in the normally flowing action. This doesn’t happen for long, but it does happen more often than I’d like in an RPG game.
There is also an arena called The Crucible, which offers wave after wave of enemies. It plays out like a game show. Beat levels of foes and win a prize. You can keep it or risk it to battle more foes for potentially a bigger prize. Risk versus reward. How confident are you in your fighting skills?
For all its button-mashy fun, the game was surprisingly buggy during play. Boss battles with enemies as large as mountains would sometimes result in Death being inside the enemy before “teleporting” out, leaving me confused about which direction I was facing and what I needed to hit. Audio glitches would wipe out entire scenes of dialog. There was more than one instance when my controls ceased working and access to my skills went away. The game also completely seized up three different times on the Xbox 360 version.
“Darksiders II” tells a great story with a strong lead character and visually appealing combat. The game is expansive with some side missions and collectables to drive you beyond the main story. Puzzles will challenge your brain as much as the plethora of foes will task your button dexterity.
While your thoughts may wander to that other character with the chained swords at times, Death plays a strong role in driving the action and engaging the player to find new ways to slaughter enemies. He never tries to be a sympathetic anti-hero, but he is worth diving into – despite his resemblance to that other guy.
“Darksiders II” is available now in North America and on August 21 in Europe. It is rated M for mature due to blood and gore, suggestive themes, and violence. It is available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. This review was done using a provided final copy for the Xbox 360.
‘Sound Shapes’ brings art, music together in new gaming mix
“Sound Shapes” wants players to create and play in musical worlds with a blend of platforming action and digital melodies.
Created by Queasy Games as an exclusive cross-play title for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, players control an orb that can transform from a sticky blob (looks like a sunny-side up egg) into a speedy ball across elaborate levels. In some levels, your orb gets to pilot a flying saucer, which is cute and different. Along the way, collected coins trigger musical notes to be played during the action.
Scoring is based on quick completion of the level and the gathering of those musical coins. The only danger in the levels is anything colored red, which for me was a bit of a problem (I’m colorblind). Touch something red and you are sent back to the checkpoint – no deaths here. However, trying to navigate the level and figure out how to collect all the notes was my challenge and it was still fun.
There are 20 platforming levels (musical tracks) across 5 worlds (record albums) in the campaign mode. Beck, deadmau5, I Am Robot and Proud (2 worlds), and Jim Guthrie provide the musical targets for players. The artwork is also sublime and felt like something out of “Yellow Submarine” at times.
Just like real albums, there are B-sides to each world that are unlocked once all five are completed. They are time challenges to collect the notes and not die, winning a trophy for each victory.
Playing through the campaign is only half the fun. Now, take the music and art elements from those worlds and use them to create your own musical fantasylands.
On the Vita, the touch screen helps place notes, artwork and creatures on a blank slate, meaning anything you can imagine can become a music video. Buttons and analog sticks work the magic on the PS3. Once your track is created and saved, it can be uploaded to the community and have others play and rate your work.
Creating a new level can be as quick or intricate as you choose. There are plenty of tools, creatures and musical notes to choose from with pieces of art that help craft your masterpiece. It should help spur artists, both visual and aural, to think outside their normal confines and explore what can be created.
Feel free to browse among tracks created by others. Early entries into the musical community included tracks based on other video games like “The Legend of Zelda,” “Kingdom Hearts,” and “Super Mario Bros.” And more new world are being thought of and created – all for the enjoyment of the community.
“Sound Shapes” has a little bit of something for everyone. It is an interesting platforming game with enough challenges to keep players busy. The art and music in the campaign worlds is dazzling, especially the tracks by Beck, but it is a bit short.
If you are the creative type, designing and sharing your own levels will appeal to your internal muse. Can you create something others will enjoy, and perhaps inspire some new levels based off your idea?
Either way, “Sound Shapes” is a nice blend of art and music inside a good game mechanic. It is a new idea executed well on a device in need of a shot in the arm. This will do just nicely.
“Sound Shapes” is available now for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita as a cross-save title. It is rated E for Everyone. This review was done with provided digital download code.