Recently in RPG Category
Square Enix's FF13 was a controversial title to a number of longtime fans of the flagship series. Much has been made of its heavily linear area designs, overly long tutorials, shallow world, and its twitch-centric combat system. To more than a few, for a game expected to carry the series forward, it seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.FF13-2 wants to change all of that. Or at least head back in a direction that won't burn as many bridges behind it. Boasting a new story packed with all of the ludicrously beautiful visuals that HD televisions squee with delight over, Square Enix took much of what was criticized about the first game by focusing on hammering out the rough edges.
It's not the first time that they've followed up on one of the series' major chapters in this fashion as FF10-2 can testify, but it is probably the first time that the changes aren't so much experimentation as they are a belated do-over of what didn't work as well the first time around.
Continue reading Review: FFXIII-2 (PS3).
We've touched on Secret World before in the past, but in case you've missed some of our coverage, it's not your usual MMORPG.
Taking place in a version of our modern world where conspiracies are all too real and secret rituals steeped in the arcane are as tangible, the Secret World is set to challenge the usual trappings of its genre. It boasts "no levels" in developing your character allowing you to push them in whatever direction you want with a greater emphasis on storytelling not often seen in other titles.
But if the Illuminati's "civil" exterior is too pedestrian for you, there are two other factions to throw the dice with. You call roll with either the crusading Templars, or sow chaos with those of the Dragon.
Each faction also has their own starting area based on real-world locales such as New York where the corporate-minded Illuminati call home. Or take the initiation test to help make your decision.
A batch of nifty screenshots have also been released showing off the Illuminati's digs and a few of the people that secretly hang with them. Check these out right after the jump or visit the main site for a deeper sampling of its secrets.
Continue reading Join the Illuminati.
By Jahmal Peters
Contributor
What hasn't been said about Bethesda's latest installment in the Elder Scrolls series?
Critical acclaim? Definitely.
Game of the year candidate? Without question.
A vast open ended environment with hundreds of hours of replayability? It's been said.
Quite possibly the best way to sum up Skryim would be to say this review is late is because all the reviewers are still playing it.
Continue reading Review, Part One: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
War in the North takes players back to Middle Earth to fight evil while Frodo and company head to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. Taking place in the North, would-be adventurers will play their part in stemming the tide of darkness waiting to erupt from the cold, wintry holds there.
Continue reading Review: Lord of the Rings - War in the North (X360).
Of course, what would Blizzcon be without some mention of Diablo 3. Blizzard's dungeon crawler is currently in beta but a firm release date is still in the air.
The latest one shows Deckard Cain's daughter poring over his notes to discern some meaning from the knowledge he has left behind, eventually stumbling on a villainous vision of apocalyptic terror. In other words, it's likely that you'll have to fight what you will see in the trailer below.
It's also rated Mature, so be warned.
The latest one shows Deckard Cain's daughter poring over his notes to discern some meaning from the knowledge he has left behind, eventually stumbling on a villainous vision of apocalyptic terror. In other words, it's likely that you'll have to fight what you will see in the trailer below.
It's also rated Mature, so be warned.
Mass Effect 3 will indeed have multiplayer, a major change for BioWare's space epic that will no doubt spawn countless Internet arguments over whether multiplayer makes sense for the popular series or whether the developers still make the kind of RPGs that made them famous.
I, for one, don't care whether a game meets genre expectations as much as whether its fun. I can understand why the serious RPG fans among Mass Effect's players did not care for the (choose your own bias) simplifications/streamlining/dumbing down that BioWare employed in making the game's sequel, but I personally enjoyed both games and didn't miss the lack of extensive inventory management while playing the sequel.
That said, the addition of multiplayer, called Galaxy of War, strikes me as a strange choice for ME3. As anyone who has played the games knows, Mass Effect puts players in the role of one Commander Shephard who fights to save the galaxy as he or she sees fit. The games' appeal stems significantly from its dramatization of space exploration and the moral choices that players must make as they go about their mission.
The kind of multiplayer gameplay that BioWare and game publishers Electronic Arts confirmed today takes some of the focus off Shepard. As announced, multiplayer mode will let players join four-person teams to achieve a military objective that will be relevant to the players' single-player mission. Shephard is still the star, but Mass Effect 3 will let players join something like a galactic special operations squad if they want to try another type of gameplay.
I can see a number of pros and cons here. On the pro side, I'm happy to see a developer attempt a variation on multiplayer different from the deathmatch modes we've seen so many times before in Goldeneye, Medal of Honor, Counterstrike, Halo, Call of Duty, Resistance, etc ...
I also like that the idea that multiplayer will let players try different character types, e,g, solider, sentinel, adept, without having to start a new playthrough,
Now for the cons. Adding an entire new mode to what players expect to be the final chapter of an epic trilogy doesn't make much sense to me. I doubt EA is going to induce new legions of fans to buy the game just because it has multiplayer. In fact, I've never heard anyone say they would buy Mass Effect if it had multiplayer.
I'm also not crazy about multiplayer affecting the single-player campaign. Although the idea of soldiers fighting across the galaxy makes sense, those soldiers are not the focus of the story. The multiplayer press release says Galaxy at War is an alternative method of achieving single-player campaign objectives, but the idea of breaking from the game's narrative to take on the role of a minor character seems like it might be kind of a chore.
If it was up to me, I would have produced Mass Effect 3 as a single-player game and developed the multiplayer as a separate budget title or DLC for fans who want more Mass Effect after completing the trilogy. But then again, I don't run BioWare nor EA.
Mass Effect 3 is scheduled to come out in March.
I, for one, don't care whether a game meets genre expectations as much as whether its fun. I can understand why the serious RPG fans among Mass Effect's players did not care for the (choose your own bias) simplifications/streamlining/dumbing down that BioWare employed in making the game's sequel, but I personally enjoyed both games and didn't miss the lack of extensive inventory management while playing the sequel.
That said, the addition of multiplayer, called Galaxy of War, strikes me as a strange choice for ME3. As anyone who has played the games knows, Mass Effect puts players in the role of one Commander Shephard who fights to save the galaxy as he or she sees fit. The games' appeal stems significantly from its dramatization of space exploration and the moral choices that players must make as they go about their mission.
The kind of multiplayer gameplay that BioWare and game publishers Electronic Arts confirmed today takes some of the focus off Shepard. As announced, multiplayer mode will let players join four-person teams to achieve a military objective that will be relevant to the players' single-player mission. Shephard is still the star, but Mass Effect 3 will let players join something like a galactic special operations squad if they want to try another type of gameplay.
I can see a number of pros and cons here. On the pro side, I'm happy to see a developer attempt a variation on multiplayer different from the deathmatch modes we've seen so many times before in Goldeneye, Medal of Honor, Counterstrike, Halo, Call of Duty, Resistance, etc ...
I also like that the idea that multiplayer will let players try different character types, e,g, solider, sentinel, adept, without having to start a new playthrough,
Now for the cons. Adding an entire new mode to what players expect to be the final chapter of an epic trilogy doesn't make much sense to me. I doubt EA is going to induce new legions of fans to buy the game just because it has multiplayer. In fact, I've never heard anyone say they would buy Mass Effect if it had multiplayer.
I'm also not crazy about multiplayer affecting the single-player campaign. Although the idea of soldiers fighting across the galaxy makes sense, those soldiers are not the focus of the story. The multiplayer press release says Galaxy at War is an alternative method of achieving single-player campaign objectives, but the idea of breaking from the game's narrative to take on the role of a minor character seems like it might be kind of a chore.
If it was up to me, I would have produced Mass Effect 3 as a single-player game and developed the multiplayer as a separate budget title or DLC for fans who want more Mass Effect after completing the trilogy. But then again, I don't run BioWare nor EA.
Mass Effect 3 is scheduled to come out in March.
Today's a big day for new releases, as Rage, Dark Souls and NBA 2K12 hit stores, while former PC exclusive Crysis becomes available for XBox Live and PlayStation Network.
Rage, from id Software and Bethesda Softworks, is an FPS set in a post-apocalyptic earth. The people at id Software gave the world bloody FPS games like Castle Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake back when the FPS genre was dominated by PC titles and gamers actually played the single-player campaigns. Rage is released for PC, PlayStation 3 and XBox 360.
Dark Souls, developed by From Software and published by Namco Bandai, is the "spiritual sequel" to PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon's Souls. That game earned a reputation for extreme difficulty, and Namco Bandai is banking on that reputation to promote the sequel. Dark Souls is a PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 release.
NBA 2K12 is 2K Sports' latest iteration of its basketball franchise. The developers are trying to build on last year's well-received Jordan Challenge mode with the new "End the Debate" feature, in which players can play as all-time greats like Jordan, Magic and Dr. J to settle who deserves to be known as the GOAT. NBA 2K12 is out for Nintendo Woo, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Sony PSP and XBox 360.
Console gamers probably missed Crysis, Crytek's futuristic FPS that is probably known more for its high system requirements than its gameplay. But after releasing Crysis 2 for PC and consoles earlier this year, the original game is now available for console players via PlayStation Network or XBox Live download.
Rage, from id Software and Bethesda Softworks, is an FPS set in a post-apocalyptic earth. The people at id Software gave the world bloody FPS games like Castle Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake back when the FPS genre was dominated by PC titles and gamers actually played the single-player campaigns. Rage is released for PC, PlayStation 3 and XBox 360.
Dark Souls, developed by From Software and published by Namco Bandai, is the "spiritual sequel" to PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon's Souls. That game earned a reputation for extreme difficulty, and Namco Bandai is banking on that reputation to promote the sequel. Dark Souls is a PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 release.
NBA 2K12 is 2K Sports' latest iteration of its basketball franchise. The developers are trying to build on last year's well-received Jordan Challenge mode with the new "End the Debate" feature, in which players can play as all-time greats like Jordan, Magic and Dr. J to settle who deserves to be known as the GOAT. NBA 2K12 is out for Nintendo Woo, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Sony PSP and XBox 360.
Console gamers probably missed Crysis, Crytek's futuristic FPS that is probably known more for its high system requirements than its gameplay. But after releasing Crysis 2 for PC and consoles earlier this year, the original game is now available for console players via PlayStation Network or XBox Live download.
