Author: Adam

In Brief: Localisation gone loco?

In this brief discussion, I really am talking about ‘assets’ on game cases. And I’m not on about the artwork samples, so to speak.

A few weeks back, the Heavy Rain box art for Europe was unveiled, and it looked good.  The cover was elegant in its simplicity and resembled a piece of artwork itself.  Along comes the American cover version and you’ve guessed it… the lowest common denominator was used.  The marketers perhaps saw just a ‘boring’ origami crane in the rain.  The solution it seemed, was to put a woman with a wet, tight-fitting blouse on the front instead.  Puh-lease!  It insult’s everyone’s intelligence.

It may look like I’m slagging off Americans, but what I’m trying to get across is that whoever is responsible for this marketing decision needs to treat their audience with a bit more respect.  The game is solely aimed at an adult audience, but I thought we were going to get more maturity in games, not more smut.

3D Gaming Revolution

A guest post by Robert Elliot of Button-basher.com.

For those old enough to remember, stereoscopic 3D gaming is nothing new.  Sega’s Master System was one of the first attempts of 3D gaming and came with a pair of very unsuccessful and unsupported 3D glasses.  Then there was the 3D gaming effort from Nintendo, the rather disastrous Virtual Boy came with 3D goggles that didn’t help enhance the 3D gaming experience at all.

Even after all of this, there’s still a sense recently that this is the first time 3D gaming has really come of age. The equipment we’re starting to see come out is fantastic and really impressive so people’s expectations have risen with regards to what they want from their 3D tech now.  It could also be the case that there is more of a hardcore games market that’s becoming more and more about HD graphics and is also looking for something new.  Perhaps it’s all of the publicity that 3D work is getting with the film industries renewed interest in stereoscopic film.

Continue reading 3D Gaming Revolution

There’s just never enough bullets

Prologue

We’ve all been there.  Imagine this: You find yourself in a dark, foreboding corridor of some creepy facility with a torch that’s not as powerful as your average mobile phone’s ‘torch’ mode, casting a dim light into the distance.  Your head… hurts.  Must have been that [insert name of relevant: zombie/beast/abomination] you encountered previously who had a killer right-hook and fancied nibbling on your leg like it was a chicken drumstick.  You rustle through your medic pack and apply your last bandage.  That’ll keep you going for a while.  You hope.

The facility’s main alarm goes off, alerting any nearby creature with even a passing interest in human flesh to your presence.  Your heart beats a little bit faster, unsure of what’s to come.  In the distance you make out the silhouette of some 7ft tall creature who’s making good progress towards you probably due to a good-fitting pair of trainers it took off the last victim.  Shotgun out: let’s go for a head shot shall we?  Nice and easy.  *click*.  Oh dear.

Continue reading There’s just never enough bullets

In Brief: Can the new Medal of Honor live up to expectations?

I’m always on the lookout for another FPS to play (and that’s not including all I’ve got left to complete in Modern Warfare 2).  And so I’m getting pretty excited about the new Medal of Honor video game.  Details are currently scarce, and there’s just that one image of a bearded badass dude, released a couple of months ago.  I’m intrigued.  I just hope it can live up to the expectations people are going to have for it.  There’ll also be the Modern Warfare comparison.  Explosive stuff.

Going a bit further, I’m interested about the mention of these mysterious so-called ‘Tier One Operators’.  Using these personnel, the new Medal of Honor has the potential to weave a powerful, multi-layered story alongside the mandatory solid gameplay.  Modern Warfare 2 provided this calibre of gameplay in spades, but the main story campaign was somewhat lacking.  Just some thoughts I wanted to jot down.  Share yours!

Rise up to the challenge

In contrast to a previous post on this subject, ‘Measuring Difficulty in Games‘ I’ve come up with an interesting slant on this topic.  I was having a chat with Rockers Delight and it sparked the ol’ grey matter into action.  I ask: Do you actually challenge yourself enough when it comes to gaming?

If you were to go to the gym and hit the treadmill, you’d set it at a level you’re comfortable with, then every now and then you might kick it up a gear and see how you cope with it.  Same with the weights room when you’re polishing those guns.  Ahem.  The point it, when trying to attain peak physical fitness, you don’t stay within your comfort zone, you try and raise the bar, up your game, and other clichés.

On a game like Modern Warfare 2 for example, I take the standard approach of having a play-through on regular difficulty before trying again on a harder difficulty level.  Rockers Delight prefers heading straight in on veteran or else she wouldn’t enjoy it.  When you’re at the top of your game, why not?  I’ve never started a game right from the beginning and put it straight onto hard, yet there’s always one exception to the rule…

Continue reading Rise up to the challenge

GTA IV: Episodes From Liberty City arrive on PS3

In an announcement that surprised no-one, Rockstar finally divulged that the Episodes From Liberty City would be making their way to the PS3 and PC on the 30th of March 2010.  Microsoft pays roughly $50 million to develop these episodes, but PS3 gamers get them in the end anyway.  Works for us.

Top 5 games to watch out for in 2010

I’m finding that 2010 is whizzing along at a brisk pace and for the most part, I’ve just been left in its wake with my mouth wide open.  Not anymore.  I’m currently working my way through finishing off the achievements for existing games such as inFamous, Burnout Paradise and Assassin’s Creed II.  But there’s something missing.  What’s next?

And so, I turned my mind to the upcoming games that are due to hit us this year.  I’ve not picked any favourites, but rather games that are all unique and special in some way.  Let’s take a look, shall we?

My pick

1) MAG (Massive Action Game) [PS3 Only]

To kick off this list, you can’t get more unique than a game that can support up to 256 players at once in online multiplayer.  MAG is available now, but time will tell if this innovative genre has legs.  Warhawk blazed the trail and SOCOM: Confrontation took the combat to the ground, but Zipper Interactive might have truly combined the best of both worlds to create a slice of gaming heaven.  The question on my lips is whether people are going to be bothered enough to ditch the sublime Modern Warfare 2?  I suspect not.

2) Halo: Reach [Xbox 360 Only]

After the damp squib that was Halo 3: ODST, Halo fans are hoping that the swan song for the franchise will go out with a bang.  The Halo series pretty much defined online multiplayer gaming for Xbox Live and has been one of the most successful online franchise of this generation.  Whatever your thoughts are on FPS games or online multiplayer, Halo is, and will remain a big deal for this year.

Continue reading Top 5 games to watch out for in 2010