Heatwave Interactive, a newbie game design company working out of Austin, Texas, recently struck a deal with rapper T.I to make a massive multiplayer game in which players will strive to "experience the fantasy of reaching the top of their game and becoming a superstar" in the competitive world of hip-hop, according to Heatwave's website.

The game, called Platinum Life, will give what I can only imagine is a realistic portrayal of moving up the hip-hop latter, yet, having never sold a platinum record or phat beat myself, or done cocaine on a personal jet, I can't be entirely certain.

Just about every way I think about it, I'm intrigued by this game. It's a cornucopia of possibilities. Will players record and show off their own tracks, like an interactive Youtube, or will a track list be provided, a la Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Will there be a mix of both? Will it be set in a specific city, or across the rap hubs of the world? Could that world be fictional?

Not much has been released about Platinum Life yet, but Anthony Castoro, the founder of the youngling Heatwave studios, has made it clear that he wants to provide a game that caters to the hardcore of the hip-hop community as well as the neophytes. In a statement released recently regarding the game, he revealed that "Our online game experience allows top-level artists to share their music, video and lifestyle with their huge fan bases in a personal and innovative way." That could mean so many things, but for fans of the hip-hop genre, it's got to look good.

It has also been revealed by Heatwave that the collector's edition of the game will come with a gold-chain, a life-size poster of T.I. to put on the ceiling above your bed, and a free handgun.

That last part about the collector's edition is obviously bull***t, but the rest is true. Overall, the game looks like a crazy new idea, and an interesting challenger for an MMO genre that has been dominated for the last few years by games with fantasy themes, like City of Heroes, or World of Warcraft.

Greg

PS - For those of you like me, who don't know who T.I. is, here's a video of him doing what he does best. The video opens with T.I. on the phone, counseling a friend who has just gotten a midget pregnant. I'm not kidding. Technically, the preferred term is little person, but T.I. used midget, so I'm going to use that here too.

Labels: Greg Mengel, MMO, Platinum Life

Looking back at the history of mankind, one thing can be traced as the highlight of all of our existence; destruction. No game captures this essence greater that Red Faction Guerrilla. Developed by Volition Inc. (the team behind the Saints Row series) and using the "Geo-Mod 2.0" destruction engine, Red Faction successfully gives the player a feeling of pure destructive bliss. However, the other aspects of the game wrapped around the carnage don't quite impress the way the demolition of buildings does.

In Red Faction Guerrilla you take the role of Alec Mason, a worker who relocated from Earth to Mars looking for work. Upon his arrival on the red planet, Alex meets up with his brother (a member of the rebellion group "Red Faction") who is soon gunned down by the Earth Defense Force before you even start to play the game. To make things worse, after the gruesome murder of your brother, the EDF associates you with the rebellion and attempts to take you out. You are promptly saved by members of the Red Faction and, with one thing leading to another, you're soon a full fledged member of an organization supporting the liberation of Mars. Not that any of this really matters though, because the games cutscenes are few and far between. Apart from the intro, ending, and a few story highlights through the game, the story is told entirely though radio transmissions. This causes the games story to come of as uninteresting, anti-climactic, and in some cases, practically non-existent.

Although the story comes off as throwaway, it really isn't the highlight of the game. As mentioned before, the most entertaining aspects of the game come from destroying the buildings on Mars. The game starts you off with a hammer and some remote explosives to take care of destroying architecture. These two items will be your companions for most of the game, but a few other tools are introduced later in the game, such as a rocket launcher and a rifle that's ammunition melts anything on contact. The thing that makes the destruction in this game so pleasing is how realistically the buildings break apart. Explaining the destruction, or even watching it in a trailer, really doesn't do it any justice, it's something that needs to be experienced to fully appreciate. The first time you take you hammer to the side of a building and it slowly crumbles to the group is extremely satisfying. That being said, the disintegrating architecture of Red Faction isn't perfect either. On numerous occasions I found buildings being supported by single pieces of metal. Another annoyance that I encountered several times was ramming into a building with a vehicle in hopes of destroying a good portion of it, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by an indestructible object.

Mars is portrayed fairly accurately in Red Faction, all of the rocks and environments being red. However, this isn't as visually pleasing due to nearly every inch of the games world looking identical. This is even furtherly emphasized by all of the games buildings are quite similar in design, and most of the structures are repeated all across the map. Although the design of Mars in Red Faction isn't so creative, it is partially forgiven by that fact that the game is very visually pleasing. Using the Havok engine, the games visuals are very polished, and though they arn't the greatest graphics, Red Faction is a good looking game. My only complaint regarding the games graphics is there is constant texture popping as the games far off objects appear from the foreground.

Red Faction Guerrilla is an open world game. This means that it falls victim to many of the genres problems. For starters, you will constantly be navigating the games world using your minimap rather than the actual game screen. The games developers attempted to avoid this by placing a navigation line in front of you when walking or driving toward an objective, but I still found myself staring at the bottom left corner of the screen way too much. Another pitfall that the game encounters is the plethora of side quests. Now this can be considered good or bad depending on how much you enjoy the game, but there are only 9 types of side missions and most of them are not very amusing. However, I did find some of the games side missions, such as destroying a building as fast as possible, and maning the turret of a vehicle to destroy as much as possible, to be quite fun.

I find it necessary to bring the games AI up. It proved to be excessively annoying at times. It seems thoroughly unnecessary that as soon as I so much as touch a building that suddenly and entire army appears to take me down. The game constantly throws more enemies than required at you, all of them blessed with pin-point accuracy. This makes for some frustrating moments in the game, especially when long, checkpointless missions have to be restarted several times. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you teammates are never much help at all, that is if they even show up. From missing most of there shots, to would-be rescued hostages not being able to get into your vehicle, your teammates are the only thing more aggravating than you enemies.

Red Faction Guerrilla's multiplayer offering is fairly standard. It consists of two modes: wrecking crew and online. Wrecking crew is a pass-the-controller, local-only destruction fest. It involves two to four players taking turns to see who is able to achieve the most points given different rule sets. This mode is quite entertaining as it eliminates some of the frustrations of the single player campaign and allows players to enjoy ripping down buildings without any distractions. The other multiplayer component of the game is online. This mode is exactly what it sounds like; travel into the world of Xbox Live or Playstation Network and put your skills to the test against other players. The online modes are fairly generic, consisting of the usual suspects of deathmatch (called anarchy), team deathmatch, and capture the flag. Some other modes, such as damage control and demolition, bring the destruction factor into the mix for a more unique flavor. The main difference to the way the game is played in the multiplayer is the addition of backpacks. Stations are set up across the maps that distribute power-ups in the form of backpacks. From being able to run faster to healing yourself and teammates to making yourself invisible, there's a backpack for nearly every situation. The online multiplayer in Red Faction can be hectic at times, and some of the weapons don't work as good against thinking opponents, but it's a fun if your looking to kill a bit of time. Aside from the addition of the backpacks, the multiplayer comes off as an afterthought in the development in the game, and it's hard to see the game keeping a solid number of players other than a dedicated few.

All in all I enjoyed my time with Red Faction Guerrilla. The campaign drags on a little more than it needs too, and the story is quite forgettable, but the game's emphasis on destruction is truly entertaining. The games missions and environments are not especially varied, but the graphics and fun factor more that make up for these shortcomings. The games multiplayer is enjoyable if you want to get a little more out of the game, but it's hard to recommend to anyone looking for a strong, long-term multiplayer experience. If you are looking for an open world experience, or just a fun time in the summer games drought, Red Faction Guerrilla is a great game that can easily be recommended if you can get past its flaws.

7/10 - Worth a rental for fans of the series/genre

Tyson

Labels: Red Faction Guerrilla, Review, Tyson, Tyson Breen, Volition

The long awaited PSN title Fat Princess hit the store today, and like many others I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The download is a nice little 329MB so it didn't take too long, even on my prehistoric connection. After installation I booted the game up and after a few screens I was in the main menu. The menu screen is cute and not too clustered which goes well with the theme of the game.

After a quick glance at the 'How To Play' section, I hit the hilariously titled 'Play With Yourself' mode. You have three options here: Legend of The Fat Princess, Mess About and Gladiator. Legend of The Fat Princess is presented as a story book, taking you through the "story" of the game. It guides you through the basic game modes and maps in a user friendly fashion. I won't spoil the entire campaign for you though as it includes some very funny moments. Mess About is basically just an offline skirmish mode with AI bots and Gladiator is a constant onslaught of enemies.

The gameplay itself is alot of fun. You spawn in the middle of your team's castle (or pirate ship, respectively) and from there you choose your class by means of obtaining a hat from the various dispensers. There are six classes to choose from:

-Villager: Fastest carrier of the princess, very little health
-Mage: A wizard that can cast fire and ice magic
-Priest: The healer of the game, but can be upgraded to drain enemies
-Warrior: Your standard sword wealing brute
-Worker: The manual labour class that collects resources to upgrade buildings
-Ranger: The archer that fires arrows

The class all have their different strengths and weaknesses, but it is usually up to the entire makeup of your team rather than your individual class choice as to how the battle unfolds. Controls are easy to grasp as only a few buttons are used. However, the online play can become a little too hectic in 32 player games, and the occasional lag spike is irratating. The maps are well designed though and beautifully presented by the cell shaded graphics, as is the high level of gore. Online play seems robust from the short time I played it, however I did have problems using the Jump In option to enter a game, but I'll assume this is just teething problems which every online game goes through. Stats are very detailed and the friends system works a treat.

The humour in Fat Princess is one of the main things that give it its charm. I frequently laughed out loud (see: LOL'ed) during my short time playing it. My highlight so far has to be the first time I used a magic potion in the middle of a battle, turning everyone including myself into chickens. I was a little shocked to see a pentagram appearing under the dark priest as he charges his evil attack, but I guess it is just to create a strong distinction between the standard priest and the dark upgrade. The developers also threw in a little tongue in cheek humour in the customisation menu with the skin colours "Milky" and "Chocolate", alongside other food related names in a light hearted manner.

Many were annoyed to learn that Fat Princess would be costing a steep £11.99, but for a PSN title it is alot of fun and in my opinion well worth the money. The few server issues should be sorted soon and I'm sure people will be playing this online for quite a while.

Conor

Labels: Conor, Fat Princess, First impressions, PSN

Hate Nazis? Good, you've just been given a holiday. It appears that August 18th and 21st have been chosen as hosts to one sexy, sexy celebration of anti-fascist sentiment.

The reason: in a span of three days, the tenants of Adolf Hitler will be artistically urinated on in not one, but two ways. Gaming-wise, the third installment of the famous Castle Wolfenstein series will once again give players a chance to kill Nazis and their unnatural undead experiments. Three days later, Quentin Tarantino's latest blockbuster, "Inglourious Basterds," will tell the exciting and child-friendly tale of a group of happy young Jewish-American soldiers in France during the Second World War who took it upon themselves to perform acts of swift, shocking violence against high-ranking Nazi officials in retribution for over a decade of horrible social atrocities committed to their people. It's a potent combination. I personally foresee a fresh landslide of jokes, blog entries, newspaper articles, and t-shirts relating to Nazism in the general public.

Seeing a connection between their products, the good people at Activision and iD entertainment, the companies that produced the latest Wolfenstein in the series, decided sometime in the relative past to sponsor the just-as-good people at Universal Pictures, who are producing Inglourious Basterds. It's the kind of corporate menage a trois that people only dream of.

To get people excited about what I'm now calling "Freedom Weekend", iD, Activision, and Universal Pictures have created a contest that combines the essences of the Wolfenstein franchise and Tarantino's latest flick by glorifying in the destruction of everything Hitler believed in and stood for: anti-semitism and the existence of godless zombie experiments.

Entering is easy, just head over to GameSpot.com and fill out a form. After that, wait and see if you are one of the two lucky entrees chosen. If so, then take a moment to congratulate yourself before proceeding with a companion of your choice to Los Angeles. There, you will attend the Hollywood premiere of Inglourious Basterds at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre, after which you will be escorted, probably via gold-plated limousine, to a ritzy, star-studded after party, where you will no doubt nervously spill exorbitantly-priced martinis on gorgeous celebrities.

You might as well apply, the chance is too great to miss.

Wolfenstein will be playable on the 360, PS3, and PC. For those of you who are more interested in the game than its contest, head to its main page - it'll tell you everything you need to know.

Greg

Labels: Activision, Greg Mengel, iD, Wolfenstein

While the San Diego International Comic-Con may be at a close, the coverage most certainly isn't. I've managed to get my grubby little mitts on an Assassin's Creed II video, which includes highlights from the Assassin's Creed II panel at Comic-Con, some hands-on gameplay and an exclusive interview about how the AC short films tie in with the game.

Linford

Keep an eye on GGTL for all your Assassin's Creed II coverage.

Labels: Assassin's Creed II, Comic-Con, Linford Butler, Ubisoft, Video

Nintendo's strong success since the launch of the Wii took a huge hit during the first quarter of fiscal year 2009-2010. The company's revenue has dropped 60.6 percent from the previous year. Nintendo's total year-to-year loss was 65 billion YEN. This marks the first annual decline for Nintendo in 4 years and is highlighted by the drop in console sales. Wii sales tumbled 2.94 million from Q1 last year, while DS sales dropped from 6.94 million sales to 5.97 million.

Tyson

Labels: Financial, Industry, Nintendo, Tyson, Tyson Breen

If you've ever seen someone playing guitar like a semi-pro and really wanted to yourself, yet know that you haven't the time, neccessary effort or patience to learn how to, you'll know how disappointing it can be. However, that's all about to change - for the fifth time - with the release of Activision's Guitar Hero 5.

Shipping on 1st September, just in time for a few days of non-stop riffs before school starts for the autumn term, GT5's full setlist has just been released via a very shiny press release. Boasting an impressive 85 tracks straight out of the box, and doubtless there'll be many more available via download after release, it's easy to imagine the guitar simulator doing well in this year's Christmas charts.

The full setlist includes a varied selection of tracks, old and new, from Coldplay to David Bowie, Iggie Pop to Kiss and Kings of Leon to Rammstein. You can view the full setlist below.

-- 3 Doors Down - "Kryptonite
-- A Perfect Circle - "Judith"
-- AFI - "Medicate"
-- Arctic Monkeys - "Brianstorm"
-- Attack! Attack! UK - "You And Me"
-- Band Of Horses - "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands"
-- Beastie Boys - "Gratitude"
-- Beck - "Gamma Ray"
-- Billy Idol - "Dancing With Myself"
-- Billy Squier - "Lonely Is The Night"
-- Blink-182 - "The Rock Show"
-- Blur - "Song 2"
-- Bob Dylan - "All Along The Watchtower"
-- Bon Jovi - "You Give Love A Bad Name"
-- Brand New - "Sowing Season (Yeah)"
-- The Bronx - "Six Days A Week"
-- Bush - "Comedown"
-- Children Of Bodom - "Done With Everything, Die For Nothing"
-- Coldplay - "In My Place"
-- Darker My Love - "Blue Day"
-- Darkest Hour - "Demon(s)"
-- David Bowie - "Fame"
-- Deep Purple - "Woman From Tokyo ('99 Remix)"
-- Dire Straits - "Sultans Of Swing"
-- Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf"
-- Eagles Of Death Metal - "Wannabe In L.A."
-- Elliott Smith - "L.A."
-- Elton John - "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"
-- Face To Face - "Disconnected"
-- Garbage - "Only Happy When It Rains"
-- Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
-- Gov't Mule - "Streamline Woman"
-- Grand Funk Railroad - "We're An American Band"
-- Iggy Pop - "Lust For Life (Live)"
-- Iron Maiden - "2 Minutes To Midnight"
-- Jeff Beck - "Scatterbrain (Live)"
-- Jimmy Eat World - "Bleed American"
-- John Mellencamp - "Hurts So Good"
-- Johnny Cash - "Ring Of Fire"
-- Kaiser Chiefs - "Never Miss A Beat"
-- King Crimson - "21st Century Schizoid Man"
-- Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire"
-- Kiss - "Shout It Out Loud"
-- Love and Rockets - "Mirror People"
-- Megadeth - "Sweating Bullets"
-- Motley Crue - "Looks That Kill"
-- Muse - "Plug In Baby"
-- My Morning Jacket - "One Big Holiday"
-- Nirvana - "Lithium (Live)"
-- Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
-- No Doubt - "Ex-Girlfriend"
-- Peter Frampton - "Do You Feel Like We Do? (Live)"
-- The Police - "So Lonely"
-- Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde - "Bring the Noise 20XX"
-- Queen & David Bowie - "Under Pressure"
-- Queens Of The Stone Age - "Make It Wit Chu"
-- Rammstein - "Du Hast"
-- The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy For The Devil"
-- Rose Hill Drive - "Sneak Out"
-- Rush - "The Spirit Of Radio (Live)"
-- Santana - "No One To Depend On (Live)"
-- Scars On Broadway - "They Say"
-- Screaming Trees - "Nearly Lost You"
-- Smashing Pumpkins - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
-- Sonic Youth - "Incinerate"
-- Spacehog - "In The Meantime"
-- Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"
-- Sublime - "What I Got"
-- Sunny Day Real Estate - "Seven"
-- T. Rex - "20th Century Boy"
-- The Derek Trucks Band - "Younk Funk"
-- The Duke Spirit - "Send A Little Love Token"
-- The Killers - "All The Pretty Faces"
-- The Raconteurs - "Steady As She Goes"
-- The Sword - "Maiden, Mother & Crone"
-- Thin Lizzy - "Jailbreak"
-- Thrice - "Deadbolt"
-- Tom Petty - "Runnin' Down A Dream"
-- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
-- TV On The Radio - "Wolf Like Me"
-- Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk"
-- Weezer - "Why Bother?"
-- The White Stripes - "Blue Orchid"
-- Wild Cherry - "Play That Funky Music"
-- Wolfmother - "Back Round

Guitar Hero 5 will allow users to take complete control, with any setup in any game mode, including multiple singers, bassists or guitarists, and a new 'jump-in, jump-out' party play mode. Look out for GT5 when it hits shelves this September.

Linford

Labels: Activision, Guitar Hero, Linford Butler, Music game

With the conclusion of the San Diego International Comic Con last weekend, news about games coming out this autumn have been emerging throughout the week. Yesterday, new info (and video) about Playstation's favorite sci-fi duo appeared, to the great surprise and happiness of fans of the kitty and his favourite metal friend.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time (Add the 'Future' part if you're in the US) had a big showing at this years Comic Con. The third installment of the series on the PS3 will finally conclude the story arc that started in Tools of Destruction. This time we get to see our two heroes in a whole different light, with Ratchet trying to save his friend Clank who is being held captive at the end of the universe in what is known as the Great Clock. Here is the new trailer to the game thanks to the guys at the PlayStation.Blog.



The panel at Comic Con revealed a lot about the coming game, including some things that cannot be revealed until the game's release. However, the PlayStation.Blog was able to give the masses on the internet a first look at some Clank gameplay, something fans haven't seen on the PS3 since Tools of Destruction. Brian Allgeier, creative director for A Crack in Time, shows us Clank's new allies as well as his new weapon, which can do some interesting things. He also says this game will have the most Clank gameplay than any other Ratchet and Clank title to date.

The last video that has been released is probably the most exciting part about the game: the Constructo weapons. These weapons you can not only change the way they look but also the way they function. Apparently, a player can find different mods throughout the game to change up each Constructo weapon to make it do different things. These different things include the type of ammunition as well as the way the ammunition fires and even how the ammunition destroys.



The game's developer Insomniac also revealed that there will be new space gameplay that will allow players to engage in space battles and explore the galaxy for new levels and collectibles. And with the inclusion of the 36 combinations of Constructo weapons there will be plenty of new things added to the R&C arsenal including the Spiral of Death, a weapon created by the winning fan of the "My Blaster Runs Hot contest".

Look for "Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time" on the shelves this autumn.

Chuck

Labels: Chuck, Comic-Con, Rachet and Clank

The annual Games Media Awards are getting very close now, with less than three working days before the deadline for nominations. That's right - voting closes in less than 72 hours, so it's time to get those last minute nominations in before the deadline.

The coveted awards, which are handed out at an awards ceremony at Camden Town's Jongleurs venue, are split into ten categories, and the nominations for each category are voted for by the general public, the industry and the general gaming media.

The ten categories are for the best games magazine, games website, specialist games writer (print), specialist games writer (online), games coverage in a mainstream magazine, regional games columnist, games blog, games broadcast or podcast (TV, radio or online), rising star, games coverage in a national newspaper and games media legend.

All nominations should be emailed to gma@intentmedia.co.uk before nominations close on Monday, 3rd August. Feel free to vote for Gamer's Guide to Life, but we're not concentrating on winning anything this year. Perhaps next year, eh?

Linford

Labels: Games Media Awards, Linford Butler

It seems Hollywood is continuing to tap into any resources that they can to make movies. Continuting with the current theme for game to film ports, the sci-fi/horror game "Dead Space", a hit for Electronic Arts back in 2008, has been slated for the big screen in the future.

According to Variety, EA will produce the film with Temple Hill partners Mary Bowmen and Wyck Godfrey. They have been looking at prospective screenwriters for the film and once they set a writer they will auction the property to studios.

The producers have also picked director D.J. Caruso to take on the project. Caruso is known for his work with movies such as "Eagle Eye" and "Disturbia" (as well as the excellent movie "The Salton Sea"). This will be his first experience with the sci-fi genre, yet I reckon his experience with horror/thriller topics will be perfect for the EA game.

Although Dead Space is not the only game that is in the works. EA has four more titles that may become feature films in the next few years. Universal is taking on two action titles, "Dante's Inferno" and "Army of Two", and the critically acclaimed action RPG "Mass Effect" might see the big screen alongside our favorite life-simulation game "The Sims".

Temple Hill partners Bowmen and Godfrey are also producing one of the most anticipated video game movies "Gears of War" with New Line Cinema. The movie is still reported to be in pre-production.

Chuck

Labels: Chuck, Dead Space, EA, Film tie-in

I love fighting games. I love the Final Fantasy Franchise. Needless to say when Dissidia: Final Fantasy was announced for the PSP I was pretty darn excited… so excited that I finally made up my mind to go out and buy a PSP. A demo of Dissidia was recently launched on the PlayStation Network and, of course, I have been playing it non-stop for a couple of days now. As the responsible gamer that I am, I figured I could rip my claws off of my PSP for a while and put you guys in the know, GGTL style.

What’s that? You've been living as a hermit for the last few months and don’t know what the heck “Dissidia” is? Fear not, faithful reader! We’ve got your back. Dissidia is a Square-Enix fighting game which pits the main heroes of the first ten Final Fantasy games against their respective villains, in an all out war of Good versus Evil. Ever dream of pitting Terra, of FF VI fame, against FF X’s Jecht? Or delude endlessly about taking on the infamous Sephiroth with FF X’s Tidus? Well, now you can. A fan boy couldn’t have set this up better.

When starting up the demo you'll have the choice of choosing from either a normal or hard mode. Once you’ve decided just how badass you are and what difficulty you can manage, it’s time to choose your character. A total of 5 characters can be selected: The Onion Knight (Hero of Final Fantasy III), Cecil (Hero of Final Fantasy IV), Terra (Hero of Final Fantasy VI), Cloud (Hero of Final Fantasy VII) and Sephiroth (Villian of Final Fanstasy VII). This is a pretty decent roster for a demo version of the game, especially since all of the characters offer up very different play experiences, and not to mention both Cloud and Sephiroth, obvious fan favorites, have both been included. I should also point out that in your battles you’ll encounter a set of completely different opponents (so far I’ve run into Zidane, Squall, Kefka, Firion, and others).

So you’ve chosen your difficulty level and you character. Now it’s on to the good stuff. Cue epic battles please.

Setting aside the recent comeback of 2-D fighters (spearheaded by Street Fighter 4, and propelled even further by Blazblue), Dissidia decides to stick to a fully 3-D battle field, and when I say 3-D, I really mean 3-D. If you’ve ever played Kingdom Hearts 2 you have sort of an idea of how these fights work. With the press of a button you can send your opponent flying across the huge 3-D battle field, which you move around on by running, jumping, gliding and (a very cool transport option) grinding on surfaces and lines of light set up across the field (à la Infamous).

I won’t get too into detail on the fighting system given that this is just a demo version of the game, however, I can give you the basics. As stated, you and your opponent are on a huge 3-D field and, like most fighting games, your objective is to beat your opponent into humiliating submission. There are three basic gauges you have to be aware of: Your HP gauge, Your EX gauge and, the FF twist, your Bravery points.

The HP gauge is pretty standard fare - each time you get hit with a square button attack you lose Hit Points, or HP, and once you lose it all, you’re done for. As for the EX Gauge, you don’t have to worry about this depleting; rather, you need to set your mind to filling it up. You can accomplish this by nabbing EX cores on the battlefield, and once the gauge is full you can enter EX Mode. This is a special mode which can entail a transformation of your character, or a switch of your character's weapon. In any case, what it really means is your opponent is in for one hell of a beating, as you can unleash special Limit Break style attacks while powered up.

Finally there are the Bravery Points: now pay attention, this can get tricky. Both characters have an assigned number of Bravery Points, or BP; every time you successfully land a circle button attack you gain BP, making your attacks stronger and your opponent's defense weaker. Get it? BP attacks won’t deplete HP but they will make your standard attacks a hell of a lot stronger while, at the same time, weakening your opponent. The system is odd, and can take some getting used to, but it works.

As for the technical stuff, well the demo looks and sounds beautiful. Dissidia has highly detailed 3D characters, with gorgeous animations, and yet the battlefields (all in all) are a bit bland. However, the somewhat boring locations are completely made up for by the awesome music score - all battles are accompanied by remixed versions of famous Final Fantasy songs, which are of course of an incredibly high quality.

Controls are easy enough, as PSP controls go. I did have some trouble handling the camera, and movement in the huge field can get tricky (there are a lot of options open to you so it can get confusing), but the more I play the easier it becomes.

If you haven’t been able to tell so far, I am very excited about this game. If you’re at all curious, do yourself a favor and download the demo (it's free!) off the PSN, and see if Dissidia might be for you - you’ll need about 78MB of free space. However, if you're not into demos, just wait for GGTL’s official review once the game is released on August 25th.

Joey

Labels: Demo Impressions, Dissidia Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy, Joey Núñez, Square Enix

Remember Castle Crashers, that old-school 2D action/RPG throwback released for XBOX Live and the Playstation Network sometime last year? If you do, then you might, like me, have wondered as you traversed its 2D universe whether the developers at Behemoth were required to take mind-altering hallucinogens as part of some new-age, creativity-fostering company policy. Cannon-shooting organs, river-dwelling cat-sharks that shoot hairballs the size of boulders - these aren't fabrications of a mind both clean and sober. Don't get me wrong, the strangeness works completely. Castle Crashers is still one of the best arcade-style games offered on any of the next generation consoles' online networks, even if it defies the laws of sanity. That's probably why it's so good.

Well, the mad scientists at Behemoth are at it again, this time with their third product to date, appropriately titled "Game #3." It looks like a puzzle game that apparently has players going through a series of levels to find a bunch of elusive diamonds. Not much has been revealed about the project yet, but Behemoth actually released a trailer for it back in March. I didn't hear about it until now, so I'm attaching it in case any of you members of the gaming faithful missed it as well. Look closely starting at 0:35 and you'll see what appears to me to be a tiny, playable Joseph Stalin.




Looks like something I'll want to get my hands on, especially if it keeps looking this zany. Here's to hoping Game #3 is as messed up as its predecessor.

Greg

Labels: Behemoth, Greg Mengel, Video

With the Develop Conference going strong at its usual venue in the seaside town of Brighton, Develop bosses feel that expansion is the way forward - along with pretty much everyone in the games industry at the moment. As such, the Develop Conference will be making a stop in Liverpool this year, for one day only.

Designed to further meet the expectations of games developers in the north of England, the one-day Liverpool version of the conference, currently slated for 5th November, will "go through three tracks and multiple networking sessions including a post-event drinks reception".

“With such an active and vibrant development community north of Birmingham it just makes sense to take the Develop conference to Liverpool,” said event director Andy Lane. “We want as many developers as possible to experience the passion and energy that we saw in Brighton. Develop in Liverpool is at the heart of a region that has long history of development excellence, so we’re confident this will be a day fizzing with ideas and insights,” he added.

The Develop Conference is just one in a few games expos to be making their way North this autumn. The ever-growing Eurogamer Expo will be in Leeds on 28th and 29th of October, with a London based expo at the Old Billingsgate venue on the 30th and 31st.

Develop Conference head honchos have already booked up the Brighton venue for next year's event, which will take place 13-15 July 2010.

Linford

Labels: Develop Conference, Eurogamer Expo, Event, Linford Butler

Released via the Call of Duty dev site, FourZeroTwo, the latest Modern Warfare 2 video shows a little more than just CGI. Introducing the very first gameplay from the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer mode, the trailer gives gamers a first look at the custom killstreaks option, in which players choose a particular speciality of the multiplayer gameplay to work at a killstreak in.

Other reveals in the gameplay include new weapons and the ability to pilot an AC-130 gunship in an online match. Keep your eyes on Gamer's Guide to Life for all the latest Modern Warfare 2 news and information. However, just to tickle your tastebuds, take a look at the trailer at the top of this post. You won't be disappointed.

Linford

Labels: Modern Warfare 2

Watching the second Developer's Commentary video from our friends over at GameTrailers, it's hard to imagine that Brutal Legend - the upcoming heavy metal themed, ass-kicking, speaker-destroying action-adventure title from Double Fine Productions - was almost buried by its first company, Activision, as one of the many casualties enduring by the gaming world during that emotional and frightening saga now known as the Activision/Blizzard merger of 2007.

The fact that the game still exists, and in what looks like a comedically pristine form, no less, is a testament that there are Gods of Rock in this world ...and Jack Black is their prophet.

Hit up the video below. It's 22 minutes long, so grab a coke or something. It's worth it. ...the video, not the coke. Maybe both.

...*cough*

Enjoy.



Greg

Labels: Brutal Legend, Double Fine, Greg Mengel, Video

You know what I love about PSN arcade games? That nearly all of them have an amazing electro soundtrack. Super Stardust HD, Cell Factor and Wipeout HD all prove my point here, but Shatter stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of audio goodness. That aside, Shatter provides a gameplay experience which won’t blow you away, but will please fans of arcade games.

Shatter is a breakout style, block-destroying game that requires the destruction of all of the blocks in the level before progress can be made. In this sense Shatter is a classic game, but the main new mechanic introduced in Shatter is ultra-important. Suck and blow. No that isn’t an offer, and no don’t email me asking about it. Suck and blow is the ability to draw the ball, points (which also power your shield and turret), and any debris towards, or away from the paddle. This introduces a really cool risk-reward mechanic , as sucking everything towards you will help you to get more points, and thus more power and a better hi-score...but good luck with those massive blocks hurtling towards you.

Does that paragraph pique your interest in Shatter? If no, then let me give you another reason to buy this game. An amazing soundtrack. I was about to put amazing in full caps, but GGTL is too classy for that. Shatter’s soundtrack is so mind-numbingly awesome, that I found myself rocking from side to side while playing my game, probably looking like an absolute moron. If you like electro music, I’d be tempted to say that that’s enough of a reason to buy the game – especially for the low price.

Shatter’s mode selection is pretty standard fare. There’s the main story mode (and I use the word story very lightly), a mode which allows you to fight the bosses in the game over and over again, and a “bonus mode” which gives you extra points if you can keep 3 fast flying balls up in the air with your paddle...uh, yeah. The main story mode will take you around an hour and a half to complete, but, the fun comes in trying to get that frickin’ silver trophy for completing the game without ever getting a game over (I hate you level 10 boss).

All in all, Shatter offers a really cool soundtrack alongside a pretty cool game. If you don’t like arcade games on PSN/XBLA or don’t like electro music, then this game probably won’t change your mind, but if you are into one of those two things, then Shatter will offer a fantastic deal for a low price.

8/10 - Solid game for fans of the genre

Matt

Labels: Matt, Matthew Meadows, PSN, Review, Shatter

As promised, the Assassin's Creed II Community Dev Q&A (wow, that's a mouthful), with CEO Yannis Mallat (YM) and Executive Producer, Jade Raymond (JR).

Linford

What is Ubisoft’s strategy on the convergence of film and video games?

(YM) Our Convergence strategy has one main and clear objective: to expand our video game brands and to develop them on additional platforms to provide a global experience to an extended audience. Convergence doesn’t only mean film and video games. It is open to all platforms and mediums that could support our franchises.

Over the past few years we have built our strategy step-by-step by developing an internal structure that would allow us to reach our objectives. First, back in 2007, we created Ubisoft Digital Arts, our internal digital content development team. A year later, to accelerate our strategy, we acquired Hybride Technologies, one of the industry’s most renowned VFX creators that worked on Sin City and 300. Between these two major steps, we also signed up the AVATAR deal which is another element of our convergence strategy since we are working on both the games but also directly on some of the movie scenes.

Most recently, we have also created our Comic Book publishing house to support the creation of some Assassin’s Creed 2 comic books and we also have other initiatives under way. We are convinced that the deepness of our brands can be transposed on other mediums and this is exactly what our approach is on Convergence.

Will Hybride be involved with the AC2 video game?
(JR) Hybride and Ubisoft Digital Arts are involved in the sense that their work on the short films has influenced the game. Although they are not working directly on the game’s assets per se, many of the film’s experts have collaborated with the team to bring a new level of quality to the game. The film’s weapon designer for example worked with the game’s art director on our weapon design. Once we saw working versions of the hidden blade and other weapons we were able to adjust each animation to make sure it reflected the actual weight and function. That’s the beauty of mixing two different universes such as cinema and video games. By sharing expertise, both spheres grow and improve one another.

Another good example of this collaboration is the common casting of our main characters. The same actor was cast in both the film and game so that we can work with actors to help evolve the characters. We’re going a step further than just photographic likeness. We’ve recorded the actor’s voice and mo-capped them for the game’s narrative sequences. This process really helps give more life and credibility to our in-game characters.

How will the films tie to Assassin’s Creed and/or Assassin’s Creed II directly?
(JR)The short films explore the events that happen just before the Assassin’s Creed II game starts. They revolve around Ezio’s father, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze and give insight on the game’s backstory and universe. We wanted you to understand where Ezio’s hate and quest for revenge come from. We want the player to really hate the bad guys even before they start to play.

Will the films be live-action?
(YM)Yes, the short films are a mix of live action and CGI. The technique Ubisoft is using is very innovative;the game environment is used at different stages of a film production. Using the game engine, the director was able to find his set location and extract them to create a layout. It allowed better definition of the production needs. Furthermore, the game engine was used for the creation of the virtual sets. As live actors were filmed on green screen they were then integrated inside the virtual set extracted from the game environments. The game sets are then enhanced for better integration with live actors. To a certain extent, it’s similar to the technique used in 300 and Sin City on which Hybride collaborated. For Assassin’s Creed: Lineage, Hybride has developed specific in-house techniques that allow them to directly project in-game environments on the set of the shooting, allowing the director and the actors on the green-screen set to have a real understanding of the spatial environment in which the action takes place.

Will CGI and special effects be used on all the films?
(YM) Yes, as all the shots were filmed on green-screen the virtual sets will be inserted on all of images thus allowing the actors to live in the environment. This will be true of all the films in the short films series.

How will Ubisoft Digital Arts work with Hybride on these films?
(YM) The Ubisoft Digital Arts team is actually deeply involved in the production of the shorts. Their experience is very strong in 3D while Hybride’s experience is really focused on compositing. So both teams are complementing each other.
Over 45 people of the U.D.A. team are actively involved in the movies’ post production work these days.

Is Jade Raymond or any of the Ubisoft development team involved with the AC2 short films?
(YM) Yes, the creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed video games was closely involved in the conception and development of the short films series and of course Jade Raymond was overseeing the whole project as executive producer on the Assassin’s Creed brand.

Will you be using any renowned directors to create the films?
(YM) Yves Simoneau is directing the short films. He’s an awarded director and scriptwriter whose work includes “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”, “Nuremberg”, “Marie-Antoinette”, “Napoleon”, “Les Fous de Bassan” among others.

Yannis Mallat claimed that the films would have unprecedented production value at the E3 press conference. How much money is being spent to create these films?
(YM) Just like our game productions, we are not revealing the specifics of the budget details. But the idea behind the production value is not just about how big the production budget is. Overall, the idea is to say that we are giving ourselves the means for our ambitions.

With the production of AC and now ACII (along our other AAA projects), we have invested significantly to produce some high-end games that have amazed millions of gamers around the world. We are bent on making these short movies visually as stunning as our games by using state of the art Hollywood production tools, processes and technology.

What does being a “full 360” Development Company mean to Ubisoft?
(YM) A full 360 degree development company means that we are positioning ourselves not only as a game developer and publisher but as a Company that is producing entertainment content on multiple platforms and mediums.

When will the short films be released?
(JR)They will be released close to the launch of the Assassin’s Creed II game. Right now we cannot confirm any details on how they will be broadcast.

Are there plans in the future to evolve from short films to full feature animated movies?
(YM)_When we announce our convergence strategy, we clearly stated that at one point we would be interested in at least keeping the control of our IPs when the time would come to bring them to the big screen.
Over the past 23 years Ubisoft has become one of the most successful game developer-publishers worldwide. However, we realize we can’t become movie creators overnight. There is a learning process that we have to go through to become full feature film producer-creators. We still have a lot to learn from this industry and this is what we are doing right now.

Were the team members from Hybride who are working on these short movies also involved in the production of 300 or Sin City?
(YM)Yes. Hybride has a lengthy 17-year experience in producing VFX for feature films. Some of the people working on ACII Lineage have participated in the production of not only 300 and Sin City but also on Journey to the Center of the Earth, Spy Kids…

What can Ubisoft learn from Hollywood and what can Hollywood learn from Ubisoft?
(YM)Ubisoft believes that there is a lot for us to learn by working with the movie industry. On one side there is the convergence of the content but on the other side, there is also the convergence of the tools and technologies.

We are finding out that there are a lot of similarities in the way we work and the way the VFZ and movie artists do work. We are often working with the same tools, but in different ways. We are convinced that we have to learn from them as much as they have to learn from us.

The movie industry is now over a century old, the game industry, around 30-years old. If there’s one area where we have some steps to make, it’s in the way we are telling our stories. The Spielbergs, Camerons and Jacksons, have a lot to teach us in that field, because our industry isn’t at the point it should be when it comes to telling a good story that transmits emotions.

In 10 years from now. What do you think Ubisoft will be like? A multimedia company working in all fields of entertainment?
(YM) In 10 years from now, Ubisoft will be an entertainment content provider.

Some game worlds have already expanded to movies (Square with FF for example). Will Ubisoft´s approach be any different?
(YM) Our approach is different because we are not focusing specifically on films or feature films. Without saying an approach is better than the other one, we believe in a step-by-step strategy. Strategically, we are putting the pieces of the puzzle together, learning our way through and sticking to our mission of delivering the best interactive content possible.

Will the Hybride artistic/movie experience also influence Ubisoft´s upcoming games?
(YM) It’s the objective and it’s already in full effect. But it is not limited to Hybride. The idea is to make sure that our whole Convergence strategy has a direct impact on how we also develop and produce our games.

We have to approach the creation of our universes with a much wider and open mind. From now on, the content we are producing for our games will also have a life outside of its original expression medium, but will have an impact on all the content that will be generated on the other platforms as well.

Labels: Assassin's Creed II, Linford Butler, Ubisoft

If you've had a question which you've been wanting to ask about the upcoming and very highly anticipated Ubisoft Montreal production, Assassin's Creed II, then now might just be your chance to find out the answer, as Ubisoft big-wigs Yannis Mallat and Jade Raymond have done a very detailed Q&A session, in which they reveal some never-before-heard gossip concerning the franchise.

With the main bulk of the session revolving around the Assassin's Creed short films, revealed at Comic Con San Diego, the Q&A session answers some of the most pressing questions about lineage and where and how the short films fit in and influence the next game in the series.

With the sequel to the highly acclaimed Assassin's Creed slated for release on all next-gen consoles this November, and a PSP version of the game in the works, it seems like Ubisoft are firing on all fronts to make Assassin's Creed II one of the must-have games this Christmas.

Keep an eye on Gamer's Guide to Life for the full Q&A session, which will be published here a little later today.

Linford

Labels: Assassin's Creed II, Linford Butler, Ubisoft

Well, that's pretty much the message given out by British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who has revealed that he will use parliament's recess to take on his kids on video games. The 58-year-old MP told a Daily Mirror reporter, "I'll enjoy my holiday, but I've got work to do". However, when not working, it's likely that one of the leaders of the free world will be being repeatedly thrashed at Gears of War.

The newspaper reports: He plans to do more "re-winning" of [his childrens'] interest as he watches the boys' favourite TV shows and plays computer games over the next few weeks at the couple's home in Scotland and on their holiday.

The PM's announcement is yet another good sign, with Government enthusiasm and support for the video games industry and gaming as a whole on the rise. With pledges from Government Minister Sion Simon for a cross-departmental committee for videogames, to prevent the industry suffering from economic difficulties, the recent government interest in the industry is likely a good sign for gaming.

Linford

Labels: Linford Butler, News, Politics

GCA, or Games Convention Asia (think Asian version of E3), is set to start in Singapore on September 17th, and promises to be packed to the brim with game exhibitions and conferences from some of the biggest names in the gaming industry.

Not one to be left in the dark, Lara Croft is set to make quite a splash at the GCA, with Ian Livingstone, the recently appointed Life President of Eidos, scheduled to deliver a keynote address on the evolution of the gaming industry, using Lady Croft as a focal point.

No word yet on whether or not Livingstone will touch on the new direction the series will allegedly take with the next sequel, but we'll keep our eyes and ears open for any tidbits of information which might surface.

Until then, we'll make sure to keep you in the know, so make sure you raid our posts as often as possible.

Joey

Labels: GCA, Joey Núñez, Tomb Raider

Just a quick little post. I've been surfing the net and have just found the MAG (Massive Action Game) Offical boxart, which you can see above. Is it just me or does it look a little focused upon the SVER faction?

Jacques

Labels: Jacques Hulme, MAG

I've never really been much of a fan of the Splinter Cell series, spending barely any time with the previous installments. However, the E3 trailer and demos of the upcoming Ubisoft title, Conviction, have me squirming with anticipation. The changes made to the character and gameplay appear to have changed for the better, and the in-game presentation of information sprawled across the games world is aesthetically pleasing as well as innovative.

This week at Comic Con, Ubisoft has released another trailer for the game. Not much new information is shown in the teaser, but it succeeds in continuing to build hype for the games release in October. Take a look at the video at the top of this post.

Tyson

Labels: Splinter Cell, Tyson, Tyson Breen, Ubisoft

Comic Con 2009 has been flooded with short films and animated movies this year, with additions from Microsoft in the form of Halo Legends and ONE Productions in the form of The Call and The Duty, both shorts based on the storyline of Modern Warfare. It seems that Ubisoft wasn't wanting to be left out, as we've been very kindly informed (via the most huge press release I've ever seen) of an event which they think will tickle our technicolour tastebuds.

The developer, famous for the Assassin's Creed series and much more, has organised a panel to talk about "the evolution of entertainment creation and distrubution" while "highlighting the bridge between video games and film". The panel, hosted yesterday at the Comic Con expo in San Diego, was hosted by various important people from both the games and film industry.

Furthermore, announced at E3 2009 in LA, the series of short films based around Assassin's Creed II was discussed by the panel - the production, filming and development of the shorts were all spoken about by the panel, and the chat was accompanied by the first public demonstration of Creed II.

“Ubisoft has detailed our vision for convergence over the past two years. Now, at Comic-con, we are exclusively revealing one of the first building blocks to this strategy: Assassin’s Creed II: Lineage,” said Yannis Mallat. “We’ll be discussing the links between the game and the short film series with some of the key players of the project. We are thrilled to be able to share the results of our efforts with the Comic-com audience.”

We'll be here at Gamer's Guide to Life with all the latest from the goings on at Comic Con and all the latest news and developments on Assassin's Creed II. Hopefully, we might also get some short film footage sometime soon, so keep your eyes open and your ears to the ground.

Linford

Labels: Assassin's Creed, Comic-Con, Ubisoft

It seems that Halo isn't the only game being shifted into an arty form (like so). About a month ago, production company ONE released their short movie, The Call. It follows the basic outline of Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare, starting with a Humvee containing 'Precious Cargo' driving through a desert town. Suddenly bright reds hit the screen as the trucks are ambushed by several hostiles. The vehicle gunners are killed but soon the Americans have cleared the area. But then, gunfire rips down the street and the soldiers dive to cover. Luckily, one manages to take the chopper down with a highly accurate shot from a rocket launcher.

Labels: Call of Duty, Jacques Hulme, News

Sony's bestselling kareoke game, SingStar, is set to have an additional 21 tracks added to it's online 'SingStore', available for purchase come this August. The additional tracks come after a deal with Universal Music to sign the music onto the SingStore as premium content.

"As the biggest name in competitive singing, SingStar is delighted to partner with the world's leading music company," says Dave Ranyard, Executive Producer of SingStar. "The SingStore for SingStar PS3 is all about choice, about calling the shots yourself and having Universal Music on board will give SingStore users the biggest choice of pop hits ever."

The first major installment of new tracks, including chart-toppers from Sir Elton John, The Police, Keane and Snow Patrol, are due for release onto the SingStore on the 8th August. Also, due to popular demand, the Jackson Five's I Want You Back was released yesterday, two weeks ahead of it's initial release date.

The following tracks will be released this August

If I Could Turn Back Time / Cher
Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time) / Elton John
Love Machine / Girls Aloud
I Will Survive / Gloria Gaynor
The Reason / Hoobastank
Ruby / Kaiser Chiefs
Everybody's Changing / Keane
Celebration / Kool And The Gang
Get It Shawty / Lloyd
Sweet Home Alabama / Lynyrd Skynyrd
Ace Of Spades / Motorhead
Pass The Dutchie / Musical Youth
Come As You Are / Nirvana
Crazy / Patsy Cline
Laura / Scissor Sisters
Chasing Cars / Snow Patrol
Everybody Wants To Rule The World / Tears For Fears
Lovefool / The Cardigans
Somebody Told Me / The Killers
Don't Stand So Close To Me / The Police
I Think We're Alone Now / Tiffany

Linford

A special thanks to MusterBuster of the EU PlayStation Forums for bringing this information to our attention.

Labels: DLC, Linford Butler, Singstar

Just last week, the mighty Gossip Gods of Gaming saw fit to bear upon us humble gamers new information concerning the next Tomb Raider sequel (which we at GGTL made sure to pass on to you, our lovely readers). Yup, last week, it became official: there is a new Tomb Raider sequel in the works, and it's another reboot, which will bring us yet “another Lara”. I, as a faithful Tomb Raider fan, am undeniably excited about this new game and the direction it’s taking. However the news got me thinking about everything we Tomb Raider fans have had to go through in the last 12 or so years.

It’s been quite a journey Ms. Croft, and it hasn’t always been pretty. I should know - I’ve been along for the whole ride.

You see, I remember when being a Tomb Raider fan was cool; when the name “Lara Croft” inspired awe in teenage boys the world over, and the tough chick with the dual pistols and the short-shorts was unequivocally a symbol of sheer awesomeness. If you have fond memories of raiding the mountains of Peru and the lost island of Atlantis back in the day, then you should enjoy this little trip down memory lane; and if you weren’t around back in the PSone days, do yourself a favor and keep reading, as you'll gain a little background knowledge on one of my favourite series of all time.

The first time I came into contact with the British heiress turned adventurer was back in 1996, back when her breasts were triangular and her surroundings were polygonal. I haven’t looked back since. In the beginning being a Tomb Raider fan came naturally to any gamer, and why not? Here was a fully 3-D game, with immense environments, complex puzzles and a badass leading lady: basically the recipe for gaming nerd heaven. Lara was the cool new girl on the block and everyone wanted to go out with her. Yup, Eidos and Core (the publisher and original developer of the game, respectively) had knocked it out of the park. They had successfully created a cutting edge game which appealed to audiences young and old. Gaming guys wanted to be with Lara and gaming gals wanted to be Lara. It seemed like the sky was the limit for the lovely Lady Croft; she could do no wrong, and we Raider fans were hungry for more.

Lucky for us, Eidos and Core were also hungry. For our money, that is. Lara Croft had become a hot property. She had transcended her polygonal surroundings and become a poster child not only for the PlayStation console but for 3-D gaming as a whole. Sequels meant money, so sequels kept coming… and coming… and coming.

And so it was that the franchise machine was fired up and ready to go. Tomb Raider sequels seemed to come out almost each year. We see Lara in Venice, then Antartica, then Egypt, fighting off mob bosses, dragons, ancient gods and the occasional Tibetan monk. Every Lara junkie in the world was sure to get his fix.

This all sounds splendid, right? Well, it wasn’t really. See, it’s a well known fact that rushed games don’t generally tend to be good games. Year after year we, the Lara faithful, received lacklustre sequels, which brought little more than cosmetic changes to the franchise and a new gymnastic trick here and there - true, Lara’s breasts were now round, but that didn't make for a life-changing game experience.

Don’t get me wrong. My love for tomb raiding never diminished; in fact I bought and completed each and every Playstation sequel Eidos threw at me. But by the time Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation came around, well, it was kind of hard to keep the faith. But, of course, since Lara was still bringing in the bacon for Papa Eidos and Mama Core, the Last Revelation, decided to be “not quite the last but sort of maybe the penultimate revelation”. Tomb Raider Chronicles followed hot on the heels of TLR. And Chronicles… lets just say it was sorta “meh”.

That’s right boys and girls, Lara Croft had gone from “sheer awesomeness” to “meh”. Being a Tomb Raider fan was no longer cool; to the contrary, nothing but hateful glances and taunting fingers would be pointed your way if you declared your affection for the ponytailed gunslinger. Lara was no longer the cool girl on the block, the Jill Valentines, Clare Redfields and Joanna Darks had seen to that.

It was the end of an era.

But, there was hope on the horizon. Lara’s first outing on the new Playstation 2 console was hyped as a turning point in the series. A new gaming engine, new gaming mechanics, a new darker, more real, Lara Croft, all backed by the PS2 technology. Lara was making a comeback. The Angel of Darkness was about to arrive… it was too bad she didn’t stay in the dark.

Trying to find words to describe my reaction to the Angel of Darkness is a bit hard. Eemember how you used to feel on the last day of the summer holidays when you were a kid? The emptiness and fear for the future that seemed to overwhelm you? That’s kind of how I felt. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was a game filled with missed opportunities. To this date I still think it had one of the best storylines ever in a Tomb Raider game. However, it was buggy, with sluggish controls and outdated graphics. What had promised to be the triumphant return of my favorite heroine turned out to be the last nail in her coffin. It seemed as though the adventures of Lara Croft had come to an end. Enter Crystal Dynamics.

You see, Eidos was not ready to give up on their number one mascot, so they decided to kick Core to the curb, and bring in some new developers to the series, the aforementioned Crystal Dynamics, who had created the excellent Soul Reaver series for Eidos. These new developers wanted to bring Lara back to her roots while connecting her to a new generation of gamers, who were not necessarily familiar with the Legend that is Lara Croft. And so, Tomb Raider: Legend was born. Fans are still on the fence with this one, with Core loyalists still in an uproar to this day.

Sure, TR: Legend was a bit on the short side, and a bit on the easy side for us hardcore Lara fans, but one thing is undeniable, it was a good game. It was a fun game. Crystal Dynamics proved that you could indeed teach an old girl new tricks, while remaining true to the core gameplay mechanics of the series: enter ancient temple, raid said temple, look good and take names while doing so. It seemed like maybe, just maybe, being a Tomb Raider fan would not be so bad anymore.

Crystal Dynamics followed up on Legend with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a reimagining of the original Tomb Raider (now over 10 years old), with new level design and vamped up graphics. The game had an immediate nostalgia factor while still remaining fresh and even surprising, bringing in new and old fans alike. It was official: being a Tomb Raider fan was back to being a good thing, a very good thing.

Most recently, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos closed the storyline initiated in Legend with Tomb Raider: Underworld, offered up on the best of next-generation hardware (PS3 and 360). Reviews for the game were generally good, however it was hard to not notice the signs of rushed development that were starting to show (yeah, so Crystal Dynamics has produced three Tomb Raider games in as many years, but is it really so hard to have Lara jump on top of a surface when you want her to?). Minor glitches and control issues aside, with Underworld Lara proved that she is still a presence to be reckoned with, and the game has shipped over 2 million copies worldwide.

As for the future, rumors of a new sequel are running rampant. With supposed origin story, lots of promises are being made, and with Square Enix (of Final Fantasy fame) recently acquiring Eidos, it’s still unclear how much of an effect the merger will have on the franchise. Nonetheless, I have high hopes, and pray that we, the faithful, will not be let down yet again.

Because, yeah, I'm still a fan, and I think it’s high time that everyone was reminded just why Lara Croft was once the premiere videogame adventurer (I’m looking at you Nathan Drake). What do you think the future holds for us Tomb Raider fans? Let us know in the comments. Don’t be afraid - we don’t bite.

Joey

Labels: Joey Núñez, Tomb Raider, Writer's note

Marvel fans of the world rejoice, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has finally been given an official release date. Activision has confirmed that the game will hit store shelves on September 15th, 2009.

As any true Marvel fan gamer would know, the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance was an action RPG game developed by Activision back in 2006, which followed in the vein of the X-Men Legends Games, allowing you to mix and match an inmense cast of Marvel characters and form any 4 member team your imagination could come up with.

The sequel offers more of the same Marvel goodness, with its epic story focusing on the Marvel Civil War, a massive crossover event which changed the face of the Marvel Universe back in 2007, as heroes faced off against heroes over a registration act which would legally require all supers to reveal their identities to the US Government.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will bring back old favorites as well as new characters, including a cameo by the man himself, Stan Lee. Expect the game to arrive on the PS3, 360, PSP, DS, Wii and PS2 come September.

We'll keep you posted on new info on the game as it becomes available. Until then, Excelsior True Believers!

Joey

Labels: Joey Núñez, Marvel, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, News

The two worlds of gaming and anime are set to collide today, as “Halo Legends,” a new anime project backed by some of the top names in the industry, is presented at San Diego's Comic-Con event. The project is a series of short films that will incorporate many aspects of the Halo universe, including various settings and backgrounds that Halo fans will recognize.

Halo Legends, which is being produced by Microsoft’s 343 Industries, represents a merging of two mediums that Halo development director Frank O’Connor commented is “a very rare opportunity for Microsoft.” Investing their talent will be studios that brought classic anime such as “The Animatrix” and “Cowboy Bebop” to home entertainment. Shinji Aramaki, the director responsible for the highly popular “Appleseed,” will be providing creative direction for Halo Legends.

“Halo and its characters are a very natural fit for anime,” said Aramaki. “As a fan of the Halo universe, it is an honour to work with Microsoft and my very talented peers from other studios to create this collection.”

Halo Legends will also help kick-start Microsoft’s new Xbox Live feature, “Halo Waypoint,” a hub for Halo news and exclusive content. Players will be able to watch limited time episode previews of Halo Legends through Waypoint this fall.

Although this will be the first time that the Halo franchise appears in anime, it’s been beyond its original video game medium before. The shooter series has also inspired action figures, Marvel comics and New York Times best-selling novels.

The televised debut of Halo Legends will be broadcasted at 12:30 AM ET/PT tonight on “GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley” on Spike TV.

Jacob

Labels: Anime, Halo, Jacob, Microsoft

I've decided to start a new type of post that will contain the contents of that week's PlayStation Network update. The new content which hit the store this afternoon is all below - bear in mind that this is the content for the European PlayStation Store update, and there may be variations depending on your area.

Downloadable Games
Crystal Defenders (£7.99/€9.99)
Shatter (£4.79/€5.99)

Demos
Crystal Defenders Demo
Add-On Game Content
WipEout HD – Fury Expansion Pack (£7.99/€9.99)
Killzone 2 – Napalm & Cordite Pack (£4.79/€5.99)
Killzone 2 – Map Pack Bundle (£9.99/€12.99)
Overlord II - Battle Rock Nemesis (£3.19/€3.99)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 – Banff Springs (£4.79/€5.99)
Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires – Additional Music Set 2 (free)
Rock Band Tracks
Crawl by Kings of Leon (£0.99/€1.49)
Molly’s Chambers by Kings of Leon (£0.99/€1.49)
Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon (£0.99/€1.49)
Kings of Leon Pack 01 (this combines all the above tracks in one pack) (£2.49/€3.99)
Last One to Die by Rancid (£0.99/€1.49)
Ruby Soho by Rancid (£0.99/€1.49)
Time Bomb by Rancid (£0.99/€1.49)
Rancid Pack 01 (this combines all the above tracks in one pack) (£2.49/€3.99)
Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against (£0.99/€1.49)
Re-Education (Through Labor) by Rise Against (£0.99/€1.49)
Saviour by Rise Against (£0.99/€1.49)
Rise Against Pack 01 (this combines all the above tracks in one pack) (£2.49/€3.99)

Guitar Hero: World Tour Tracks
All The World is Mad by Thrice (£1.59/€1.99)
The Martyr by Sense Fail (£1.59/€1.99)
Young Cardinals by Alexisonfire (£1.59/€1.99)
Vagrant Track Pack (This pack contains all three tracks listed above) (£4.39/€5.99)
PEGI 12+

Videos
Killzone 2 Napalm & Cordite Trailer
MAG Developer Diary: A Massive New War Is Coming
MAG Developer Diary: The Shadow Wars

This is taken from the Playstation.Blog.Europe. If you would like to look at the same kind of thing on a web page see here.

Jacques

Labels: Jacques Hulme, PlayStation Store

Labels: Endwar, Jacques Hulme, News, Tom Clancy

As a someone who adores all things Terminator I can’t help but recommend this epic, genre defining shoote...nah I can’t keep it up. This game is terrible. Terminator Salvation doesn’t try anything new, and in the end, offers an unsatisfying experience that leaves a bitter taste.

I feel like I have to preface this review by saying that I played the game on hard mode from the get-go. Surely this is irresponsible for a game reviewer, right? Well, no. Arguably the game’s biggest claim to fame is its easy 1000/1000 achievement points or platinum trophy. If you aren’t interested in either of those two things then check out a review on another site or (probably a better idea) just skip this game. This review is built for someone who is only interested in this game for its trophies; which I’m guessing is probably most of you.

Terminator Salvation is a – stop me if you’ve heard this before – 3^rd person, cover mechanic based shooter. The plot revolves around John Connor on a mission to save a group of resistance fighters, who are trying to bring down the evil Skynet robots. The plot is okay, but all of the characters have such little development time (the game can be completed easily in one 4 hour sitting) that they just end up looking like they have really weird social links to each other, two people that meet each other for the first time will, within ten minutes, be BFFs.

The best bit about Terminator is the shooting. Tackling ‘spiders’ by going behind them and hitting their weak spot is pretty satisfying, especially in the game’s co-op mode, but the thing is, that’s seemingly all you do for 90% of the game (the other 10% I will cover in the next paragraph). There are only, get this, 5 enemies; Spiders, T-600s, T-800s, Aerostats and Hunter Killers (whom make up the sole cast of the game’s boss battles). This causes the combat later in the game to become repetitive, which led the developers (GRIN) to think, “hmm the cover mechanic based shooting is okay, but you know what’s great in games, vehicle sections”. How wrong they were.

Terminator’s vehicular sections are by far the most vomit inducingly appalling parts of this game, and probably any game this side of 2008. There are probably about 4 or 5 of these monstrosities in the game, one of them okay – firing RPGs out of the back of a train - the others horrifically bad. For example, one of the sections is a mind-fuck inducing mech-style mini-game that involves shooting at enemies with rockets and turrets while moving automatically through a level. While it doesn’t sound bad, the screen is painted in a Virtual Boy style; orange background that not only gave me and my co-op partner a headache, but also made the Hunter Killers that fly around far in the distance, slowly sapping my health, impossible to distinguish from the fog that they hover in.

Another “highlight” is the grenade-turret section which features vehicles which hover above the ground, even though they have wheels. It was here I decided that literally no quality control time was spent on the game. I don’t really blame them, at this point in the game, about 60% through, it was time to just tie up all the loose ends and abandon this cluster-fuck of a game.

I’ll wrap up this review by saying that while this game does have easy trophies, and can be found at a cheap price, it isn’t worth your time. This is much worse than a normal movie game, they are normally at least polished and good for young kids, but this game doesn’t appeal to anyone, even me as a trophy hunter (see: whore).

3/10

Matt

Labels: Matt, Matthew Meadows, Review, Terminator