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Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is ... mom-friendly?
Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!), but one that would enjoy the benefits of a wider audience and an intuitive control system on the Wii."For the casual gamer, we say this like it's strange, but casual gamers go to horror movies," he explained. "There's a reason that we all started playing survival horror -- it was new and different and, 'Oh, it's like a scary movie that I play.'" According to Hulett the game's control system, which thrusts the Wiimote into the role of a flashlight, is intuitive enough to accommodate ... your mom. "I've had my mom try it out and she only plays Animal Crossing, but she can walk around as Harry Mason and run from creatures. It's really easy to pick up and play. If there's a casual gamer who enjoys going to the movies and seeing The Ring, they can go to the store afterward and buy Silent Hill and have a horror experience at home."Well, as long as they don't pick up The Room. That's a different kind of horror experience at home.%Gallery-49995% %Gallery-65287%
Joystiq impressions: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Click for full-size scares! Although it was probably the most impressive looking game shown at Konami's Gamer's Night 2009 event last week, the "Wii-imagining" of Silent Hill, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, was sadly not playable. It's a shame, too, considering how natural the game's motion controls appeared in the on-stage demo; seeing them in action made us really want to try them. We were left to watch the footage of the Climax-developed title and imagine what it will be like, roaming the streets of the snow-covered town, flashlight in hand and camera phone at the ready to catch the unexplainable and unnerving. Fortunately, it was a fairly meaty bit of footage that provided a good idea of what to expect from the game when we finally do get our hands on it.%Gallery-49995%
New Silent Hill: Shattered Memories details
IGN has posted a preview of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories so glowing, you'd swear it was radioactive. Aside from the effusive praise, there are a few details to be gleaned from the eyes-on preview. The psyche profile system revealed earlier this week is further fleshed out by the preview. Lead character Harry Mason will actually start the game in a psychiatrist's office, where players will have to fill out a form. The choices you make on the form, as well as other choices in the game, will affect other parts of the game.Harry's phone acts as the hub of all the game's information, containing the map, voice mail, text messages and a camera. The camera can be used to take pictures of certain areas, revealing ghostly images in the finished photos. The article cites a moment when Harry takes a picture of a strange swingset, only to see his missing daughter, Cheryl, show up in the photo. Once the picture is taken, Harry receives a voicemail from Cheryl ... creepy. In an interesting twist, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories features no combat whatsoever. When you're face to face with a freakish monster, the only choice is to run. Another change, the rusty, hellish Otherworld has been changed into a frozen, icy one instead. As in Silent Hill: Homecoming, the transition to the Otherworld takes place in real time as buildings freeze over and columns rise out of the ground. The preview assures us the transition is "breathtaking," but we'll reserve judgment until we can see some video.It certainly sounds like Shattered Memories could be shaping up to be a decent entry in the series, even despite the somewhat radical changes to the staple conventions. At least one thing isn't changing though. In IGN's interview with Climax -- a good read for anyone interested in the title -- it is confirmed that Akira Yamaoka will once again provide the soundtrack.Source - IGN: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories PreviewSource - IGN: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Interview
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories also heads to PS2, PSP
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was unveiled for Wii last week by Nintendo Power, but it seems it won't be exclusive to Nintendo systems. This "re-imagining" of the original Silent Hill will also be going to PS2 and PSP, and as today's press release details, all three versions will be out sometime in Autumn this year.Gamers who played the original will have their memories slightly shattered upon picking up this new version -- characters won't be found in the same spots and new clues, dialogue and gameplay paths will serve to jumble things up. Another major change is the new "psyche profile," which monitors the player's reactions. Based on these reactions, alterations are made to the game's "visual elements" and the protagonist's actions as he encounters other people and creatures. The psyche profile system sounds interesting, but a bit difficult to fully grasp without seeing in action. Perhaps future gameplay videos will provide better insight into this new feature.
Nintendo Power reveals Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Wii
We're not exactly sure if titling the "reimagining" of a classic game "Shattered Memories" is going to instill much hope in its fans, but that's what Konami is doing with Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Wii. The not-a-remake of the first game in the series is revealed in the May 2009 issue of Nintendo Power, which contains a 10-page cover feature on the Climax (Silent Hill: Origins) developed game. (Oh, and it's not an April Fools joke -- we confirmed this news with the magazine.)GoNintendo has scanned parts of said article and provides some details, such as the Wii Remote's use in interacting directly with environment-based puzzles. Subscribers to the magazine are beginning to get the issue now, and Nintendo Power tells us to expect an update related to the game next week.
Rumorang: BBFC rates 'Silent Hill'
We hope Konami may soon be ready to scare some truth out of earlier rumors of a Silent Hill remake for the Wii and PSP. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) recently posted a '15' rating for Silent Hill, with a listing that contains an interesting breakdown of scenes from the game with titles like "ANKH ROOM" and "CYBIL'S DEATH." Last month's rumor laid dev duties at the feet of Silent Hill: Origins creator Climax, though Konami has yet to make anything official. We're trying to reach either Konami or Climax for comment ... but the lines are cut, and there's an unsettling noise coming from behind the door.Of course, this could just as well be a PSN re-release. And yes, we'll take one of those too.[Via Kotaku]
Rumor: Climax developing Silent Hill remake for Wii, PSP
Our good friends at the rumor mill are at it again, this time churning out a most delicious prospect: a Silent Hill remake for the Wii and PSP. Supposedly under development at Climax, a report suggests that the return trip to Silent Hill is one of two Konami projects at the studio, the other being (according to job listings) a "ground breaking next-gen game for the PS3 and the Xbox 360."We've asked Konami and Climax for comment and we'll be sure to update you as soon as we receive a response.
Atlus officially announces Steal Princess
The ESRB totally ruined the surprise of Atlus's North American release of Steal Princess, but the company has cleverly announced several more games since then in an effort to make us temporarily forget about Steal Princess. It worked -- we were surprised again yesterday when they sent the press release out!Steal Princess is a "puzzle platformer" developed by Climax, about a thief who is captured in an ancient palace and is forced to rescue a prince or be tried as a criminal. The palace is a labyrinth of more than 150 levels full of traps, platforming challenges, and, of course, demons. The game also features a level editor with online sharing!Steal Princess is set for release on March 24, for $34.99. We won't even be done with all our Atlus games from February by then! %Gallery-34394%
TGS08: Rising Star reveals four for Europe
Rising Star Games just unfurled an official list of Marvelous games that it plans to localize for Europe, including Luminous Arc 2, Avalon Code, Rune Factory 2, and a fourth game that is yet to be announced for North America: Steal Princess. We expected most (if not all) of these to reach us at some point, mainly because Rising Star Games is totally awesome and we love them.Previous evidence has suggested that Steal Princess and Luminous Arc 2 won't be appearing before the end of March 2009, but we can't be mad at Marvelous. The company has had an action-packed Tokyo Game Show, and this is the cherry on top of a whole pile of other excellent announcements for Nintendo fans. Make the jump for screens, screens, and more screens! %Gallery-34394%
Overlord to quench your insatiable thirst for power
Power. Glorious, undiluted, corrupting POWER. That's what we crave as we slave away at our tiny desks working for The Man, and that's what Codemasters will be bringing us soon. The publisher has announced a DS version of the Pikmin-inspired Overlord, in which players must use a crack team of minions to maintain control of their kingdom.Giblet, Blaze, Stench, and Zap are your unquestioning servants throughout Overlord Minions, and instantly win points with us by resembling the Gremlins. Unlike the home console editions of the title, you'll be controlling your willing slaves remotely with touches of the stylus. By combining their scaly assets, the four can help you solve puzzles, duff up enemies, and generally further your despotic desires. The polygon-saving omission of an Overlord avatar aside, this looks pleasingly close to the fairly well-received original, and we're promised that all of that game's humor and physical comedy will have made the leap when it releases next year. We command you to hit the jump for a second screen.
Smuggling new Steal Princess screens
Our comedic rapacity knows no satiety. With every new batch of Steal Princess screens, we have to chuckle about some kind of petty theft. The video content and official website are showing off what promises to be a stealingly good game. Stealingly isn't even a word, and it's still funny.Just a few new images today, but they do provide some insight into various features like the "Gimmick Setting" and "Land Parts Shop." Now, the recent announcement of Wi-Fi level sharing is associated with the shop -- you actually buy parts to create your own custom environments. No slave labor here, construction costs money! You can check out some more of the inventory systems and map screens over at Famitsu.
Avalon Code heading west, Steal Princess, Luminous Arc staying put
Marvelous has some intriguing DS wares on the horizon, yet it looks like that's where most of it will stay -- on a horizon far, far away from the majority of us. Sob.Part of a recent financial report from the publisher contained forecasts for forthcoming releases, as spotted by a keen-eyed Siliconera commenter and posted on NeoGAF. The estimations for Avalon Code's were notable, as they included figures for the U.S. and Europe, which in turn tells us we'll be getting the diary-keepin' ARPG here in the west at some point before March 2009.Alas, we'd only just finished chest-bumping one another and shouting stuff like "HELL YEAH" when our excitement was tempered by the realization that Luminous Arc 2 and Steal Princess didn't have figures for the U.S. or Europe. This (probably) means that those games won't be localized this financial year (despite our hopes for the former). That's not to say they'll never make the trip across, of course, but for now it's one in, and two out.%Gallery-22487%%Gallery-15251%[Via NeoGAF]
Steal Princess to include Wi-Fi level-sharing
Since we've heard about Steal Princess, we've been intrigued. The title not only has a wonderful artistic style, but now we get wind of the ability to transmit levels through Wi-Fi Connect and we're even more excited. Players will be able to share their own custom maps, adding depth and replay value to a game that's already chock full of both these things. Too bad the game's staying in Japan.
Steal Princess site updates with new video content
The official site for visual masterpiece Steal Princess has updated, unleashing on us all a new video to watch. You like to watch things, right? We're not talking about boiling tea kettles here, we mean interesting things. Like video game footage.And that's exactly what we're talking about here! Lucky, right? Indeed. Once you click on over to the official site (sorry, we can't embed it), you'll see the video in the bottom right-hand corner (the box that has the "PV" on it). Just give it a click and it'll pop up in a new window. [Via Go Nintendo]
These Steal Princess screens fell off the back of a truck
If there's one thing we've said about Steal Princess, it's that the art is fantastic. Seriously, are your jaws on the floor every time you look at something from the game? Our jaws have crashed to the floor a record number of times.The latest on the game, courtesy of Famitsu's site, presents us with a glimpse into some of the items players would be using. Also, by way of these screens, we get to check out some of the game's environments. Which, by the way, look pretty good. Overall, we're liking everything we're seeing on the game.If you're looking for more, check out the official website for the game.
Steal a glimpse at Steal Princess commercial and art
We haven't heard much about Climax's Steal Princess other than, well, that Climax is working on it and that it's a dungeon/puzzle game of some kind based on finding a key to exit each room of a dungeon (sort of a roguelike-lite?)With Climax and publisher Marvelous preparing Steal Princess for a July 31 release, we've been given more reason to pay close attention. First, they've released four pieces of artwork that we wish were wallpaper-sized, which can be found at Inside-Games. Of course, the game doesn't use the same high-contrast anime look as these images, but they're still effective advertising (in that they are really cool). Second, if you want to know more about the actual game, Marvelous has released a commercial, featuring several simultaneous tiny gameplay clips. We may have reason to be interested in Steal Princess. AQ Interactive's announcement of their U.S. publishing plans includes a lot of Marvelous games whose identity has yet to be revealed. It seems likely that they'd pull from their DS lineup.
Disney announces Pure, plans to "redefine" off-road racing
Motorstorm, DiRT, that game with Ivan "Ironman" Stewart -- these are among the elite of off-road racing titles, having set the bar ridiculously high for other games to follow. Disney, however, has its dirt-encrusted sights set higher by announcing Pure, an upcoming off-road racer that it claims will "redefine the off-road racing genre." In development for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, the game is currently being dragged through the mud at Disney's Brighton, England studio Black Rock, formerly known as Climax Racing, a studio known for such racing franchises as Moto GP and ATV Offroad Fury. Even with this experience, however, we're not exactly sure how Disney's plans reshape how we think about off-road racing, though it might have something to do with what it calls "breakneck racing" and "jaw-dropping aerial tricks," all of which are apparently being overseen by stunt guru and ATV filmmaker Wes Miller. Still, we've read these sorts of claims before, and while the initial bath of media looks interesting it's a good bet our jaws are in no danger of hitting the floor just yet.%Gallery-16063%
Shining Force devs creating new DS RPG Steal Princess
Like twins who look alike but follow entirely different circles, Japan-based Climax Entertainment and UK-headquartered Climax must get sick and tired of people getting them confused and mistaking one for the other, with the former best known for creating the Shining Force series of RPGs, while the highlight of the latter's portfolio is what, Sudeki?While we assume that Climax continues to work towards this November's release of Silent Hill Origins, 1UP has revealed that Climax Entertainment is revisiting familiar territory by creating an original role-playing game called Steal Princess for the Nintendo DS. Set for release in Japan sometime next year, information on the new game is scarce save for that it will be an isometric RPG starring a girl named Anis (aka the "Steal Princess") and her magic-wielding fairy Kukuri, and true to the game's namesake this dynamic duo will steal back treasures that were themselves previously stolen by the ominously named Devil King. No plans have yet been announced to release the game outside Japan, of course, though as it stands we're on the fence as to how we feel about Steal Princess already. We know Climax Entertainment can create good stuff, as evidenced by both Shining Force and Landstalker. Then again, they also gave us such forgettable escapades as Time Stalkers and Dark Savior, prompting us to follow the old adage of 'one bitten, twice shy.'
Climax denies responsibility for Silent Hill demo leak
A few days ago, a Silent Hill demo was leaked onto the internet. This potentially damaging loss spread like wildfire, with sites generating upwards of 1200 downloads of the demo, which only operates on PSPs with unpatched, or unofficial firmware. Karl Jeffery, CEO and founder of developer Climax, told GamesIndustry.biz that the UK developer is not responsible for the leak. "All I can say is that code did not leak from Climax – 100 per cent guaranteed," said Jeffery. "The code that is out there is fingerprinted and was supplied solely to Konami for marketing purposes.""At Climax we have strong and proven security procedures that protect all of our code, assets and builds," he added. "We have developed over 100 titles in 20 years in business and have never had a leak or theft from inside the company." In spite of this apparent security breach, it doesn't appear as though the release will be pushed back. Thank goodness -- could we really have waited even longer for Silent Hill Origins?
Silent Hill interview confirms development troubles
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Silent Hill: Origins producer William Oertel confirmed previous rumors that the game met serious problems during its production. The solution, it appears, was to switch development teams altogether. "Game development isn't an exact science, and sometimes you need to go back and adjust some things. In this case, it has been for the best. It was decided that moving development to Climax's Portsmouth office would be best for the game, and that introduced delays."As evidenced by the most recent video footage, the game has certainly come a long way, and we're excited to find out more. It's clear that Origins is in good hands, with the producers understanding what makes a Silent Hill game so unique. "As I'm fond of saying, Silent Hill is an exercise in subtlety, and therefore the changes seen in this game, compared to previous games, reflect that."[Via PSP GadgetZ]
