Tag Archive: egm


Valve Teams with Dark Horse to Collect Graphic Novels into One Volume

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
July 25, 2011

Originally Published: July 19, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

THE BUZZ: Dark Horse Comics, the publisher of comics like Hellboy and several titles that follow the Star Wars universe, will be teaming up with Valve to provide a hardcover volume of the comic book tie-ins that Valve has produced over the years for some of their most popular games.

WHAT WE KNOW: Titled Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and Other Steam-Powered Stories, the volume will be priced at $29.99 and be 304 pages in length. Due to be released on November 16th, 2011, the three games featured in the volume will be Portal, Team Fortress, and Left 4 Dead. When released, it will mark the second video game related property that Dark Horse will publish in as many months as October 19th will also see the comics publisher launch a 4-issue mini-series dealing with the Mass Effect universe.

WHAT IT MEANS: This is nothing new to see video game developers teaming up with comic book publishers to promote games old and new. Prototype, inFamous, Halo, and Gears of War are just some of the first and third party developed games that have had printed comic book tie-ins before. Even iconic figures like Sonic and Mega Man have their own monthly comics, so it is no surprise that Valve would want to showcase Chell from Portal, the Survivors from Left 4 Dead, and the various crazy character classes from Team Fortress. An extra plus for this hardcover is that most comics cost $2.99 for 24 pages, so 304 for $29.99 is like 25% off the cover price if these issues were all sold separately.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Sony Becomes 1st First-Party to Institute Online Passes

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
July 24, 2011

Originally Published: July 19, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

THE BUZZ: Joining the ranks of THQ, EA, and Warner Bros., Sony has come forward and confirmed that they will be the first first-party to include an online pass, rumored to be called PSN Pass, with their games to unlock some, if not all, of a game’s online features.

WHAT WE KNOW: The PSN Pass system will be much like others implemented in third-party games up to this point. A new copy of the game will come with a one-use only code that can be used to access online play for the game. Players who buy the game used from retailers such as Gamestop and want the online content will be forced to go onto the Playstation Store and pay a small fee for a new code to use with their previously owned game, just like with third-party titles that make use of online passes. The price point is still unknown, but will likely be universal across the board once more games begin featuring PSN Pass and Sony has confirmed that Resistance 3 will be the first game to require it for unlocking its online multiplayer.

WHAT IT MEANS: “This is an important initiative as it allows us to accelerate our commitment to enhancing premium online services across our first party game portfolio,” said a Sony spokesperson on the matter of PSN Pass. This is clearly just another step by developers and publishers to make sure they receive some sort of cut of the profits from used game sales and it was only a matter of time before the first-parties got in on this. And since Sony’s online pass will already be implemented by September with Resistance 3, even though Sony said it would be game-specific, it isn’t too far fetched to think that Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, Twisted Metal, and Uncharted 3 could likely see passes as well even though they were not directly mentioned. And if Sony is willing to begin implementing this, could Microsoft be that far behind? Considering you already have to pay for Xbox Live, compared to PSN’s free service, Microsoft could be even more primed to put the screws to used game retailers in the future.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

EGM Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D Review

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
July 7, 2011

Originally Published: June 28, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

More mindless than the zombies you’ll be shooting

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: 3DS

Release: 06.28.11

Players: Singe Player, 2-player Co-op

ESRB Rating: M – Mature

The Good: Beautiful graphics
The Bad: We’ve seen this all before in Resident Evil 4 and 5
The Ugly: Time is your greatest threat, not your enemies

Every fan of the Resident Evil franchise has been waiting with baited breath to see if it could make a successful transition to portable gaming with a pair of titles coming to the 3DS. The first of those titles, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D may have the diehards worrying a little.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is the attempted expansion and combination of the Mercenaries mini-games found in Resident Evil 4 and 5. Although the graphics for the game are crisp, the character models look nearly as good as they did on a console, and the use of the bottom screen for your inventory and map are nice touches, there is little beyond these features to make the game worthwhile.

The point of Mercenaries is to play as one of eight different characters from the series that are randomly inserted into various familiar locations from the Resident Evil 4 and 5 games. Whether in Europe taking on cultists or in Africa taking on the Majini, the object of the game revolves around an arcade style time-trial where you try to get the highest score possible in the time allotted while also building up combos by quickly dispatching several foes in a row.

Unfortunately, even with 30 possible missions, RPG-like powering up of your favorite Resident Evil characters, and some stellar graphics, the game gets repetitive and boring quickly. There is an overall lack of enemy variety with nothing you haven’t already seen in previous Resident Evil games and because of limited enemy A.I. and the powering up feature, where any character can equip up to three upgrades once they’re unlocked, your greatest threat against getting a high score does not come from the infected but from the clock on the top of the screen.

A nice feature to try to add some replayability to the game is that Mercenaries does feature a co-op mode for a friend with a 3DS, but then you’ll have two people getting bored after a handful of missions instead of just yourself. Add in poor controls that will take a lot of time to get used to as the most often used actions for this game, shooting and reloading, require not one, but two buttons to be pressed or held at a time and overall, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D just lacks the substance necessary to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Score: 4.0/10

By: Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Binary Domain EGM Preview

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: June 28, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, JOHN CONNOR

Binary Domain boils down to a futuristic sci-fi shooter against sentient robots, akin to something like Terminator, but there is so much more going on with this game that just grabs you by the balls and yells “PLAY ME!” The controls for one felt very natural for a shooter and the game itself had a very polished, cinematic look already going for it. “The team is really dedicated to the look and feel of the game. And that’s one of the things they really concentrated on graphics wise was to give it a different look and a different texture. Something different, but still giving it a shooter look and feel,” said Dan Gallardo, part of the Marketing team for SEGA.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the integration of the RPG-elements, like squad selection pre-mission and path selection once you move into the mission. This adds replay value to the game as each mission could be done multiple times and play out differently each time. For example, do you want a demolitions expert to blow a hole through a wall to get to your objective, or a sniper to provide cover fire while you try to sneak around back? When taking on the boss of the first level, a giant bi-pedal robot laden with turrets and missile launchers, I chose to use my heavy machine gunner to draw the big bot’s attention while I ran to the roof of a nearby apartment building and took fire at its barely exposed weak point on the top of its head. Lots of guns, lots of options, and a sci-fi feel all make me very excited for Binary Domain.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

SSX EGM Preview

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: June 28, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

TRY CONQUERING A MOUNTAIN WHEN THE MOUNTAIN FIGHTS BACK

From the second you start playing SSX, you know you’re in for a wild ride. Using Google Earth and various other mapping technology, SSX paints a 3D globe while highlighting some of the world’s biggest peaks like Mt. Everest or K2. After selecting your mountain, you then enter into one of three game modes that revolve around the game’s theme of “Race It, Trick It, Survive It”.

The first two games modes are standard to a SSX game and deal with racing to the bottom of the mountain or getting the highest score possible by pulling off insane stunts. With some crisp graphics and the fact that you can perform a trick or grind anywhere leaves these modes with so much new potential. “It really speaks to our physics system that allows you to trick off anything, ride anything, and do things you’ve never been able to do before,” said SSX Producer Connor Dougan in regards to pulling off stunts in the game.

But the third mode, titled “Deadly Descent”, offered so much more in terms of testing your ingenuity and boarding skills. Likened to a boss battle where the mountain took center stage with each battle revolving around a particular element of being up in the mountains. The one we saw featured a beautifully rendered avalanche, that almost seemed alive as it kept reaching out to swallow our boarder whole, which we of course had to outrace to the bottom in order to win. This mode provided a completely new twist on not only the franchise, but snowboarding games in general. I’m looking forward to catching some fresh powder when SSX drops in January 2012.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

X-COM E3 2011 EGM Preview

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
June 29, 2011

Originally Published: June 21, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

A WAR OF THE WORLDS

WHAT ITS ABOUT: Set in the early 1960s, the world is under attack from an unknown alien force. As a member of the secret government organization known as XCOM, you must put together a crack field team to analyze and somehow subdue this threat to humanity.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: This franchise reboot sees a major facelift from the original’s tactical tradition. Not just a first-person shooter, XCOM will put your wits to the test in not only building and leveling up your team, but also how you act in the field. Will you capture enemy weaponry for personal upgrades later or turn them against their alien masters right in the middle of the fray? The choices are near endless.

WHAT RAY THINKS: Easily one of the longest demos at E3, I wouldn’t have minded seeing even more. XCOM has a strong, cinematic feel while mixing in elements of both Bioshock and Mass Effect. Weird and wonderful weaponry will constantly be at your fingertips while you command your units on the fly in the field and also dish out as much punishment as you can yourself from the first-person perspective. I can’t wait!

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

EGM Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D Review

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: June 21, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

Game: Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Grezzo
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS

Release: 06.19.11

Players: Singe Player

ESRB Rating: E10+ – Everyone 10 and up

The Good: One of the best games of the past 15 years revamped for a new generation
The Bad: Need to complete story once to unlock Master Quest
The Ugly: New hint system is completely unnecessary

When I was 13, I remember waking up Christmas morning and one present stood out above all else. It was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a golden cartridge that would redefine what I thought of action/adventure games and that I would beat a dozen times over the next several months as each time I found something new.

A few years later, I would wake up early on a random Sunday morning and drive to my local toy store to pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker in order to get Ocarina of Time: Master Quest for the Gamecube. Again, I would devote many hours to this evolved version of the original Ocarina of Time.

Now, I’m older and wiser (sorta) and I don’t wake up early that often anymore if I have anything to say about it. So when my phone starting going off early one morning, much like Navi trying to wake up Link in his Kokiri tree house, I was not happy. I felt a familiar thrill though when it was my boss assigning me Ocarina of Time: 3D.

The biggest difference between this version of Ocarina compared to the others is obviously the graphics. The flawless 3D gives you a whole new sense of depth that you feel on every step of the journey, but especially when using your slingshot and bow. Not to mention the painstaking detail put into every corner of Hyrule now. Every house and shop is full of life and color (in the past anyway) from the ceilings to the floors and really shines through.

Score: 9.5

-Ray Carsillo

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

WWE 12 EGM E3 2011 Preview

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment

Originally Published: June 21, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

IT’S GONNA BE A SLOBBERKNOCKER!

WHAT ITS ABOUT: This is the latest installment of THQ’s hit yearly WWE wrestling franchise, which sees a much needed facelift while still featuring some of the sports entertainment business’s biggest names.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: This franchise had been just coasting along up until last year’s revolutionary online Royal Rumble feature. But that was only the beginning as this year’s entry marks not only a branding change that falls in line with the WWE’s slow movement to dissolve the rivalry between their RAW and Smackdown TV programs, but adds a brand new submission system and new “Predator” gameplay mechanics in honor of the game’s cover boy, Randy Orton.

WHAT RAY THINKS: I was able to take control of “The Awesome One” himself, The Miz, for a brief demo against a CPU Randy Orton and was amazed at not only how smooth the new animations for the game seemed, but how much easier it was to just pick up and play, which should please old and new fans alike. I just hope they work out the glitch that wouldn’t let me pin Orton after performing four finishers before November’s launch.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Ghost Recon Future Soldier Preview

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
June 16, 2011

Originally Published: June 14, 2011 on EGMNOW.COM


WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Your four-man Ghost Recon squad is placed on the front lines of an unknown international war. As they progress across a variety of terrains including the Arctic and Africa, the Ghosts begin to realize that there is more going on behind the scenes than they thought possible.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: This latest installment in the Ghost Recon series sees you handle some of the most advanced tech yet imagined, including the highly touted “optical camouflage” which renders the user virtually invisible to foes unless they are wearing thermo-goggles. With a mixing and matching of weaponry and a high variety of scenarios placed before you, this could raise the bar once again for the tactical shooter.

WHAT RAY THINKS: I simply could not get enough of the A.T.L.A.S. augmented reality system that feeds the player information on the battlefield like never before. It allows you to work with a rare sense of precision and timing that will have those wannabe tacticians out there jumping for joy. Include with your plethora of futuristic weapons and devices the fact you can modify them to your personal style with the Gunsmith system and the future can’t get here soon enough.

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

Batman and the Joker Take It to the Streets

Filed under: EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), Written — Leave a comment
June 11, 2011

Originally Published: June 7, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

THE BUZZ: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, DC Entertainment, and Monolith Productions have teamed up to produce Gotham City Impostors. The game seemingly draws inspiration from a 4-issue Detective Comics story arc (issues #867-870) from last year. The arc, aptly titled “Impostors”, deals with a less lethal version of Joker toxin that hits the street as a designer drug. This influx of Joker toxin into the populace results in hundreds of users becoming wannabe Jokers and this in turn leads to other citizens wishing to dish out vigilante justice as pseudo-Batmen.

WHAT WE KNOW: Gotham City Impostors is slated to be a downloadable 4-on-4 competitive multiplayer game available on Xbox Live, PSN, and PC where each team will choose to follow in the footsteps of the Dark Knight or the Ace of Knaves. The game will feature heavily customizable costumes, homebrewed gadgets, and a slew of traditional and imagined weaponry that fits into the Batman universe.

WHAT IT MEANS: DC Comics faithful could end up being up in arms depending on how Monolith finds a balance between the two factions of this game. Batman is infamous for never using weapons beyond his fists or non-lethal gadgets and thrusting the franchise into a first-person shooter will force Monolith to get very creative when designing options for the hero side of things. Otherwise, this could end up being a very generic FPS with just a Batman label on it and a nice customization option.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment