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Next Star Wars game details Unleashed
The latest issue of Game Informer brought forth information on the latest Star Wars game. Titled Star Wars: Force Unleashed, it is set to help bridge the 19 year gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. You get to play as Darth Vader's apprentice, as he wants to overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy with you at his side. At the same time, there is a galaxy wide hunt to exterminate the remaining Jedi from existence. Force Unleashed also boasts LucasArts' Eurphoria engine, capable of real-time environmental damage. For instance, when using Force powers on steel, it will dent appropriately. Another example includes a tree either splintering or breaking in two, dependent on the type of impact. You may be concerned that given the title is taking place between the two trilogies that your actions aren't going to have a huge impact, as the events are set in stone. That's not the case, as LucasArts is saying that there will be multiple endings that can really shake up the Star Wars Universe. At least you have a shot of taking down Palpatine before the first Death Star is fully operational. Does this pique your interest, or does any (finished) Star Wars game without the word "Knights" and "Republic" in the title get ignored?[Via QJ.net]
Star Wars: Force details emerge... metachlorines, seriously?
No offense, Mr. Lucas, but that's probably why you should hire some darn good writers instead of spearing your own child into the ground with your lackluster pen. Seriously... metachlorines? Terrible. Which is exactly the word we hope won't describe the upcoming Star Wars: Force Unleashed game. Since it's been quiet for a few months, you know some serious gameplay elements were being built and now we can take a peek at them. Behold: Timeline wise, the game is between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope (III and IV). Darth Vader is training an apprentice who he plans to use to destroy the Emperor. Guess who you play as? The apprentice. One of your main tasks is to assist Vader in hunting down any surviving Jedi. Have fun with that. Force abilities are being tweaked to better represent their power. Some stronger ones will require a bit of charging, whereas simpler ones will be nearly instant. For the Star Wars enthusiasts out there: Rancors. They will eat you. You can play as Vader... somehow. Multiplayer is planned, so we should expect something good. All right. That's really about all we could garner about this game. It sounds like it should at least be as exciting as those Knights of the Old Republic games -- you just don't have to worry about being good or bad. You're just bad. Badass.
Sony hates music games: no Traxion or Frequency?
IGN's David Doel recently had a conversation with Harmonix, the development team behind games like Frequency and Guitar Hero. The team proposed a sequel to the fan-favorite Frequency and Amplitude for the PSP, however Sony declined their request. The music game would've been well suited for the PSP, as the excellent gameplay of other music games, like Gitaroo-Man, show.However, to add insult to injury, it appears that the other music game heading to the PSP, Traxion, has also been canned. This music game from LucasArts was supposed to allow players to import their own songs into the game, a "Frequency-killer," as reported by IGN's nixice. He didn't give a reason, but it's sad to see that the music genre seems to be so neglected on our handheld.
ScummVM update improves point n' click emulation
It's been four months since the last update for ScummVM, the multiplatform point-and-click emulator. Just released v0.9.1 adds official support for DS and GP2X, with a GP32 port promised soon, but bug-fixes for existing versions (e.g., Dreamcast, PS2, PSP) are not be overlooked. Highlights include: Fixes for Humongous Entertainment games, including better support for international versions Improved detection for the FM-TOWNS version of Indy3 Fixes for The Feeble Files (more non-English versions are supported) Parts of the Kyrandia engine have been rewritten (requires less CPU power) PSP, PS2, and WinCE ports have been "greatly improved" PalmOS port is up-to-date; features separate build for Tapwave Zodiac WinCE port supports 2002 devices again Is this new version gonna keep you from updating your PSP's firmware for the holiday flood of titles? Are you running ScummVM on a different portable?
LucasArts partners with MechAssault team
LucasArts has formed an unholy alliance with Day 1 Studios, creators of original Xbox Live mega-hit, MechAssault. The two studios, with their powers combined, seek to create an original IP exclusively for next gen consoles. From the horse's mouth (i.e LucasArts' Peter Hirschmann),"LucasArts is determined to deliver outstanding new ideas to next-generation consoles, and our partnership with the great people at Day 1 Studios creates another opportunity for us to bring innovation and creativity to the market. The phenomenal technology created by Day 1 directly affects gameplay in extremely innovative ways- and it perfectly complements the engaging story and intriguing characters you'd expect of a LucasArts title."Mechs wielding lightsabers? Count us in.
Ron Gilbert talks up his new game, a lite RPG
When he isn't busy dressing us down for bullying up on student plays, Ron Gilbert -- the lead designer behind adventure-game classics like Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island -- apparently has lengthy chats with outlets like Gamasutra on what's missing in gaming today (the stories, stupid) and how to fix it (make his game). Yup, he talks a bit about that secret project he keeps going on about ... but, first the stories! "I think there are a lot of people out there who are just not willing to play games that involve a lot of twitching and a lot of action. But if there was more of a slower-paced game like an adventure game, or a kind of light role-playing game, I think these people would be a lot more interested ..." A light role-playing game, eh? Wonder what he meant by that ... we may never know. Or maybe he'll spill the beans on the next page. "The thing I'm trying to do with the game right now is kind of meld it with an RPG. So what you've got is the kind of large world exploration that you have in an RPG that you don't really have with an adventure game. You've got the action, some light combat, you know, Diablo-style combat going on with it, but it is also infused with really good adventure-game-style puzzles and adventure-style sensibilities to the storytelling." Diablo Lite with a funny adventure-game story and goofy adventure-game puzzles? We are so there.
