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Knack review: 32-bit hero
We're rolling out PlayStation 4 review coverage all the way through the launch on Nov. 15. Check out more coverage here! Knack is a sentient golem magically drawn together from shiny bits, baubles and two thick eyebrows. Each part of Knack's body, whether it's a hand, leg or his bell-shaped head, is made out of mined relics, which in his world are also used to power cartoonish cars, airplanes and generators. A real-world equivalent to Knack and his physical composition, then, would be a creature made entirely of some other combustible, unearthed fuel – like coal. This should give you some idea as to what kind of message this PS4 game will send as a Christmas gift. Knack's pleasant wrapping is deceptive, and sadly indicative of how far its good intentions diverge from the execution. It shines in the opening, in which Knack walks through a series of test rooms, demonstrating his pugilistic prowess against adorable, antagonistic Roombas. His inventor, Dr. Vargas, narrates as you play, explaining how Knack can increase his size if he gathers more relics, or blast his parts out in a destructive whirlwind. Sure, the laboratory is utterly sterile, nothing more than a series of squares, cordoned off until you smash a handful of enemies and move on. But it works as an introduction, and you sense greater possibilities waiting just outside the bare walls of this tutorial.
Rain review: A steady drizzle
There are many different kinds of rain. The shower that comes out of nowhere and is gone just as quickly. The driving storm that makes you think about building an ark. The gentle mist that makes the summer air even thicker. And then there's the steady, relentless thrumming of drops beating a steady staccato on your roof, never slackening, never intensifying, just monotonously droning on and turning your day into a doleful shade of headache gray. Rain, the latest from Sony's Japan Studio and PlayStation CAMP, falls into that last category.
Gravity Rush may 'fall again' in new game
Team Gravity, the Sony Japan Studio group responsible for the topsy-turvy PlayStation Vita game, Gravity Rush, are working on a new project – and it resembles a sequel so far. Sony issued the brief teaser above, which asks us to "fall again" and shows Gravity Rush heroine Kat flying around a floating city – possibly a new city altogether. Gravity Rush established itself as a top Vita game as soon as it launched in May of last year. In our review, we lauded Gravity Rush for its beautiful anime-inspired world and free-spirited flying.
Puppeteer review: Trims fairy tales
Whimsy is tough. It's this kind of vague emotional cross-section between delight and wonder, and it can easily wander into unsatisfying areas of childish preciousness or just weirdness for weirdness' sake. It's difficult to create a whimsical space – one based on a fairy tale, no less – that adults will enjoy exploring, but PS3 exclusive Puppeteer does just that. The game's lunar setting, animal actors and magical trinkets could have collided in a childish mess of aggressive cuteness, but instead create a constantly-changing world that offers surprises around every turn. Even when it relies on familiar gameplay tropes, Puppeteer brings a clever joy to its presentation that will have you smiling, even while you're missing that last really tricky jump. Again. And again. No no, you need to get closer to the edge before you ... there you go.
It's a dog-eat-dog world in Tokyo Jungle Mobile
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. In Tokyo Jungle's bleak future, gangs of wild animals hunt to survive in an abandoned, post-apocalyptic Japan, marking territory in a bid to find an ideal mate and to pass on their genes to hardier generations. The PlayStation 3 version released last year was a tense, creative take on the roguelike genre, and Tokyo Jungle Mobile veers its gameplay in an interesting new direction. Unlike its predecessor, Tokyo Jungle Mobile is presented from a grid-based, overhead perspective. Don't mistake it for a turn-based game, however, as gameplay is both real-time and very brisk. If anything, Tokyo Jungle became more action-oriented and arcade-like during its transition to the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation certified devices.
Puppeteer demo coming to PSN in Europe
A demo for Puppeteer will be made available in Europe prior to its launch on September 10. We contacted SCEA regarding a demo in North America and were told, "SCEA does not have anything to announce at this moment." There's nothing regarding demo content or specific timeframe listed in the PlayStation Blog post, though art director Gavin Moore promises more info "soon." Puppeteer, a platformer in development at Sony Japan Studio, revolves around a little boy named Kutaro who has his head lopped off and is turned into a puppet by the evil Moon Bear King. (It's cuter than it sounds.)
Knack influenced by God of War, says PS4 architect Mark Cerny
PlayStation 4 system architect Mark Cerny discusses the console's upcoming launch title Knack in a recent interview at PlayStation Blog, revealing that the project aims for international appeal among both the casual and hardcore crowds. Continuing a decade-spanning career in which he designed games ranging from Marble Madness to Ratchet and Clank, Cerny currently serves as Knack's director and lead designer. He notes that Knack will feature multiple difficulty settings, in an effort to court veteran game players. "We are definitely speaking to the nostalgia that people feel for the play experiences of the past," Cerny said. "If you play this game on the hard difficulty setting it will definitely challenge you. And the control scheme is on the simpler side but you'll need really think about how best to use it." Cerny cites numerous influences for Knack's gameplay, hinting that Crash Bandicoot and God of War fans may find a lot to like in the finished product. "The way I look at it – there's a bit of Crash Bandicoot in there, a bit of Katamari Damacy, which is a game I love and must have bought three or four times over the years," he explains. "And there's a bit of God of War too. You can see that game's influence on Knack – especially in the control set, where the right stick is the dodge." While Knack is developed by Sony's Japan Studio, Cerny mentions that the game was specifically designed for worldwide audiences. "The original concept was 'let's make an international title,'" he recalls. "The problem is that if you have a mascot, that mascot is going to be immediately identifiable as a Japanese mascot, or a US mascot, or whatever. "Our way to get around that was to make the character an effect, so the first question was 'what sort of effect should he be?' We came up with the idea that he would pick up things in the environment and get bigger, and a year or so later Knack was born." Knack will be available when the PlayStation 4 launches later this year.
Rain: Boy meets invisible girl
The concept at the heart of Rain is magical. Looking out his window, a boy witness an invisible girl, her silhouette revealed by the rain as she runs splashing through the night. She's followed by another invisible entity outlined by the rain, a ferocious bipedal monster, which is referred to only as an "unknown." Fearing for the girl's life, the boy chases after her, following her and the monster through a strange door of light. Emerging on the other side, the boy finds himself in different though familiar world. It looks like his own, a seemingly European city filled with alleyways, though this world is cloaked in perpetual night and never-ending rain. In this world, he too is invisible, his presence revealed only by the rain pattering against his body. The boy sets off in search of the girl, looking for answers. Is he cursed to remain invisible? Can he ever return to his own world? Those will have to wait though, as the boy is soon running from a pack of different four-legged monsters. He quickly discovers that invisibility has its advantages. By hiding under structures so that the rain doesn't give away his position, the monsters can no longer see him. Normally, this sort of storybook world would be right up my alley (see: my Unfinished Swan review), but I'm afraid Rain's big trick may be its only trick.%Gallery-189816%
Rain drops onto PSN this fall
And now the weather: PSN can expect Rain sometime this fall. The Sony Japan Studio game, reminiscent of Ico, sees you play as a boy who's only visible as a silhouette outlined by rain. He finds a girl like himself being chased by similarly invisible monsters, and the pair work together as they try to escape the perils of the night. With Sony Japan Studio forecasting Rain to arrive in a matter of months, it's no shock we'll be seeing more of the game in a couple of weeks time at E3.%Gallery-189816%
First Rain footage falls at GDC
Surprisingly, since the Gamescom debut of Sony Japan Studio's Rain, we haven't seen any actual gameplay footage. We've seen comparison images of Rain's environments soaked and dry, but now Sony's finally offered up some footage of the adventure game in action.
Puppeteer pulls PS3's strings September 10
During a demo at GDC, Sony confirmed that Puppeteer will launch on September 10 for the PS3, simultaneously on Blu-ray disc and as a PSN download. "So that's our release date," art director Gavin Moore concluded after showing me a promotional trailer.Puppeteer is the story of a boy-turned-wooden-puppet on a quest to vanquish the evil Moon Bear King, played out entirely on a single stage. As players progress from one area to the next, the settings of the stage change in real time.
Seen@GDC: Rain's handmade pamphlet
Ken Suzuta, associate producer on Rain, put in the extra effort to convey his game's mechanics at a glance for GDC attendees: Suzuta created numerous pamphlets for the game by hand. Above, you can see the inside full of glossy cut-outs of game art, while just past the break is the other side, featuring an origami umbrella and the words, "A tale only the rain knows..."
Japan Studio's Puppeteer isn't just for kids
Don't let the whimsical art style fool you. Puppeteer from Sony's Japan Studio isn't a game designed solely for children. The 2D game balances platforming with other unique problem solving challenges, both of which are just as addicting for adults. You may find yourself using a hamburger as a trampoline or trying to keep your puppet, Kutaro, out of a sizzling frying pan."It's not necessarily for kids," Tsubasa Inaba, Producer at SCEA, told Joystiq at a Sony showcase in New York. "The minute you design a game that appears to be for kids, the kids are turned off by it."%Gallery-169582%
The Last Guardian is still coming, still on PlayStation 3
"The team is still working on it very hard," Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida said in response to questions regarding the status of the long-in-development PS3 exclusive, The Last Guardian.Speaking with Eurogamer, Yoshida explained that there are certain "technical issues" that developer Team Ico has been pushing through since last we've heard of it. "That's the period of time when the game, looking from the outside, doesn't seem to be making much progress." In February, Yoshida made similar promises about The Last Guardian but admitted progress on the title was "slow."The Last Guardian has failed to appear at any major industry trade show in years, including last year's Tokyo Game Show, E3 in June, and this week's Gamescom.Trouble started to boil over in December 2011, when Team Ico mastermind Fumito Ueda announced he was leaving his position and would complete work on The Last Guardian with Sony on a contractual basis. Recently, Sony abandoned the trademark for The Last Guardian, but can still recover it by filing a petition by January 2013.Yoshida says that Sony Japan Studio – one of the teams helping with the project's completion – had to completely re-do work to bring the game to a playable state. "...it turned out the technical issues are much harder to solve. So the engineering team had to go back and re-do some of the work they had done," he said.Despite its numerous delays, The Last Guardian has not shifted into a new console generation. "The game is developed on PS3," Yoshida confirmed. Let's hope it doesn't launch as late as some of the PlayStation 2's latest software, which continues to arrive six years after the PlayStation 3's release.%Gallery-102416%
Sony's Rohde explains The Last Guardian's E3 absence: 'It just wasn't appropriate for us to give an update'
Sony's E3 2012 press conference was full of surprises. For one, Quantic Dream's new game was unveiled – Beyond – Two Souls. Just like that!More surprising, however, was a game that didn't make an appearance: The Last Guardian. Since being teased in a January 2008 Sony Japan job listing with a single image, the Team Ico-developed game has only been shown by Sony a handful of times. Moreover, the only news we've heard recently on the long in-development project has been worrisome – the game's creative lead, Fumito Ueda, ended his employment at Sony and began working on the game as a contractor. And then in February, Sony revealed that the company's Santa Monica studio was assisting in the development process.SCEA senior VP of product development and worldwide studios, Scott Rohde, assured me in an interview this week that the game's absence from Sony's presser isn't something gamers should be concerned with. "It just wasn't appropriate for us to give an update. That's just how it worked out," Rohde said. Rather than seeing it as a potential sign that the four-plus year project is stagnating, Rohde said that it's absence was a question of time limitations during the press conference and Sony's approach to internal development. "Almost more than any game that Worldwide Studios develops, it's all about the emotion and the experience that's crafted in what that team can deliver. And there's a vision that must be upheld. And until it can be upheld, it's not gonna ship," he said.
Gravity Rush review: Disorient Express
Gravity Rush for PS Vita is a particular kind of superhero simulation I can't recall seeing before: not only is it an excellent approximation of what I imagine it's like to be a superhero, it approximates the life of a new superhero, with all the awkwardness that entails.Protagonist Kat, who wakes up with no memories and a starfield-patterned cat companion that allows her to alter her personal gravity, is not terribly graceful with her abilities, as befits someone who just gained the power to fall in any direction. She is, however, immediately willing to help save her new friends from mysterious "gravity storms" eating away parts of the town, and the "Nevi" monsters that start creeping in, and her enthusiasm makes up for the growing pains.%Gallery-156045%
Gravity Rush demo floats to PSN on May 29 in NA, May 30 in EU
Only five months after it landed on Japanese PlayStation Vitas, Sony's Gravity Rush will arrive on PlayStation Network in both North America and Europe. At least in demo form, that is. After a tweet from EU retailer GAME last week alleged a May 30 date for the game's EU demo, Sony confirmed to Joystiq today that the demo is set to arrive on NA and EU Vitas on May 29 and 30, respectively.That leaves just under two weeks between the demo and the game's mid-June launch, though it's doubtful you'll need much time to decide that it's quite a game.
Report: Gravity Rush demo falling to European Vitas on May 30
You'll forgive us, but every little drip of information about when we can play Gravity Rush is positively thrilling. Knowing that the game doesn't arrive until late June (ugh), we were totally psyched to see UK retailer GAME reporting a demo arriving on PSN on May 30.Yes, that does mean we'll likely see a demo here in North America as well, it's just a question of when. We've reached out to Sony to find out (as well as to confirm the EU demo date) and will update this post as soon as we hear more.In the meantime, might we suggest rewatching the mesmerizing trailer for Gravity Rush just above? That's a pretty thrilling journey for a little apple!
Gravity Rush started life as a PS3 title, inspired by Crackdown
When Sony's internal Japan Studio set out to work on Gravity Rush (Gravity Daze in Japan), the game was positioned as a PlayStation 3 title. According to an interview with the US PlayStation Blog, the team "came across PS Vita along the way" and realized it was "perfect for the game."That's not the weird part, though. The game's primary influence is cited as Realtime Worlds' 2007 Xbox 360 game, Crackdown. "I really like the aspect of unlocking skills and becoming more powerful, and achieving a higher level of freedom as you become more powerful," one team member said. "I enjoyed moving in that game." Given that Gravity Rush is an open world game in a third-person view with an upgradable character, the comparison makes sense. Both games feature unrealistic art styles accentuating the fantastical gameplay, making their crossover even clearer.While Gravity Daze has been out for a bit in Japan, Gravity Rush won't float to US shores for another few months.[Image credit: PlayStation Blog]
Rumor: The Last Guardian lead Fumito Ueda quits Sony, working as freelancer to complete game
Apparently, The Last Guardian creative lead and Team Ico head Fumito Ueda has quit Sony and is working on Team Ico's latest project as a freelancer. Eurogamer is reporting as much, saying that Ueda's departure from the team has accentuated the ever-growing delay of the project's launch. The Last Guardian was pushed out of a "holiday 2011" release window earlier this year, and the development team were said to be moving offices this past summer, getting up close and personal with SCE's main HQ. Requests to Sony for comment have gone unreturned as of publishing. Update: A Sony rep told Joystiq, "Sony doesn't comment on rumors or speculation."
