hack-and-slash
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Shadowbane dev studio to create MMO for the Wii
Here's a weird Venn diagram for you: those of you who remember Shadowbane with fondness and also love the Nintendo Wii will be totally excited about this piece of news. Stray Bullet, the Austin, Texas MMO developer, have announced that they're working on a new MMO. At the same time, they've posted a few openings on Gamasutra's JobSeeker board, one for a Senior Programmer for an un-named Wii project, and the other for a Gameplay Programmer for an MMO project. Neither posting mentions the other, but chances are, they're for the same project. Really, there's no bad time for wild speculation, so let's get the ball rolling! We're envisioning, obviously enough, actual hack and slash combat with the nunchuk and wiimote. Maybe crafting might take on a whole new dimension with the use of the motion-sensing abilities of the Wii. Maybe it'll be a massively Mii experience! Whatever's coming down the pike, we'll keep our ears to the ground for more info. With this on the way, can the Animal Crossing MMO be far behind? Hey ... what're the odds that this is the Animal Crossing MMO?
Blog embarks on quest, finds fresh Gauntlet screens
Our usual Monday morning trek to our friendly local press site unearthed something that should ensure a pleasant start to the week for many of you: plentiful supplies of food, potions, and a dozen screens of Eidos' modern remake of Gauntlet, which was revealed over the weekend and will support a host of multiplayer modes, playable locally or over the intertubes (with voice chat, yaaaay).A few of these screens already appeared at IGN, but most are new, and contain a reassuring number of ghoulies, treasure, and suspiciously well-prepared food. Have a mooch around our gallery to take them all in.%Gallery-19972%[Via press release]
Eidos shoots the food, confirms Gauntlet for DS
Eidos and developer Backbone are bringing Gauntlet's food-shooting, poison-eating, death-avoiding action to the Nintendo DS later this year. Eidos describes the upcoming title as a "modern reworking" of the arcade classic, thankfully returning the series to its overhead roots rather than the forgettable 3D entries of recent years. Gauntlet for the DS will once again reunite the series' iconic Elf, Warrior, Wizard, and Valkyrie, and include 40 maps across three different areas. What's more, as Gauntlet has always been been strongest when played in groups, this latest version will boast ranked 4-player co-op and competitive multiplayer modes, playable both wirelessly and over Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. Just remember, shots do NOT hurt other players ... yet.[Via Nintendo DS Fanboy]%Gallery-19968%
DS needs hack and slash badly
... and it's going to get it! February's speculation after Gauntlet appeared on the ESRB's website has become fact: Eidos and Backbone Entertainment are bringing the classic to the DS. But let's get the best news out of the way up front -- Gauntlet has always been known for awesome multiplayer action, and the DS will continue that tradition. Not only will you be able to throw down with your friends using local wireless, Gauntlet will also support multiplayer over WiFi. They've even thrown in voice chat to make adventuring easier (and potentially more fun). Of course, there's also a single player mode, for those times when you just can't wait for everyone to get together. Gauntlet will come into rotation for Game Night be released in late June. Start hoarding funds (and food) now.
Ninja Theory's next game could have accompanying CGI movie
Unfortunately it seems that Ninja Theory are definitely not currently working on Heavenly Sword 2. Nina Kristensen, co-founder of Ninja Theory, confirmed the news during an interview with GameIndustry.biz. Instead, the development team is working on a new multiplatform intellectual property, potentially leaving the Sony owned Heavenly Sword franchise for another developer to play with. Kristensen also mentions that they're thinking of producing a CGI movie to accompany their new project. Nothing's confirmed yet, as the two and a half year development cycle has only just started, but the potential of using the game engine to produce a movie is something they're definitely interested in. The full interview will be published on GameIndustry.biz later this month, where Kristensen will discuss their new project in further depth. In the meantime, check out the concept art for the game that was found on the new Ninja Theory website.
Amazon sells its Soul (Calibur Legends) for cheap
Soul Calibur Legends wasn't seen as a favorable point of the Soul Calibur series -- as is to be expected from a Death by Degrees-esque spinoff of the fighter franchise -- so it's unsurprising that Amazon already has the November-released title marked down to $25.99, 35% less than its regular $39.99. While many of you might prefer to see the game discounted even more before picking it up, that price point is just high enough to push it into Free Super Saver Shipping territory.We feel guilty suggesting Soul Calibur Legends to anyone who isn't a hardcore fan of the series -- everyone else should probably avoid even loading the product page. In its 2-out-of-10 review, Edge Magazine described the game as being "an unrewarding trudge that doesn't have any ideas beyond the most primitive."%Gallery-3272%[Via CAG]
A real life Heavenly Sword, made of wood
What does a real PS3 fan do to show his love of Heavenly Sword? He makes one. "Linkin Park Fan" from Game Grep created his own wooden replica of the titular sword in wood shop. "Instead of making some stupid cabinet or a DVD shelf like the rest of the class, I decided to make something a little more original ... The sword is about 3 feet long and about 1 and a half feet high. To my surprise and others, the sword barely weighs anything. Light as a feather, Feather that can kill." We love it. Check out more pictures here. And yes, it does it cut. [Thanks, Jamie T.!]
Rumor: focus group discusses possible Heavenly Sword 2 info
It seems a focus group got together, thanks to Chatter Inc., and talked about Heavenly Sword 2. At first, the questions were standard survey stuff -- nothing too meaty, just reactions to the first game. Later, though, tidbits were unveiled about possibilities with the sequel. What were they? We'll list them below, but if you hate spoilers, we'd recommend you turn your monitor off and bathe in clorox until all the pigment is gone from your skin. Heavenly Sword 2 will take place 10 years after the events in Heavenly Sword. The main character will be a male with martial arts background. The main character will be Kai, but she will be a more mature woman. The game will require you to master different martial arts styles before retrieving the heavenly sword. The game will, instead of button mashing, have controls that utilize an analog stick to go through weapons. The game will have downloadable weapons, characters, and enemies to customize your experience. The game will be more interactive with the environment. The game will have you on a storyline with replayable missions, as opposed to an open world. It seems like it's all speculation, but we can kind of see how the game will turn out if they follow some of these ideas. Instead of being compared to God of War, it seems the game might turn more into a Devil May Cry presentation style. Just so Kai isn't so ... weird. Take this rumor with a basket of salt.
Ninja Theory concept art hints at new game
What have Ninja Theory been up to since making Heavenly Sword? Good question. It looks like we'll be finding out fairly soon though, as their website has today undergone a sudden transformation. An annotated Flash banner can be found on several pages of the site, showing some environmental concept art, such as the image above. These paintings are about as far removed from Heavenly Sword as you can get, so those of you who are itchy for a sequel straight away might be disappointed. The front page of the website states that "there are some teaser elements on this new look website...and don't forget, this website is the very best place to check regularly for updates and news...especially the forums." It also says that Ninja Theory are "working on an exciting new concept that has got everyone we talk to buzzing." From the sounds of it, whatever project they're working on isn't very far along. They've successfully to get us intrigued, however, so we'll be keeping an eye out for any news. Who knows, maybe something will be shown at GDC?
Mythos trailer #2 now showing
The next trailer for hack-and-slash freebie MMO Mythos is available to view, and shows off what the game is all about -- hacking, followed by some slashing. Okay, and some pew-pewing.The simple fact is that the game looks and is just plain fun.The first trailer for the game featured input from a producer at the team behind the game, Flagship Studios, but number two is basically just showing you a day in the life of a dungeon-crawling hero. Even without all of the commentary, the message is the same -- Mythos is the addictive little point-and-clicker you've been looking for.
Playboy: Heavenly Sword has 'Best Jiggle Factor'
There are some awards our favorite games receive that make us happy they get the recognition they deserve, and there are some that leave us ... well, scratching our heads. Take Playboy's Best of Games of 2007 awards for instance as it awarded Heavenly Sword the "Best Jiggle Factor" award. We're not really sure what it means, but we're pretty sure it's a compliment. Here's what they had to say about the game: "This game has more than a few rough edges, but we loved its compelling scenario and character design. Nariko is gorgeous but also strong, angry and vulnerable. By the end, you don't just want to date her, you want to marry her." It beat out other scandalous and lewd games such as Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Conan and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary. With this well-deserved recognition, could it mean that Nariko could have a future spread in Playboy's Girl's of Gaming?
Heavenly Sword gets patched to 1.1
The PS3-exclusive action game, Heavenly Sword recently got a 1.10 patch. Right now, the contents of this 18MB download are mysterious. It has been confirmed that DualShock 3 support has finally been added to the game, for those lucky enough to have imported the rumble-ready controller. But, certainly the patch must hold other surprises. 18MB is a lot of data for just rumble alone ...
Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes screens and extended trailer
If your video gaming interests lie in seeing thousands of generic soldiers sent to their slaughter, we've got just the video for you! Capcom put out a three-minute trailer for its Samurai/Dynasty Warriors-styled title, Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes (Devil Kings 2 Heroes), splicing the carnage-filled clips with a few animated cutscenes. As you'd expect, there's a showcase of ridiculous special moves, one of them involving a warlord summoning some sort of robot in samurai gear to shoot missles at all the blundering conscripts. Sharpen your sword and bring it past the post break for the full video.We also have a gallery of stills for you to look through! Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes hits the Wii and PS2 in Japan this November 29th, but localization plans have yet to be announced for the US. Last we heard, the development team hasn't added any "waggle functionality" to the Wii version, focusing instead on more traditional controls. %Gallery-10818%
Hudson revisits Dungeon Explorer on PSP, DS
Hudson's Turbografx-16 title Dungeon Explorer was one of those games that blew us away when originally released in 1989, but when revisited on the Wii's Virtual Console nearly two decades later it proved that some games are best left alone, looked back on through rose-colored glasses. Despite this, however, Hudson is at it again, this time with a laboriously-titled sequel, Dungeon Explorer Warriors of Ancient Arts, currently in development for both the PSP and Nintendo DS for release this coming February.While Atlus handled the development reigns on the original action RPG, it's unclear what studio is tackling this portable follow up. What we do know is that the game is expected to keep with the original's hack and slash theme, offering "many unique fighting styles" and "deep and customizable multiplayer adventuring," as both versions will also support up to three players simultaneously. Interestingly, however, both the PSP and DS versions look to offer distinct differences as well, with the PSP version including 150 different "fighting arts" to the DS's meager 60, such as the "Big Bang Arts," which may or may not be just a theory.[Update: A Hudson representative has contacted us, letting us know that Dungeon Explorer Warriors of Ancient Arts is being developed internally at Hudson Soft.]
Mythos CM handing out beta invites in IRC and forums
Mythos beta invites are starting to fly out hot and heavy, and West Karana has two ways for you to get in on the Diablo-inspired hack-and-slash fun. As of yesterday afternoon, the community manager for the game was hanging around in their IRC channel (#mythos on irc.forthegamers.org) giving out invites, and if you (like me) missed that opportunity-- although it might be worth a try just to sign in and see if there's any left-- then supposedly a post in the Mythos Guru forums' Official Invite thread will get you hooked up with an invite.Now, I signed up on their website way back when, and I'm a little bummed that they didn't send an invite to me via email before tossing them around random IRC channels and forums. But then again, I guess it's a rat race out there-- every beta tester for him or herself!
Mythos buzz and beta invites
Both Tobold and West Karana are buzzing about Mythos, the free-to-play hack and slash RPG from Flagship Studios subsidiary Flagship Seattle. It's supposed to be good, clean, monster-killing fun Diablo style, with random customizable dungeons (as in, ask for a solo dungeon and you got it, or ask for a group dungeon for your level, and you got it) and lots of fun spec choices and loot. I've played a bit of Dungeon Runners, and enjoyed it, but as fun as it is, it still sticks a little too closely to MMO conventions, and it seems like Mythos just might be the simple hack-and-slash refresher to the growing ever-more-complicated MMO genre.Unfortunately, the game is still in invite-only beta, but as we reported the other day, invites are getting spread around pretty fast, so your chance to check it out should be coming around soon. In the meantime, Flagship is accepting signups on their site. As we said before, it's not clear how the microtransactions they plan will work, but from everything we've heard about it, the free-to-play part of Mythos is more than worth a look.Update: Bildo claims in our comments that he's the one that turned everyone onto Mythos, and he's got a good writeup, too. Plus, he's apparently getting more beta invites soon, so we make nice!
PS3 Fanboy review: Heavenly Sword
Sony has recently started up their holiday blitz by releasing three highly anticipated games for the PlayStation 3; Warhawk, Lair, and Heavenly Sword. While Warhawk was released to almost universal praise, Lair was largely met with torches and pitchforks. So where does Heavenly Sword fall? Does it achieve the soaring greatness of Warhawk or is it doomed to languish in the used sales bin at your local videogame store like Lair? %Gallery-4886%
God of War easter egg hidden in Heavenly Sword
Members of the PS3 Forums have found an interesting easter egg in Heavenly Sword. Kratos' sword and armor from God of War can be found somewhere in the depths of the armory during Kai's mission. Now, that begs the question: who would win in a fight: Kratos or Nariko? (We're siding with the tortured Greek here.) [Thanks, XxBigP123xX!]
Heavenly Sword downloadable content coming ... if it sells well
It's a two-way road, this video game business. Developers want you to buy their products so, in turn, if you request something from them then you had better be willing to front the cash. During a presentation and Q&A at last night's Warhawk tournament at 3Rooms, Tameem Antoniades (co-founder of Ninja Theory) was asked what his response was to the criticism that Heavenly Sword was too short. He replied that Ninja Theory are definitely interested in extending the experience via downloadable content - but only if it sells well. The game has been getting good reviews pretty much across the board, with the most common criticism being that there simply isn't enough game to play. With the marketing push that is happening in Europe (we couldn't get through the paper this morning without being greeted by Nariko's face at least twice) we expect the game to sell well, but will it sell enough to persuade Ninja Theory to release extra content? We sincerely hope so. If you want to see it happen, then put down the money and buy the game.
Metareview - Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
You have to wonder if Sony Online Entertainment was so co-dependent during the development of the Champions of Norrath games that they had to abandon the successful series when partner Snowblind Studios was bitten by the superhero bug. Instead of leveraging EverQuest's popularity for the launch of the PlayStation 3, SOE decided to stick with their more generic Untold Legends setting, which debuted on the PSP nearly two years ago. But with its paltry 18-20 hours of gameplay, lack of SIXAXIS support, and all of three pre-customized characters to choose from, Dark Kingdom ends up being little more than a rushed launch title, not the next-gen Norrath many people were hoping for. IGN (65/100) wants more PS3 and less PSP: "Apart from the repetitive combat system, there's a ton of gameplay issues that you'd hope would've been fixed with the transition over to the PS3. Load times are surprisingly long when you're accessing new levels. Rocks and boxes, as well as hills or background objects can cause your character to freeze in mid-jumping animation for at least five or six seconds. You'll also run into a lot of camera problems during combat, where the camera will unexpectedly zoom in or out during a fight." GameSpot (60/100) thinks Dark Kingdom is ill-suited for looters: "Gear lust is one of the more prominent driving forces in dungeon crawlers, and it's here that Dark Kingdom comes up short. Pieces of armor with different names and radically different effects look identical on your character, limiting the joy of equipping new gear and seeing how it looks on your increasingly badass adventurer. Your character will use the same basic weapon, as well as most of the same combo attacks, from beginning to end." GameSpy (60/100) hopes Sony is planning to make better use of the PS3's storage capacity: "What surprises me the most about the whole pre-formed character shtick is how confining it seems for a next-gen console with the power of the PS3. Look at the character customization options in Oblivion and you might understand where I'm coming from with this. All that power and I only have three options to choose from?"
