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High in the Clouds: Bioshock Goes Infinite

More Bioshock, please! Check out the star-spangled news (with a teaser trailer and screens) at OneMetal.

Irrational Games promises to return the Bioshock series to red, white, and blue form with Bioshock Infinite. The sea is so three years ago. Come visit the city in the clouds.

2K Marin departed Bioshock from its original creative talent for the lesser praised sequel, but the company is graciously stepping aside for the third installment in the series, a property that Irrational Games has reclaimed. 2K president Christoph Hartmann recently announced, “We believe that Irrational Games will lend their meticulous attention to detail and unique storytelling expertise to make BioShock Infinite an incredible entertainment experience that will immerse new and diehard fans of BioShock alike.”

Tags: 2K Games, BioShock, Infinite, Irrational Games, Ken Levine, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
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Somebody Call Walter Sullivan: Dexter Composer Moves In

Recently at E3, Silent Hill owner Konami debuted a trailer for a post-Akira Yamaoka title. The game, temporarily labeled “Silent Hill 8,” follows a convict Murphy Pendleton as he stumbles into the nightmarish town. Now, really. Who just “stumbles” into Silent Hill anymore? Play us a new tune, Alessa.

I guess that’s where composer Daniel Licht comes in; he’s got quite the reputation (Hellraiser, Children of the Corn, Dexter), but will his songs fit the series? The music sounds a bit too exotic for my tastes, and the gameplay looks like it meddles in the action-adventure genre (get that out of my survival horror!), but who knows. The thematic face lift could be just what the nurses ordered.

The game’s director does promise an “evolution of the franchise’s core combat.” What do you think? Too much Homecoming, too little James Sunderland, or just right, Mary?

Vatra Games is developing the 2011 title for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows.

[GameInformer]

Tags: Daniel Licht, Konami, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Silent Hill, Vatra Games, Xbox 360
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Reminiscing with a Couple of Grenades and Majinis: New Resident Evil 5 DLC Reviewed

Want more Resident Evil 5 content? Unless you plan on diving into co-op mode, I couldn’t possibly understand why, but hey, more power to you. Just don’t let the year that flew past us distract you from the game’s original flaws, because they stick to the two DLCs recently released.

Find out what “Lost in Nightmares” and “Desperate Escape” have to offer in this RadNerd review.

Hey, remember the days when Chris Redfield and his sassy BSAA partner, Sheva Alomar, crunched those mean ol’ Majinis side by side? I can still smell the blood rusting on the chainsaws, feel the Reapers using my guts as Play-Doh, and hear Sheva’s incessant nonsense about needing more ammo. Not to mention all the cheesy love and hugs (and, erm, Wesker drama) that hitched a ride with frustrating QTAs hogging the steering wheel. My brain can replay all that action as if it were yesterday … maybe because it practically was yesterday. Okay, a year does not equate to the concept known as “yesterday,” but Resident Evil 5 is managing against any non-masochistic odds to surf its fairly sized, “racist” wave of cheap tricks. I mean, did we all just forget how much the AI’s moronic antics bothered us or how much misery the final boss sequence caused us? Oohh, yes. Now the pain smacks you in the face.

Tags: Desperate Escape, DLC, Lost in Nightmares, PlayStation 3, RadNerd, Resident Evil 5, Xbox 360
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Lords of Shadow Dominates New Territory

Eager about the upcoming Castlevania game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? I am, and you can pronounce your love by checking out these new screens and a quickie debate about Lords of Shadow‘s direction over at OneMetal.

Are you prepared to whip and magically cast Dracula across vast stretches of, well, 3D expanse? The new screenshots and artwork batch uploaded today suggests a bigger, denser world for gamers to explore. But can the developers and the assisting Kojima Productions rework the aging series into a hot-blooded successor?

Tags: Castlevania, Kojima Productions, Konami, Lords of Shadow, OneMetal, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
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Jam to Resonance of Fate

Those anticipating the trigger-happy RPG, Resonance of Fate, can download two free tracks to bide the time until its March 16 release (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Whether or not you actually listen to video game soundtracks, the songs will give you a nice taste of what Resonance of Fate has to offer.

The zip file, however, does not include the cool metal-esque song featured in this trailer. Of course not.

Will you pick up the SEGA game in a few weeks?

Tags: PlayStation 3, Resonance of Fate, Sega, Xbox 360
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The Prince, Now Environmentally Savvy

Put those Jake Gyllenhaal posters away, my fellow Prince of Persia junkies. The upcoming Forgotten Sands, which fills in the seven-year blank between the first two main games, adds an elemental touch and promises to deliver more classic time slidey, puzzle solving, sword slashing goodness.

Everything's better with the undead. Everything.

Level design director Michael McIntyre reports that the new adventure will let gamers play in a time-manipulating sandbox more akin to The Sands of Time, a series highlight. When the Prince decides to pay his brother a visit, he discovers Malik’s city overrun by the sand fiends with whom he struck a deal. Since The Forgotten Sands emerges fresh out of The Sands of Time, players can rewind time in a cinch. When the Prince befriends a Djinn named Razia, she instills in him various elemental powers.

Puzzles and combat balance evenly for the most part, and as many as fifty enemies will bombard the hero simultaneously courtesy of the Anvil Engine (Assassin’s Creed II). McIntyre praises the new fighting style, which harnesses intense and flexible combat. He also explains, “The big mechanic here is to do your combos. But the combos don’t drive you in a straight line. It kind of feels like Sands of Time combat, but cranked up to eleven.”

I can smell the water already ... There's a hint of lemon.

The elemental powers intertwine with the Prince’s acrobatic feats, allowing the developers to establish brainteasing obstacles. For instance, the Prince can slow time to a standstill, solidifying water into a more performance-friendly implement. Eventually you’ll earn four core powers, which attach to the four trigger buttons. Dash combines air and fire, according to McIntyre: “It’s something you can quickly intuit as a player, but it opens up a lot of of possibilities.” Minor, customizable strengths, like the ability to summon mini tornadoes, can be purchased.

Another change includes the populace, who are no longer absent in a sense. Sand statue vignettes augment an otherwise linear story. “They breathe a lot into the world,” McIntyre commented. “It has that real Pompei vibe.”

Set for May on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 systems (a separate Wii game awaits on the sidelines), The Forgotten Sands makes a promising case for itself. For a more detailed look, visit Kotaku.com.

The only kind of timing I enjoy in video games: The not getting sawed in half kind.

Tags: Anvil Engine, Michael McIntyre, PC, PlayStation 3, Prince of Persia, The Forgotten Sands, Xbox 360
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PS3 Review: Mini Ninjas

Appealing to the stealthy ninja wannabe in all of us, Mini Ninjas sculpts eye-popping animation, cutesy forest animals, and all-ages entertainment into one package. Of course, more cynical gamers know that flowery aesthetics don’t equate to full genius, and even the stealthiest of heroes can’t ensure a mighty punch. Well, rest assured, because Mini Ninjas infuses all of its ancient samurai muscle into a presentation as reliable as bamboo-chomping pandas … predictable, mind-numbing pandas.

Mini Ninjas markets as a game satisfying to both children and adults, and the influence leaves a clear trail throughout the game’s entirety. The difficulty setting can be adjusted with one quick trip to the options menu, and even your enviable Kuji magic integrates various hint methods for when you get stuck chasing fireflies and picking tiger lilies. Luckily, there’s a lot to admire about such a feel-good game that doesn’t hesitate to pull at the heartstrings. As you zip through mesmerizing, gorgeous painted environments, you’ll relax with soothing music one moment and then glide into unleashing your fearsome ninja moves the next. Along with the user-friendly controls and activity pallet, the result feels virtually therapeutic—certainly advantageous when you need to unwind after a long day.

Regardless of the many hints sprinkled about, Mini Ninjas shows you the courtesy of free-style gameplay. You follow a basically linear course, but gamers are encouraged to meddle with different scenario approaches and take-down methods. The six ninjas at your beck and call each bring a distinguished technique to the array of challenges, and some are better suited to the present situation than others. Everything stacks together neatly; each level’s finish totals your score of freed animals, compiled potion ingredients and scrolls, special gold tokens, and Jizo statues and allows you to replay sections at more convenient times. The weaponry and equipment at your disposal wield impressive versatility, as well. Your ninja hat, for example, acts as a boat, snow sled, and overall protection against flying arrows and falling debris.

But behind the smoke and mirrors parlor tricks essential to the ninja trade, a handful of flaws rear their ugly heads. Mini Ninjas strays from its own beaten path disappointingly little. Eventually you’ll tire from gathering dainty plants, decking silly mini (or in some cases, giant) enemies, and breaking probably expensive pots. The commonplace hunt-and-gather missions render the more carefully hidden treasures into cheap yard sale trinkets. When the game does veer towards something new, it either fails sorely or taunts you with a fresh taste of ephemeral action. The avalanche aka sledding sequence nudges excitement with a stick, but the technical frustration nips any possible thrills before they can flourish.

Mini Ninjas sustains quite a few odd yet minor bugs concerning maneuverability and functionality, including rotating your makeshift boat and aligning your character with the ropes spanning buildings. Plus, although enemies gradually advance in more ambitious and trying waves, you’ll practically be swimming in health and other replenishing items; even in the toughest battles, deaths are few and far between. Despite all that extra magic and commodity, your supposedly convenient Ki wheel never expands slot-wise, forcing you to rummage through your inventory menu instead.

Mini Ninjas delivers better as a rental: It has an innovative concept and inspiring visuals, but replay value and entertainment rewards simmer down after several hours. Character extras delightfully tell the ninjas’ origins, but the in-game storyline could have benefited from such charming personality. Like the breathtaking world, the dominating features might be superficially breathtaking, but the qualities underneath lose their polish, sucking the mystery out of the ninja heart. 7/10

Tags: Eidos Interactive, IO Interactive, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Wii, Xbox 360
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