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Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition for Beginners lets you buy just the beginning
For some, the true horror of Resident Evil 4 is never getting to see what happens past the first scene. For those unfortunate would-be Leon Kennedys, Capcom has released yet another version of RE4 to the iPhone App Store -- the second for iPhone and the third for mobile in general. This version adds a new "beginners" difficulty mode, in addition to four other difficulties. It also adds a new "Mercenary Mode," a "Coin Shoot" mode, and a new tutorial. And if you're such a Resident Evil neophyte that you don't even know if you want to play it, you can buy it in chapters. The initial pack includes two chapters for 99 cents, with the rest of the game available via in-app purchase. Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition for Beginners ($0.99): %Gallery-85565% [Via Siliconera]
Take heed of these new Calling screens
Click image to scare up larger screens Hudson's banking that you'll want to sample its brand of "traditional survival-horror" in Calling. Make all of the jokes you want about the game's phoney nature; what we've seen so far is downright creepy. And in the interest of getting your week off on a frightful foot, we've rummaged around in Hudson's creepy old mansion to secure some more screens, which you can find in the gallery below. %Gallery-84947%
Climax: We want to make another Silent Hill
We always suspected we had nothing in common with Silent Hill: Shattered Memories developer Climax. We crave Coke, they prefer Pepsi. We swoon for Daniel Craig, they say George Lazenby is the best. We say tomato, they say ... well, that one works better when you say it out loud. Finally, though, we've found something we agree on: We both want them to make another Silent Hill game. Speaking with the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, lead designer Sam Barlow said, "For us we felt we've put our stamp on the series with Shattered Memories so we'd love the opportunity to do another one. So everybody go and buy it!" He's absolutely right, you should do that this moment. ... Hey! That's more common ground already. [Via Nintendo Everything]
Smile! Fatal Frame 4 fan translation available
A dedicated team of homebrewers has done what Nintendo and Tecmo never did: translate Fatal Frame IV. A team at Fatal Frame fansite Beyond the Camera's Lens has released a patch that swaps out the Japanese text in the Tecmo/Nintendo/Grasshopper Manufacture-developed Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse with its own translated English text and allows the Japanese disc to be loaded in other regions' Wiis. The best part? It runs from an SD card on any Wii -- no matter which region, and without the need for modding. We suspect sites like Play-Asia and YesAsia are about to experience a significant increase in the number of orders for this 2008 survival horror game. [Thanks, Antares Meketa!]
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This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Calling has a story
It seems the Nintendo Channel is still in vacation mode, because there isn't much in the way of new content this week. Sure, there's some No More Heroes 2 footage to check out -- odds are you've already seen it on our site -- but the only genuinely new and interesting video is the story trailer above for Hudson's survival-horror game, Calling. Check it out then be sure to head past the break for the full list of this week's content. %Gallery-67748%
Alan Wake teaser shows us the power of light
Light is, by most accounts, a pretty good thing. It's warm, it makes plants grow and, perhaps most importantly, allows us to see. At least, that was its most important function. Now, thanks to Alan Wake, we know that light's ultimate purpose is to disintegrate monsters. In the small mountain town of Bright Falls, a simple flashbang becomes a weapon of mass destruction and an ordinary road flare is transmogrified from a beacon of hope to a harbinger of doom. If you don't believe us, check out the new teaser -- part of a week-long Alan Wake feature at 1UP -- after the break.
Dead Space 2 announced for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360
Not official art, actually Do us a favor and read the following sentence really slowly -- seriously, savor it. It's been hinted and teased at enough to give the world's remaining necromorphs a heart attack, but Dead Space 2 has finally been officially announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Now, you might be wondering why you had to take your time with that easily understandable sentence. Well ... we don't really have anything else to tell you. It's still Visceral, it's still Isaac Clark, it's still the necromorph invasion. We don't even have a release window. The best thing EA has to say is, "Survival isn't the only thing on Isaac's mind in Dead Space 2 – this time, he calls the shots," which makes it sound like our engineer protagonist dumped his abusive boyfriend and moved to the big city to work in an office pool with Dolly Parton and Morgan Fairchild. ... Actually, that sounds pretty good.
Hands-on: Dementium 2 (DS)
Having not played Renegade Kid's first survival/horror-FPS on the Nintendo DS back in 2007, Dementium: The Ward, I had few expectations going into my recent hands-on with the game's sequel, the aptly titled Dementium 2. I knew that the first game enjoyed critical acclaim for more than adequately bringing survival/horror tropes to Nintendo's handheld, and ultimately scored pretty well with reviewers, but ever since Metroid Prime Hunters I've been wary of first-person mechanics on the DS. Thankfully, when first faced with manipulating Dementium 2's main character, it became quickly obvious that the game's slow pace helps to account for any discomfort issues that might arise from the control scheme. Over the course of 45 minutes, I put together puzzles, traveled between two dimensions multiple times, and even fought a boss who tried to throw up on me from the ceiling (what a jerk!). Though its content and storytelling seems to be a carefully crafted amalgam of games from the three or so genres it mashes up (fps, adventure, survival/horror) – a handheld Half-Life meets Silent Hill on Monkey Island, almost – the time I spent with a preview build of Dementium 2 earlier today felt like the beginning of what could be a very interesting game. %Gallery-78630%
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories debuts on Wii Dec. 8
It looks like GameStop got it right, as IGN reports that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will arrive on the Wii on December 8. The PS2 and PSP versions have yet to be given solid release dates, with Konami promising to reveal further information at a later time. Given the Wii version's proximity to the holiday shopping season, it sounds like PSP and PS2 players can consider their sanity safe until 2010 -- though not long after, considering our experience with the PSP version at Tokyo Game Show. Wii owners, on the other hand, should start preparing now by stocking up on flashlights, blankets and plenty of batteries. Just remember, so long as you're completely covered they can't get you. Braver readers might consider perusing some of our terrifying Shattered Memories preview coverage.
New Hudson survival horror trailers are Calling
Hudson released a pair of trailers for Calling, due out in Japan on November 19. We don't know if this will reflect on the actual scare content of the game, but the trailer above is creeeepy, bearing all the hallmarks of Japanese horror -- by which we mean terrifying little girls getting in your face, and that weird head-rattling motion (in this case performed by dolls). After the break, see another video demonstrating gameplay. Not only can the Wiimote be used to simulate the in-game cell phone, but apparently that phone can be used as a teleportation device? But ... that would only be possible if you were some kind of ghost. We're scared. %Gallery-67748%
Ignition and Marvelous have a Deadly Premonition
Ignition Entertainment, partnering with recent publisher BFF Marvelous Entertainment, has announced a new survival horror game for Xbox 360 called Deadly Premonition. The game is the second original work from Access Games, who created the PS2 stealth game Spy Fiction, and also codeveloped The Sky Crawlers and Ace Combat X. The game stars an FBI agent investigating a murder in Silent Hill a rural town full of unexplained events, mysterious characters, and, apparently, dripping blood. It will feature exploration and driving in addition to fighting creepy Jawas. Ignition predicts an early 2010 release. If this game looks familiar to you, you have a really good memory! It was announced back in 2007 as Rainy Woods, and was a multiplatform release at the time. It's now been renamed and targeted just at the 360. %Gallery-77892%
Forget about buying Silent Hill: Shattered Memories before November
Though it fails to offer a precise date, Nintendo's packed holiday release schedule has confirmed a November debut for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the frigid re-imagining of the PlayStation survival-horror classic. GameStop, which is currently offering a Silent Hill soundtrack CD as a pre-order incentive, expects the game to arrive on November 3rd. According to producer Tomm Hulett, "If you've played the PlayStation game to death, you still have no idea what to expect for Shattered Memories." Oh, and definitely don't expect Dahlia to be a robot in this one. We made sure about that.
Capcom reveals the outside packaging for Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
The North American box art for Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as posted on Capcom-Unity today, is very blue. We suspect its overwhelming, vivid blueness will draw attention from retail shoppers. Once they focus more on the luminous blue object on the shelf, they'll see Leon Kennedy (last seen holding a gun in a somewhat different position on the RE4 Wii Edition box) and Claire Redfield in the front, and Code Veronica's Steve Burnside (who may as well be Leon) and ... some guy in the background. Also, zombies.See the full box art after the break!%Gallery-47570%
Resident Evil 5 shambles onto PC Sept. 15
This is one of those utilitarian posts where there's not a whole lot more information to impart to you after you've read the headline. Resident Evil 5. PC. Sept. 15. Fin.OK, well, we guess we could tell you that you can run the PC version in stereoscopic 3D with GeForce 3D Vision glasses. There are also new costumes and an improved mercenaries mode with three times as many not-zombies to murder.See, that other stuff was barely enough for a paragraph. However, this has now become a not inconsiderable block of text, and we feel perfectly comfortable moving on, confident that you, the reader, have gotten your money's worth. Good day.
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Hudson officially reveals Wii survival-horror 'Calling'
Click image to call forth more screens Joystiq [Nintendo] frequenters likely remember Calling being outed way back when. Now it's back, with Hudson finally getting around to officially announcing the thing. Outside of a vague release of Spring 2010, Hudson was thankfully able to provide us with some worthwhile info on the game's content.Hudson is calling it a "traditional survival-horror" game, with the story involving the dead luring the living to isolated locales for some unspeakable acts of evil (they're going to make them watch Postal?). The game will feature the perspectives of multiple characters, and in the gallery of fresh screens below we get a glimpse at one particularly frightened young man. We're pretty sure he's scared of that teddy bear-wielding ghoul behind him, if not the telemarketer who just asked him if he's happy with his long distance provider.%Gallery-67748%
Interview: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett
When it was first revealed, we gave Silent Hill: Shattered Memories a bit of a cold shoulder. Gone was the established story that had first introduced us to the world's creepiest town, reinterpreted with altered characters and a new otherworld that ditched darkness and rust in favor of jutting glaciers and vaguely menacing snowflakes. Thankfully, our experience with the game at E3 revived our expectations, even if it was at the expense of whole memories.We later had the opportunity to speak to producer Tomm Hulett, who elaborated on why we should call Shattered Memories a re-imagining -- and not a remake:You're making Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and you're tying it to the first game. Harry Mason is back, but you're calling it a re-imagining, you're not saying "remake." Is that a bad word?Right, that's a curse word. [laughs] By re-imagining, like you said, we've got the premise of the first game: you're Harry Mason, you're looking for your daughter Cheryl. Beyond that we've changed and updated it, so it's an entirely new experience. If you've played the PlayStation game to death, you still have no idea what to expect for Shattered Memories. We did that because, on the Wii, maybe there's a lot of people who haven't played any Silent Hill games, so it wasn't really fair to say, "Here's the sequel to Homecoming, enjoy yourself." But then, returning fans, they've played the first game, they've played Origins, they've seen the movie, and they've played Silent Hill 3 and it all kind of revolves around the events of the first game. So they wouldn't really want to play a remake and so, by re-imagining it, there's new content -- if you've never played it before, of course, it's new to you -- but then, there's also this extra layer of new content if you're returning, because you get to experience all these things that are different from what you're expecting. And that really fits the theme of Silent Hill, which is this place where your reality is subjective and you don't know what to expect. We've built that into the game if you're a returning fan.
Bleszinski not working on survival horror game, not sick of Gears yet
We've heard a number of rumors claiming Mr. Clifford B. was preparing to eschew his chainsawgun-heavy namesake in favor of one more spooky. However, these rumors were recently crushed between Bleszinski's manly, well-maintained jaws during an interview with OXM, in which he explains he's "not making a horror game next," because, well, "Gears is very much near and dear" to him.While news that Bleszinski's next project won't contain ammo conservation or purposefully poor lighting may seem like the biggest news to come out of the interview, the real sizzler arises three questions later, when Bleszinski proudly admits, "I'm a giant douchebag." (No, we're not making that up. Promise!)
Left 4 Dead 2 cover changed to appease ESRB
Poor Valve, it just can't catch a break. At this year's E3, it revealed what should have been one of the more pleasant surprises of the show in Left 4 Dead 2, only to have a bunch of angry folks cry "boycott." Then, it put out box art for the game, only to have the ESRB flip out over something as silly as two chewed-off fingers.As you can see above, Valve had to dial the gore back, with the two offending fingers now bent back. Oddly enough, there were no issues with the thumb, which makes us think the ESRB is composed of a bunch of Steve Oedekerk haters.
Hands-on: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)
"I've heard 'Shat-On Memories.' That's a good one," remarks Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett, taking the complaints from the so-called "unreasonable" Silent Hill fans in stride. Remaking -- or "re-imagining," rather -- a horror classic is no easy task, least of all when the leading platform's scariest trait is its abundance of minigames. Calling it a re-imagining seems appropriate, with familiar characters and themes returning in unfamiliar ways, but that belies the fact that the upcoming Wii title (PSP and PS2 versions are also en route) is the freshest and riskiest Silent Hill game to come along in years. Conveying an intense, unnerving experience in the din of E3 is like reciting a poem behind an airplane barreling down a runway. The packed show floor, filled with colossal sub-woofers and eccentric excessiveness, couldn't be a less ideal place to play a survival-horror title. And yet, despite the copious distractions and some truly awkward sensor bar placement, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories managed to fool us -- if ever so briefly -- into thinking we were skulking around the world's least hospitable and most perplexing town. %Gallery-49995%
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is ... mom-friendly?
Not even Silent Hill is afraid of the Wii's casual audience. Speaking to Joystiq during E3 2009, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories producer Tomm Hulett described the game as being very much a true franchise entry (and we can attest to that!), but one that would enjoy the benefits of a wider audience and an intuitive control system on the Wii."For the casual gamer, we say this like it's strange, but casual gamers go to horror movies," he explained. "There's a reason that we all started playing survival horror -- it was new and different and, 'Oh, it's like a scary movie that I play.'" According to Hulett the game's control system, which thrusts the Wiimote into the role of a flashlight, is intuitive enough to accommodate ... your mom. "I've had my mom try it out and she only plays Animal Crossing, but she can walk around as Harry Mason and run from creatures. It's really easy to pick up and play. If there's a casual gamer who enjoys going to the movies and seeing The Ring, they can go to the store afterward and buy Silent Hill and have a horror experience at home."Well, as long as they don't pick up The Room. That's a different kind of horror experience at home.%Gallery-49995% %Gallery-65287%
