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In Memoriam: Twelve studios we lost in 2011
Beyond the game industry's expected annual layoffs and studio closures, 2011 saw a variety of surprisingly high-profile devs shut their doors ... forever. From Geometry Wars/Project Gotham Racing dev house Bizarre Creations in the UK to LA Noire creator Team Bondi in Australia and even Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom devs Game Republic in Japan, it wasn't a good year to need a stable job in game development. IGN has a rundown of twelve especially notable losses (including the aforementioned studios, sans Game Republic), which run the gamut of industry publishers. As it turns out, it's not one particular publisher that's especially willing to cut studios in the face of financial loss -- it's all of them. [Image credit: Flickr user 'age_six_racer']
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom for $10 on Amazon
There are very few problems that can't be solved by a giant buddy like Majin. Walls? Smashable. Enemies? Smooshable. Devaluation as a result of the inevitable march of time, as well as a severely lacking promotional campaign? ... Yeah, that's trickier. However, if you click on over to Amazon, you can be the benefeciary of this unfortunate force and pick up Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom on Xbox 360 for a little under $10. Wow, a great deal and an opportunity to medidate on the truth that every living being has its frailties? Don't mind if we do.
Knights Contract review: The executioner's predicament
About three-quarters of the way through Knights Contract, I noticed the architecture. For reasons too bizzare to bother spoiling, a long stretch of the game takes on an Inception-style anything-goes approach to the architecture of the player's surroundings, and it's lovely. It's all stone pillars and bridges reaching in all directions under a maize-colored sky, very much worth stopping for a second and looking around. It's not really all that much better than anything in a hundred other games out there, but by that point, it was a surprise to see something in this game that isn't aggressively awful. The reason I had noticed the architecture at all, honestly, is because I'd stopped moving. I was tired. Over the course of that chapter, the game's heroine -- a witch named Gretchen -- grows weary of her journey. She says things like "what a bother" and "let's get this over with," sentiments uncomfortably close to ones I wsa feeling at that very moment. For too much of its considerable play time, Knights Contract feels like a chore. %Gallery-111614%
Knights Contract signed, sealed, delivered on Feb. 22, 2011
The odd pairing of Heinrich, everlasting executioner, and resurrected witch Gretchen will arrive on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next year, on February 22. Developed by Game Republic, Knights Contract is set in an upheaved fantasy realm in which witches (those witches) are hunted and executed. That's bad news for Heinrich, who must defend Gretchen and rely on her magic to overcome a world of opposition. Knights Contract appears to have a heavier focus on action than Namco's other recent partnership game, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom -- and this time, you play as the big guy. He should have little problem carrying around a duck-weight like Gretchen.%Gallery-111614%
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom review: The buddy system
If the phrase "escort mission" tickles your gag reflex, then you'd be forgiven for overlooking Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom. After all, this is a game that promises nothing but hours and hours of adventures with a largely computer-controlled sidekick. You wouldn't even be swayed if somebody told you that your partner obeys your commands. You've been down this road before, and you know it ends in a ditch. But this Majin fella, he's not so useless, in fact, you wouldn't last an hour in the dangerous ruins of this ancient civilization without his help. He's a bodyguard, a medic, and a handyman. He even carries out your orders as you intended them! You may start to wonder: who is escorting whom, exactly? %Gallery-97995%
Majin and the music of the Forsaken Kingdom
In the latest Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom dev diary video, composer Sahashi Toshihiko discusses the process of creating music for Game Republic's buddy game. It turns out that before the Forsaken Kingdom, he had experience in the Magic Kingdom -- he created music for Tokyo Disneyland.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom gets $20 price drop at Amazon, Gamestop
While Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom hasn't been entirely forsaken by publisher Namco, it has seen its release date bumped up by a week at the last minute and now, its seen its price slashed considerably by at least two different online retailers. Siliconera spotted that the new $39.99 price at both Amazon and Gamestop though only the latter shows the lower price across both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases. Amazon only shows the lower price on the PS3 release. With little in the way of pre-release buzz, the price cut may be a shrewd move to help move some units, something Namco could really use. We've asked the publisher if this new, lower price will be available everywhere across both releases. We'll let you know what we find out.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom devs on just who Majin is
Majin, like Denver: The Last Dinosaur before him, isn't just your friend -- he's a whole lot more. According to Game Republic art director Sousuke Miyaura, he's "the personification of all nature," able to devour the creatures of darkness that pollute the world. He's also there for high-fives.
Majin Forsakes the Kingdom a week early
Namco Bandai can't wait to introduce you to Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom. The publisher announced that the North American release date for Game Republic's adventure, starring Tepeu and his awesome monster pal, has been moved forward a week from November 30 to November 23. If you can't wait to play the game, a demo is available right now for Gold subscribers on Xbox Live Marketplace, and will be available on PSN later today. It features the first level of the game, in which Tepeu encounters the giant monster who would become his friend. Of course, not knowing how that plays out, Tepeu probably sees it as "encountering a giant monster," which is less heartwarming.%Gallery-105981%
Knights Contract preview: To sever and protect
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom isn't the only "partnership" game in the works at Namco Bandai and Game Republic. Knights Contract shares a similar "buddy road trip" design as Majin, but seems to lack some of the personality and charm of Game Republic's other game. I couldn't help but think, "This reminds me of Quantum Theory," while watching a hands-off demo at a recent preview event. In case you didn't know, that's not really a good thing. You assume control of Heinrich, an executioner, cursed by the witch Gretchen and rendered immortal. The only way to break the curse is to team up with Gretchen and battle Dr. Faust, who's cursing the land with plague and monsters. It's actually a rather original spin on classic German literature. Unfortunately, none of that creativity seems to carry through in the design. Gameplay is similar to recent action games a la God of War -- but there's a "twist." The AI-controlled Gretchen follows you into combat, enabling you to access her various witch powers and finishing moves. While you may be immortal, Gretchen is not, so you must balance protecting her and using her as an asset in battle. From what I've observed, immortality doesn't really add to the game. Namco Bandai's own Splatterhouse, for example, takes better advantage of the immortality concept by giving you the ability to swing your limbs at enemies -- even when they're detached from your body! %Gallery-93657%
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom preview: a lovable beast
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is the kind of game you want to love. It has a winning premise, made all the more charming by the immediately likable Majin -- a towering beast that forges a strange friendship with a thief, Tepeu. The two characters balance each other surprisingly well, with Tepeu's cunning and speed matched by the Majin's adorable dimwittedness and hulking force. Namco Bandai calls it "partnership gaming," and it's seemingly the latest trend in games -- if Enslaved and The Last Guardian are any indication. Coupled with some beautiful art, and some interesting gameplay mechanics, Majin should be a winner. But perhaps developer Game Republic isn't up to the task. While Majin is unlikely to be the train wreck that was their last project, Clash of the Titans, it's likely to find a similar fate as its (arguably) greatest hit so far -- Folklore. Like Majin, Folklore also had a rather original and intriguing concept. Yet, in spite of great art and some fun gameplay, it didn't have the polish expected of a genuine blockbuster title. Like its predecessor, Majin stumbles around greatness, but doesn't always hit the mark. I loved the various implementations of "partnership gaming" in my preview demo. You control Tepeu, but never the beast. Tepeu is a rather capable bloke, able to reach places the beast (obviously) can't. He's quite skilled with his staff, but the enemies they face have a power that renders Tepeu powerless: seeming immortality. Outside of a few stealth attacks, only the beast has the force to finish off the inky creatures, meaning Tepeu will have to use his wit to lure enemies into traps, and gain the upper hand on his foes.%Gallery-86981%
Knight's Contract TGS screens give us a heads-up
Behold: Pieces of media from Namco Bandai's upcoming over-the-top action game, Knight's Contract, which actually show what the game is going to look like while you're playing it. Check out some (awfully familiar-looking) gameplay screenshots included in the gallery posted below. %Gallery-102463%
Knights Contract seems really, really dangerous
We're all for super tough, magical knights with transforming sword/scythe weapons. Snarling 15-foot beasts, though? Not so much. The latest trailer for Knights Contract features both. This could pose a problem for us, juxtaposing two things that we, respectively, like and despise. When we saw the magical knights brutally murder a handful of the beasts ... we'll be honest: it made us feel a lot better. Hopefully you'll click past the break and it'll have the same effect on you.%Gallery-99725%
Review: Clash of the Titans
I played the video game version of Clash of the Titans for around seven hours and, according to the game, have finished 31 percent of it. This would usually be unsatisfactory for a review, but in much the same way you'd only need to poll a small percentage of the population before you could confidently say that no one likes seeing immediate family members hit in the face with a ball-peen hammer, I feel like I've pretty much got the lay of the land here. This is a very bad game. %Gallery-80610%
Meet Majin, visit the Forsaken Kingdom on November 30
If, like us, you've been waiting patiently for your formal introduction to your giant, super-powered, super-huggable BFF Majin, now you can schedule your playdate for November 30. That's the date that Namco Bandai revealed for the North American release of Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Game Republic's new adventure about hanging out with the most wonderful stone giant guy ever (and also fighting or something). Join us in scouring the gallery below for any evidence of a Boy and His Blob-style hug button, won't you? We mostly see a lot of fighting in here.%Gallery-97995%
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom trailer gives us golem envy
We know our first thought after watching this Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom trailer should be, "Wow, look at all the pretty colors," or "Hey, this looks like it's going to scratch our Ico and Beyond Good & Evil itches pretty definitively." However, our minds are only addled with raw, unchecked jealousy. How come we don't have a giant, lovable, moss-covered golem companion? We wouldn't make him fight monsters or lift gates for us. We'd only ask that he let us pet his grassy head, and occasionally ride on his back, and go on the most magical adventures together. Curse you, Namco Bandai! You knew our weakness for giant, adorable companions, and you exploited that weakness without remorse.
Dragon Ball Origins 2 demo on Nintendo Channel next week
For all the time we spent expressing our admiration of Game Republic's Dragon Ball: Origins (admiration that will probably also apply to the sequel, though we don't really know yet), Namco Bandai's latest effort will be a lot more effective in convincing people to try it out before its June 22 release. On Monday, May 31, a downloadable demo for the DS action-adventure will be available through the Wii's Nintendo Channel. In this slice of gameplay, you'll get to gather up Goku's lost belongings, after he is knocked off of his Flying Nimbus cloud. Mostly, you'll get to fight a bunch of stuff, including a boss. And if you hate it, you've just lost a few minutes of your time and added an infinitesimal amount of wear to your DS. %Gallery-85949%
Clash of the Titans goes from myth to retail July 27
click to enter the titanic gallery If you're still excited about Clash of the Titans this July, three months after the release of the movie (and twenty-nine years after the release of the other movie), then you can channel that potential excitement into a video game purchase. Namco Bandai have announced that Game Republic's adaptation of the film will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360 on July 27. When you go in to buy it, be sure to bellow "Release the Kraken!" and then awkwardly explain to the clerk that you've temporarily nicknamed your wallet "the Kraken" entirely for the purpose of that joke. If you pre-order the game at GameStop, you'll receive two bonuses: a "Bird in Hand" quest pack, containing a quest to defeat the Cockatrice (with a "Wing of Icarus" sub-weapon as a reward) and a "Song of Enchantment" quest pack entailing a fight against a succubus and siren, to earn the Orpheus sub-weapon. %Gallery-80610%
Watch Majin and the Clever Puzzle
Despite starring a lovably clumsy-looking monster, Game Republic's Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom appears to have puzzles that require a bit of human-style finesse. In the clip above, the player commands Majin to open a gate, just the first step in luring a pack of beasts to its explosive death. And that's the big difference between Majin and your ordinary Pet Monster -- Majin will help you round up scary shadow wolf creatures, while My Pet Monster, bound in orange handcuffs, simply smiles dumbly at you. Check out two additional gameplay videos after the break, which demonstrate "Majin and the Human Catapult" and some stealthy combat. %Gallery-91015%
Majin and the Giant Collection of Screens
Click to enter the Forsaken GalleryNamco Bandai sent out a Majin-sized update for Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, bestowing upon us forty new screenshots of the boy and his behemoth. Game Republic seems to have hit upon the secret formula for emotional resonance: the quiet-looking, overgrown ruins of stone buildings, and the pair of explorers therein, give Majin game a strong Ico vibe. Just replace Ico's reedy, ethereal princess with an enormous, moss-covered Muppet and you've got Majin. Which is fine with us -- more games should take Ico as inspiration. And to be honest, Yorda would have been way more helpful if she were twenty feet tall. %Gallery-89245%
