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Let the 2010 Games Begin

What upcoming games are you eagerly awaiting? Over at RadNerd Beau Ryan and I discuss some of our most wanted 2010 titles, including a few I’ve already covered here on the blog (like 3D Dot Game Heroes, for instance). Click the link or above image to access the feature!

If we missed something good, let us know which games should have made the list. Cheers!

Another year of gaming has rocketed through our memories, dropping new favorites at our feet. Batman: Arkham Asylum brought fans and wary newcomers together in an action-packed, stealthy tour; the smash hit Street Fighter IV echoed the sound of button mashing world-wide; the addictive RPG Demon’s Souls watched proudly, a tear glistening in its pixeled eye, as we coursed toward certain doom. Many games inspired us and woke our systems from the slumber induced by less promising titles, but what cards is 2010 playing close to the chest this winter/spring? Here are a few titles we can’t wait to test run.

Tags: 3D Dot Game Heroes, Alan Wake, Bayonetta, BioShock, Dante's Inferno, Final Fantasy, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect, Prince of Persia, Silent Hill, Splinter Cell
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Demos: Bayonetta & Dante’s Inferno

There’s a slew of exciting games waiting for us in 2010, and Bayonetta and Dante’s Inferno are two of them. Demos are up for grabs, but which action hack n’ slash will combo its way to victory? Either way, the competition is just beautiful.

Bayonetta

It’s nearly time to Open the Eyes of the World. Sega and Platinum Games are dusting off the organ music, castles, and demons who phase through the ground only to shatter into a million pieces. This time around, they’re glamoring up the bloodshed. The early January slated Bayonetta mirrors Castlevania—or more precisely, Devil May Cry, if the inclusion of DMC and Viewtifiul Joe creator Hideki Kamiya is any indication—in almost every fundamental way. And before you start whipping out your quadruple set of guns, keep in mind that a revamp of a decomposing mold can be a good thing. From the music to the gameplay style of “hey, here’s a special relic, let me tell you its history” and swapping fancy weapons to your heart’s content, Bayonetta is reminiscent of the ye ol’ Castlevania (or the newer DMC) series.

Of course, there’s more than meets the eye, though the developers make sure the visuals hold a heavy presence. The demo gives us an introduction to the game’s story, which is as cheesy as those naughty secretary glasses and that pinned-up schoolmaster hair. If that isn’t enough innuendo, Bayonetta lathers on the sex appeal with a demo innocently titled, “First Climax.” Our little Miss Bayonetta apparently carries the shame of impure blood, but that doesn’t stop her (or her mysterious overseer) from acting on destiny.

Bayonetta can’t keep its guns in its holsters, if you catch my drift. The demo offers gamers a rich slice of the pie, from a tutorial mode to various speed-driven monster fights and even a witch throw-down that invites the player to walk, jump, and kick ass on the walls and ceiling. To start, there are two attack modes and a few powerful (and therefore short-lived) weapons to steal from defeated foes. The gold rings they surrender with their demise refuels Bayonetta’s health in the heat of battle. Stringing combos together by using the two main attack buttons (triangle and circle on the PS3) or opening fire on a circle of enemies will do the trick, allowing you to execute a heavier offensive like “Torture” or the scandalous “Climax”—in which a monster appears through a portal and devours the big baddie at hand. Cue the blood by the sparkling gallons. The demo offers three fight sequences to test the waters: a swarm of archangels, their colossus friend with a jeweled weak spot, and a wall-climbing, bridge-breaking menace.

The game’s unique and kinky cinematic sequences along with its slow-motion “Witch Time” mechanics, dance club soundtrack, and special moves achievable at the height of the player’s combo powers all prove wonderfully addicting and rewarding. Fighting off waves of enemies doesn’t feel dry or repetitive by any means—probably contributed to the game’s smooth pace and the ease of linking together attacks. Chances are that come January 9, the developing team will have a red-hot winner on their hands.

Dante’s Inferno

There’s only one way a developer could tell the gaming masses to go to hell and scrape by without repercussions. Electronic Arts and Visceral Games aren’t far behind with their epic reproduction of the 14th-century Dante’s Inferno, which is set for an early February release. While the stylish Bayonetta embraces a Castlevania-type lineage, Dante’s Inferno clearly hails from a God of War inspired origin. The demo isn’t afraid to show gamers the riveting proportions of its cut-scenes, which creatively blend next-gen graphics with 2D animation akin to Zack Snyder’s Tales of the Black Freighter. Not a bad move, especially with the limited comic series being published by Wildstorm now.

Oddly enough, the demo takes awhile to heat up and unleash its potential in terms of gameplay. The initial sequence pushes you into the midst of a horde, forcing you to repeat combinations you can only guess at until a burning ship wrecks into the cliff platform and allows you to progress. Even the fight with Death could have been more satisfying if you weren’t plunged so blindly into his skeletal arms. The battles are grueling at first, but when the second half of the demo begins, the hellfire carves out the game’s infamous name. Prepare to head onwards and down into hell.

A generous introduction to Dante’s ensuing plight to redeem himself and save his beloved Beatrice courses through the remainder of the demo. For the most part, the game produces standard God of War fare … only set in, you know, hell. Combo chains are essential to success in the depths of damnation, as are counters that allow for hefty damage to your surrounding opponents. Attack combinations, magic (mana) or special relics, and even purchasable upgrades are soon at your disposal, and the gears grind harder to create a more fluid experience. The demo also introduces the opportunity to punish or save condemned souls. You’ll even steer a fire-breathing beast in the final moments.

The gameplay might not be terribly different from what comes to mind regarding the mythical God of War—not to mention the lewd appeal of topless women—but Dante’s Inferno promises a dark and detail-rich adventure. I did encounter one glitch, which nicks the zero-problem score accompanying Bayonetta: When fighting the aforementioned monster at the end, I found myself stuck in a groove near the wall. The bug will most likely be worked out by the game’s release on February 9, however.

Did you enjoy the angels and demons-flavored demos? Which struck your fancy more?

Tags: Bayonetta, Dante's Inferno, Demos, Electronic Arts, Platinum Games, Sega, Visceral Games
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At Least Heat Miser Would Be Proud

Inferno—it’s the Italian word for Hell. Dante Alighieri knew it, and he warped the first part of his Divine Comedy around the concept and all its nasty little nooks and crannies.

But four different years inspired movies with the same title: first a 1924 silent film; then a 1935 loose interpretation remembered for its depiction of hell rendered by director Harry Lachman, an established post-impressionist painter; a 1967 television film about another Dante (Gabriel Rossetti) and his relationship with Elizabeth Siddal; finally a modern update in 2007 complete with paper puppets. Inferno saw its days as a Coney Island ride, an album by Transmetal, and a song by Iced Earth. Now the fiery hell Dante so vividly unraveled is being cemented as a next-gen video game by developer Visceral Games. Dante’s probably sick and tired of rolling over in his grave, so we might as well bring on the heat!

A demo of the re-imagined classic will ignite the PlayStation Network come December 10—unfortunately, Xbox goers won’t get a stab at the game until the 24th, two weeks later. Demo players will have access to the full first level, in which Dante passes through the Gates of Hell after the soul of his deceased lover. With the scythe of Death at his side, Dante can judge and damn the monstrosities and sufferers he encounters in the depths of hell.

“The world of Alighieri’s Dante’s Inferno is such a rich, detailed, and often alarming universe, that all of us at Visceral Games put our hearts, and dare I say souls, into creating something truly intense and exciting,” says producer Jonathan Knight. “We hope gamers enjoy this tease of hell, and come away from the experience lusting for more when the game comes out on February 9.”.

Are you for or against a video game edition of Dante’s Inferno? What’s next, Macbeth? Or do you think the fresh attention to Dante’s work could actually work in a positive way?

Tags: Dante's Inferno, Demo, PlayStation 3, PSP, Visceral Games, Xbox 360
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