Chasing Shadows.

It's the beginning of the end, and I'm standing in front of the door that will change everything. The once clear sky is dark, having been torn with piercing shafts of light symbolic of my crime, and an unknown power is ravaging my body, having deteriorated my appearance to one more resembling a specter than a person.

I have physically and mentally endured radical changes to get here.

It's practically at the end of Shadow of the Colossus, and the temple I'm praying at to save is letting me know so. The path to the final colossi lies just at the end of a nearby gulf, and with an armageddon of my own machinations at hand, I can't stop thinking about the temple itself. There were many marking the land as far as I could recall, yet my map had only revealed five. Had my tunnel vison blinded me to the majority, dedicated as I was to my cause? Whatever the reason, the grip augmenting lizards and opportunities to save weren't a bad catch for finding one either, so with the end in sight and nothing to lose, off I went to find more.

With 15 down and one to go, I stared to explore.


In searching for more of these temples, I rediscovered just how rich the world was.

It amazed me once more that so much could be done with so little, and like the best details, that so much could be achieved in their subtlety.

Temples with a consistency of design suggesting one religion instead of several.



Ruins of castles far too large for any human, but too small for the gods that inhabit the land, bringing to question the physicality of the people and the role they played.



Underground networks and catacombs that reveal their enterances in mountainsides, a mixture of manmade and natural formations that perhaps suggest an evolution of sorts, giving the area centuries of prospective history.



But how much of this is true, or could be true? That's the brilliance.

The world itself is so without explanation, that as a player and active participant, your actions define the tale moving forward. But at the same time, there's a history to this land. A past that predates your existence. A lore that extends beyond what the developer refuses to tell you with finality, and instead has to exist in your imagination because of this stubborn fact.

In my opinion,this makes the land in Shadow one of the richest game worlds ever conceived. It's wholly minimalist,yet rich presentation contributes to this in a way that being as detailed as say, Grand Theft Auto 4 could never muster. Why? Unlike other games that tell you where there world begins and ends, here, it's only as vast as you can imagine. You can see how expansive the land is , but how much so is left to your sense of exploration. You get evidence of society having existed, but are given unspecific details towards this. This provides a template for conclusion that any player can come to no matter what their train of thought, and it means the unspecific details can flourish and be satisfying safely within the bubble of your own logic.

Reading the many conclusions players have come to regarding this more than speaks for itself.



We tend to define our game worlds by how well they carry off their sense of time and place, how when done just right it truly is like a living and breathing thing as much as the characters themselves. This usually translates in the number of NPCs you interact with, or how many towns and cities you can cram into one worldmap. A large number of sidequests, cutscenes and items to retrieve, each another breadcrumb towards a complete feeling world. These games are usually 30-40 hours long.

Shadow of the Colossus takes around 8.

I'd forgotten just how much this game had done with so little.
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Groovy!.....IN HD.

I have fond memories of the original Earthworm Jim. In a Sega Genesis-laden childhood formerly dominated by the Sonics and Disney characters, EWJ was a breath of fresh air. Featuring quirkky, odd characters, a strangely disjointed yet bizarrely cohesive collection of worlds, and a difficulty level that I struggled to keep up with as my friends fell prey to it one by one, I'd found my new favorite game. As someone who doesn't regularly play favorites, this is significant to me. I've played the original Earthworm Jim so much, I practically know it backwards, and welcome any opportunity to play it again.

So when an iPhone version was released, I was there, and was blown away by what developer Gameloft had done; this wasn't just a quick and dirty port, this was a redrawn from scratch, enhanced, high definition version of the game I'd grown up loving. Imagine my surprise when I heard it wouldn't stop there, and that a fully HD version would be released for the home consoles. Moreover, I'd heard that not only would it be based on the most amazing version of the game (Special Edition - Sega CD), but that it would not only have extra stages, but multiplayer!

How could I resist?


I COULDN'T. DIDN'T YOU READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH?

Earthworm Jim HD
For: Xbox 360, PS3 (PS3 Release: tentative, July)
Price: 800 MS Points, $9.99 PSN
Released: 6/9/2010 (Xbox 360)

I'll get the obvious out of the way first, I enjoyed Earthworm Jim HD. Was it the definitive, ultimate version of the game I was hoping for? No, that title still goes to the original Sega CD version. Is it a painstakingly remastered, remixed, content filled version of the game I know and love that isn't perfect, but will draw in a load of new fans? Most definitely.



The story hasn't changed any, and in a very welcome change to the original, moments after pressing start, you're treated to a redrawn version of the original Earthworm Jim origin comic as an intro movie. While it never really did provide context for the world hopping madness that is Jim's quest to rescue Princess-What's-Her-Name, it's a welcome setup for the rest of the game, which is remarkably intact for the most part. I say for the most part, because while the game does feature many things from the Sega CD version, two levels; "Big Bruty" and the secret "Who Turned Out The Light" are surprisingly absent. It isn't a dealbreaker, as the game still retains its trademark schizophrenic approach to platforming--one minute, you're navigating an underwater maze in a pod created by a fish, the next, you're bungie battling a booger--, but it's a loss that will sorely be missed, as the latter level was one of the most unique ones in the game.



What won't be missed however, is the original game's resolution. Seemingly not content to just upscale the game and throw a blurry filter on top, Gameloft actually redrew the game from the ground up, and it shows. Not only do the stages look sharp and crisp, but they found time to add new details as well; New Junk city has a light fog tracking the ground, Down The Tubes has bubbles and several schools of fish swimming around (look for a VERY special cameo!) and Andy Asteroids wouldn't look out of place in a 3D game. Unfortunately, some of the remastered animations aren't as well done as others, and you can tell some corners were cut, likely because the original was SO well animated, it would've been too massive an undertaking to redo every single frame in HD. People new to the series won't notice, but fans of the original definitely will, and it has the unfortunate side effect of occasionally making the game look unpolished, because some of the original frames ARE intact. (Giant Hamster, I'm looking STRAIGHT at you)



Sound was paid a similar amount of care as well. A ton of new sound effects and added voice work were added to the game, and in some respects it makes the game funnier. Strangely, some iconic ones have been lost (where's Jim's high pitched scream?) or replaced (PLASMA! instead of WHAM!). Tommy Tallarico's fantastic score also remains mostly intact, though some liberties were taken with some of the older tracks (title screen) and similarly what's been done with the new tracks sometimes stick out like a sore thumb. This isn't to say they're bad, but it's more a testament to the original score and how strong it was that the new tracks actually throw things off a bit. Music can really make or break atmosphere, and a few of the new songs actually throw off the psuedo-serious and dark, yet lighthearted humor of the original, making things just a bit goofier (Read: The EWJ2 humor problem**).

Control however remains flawless, and feels surprisingly tight, even on an HDTV. Weapon switch from the SNES version was also added, making the game even more fun to play, as managing your plasmas actually becomes a possibility, opening the game up to new strategies. Jim's helicopter no longer requires a thousand button presses, and the whip swing is faster too. These changes are not only well recieved, but welcome because even though new difficulty levels were added, the original's brutal difficulty is still a selectable option.

Multiplayer was also a pleasant surprise, and while the initial reaction would be to hiss at the fact that yet ANOTHER game has had multi shoehorned into it, it's actually pretty well done. With support for up to 4 players, and redesigned levels from the single player game featuring all sorts of clever co-op puzzles and situations that force teamwork, it's a real hoot. It's a real shame that hardly any people are playing it over live, but local is a blast, and definitely will distract for an hour or two.



Many of my comments on this game keep going back and forth, similarly praising and criticizing each aspect of the game, making it sound like a mixed bag, but it isn't as polarizing as seems. Overall, I was satisfied with EWJ HD. The high definition upgrade makes an artistically great game even better, the updated sound effects and voiceovers add a ton of personality to a title already brimming with it, and even though it wasn't necessary, the multiplayer is an absolute hoot and extends an already great title. I can't recommend it enough to fans of the original, and for new ones, I hope they're prepared to play one of the most challenging, personable platformers around.



**The EWJ2 humor problem is simple to explain. The original Earthworm Jim, and part of its charm was being a game that didn't take itself too seriously, though it's intimidating boxart would've had you thinking otherwise.

The game starts with Jim's pants falling as he showboats for the camera, and moments after you've pressed start, he's on-screen sporting the angriest "GET TO THE CHOPPA" look you could ever possibly imagine on an annelid. But this was the balance--for every clever 'serious' red herring the game threw you, there was a clever joke waiting not too far away. Jim fights his way through a rabid junkyard, then he's in hell listening to elevator music. One second he's working his way through an underwater labyrinth constructed by a fish, then he's caught up in a freefall battle with a robot chicken. The best part was, Jim for the most part did it stone faced, and carried himself like a champion, like he was embarking on the greatest rescue mission ever, and like he was going to succeed...somehow.

Then in the second, it seemed as if it were all about the punchline. Gone was the deathly serious Jim surrounded by absurdity, he was now consistently bug-eyed and jogging in place. The levels were clever, but one huge punchline. The enemies were punchlines. The puzzles, onscreen words--everything seemed like a setup for a joke bigger than the next, and while it's fine in the grand scheme for a character like Jim to occupy the role of Jester--it was the fact that he wasn't in the original that made his quest so endearing. He was ridiculous--but not as ridiculous as what was going on around him, and that's why the humor worked so well. The second felt juvenile and undercooked by comparison.

(This article's also on CLgamer.com!)

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April Fools?...No.

It's art. But I'm sure you were thinking something crazy for a split-second.

Ha.

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God of Visuals.

God of War III is nearly among us, friends. One week. Of course with it comes the ubiquitous pre-release hyperbole, but in this case, it's definitely deserved. All the buzz, reviews I'm struggling to avoid are saying it's amazing.

Especially its visual presentation. While God of War is certainly no stranger to setting a visual bar every time one is released, 3 is exceptionally well done. Never mind the demo everyone's been salivating over this past year, the actual game is so many leaps and bounds beyond it, it's almost unbelievable. The guys over at Digital Foundry threw up a small blog on the improvements made since the demo, and even though dev terminology is being flung left and right, it's still an interesting read if you're even slightly curious about the refinements that can come about during the last year of a game's development.

Or, if you just want the visual payoff you can just click that header pic from the demo, and see what it looks like now.

Either way, it's stunning. Uncharted 3 now has a visual bar to overcome. Who would've thought?

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Strength.

ANOTHER Bayonetta post?

Yes.

Because this game is exceptional. Excellent, even. But I rave on about it enough. One thing that particularly stood out for me was her design, and it's a driving force behind why I'm never embarassed to show people this game no matter how over-the-top things get. Almost brilliantly, the things she says, does wouldn't work for any other character, and if it was attempted, it'd be a failure, indeed.

Anyone who's spoken to me aloud about her knows what's coming next, but instead of subjecting you to one of my rants, I'll instead show this very well put together collection of thoughts from the Game OverThinker, because he's spot on with my opinion.

I always smile inwardly when things I've said appear elsewhere in the mainstream..it means I definitely picked the right field. Video after the jump.



Agree? Disagree? Comments please. There aren't enough of them around here ;)

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Quick Thought - Bayonetta

Bayonetta is the best action game this year, Period. Yes I realize I'm saying this when God of War 3 is on the cusp of release. Yes, I realize the year just started.

But my definition of what makes a great action game, and an epic action game what they are are two different things.

While there isn't any doubt in my mind that God of War will be an epic spectacle, a graphical and aural marvel with some of the most cinematic and downright visceral moments in gaming coupled with a stellar storyline, these are all bullet points.

Genuinely?

On its merits as an infinitely playable action game, I don't think it'll top Bayonetta.

Bayonetta is fun, fast, gorgeous and has unprecedented depth. It's as much a celebration of action games as it is gaming in general, refuses to take itself too seriously, and in terms of creativity and completely off-the-wall game design, I've never played ANYTHING like it.

It has a very endearing, self-referential arcade game quality to it that makes it addictive, and the sheer number of weapons and combat situations, coupled with some of the most over the top setpieces I've ever seen, ensure there's a reason to play it over and over, discovering something new nearly every time. No really. When your character's potential moveset has enough depth to rival that of a Virtua Fighter character, something special is going on there.

God of War cannot claim this. As polished as its combat engine is, it's still an intensely cinematic game that's meant to be experienced, not replayed like a traditional game. When it's over, it's over, and there will be stories, but revisiting is just smoothing over familiar territory. A replay of God of War is nostalgic at best.

Replaying Bayonetta is peeling back layers. I've gone through the game twice, have replayed countless missions and boss fights, and I'm STILL finding out new things, still having as much fun as I had the first go-around.

Similar to what Rockstar did with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in reminding everyone in the industry exactly who the master of the open-world genre was, Hideki Kamiya and Platinum Games just stepped in and reminded everyone exactly who redefined the action genre in 2001 in the first place.


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Gameplay demo of...Bioshock 2?

While I realize this may make me seem like a huge hypocrite in retrospect, in the passing months, I've found much to be excited about.

Mind you, my opinion hasn't changed, but a revised direction in the story on the developers' side, plus a very recent playthrough of the original on mine has much to do with why February 9th seems so far away.

I don't expect the same impact as the original. That may be unreasonable. But if you can bring me back to Rapture in 1970 and have me feel it, well..

Then I can't wait.


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Definition of Awesome - II

Awesome is when a game's visuals are so stunning, you take the subtleties and intricacies of its little details for granted because things look the way they are supposed to.

As humans, our eyes discern things to scale. It's easy to spot good graphics in a game and acknowledge it as simply a good looking game. It's even easier to spot flaws and inconsistencies when a game falls short of the realism it's attempting. But when a game simply looks so good, so realistic, so organic, so...right that the little details, like overturned chairs, debris strewn about, wallpaper textures that are so varied you never see them duplicate, even flags flapping in the breeze are taken for granted, that's something.

It's why, humorously, among your other stats, there's one counting the amount of playing time you've simply stood still. Awe is inevitable.

Even when you're inside a building while it's collapsing. Everything looks, and moves, and behaves the way it's supposed to, to such an insane degree that you stop questioning the nature of the game, forget you are playing a game at all, and just want to get out of the fucking building before it kills you.

That is something special.



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The Real God of War Stands Up..

Why yes, that is a realtime screenshot of our man Kratos.

It's no secret by now that God of War III is going to be amazing. I'm really trying to maintain this guise I have of being a raging skeptic, but it's things like what I found today that really disarm me. Being fully aware of the fact that neither David Jaffe (creator), or Cory Barlog (art lead\director of the second) are working on this one, what could've been enough to knock me from my stubborn post?

Well, aside from that screenshot above speaking a thousand words in visual fidelity..


It might've been the demo. The demo really was something else. It sounded amazing, played like a dream, and the graphics, heh. I know the team has been saying for well over half a year that the game looks significantly better than this demo, but I can't imagine how. Textures were incredible, lighting was fantastic, and the animation was superb, somehow making Kratos' movements and combat feel even more brutal and covincing.



My ravings aside, it was a hoot. But they've kept surprisingly mum about things since E3. I've heard literally nothing other than the groan-inducing statement that comes with each PS3 exclusive ("This isn't possible on any other console!"), but apparently...Japan knows something we don't.

A bit of sniffing around the internet at large revealed a MASSIVE spread in the latest Famitsu that tells a bunch about our impending epic. Have a look see, even if you may not be able to read it. Click to enlarge, even. The pictures themselves say more than enough.

...Yes, that is Kratos fighting Poseidon on the sixth page. I believe that was my tipping point.











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Dante's Inferno.....of War?

I know imitation's the sincerest form of flattery, but c'mon, guys.





Dante's Inferno, Visceral Games' take on the infamous novel, -is- God of War. Yes. I just said it.

I'm not sorry either. Honestly, if Noriko from Heavenly Sword was dabbling around in the "How to Make An Epic Action Game" bullet point list made by the GoW series, then Inferno has gone to Staples, made a copy of it, and dared to stuff it into a decent looking folder instead of laminate it.

I understand the symbiosis of the industry and how we must take an idea or two from each other and expand on it in order to survive, but this is a bit much, even for me. The controls have been copy pasted, the boss battles and enemy encounters are similar right down to the finishing QTE events, and the graphics, while running at a rock solid 60 frames per second, have obviously taken a hit due to this fact.



I almost played the game in a state of utter disbelief, unable to fully enjoy it because I knew where it was all coming from, and unable to hate it because what was on display was very polished. The demo was actually very long and involving, taking me from the beginning of Dante's quest to rescue his love Beatrice, to his entry into one of the many circles of hell he's supposed to endure. It's a concept that is interesting, having been built upon the framework of The Divine Comedy, but it ends up being more unintentionally funny than dramatic. This however, just builds upon what I said earlier.

Everything this game ultimately would like to be, it just falls slightly short in my eyes due to a lack of a tangible soul. The combat is visceral, but lacks that extra oomph it would need to be satisfying. The sense of scale is played up well with convincing camerawork and explosive setpieces, but doesn't feel grand. The game's general design feels so much like God of War and every other action game inspired by it, that it makes me wonder why I'm not playing them instead.

This isn't to say that DI is not a good game however. It's just so blatantly running off of Sony Santa Monica's (the team who created God of War) ideas that it's difficult to justify playing it when the real God of War 3 is merely months away, and even an actual month away from this title's release. There is literally NOTHING I saw in this demo outside of its concept that I found terribly interesting or original, and I don't know if a novel story is enough to warrant a full on purchase. It actually bothers me because I want to see Visceral Games' vision of hell (if the demo's any indication, they've got some things up their sleeve), but I don't know. While Dead Space was a sleeper hit, actually outdoing the series it built its framework upon (Resident Evil 4), this just feels like an impressive knockoff more than anything else. We'll see when February rolls around.



I'll be damned if some of those kills weren't cool though.

No pun intended.

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Looking back in time -- GoW Collection Review

Nostalgia is quite the rose tinted lens, and the games I’ve played in my younger years often look better in my mind’s eye than they actually did when I played them. Times change, technology changes, and especially in the case of 3D gaming, it isn’t something that ages well. Indeed, as much as we try and deny it, graphics do matter, and I’ve run into my share of dismay when trying to relive the glory of my past favorites. What looked amazing in my head suddenly doesn’t in front of me on my HDTV. Textures get muddy, animation is stilted instead of smooth, and what used to be sharp was actually a jagged mess. Paradise lost.

Time is much kinder to 2D games.


This logic even applies to my favorite titles. As amazing as I consider the God of War series to be on the whole, even it cannot escape the ever sprinting nature of technology. Even playing the originals on my PS3, smoothed out as they may have been, their hardware pushing nature was evident. The games were large, expansive, busy, lovingly textured, and the animation was excellent, but it came at a price. Resolution was as high as the PS2 could push without any anti-aliasing, the framerate was high, yet unstable, and video sync issues caused the odd torn image every so often. They're concessions we accepted at the time because NOTHING looked like God of War, but now, that just isn't the case. The games themselves have aged well, but their technology hasn't.

Enter Sony's plan to revisit and remaster the two classics, with the promise of eliminating the small technical issues they used to have, and letting us play them EXACTLY as the developers would've wanted.


(Click screenshots to see the original scenes, comparison shots courtesy of Bitmob)

The God of War Collection is finally here, and this means two of the best, genre influencing action games the last gen had to offer are now on display during the HD era. As if having both of these games on a Blu-Ray wasn't enough, they’ve been remastered as well, offering up a new 720p resolution with anti-aliasing, sharper textures, and a perfect framerate to match. To put aside the tech jargon and put it bluntly; they're much better than they were before. Much.

Oddly enough, the sound was left out of the remastering, and while it’s a touch disappointing to not be able to hear the original score in perhaps an uncompressed, dolby digital manner, it’s a small complaint because the sound is still impressive in it’s own right, and the score is still as appropriately epic and dynamic as it's always been.

In case you are somehow unacquainted with the God of War series, (and HOW did you miss it?), you are Kratos, champion of the gods of ancient Greece and all around ruthless soldier who is as mysterious as he is feared for his deeds. The first game has Kratos seeking revenge against Ares, the titular god of war who betrayed him. The second sees Kratos having fulfilled his quest, but due to some story elements I refuse to spoil, see him attempting to reach the Isle of Creation in order to ultimately change his fate. The results of his tenacity aren't pleasant though. Kratos isn't a hero, nor is he even an antihero, and his violent, ruthless methods may be a turnoff for some people. For the rest of us though, it's one hell of a violent, bloody path cut through ancient Greek mythology that takes its liberties where it needs to in the name of an epic story.



I played the originals to death, so my memory of them both, what I felt, I remember as vividly as if it were yesterday. This means it's no small thing when I say that thanks to the remastering, God of War I and II look exactly as I remember them. This is a compliment, because after all, I am talking about two last generation games being blown up way past their original resolution on an HDTV. They were literally the best looking games the PS2 had to offer, but are dated by this point, especially with games like Gears of War 2 and Uncharted 2 running amok. This is to say nothing of the massive setpieces and epic sense of scale for which the series has always been revered, but the fact that the conversion actually helps both titles hold up is a boon. The original game looks just as good as it did on the SDTV I had in 2005, and its sequel actually looks better, dare I say early current gen by comparison.



The only thing that didn’t make a next gen leap were the cutscenes. God of War makes use of three kinds of cinematic, in-game, prerendered, and full CG. While the full CG scenes still look stunning (albeit still in standard definition) the prerendered scenes look atrocious in comparison to the game itself. It’s unfortunate their resolution didn’t get the same upgrade the rest of the game did, because while the transition between the two was near seamless back in 2005, it isn’t now. Players will know exactly what I mean as the game makes the jarring shift from 720p, to a scene rendered in 480p, then back to 720p again.

Gameplay wise, nothing’s changed. The smooth, free flowing combat system is just as deep and visceral as it’s always been, the weapons are just as satisfying to use, and everything feels much more responsive and tight thanks to the improved framerate. Even the game’s platforming elements also feel more responsive because of this, cutting down on much frustration while moving around some of the trickier parts. The seamless integration of button pressing minigames into everything from combat to the puzzles feels just as fresh as it did back then as well, and mashing buttons to escape the jaws of a hydra, or to disarm other foes mid flight (has to be seen to be believed) is still intensely satisfying. Kratos has a no holds barred, visceral style that is as shocking to watch as it is empowering on the player's side, and the fact that the game now feels just as tight control wise as it does visually is excellent.



At the end of the day though, these are still two superb games being brought up to speed for existing fans and newcomers before we’re treated to the close of this trilogy with God of War III come March 2010. While certain bits of the conversion leave a bit to be desired, on a whole, this is essentially the definitive version of two of the best action games ever to grace consoles, budget priced, and with the added bonus of achievements to add a bit of replay value. If you've played through them already, the conversion and added accomplishments are in my opinion, well worth another go, but if you're a complete newcomer to the series, well..

Personally, I couldn’t ask for a better deal myself.

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Uncharted is a perfect name on several fronts.

When writing the review for this game, the graphic analysis will read as follows:

"..."

There are no words.

This is the best looking game of this generation.

I am delivering a straight kick to the chest of the frustration associated with posting here from my phone (picture resizing and all, click for dramatic effect) just to let you know that I am playing this game, and my mind is blown. Wow.

Just..wow.

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Rock-em Sock-em Cowgirl.

I remember seeing the trailer for this game and not being interested. I remember seeing a woman dive in slow motion, I remember seeing her acrobatic stylings on the television above at work, and writing it off.

I occasionally wonder if I'm a bit too jaded. "Another clone from the house Max Payne built", I said. I watched her outrageous, acrobatic stylings, gunplay and swordplay and remember saying to a coworker of mine - "You know, that looks awesome, but I wonder if the transitions are that smooth in actual gameplay?" I looked away and didn't pay it much mind.

It's funny, because in wondering whether or not I'm jaded, I also realize that I've been very pleasantly surprised at many of the releases this year, games I wouldn't have batted an eye towards just rushing up to me and making it known just how wrong I was.

Wet is another of those games.


Coming completely out of left field from Bethesda of all places, and being developed by Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), Wet is a game that wants you to have fun. The game is awash in a cheesy, worn down Grindhouse style akin to House of the Dead: Overkill, is rife with blood and guts galore, has completely outlandish and over-the-top scenarios aplenty, cheesy, yet catchy music and dialogue, and the best part is, you're in control of it all.

You play as Rubi, an assassin-for-hire with the agility of the Prince of Persia and the firearm proficiency of Max Payne. From the very start of the demo, you're taught the basics. Leaping is done with the A button, Sliding with the B button, Left Trigger helps run on walls, Right trigger is to fire. Later, you gain the ability to use that huge sword on her back and your battle options increase, but it never gets more complicated than those 5 options.

Which brought me back to the point I made with my coworker about it controlling as well as the trailers made it look. I'll say right off the bat that there is a bit of a learning curve, but everything and then some is possible. Every move Rubi executes, be it a wall run, jump, slide, as soon as you move the aiming reticle over an enemy, the game slows down in order to help you aim (and looks damned cool too.) Sweeping the reticle over two enemies causes her to auto-aim at one while you focus on another, making use of both her pistols. It's actually a great design choice that takes the focus away from pinpoint accuracy and more towards how well you can maneuver her through the environments. Within minutes I was deftly executing movements that would make even Mr. Smith from the movie Shoot 'em Up blush.

Case in point: In the opening room alone, I was able to run along a wall, take out two men, flip off said wall without losing momentum catching another henchman between the eyes in midair, hit the ground sliding across the floor on my knees towards two more, taking one out by the knees before literally using him like a human staircase and backflipping off his face, not only taking him out, but the guy behind him as well.

This was all one extended movement. The moves used were literally, wall run, jump, slide. The interactions made them so much more. Even something as simple as descending a ladder will have her sliding down with her back arched backwards if you choose to pull the right trigger on the way down.

It actually wasn't until I played Wet that I realized just how much other games of this nature like Stranglehold took much of the emphasis away from your spectacle by having you focus intensely on pinpoint aiming. Here, within minutes I wasn't nearly as worried about my guns as I was maneuvering her skillfully enough to dispatch my enemies. With each battle area and stage serving as some sort of interactive playground, the possibilities actually seem endless. One area late in the demo spent a good 30 seconds highlighting all the zip lines, swinging poles, walls, and explosives in the area. My brain could do nothing but contemplate how to turn that area into an extended ballet of death. IT's something you as a player would want to do since successive kills fill a combo meter, not only giving you points but also restoring Rubi's health depending on the situation at hand.



The demo ends with a highway chase that's half gameplay, half Quick-Time-Event, having you alternately hopping from car roof to car roof while precision aiming at enemies. If the previous moments of gameplay didn't sell me, having to break away from my shooting in order to hop off one car the second it capsized , only to land on the roof of another car swerving to avoid another car flipping down the interstate had me completely floored.

If I had any complaint, it was that the camera was too close, providing a limited view or hindered one in small rooms, and that Rubi's agility can occasionally be a hindrance, with her moves either being too sensitive or not sensitive enough. The latter becomes a problem when there's always 5-6 enemies minimum shooting at you at any given time, and the wrong combination of moves can get you mowed down.

That however, didn't stop Wet from making my wanted list for Fall 2009. I don't remember any other game since HOTD:Overkill that simply wanted me to have fun because the creation itself was born from developers having a great time.

Did I mention that I also love her character design? Something about it. So renegade and not overtly sexual like most female protagonists.



Surprise from left field. Nice one.
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Bayonetta blowout.

It's no secret to anyone close to me that I'm excited for Bayonetta, lovechild of Sega and Platinum Games (formerly Clover Studio and of Okami fame). From her unique design to the fast paced stylish action gameplay, I can't see where this title could go wrong. Further cementing my rabid anticipation would be the fact that Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry) is at the helm. I mean, we're talking about the guy who redefined action gaming back in 2001, you know, WAY before David Jaffe waltzed in and stole his thunder by sticking QTEs in the middle of our grab combos with God of War.

Personally, I'm getting a little tired of every action game being compared to GoW post-2005, and it's nice to see ANOTHER game get the limelight, free of those comparisons. Of course, to know what I'm talking about, you'd have to see it in action, right? The jump awaits.


I think the worst part of any action game is staring at the loading screens. Bayonetta is no stranger to them, however instead of a black screen, in this game you get a chance to tool around and learn all her moves, and if this video is any indication...there's a TON of them. Loading screen montage go!



If you stopped to ask, "Why do her clothes keep disappearing?" it's because well...those aren't clothes she's wearing. That's her hair.

Yep.

Oh, and are those bazookas on her ankles? My word. I think I'm in love.

Just in case that wasn't enough (I know it wasn't for me), here's the 10 minute demo from E3, being played by someone who obviously knows their stuff. I swear, her moves look even better in practice, and if the entire game can keep up the pace and look of this short demo, I think fans of action games everywhere are in for a treat.





If you're still as interested as I am after watching these, be sure to check out the Developer's Blog, as they're taking time aside from making this awesome game to detail the process that goes into creating everything from character design, to the weapons and even how the music was scored. Interesting reads, especially if you're curious about just how much work goes into making a game from concept to reality.
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Uncaged Animal - X-Men Origins: Wolverine Demo Impressions

X-Men Origins: Wolverine. While everything I've heard about the movie has been overwhelmingly TERRIBLE, I'm pleased to say that the game itself is anything but. Movie licenses are really easy to screw up, and that they do with aplomb.By my estimate, about 95% of them turn out to be undercooked rush-jobs.

With this game though, I knew from the opening movie that I was in for a treat.


No more than a few seconds into the cinematic, Wolverine is bounding about, disembowling , impaling, eviscerating, and adjectives fail me, basically fucking up everyone in his way. No, really. At one point he gets a hole blown in him--literally--and he just gets back up and gives the guy a claw uppercut. Through the head.

Yep. This game's rated M.

As soon as actual gameplay started, it made no bones about getting me straight into the action, controls were very simple and God of War-esque, with the usual heavy/light/grab attack buttons front and center. As the general "test pattern" way of figuring out combos (XXY,XXX,XYY....etc) was going on in my head, I was pleased that everything coming out on screen was not only tight from a control standpoint, but from a visceral one as well. When Raven Studios said they refused to compromise Wolverine's character in this title, they weren't kidding. Every action I did either had streaks of blood, or limbs flying everywhere, occasionally in glorious slow-motion (with zoom cam!). If grunts weren't being torn apart, they were being pounded into dust, if they wern't being pounded into dust, they were being covered in claw marks and reduced to a bloody mess. The more enemies they threw at me, the more I felt like cutting loose until I was the only one left standing.



Sounds like I was in a Wolverine state of mind, no?

Excellent.

The rest of the demo was a similarly themed killing spree, mixing in nifty environmental kills (Press B near this spike jutting out of the ground and see what happens!), and new moves (You've leveled up! Hold Y to launch enemies into the air!) to keep me on my toes, all similarly fun to execute and experiment with at will. My favorite one however, was a technique called "Lunge".



It's exactly what it sounds (and looks) like; Logan himself shooting through the air like a torpedo with claws, launched directly into some strapping young lad's chest. Bullets and commotion be damned, I took out about 5 people in succession with this one move. How was this not regulated with a meter or power bar of some sort? How? I spared myself the questions and abused it like a cheap corner move in [insert your favorite fighting game here].

I think the highlight of my newfound ability had to have been when the helicopter came in, and the first thought that popped into my head was "I wonder if I can use Lunge on this?"

Sure enough, it worked.



I was rendered speechless as I watched Logan jump nearly 40 feet onto the helicopter, make his way to the pilot-side window, bash in the glass, yank the driver out, and hold his body up to the still-moving propellers, decapitating him and spraying blood everywhere.

Yes again.. This game is rated M.

With the kills and cinematics being the selling point however, it's a bit disappointing to admit that visually, the game leaves a bit to be desired. The camera is just a -bit- too far away for my liking (making the characters look small) and the framerate could be better considering everything the engine is NOT pushing, but the overall level of detail the game provides offsets it somewhat. It's not the greatest looking game out there, but it gets its point across nicely.

The damage modeling is also worth special mention, as it fits in perfectly with his character. Rather than going the usual BS route of limiting his healing factor to a limited powerup or a story detail that gets momentary mention, it's the crux of the game's health system. There are two layers to the damage system, one represents his outer skin, where you can continuously take damage up until a point where his vitals are exposed, then a heart meter representing this starts to go down unless you can find some cover and begin regenerating. The best part is, you get to watch this happen in real time. Everything from bullet wounds to entire missing chunks of muscle and flesh starts repairing their way back to normalcy as Wolverine's most famous ability begins filling in the gaps left by your recklessness. Cool.



Ultimately, my experience with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine demo was a fine one. (Even if they copped out by not letting me fight that boss at the end.) The visuals, overall presentation, and gameplay do a great job of not only putting you in Wolverine's shoes, but also give you the claws to cut out of them. It's also one of the rare licensed properties that make you FEEL like the character you're using. It's very easy to associate Cyclops with simple eye lasers, or The Punisher with a bunch of guns, but to actually capture the essence of your source material? It takes passion. If there's anything that worries me, it's that judging from my brief playtime, the reviewer side of me worries about the experience being repetitive. However, I can only hope Raven injected enough variety in the finished game to keep things satisfying. I'm not too sure watching Wolverine claw someone from head to crotch ever gets old though. That may be the balance.

Great stuff though. I'd have to rank this one up there with Riddick as an experience so tight, it surpasses the movie it's based on.



Ain't a bad thing at all, bub.
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