Where fiction collides.
And here’s the continuation of yesterday’s console article, featuring the top ten most anticipated Vita and 3DS games of 2012.
As an update to the big fifteen console games of this year, Diablo III has just been confirmed for consoles. W00t!
I’m back with another five-day video game editorial on GameZone. The first one (here, if you missed it) was extremely successful, so thanks to everyone who read.
I’ll be updating this post with links as the week goes along.
Part 1: The Platformers (#25-21)
Part 2: The Fighters and Racers (#20-16)
Part 3: The Shoot ‘Em and Runs (#15-11)
Part 4: The RPGs (#10-6)
Part 5: The Special Mentions (#5-1)
A lot of details are pouring in about Sony’s PSP successor, referred to as the “NGP,” or “next-generation portable.” GameInformer has reported a wealth of information, including first-hand impressions of a new Uncharted game being prepped for the handheld, possibly as a launch title.
Below are some thoughts on the NGP’s new design and prowess, as well as what it could mean for gaming.
THE AD
Overall, PlayStation’s video teaser for the NGP is just that: a teaser. But since I’ve been tearing apart ads lately, I thought I’d devote a brief moment to how unbelievably cheesy the NGP ad is. It doesn’t exactly sell me on the comfort of the product, to say the least.
THE SYSTEM
The NGP itself, however, is a matter separate from the bizarre ad—and one much more convincing and substantial.
Two analog sticks are a plus—even an additional nub would have significantly improving the playing experience of the PSP, which has otherwise earned my seal of approval. With the inclusion of front and rear touch pads, though, the NGP sounds like quite a handful.
Watch the video below to see more of the system’s anatomy, or click here to view technical specs.
THE GAMES: UNCHARTED
GameInformer’s hands-on impressions of the upcoming Uncharted title for the NGP revealed potential good and bad qualities concerning how games will take advantage of the system’s functionality. No doubt the NGP is going to be a powerful machine, and according to GI’s Phil Kollar, considerable effort went into making it as sturdy as possible.
The NGP’s Uncharted title is rounding up to a versatile experience. Gamers can either execute controls via the usual button input or the new motion technology—the touch screen to unleash attacks (eg., pulling down enemies from cliff edges) and the gyroscope to engage a first-person camera mode (or, for example, to swing back and forth on vines). Alternating between both at will sounds like a luxury, not just a convenience, as with the occasional choice of stylus versus face buttons on the Nintendo DS.
There is one foreseeable problem: accidental movements. Would you have to hold the console perfectly still to play the game, to prevent a slip of movement or unwanted action? Too many options, in this case, could pose a problem, but one that might be fixable with the added capability of enabling or disabling the motion technology.
GameSpot’s video demo of the game raises another question: Will using the back touch pad compromise the player’s grasp on the system itself? Stroking the pad requires the user to cradle the NGP awkwardly in his or her hands. See for yourself below (excuse the muffled voice audio quality and sensational spin).
GI has gathered the names of publishers and developers currently working on NGP projects. THQ and EA have been excluded from the list.
What are your thoughts and concerns regarding the NGP’s enhancements and playability?
In a world where aeons (err, [relics]) hold unimaginable power, a spoiled princess with a phobia of pumpkins and itch for world domination and a humble shape-shifter with modest intentions meet in a bumbling little town. As they race for Valen’s relic, the ultimate aeon, the two magically bestowed adventurers pummel thievish pirates, explore ancient ruins, and best a mighty dragon. Wrap two stories, one lighthearted and the other redemptive, in one action RPG/platformer, and Threads of Fate is born.
Japan recognizes Square’s sorely underplayed creation (released here in 2000) as Dewprism, a game drizzled with role-playing elements and rife with personality. Clocking in at around fifteen hours, Threads of Fate engages players in a satisfying romp through dungeons and other fantasy locales. After choosing between the magician-in-training Mint and Rue, a mysterious and driven young man, players arrive at the central hub of Carona, and from there embark on a linear path rich with humor.
Although Mint develops her magical prowess along the way, Rue can transform into the monsters he encounters. Simplistic, non-obtrusive puzzles guarding rare treasure, the heroes must implement a different approach to overcome the challenges embedded within the picturesque environments. Indeed, the graphics have lasted well past their shelf life. Vibrant colors fill the screen, and catchy music adds a fun flair.
Since Mint and Rue can take a generous amount of damage before calling it quits, the game’s design adapts quite flexibly to the player’s skill level, the battle system ensuring that players build their stats without grinding. For perfectionists, extra opportunities periodically surface to boost core stats.
While the manageable but limited number of areas, side quests, and characters creates a wholesome and easygoing mini RPG, the world ends up restricted with little reason to revisit places besides collecting a missed item or two. Although magic is intuitive, players will be hard-pressed to exploit the variety available. With the exception of the aforementioned in-game puzzles, enemies have relatively non-specific weaknesses, so magic goes to waste.
Any head-scratching moments that crop up subside quickly, but one wonders whether this is due to the tight world. For such a small town, Carona poorly utilizes its services: The tavern, church, and Hobbs’ shop justify a stark handful of visits combined, Marco’s shop is always understocked, and the rare item buyers curiously disappear when they’re most needed. With a short list of areas to investigate, players won’t be stuck for long.
Though streamlined and entertaining at first, eventually the story and dialogue begin to drag, restating the same old ideas. Nonetheless, the dynamic aned quirky characters interact wonderfully, every scene comes to life, and the consistently interesting bosses fight fair. Two quests means at least a moderate replay level, but with this game’s charm, you’ll want to bash pumpkins and play with cute Poppul Purrels all day long. 8/10
“Ada, wait!” Before las Plagas, there were zombies. Ankle-dragging, brain-hungry zombies, the undead who waited behind corners and inside lockers, hoping an unlucky S.T.A.R.S. member or even some exhausted shop owner with a shotgun would walk straight into their open arms. Hey, it happens. Resident Evil 2 is proof.
When it comes to horror video games, Resident Evil tops the chart, nails the head shots, and splatters the screen with blood and gore. Although the popular series changed its mainstream viral formula with the “action horror” award-winner Resident Evil 4, fans still consider the second game a hot favorite. Leon S. Kennedy may be a teenage girl’s knight in zombie gut-stained armor now, but he wasn’t always such a looker who rolled with Umbrella’s punches as slickly as the bad puns and bingo jokes. Once upon a time in Raccoon City, he was a rookie cop whose first day on the job ended in city-wide decimation. He slogged through grimy sewers, followed a corporation’s blood trail, befriended Redfield’s sister … and fell for one dangerous lady in red.
Interested in the full retro review? Click here and read it on Spawn Kill.
