ready at dawn
Latest
God of War TV spot is most epic PSP ad ever
From Crackle: God of War Chains of Olympus commercial It makes sense that God of War would warrant such an epic ad. This is easily the biggest release on PSP to date, and SCEA is doing it justice with a pretty awesome looking TV spot. Narrated by Linda Hunt, this ad should do a good job of targeting the fans of God of War on PS2. We hear they come in the millions. We can't wait to see what the sales charts for PSP look like at the end of the month. Will gamers make the plunge? Or, will they wait for the incredibly sexy PSP bundle, due this summer?
Ready at Dawn: 'our work on PSP has come to an end'
In spite of the critical praise God of War: Chains of Olympus is picking up, Ready at Dawn's Ru Weerasuriya confirms that they're ready to move on to bigger (but not necessarily better) things. He tells Next-Gen that the much loved PSP team is done with Sony's handheld. "Our work on the PSP has come to an end," he says. However, he leaves a remark of hope for the PSP enthusiast. As pretty as Chains of Olympus is, there's still more power waiting to be unearthed. "Even as we were finishing God of War, we found ways to further improve our tech on PSP, which we didn't have time to integrate into this game. As far as how far the hardware can be pushed, only time will tell but there's definitely room to grow there." Unfortunately, it won't be Ready at Dawn that'll be pushing the boundaries of PSP development. "I'm hoping more teams out there will up the ante and show all of us more out of the hardware." Read the complete interview at Next-Gen.
Okami keeps us hungry like the wolf for three more weeks
Unless you have a PlayStation 2, you're going to have to be patient. Ready at Dawn's highly-anticipated Wii port of Okami has been delayed from its original March 25th release date to April 15th. Gamespot, who received confirmation of the delay from Capcom, conjectures that some of Ready at Dawn's resources were shifted to expedite the release of the PSP God of War game.It could also be the case that Wii game publishers are quickly backing out of their March release dates, waiting out the coming Wii megaton instead of sending their games out to die. It's probably good strategy, although people who don't like fighting games are going to feel pretty unloved.%Gallery-16485%
Okami Wii-treats to April 15
Initially "driving towards" a March 25th release,Clover Studios' swan song, Okami, is now set to arrive a few weeks later. Gamespot conveys Capcom's official release date of April 15, allowing Okami a bit of extra breathing room between it and mega-title Brawl. Capcom didn't give an explanation for the "delay," but it's worth noting that Wii port developer Ready at Dawn just had its hands full getting God of War: Chains of Olympus out the door. So, go ahead and make the Wii version of Okami a Tax Day present to yourself -- you deserve it. %Gallery-16455%
Nega-review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
"Chains of Olympus doesn't quite live up to the other God of War games." (4) "Ready at Dawn didn't mess with the franchise's proven formula whatsoever, which is ... one of our ... gripes for the game." (3) "Gameplay-wise, nothing much has changed ... You still run around and beat the beejezus [sic] out of enemies and then meet up with the occasional boss fight." (5) "I wish that Ready at Dawn had added something new the canon rather than just re-using what's been done in the past." (7)"The game feels a bit too familiar ... [and] at times you do feel like you've played the game before." (7) That said, "the game is missing some of the features from other God of War games. ... you won't find the ability to use your blades on grappling points, the Icarus Wings, Rage of the Gods, rope traversal, rope swinging, a fourth magic, etc." (4) "I find myself disappointed ... that the game doesn't quite have the same feeling of showing you something new around every corner that the previous games did." (4) "The game is also brutally linear: you're constantly running from point A to point B, stopping to administer the occasional beatdown." (5) It could also be described as "a very linear experience, (3) that "may be a touch linear." (9) "Toward the end, combat got pretty repetitious, relying really heavily on the mechanic of blocking you into a room and not letting you out until you finished taking down the waves of enemies." (1) "It would have been nice to have seen a little experimentation here or there to mix things up. (3) "Altogether, ... the game feels like a bit less of an adventure and more of a straightforward action game." (4)
PSP Fanboy review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
The life of Kratos may have been one long Greek tragedy after the next, but the God of War series and the success it reaps is anything but tragic. To call it so would be blasphemous to the gods, for each game in the action-packed series has never failed to impress. As the latest entry in the series, God of War: Chains of Olympus has a lot of to live up to; do the gods continue their blessings? They most certainly do. The stuff that comes out of every game in the series has always been top notch, and Ready at Dawn's Chains of Olympus is no exception. The hard work put into Chains of Olympus makes us wonder if the developers themselves adhere to the hardened Spartan culture that they so skillfully instilled in Kratos. Like the strictly disciplined Spartans, do these developers kill off straggling animators, modelers, and ilk if production standards are sub par? We only jest of course, but their skill in game design is so analogous to Sparta's warriors it's hard not to try and draw parallels. %Gallery-3212%
Just one more God of War trailer
We're pretty certain this is going to be the last God of War trailer you see before the game's final release in March. Our reviewer is diligently going through the full game right now, but this video showcases some of things we love about Kratos' latest: the magic. They work so seamlessly in the combat, and make Kratos seem even more powerful than ever. Get excited, because this adventure is just around the corner ...
God of War: Chains of Olympus demo now available to download
Today's US PSN update is pretty incredible. Get ready to experience the Chains of Olympus with a free downloadable demo. The PS1 classic, Jet Moto 3, was also added today. It's available for $5.99.
GDC08: God of War developer goes behind-the-scenes
Nathan Phail-Liff held a session at GDC entitled "God of War: Deconstructing an Epic." Through the session, he talked about the development of the game, and gave tips for interested developers on how to make the most out of limited resources.
GDC08: Okami -- wider is better
Click for full resolution image, in all of its 480p glory. Ready at Dawn's upcoming Wii port of Okami is gaining some weight. It's wider than its PS2 predecessor, and filled with so many p's. 480 of them, in fact. Wii owners with progressive cables will definitely want to check out these first direct-feed images from the upcoming port. The PS2 version was already stunning, but having these extra pixels should make it look even more vivid than before. Okami is due out March 25. %Gallery-16455%
Capcom Store offering tiny Okami screens
These thumbnail-size screens are the first we've seen of the actual Wii version of Okami. It looks, for better or worse, just like Okami! There are no obvious graphical improvements, and in fact nothing seems to have changed at all except for the button icons. Oh, and the aspect ratio.These screens don't show the widescreen display option available in Wii Okami. In fact, not only are they 4:3, they're 4:3 with vertical bars. In terms of actual stuff, then, these particular screens come out to like 1.2:1. Capcom confirmed to Kotaku that the game would have 16:9 widescreen capabilities, so these screens may not represent the final product. Enjoy your eyestrain! We did.
Okami Wii shines with new widescreen, progressive scan support
Contrary to what has previously been stated, the Nintendo Wii port of Okami will have some extra frills. A listing on Capcom's website reveals that Clover Studio's masterpiece will now support widescreen (16:9) and 480p progressive scan support. That should give you more than enough reason to finally splurge on some Wii component cables. Developer Ready at Dawn, who is responsible for the port, had previously said the game would be an "exact port" with only Wii remote support added during brush stroke moments. While this isn't new content, the technical improvement is a welcome addition to this visually stunning title. Okam-Wii (not an official title) is due out March 25.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: God of War Chains of Olympus
How long does it take to get to a sex scene with two women? About ten minutes or so. We've playing through God of War: Chains of Olympus, and we are thoroughly impressed. The game starts with a bang -- an incredible cinematic introduction that prepares you for the adventure ahead. Make no mistakes; this is a big-budget affair. Linda Hunt's narration returns for this handheld adventure, and it makes everything feel appropriately epic. Then, the game begins with the same beachfront attack we've all seen in the demo disc. Although the content is the same, there are a few things we happened to notice. For example, the graphics have managed to get even better. There's much more blood, and lighting seems to have improved quite a bit since we saw it last. Even better, the Efreet magic Kratos learns after beating the first real boss has been made much more brutal: using it sets enemies aflame, and you can hear their pained screams as they flail around helplessly. Awesome. %Gallery-3212%
God of War: Chains of Olympus goes gold
We typically don't do posts when games go gold, but Ready at Dawn's declaration that God of War: Chains of Olympus is ready to print on UMDs has two things going for it. First, GoW: Chains of Olympus is arguably the most high-profile PSP release outside Japan EVAR. Second, well, there are just some awesomely fun photos of the team's celebration after the game was finally done.Ready at Dawn's jamboree also means that Chains of Olympus should most definitely make its March 4 release date. Don't have a PSP and still need to get your Kratos on? If the rumor mill holds true the game will see its day on the PS2 at some point in the future. Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn, may your hangovers be kind and gentle.[Via PSP Fanboy]%Gallery-3184%
Ready at Dawn staff gets wasted as God of War goes gold
Congrats to the team at Ready at Dawn. Their game, God of War: Chains of Olympus has finally gone gold. That means its done. Complete. Ready to print. Being sent to stores. Just a few steps away from getting to where it needs to go: in your hands. Celebratory pictures reveal maybe a bit too much champagne; the team has seemingly become completely wasted. Well, you guys deserved a massive celebration! Now, get back to work! Stay tuned as we inch ever closer to God of War's release next month. [Via NeoGAF]
God of War demo discs available at Best Buy
Chains of Olympus draws nearer -- have you given it a play yet? The demo disc has started popping up everywhere, giving gamers that missed a chance to get a demo disc from Sony another shot at giving Kratos' latest adventure a try. Best Buy is offering the demo disc with every pre-order. But why are demo discs becoming a pre-order incentive? What if you don't like the demo? Wouldn't you become more inclined to cancel your reservation? Perhaps the game is so good that canceling a pre-order of God of War would be downright ridiculous. [Thanks, J sax!]
A million new God of War screenshots*
*Not actually a million. But, it's still a lot. With as many screenshots as these, you'll feel like you already have the game. Or not. Drats, Sony! Stop teasing us and give us the game already! Also, check out the new official website for Chains of Olympus. It looks pretty rad. %Gallery-3212%
PSP's Daxter sells 2 million copies in 2 years
Developer Ready at Dawn, currently preparing God of War: Chains of Olympus for March 4 release, announced its freshman effort Daxter has sold over two million copies worldwide. Sure, two million sold for a game which released in 2006 isn't an insane sprint in terms of sales, but it's a marathon victory. The game certainly benefited from being bundled with new PSPs last year, but the developer says Daxter saw its best sales in nearly two years during December '07.Ready at Dawn notes that it can only look forward to GoW: Chains of Olympus doing better than its first project. Considering our experiences with Kratos' handheld adventure so far, there's not too much Ready at Dawn needs to worry about.[Via PSP Fanboy]
Europe to wait for Okami, reckons insider
In news that caused us to throw our heads back and howl loudly at the moon, an "inside source" close to Eurogamer has informed the site that Europeans will have to wait until summer for Okami. According to the latest schedule, the game is still set to appear in the U.S. on March 25th.It's not the first time this has happened with one of Capcom's Wii releases -- Europe may have had only ten days to wait for Resident Evil 4, but Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure took its sweet time getting here, and only launched last week. Then again, the Wii hardly sells in Europe, does it?Aussies, it's not confirmed, but recent history suggests you might be in the same boat. Can you feel the love? Can you?
God of War box art: gotta catch 'em all
The American and European release of God of War: Chains of Olympus will feature the same tasty game core. But, their box arts will be quite different. The American box art is already quite familiar. However, the European art (pictured, above) focuses on Kratos' angry mug. Check out Three Speech for more pictures from the game. And, yes, as expected -- it's still pretty. %Gallery-3212%
