You Got Game

Microsoft’s main focus this year, as evidenced by their pre-E3 press conference, was delivering a ton of new software for their successful Kinect peripheral. While some of the games they demoed, such as a Kinect-enabled Fable spin-off, looked like they could actually be quite fun, some of the “core” gamers were left feeling like they’d been given the cold shoulder by Microsoft. Well, worry not, for those of you who like your games with a little less waggle Microsoft was showing off some great-looking games that don’t require you to move anything but your thumbs!

Forza 4

As tempting as it was to wait in line to play Forza on the 3-screen, motion simulator rig they had set up, I found myself at Microsoft’s booth towards the end of the show so I settled for playing on the more low-key Kinect-enabled demo chair they had set up. They were using the Forza 3 steering wheel for the controls, and the same complaints that applied to the original hardware were still present when it comes to Forza 4. The wheel just doesn’t feel as responsive as some of the competing products out there. That said, the gameplay is still top-notch.

I forget which track the demo was set on (not a big racing guy, so I don’t have all the names memorized. Sorry!), but the race was a blast. The controls, especially when cornering, felt rock-solid, and the game had a satisfying sense of speed once you got up into the higher gears. The demo unit I was playing on was equipped with a Kinect, which gave me the opportunity to try out the head-tracking included in Forza 4. I wasn’t expecting a lot from this feature, so I was surprised when I found it to be a fairly intuitive way of looking around the cockpit. While there was definitely some slight lag in tracking your head movement, being able to simply tilt your head in any direction to look around the cockpit really increased the feel of immersion.

This increased feeling of immersion was most noticeable when checking your rear-view mirror to see where the other racers were, which required you to take your eyes off the road for a second to look up and check the mirror like in real life. This can be a bit nerve-wracking in the heat of the moment, and led to a few minor fender-benders in my case! The Kinect functionality may not add a ton of depth to the racing experience, but I found that it did increase the immersion during the race, even if only slightly. At this stage, Forza 4 looks like it should be a worthy successor to the much-loved racing franchise!

.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

Despite the demo being unbearably short, I had an absolute blast with Space Marine. This is the 40K game I’ve been waiting for ever since I started getting into the 40K universe! The game controls like your standard 3^rd-person shooter, think Gears of War, but the similarities pretty much stop there. Unlike Gears or other similar titles, the real focus on 40K seemed to be on the melee combat and it was remarkably satisfying!

When I started playing the demo, I kept finding myself using the zoom aim feature with my gun to wipe out the hordes of Orcs charging at me until the guy working the booth pointed out that the gun your character is carrying is so powerful that you really don’t need to aim. Once I realized you can just pray and spray through the crowds of enemies, I had a lot more fun. It really does make you feel like a badass to just open fire on a dozen or more Orcs and tear them to shreds.

Where the game really shined, though, is in the melee combat. When you find yourself near an enemy, switching over to melee mode is as simple as hitting the melee button. This comes  in handy when you start finding yourself overwhelmed by all the enemies running towards you, as you can instantly switch to melee mode and start tearing them limb from limb. The melee attacks were very visceral and gory, and smashing your enemies into bits made you really feel like you were a badass space marine.

The finishing moves were even more entertaining, allowing you to rip Orcs into shreds or, when used on bigger enemies, triggering a short QTE that ends with you dispatching your foe in a variety of gruesome ways. My favorite was pulling open the mouth of a large Orc and shoving my gun down his throat before ripping his head off. It’s violent, over the top, and indescribably fun. If you’re a fan of the 3rd-person shooter genre, or the Warhammer universe, you owe it to yourself to give Space Marine a playthrough when it releases later this year.

Got a bit delayed in getting my previews posted this year, but it’s worth the wait! Let’s start off with Nintendo. While the Wii U was, obviously, the star of the show at Nintendo’s booth this year, the company also had a strong focus on the 3DS software lineup. For those who were worried that the new Nintendo handheld would be suffering from a lack of quality games, this year’s showing by the big N was a positive one. Nintendo came out swinging this year, with new entries in some of their long-established and much-beloved franchises, as well some intriguing new games for the 3D handheld.

.

Star Fox 64 3DS

I only had the opportunity to play the single-player demo of Star Fox 64 3DS, so unfortunately I’m not able to give any impressions on the video chat, but from what I played of the single-player portion I’m pretty impressed. The gameplay is, well, exactly like it was in Star Fox 64. Although, if you liked that game like I did, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The demo took place on Solar, the lava level from the original game. The rolling waves of lava you have to avoid and the fireballs raining down on you did a good job of showcasing the 3D effects in the game. The developers are seemingly focusing on building depth, rather than having things pop out, so seeing the lava waves rolling towards you, or a fireball streaking down from the sky, was really impressive as you could see them coming in from far off in the distance. Other than the addition of 3D, the graphics weren’t much to write home about. It’s basically what you’d expect, a cleaned up version of the 64 title.

Controls on the game felt surprisingly solid, with the 3DS’ thumbstick proving to be easy to navigate around the game world with. I briefly tried the motion controls, where you move around the 3DS to move Starfox’s ship, although I found that this control method made it nearly impossible to keep in the sweet spot for the 3D effect. This leaves you choosing whether to go with a fun, albeit less responsive control scheme, and lose the 3D, or stick with the more traditional route and enjoy the 3D effect. The game definitely seems like it has promise, although I don’t see it as a must-buy unless the multiplayer delivers something original and fun or you were just a huge fan of the original.

.

Mario Kart 3DS

Mario Kart 3DS is, without a doubt, one of the more enjoyable games that I was able to get my hands on at the expo this year. Having not been a huge fan of the double-dash entries in the franchise, I was hoping that Mario Kart 3DS would be more of a return to the series’ roots. Luckily, this seems to be the case, although the addition of the hang glider provides some interesting new depth to the racing.

I played through one full circuit, in what looked to be the Donkey Kong-themed area of the game. The levels looked surprisingly good compared to some of the early 3DS titles, and had a very distinctive cartoon-y look that worked really well in 3D. I’d say that, in terms of visual fidelity, Mario Kart 3DS is about on par with the most recent Wii Mario Kart game. The 3D was a fun addition, although not necessarily a game-changer. The most impressive use of the effect was when you would get hit by an oil slick or similar attack, and the “splatter” would stick to your screen and cover your field of view, popping out from the rest of the background.

Mario Kart 3DS controlled very well with the thumb stick, and I found myself quickly getting comfortable with the control scheme and being able to pull off moves like powerslides that had given me some trouble in the previous entries in the series. The biggest thing that stood out to me about the game, though, was the addition of the hang gliders. Now when you drive off a large cliff or ramp in the game, you’ll deploy a hang glider that lets you fly over the racetrack. This added a surprising amount of depth to the racing, as there were multiple times when I had to choose between angling myself down to get back on the track as quickly as possible, or trying to fly over areas of the track to try to get a bit of shortcut. These shortcuts aren’t without risk, however, as in the levels I played there were obstacles sticking out above the racetrack that you would have to maneuver through if you chose to skip over the track, with the constant threat of crashing into one and losing valuable seconds. Mario Kart 3DS seems like it should be a big seller, and it will definitely appeal to fans of the previous entries in the series.

.

Luigi’s Mansion 2

I think I may be one of a handful of people who actually really enjoyed the first Luigi’s Mansion game, so I was stoked when they announced a new entry at the Nintendo press conference this year. When I finally got to get my hands on the game, I was glad to see that they didn’t try to change up the formula too much when it came to gameplay.

Like in the original Luigi’s Mansion, you play as Luigi as he tries to clear out pesky ghosts from a haunted mansion. Armed only with a vacuum cleaner and a strobe light, at least in the demo level, you have to stun the ghosts with your strobe light before attempting to vacuum them up. The thing that really stood out with this game was the graphics. It is easily one of the best-looking titles I’ve seen on the 3DS to date. The ghosts had some very impressive transparency effects for a handheld title, and the lighting in the game was really impressive. Having a lightning flash knock out all the lights in a room, only to see ghosts start materializing all around you in 3D, was really cool.

My one gripe with Luigi’s Mansion is that, like in the original title, controlling the vacuum can be an exercise in frustration. Without a second analog stick to move the vacuum around with, you’re stuck having to hold down a shoulder button, and then aim your vacuum up or down using the left analog. While it was a passable control scheme, there were definitely times when I found myself fighting against the controls to try to aim my vacuum in the right direction to capture the ghosts. I imagine that the control scheme will become easier to manage the more you play, but as it stands it stuck out as one of the only glaring negatives about the game.

.

Kid Icarus

Let me get this out of the way first; Kid Icarus is the best-looking game I’ve seen to date on the 3DS. Seriously, this game is gorgeous. The art direction is remarkably well done, the character models are very detailed, and the effects from the attacks of both you and your enemies put more action on screen than in any 3DS title to date. But what really matters is the gameplay, right?

Well, in my experience, Kid Icarus seems to have taken the “screw  you” hard difficulty of the original NES title to heart. I played the demo level on the hardest difficulty setting and had my ass repeatedly handed to me. The level I played started off with you flying through the sky, taking out multiple waves of enemies that rushed towards you without ever letting up. The 3D effect was put to good use in these segments, with the enemies really popping out against the background and the various attacks you unleashed filling up the screen with impressive effects.

The gameplay in this segment was reminiscent of games like Sin & Punishment, with your character being able to move around in a 2D “square” as you shot the enemies that flew towards you. When you reached the boss, in this case a 3-headed dragon, the game became more like a gun hell title, forcing you to avoid numerous projectiles thrown at you by the 3 heads while trying to land attacks of your own.

Sounds like fun, right? It is, but only if you’re right-handed apparently. The default attack button was mapped to the left shoulder button, with the left analog stick serving to move you around the screen and the touchscreen allowing you to move your aiming reticule. As a southpaw, this made it almost impossible for me to play, as I was unable to find a way to comfortably hold the 3DS while being able to maneuver both thumbs on the analog and touch screen and fire with my pointer finger. This left me having to choose whether to stay in one place while flying and move my reticule around to try to shoot enemies as they came towards me, which left me vulnerable to most attacks since I was unable to dodge, or to move Pit around but only be able to fire on enemies directly in front of me.

 Needless to say, neither control scheme was ideal, and the end experience left me praying for the ability to re-map your controls in the final version. Complaints about controls aside, Kid Icarus looks to be one of the first real AAA titles for the system, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the final product comes out.

.

Super Mario

Not really too much to say on this one. I played one of the 4 (iirc) levels available in the demo and had a great time with it. The use of 3D made some of the platforming sequences feel less stale than they otherwise might have, and having a sense of depth when trying to run across a bunch of rapidly flipping tiles made judging my jumps a lot easier than in previous Mario games. I didn’t see any “OMG revolutionary!” use of the 3D, but I have no doubt Nintendo will find some interesting ways to make use of the new avenues made available to them with the tech. Basically, it’s a Mario platformer. In 3D. If you liked the previous games, you’ll most likely enjoy this one. If you didn’t, there’s little here to make you into a convert.

.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

Much like with Starfox and Super Mario, the OOT remake for the 3DS doesn’t deliver anything new and revolutionary, and is more just a refinement of the previous title. The graphics looked noticeably cleaner than the 64 version, with the backgrounds and characters making the transition to 3D without a hitch. The gameplay itself is exactly like it was on the 64, although the touch screen and motion controls did allow the developers to add some new tweaks to the gameplay. The most useful of these is having access to your inventory on the bottom screen of the 3DS. This came in handy on the Water Temple demo level I played, where being able to equip and un-equip your Iron Boots with a simple touch on the bottom screen eliminated the tedium of having to pause the game, switch to your inventory screen, and do so. While it may not have added anything “new” to the game, per say, it definitely allowed for a streamlining of the gameplay at least in the demo level shown.

The only other notable new feature present in the game was the ability to aim your hookshot, arrows, etc., using the gyroscopic sensor in the 3DS. Moving around the 3DS to try to line up a shot was definitely fun, in a gee-whiz sort of way, although it still seemed more cumbersome than simply using the analog stick to aim. Just like with Mario and Starfox, if you enjoyed the previous OOT you’ll likely enjoy this one.

.

Resident Evil: Revelations 3DS

Out of all of the 3DS games I was able to play, I had the least time on Resident Evil: Revelations. I walked away impressed, though, even with only a few minutes of hands-on time with the title. Revelations is a new story in the RE universe, set between RE4 and RE5, with Jill Valentine as the protagonist this time around. The demo started with Jill waking up in an unfamiliar room, unsure of how she got there. After obtaining a pistol, and being startled by a rather grotesque-looking monster bursting into the room, you leave to continue exploring the strange surroundings in which you find yourself.

The graphics were pretty impressive for a handheld title, with visual fidelity on par with RE4, if not slightly surpassing it. The use of 3D was well-done, although it felt somewhat superfluous at least in the level shown and did little to add to the fun factor of the game. When it comes to the controls, however, the tank-walk of the earlier entries in the franchise has returned and is as awful as ever. Combined with the over-the-shoulder camera view from RE4 and RE5, the tank-walk makes navigating around the game an exercise in tedium, especially when trying to quickly turn to face an enemy shambling up behind you. Fortunately, actually dispatching the enemies felt much better, mainly due to being able to aim from a first-person view using the left analog. This made targeting specific points on the enemies a breeze, and looked cool in 3D to boot! Walking away from my brief time with the demo, my interest was definitely piqued, as Revelations looks to be a good fix for the survival-horror fans who happen to own a 3DS. 

With Nintendo taking up a majority of my time at this year’s E3 I wasn’t able to get my hands on as many games at Sony’s booth as I would’ve liked, but from what I did see I was definitely impressed. Sony looks to be continuing their push to get more software onto the PS3 in order to try to win back some of the market share they lost to Nintendo and Microsoft this generation.

Street Fighter X Tekken

As a big fan of both the Street Fighter and Tekken franchises, Street Fighter X Tekken was one of the games I was most excited to play at this year’s show, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Sony had the game set up in their area with the arcade controllers, which seem to be the best way to enjoy this game.

When the title was first announced I had some serious worries about how the projectile-based fighters from Street Fighter would be able to stay balanced against the fighters from the Tekken universe, but my time with the demo went a long way towards dispelling my fears about the game ending up unbalanced. The quick speed of the combatants from both franchises kept the projectile-based SF characters from utterly overwhelming the Tekken fighters, making dodging fireballs and similar attacks less frustrating than you would initially think. The entire game in general felt very fast-paced and very fluid, similar to SFIV.

Finally, the art style they chose for the game worked better than I would have expected from some of the early media released. The cartoony look of the game was more pronounced than in SFIV, but it didn’t detract from the overall aesthetic. Even the Tekken characters, who we’re used to seeing in a more “realistic” style, looked great with the new art style. In all, Street Fighter X Tekken seems like it will play to the strengths of both franchises, while still delivering a combat experience that is utterly enjoyable in its own right. 

Dark Souls

It’s Demon’s Souls, but prettier. And harder. It will rape you.

I’m not actually sure what else to say about this one. I played the demo for about 15 minutes and, in that time, died at least 7-8 times, was tempted to break the controller twice, and swore under my breath repeatedly. For those who were worried they would change the formula that made Demon’s Souls so frustratingly addictive, you can rest easy. This is still the game you’ll love to hate.

The controls were as solid as you’d expect after the first game, and the combat is still both remarkably frustrating and remarkably rewarding when you finally nail it. Visually, the game is incredibly similar to Demon’s Souls, although the lighting level geometry seemed to be moderately improved. To make a long story short, if you’re one of the masochists who enjoyed Demon’s Souls, you’ll like Dark Souls. I, however, will be busy smashing a controller against a wall. 

Stay tuned Thursday for my report from the show floor!

Finally had to come up for air! Now that is a good game!

Civilization V demo…I’m going in!

There’s been an interesting trend in the video game industry over the last decade or so. Video games, which for so long were full of non-sequitors such as speedy hedgehogs with attitude and worms in super-suits, seem to be trying to move away from the often bizarre characters and situations and focus more on grit and realism. While this works fine for some titles, after all you don’t want unbelievable elements in your military FPS, even titles which could benefit from a more stylized and original presentation are moving towards dark, dingy, and realistic game worlds.

The games I played as a child were basically forced to rely on fantastical elements and characters due to the technical limitations of the hardware at the time. Although there were exceptions like Metal Gear and other combat-focused games, most games had characters and settings that were far removed from reality. Although I love that technical advances has allowed us to create games that can, as accurately as a video game can while remaining fun, allow you to experience what it’s like to be a soldier on a modern battlefield, I miss the sense of whimsy from these old titles.

Gamers of a certain age will probably recognize the characters above. Characters like Earthworm Jim, Jazz Jackrabbit, and Toejam & Earl had a sense of personality that is often lacking in today’s games. I can’t even begin to tell you how many titles I’ve played in recent years where I’m in control of yet another generic, mute action hero. It’s not that these games aren’t enjoyable, a quick look at the massive number of hours I’ve spent in Bad Company 2 would confirm that I still get a kick out of many of these titles, it’s that the push to make new games more “real” seems to be eliminating the random, quirky types of characters and settings that have caused the above games to take on an iconic status. There are still games with this sense of irreverence being produced, of course, but the majority of them are sequels to long- established franchises. When it comes to new IPs, however, such titles are few and far between.

Not all hope is lost, though. Developers like Tim Schafer prove, with games like Psychonauts and Brutal Legend, that there is still room for games that don’t take themselves too seriously. Not only are such games refreshing in an industry that seems to be taking itself too seriously, but they’re genuinely funny to boot!

But the real home of absurdity in games, as it long has been, is Japan.

Yes…he just ran through a field of spears, ripping foes in half, to fight off a giant cosmic Buddha attempting to crush him to death with his finger. This is the sort of thing that many western gamers would scratch their heads at, and the type of title most western developers wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole! Japanese developers, unlike so many of their western counterparts, seem to still be willing to inject some humor and outlandish elements into their games.

Titles such as Dead Rising and Bayonetta exhibit a tongue- in-cheek sense of humor and unique style that allow them to stand apart from many current titles. It’s just personal perference, but this is what I miss in so many games today. I’m reassured, though, by the cyclical nature of the gaming industry. I’ve seen trends rise, fall, and rise again over 2+ decades of gaming, and I have no doubt that this will be the case yet again.

Just don’t expect to see me lamenting the lack of games where you play as a buff brosiff super-soldier when that happens.

So it turns out that you really should always bet on Duke after all. As I’m sure anyone who’s visited a gaming site any time in the past week already knows, the long-awaited and oft-maligned Duke Nukem Forever is finally going to see the light of day. The question is, will anyone care?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Duke Nukem fan. While I never played the side-scrolling Duke Nukem titles, Duke Nukem 3D was the first PC game I owned that caused me to go out and upgrade my system. Let me tell you, that SoundBlaster audio was sweet! The problem is, with the game taking over a decade to complete, Duke Nukem Forever is being released in a crowded genre to a generation of gamers who may never have even heard of the original.

Lack of name recognition isn’t the only problem Gearbox will be facing, though. While many of us have fond memories of Duke Nukem 3D and its irreverent take on the cheesy action movies of the 80s, I’m not so sure that the self-aware shtick will appeal to younger gamers raised on a steady steam of silent steroid-swallowing supermen in battle armor. One of the biggest complaints I saw when Prey was released was that people didn’t like hearing the protagonist talk, which could hurt a game like Duke Nukem where half the charm is hearing the one-liners and quips that Duke dispenses as he mows down enemies.

I want the game to succeed, I really do. I know that I’ll be buying my copy the day it comes out. But I’m just worried that, in an era where gameplay styles and characters have changed so much, when it comes to bringing in new players to the franchise Duke Nukem Forever might end up being too little, too late.

I hope for the sake of Gearbox, George Broussard, and all the 3D Realms employees who spent years of their lives trying to produce the best game they could that I’m wrong.