Ninja Blade Demo impressions

Upon seeing the trailer for Ninja Blade, I was rather excited. It looked very thrilling and intense, as the trailer showed a man in a leather suit, base jumping over modern day Tokyo, and slicing off the heads of flying monsters, ultimately cultivating in his landing, and eventually killing a screen filling mutant. I thought of all of the fun things that could possibly be included in this game; base jumping over a generously large map, slicing up monsters, and fighting screen filling bosses… but I was wrong.

Ninja Blade ninja

I downloaded the demo on Friday, and was severely dissapointed. The trailer actually did properly show what the game play would be like, but it was the developers execution that was putrid. The base jumping? It worked like an interactive movie. You didn’t even get to control the character, and simply pressed random button combinations, after subsequent in-game cut scenes showed building and night sky. Slicing up monsters? That was the button mashing in the mundane base jumping sequence, and when you actually landed, you simply slashed at bloodless mutants about fifty times, until they let up. The screen filling bosses? The game couldn’t keep my interest long enough for me to get to one.

The game could be for you, if you’re into slightly repetitive arcade-like brawling, but for something like that, I would spare $50 for when Ninja Blade comes out, and spend $20 on Watchmen: The End is Nigh. Yep, I said it.

Left 4 Dead DLC confirmed

Valve has released news and details of their new upcoming DLC for Left 4 Dead. The new DLC, entitled “Survival Pack” will include a new game mode similar to Call Of Duty: World at War’s Nazi Zombies mode, in which the survivors set up defense at various positions, and hold out against countless infected. It also features the new map, “Lighthouse”, which is a small, defensible map created for the new game type, and lastly for new content, The Dead Air and Death Toll campaigns will be converted for use in versus mode.

Left 4 Dead’s writer, Chet Faliszek, also said that all matchmaking bugs will be fixed.

GamesRadar has exclusive footage and news here.

2009’s exciting line up

It’s a new year, and you’re probably checking to see what you might like this year when it comes to gaming. PS3 owners will have acess to Infamous, Uncharted 2, and plenty more. For the 360 gamers who are fed up with FPS games, they will get Prototype, (Multi-platform, actually I think, but whatever) Alan Wake, (Also on PC) Fallout 3 DLC, and a few more gems. Since the year has just started off, I’ve decided to give some info on  the games I listed there. First up is one I look forward to with positive opinions.

Alan Wake

Xbox 360, PC

I’m sorry if the name does not strike you positively, but don’t let that get you down. Remedy, the people behind the Max Payne series, have emerged back to the scene with a rather intelligent thriller. You play as Alan Wake, a bestselling horror writer who’s fiance`e mysteriously disappeared and suffers from insomnia. While recovering from his condition at a Sleep Clinic, he has awful nightmares, and starts to write a new book based off of the dreams. But the rural area that he lives in soon becomes a living nightmare, similar to that of his book. Alan must fight for his life with nothing but a pistol and a flashlight.

Game play will consist of setting traps and using your flashlight to destroy the ghostly enemies. In addition, the game will offer an explorable, open city similar in size to most GTA games. And to top it off, the game is highlighted with incredible graphics.

Prototype

PC, Xbox 360, PS3

You will play as Alex Mercer, a genetically mutated man who has no memory of his past, and who thus sets out to find out what has happened to him. It takes place in Manhattan, where certain areas have been quarantined due to an infectious Zombie virus, and has a very large open environment. Alex will have superhuman abilities, and may choose to complete a mission by taking the form of an enemy to sneak past others, or using mind-blowing superpowers to get through destructively.

You’ll primarily fight Mutant Zombies and Military soldiers, though there will probably be more types of enemies, and will be able to perform abilities such as shape-shifting, lifting objects into the air, and various long range attacks. At first glance, the game may look like Predator: Concrete Jungle (If you don’t know, you don’t need to) but trust me, nothing is that bad. But your opinion will change after seeing the below video. From the looks of it, this game will be great.

Uncharted 2

PS3

Not much is known about the follow up to the PS3 exclusive itself, but the new trailer was revealed recently. From the looks of it, the next game will have a segment or will take place in a snowy environment, most likely Canada, Russia, or China.

That’s it for now, but look for the continued post soon!

Written by Yellowhat17

LittleBigPlanet is going mobile

The underrated, PS3 exclusive, wonderfully saturated & creative LittleBigPlanet is finally getting another chance next year… we hope. Rumors are spreading that LBP is being ported to the PSP sometime around 2009. Fans of the game are hoping to see a good multiplayer on the port, considering the past, present & recent flops of the PSP’s (and handheld gaming in general) online gameplay.

But if everything works out, we might just be seeing Sackboy on the PSP around 2009.

Above: We want this more than Marvel vs. Capcom 2, or a decent Turok sequel.

Yellowhat17

Mirror’s Edge wins Family Gaming Award

Mirror’s Edge was listed in the “workers” section of the Family Gaming Awards, and recieved the most votes for Family Game of the Year. Here was the overall selction.

• Infants: Family Ski-Wii
  
• Juniors: Mario and Sonic at the Olympics- Wii
  
• Students: Super Smash Bros. Brawl-Wii
• Workers: Mirror’s Edge-PS3
• Parents: Sing Star-PS3 (That’s kind of funny.)
• Seniors: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue-PS3

Mirror’s Edge recieved the most overall votes and one the Family Game Awards.

Left 4 Dead DLC news soon

Left 4 Dead developers Valve have announced that downloadable DLC for Left 4 Dead will be available on the Xbox Live market place soon. They have yet to announce details, but they said that details will be released soon. By the looks of it, the content will include nothing but new campaigns and/or weapons, considering that new enemies would be too hard and that a new party of survivors would be too big a leap.

Battle Front III to be developed by Rebellion

Free Radical design, creators of the Timesplitters series and Haze, closed doors recently. This did not make the Timesplitters fan base happy due to the fact that they had heard news of a fourth entry to the series. Free Radical Design had also begun production on Star Wars Battle Front III, which was originally created by Pandemic. Due to Free Radical Designs closing, Battle Front III has been left to developers Rebellion. Who is Rebellion? They created Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for the PSP and Call of Duty 5: World at War for the PS2.

Above: Renegade Squadron promo art

Development is underway and Rebellion has released several of the character models, which were Han Solo and Sarah the Bounty Hunter. It has not been annoucned wether the game will be based off of the original two’s class system or Renegade Squadron’s character creation system. Battlefront III is due sometime around 2009.

The Best DS Games so far

How’s your little plastic wallet doing? Is it gathering dust in your closet? Are you playing it right now? Well, no matter what, you probably know that things aren’t so grand for the little DS, but I happen to know some great games for it that you can spend your Christmas money on.

Chrono Trigger

When somebody says DS, I think of this game. Chrono Trigger is a remake of the classic SNES RPG and is a trip down nostlagia lane for fans of the game. But it doesn’t just appeal to the huge Chrono Series fanbase, but it can spark interest from Final Fantasy fans and the like. The fighting system is great and upgraded for the DS’s two screens. Also, you’ll be reminded of characters like my personal favorite, Frog.

Final Fantasy DS remakes

Yet another nostalgic Nintendo DS remake, this time built on a more recognized franchise. Yes, if you are eagerly awaiting Final Fantasy 13, these will tide you over. Or, if you just want some solid fun, you can just go here. Like Chrono Trigger, the graphics and game play have been enhanced for DS and is also from Square-enix.

Advance Wars

You know this one. Any one works, these games are great. Okay, I’m tired, so I’m not doing much here…

Written by Yellow Hat17

Shoop Da Whoop Favorites

It seems like there’s a shoop da whoop for virtually every [popular] thing, so I decided to show you some favorites I found:

Here, a blurry picture of dramatic prairie dog, watching what appears to be a crappy internet animated short, shoop da whoops:

Here, a crime to humanity gets what it deserves (PS: I mean specifically Link and the Faces of Evil. We all love the Zelda series otherwise here):

Here is the sequel to the Shoop Da Whoop that started it all (PS: You may ask why I put only the sequel on. I may either respond “Chuck Norris” or “I really don’t give a crap”)

Playing Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead, is not your average game, and definately one of my favorites right now. I haven’t played it much, but when I do get it, it’ll be great. Left 4 Dead is the most intense, heart pounding shooter on the market today, if not game. The game is better as it is Online or with friends than it is offline. It’s a game basically built strictly on 28 Weeks later, Nos Energy Drink and Multiplayer. There is no time to take a break, until you get to the saferoom at the end of the level.

Above: Left 4 Dead

Another great part about the game is how every NPC is controlled by what I like to call “The A.I Master” most likely also a man in a gorilla suit and a yellow sombrero… Sound familiar? No? eh… whatever, look it up. Anyways, every time you play, the A.I are in mostly different places and in larger quantities… I don’t know, maybe there are more “boss zombies”. Oh, yeah. The boss zombies are gigantic zombies (Or just really strong) which include crying people with super strength, giant people with super strength, and people in hoodies with super strength.(My personal favorite) Also, Left 4 Dead is a game that actually foccuses a lot on actual team work, and making decisions not just in the campaign, but even in multiplayer. In one case, one of your team mates might be stuck half way across the course, while you and everybody else are at the end of the level (Which I wil call “Point B”) you could go back, or leave them behind and continue to the next level (even though they will still be in the next “stage”)

So Left 4 Dead is surely a buy for fans of the Survival Horror genre, shooter genre or who just want a reasonable excuse to drink Nos at 8:00 P.M..

Half Life 2: Episode 1 Review

You may have noticed that right now the busy two writers at this blog are churning up a bunch of posts. What are we supposed to do when it’s been pouring down rain the whole weekend? I mean, sure they’re running the first two Jurrasic Parks, but I’d rater write. Anyways… Since I got Hale Life 2: Episode 1 off of the annoying, update persistant yet filled with good games-ed “Steam”, I’ll write a review. Frankly, I can’t wait to get Episode 2… it looks outstanding. But, lets get to the review.

Half Life 2: Episode 1:

The Half Life series has a very immersful plot, which is nearly half the reason that some people continue to buy the games. It has a great way of presenting the story as you never once leave the shoes of Gordon Freeman. So then why did Valve spend time (?) creating a game that goes basically nowhere with the story? The story of Episode 1 could easily be contained within Episode 2 as a mere two chapters of Citadel breaching and more Antlion fighting. The game is clusterphobic and, as that was somewhat the feel of the original Half Life, it’s confusing. You always feel like you’re in the wrong place, like, somewhere behind the invisible wall. A good example is a level that takes place in a parking garage. You go up the some stairs top the parking lot, kill two zombies fight your way through an antlion army… and then you have to climb up overturned building beams to climb to a useless pile of rubble, where there’s just another zombie.

Above: One of my favorite Half Life creatures is the Zombine. Sadly, it is the only new creature you find in HL2: Episode 1.

But what’s the good side to this flawless FPS (Half Life 1, Opposing forces, and Half Life 2, are preferably the best) gone to video game Hell? Well, the content, that’s what. Something is that if you buy plain old Half Life 2, you don’t have any access to spawning Antlion Guards in Gmod (Note: If you have any Source game on Steam, I recommend that you buy Gmod now) but by buying Episode 1, you do. But if you know how to go through the Baptism by Fire that is Downloading things off garrysmod.com, there’s probably a free NPC for download of an Antlion guard there, just like there is for the Strider.

Above: Oh yeah, there’s also the Cavern Guard… But you still can’t get it on Gmod.

A BIG problem though is the fact that there is basically NO new gameplay content (When I said content is the best part, I meant for Gmod), but more erased content. The two new additions are Zombine, unfortunate combine soldiers who crossed paths with a head crab, and the Physics Gun, possibly one of the best guns ever featured in a game. But that’s it. Nothing. So seriously, skip Episode 1 and go straight to Episode 2. Look up the plot for Episode 1. Even though there is a pack on Steam that gives you Gmod, Episode 1 and every mod online game for Episode 1 for just 20$, don’t do as I did.

Final Verdict: 6.1 out of 10