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More E3 footage turns up: Spyro gameplay action
Despite E3 being smaller-scale this year, more and more trailers and videos just keep turning up, particularly for games that didn't get a lot of attention amongst the crush of news from higher profile titles. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night certainly seemed to slip through the cracks, and from the reactions of some of you to the game's announcements, there may not be a lot of love left for the little dragon. Can this one redeem the series? We're not sure about that, but the video is at least worth a watch.
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Joystiq hands-on: TimeShift
TimeShift, the time-bending first person shooter from Saber Interactive has had something of a bumpy development history. Originally destined to be an original Xbox title -- Official Xbox Magazine even had a demo of it at one point -- the game has since switched publishers (from Atari to Vivendi) and moved to the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. We had a chance to play the game at E3, and it looks like the extra development time was worth the wait.%Gallery-5002%
Joystiq impressions: Clive Barker's Jericho
"Seen any great games so far?" It's a question that's constantly passing between members of the press during the E3 Media Summit, with answers including the likes of "Assassin's Creed," "Halo Wars" and, in what surely came after a bout of heavy drinking, "The Golden Compass." When the conversation turns to the Codemasters-published Jericho, however, most people have to pause in order to search through their memories, hoping to extract any tidbits of information to discuss. "Oh yeah, it's that Clive Barker game," is the best most can manage. We find ourselves similarly stunned upon seeing the game in action for the first time. Though this result speaks highly of the game's unique content, it's somewhat alarming when the title in question is nearly 95% complete and scheduled for release this September. When queried about the game's lack of buzz and information (just try finding a video of gameplay!), creative lead Joe Falke shrugs and exchanges an uncertain glance with a colleague. "Well... we're not sure how the marketing people are handling this." Rather poorly, we think. Lucky for them (and for you) our job is to equip you with enough knowledge to muster a better answer the next time somebody inquires about Jericho. "Oh yeah, it's that Clive Barker game. You know, that squad-based, time-traveling horror first-person shooter that lets you steer bullets with your mind."%Gallery-4998%
X3F hands-on: TimeShift
TimeShift, the time-bending first person shooter from Saber Interactive has had something of a bumpy development history. Originally destined to be an original Xbox title -- Official Xbox Magazine even had a demo of it at one point -- the game has since switched publishers (from Atari to Vivendi) and moved to the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. We had a chance to play the game at E3, and it looks like the extra development time was worth the wait.%Gallery-5003%
Joystiq impressions: Eye of Judgement
When Sony first showed off its camera-based collectible card game Eye of Judgement at last year's E3, it was less a game and more a proof of concept for what eventually became the PlayStation Eye. Now that we're closer to the game's planned fall release, a pre-beta version of Eye of Judgment is looking more like an actual card game that just happens to use a camera and PS3.The basic goal of Eye of Judgement is to control five of the nine areas on a 3x3 cloth mat by placing creature cards on them. Your opponent can challenge you for control of those spaces by placing other creature cards nearby and sending them into battle. Usually the outcome of these battles is a simple comparison of power levels (a la Dragon Ball Z), but special abilities and boosting spells can affect the outcome.So if it's just a card game, why do we need the somewhat ungainly camera and game console setup?%Gallery-3181%
Hands-on: The Eye of Judgment
To put it briefly, The Eye of Judgment is Magic: The Gathering meets Tic-Tac-Toe. The upcoming Eye-enabled card game has players using real cards on a real board, trying to gain the most territory on a 3x3 grid. The fusion of real cards and a virtual environment might echo thoughts of Yu-Gi-Oh ... and for fans of card games, that's bound to be a good thing.There's a surprising amount of depth to the card battles from the demonstration we tried. Ultimately, players will want to have the best monsters, but there are a number of variables that can drastically change a battle. For example, each square on the board is aligned with a different elemental. Aligning one's monster to these elements is crucial. Each monster has specific directions it can attack in, so positioning one's card is also significant, especially in a field as small as this one.Players will want to purchase real-life expansion packs in order to get further in the game. Sure, it may sound expensive, but any CCG junkie can attest to how pricey of a hobby this can be. The Eye integration certainly is intriguing, and we're sure The Eye of Judgment will secure a dedicated hardcore fan base. For those that are interested, we recommend playing the game offline with a friend. In order to prevent online cheating, gamers will have to scan all their cards before an online match. Afterwards, the computer will deal a hand to each player. It seems like a somewhat cumbersome process, and it downplays the "real world" aspect of the game ... and isn't that what makes this game so unique?%Gallery-3195%
Fallout 3 screens show ludicrous gibs
There's nothing quite like ridiculously over the top violence to take the edge off, is there? It looks like the boys and girls at Bethesda are patently aware of this fact, as the latest batch of Fallout 3 screenshots have a bit of a gruesome flare to them. Of course, it's not all gibs. There are some nice shots of dilapidated structures, a nasty looking super mutant, and even a character or two. Check them out in the gallery below. While you're at it, don't forget to read Joystiq's E3 impressions of the game either.[Via Joystiq]%Gallery-4995%
Joystiq impressions: Pursuit Force Extreme Justice (PSP)
Did we really need another Pursuit Force? The PSP original took a novel approach with action movie-styled gaming. As a member of the Pursuit Force, players had to jump from vehicle to vehicle, apprehending gang members along the way. It was an interesting experience, but the gameplay eventually ran thin.Extreme Justice marks the return of the Pursuit Force series, and it plays almost identically to its predecessors. In fact, it's a little too familiar for our tastes. The game begins with a CG intro, where a wedding gets crashed by a couple of rowdy gang thugs. The chief, and the newly expanded Pursuit Force team, get ready to jump into action.The gameplay is still reduced to madly holding down the R trigger to shoot at your opponents. Although there are new vehicles to commandeer, the differences are simply cosmetic. We were also surprised by the graphics. Although the game looks sharper overall, we were surprised to see tearing and other graphical glitches plague the early build we played -- the overall effect is a game that looks sloppier than the first.Pursuit Force Extreme Justice should be, at the very least, an entertaining excursion for those that missed the first game. However, we've seen very little new in Extreme Justice to justify a return visit for series vets.%Gallery-3264%
Hands-on: Pursuit Force Extreme Justice
Did we really need another Pursuit Force? The PSP original took a novel approach with action movie-styled gaming. As a member of the Pursuit Force, players had to jump from vehicle to vehicle, apprehending gang members along the way. It was an interesting experience, but the gameplay eventually ran thin.Extreme Justice marks the return of the Pursuit Force series, and it plays almost identically to its predecessors. In fact, it's a little too familiar for our tastes. The game begins with a CG intro, where a wedding gets crashed by a couple of rowdy gang thugs. The chief, and the newly expanded Pursuit Force team, get ready to jump into action.The gameplay is still reduced to madly holding down the R trigger to shoot at your opponents. Although there are new vehicles to commandeer, the differences are simply cosmetic. We were also surprised by the graphics. Although the game looks sharper overall, we were surprised to see tearing and other graphical glitches plague the early build we played -- the overall effect is a game that looks sloppier than the first.Pursuit Force Extreme Justice should be, at the very least, an entertaining excursion for those that missed the first game. However, we've seen very little new in Extreme Justice to justify a return visit for series vets.%Gallery-3216%
Joystiq impressions: Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP)
Any anime fan that's played CyberConnect's Ultimate Ninja series on PlayStation 2 will find themselves instantly familiar with the upcoming PSP Ultimate Ninja Heroes. This PSP-exclusive Naruto game transplants the fighting engine of its PS2 cousin in a game that's not quite a sequel, yet not quite a remake.For a PSP game, it certainly impresses. The cel-shaded graphics look quite remarkable on the PSP's smaller screen. Since the PS2 original didn't use the analog sticks for fighting, the controls have translated quite well on the portable. We were really surprised by the game's quick load times, which lasted for only a few seconds. In fact, we'd surmise that the game loads much faster than its PS2 counterpart.Although the fighting engine in the Ultimate Ninja series has never been celebrated for its depth, it does faithfully recreate the battles found throughout the Naruto series. Quick dodging, counters, and special moves are key to victory, and the PSP version is no different. We don't know if we were doing something wrong, but we found that the Chakra-based special attacks were limited in the PSP edition. While in the PS2 versions, each character could have up to 4 different attacks, we only saw one. Also, the "tag team" element of the game doesn't involve active switching of characters. Rather, each team of three sends out a single fighter, and when a character gets KO'ed, the next character in the roster jumps in. To be honest, we were hoping for more team-based gameplay.Overall, we were impressed by Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes. It offers a solid fighting engine that's faithful to the anime, and its quick load times, large character roster, and use of Game Sharing, make it potentially the best anime licensed fighter on the system.%Gallery-4985%
Joystiq hands-on: Time Crisis 4 (PS3)
As a huge light gun fan, I was enthralled to find out that Namco Bandai was bringing Time Crisis 4 to the PS3. Recreating an arcade experience at home has always met with a few stumbling blocks, but it appears that the new Guncon 3 might be the best home light gun yet.We would love to try and set up the Guncon ourselves, but the kiosk at E3 certainly proved that, under the right conditions, the Guncon works. There are two sensors that must be placed at the top left and right of the television screen, essentially mimicking the technology found in the Wii sensor bar.Shooting without an on-screen cursor was easy, and it wasn't too long before we were shooting enemies, switching weapons, and dodging enemy fire rather easily. The weapon select feature is fantastic: being able to switch between a pistol, to a shotgun, to a rifle for the various encounters adds an appreciable amount of strategy to the game.Time Crisis 4 is looking to be a rather complete offering for PS3 owners, especially with the inventive FPS mode the game is promising. Although we're not fond of the generic art style, and the rather dull graphics, the Guncon 3 opens a world of possibilities for future light gun games on the PS3.%Gallery-4206%
Hands-on: Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes
Any anime fan that's played CyberConnect's Ultimate Ninja series on PlayStation 2 will find themselves instantly familiar with the upcoming PSP Ultimate Ninja Heroes. This PSP-exclusive Naruto game transplants the fighting engine of its PS2 cousin in a game that's not quite a sequel, yet not quite a remake.For a PSP game, it certainly impresses. The cel-shaded graphics look quite remarkable on the PSP's smaller screen. Since the PS2 original didn't use the analog sticks for fighting, the controls have translated quite well on the portable. We were really surprised by the game's quick load times, which lasted for only a few seconds. In fact, we'd surmise that the game loads much faster than its PS2 counterpart.Although the fighting engine in the Ultimate Ninja series has never been celebrated for its depth, it does faithfully recreate the battles found throughout the Naruto series. Quick dodging, counters, and special moves are key to victory, and the PSP version is no different. We don't know if we were doing something wrong, but we found that the Chakra-based special attacks were limited in the PSP edition. While in the PS2 versions, each character could have up to 4 different attacks, we only saw one. Also, the "tag team" element of the game doesn't involve active switching of characters. Rather, each team of three sends out a single fighter, and when a character gets KO'ed, the next character in the roster jumps in. To be honest, we were hoping for more team-based gameplay.Overall, we were impressed by Naruto Ultimate Ninja Heroes. It offers a solid fighting engine that's faithful to the anime, and its quick load times, large character roster, and use of Game Sharing, make it potentially the best anime licensed fighter on the system.%Gallery-3241%
Hands-on: Time Crisis 4
As a huge light gun fan, I was enthralled to find out that Namco Bandai was bringing Time Crisis 4 to the PS3. Recreating an arcade experience at home has always met with a few stumbling blocks, but it appears that the new Guncon 3 might be the best home light gun yet.We would love to try and set up the Guncon ourselves, but the kiosk at E3 certainly proved that, under the right conditions, the Guncon works. There are two sensors that must be placed at the top left and right of the television screen, essentially mimicking the technology found in the Wii sensor bar.Shooting without an on-screen cursor was easy, and it wasn't too long before we were shooting enemies, switching weapons, and dodging enemy fire rather easily. The weapon select feature is fantastic: being able to switch between a pistol, to a shotgun, to a rifle for the various encounters adds an appreciable amount of strategy to the game.Time Crisis 4 is looking to be a rather complete offering for PS3 owners, especially with the inventive FPS mode the game is promising. Although we're not fond of the generic art style, and the rather dull graphics, the Guncon 3 opens a world of possibilities for future light gun games on the PS3.%Gallery-4065%
Joystiq impressions: PixelJunk Racers (PSN)
There's a great simplicity to be admired in PixelJunk Racers, an upcoming downloadable title for the PlayStation Network. The game offers traditional top-down 2D racing with a variety of gameplay modes. We could see at least two dozen modes to choose from, each with their own goals to achieve.For example, in one mode, players raced around the circular track. We had to navigate around cars that were scattered around the track in order to gain momentum. With enough speed, the car would turn into a fireball, destroying any cars that had the mishap to be in our way. The goal of the game is to destroy as many cars as possible within the time limit.Another mode took the same concept, but reversed the roles involved. Instead of turning into a fireball, the computer-controlled NPC cars on the track were able to turn into deadly missiles. While the previous mode was all about destruction, this was about survival. We had a great time trying to navigate around cars that were in our way, as flaming fireballs tracked us down, trying to destroy us. Each player must try to survive as long as possible -- a feat that becomes quite difficult at the speeds the game ran at.PixelJunk Racers looks to be yet another great addition to the PlayStation Network. What it lacks in depth and presentation it makes up for through sheer fun. The simplistic nature of the game may not appeal to the hardcore, but so long as PixelJunk Racers is priced right, it might be worth a look.%Gallery-4967%
Joystiq impressions: Dungeon Hero
Dungeon Hero's title is supposed to be a bit ironic. See, the thing in Dungeon Hero is that you're a a human, but you're not actually good, and the dungeon isn't bad. Through a fantastic opening sequence (found after the break) you'll get the premise of what's going on. A dungeon is just another home with various types of creatures trying to live their lives. Although the set-up sounds like developer Firefly is making Stronghold for the Dungeon Keeper fans, it's actually an action RPG title.The game won't be released until Q1 of 2009 so there is still a long journey to go before we can accurately say anything about this game. The premise is that the dungeon is at war, it's not a place where gold is just laying around and enemies aren't just hanging around for the adventurer to show up. The idea is to twist the conventions of dungeon games like Diablo which have become the norm. Players will level up and choose different easily deployable combat moves, kind of like what Molyneux is talking about for the upcoming Fable 2. The developers have hired an artist to tell the story through Max Payne style cutscenes, but with animation added. If Dungeon Hero keeps its sense of irony, heaps on some solid gameplay, we'll definitely be looking forward to it, despite it sounding originally like another dungeon crawl game. The only thing Dungeon Hero has to worry about is becoming the thing it is struggling against becoming -- the path which the remake of The Bard's Tale stumbled into.%Gallery-3760%
Joystiq impressions: Army of Two
If you've stood up to a bully and told him he was gonna get a beating, a clever response from him would be "Oh yeah? You and what army?" If you'd responded, "Um ... me and this guy," you probably would have been laughed into oblivion.In Army of Two, that's all you get ... you and a buddy as private military contractors. The game is completely built around co-op, which the developers frequently found themselves enjoying in games like Halo and Contra (shout out, old school style!) so why not make a game that's all about co-op gameplay? Your buddy can be sitting next to you, via splitscreen, or they can be sitting in Sydney, Australia, via the online co-op. Two's company, three's a crowd.%Gallery-3678%
Joystiq hands-on: Fury
We like it when a developer is straight-up with us about their game. The developers from Auran, who are working on the MMO Fury, were quite honest in saying, "It's WoW battlegrounds meets Guild Wars, with a bit of Unreal and Battlefield tossed in." This got our attention and the straight-talk express continued through the hands-on.Fury definitely has the Guild Wars look to it, but the gameplay is more Unreal with an intuitive WoW interface. The pace is like an FPS when in an arena battle, the only difference is that instead of just blasting the ever-living bajingus out of your opponent, you'll build up fury and unleash with special attacks, magic and you can always retreat and heal. Playing against three developers meant we didn't stand a chance and had absolutely no idea how to counter various moves -- but unlike an FPS against professionals, we could at least semi-grasp what was going on. Fury is definitely mental twitch play where if you used the right skills it's possible for a battle to last. If you had a basic grasp on what you're doing, it won't feel like a run-of-the-mill FPS where whoever has the most shields wins.The game releases Oct 9 and the original beta was postponed to later this month. We'll have the release about the beta next week to let y'all know about the exact date. The game is graphically on par with today's expectations and PvP players will probably enjoy it because that's clearly the game's focus. From our short time with Fury, developer Auran has done a good job. There are so many other elements to Fury, (it is an MMO after all) like realms compete against each other for the benefit of the entire server and there are numerous game types to do battle. Fury probably won't defeat the big MMOs out there because that's not what it's designed to do. The game is looking to give a solid PvP experience in an MMO environment, with a dash FPS elements -- to that end it succeeds. For MMO players who mostly play PvP it would definitely be worth checking out the beta later this month.%Gallery-4405%
Joystiq impressions: Mass Effect
For many people, the wait for BioWare's Mass Effect has been a terribly arduous one. We've been treated to a few snippets of gameplay action, some very pretty screens, and even a novel, but the game itself is still four months away. We got a chance to take an extended look at the game at E3 this year, and honestly, it looks like it's going to be worth the wait.First thing's first: the game is visually stunning. The level of detail in the character models is pretty much a textbook example of what the current generation of video games should look like. Even since its showing at GDC in March, the facial features have improved by leaps and bounds. The eyes have depth and the lip syncing is about as spot on as you're likely to see in a video game. Of course, the real graphical treats are the various alien races, which benefit from not having to tread the edge of the Uncanny Valley. As such, the alien characters seem to have a bit more life and verve to them than even the excellently detailed human offerings. The environments, too, are topnotch.
Mobile Live Anywhere still a bridge to be built
During E3, Microsoft invited us to suffer through a 30-minute Xbox Live marketing spiel (we were lured by the promise of Xbox Live Arcade content -- there wasn't any), puffed with ridiculous figures like the 3 billion hours we've spent collectively on Xbox Live as a community that will soon surpass America's largest city, New York, in total population. Xbox Live general manager JJ Richards acted out these statistics with sweeping gestures and broad smiles, and an air of braggadocio. It was JJ's job to make sure we left that room knowing Microsoft commanded the leading online service for consoles. We did (though we knew it already, thank you).JJ was there to demonstrate that Microsoft had fulfilled all of its goals and then some since the last E3, using terminology like "neighborhoods" and "districts" to imagine for us a bustling virtual metropolis catering to all types of consumers. He spoke of a "bridge" that had been erected across the ever-flowing void to Windows, connecting an untapped community of gamers to the Xbox Live vision. But further down the void, a second bridge, still under construction, has stalled. When we brought up the topic of Xbox Live for mobile, JJ became visibly peeved, as if we had just smudged the picturesque canvas he was painting aloud. He dodged the topic, firing off some jargon about "pacing" before getting back to the success story.Microsoft has been busy expanding Xbox Live into Games for Windows Live and the apparently groundbreaking Video Marketplace. So it's not surprising that the mobile aspect, complicated by numerous variables, has been removed from the vision's foreground. But we're still curious. After all, back at that last E3, we had seen a working prototype of mobile Live Anywhere, through which PR man John Porcaro was able to browse our Gamertag profile using his phone. It's exciting technology that the community could use. No rush, but we'd appreciate an actual update. How about it, Microsoft?
Post-E3 BWii update
In the midst of all the excitement and videos of E3, we seem to have missed a very important update -- Battalion Wars 2, aka BWii! By "update," we of course mean "a couple of new images," but hey, it's better than a poke in the eye with the proverbial sharp stick. Or, y'know, with a tank. It's been a while since we've seen images from BWii, and while these new shots are long on artwork, there are a couple of screens in there. Now we just need some new video footage so we can see what's up. We'd also love to see some more detail on how this one is coming along, since it's slated for a fall release and we haven't seen much yet ... like the online multiplayer modes. Guess we'll just have to trust for now that things are all good on the battlefield.%Gallery-4966%[Via press release]
