Where fiction collides.
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?
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.
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
This February promises the highly-anticipated sequel to the action-adventure RPG with a dash of horror, Bioshock. But what was so great about the first game’s underwater dystopia, you ask? Hop on over to Spawn Kill and check out my review, which went live yesterday (hooray!).
Few video games arouse genuine nirvana in players, but even less promise a blossoming underwater world only to swallow gamers whole and leave them wanting more wretched decay, both lovely and sanguine. BioShock is one such praised gem, and experiencing the game without feeling like the developers literally poured their souls into its creation is virtually impossible. Indeed, BioShock at its very core flourishes as a polished experience, and quite a mighty one at that.
However innovative Assassin’s Creed was, it ultimately failed to shine. Plagued by flaws and repetitious action, many tossed the box aside before even reaching the supposed grand finale. The sequel promised to remedy those problems, and thankfully the developers built a much steadier foundation this time around.
Assassin’s Creed II still follows the same brittle formula as its predecessor: The player enters the ancestral link of the Animus; assassinates a bunch of targets, each more fallible than the last (more now, so half of Italy); explores cities while avoiding Templar guards. But besides offering countless missions and puzzles, there’s one thing AC2 delivers that the first game dismissed. If you guessed character interaction as rich as Italian nobles, then consider yourself savvy. Regardless of whether or not you favor Desmond or even Ezio Auditore, the oblivious but handsome protagonist of Renaissance Italy, there are dozens of other characters to gush over (or loathe)—including the humorous Leonardo da Vinci. Even voice work impresses alongside the intriguing musical score. Assassin’s Creed II incorporates all its historical research by allowing you to access said information when encountered. The result? A mind-blowing world as interactive and thriving as the 15th-century.
The developers clearly paid attention to the blunders of AC—you don’t travel back and forth between cities nearly as often, for example—but they made a few errors of their own. The game’s “puppet controls” are euphemistic QTAs, and they’re just as annoying and randomly placed. Although an indicator pops up as a signal, you’ll probably be reading those wonderful Italian translations instead.
Thanks to the wealth of missions and weaponry consciously livened by fresh scenarios, gameplay rarely feels dull and readily connects with not only Ezio’s story, but Desmond’s and Altair’s. While scaling buildings for viewpoints remains intact, Ezio can reach higher ledges after learning a certain technique. With vendors scattered about cities, you can beef up Ezio with armor, health supplies, weapons, and even ammunition like smoke bombs. The several factions (NPCs) at your disposal, though sometimes vexatious, are surprisingly efficient and minimally glitch-impaired. Mercenaries, courtesans, and thieves will allow you to advance unscathed and make your pocket delightfully weightier. Money isn’t hard to come by—but equally as easy to spend.
Hunting eagle feathers might be as boring as hording flags, but at least there’s a manageable number and treasure at the finish line. Even simple tasks like blending and stealing are more intelligently designed, as are assassination techniques. Plus, this assassin can swim. Finally.
There are troublesome areas, though. Earning money is good and well until you have to return to a single location to retrieve it; tearing yourself away from your current activity to collect interest just doesn’t appeal. Whereas you always know where your money is and wish it were closer to your Italian destinations, navigating your map can be a clueless experience. Showing which way Ezio faces at any moment could have easily resolved such open-world woe. Not to mention frequent and sluggish load screens add to the headache.
Once child’s play, combat demonstrates a vast improvement from the series’ trial run. Countering won’t always do the trick in battle; some guards are outfitted with superior armor and weapons, making disarming and executing a satisfying feat. Although fights don’t always flow smoothly, with a convenient weapon wheel boasting a versatile selection of items, you can turn combat from a mundane hindrance to an exciting chance to show off your moves.
Bottom line, Assassin’s Creed II is one of the most playable, entertaining, and visually stunning games of the year. Not everything sparkles the way it should, but the incredible historically detailed environments, engaging character stories, and meticulous improvements to the sins of the old provide a sensory overload of quality. As for the ending, you might cringe a little at the overused danger it implies. Let’s just say we might look for Assassin’s Creed III come 2012. 9/10
Another Bleepin’ Blips article is on the front page of RadNerd—and this time it deals with none other than Final Fantasy. But what’s not to like about Final Fantasy, you ask? Just hop on over to RN and find out, and leave a comment under the tree! 
I want to know what you think!
Happy holidays! Drink lots of special eggnog!
Do you suffer from uncontrollable, bleepin’ rage at something in the gaming industry? Have you smashed TVs by flinging controllers, or made your thumbs bleed with all that unrewarded determination and mad skillz you’ve been dishing out? Here at RadNerd, we feel your pain. Literally. This new ongoing feature will channel our anger in a healthy way … we hope.
Fans of the runaway savior, Final Fantasy, know its golden past with fervor and pride. Given life by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original RPG was devised to save Square from what looked like inevitable bankruptcy and doom. But gamers loved the shining NES gem—with its Light Warriors and sleeping elf princes and time conundrums—and the rest is … well, history.
Over the years, Final Fantasy has earned a reputation for more than just stellar graphic innovations and remarkable storytelling: It’s also put on its weight in hours. Each installment seems to bring another clock bursting with minutes that shower down upon gamers in pretty little sparkles, dazzling them with expansive worlds, epic battles, and tear-jerking plotlines. But is it becoming too much? Has the scurrying of feisty Chocobos feet swept dust over that line that begs, “Enough is enough?” Should I make like a Cactuar and flee already?
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?
UPDATE: The official launch trailer for 3D Dot Game Heroes has been added below. Looks like the game also has some Final Fantasy flair (think: orbs), and it ought to give the LEGO series a run for its cube-shaped money.
Spring holds some pretty nifty things in store for us gamers, two of which are sure to be a hit. Final Fantasy XIII finally (no pun intended) struck a release date for March 9, 2010, but while you’re drooling over gorgeous pixels, you better prepare for a throwback to nostalgic blocky ones.
FFXIII will hit the North American shores only four months after its Japanese debut, and the game will be available on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles—a simultaneous first. Details about the game’s battle system, gameplay mechanics, music, and modes have officially surged the internet. Players can set a line-up of commands in a single turn via a multi-slot ATB gauge, which allows for a string of consecutive attacks or a fiercer pounding by expending multiple slots. The Paradigm Shift lets characters switch roles mid-battle to roll with the ever-changing punches. And as previously described, Gestalt mode transforms summons (Eidolons) into a vehicle/passenger force—Odin changes into a horse, Shiva into a motorcycle, etc. The latter feature sounds a bit odd, but depending on how it’s implemented into the game, it could be pretty cool.
Plus, fans of the English pop and R&B singer Leona Lewis can hear her song, “My Hands,” included in the soundtrack’s mix. “Leona is a natural fit with the game’s powerful themes and strong female protagonist,” revealed Tom Corson, EVP/GM, RCA Music Group. “We’re delighted to be part of this effort, bringing great musical artistry to Final Fantasy XIII which is a riveting and dynamic gaming experience.” You can listen to the track here. What do you think? A potentially perfect fit, or a bit strange for a FF game?
On a later note, Atlus will be importing the pixel-heavy 3D Dot Game Heroes for US release on the PS3 this upcoming May 11 for the hopeful price of $40—especially generous for an import. The game looks like The Legend of Zelda with a touch of Dragon Warrior, which is an awesome combination as far as I’m concerned. Players will explore monster-plagued lands and dungeons and solve puzzles in a quest to save a kingdom from the devastating effects of a 2D to 3D world conversion. Hot damn, sign me up!
Which of these games do you plan on playing?
