I give my predictions as to who I thinks will win this week’s NFL Conference Championships. Welcome to Ray’s Man Cave!
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Slip slidin’ away
When it comes to arcade-style racing games, few have proven as everlasting as Ridge Racer. Over three decades of existence, the series has permeated nearly every gaming platform imaginable, including mobile. With the franchise returning to a casual platform for the first time since 2010, however, Namco Bandai knew they’d need a lot more than brand recognition to overcome the stigma usually associated with app-based racers.
Ridge Racer Slipstream tries to overcome this by doing its best to deliver everything we’ve come to expect from the series—simply pared down in order to fit phone and tablet parameters. From the second the game starts and franchise mascot Reiko Nagase’s introduction video plays, Slipstream looks and sounds like so many other Ridge Racer games before it, even if it looks like a slightly older game in the series due to the technical limitations.
Slipstream also features a lot of typical arcade-racer motifs, such as made-up cars that require drifting to fill up a nitro bar that can help you speed through the game’s fictional tracks. The titular “Slipstream” feature adds some semblance of strategy: You can gain speed by drafting behind cars, and a special symbol on the HUD appears to let you know just how well you’re staying on your opponent’s tail. In the end, though, it’s all about getting first place after three laps in order to advance through the various tournaments in Career mode.
The game offers a ton of options, not only in how you customize your cars’ look and performance, but in how you handle them as well. Four different control schemes are available—two with the touchscreen, and two by tilting your device. I found using the iPad itself and tilting it all over the place reminded me of the good old days in the arcade when I’d sit in a padded chair in a pod and grab an actual steering wheel. I just wish I’d had a stand I could’ve rested the iPad on, since I got tired of holding it up after a while and had to change the control scheme. I found all the options responsive and accurate when it came to how I wanted my car to handle, though, so it’s all a matter of personal preference, really.
Unfortunately, while Slipstream may offer a lot of options to drive with, there’s not a lot here for you to actually drive. Only a dozen cars and 10 tracks (20 if you count mirror options) are available through the single-player mode’s 108 races. And while the game’s $2.99 price tag doesn’t warrant the numbers you’d get from true console or arcade racers, it’s a bit too measly a number to leave me satisfied.
Besides cars and tracks, there’s also not much to the game beyond single-player. Sure, you can check out time trials and use social features to share with your friends and let them know how you’re doing, but that’s it. The lack of a true versus mode really puts a crimp on the replayabilty.
The worst part about the game, though, is the microtransactions. To be fair, Namco Bandai has designed Slipstream so that players can beat the entire game without spending a single cent more than the initial download price, which is uncommon in racing apps. It just becomes a bit of a chore after only a few races, since the game encourages players to spend money to unlock more cars, more parts, more tracks, or consumables like nitro boosts to help win races. And there is, of course, a two-currency system that locks several of the better cars behind the “premium” (harder to acquire) option. I appreciate the fact that the microtransactions aren’t necessary, but Slipstream sure does try to make it tempting.
Ridge Racer Slipstream is probably one of the better racing apps out there, but that’s not necessarily saying much. The actual act of racing is fun, and the control options are a nice touch—almost everyone should find one they’re comfortable with. The game also pays homage to previous Ridge Racers by maintaining the series’ look and feel. But, like so many other mobile racers, microtransactions can muddle the fun. And with so few car, track, and mode options, it’s easy to tire of the experience quickly. If you’re just looking for something to kill a few minutes a day and don’t mind the grind, though, Ridge Racer Slipstream is a decent value for its purchase price.
| Developer: Namco Bandai • Publisher: Namco Bandai • ESRB: N/A • Release Date: 12.19.13 | |
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7.0
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This app stays true to Ridge Racer’s arcade roots, but the lack of content coupled with the grind of unlocking everything—which is only conveniently alleviated by microtransacations—is a major speed bump in this otherwise smooth ride.
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| The Good | Multiple control schemes appeal to wide range of players. |
| The Bad | Grinding through races to avoid microtransactions. No versus modes. |
| The Ugly | Definitely not race queen Reiko Nagase. Nice seeing you again foxy lady. |
| Ridge Racer Slipstream is available on iOS and coming later to Android devices. Primary version reviewed was for iOS devices (iPad 2). | |
R.B.I. Baseball 14, the first new R.B.I. Baseball game in 20 years, is coming to current- and next-gen consoles as well as mobile devices this spring, MLB announced yesterday.
Last seen on the NES two decades ago, R.B.I. Baseball was the first baseball franchise to actually obtain the MLB license and have actual player names appear in the game.
R.B.I. Baseball 14 will fall under MLB’s Advanced Media branch, best known for providing the web streaming services many baseball fans rely on. Last week, WWE announced a partnership with MLB Advanced Media to help launch the recently revealed WWE Network.
This news follows 2K Games’ announcement last week that they were done making MLB games, leaving many wondering what would happen to the state of baseball videogames, since only Sony’s MLB: The Show series remained. With R.B.I., those who chose something other than a Sony console can still get their baseball fix.
Still, many questions remain surrounding R.B.I. Baseball 14. Will it be an arcade-style baseball game or a simulation experience? What modes will it provide? How long has MLB been working on the game? How much will it cost? Is MLB working with any other, more experienced game studios?
I guess we’ll find out soon enough when R.B.I. Baseball 14 hits home consoles and mobile devices sometime in spring 2014.
Who says Chivalry is dead?
Sometimes, when you’re having a rough day, you don’t want a deep, emotional experience from your videogames. You don’t want character development or shades of gray in the storytelling. Heck, sometimes you don’t want storytelling at all. All you want—all you need—is to run someone through with a broadsword. And Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior may be just the raw experience to satisfy that need.
This expansion pack marries Chivalry: Medieval Warfare’s gameplay with six classes (Knight, Ninja, Viking, Samurai, Spartan, and Pirate) based off Spike’s historical “What If?” TV show, allowing players to strike each other down and make a direct case for their warrior being the deadliest. In an extra nod to the show, Deadliest Warrior also keeps statistics on each class, both on individual player and worldwide scales.
Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior includes one-on-one duels and a capture-the-flag-type mode where players simply have to keep killing the flag carrier. This expansion also offers massive 64-player deathmatch and team deathmatch; to help keep the carnage fresh, the game includes multi-team modes that allow up to six groups (limited to 10 players each) of mixed characters, or matches where each squad represents one of the game’s classes.
Like most online multiplayer–only experiences, Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior becomes more fun and rewarding the more time you put into it. From a technical standpoint, the game isn’t mind-blowing. It has its fare share of clipping and lag issues depending on the server, and the arenas look a bit bland with many barren, wide-open areas and some muddy textures. But there’s no denying how much enjoyment you can have from dismembering opponents with well-timed slashes or impaling them on your spear.
The controls are also a bit difficult to get used to, since you’ll have a lot more to do than you may be accustomed to with a mouse and keyboard. You can swing your weapon different ways by pressing different buttons, giving each character multiple attacks per killing tool. A tutorial mode helps you adjust to all these extra attacks, and it’s pretty damn boring, but you’ll be happy you took the time to commit them all to memory when surrounded by Spartan shields or Samurai bowmen (in the heat of battle, you’ll need to remember how to block and not swing your sword in an uppercut motion).
Once you leave the tutorial and get a few matches under your belt, you’ll really start to see that most of the focus—and rightly so—falls squarely on the combat. Each class has multiple loadouts with different weapons that make sense to their character, and they’ve all been featured on the Deadliest Warrior TV show. For example, Pirates have cutlasses and flintlock pistols, while Vikings have a variety of dual-wieldable swords or two-handed axes depending on your style of play.
As you level up each class, you see the nuance of each character really start to emerge as more refined weapons become available. The fine-tuned balance of the classes is also a pleasant surprise and becomes more evident after some time. If you know how to use each class properly, playing to their strengths and trying to avoid their weaknesses, you can come out on top in almost any situation.
Because of its armor, a Knight will lay waste to a Ninja who foolishly attempts a full-frontal assault. But if the Ninja takes advantage of its speed and stealth to approach from behind, it can overcome the armor disadvantage. At the same time, the Knight can carry a crossbow to make up for its speed handicap should the full-frontal ninja decide to retreat and recover. Mind you, projectile weapons usually have major drawbacks like reload time, so it’s not wise to rely on them, either.
Beyond all the class-balancing and loadout-building, though, it simply feels great when you parry a slash at just the right time and counter with a move that sends your opponent’s head flying. Then you can taunt them with some hysterically cheesy one-liners worthy of a game made by guys who work for Comedy Central (“I’d cut you in half…but then there’d be two of you!” or my personal favorite, “Yaaaaargh!”). There’s just something visceral about playing a 10-minute match and having bodies strewn throughout the battlefield, every remaining character drenched in their enemies’ blood. And I like it.
The game may lack the objective-based modes featured in Medieval Warfare, but Deadliest Warrior’s six wholly unique classes are something Medieval Warfare can’t claim. There’s also the fact that you have to buy Medieval Warfare if you want Deadliest Warrior, turning a fitting $15 price tag into $40 if you don’t already have Chivalry.
If you do, though, Deadliest Warrior is a fine expansion, and it’s a fun, well-balanced change of pace from the main game. Plus, even two months after launching, the game still has a thriving community; I almost always found myself in a full room while playing over holiday break. If you already got Chivalry: Medieval Warfare and prefer some senseless slaughter over strategic shenanigans, then Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior is definitely worth a look.
| Developer: 345 Games • Publisher: Torn Banner Studios • ESRB: N/A • Release Date: 11.14.13 | |
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8.0
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Plenty of diverse classes and tight combat makes up for a lack of game modes. If you already have Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Deadliest Warrior is a fun expansion pack that offers a welcome change of pace from the main game if deathmatch-oriented matches are in your wheelhouse.
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| The Good | Variety of classes—and solid balance between them all. |
| The Bad | Lack of game modes compared to Medieval Warfare. |
| The Ugly | Soiling yourself after hearing a chorus of guttural taunts and chants marching your way. |
| Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior is a PC exclusive. | |
Let freedom ring
Editor’s Note: Due to Freedom Cry taking place after the events of the main game, this review contains spoilers for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Consider yourself warned.
It’s unusual for Assassin’s Creed story DLC to feature someone who wasn’t the lead character of the main game. Since Assassin’s Creed IV’s story led Edward back to England, though, in order to maintain the Caribbean setting (and not drive the developers mad in trying to create entirely new assets), Freedom Cry tells a tale of Edward’s charismatic quartermaster, Adéwalé, instead.
It’s been over a decade since Edward, Adéwalé, and the rest of the Caribbean Order of Assassins sealed up the Observatory. Adéwalé is captain of his own ship now, and he’s a high-ranking member of the Brotherhood as he continues to fight the war against the Templars. Freedom Cry begins with Adéwalé out sailing with his crew, tasked with the relatively simple mission of stealing some Templar documents before they reach Port-au-Prince in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). Things quickly go awry when Adéwalé’s ship is ambushed, and the only way for him to escape is to head straight into the heart of a storm. Although our hero escapes the enemy ships, the storm destroys his vessel, sending him overboard and into the angry sea below.
When he comes to, Adéwalé finds himself washed up on Port-au-Prince’s shores. He’s now stranded and must find a way to make some allies and procure a new ship. Easier said than done, though, for a black man now wandering in the Caribbean’s largest slave colony.
Freedom Cry is, quite honestly, the most powerful tale the franchise has told. The Assassin-Templar war is nothing but set dressing that’s promptly shoved into the background to make way for a story about human perseverance, all while cleverly tying the Assassin’s Creed universe into the start of a movement that led to the largest slave revolt in history.
The evils of racism and slavery are prevalent throughout and handled far better here than they were in Liberation or their all-too-brief mention in Assassin’s Creed III (mind you, that’s not what that game was about, but it was still a bit shocking that the subject was limited to just a couple of lines of dialogue between Achilles and Connor). Nearly everyone who isn’t a slave sees Adéwalé as an enemy, making even a casual walk through Port-au-Prince a nightmare—and quickly forcing him into combat should he attempt anything suspicious.
This makes Freedom Cry surprisingly difficult at times, since almost the entire city is against you. It makes sense, however, because while Adéwalé has all the training he should ever need from the Assassins, he’s constantly at a disadvantage. This is what would really happen if a black man of Adéwalé’s size and stature were to walk around that breeding ground of suffering. The game subtly makes you aware that you’re having a harder time of things simply because of the color of your skin, and it feels wrong on so many levels. It’s a risky venture for the developers, but I think the message is clear without being ham-handed—and, for that, Freedom Cry should be commended.
Besides the stellar storytelling, the game features the same great action for which the series is known, as well as twists on some Black Flag side missions that now revolve around the slavery theme. Instead of recruiting pirates for your crew, you free runaways, liberate slaves from the auction block, or break others out of prison cages. And instead of pillaging warehouses or capturing other ships at sea, you now unshackle slaves from plantations and board slave ships in the hopes of saving your brothers before they even have to suffer a single lash on Port-au-Prince’s shores.
Freedom Cry does have some limitations that put a crimp on its value, though. The exploration and sheer scope of the world seen in the main game are completely gone, leaving you to race through the nine story missions with little incentive to wander from the predetermined path. Because of this, the DLC is also very short. It would surprise me if this took anyone more than five hours to complete.
And, sure, you can still go out to sea, but there’s really no point beyond a couple of mission parameters, since 90 percent of the action takes place within Port-au-Prince. While this is a location completely unique from any of the other islands you saw in Black Flag, it’s also small and repetitive, lacking the intricacy of Havana, Kingston, or Nassau. Plus, with many of Adéwalé’s upgrades being tied to how many slaves he frees and not other resources, there’s no reason to take part in any of the side activities like hunting or wreck diving should you decide to sail out of Port-au-Prince’s harbor.
Freedom Cry clearly takes a technical step backward from the accomplishment that was the world of Black Flag. Adéwalé steps brilliantly into the lead role, though. His story, short as it is, helps make up for the smaller world, and it’s enough for Assassin’s Creed fans to check out Freedom Cry if they’re even remotely interested.
| Developer: Ubisoft Montreal • Publisher: Ubisoft • ESRB: M – Mature • Release Date: 12.17.2013 | |
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8.0
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In terms of size and scope, Freedom Cry is paltry compared to the main adventure of Black Flag. But its story is easily the most powerful, poignant tale we’ve seen from the Assassin’s Creed universe, and that alone makes this story DLC worth checking out. |
| The Good | Adéwalé steps into the lead-character role well while the great Assassin’s Creed gameplay remains intact. |
| The Bad | The scale of this adventure is far smaller than the main game. |
| The Ugly | The uneasiness that comes with feeling constantly persecuted. |
| Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Freedom Cry is available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Primary version reviewed was for Xbox 360. | |
More than 16 million Nintendo 3DS games were sold in 2013, marking a 45-percent increase in sales over 2012, Nintendo announced today.
Nintendo also revealed that the 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS had a combined 11.5 million unit sales in the United States alone.
“Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players,” Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in the press release. “We’re not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still to come.”
Earlier today, Nintendo announced that Yoshi’s New Island—the sixth installment in the Yoshi‘s platformer series—will arrive at retailers and the 3DS eShop on March 14. Bravely Default, the first 3DS release for 2014, launches February 7. A free demo is currently available for download on the 3DS eShop.
Players are going to have to throw out their moral compasses if they want to experience everything the inFamous: Second Son has to offer, game director Nate Fox told VG247 in a recent interview.
The inFamous franchise has always contained player decisions that would ultimately push its protagonist \ down a certain path on the good/evil spectrum. These moral dilemmas remain as a focal point for the game’s narrative, but according to Fox, the team at Sucker Punch is trying to remove the gray that has become a staple in many games recently and make the player’s options more black and white because, as it Fox puts it, “it really sucks when it’s nebulous.”
Fox also mentioned that he paid close attention to how people played during testing. He noticed most folks tended toward being nice on their first go around, but then had fun stirring up trouble on their second run-through.
“We do our damnedest to make it fun in both directions, but in my opinion you’ve got to play the game twice to really experience infamous: Second Son,” Fox told VG247. “I know from watching people play the game, that most of them play first as a good guy because we’ve been conditioned by society not to speed and help old ladies cross the street.
“But then they play through again, and they’re the most evil sons-of-guns you’ve ever met. They enjoy being evil, but they’ve got to get the good guy experience out of their systems before they allow themselves to be the jerks they are in their heart.”
Another interesting point Fox brought up is the importance collective playthroughs will be to franchise’s overarching canon. Much like how Trophy data was analyzed for inFamous 2 to determine which ending would be canonical leading into Second Son, Fox mentioned that Sucker Punch plans on doing something similar for whatever the next chapter in the series might be.
So, being a jerk carries even more weight now, as it could have ramifications the world of inFamous will forever feel.
Infamous: Second Son launches worldwide March 21, 2014 exclusively on PlayStation 4.
China has temporarily lifted their ban on foreign consoles, the BBC reports. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will now be able to build their consoles in a designated free trade zone in Shanghai, where Chinese government officials will then inspect the consoles before they are allowed to finally go on sale.
Back in September 2013, the Chinese government announced its intentions to lift the ban, but no one knows how long its current suspension will last. Many speculate that the announcement and subsequent lift are the byproduct of an economic slowdown in China after years of rapid growth.
Another theory is that this policy change—possibly serving not only as the next step in China’s globalization, falling in line with other, wider economic reforms and liberalization in recent years—could be a response to the illegal gaming trade.
The ban was first instituted in 2000, with Chinese officials growing concerned about the effects of games on young people. Since then, Chinese gamers have had to acquire consoles via black market exchanges, which remains active and thriving despite governmental attempts to hinder it. Even with a gaming black market, most people in China have simply turned to PC gaming, which reportedly comprises two-thirds of the estimated $13 billion dollar market that China represents.
No matter the reason behind it, the question now is how Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft will take advantage of this lift respectively, and what it means if and when China decides to re-institute it.
“We recognize that China is a promising market,” Sony told the BBC after the news broke. “We will continuously study the possibility, but there is no concrete plan at this stage.”
Carving out a decent slice of a $13 billion dollar market could easily offset any initial losses caused by setting up shop there. But if the ban were to come back down quickly, this potential new branch could prove to be a costly error, something The Big Three are surely considering.
Should one, or all of the big companies decide to make a play here, though, Sony and Nintendo’s proximity to China provides an obvious advantage. Others believe that Microsoft, based on its history outsourcing hardware, could be in the best position. In theory, they could quickly team up with a third-party electronics contractor to set up shop in Shanghai and start producing the consoles. Either way, this could mark a significant day in the gaming industry’s economic history if China decides to keep its shores open.
An assault on the senses
When I first got my hands on a Windows Surface demo featuring Halo: Spartan Assault at E3 last year, I knew I’d never review the game unless it had a controller. Playing a twin-stick shooter without, ya know, twin sticks made the entire experience utterly frustrating, and I just couldn’t get past the idea of the inferior controls.
So, when I heard the game was coming to consoles and PC, I figured I could just wait for that version, since Spartan Assault’s largest, most obvious problem would be solved. Oh, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even though the input issues have been addressed with a traditional controller, there’s so much more disappointment lurking beneath the Surface.
Spartan Assault’s single-player campaign passes itself off as a training simulation where up-and-coming Spartans can relive and learn from historic battles—fought by Halo 4’s Sarah Palmer and a new Spartan named Edward Davis—that took place on Draetheus V and its moon. The game also features a separate online co-op campaign in which you and a friend can take on the Flood. In regards to enemies, locations, and general aesthetics, Spartan Assault looks and sounds very much like a Halo game, just from a different camera angle.
Single-player is broken down into 30 missions across six chapters, offering an intriguing slice of Palmer’s backstory in bite-sized chunks that shouldn’t take more than three to five hours (six to eight if you also do the co-op adventure) to get through. Unfortunately, beyond the superficial details and the possible appeal of learning more about Palmer, there’s really little else here to draw longtime Halo fans in. And while the game’s length may sound short, Spartan Assault still finds a way to feel like a drag.
Now, I understand that twin-stick shooters aren’t really known for their depth of gameplay, but in trying to impart a stronger Halo feel, Spartan Assault also removes any and all charm that usually comes with this genre. Typically in such offerings, you eventually come across opposition that you can’t overcome through brute force alone. You need to strategize, even if it just means running behind cover and letting your shields recover. I never had this feeling in any of the game’s 30 missions. I ran in guns a-blazin’ every time and walked away. In a traditional Halo title, this might make you feel like a badass. In Spartan Assault, it made me feel bored.
The game does try to make things a little difficult by giving you limited ammo on all your weapons, something you don’t normally see in twin-stick shooters. In most games of this genre, you always have one weapon, even if it’s a weak little pistol that has infinite ammo for the sake of aiming, since it’s not inherently the easiest thing with the three-quarters top-down view here. By not providing any traditional aim assists with a laser pointer or an infinite-ammo weapon, the developers want you to be careful about wasting ammo, since aiming remains an iffy prospect.
This point becomes moot, however, due to the fact that many of the weapons are overpowered, and there’s so much ammo littered about the battlefield that I couldn’t imagine ever running out. And the fact the game tries to create difficulty through the genre’s natural limitations—and does nothing to hide this—just comes across as lazy design.
But the frustration doesn’t stop there. You earn XP as you play to unlock weapons. But instead of fully unlocking the weapons, you’re only renting them for that particular task, meaning you have to buy the best weapons again and again and again.
Or, if you’re rich, you can spend real-world cash to rent the guns for each of the game’s 30 missions—because it’s not enough that Spartan Assault for consoles ($15) costs twice as much as its Surface and Windows Phone ($6.99) siblings. Even though you really don’t need to buy any of the weapons to beat the game, you can’t help but feel like you’re missing something without trying them all at least once. The game wants to charge you even further to have the best experience possible.
And therein lies the true issue with Halo: Spartan Assault. It’s still just a mobile game using the same tired nickel-and-dime tactics to squeeze a few more dollars out of you. It’s just been cheaply ported over so that you can use a controller—which, at least, does work much better than the touchscreen inputs ever did. Sarah Palmer’s story, as much as I like the character, isn’t enough to make this anywhere near a worthwhile purchase. The developers couldn’t even tack on local co-op, which I would’ve enjoyed when taking on the Flood (in what proved to be a slightly more interesting experience than the single player campaign, if only because I was playing with a friend).
Players won’t be missing anything by mercifically passing on this one–Halo: Spartan Assault is easily the worst experience to ever feature one of the most famous names in gaming.
| Developer: 343 Industries/Vanguard Entertainment • Publisher: Microsoft Studios • ESRB: T – Teen • Release Date: 12.23.13 | |
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3.5
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A cheap port of a mobile game with glaring flaws at its very core that does a disservice to the Halo brand, Spartan Assault should be avoided like the Flood.
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| The Good | Provides a bit more backstory to Spartan Sarah Palmer. |
| The Bad | One of the worst twin-stick shooters I’ve ever played. |
| The Ugly | The item rental/microtransaction system. |
| Halo: Spartan Assault is available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows 8-enabled devices (Windows Phone, SmartGlass). Primary version reviewed was for Xbox One. | |
Shota Kageyama, composer for Pokémon X and Y and the man responsible for the music in Pokémon games since HeartGold and SoulSilver, has decided to step away from Game Freak, he announced on Twitter.
On New Year’s Day, Kageyama tweeted that after being with Game Freak for over six and a half years he was planning to pursue personal ventures and leaving to form a new band called Spica Musica.
Besides Pokémon, Kageyama has contributed music to Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Atlus’s Luminous Arc. He also scored the recent Pocket Monsters: The Origin anime special.
Kageyama added that he still plans on working in game music even though he’s going independent. According to the composer, his Game Freak colleagues were supportive of the decision and he would not say this was a farewell to everyone there, since he thinks it’d be great if they could work together again in the future.
RayCarsilloWrites.com 