DmC (Devil May Cry) gameplay trailer

Ok, I'm not going to lie. I do like what I see in this video. But, still, part of me wishes they weren't doing a Devil May Cry reboot. They could have named this game anything else and it wouldn't be getting any of the backlash it's received so far. It seems like I'm in the minority when I say this but I loved Devil May Cry 4 and would have loved to see a sequel to that game. I want to know more about Nero since DMC4 didn't give us hardly any back story on him. It's a shame, in my opinion. But I will be keeping my eyes on this game and, who knows, may just get it when it comes out.

Killzone 2 Preview

Killzone 2 will be the sequel to the original lackluster title Killzone on the PlayStation 2. Do not be lulled into believing that the sequel will be as abhorrent as the first iteration. Killzone 2 was another one of those video games that was missing in action until now. The first glimpse of Killzone 2 was at E3 2005, and critics said that the footage shown was not actual gameplay footage. Those critics were dead wrong when actual gameplay footage was divulged to the media at E3 2007. At a recent gaming convention at Germany, more details were revealed regarding the game. In Killzone 2, gamers will be at war against the Helghast troops (same opponents from Killzone). The game developers accentuated how easy and intuitive the controls were on the PlayStation 3. Specifically, a brand new gameplay mechanic was introduced. This was known as lean and peek. In a nutshell, this is about utilizing cover (ala Gears of War). Interestingly enough, this was the first time I have ever se en taking advantage of cover being used in a first person shooter. I have never seen using cover in order to get a tactical advantage be used in Halo, Half-life, Resistance: Fall of Man, Doom, Call of Duty, or Killzone 1. This is definitely an original feature to the first person genre. Do not fret because the lean and peek method works like a charm. The gaming company Guerilla will be making the game, and they also showed a boss battle. This is where some strategic contemplation was entailed. These bosses are called heavies, and you cannot just fire at them arbitrarily. Shooting their vulnerable areas are the only way to defeat these juggernauts. The physics in Killzone 2 seems to be much more responsive than Killzone. For instance, shooting an adversary in the legs will result in him bleeding and falling to the ground. In addition, a headshot will instantaneously eradicate a foe. A lack of a heads up display (ala Fight Night Round 3) was also publicized in Killzone 2. This is shown to have the players more immersed in the video game atmosphere. It worked well in Fight Night Round 3, so I believe it will work perfectly in Killzone 2. The visuals are stunning to say the least. The whether effects are right on par with other first person shooters like FEAR. The most intriguing aspect of the gameplay has to be its versatility. If you are a fan of duck and cover (ala Gears of War), use the lean and peak feature. If you are a fan of running and gunning, (ala Resistance: Fall of Man) feel free to spray your rivals with bullets as you run circles around them. Killzone 2 is exclusively for the PlayStation 3, and it is slated for a 2008 release date. Countdown to Metal Gear Solid 4: 7 months away

Prince of Persia review (PS3, Xbox 360)

When we saw the last Prince of Persia game titled Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones on a console, it was approximately three years ago. With this latest entry into the next generation of consoles, Ubisoft proves that Prince of Persia still has a magical touch. The storyline commences with the Prince traversing his way though a barren desert, and finds him entangled in a furious sandstorm. He is in search of his donkey known as Farah, but he comes across Elika. Elika is a princess, and she leads the Prince into a temple. Once both the Prince and Elika arrive at the temple, they notice that Elika’a father annihilates a tree of life. As a result, the destruction of the tree of life releases the nefarious God of darkness Ahriman. In addition, Ahriman begins permeating its ire on the land. Consequently, the Prince and Elika are the only hope to restore prosperity to the territory. The Prince of Persia games have always seemed to have a riveting plot, and this adaptation falls right in line with its predecessors. The gameplay is a streamlined endeavor that boils down into three phases: exploring, platform jumping, and combat.

 

There are grand total of four segments that span over twenty areas. One of the primary objectives in the game is to fend off the corruption by vanquishing the darkness. Bringing the light to the terrain is achieved by defeating various adversaries. Because each enemy you defeat is one of Ahriman’s minions, you must overthrow that creature to rejuvenate that particular location. The bulk of the combat entails battles against these sadistic foes. Both the Prince and Elika are together during these fights, and you will both have to work cohesively to eradicate the opponents. The battles are engrossing, but some of the challenge is removed by the lack of dying. Rather than a game over screen, the Prince will be rescued by Elika.

For example, falling off of a ledge will result in Elika extending her graceful hand and picking up the Prince and dropping him at a nearby safe-haven. Furthermore, that exact same rule can be applied to any near death experience that the Prince faces. Since Elika interferes to prevent the Prince from dying, the only real punishment for getting killed during a fight is a small portion of the monster’s health is replenished. Due to the fact that there is no way of dying, it will make gamers experiment a bit and see what the outcome or outcomes will be. The double jumping and platform jumping is as unsophisticated as the combat. Unlike Assassin’s Creed, players will not be making a terrifying leap of faith. Instead, there is a fairly low risk and high reward mentality. Using Elika is the second component to the gameplay. In order to advance, the Prince has to retrieve orbs. As the Prince eliminates the darkness, the Prince will see new orbs. When you discover and acquire the orbs, Elika can use plates to travel to a new location and progress the narrative. It is a straightforward premise, and there is even an optional white light to navigate your way through the game if you are ever lost. If anyone has ever played a game like Dead Space or Army of Two, it emulates that same philosophy.
With all of the athletic feats that the Prince can accomplish, the controls are never a hindrance. The four face buttons are used to use a sword attack, jump, use Elika, and use/lift attack. Left shoulder button communicates with Elika, and the right shoulder button allows the Prince to utilize his gauntlet and block. A conspicuous flaw about the gameplay is that there is too much backtracking, and there is no legitimate reason to obtain all of the orbs. Still, there are moments that you want to play again just to look at the scenery. In terms of visuals, Prince of Persia subscribes to cel-shading (ala X-Men Legends, X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse and Jet Set Radio). Clearly, its graphical appeal is more animated than realistic. But that is not necessarily a negative aspect.
Without a doubt, some of the animations were inspired by Assassin’s Creed. The character models are sharp and pristine. Moreover, the seamless movements of the Prince and Elika from one platform to the next are brilliant. The audio is also scintillating. Musically, the effervescent songs are astonishing and intensify the combat. The sounds effects are solid, as it is easy to appreciate Elika’s mystic charm. On the downside, the voice acting is dubious. The character who is the Prince is the voice actor who plays Nathan Drake from Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and he came off as a likable individual in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Nevertheless, he acts more like a pompous fool in Prince of Persia. Elika is far from perfect, nonetheless her voice actress is respectable. Overall, Prince of Persia is a ravishing title. Although it does have some untied loose ends, its scope of mysticism and intrigue is what drives Prince of Persia.

Art Direction 9
Clearly, its graphical appeal is more animated than realistic. But that is not necessarily a negative aspect.
Audio 9
The audio is also scintillating. Musically, the effervescent songs are astonishing and intensify the combat. The sounds effects are solid, as it is easy to appreciate Elika’s mystic charm.
Gameplay 8.5
With this latest entry into the next generation of consoles, Ubisoft proves that Prince of Persia still has a magical touch.
Presentation 9
The Prince of Persia games have always seemed to have a riveting plot, and this adaptation falls right in line with its predecessors.
Replay Value 7
A conspicuous flaw about the gameplay is that there is too much backtracking, and there is no legitimate reason to obtain all of the orbs. Still, there are moments that you want to play again just to look at the scenery.

Final Verdict 8.5 out of 10

Gametrailers review - El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

I try not to let game reviews ultimately sway me one way or another when it comes to playing a game. But I think Gametrailers did just that with El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.

This game looks gorgeous. I love the art style. I played the demo and I was intrigued but not really that impressed. It was just the demo, though, and after seeing more of the game in this review I am pretty sure that I will want to play this game. The gameplay looks interesting for a what is essentially a button masher. I'm glad there does seem to be a good story under all of the style. That is always important, I don't care what anyone says. Gameplay is the key to a good game but there have to be other elements.

The game came out today so I'm going to look around and see if I can maybe find a good deal somewhere. It might one of those games that will take a while for me to get around to but I will play it.