All Entries in the "Previews" Category

MAG 2.0 Beta Impressions

When I wrote the editorial Why We Need Mag 2… Already it was coming from the perspective of a clan leader, a shooter fan of many years, and an avid supporter of innovative ideas in gaming. When MAG first released my expectations were enormous. Perhaps this was a problem generated by the fact that the title was being announced and talked about so early, or maybe just the overall concept was too broad at the time to fully satisfy what my vivid imagination had cooked up for it. Either way, the game was released and the 8 man squad system really let me down in a major way. The game began to feel as Deputy Editor Joel Taveras dubbed it ‘the 60$ Beta’ since almost nothing had changed since its beta testing period. Overall it just felt overwhelmingly light on content as if something major was missing, some sort of gigantic missed opportunity waiting to be seen.

Recently a brand new MAG beta was released on the PlayStation Store for those who own the MAG disc. Not only does this bring forth the PlayStation Move support which has been promised but also a number of changes are previewed for free which will be coming for the full title in the near future. This includes new maps, game-modes, features, as well as general overhauls to the existing title in question. I am happy to report that after putting some time in with the beta for what is essentially MAG 2.0 I am impressed, excited, and much more satisfied by what is being put forth from Zipper Interactive towards their new, 256 man, first person shooter, intellectual property. Read on for a breakdown on what you’ll experience in the new beta and my thoughts on what works and what doesn’t as well as the timing of all of these updates.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 First Impressions

For the past couple of years, fans of WWE haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye with the previous releases of THQ’s Smackdown vs. Raw series – I myself am one of those fans. Clunky controls, redundant issues like the targeting system, and a few other thorns on the side that made the game’s entertainment factor inconsistent were the culprits that rendered the game’s overall value mediocre. When you’ve played unforgettable classics like Wresltemania 2000 and No Mercy for the Nintendo 64, it’s pretty hard to find something nowadays that fair against it, considering the gargantuan leap in technology that consoles have undergone. While many of us have perpetuated the thought and anticipation of something more concise (with regards to both look and feel) in the WWE franchise, we haven’t really been introduced to anything, recently, that has given us that “wow” factor. All that, however, has changed with THQ’s upcoming Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 – a game that THQ has clearly molded from the wants and needs of the WWE community.

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero Impressions

Are you curious about picking up the new Dead Rising 2: Case Zero prologue, exclusively on Xbox Live? Well, if you are at all wondering what is in store for you with this title, look no further because I have some gameplay footage for you.

I sat down with fellow DualShocker Jon Ireson and we discussed a few of the things to expect from this awesome zombie-bashing title from Capcom, such as weapons, points system and simply just how fun this title was, and of course we also had to poke a little fun at each other as well.

Although, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero was made exclusively to Xbox 360, those who are on the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC will be able to take the reigns as Chuck Greene in Dead Rising 2 when it hits store shelves later in the month.

Take a look at the break for the footage of Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Demo Impressions

Naruto Shipudden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is the sequel to the PS3 exclusive fighting title Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm which was developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai. This sequel is from the same creators and promises to expand upon what we saw in that outing.

The demo is single player, and summarily leaves one with high expectations for the full game. I have to point out that the music that plays at the tutorial menu is just beautiful. After a short explanation of the controls (which are largely the same as in the first game) the mission ensues.

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Nail’d Hands-On Impressions

Recently, I was able to get my hands on Deep Silver’s upcoming ATV/dirtbike racing game, Nail’d. Learning the controls took less than half a second, because it was very simplified and easy to pick up. Why were they simple and easy to learn? It is because the game is simple and easy. All you do is race to be number one. That’s it. No fancy drifting, no complicated boost mechanics, none of that stuff. All the controls consist of are to go, go faster, and steering. So how did I feel about this game that will be arriving in a little over a month…

Portal 2 is “Still Alive” with New Screenshots

We won’t get our hands on the sequel to Valve’s ground-breaking FPS/Plat former Portal until early next year. Therefore, any news we receive for it is truly an event. Just before you got too antsy pants about this highly anticipated follow-up, we have a few new screenshots of the game.

While there are only five of them, they showcase some very interesting looking locales. Valve has its fans right where they want them for this game, in a frenzied stupor of excitement and anticipation. Portal 2 is expected to release on February 9th 2011. Hit the break to check out the new screenshots.

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Valkyria Chronicles II Demo Impressions

To many, the original Valkyria Chronicles was a masterly devised and artfully created strategy RPG, regardless of how much it actually sold, it received near universal critical success. The sequel is nearly upon us, so, I thought we would put together some demo impressions for you, in a bit of a different way this time around – through pictures and sound instead of words. After the break, contributing editor Jon Ireson and myself talk about the demo in a video that shows an entire demo mission play-through. Let us know what you think, and what your thoughts are on Valkyria Chronicles II, which hits stores on August 31, 2010.

The Shoot (PS Move) Hands-On Impressions

The Shoot for PlayStation Move is a title scheduled to arrive later this year for the PS3 which will be among the first titles to be made from the ground up for the Move rather than just adding support as an afterthought. The game is an on-rail shooter that sets players as the star of various pre-made Action film sets such as Robot Rebellion and Haunted House Party. The game features destructible environments, plenty of motion tracking, and gameplay derived of that, as well as many easter eggs and a set of special attacks to keep things interesting.

With the heavy criticism of the fact that other titles are being revealed as on-rail shooters, I surprisingly had a blast playing The Shoot and felt like on-rail shooters need to be given another chance in some cases. Read on for my hands-on impressions playing The Shoot on PlayStation Move for what you can expect and why I think on-rail doesn’t necessarily mean dead-on-arrival depending on your tastes.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Hands-On Impressions

As you all may already know, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a game developed by Beenox that takes place in four different Spider-Man universes. These four universes include the Amazing, Noir, 2099 and Ultimate universe. They are all based on the comic book series of each respective universe, and having four different worlds is almost like having four different games in one. I got a chance to sit down and play the 2099 and Ultimate universe, and I would like to share with you all my experience playing Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Mafia II Demo Impressions

This past Tuesday (August 10th, 2010), I downloaded 2K Games’ Mafia II demo off of the PlayStation Store, and I must say that this game is going to be one of heck of a ride.

The demo starts out with Vito Scaletta being sent with his buddies, Joe and Henry, to wax a mobster known as “The Fat Man”. They go to the warehouse where the fat man is, and a shootout ensues.

My only complaint about the demo was that when it was over, I wanted to continue playing the game. I felt that the game mechanics, the visuals, the story and the controls were all fantastic. It reminded so much of a Film Noir movie like Miller’s Crossing or Goodfellas that it brought back many memories when I used to heavily watch mobster films.

The Mafia II demo played very smoothly. The visuals were so crisp running in HD that I was flabbergasted at all of the details put into everything. I’m completely excited about the release of Mafia II, and the demo was very fun to play around with. If you have not downloaded it yet, do so. You will have fun, and probably want more just as I did. And if that’s the case for you as well we only have less than two weeks remaining until it hits the shelves.

Check out the game-play footage that I recorded after the break and see what to expect from Mafia II.

Preview: Ys Seven

Many JRPGs of late have found a cozy little home on the PlayStation Portable. It seems to afford the publishers the outlet they need to get great games out to their fans, as well as keep development and publication costs low for the publisher, since many of these games are niche titles. Ys Seven is one of these, and represents the first in a line of Ys titles that will be coming to Western regions under XSEED’s fairly new partnership with developer Nihon Falcom.

The Ys games have been generally well received over the years, so this new title will likely do pretty well in these parts. The game follows a couple adventurers who are seeking out a means to make money and pursue their passion. Of course, what starts off as a relatively innocent adventure-seeking venture ends up with them working to save the world after discovering that an evil is brewing. The world also holds five dragons, which awaken near the start of the adventure and lend our heroes a helping hand by bestowing them powers to help them save the world.

LittleBigPlanet 2: Thoughts on Gameplay from Beta Rooms Event

I recently got to the chance to play Little Big Planet 2 at Sony’s recent Beta Room event in the UK and I can sum up my experience with one single word – “WOW”. Check out the video above to see my reactions and thoughts on what I believe is a very strong contender for GOTY 2010.