Showing posts with label preview:. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preview:. Show all posts

Saturday, 27 August 2011

Spider-Man Edge of Time preview: Edge of glory

Like a vagabond Lothario who flees from a relationship the moment it turns serious, Spider-Man always seems to leave developers just short of something really special. Neversoft never quite cracked "the perfect Spider-Man" while it had the license, and Shaba Games came within inches of it before it was shuttered.

Now, with Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Beenox is taking its second pass at the Web Head, and if the quality I saw at my PAX demo was any indication, it may be time to start getting nervous when Spidey "just runs out to buy some smokes real quick." Spider-Man: Edge of Time (PS3/360)

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Tuesday, 29 March 2011

inFamous 2 preview: A tale of two side characters

Sucker Punch isn't interested in subtlety when it comes to inFamous 2, and you needn't look further than the game's two companion conduits, Kuo and Nix, for that to be apparent. In a preview session earlier today, reps from SP walked me through a mission midway through the game wherein Cole fought alongside both characters during separate points -- and like in the first inFamous, he was eventually faced with choosing one side or the other. Only rather than choosing "good" or "bad," Cole had to choose his favorite lady of the two.

When the rep picked Kuo (the "good" side), Nix's reaction was ... less than savory. She seemingly channeled Mass Effect 2's Jack, going from Cole's partner in crime, to a sniveling, vengeance-filled brat in under 30 seconds. After her tantrum subsided, Cole was blessed with the power of ice, borrowed from Kuo. And that's where the demo ended, unfortunately.

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Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Shoot Many Robots preview: What it says on the tin

Shoot Many Robots reminds me of classic 2D shooter Metal Slug, but with the addition of leveling and upgrade systems. Or it could be like a linear, 2D version of Borderlands -- beyond exhibiting a similar color palette, SMR's constantly popping out XP numbers and loot notices. Or maybe it's more like Contra, given the steady flood of enemies and enormous mini-bosses.

Okay, let's just call it a mixture of all those things, melded with its own southern-baked main character -- the gaming equivalent of Zombieland's Tallahassee character. That all makes SMR sound pretty derivative -- which it certainly is, to an extent -- but the game's developers show a ton of heart going into the project. Also, tutus. Shoot Many Robots (PSN/XBLA)

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Thursday, 17 March 2011

LA Noire preview: Perceptive policeman

I've had murder on my mind for the last couple of days. A woman, seemingly cut down in the prime of her life, laid dead and naked on a bluff on the outskirts of LA. She died of blunt trama to the head, her murderer striking her head in the dead of night with what looked like a pipe. The only witness was an ominous full moon.

I know this because I watched her murder, only briefly, before LA homicide's newest member, detective Cole Phelps, was assigned the case: The Red Lipstick Murder. Phelps may be new to the murder beat, but his skills of detection are unparalleled, both at the crime scene and when interrogating persons of interest.

Sure, it was odd to see him put his hands all over the body, twisting it and analyzing it for clues: a bruise here; a missing wedding ring there; a nearby size 8 man's boot print. Modern detective shows have taught us that touching any evidence is a big no-no, but in 1947, it was the norm -- at least, LA Noire says as much. After stomping around the scene of this gruesome murder, Phelps walks away with a lighter from the Bamba Club and a cause of murder. Odd, since I could've just told him how she died, if only he asked me.
LA Noire (PAX East 2011)

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon preview: Preliminary prequel prologue

High Moon Studios received a lot of attention for Transformers: War for Cybertron, not only for its avoidance of the Michael Bay "reboot," but because it was actually a pretty good game. Sadly, Transformers: Dark of the Moon isn't a sequel to that game -- it's a licensed prequel to Bay's upcoming third Transformers movie.


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