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Joystiq impressions: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
[Update: added the video trailer]Ever want to be Darth Vader's secret apprentice and learn the intricacies of the Dark Side of the Force? If you can wait until an undetermined date sometime in 2008, then you'll get your wish. Lucasarts gave us a sneak peek at what this will be like in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.The story is set in between Episodes III (Revenge of the Sith) and IV (A New Hope), and your character is tasked with the dirty job of mopping up all of the remaining Jedi around the universe. Nothing rubs out those dirty Jedi stains like the Dark Side, now available in a convenient gel form.%Gallery-1662%
Joystiq impressions: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Six episodes, one disc. LucasArts is combining its hit LEGO Star Wars games into one package, and to rope in fans of the series who already picked it up, they've added new content -- levels, characters, features and modes. The House that George Built showed off some of the new improvements of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga this week at the E3 summit. We first saw the PlayStation 3 build of the game, with improved visuals and great lighting techniques. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 will have drop-in online co-op, much like their current offline co-op mode. So now your South African BFF can be invited to join you halfway through the Battle of Hoth. Unique to the PS3 version are motion controls using the Sixaxis pad. We were shown one space battle scene over a Star Destroy where the controls were used to maneuver a TIE Defender. Given the graphical details, we actually forgot for a moment that this was a LEGO game.
Joystiq impressions: Thrillville Off the Rails
We all know about Thrillville, the rollercoaster simulator ... but what happens when it goes Off the Rails? Sure, we've got over a dozen new minigames (for a total of over three dozen, according to a LucasArts rep), but we now have the ability to ride your coasters without ever finishing them. Look, we know you're thinking, "Hey Joystiq, isn't that dangerous? Doesn't the law of gravity apply to physics engines, too?" Well you're right but remember: virtual death is only virtually sad. And there were virtually no complications with what we saw. Instead of death, you jump to a loading scene and you're back off the ride. As if it was all just a dream. Even if you aren't saved by the great "Now Waiting" sign in the sky, all coaster participants are given jet packs and parachutes. From our initial impressions, there was a 100% survival rate, but you never know when poor clipping might cause pixelated peril.
Joystiq impressions: Fracture (Xbox 360, PS3)
Sure, this is a science-fiction title from LucasArts, but this is not a Star Wars game. I repeat, this is not a Star Wars game. LucasArts' Fracture is one of the most innovative games in the first-person shooter genre we've seen this show. We had a chance to watch a demonstration of the single-player game and the terrain deforming mechanic that defines the shooter and separates it from the general lot.The story is essentially an extrapolation on the possible effects of global warming and genetic engineering 150 years into the future. With the entire middle portion of the US underwater, the East coast and Europe's cybernetic-centric Atlantic Alliance go to war against the West coast / East Asia's Republic of Pacific. While you only get to play as the Atlantic in single-player, both sides are playable in multiplayer. (The Pacific side will likely be your team for Fracture 2.) What about the rest of the world, such as South Africa? A LucasArts representative said with a smile, "to be answered in Fracture!"If you remember the old game Scorched Earth, you'll recall there were weapons that cratered and created (via "sand piles") land, and Fracture takes much from that idea. Using special grenades you can lower and raise the land. Examples shown were creating a wall between enemies and lowering the earth to turn a crack in a wall into a new doorway, among others. You could even use it to make stairs to a higher ground. We were told that there is a floor and ceiling to terraforming the land, but that it is reportedly "forgiving." We saw within minutes a battlefield that was utterly devastated and warped, very impressive. %Gallery-2929%
A taste of the Wiimote in Lego Star Wars
When news broke that Wii owners would be able to partake in the entire Lego Star Wars experience, complete in one nicely-bundled package, many probably wondered if some waggle would be making its way into using the lightsaber. Turns out, it is, but it won't be as influential as you think.According to CVG, the game will still use button presses to initiate most moves, however, through the use of the Wiimote's motion-sensitivity, players can pump up their powers. For example, players can construct objects from the loose bricks permeating the game world faster by moving the Wiimote up and down. It might not be what gamers are hoping for, but at least it's a step in the right direction.[Thanks, Squishey!]
Fracture details explode forth from the ground
LucasArts is making a game called Fracture. We've covered it once or twice before. We're really excited about it. Taking that into consideration, when we read a new preview of the title, our excitement grew even more because the terrain deformation mechanic is starting to make more sense to us. We'll explain how it works without going into all the back story -- read that if you want. What we will tell you is the visuals look sharper and resolutions higher than 720p are being considered.You can carry two weapons at a time, along with four types of grenades. Each weapon has a primary (shooting) feature and a secondary. The secondary features primarily (get it?) deal with terrain deformation -- the machine gun will chip away at the ground, making a staircase on a steep cliff. The shotgun bullets bounce off walls and the rocket launcher creates a subterranean torpedo. Another weapon serves as a type of vacuum, sucking up dirt and debris into a gigantic ball, then rolling it into enemies for an eventual explosion. The grenades serve different purposes as well, mostly for terrain deformation. They're really cool sounding, but that's for you to read up on. Look for the game in early 2008 as well as more coverage over E3!
LucasArts has Wii lightsabers, expect games this fall
LucasArts' Jim Ward at yesterday's Hollywood & Games Summit panel said they have internal prototypes of lightsaber games using the Wiimote and that "there'll be some stuff out this fall -- it's going to be a lot of fun." Now, before we blow our collective geek minds, the only thing we are aware of at this point is Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Although that's nice, it's not really the Wiimote game we're looking for. That doesn't mean something isn't going to be revealed in two weeks at E3, and boy are people being tight-lipped about what's going on, but the conservative side of us thinks that the Lego Star Wars product is what Ward was referring to -- we so hope we're wrong.Even if Ward was referring to the Lego game as the "stuff" for this fall, we're hoping to see some lighsaber Wiimote titles announced at Min-E3, or at least get a try at these "internal prototypes." If it works even slightly better than Red Steel we'll be more than happy. If it works really well, we'll keep a shot of insulin handy from the immaculately conceived sugar rush of joy that will occur. Two weeks till we have some lightsaber Wiimote answers.
An elegant announcement for a more civilized age
This is yet another confirmation of what every gamer has been waiting for since the first time we saw the Wii controller. At the Hollywood & Games Summit, panel moderator N'Gai Croal asked LucasArts president Jim Ward about the possibility of a Wii lightsaber game. Ward's response was very encouraging. "We're all over that, and internally we have already played a lightsaber game on the Wii. It's a lot of fun, and we'll get there." He went on to say that "some stuff" would be out this fall. Start practicing your blind Force-guided waggling now.[Via NeoGAF]
CVG previews LucasArts-style adventure A Vampyre Story
Before it settled down to crank out Star Wars games, LucasArts had quite a reputation for adventure games. Memories of The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion still haunt our minds, so when a project comes along that reminds us of those games, we discover hidden gymnastic talents we didn't know we had. A Vampyre Story from Autumn Moon Entertainment mirrors the LucasArts adventure style in both presentation and gameplay.One look at the screenshots and Bill Tiller's artwork has you hooked We'll call it "delightfully macabre", and it's ... well, it's good. Vampyre Story stars Mona de Laffite, a vampiress who finds herself sharing an adventure with her bat companion Froderick. Expect the usual point-and-click adventure gameplay with vampiric abilities built into the game's puzzles. And don't be surprised if there's a little humor sprinkled throughout the game.A Vampyre Story has a publisher but no release date yet. Read the full preview at CVG for more info.%Gallery-4147%
Rumarrrr: Monkey Island 5 in the works at LucasArrrrts
With pirates being de rigeur in the entertainment industry these days, it only seems right that the reinvigorated LucasArts would dig up their backyard and consider rescuscitating the venerable (and hysterical) Monkey Island series for a whole new generation of swashbuckling scallywags. And they are, if you believe the Rumor Reporter who, uh, reports that "the fifth Monkey Island is coming." According to his top secret sources -- "some of the guys who worked on the music compositions for the original PC classics" -- the title is being considered, but don't expect to see any piratey action until 2008 "at the earliest." Sound fishy? Yeah, we thought so too, so why not try to rinse that taste out of your mouth with these delicious Steve Purcell drawings of a suspiciously familiar dead pirate guy? Purcell is quick to point out that these images (more at World of Monkey Island) are "in no way connected to any existing or canceled piratey project." Aye, we'll see about that in ought-eight. [Via Gamesblog] Read - "The fifth Monkey Island is coming" (Rumor Reporter) Read - Steve Purcell artwork (World of Monkey Island)
Star Wars game confirmed, lightsabers and all?
We'll call it "mostly confirmed," but according to this article on the Wii's financial success, George Lucas has said that a game that turns our trusty Wii remotes into lightsabers is on the horizon. Unfortunately, there's no quote to back up the assertion, so we remain partially skeptical, but it's one of those things that we just know is going to happen, whether we want it or not. Anyone else just as interested, if not more so, in using the Wiimote and nunchuk for Force abilities in a Star Wars game? The upcoming sandbox-style Harry Potter includes motion controls that simply make us drool for similar applications in a Star Wars title ....[Via NeoGAF]
Today's most re-sellable video: Lego Star Wars trailer
While LucasArts says it's adding some new content, we fear that the upcoming Lego Star Wars game, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga will just be a new name on an old title. Still, the humor in this series is worth a second look -- at least in cost-free trailer form -- and this ad for the game reminds us why we enjoy this unlikely franchise at all.In time for the 30th anniversary, see epic Star Wars events reenacted with Legos after the break.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga coming to PS3 this fall
LucasArts will bring forth a new retooling of the already released, Lego Star Wars and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy for PS3 gamers this fall. Instead of just combining the two games into one, developer Traveller's Tales decided to go the extra mile and include some extra levels, new power ups, and even a challenge mode. Watto and Boss Nass become playable characters and from the sounds of it, the character customizer now allows options for the prequel trilogy characters. With promises to "take full advantage of the unique capabilities of all three next-generation consoles," we should expect Sixaxis tilt control game play. Utilizing the Force by moving the controller certainly sounds interesting. Lets hope it's implemented well. Considering the last release sold like hotcakes, expectations are high on this combined re-release. Look for more as the fall release approaches. [Via Joystiq]
Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga uses the Force to extract money from wallets
We all suspected as much since the beginning of the month, but today LucasArts has made it official: Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga is going to be hitting all major platforms, including the Wii, come this Fall. As a game that is comprised of two games, it will undoubtedly find an audience on the console, as we're all hungering for something to play. Then, there's the folks who never played either game and might think they'd like to see what all the fuss is about.Are you looking forward to some sci-fi, plastic-blocked hi-jinks, or are you sick of the Wii getting nothing but what seem to be ports?[Via Joystiq]
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga to brick 360, PS3, Wii, DS
Nothing beats the satisfaction that arises from successfully assembling a Lego masterpiece out of a handful of meaningless blocks. LucasArts must be glowing with delight then, since they've just managed to construct a fully functional ATM by just clipping two of their pieces together. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, LucasArts has officially announced Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and DS. The game will be a combination of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and last year's Lego Star Wars: The Good Original Trilogy, with additional characters, enhanced levels and features tossed in by developer TT Games. The group promises to take "full advantage of the unique capabilities of all three next-generation consoles" (three?) and notes that the DS version is unique in being constructed from "the ground up." Brick your favorite console when Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga arrives this Fall.
New Fracture details, co-op confirmed!
If you missed the strangely entertaining (and musically epic) trailer for the upcoming LucasArts title Fracture (or if you're like me, Psi-Ops with land-altering grenades minus the psychic abilities), please go back and watch it. It just hit the right chords for me -- a guy who generally doesn't find entertainment in first- and third-person shooters. PSU scored an interview with LucasArts producer David Perkinson and we're going to summarize it. It's pretty cool, so go ahead and read the entire thing if you're particularly interested. The game takes place in America and addresses many "hot button" issues like stem cell research, genetic engineering and global warming. Using American landforms or man-made icons like the Golden Gate Bridge will give players a feeling familiarity and emotional stake in the game's story. Hopefully. Moral and ethical shades of gray permeate the story -- right and wrong aren't clearly defined and what you see ain't what you get. So to speak. Terrain deformation is integral to gameplay: solving puzzles, creating advantageous battlegrounds, and destruction are just as important as the generic aim + shoot formula in most similar titles. Weapons are unique, too -- machine guns will eat away at the ground and a subterranean missile launcher allows you to detonate the missile at will. More details to come on weaponry. An "augmentation" system will be put into play later on -- think status-up boosts in sports game, classic RPGs, or games like KOTOR. There will be both split-screen Co-Op and online play available from day one. LucasArts claims to take advantage of each system's specialties (PS3 and 360), but they're vague on purpose. We expect an interesting announcement in the coming months. As far as resolution and framerate goes, they're vague again but from the comment "We plan to optimize the game to achieve a high frame-rate, while maintaining the level of gameplay desired" we translate that as 720p/60fps. Agreed? That's it for now. Don't know why, but this game might just turn into a sleeper hit or a very, very far miss. Odds are higher on a sleeper hit, though, since it seems to share a few design similarities with the aforementioned Psi-Ops. We'll keep you updated on this one.[Thanks, Justin!]
Han shoots first in Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP
At least he does according to the above screenshot, which depicts the dirty-handed scoundrel's unbearably intense encounter and point blank face-off with feared bounty hunter, Boba Fett. In the PSP's newly announced Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Solo assembles a squadron of renegades (no, really) to strike back at the nefarious Galactic empire in locales such as Korriban, Alderaan and (surprise!) Hoth.Aside from new vehicles and improved space combat, LucasArts promises a customization system that allows for "millions of possible unique combatants," with various weapons, equipment and abilities ensuring that "no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same." Online multiplayer will cater to up to 16 players simultaneously, whereas the PSP's ad-hoc connection will support eight. Wrangle renegades and shoot first this Fall when Battlefront returns. %Gallery-3071%[Via PSP Fanboy]
How's about an earth-changing trailer for Fracture?
This game. Looks. Awesome. No, not graphically -- stuff like Gears of War still has it beat, but the concept behind the title is fantastic in premise and executed (at least in this early trailer) with such pizazz that you can't help but think: "Now that is cool." See, Fracture allows you to handle different types of weaponry that actually alter the ground you fight on. Want to make a jagged earth spike pop up from under your enemy? Done. How about turning the ground into a whirlpool of quicksand? Done. This game looks to be a lot of fun, sticking something new in a tired genre, the way Psi-Ops did on the PS2. Let us know what you think.
Joystiq takes a first look at Fracture
Just announced yesterday, LucasArts' new title, Fracture -- debuting next year -- has an interesting premise. In the future, terrain deformation will become an integral part of warfare. In Fracture, players will utilize a number of weapons that alter terrain in many different ways. Joystiq got a closer look at the game last night at a media event in San Francisco. Joystiq learned a few new details about the plot, including how terrain deformation came about and why the eastern and western halves of the United States are bent on each others' destruction. Of course, the meat and potatoes of the event were firsthand looks at the game's weapons. Joystiq notes that most of the terrain-affecting weapons are grenades, though there are some interesting guns as well (including a subterranean grenade launcher). Unfortunately, Joystiq also found out that the terrain weapons do not affect buildings and other structures, which makes the game seem more constricted than we had hoped. All in all, though, Fracture looks like it could be a very fun game.Hit the "read" link for Joystiq's full impressions.
Joystiq impressions: Fracture (PS3/360)
LucasArts and Day 1 Studios unveiled Fracture last night at a San Francisco media event. The Presideo campus headquarters of LucasFilm, LucasArts, and ILM (as seen on Conan O'Brien) housed us for several game videos, a demo, and question-and-answer time.We weren't allowed to play Fracture, but I got a better sense of the title beyond the initial announcement. Fracture, which will rely on players reshaping the game's terrain in real-time, has a lot of potential. A few parts of the game concerned me -- like how the terrain weapons don't affect buildings and if changing the landscape will be fun in the middle of a fight -- but the basic ability to ripple and distort the land was impressive. Hopefully, Fracture will live up to its potential; we've already seen destructible games fall short of their hype.%Gallery-2929%
