Adam Holisky

Buying Guides

Buying Guides By Adam Holisky

The best of WoW.com: January 6-13, 2010

It's been a busy week over at WoW.com and in the WoW world. We've heard from our sources late last week that the internal friends and family alpha will be beginning for the next World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm. And while this has lots of people excited, chances are you probably will never get in -- unless you know someone. There were also lots of other interesting stories this past week, from the WoW movie being pushed up thanks to Spider-Man's demise, to security holes and care packages, to papercrafts that prove none of us have any real artistic talent. The best of WoW.com for the week is after the break.

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PC Gaming

PC Gaming By Adam Holisky

The best of WoW.com: December 22-29, 2009

There have been widespread reports of earthquakes happening around Azeroth, seemingly at random. People believe that these earthquake are the beginning of a very large world event that will usher in WoW's third expansion, Cataclysm. After a bit of digging, WoW.com speculates that they might be coming form invisible mobs roaming around the virtual world. Blizzard has since come out and started slyly commenting on the in-game earthquake, neither denying nor supporting the conclusions drawn. Of course, there's other things going on in the WoW universe as well, and after the cut we'll take a look at the top stories of the week.

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PC Gaming

PC Gaming By Adam Holisky

Joystiq Interview: StarCraft 2 Lead Producer Chris Sigaty

click to embiggen The big announcement at BlizzCon yesterday was the morphing of StarCraft II into a trilogy. I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the people instrumental behind this change, StarCraft II Lead Producer Chris Sigaty. I spoke with him right after the announcement was made, and we talked about how this will impact SC2, what it will mean for multiplayer games, and what challenges the developers are facing in making SC2 the best game it can be.%Gallery-34229%

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Nintendo By Adam Holisky

Born for Wii: Beyond Good & Evil

When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote his famous philosophical work Beyond Good and Evil in the late 19th century, odds are he didn't think that it would be a source of inspiration for video games over a century later. Namco proved him wrong with their trilogy of Xenosaga RPGs, each of which had a subtitle referencing a Nietzsche work (such as "Jenseits von Gut und Böse"). But it's another wannabe trilogy that owes its moniker to Nietzsche that's up for recognition. Beyond Good & Evil was published at the height of the Christmas rush in December 2003, and despite its war-on-all-fronts release on the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC, it simply failed to sell. The game received widespread critical acclaim, but competition from other games caused it to be given a jarring price drop mere weeks after its release. Even so, those in the know played Beyond Good & Evil and saw it for what it was -- a fantastic adventure with a unique world and an appealing cast of heroes. And though it took four years, Ubisoft finally gave a sequel the green light -- so it's time to show the original game some much-deserved love. %Gallery-27033%

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

Beyond Good and Evil 2 in preproduction, awaiting approval

The first Beyond Good & Evil was hailed by critics but largely ignored by the gaming populace when it was released several years ago. Was it the female lead? Was it the graphical style? Was it the lack of hard-headed space marines wielding impossibly large weapons? Who knows -- but it didn't fare too well on shelves. Not one to be discouraged, Michel Ancel, the man behind the original game, has been working on a sequel for over a year. Aside from the year of preproduction, Ancel says his team is "currently doing market research. But for the moment, it's in the early stages, and Ubisoft still hasn't agreed to it." The gameplay, Ancel describes, will be similar to the original. A large variety of levels and "emotional" gameplay -- characters we truly care about. No platforms or release date are mentioned, but with Ubidays coming right up, perhaps there will be an official announcement regarding the game at that time. [via Gamespot]

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

Get to know EA's Facebreakers

We've been keeping our eyes on Facebreaker, EA's charmingly silly boxing title. The latest slew of videos feature some "getting to know you" segments with two characters in the game, who are, in a word, strange. It's these quirky characters that make Facebreaker stand out from some of the other boxing games on the Wii, though. The trailer above shows Romeo, who looks even scarier when he's washing a car than when he's boxing. After the break you can also check out Steve, the nerdy black-belt that likes to ride rhinos and play "Wizards and Lizards."

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Nintendo By Adam Holisky

See how badly Japan wants the Bape DS Lite

There's no doubt in our minds that the Bape DS is a hot little number, but we'd never wait on a line like this for one. At first, the line seems somewhat modest, but then the camera keeps on turning around more and more corners. We should have guessed as much, seeing how the video is over two minutes long. To see exactly how much Japanese gamers love special edition DSes, check out the clip embedded above for yourselves. [Via GameLife]

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Nintendo By Adam Holisky

Also hot on the streets: Bape DS Lites

"Haters get mad 'cause I got me some Bathin' Apes (DSes)." If its shoes are any indication of how much these custom DSes will cost, it's safe to assume that you'll need to spend about a billion dollars to procure one of these Mario-and-Milo-patterned handhelds. Mario's slackjawed expression? Chalk it up to him seeing this package's price tag. According to High Snobiety, Japanese clothing company A Bathing Ape plans to sell the "Bape x Nintendo DS Lites" in Japan starting April 1st. The systems will be available in white and, naturally, gold. Of course, you can expect this to be a very limited edition run. See also: Hot on the streets: Black and white DS Lite [Thanks, Juan!]

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

Bizarre Creations explains why you should join The Club

In our hands-on with The Club's PlayStation Network demo, we weren't too entirely impressed. However, we plan to wash our hands of that experience when we finally get a chance to play the full game. In the mean time, though, several of the key players responsible for The Club's creation want to tell you what sets the game apart from every other third-person shooter on the market. Bizarre Creations is banking on the fact that gamer's natural drive for competition will help The Club sell as the game's focus isn't on level progression or story development, but rather chaining kills together to score the most points possible. Whether it succeeds in that goal or not, one thing's for sure, Bizarre Creations is most certainly living up to its name with such an original take on an otherwise increasingly stale genre.

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Reviews

Reviews By Adam Holisky

Hands-on: NFL Tour demo

You don't have to play the newly released NFL Tour demo for more than a few minutes before you realize that something is wrong ... very, very wrong. From the game's incredibly woeful character models and jerky animations to the most annoying commentator in the world, EA's NFL Tour feels like it should have been an added feature buried deep inside the bowels of the next edition of Madden than to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting gaming audience. The game tries to combine several aspects from NFL Street and the career mode we've come to expect in Madden. However, judging from the demo, it looks as if it fails on both fronts.

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

NiGHTs interview, details

On a scale of one to whimsical, NiGHTs: Journey of Dreams is pretty high up there. A recent Sega event showed off some early gameplay footage, and those present scored a first-hand look at the upcoming flight ... adventure ... whirly ... whatever genre it is, anyway. Apparently the presentation kicked off with a comparison between NiGHTs and the works of famous psychologist Carl Jung, who did extensive work on dream theory. The game will consist of seven dream worlds, each divided into the colorful Nightopia and the darker, sinister realm of Nightmare, in which the game's unique bosses reside. For those worried about an unnatural Wii waggle factor, the game will feature an alternate, analog stick control method for a more traditional experience. An interview with producer Takashi Iizuka can be found here for more information, as well as several first-hand experiences. And just look at those silly clothes. What was he thinking that morning ...?

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

The Club excels with killing spree combos

Thick and visceral, The Club is all about head-shots and body count. Nick Davies, Bizarre Creations design manager, says "it's everything that Splinter Cell and Gears of War isn't." And boy, he isn't kidding. Wearing a bullet-proof vest, the game-play demonstration showed an on-screen character running directly towards baddies and firing multiple rounds. There is no ducking for cover here, and certainly no stealth. What sets the game apart is its implementation of a combo system where points are multiplied with head-shots, explosions and all varieties of interesting kills. In order to keep you focused on the task at hand, the combo meter begins to drain between gaps in the killing, so best to head towards large occupied rooms. In addition to the details gathered on our last look at The Club, it seems levels are broken up in pieces, allowing you to tackle these "bite-sized challenges" in any order you'd like, one at a time. There is something strangle fun and yet, sickening about the game I can't quite put a finger on. Nevertheless, take a gander at more details of the quick preview and share with us your opinions. Is this a game that will be on your radar? Or are you sick and tired of shooters and yearn for more non-violent gaming?

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News

News By Adam Holisky

Welcome to The Club, may I take your coat... and life?

Bizarre Creations and SEGA finally unveil their title, The Club, with a good bit of in-game screens (trust it, these aren't pre-rendered) and a large interview with design manager of Bizarre, Nick Davies and lead designer Matt Cavanagh. Let's see what they have to say about this third-person shooter based on skill, timing, and fun. The game is based on skill and performance -- not fragging enemies. Sure, hitting enemies is the idea, but you get points and multipliers based on your abilities. Sort of a throwback to things like House of the Dead, but third-person and against other players. The level layout varies from linear to non-linear, giving those with knowledge of the maps a smaller advantage than some other online titles. Enemies spawn semi-randomly -- no real "spawn points" for you to camp at and rack up the points. Enemy AI is treated with care, so don't expect a walk in the park on higher difficulties, either. They'll react differently depending on your reactions or how the battle is progressing as well as look different physically. Variation is good. Contemporary, but numerous guns will be available. However, bigger guns doesn't mean the most points -- using the right tool in the right circumstance is key. Single-player mode will boast about 50 levels across 8 environments with a variety of game modes. Each of the playable characters has their own story, too. Look for this game on the PS3 and 360 before the end of the year. It seems like it'll be a fun PS3 Fanboy community game, if nothing else. Hopefully it'll be easy to organize matches.

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Nintendo By Adam Holisky

Wii Warm Up: Our worst NiGHTmare

Brought to you by our good friends at 2-P Start, this image highlights exactly how Sonic Team USA, responsible for such crap as Shadow the Hedgehog, could crush the beautiful NiGHTs franchise into the ground. You've voted on the polls, but more specifically, what do you think Sonic Team USA can do to screw this up? What should they change, what shouldn't they, and will cult-classic status translate into prolific sales figures? Is the main character a guy or a girl? Hmmmm.

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Gaming By Adam Holisky

And lo, the angels hath smiled upon thee: NiGHTS 2 confirmed

This isn't some sick, delayed April Fool's joke. After endless rumors and speculation, Japanese gaming mag Famitsu has finally confirmed ONM's "world exclusive": the official sequel to NiGHTS into Dreams, tentatively titled NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, is coming to the Wii this winter. The Wiimote will be heavily utilized in the flying mechanics, which include soaring, tumbling, and freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. The producer of the title, Takashi Izuka of Sonic Team USA, has this to say about the title: "In 1996, we created the NiGHTS character to achieve a concept of 'being refreshed from being able to fly in the sky'. 11 years later, at last, we have broken our silence. NiGHTS will now fly in a new dream world: new stages, new story, and on the new Wii platform. Please look forward to NiGHTS and friends exploring this brand new adventure." Better news in the world of Wii does not exist, friends. What is it now, like, 264 days till the Winter Solstice? [via Joystiq] [Thanks to Dias and Creamsugar!]

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