Archive for April 29th, 2008
April 29, 2008
To get a good idea of what type of action one can expect from 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, one need only take a look at the premise. 50 Cent and G-Unit perform a concert overseas, only to find out that the promoter has stiffed them. Desperate to avoid 50’s wrath, the promoter offers the group a diamond-encrusted skull as payment. Before 50 and the gang can bring their prize home, it is stolen by a group of international gangsters. Thus begins G-Unit’s globe-trotting, gangster-slaying, havoc-wreaking search for the holy grail of bling. Earlier this month, developer Swordfish Studios showed us around a work-in-progress version of this arcade shooter in which the action is every bit as over-the-top as the storyline.
With biceps like that, 50 Cent can use the rocket launcher at any range he pleases.
Blood on the Sand showed its arcade stripes from the get-go with a shiny visual style that featured bright, oversaturated scenery and veiny, overmuscled character models. 50 Cent is the main character, naturally, and his partner in crime is one of three selectable G-Unit members: Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and DJ Whoo Kid. Each of these characters starts with different weapons, so your choice of sidekick will have tactical implications. You’ll also be able to customize 50 Cent’s arsenal by choosing a pistol, an assault weapon (Uzis, shotguns), an automatic weapon, and a heavy weapon (sniper rifle, rocket launcher). There are 20 weapons available in the game, most of which you’ll need to purchase from an arms dealer.
The game is played from a third-person viewpoint, and in the level that we saw, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks were running around a somewhat bombed-out industrial area in a fictional Middle Eastern city. Almost immediately a pack of gangsters ran onto the screen and the bullets started flying. 50 ran up to an abandoned car and snapped into cover with the press of a button. Popping out of cover during a break in the gunfire, 50 blasted back, switching to an over-the-shoulder view to take aim and shoot. A gangster went down, and as he fell, a four-digit point value flashed over his head. A few more kills, a lot more points, and 50 was able to activate Gangster mode: a slow-motion bullet time that puts enemies at a severe disadvantage.
Every kill in Blood on the Sand earns points, and chaining together kills will build combos that increase your score exponentially. Running kill combos are displayed at the top of the screen as stylized street signs; each sign represents a kill and has a specific icon depending on how it was executed (for example, by gunfire, explosion, or melee kill). There will also be miniobjectives that pop up onscreen from time to time to offer point-boosting opportunities. These objectives won’t be required, but are being implemented to encourage you to run and gun rather than spend a lot of time behind cover. At the end of each mission, you’ll be graded based on your point total, which will then be uploaded to online leaderboards.
In addition to racking up points, you’ll pick up money throughout each mission. Destructible crates and barrels will cough up cash, as will vanquished foes. Money can be used to purchase a number of things, either between missions or during missions when you find a ringing pay phone. It’s your friendly neighborhood arms dealer calling to interest you in the latest and greatest antigangster gear! New guns, taunts, and music are available, as well as CounterKills, which are melee kills executed with timed button presses when you’re close to an enemy. We saw one CounterKill in which 50 Cent basically punched a guy to death, and another in which he slashed an enemy with his knife no fewer than seven times. The camera zooms in tight on CounterKills so you can fully appreciate the gruesome detail, and given the colorful variety of foul-mouthed taunts we overheard, it’s safe to say that publisher Vivendi isn’t looking for a “T for Teen” rating.
Just because there is a cover system in the game doesn’t mean you have to use it.
All told, Blood on the Sand will span 20 levels, two of which will be driving missions. 50 Cent will drive a Humvee-esque vehicle while his partner mans a mounted .50 caliber Gatling gun. We’re told that there will also be a helicopter level in which both characters eschew piloting for firing large-caliber weaponry. The entire game will be playable in co-op only when you’re online (no split screen), and players will be able to drop in and out of one another’s games without having to restart the level. There will be parts of the level where both characters need to work together to, say, open a heavy door or reach a high ledge, but that’s the extent of the built-in teamwork. Two human players will meet with a more difficult enemy AI and tougher enemy classes to keep the game balanced, and this will adjust dynamically as players drop in and out.
It wouldn’t be a 50 Cent game without music, and Swordfish Studios is promising an ample number of old and new tracks from 50 Cent and G-Unit, including a to-be-announced number of exclusive tracks. They also have hopes of adding tracks from 50 Cent’s newest album, and are angling to land a notable hip-hop producer to create the soundtrack for the game. This soundtrack would be the default in-game music, which you can intersperse with 50 Cent and G-Unit tracks that you’ve purchased.
Blood on the Sand is shaping up to be a loud, shiny parade of gun violence and rap music, which suggests that Swordfish Studios has got its target audience pegged. We’ll have the latest on the updated tracklist and more as the fall 2008 release window approaches.
-If Its Games
April 29, 2008
Sierra is now two-thirds of the way through its Legend of Spyro trilogy, but neither 2006’s A New Beginning nor last year’s The Eternal Night has done much to make this a saga worth remembering. Sierra will be aiming to end on a high note with Dawn of the Dragon, a game that we got to see in action on the Xbox 360 earlier this month.
Perhaps because we weren’t able to grab a controller, our attention immediately fell on the impressive visual upgrade. Dawn of the Dragon marks Spyro’s first appearance on the latest generation of consoles (the Wii notwithstanding). Visually, it looks as if new developer Etranges Libellules–a French studio whose name translates to “Strange Dragonfly”–is taking full advantage of the new hardware. The first level that we saw looked great; it’s set in a fantasy landscape with vibrant pastels used to color the overlooking mountains and sunset. Another level depicted an underground catacomb with Spyro fighting a massive golem among pits of lava. The colors and effects here looked equally impressive, despite the disparity in settings. One more important visual detail is Spyro’s slight transformation. He has grown up a bit and has left behind his familiar baby-dragon image.
One thing’s for sure–Spryo Sure does look pretty on current-gen consoles.
The biggest addition to the gameplay is Cynder, a female dragon who trails you at all times. Cynder can be controlled by a second player in co-op mode on the fly, without the need to start a new file. We’re told that she controls quite differently from Spyro, including different attacks and animations. Some of the ways Cynder is used include necessary teamwork in platforming segments, such as those times when Spyro can’t make it across a gap on his own, or in a puzzle that requires two simultaneous inputs. Another new addition is grappling, as well as a combo system heavily inspired by the God of War series. You’ll also notice a heavier emphasis on flying; Spyro can go a full 10 meters in the sky whenever he likes.
You’ll be able to customize Spyro in a handful of ways. One is by directly upgrading his combat and platforming techniques. Another is through the armor system. You can unlock new bits of armor that not only change the look of the character, but also his attributes. When you’re decked out in a complete suit of matching dragon armor, you’ll earn an extra bonus.
Just like in previous games, Sierra has inked a number of celebrities to provide voice work for the game’s characters. Cynder will be played by Christina Ricci, and other well-known voices on the roster include Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman, Wayne Brady, and Mark Hamill.
As we mentioned, the version that we saw running was for the Xbox 360, but Dawn of the Dragon will also be coming out on several other systems. Those include the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and DS. The release of The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon is scheduled for later this year.
-If Its Games
April 29, 2008
Stepping off a boat in the shoes of illegal immigrant Niko Bellic as he arrives in Liberty City at the start of Grand Theft Auto IV, you can tell immediately that Rockstar North’s latest offering is something quite special. Yes, this is another GTA game in which you’ll likely spend the bulk of your time stealing cars and gunning down cops and criminals, but it’s also much more than that. GTAIV is a game with a compelling and nonlinear storyline, a game with a great protagonist who you can’t help but like, and a game that boasts a plethora of online multiplayer features in addition to its lengthy story mode. It’s not without some flaws, but GTAIV is undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet.
Liberty City has changed a lot since 2001.
One of the many things that sets GTAIV apart from its predecessors is Liberty City, which is more convincing as a living, breathing urban environment than anything that you’ve seen in a game before, and bears little resemblance to its namesake in 2001’s GTAIII. Liberty’s diverse population believably attempts to go about its daily business, seemingly unaware that several criminal factions are at war in the city. Niko has no such luck. He’s compelled to start working for one of the factions shortly after arriving, when he learns that his cousin Roman has some potentially fatal gambling debts. Niko’s military experience makes him a useful freelancer for employers in the business of killing each other, and though his reluctance to carry out their orders is often apparent, he does whatever is asked of him in the hope that completing missions for other people will ultimately give him the means to complete his own.
Actually, Niko doesn’t have to do everything that is asked of him. On several occasions as you play through his story, you’ll be presented with decisions that afford you the option of doing what you think is right rather than blindly following instructions. You don’t necessarily have to kill a target if he or she promises to disappear, but you have to weigh the risk of your employer finding out against the possibility that the person whose life you spare might prove useful later in the game, or even have work for you in the form of bonus missions. To say anything more specific on this subject would be to risk spoiling one of GTAIV’s most interesting new features, but suffice it to say that every decision you make has consequences, and you’ll likely want to play through the game at least twice to see how the alternatives unfold.
Grand Theft Auto IV’s story mode can be beaten in less than 30 hours, and there are so many optional activities and side missions to take part in along the way that you can comfortably double that number if you’re in no hurry. The majority of the story missions task you with making deliveries and/or killing people, and play out in much the same way as those in previous games. With that said, most of the missions are a lot easier this time around, partly because Niko is a more agile and efficient killer than any of his predecessors, and partly because the LCPD seemingly has better things to do than hunt down an illegal immigrant who’s gunning down undesirables all over the city. Some of the more imaginative missions sprinkled throughout the story include a kidnapping, a bank heist, and a job interview. The cinematic cutscenes associated with story missions are superbly presented and are the sequences in which the game’s characters really shine. Without exception, the characters you encounter benefit from great animation, great voice work, and superbly expressive faces. They’re not always so impressive when they join you on a mission and refuse to do what they’re supposed to (for example, not following you on an escort mission, or failing to negotiate a doorway). Nevertheless, these problems are few and far between, and they’re made less painful by the new “replay mission” option that you’re presented with whenever you fail.
He’s a gun for hire, but Niko Bellic is the most likeable GTA protagonist to date.
New abilities in Niko’s arsenal include scaling fences and walls anywhere he can get a foothold, shimmying along ledges, and, most importantly, taking cover behind objects. The ability to stick close to walls, parked cars, and the like at the touch of a button makes GTAIV’s gunplay a huge improvement over that in previous games, and, in tandem with the new targeting system, it also makes it a lot easier. Enemies are rarely smart enough to get to you while you’re in cover, and given that you can lock your targeting reticle on to them even when they’re hidden, all you have to do is wait for them to poke their heads out and then pick them off with a minimum of effort. Locking on to enemies targets their torso by default, but you can use the right analog stick to fine-tune your aim and kill them more quickly with a headshot or two. Playing without using the lock-on feature make things more difficult, but you
April 29, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV will be making its Aussie public debut tonight at midnight. In pursuit of the American Dream, Niko Bellic, an Eastern European expatriate, has come to Liberty City on the advice of his wealthy cousin Roman. For the first time ever in the franchise
April 29, 2008
The rhythm action genre is a competitive market these days, with Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and SingStar all vying for musically enamoured gamers’ time. Sony’s SingStar may be the gaming equivalent of The Rolling Stones, having been around for nearly four years, but it shows no sign of being forced out by the new kids on the block. Sony announced today that the series has sold more than 12 million copies in PAL territories to date, with 5 million units sold in fiscal 2007.
The karaoke series, which first hit the PlayStation 2 in 2004, has seen more than 15 spin-offs on the PlayStation 2 and a next-gen version on the PlayStation 3. While certain editions, such as SingStar Rocks and SingStar ’80s, have made it to the US market, these sales figures only include the PAL territories.
In addition to bumper sales of the games themselves, Sony also announced that the SingStore had sold over a million songs since it launched in December of last year. The online store currently sells songs and their high-definition videos for £0.99 ($1.97) each. In other online news, My SingStar Online has registered 140,000 users, as well as 20,000 videos of SingStar performances from players, all of which have been watched a total of 2.5 million times online.
The announcement follows the news that the PS3 version of the game will finally be released in North America next month on May 20. Sony has yet to announce pricing or song lists for the US version, but it was featured along with LittleBigPlanet at the recent Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
April 29, 2008
It’s all go for Koei’s UK arm, which has announced UK launch dates for PC versions of both Samurai Warriors 2, in shops on June 27, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI, due July 25–four days ahead of its US release. There is currently no planned US release for the PC version of Samurai Warriors 2.
It wasn’t always this way. Previous iterations of Romance of the Three Kingdoms–one of the longest-running historical simulations, dating back to the late 1980s–had been released on the PC only in Japan and the US.
“We’re constantly striving to bring our games to as wide an audience as possible, and our move into the PC arena is a very important step for Koei in Europe,” said sales manager Will Curley.
This move follows the appointment of Naoki Katashima to executive vice president of Koei UK, Koei France, and Koei North America in February of this year. This created a direct link to Koei’s Japanese headquarters, where a division was set up to focus specifically on Western markets.
A PC version of Warriors Orochi was released to UK gamers last month, and now that trend is set to continue with Samurai Warriors 2 and Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI.
Originally launched on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, Samurai Warriors 2 received two expansion packs in the form of Empires and Xtreme Legends. However, Koei UK’s PR and marketing manager, Mikey Foley, confirmed to If Its Games that the expansion packs wouldn’t be a part of the initial PC offering, saying it might complicate things for gamers new to the franchise. Whether that means expansions will follow in due course has yet to be established, with Mikey saying Koei would “see how it goes.”
Koei says that Samurai Warriors 2 introduces to the series the ability to charge three consecutive Musou gauges for more powerful attacks, more variety to the appearance, animation, and attacks of the hordes of enemies, and the ability to level up during play.
Meanwhile, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI is being produced by Kou Shibusawa, an alias for Koei’s cofounder Yoichi Erikawa, and is part of a historical simulation series that dates back to the late ’80s, having in the past graced formats as diverse as the Amiga and MSX.
April 29, 2008
In March, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Sierra Entertainment. According to a report on Variety’s gaming blog, the long-standing publisher was in store for significant shake-up as a result of the impending $18.9 billion merger between its parent company, Vivendi Games, and Santa Monica-based megapublisher Activision. Two Sierra stalwarts evidently not to be affected by any reevaluation are Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, given that the publisher announced today a new game in each of the series.
Crash is quite literally out of his mind.
With Radical Entertainment looking to finish off the violent Prototype this fall, the developer is targeting the same release window for its family-friendly Crash Bandicoot: Mind Over Mutant. As is evident from the title, franchise antagonist Neo Cortex has devised a mind-control device, and is using it to dominate the will of monster and marsupial alike in a bid to take over the world.
Mind Over Mutant will introduce a number of new elements to the long-running platforming series. In addition to an open-world design, Crash can now climb and dig, and the bandicoot’s sister, Coco, can be played in co-op mode. Mind Over Mutant will be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Nintendo DS.
Spyro, looking triumphant.
Etranges Libellules will be wrapping up its Legend of Spyro trilogy with Dawn of the Dragon on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2, and Wii, with a DS version also in development at Tantalus Interactive. In this final installment in the Legend of Spyro story arc, the titular purple dragon will face off against the nefarious Dark Master in a final showdown, allying with former adversary Cynder in the process. The series adds two new play mechanics: Spyro can now take to the sky at will, and players can now take advantage of two-player co-op as either Spyro or Cynder in the game’s single-player mode.
As with previous installments in the series, Sierra has spared no expense landing celebrity voice talent for the series, and Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Flipper) and Gary Oldman (The Professional, Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night) will reprise their roles in the game. Wood and Oldman will be joined by a number of other Hollywood stars, including Christina Ricci (Monster, That Darn Cat), Blair Underwood (L.A. Law, Malibu’s Most Wanted), Mark Hamill (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Guyver), and Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Don’t Forget the Lyrics).
April 29, 2008
AP - Eight hours into “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar Games, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99), I’ve stolen 17 cars, run over 20 people and killed another 15 (some of whom had it coming). I’ve shaken down a couple of store owners and beaten up an old lady. I’ve driven while drunk and, perhaps worse, while talking on a cell phone.
April 29, 2008
Reuters - Criminal action video game “Grand Theft Auto 4″ won near-perfect praise in early reviews on Monday, boosting the shares of publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc as much as 3.4 percent ahead of the game’s midnight launch.
April 29, 2008
AP - The Gran Turismo series continues with “Gran Turismo 5: Prologue,” a release oozing with style and computer graphic splendor, but lacking in the captivating game-play department.
April 29, 2008
NewsFactor - At midnight Monday around the world, rabid video-game players will finally be able to exchange $60 for the fourth installment of the wildly popular series from Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto. There is widespread expectation that GTA IV will sell more than six million copies in the first week, adding to its status as one of the gaming industry’s most successful franchises.
April 29, 2008
AP - Electronic Arts Inc. co-founder William “Bing” Gordon plans to help one of the nation’s top venture capital firms find promising investment opportunities in digital entertainment.
April 29, 2008
Investor’s Business Daily - Take-Two Interactive Software’s “Grand Theft Auto IV” is certain to be a blockbuster hit with video game fans. But will the latest installment of the violent crime series post the kind of sales needed to snatch a higher bid from Electronic Arts?
April 29, 2008
Reuters - Criminal action video game “Grand Theft Auto 4″ won near-perfect praise in early reviews on Monday, boosting the shares of publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc as much as 3.4 percent ahead of the game’s midnight launch.
April 29, 2008
AFP - “Grand Theft Auto IV” is expected to blow away hot shooter “Halo 3″ when fans begin sating their desires for the highly popular videogame by Rockstar Games.
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