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TGS 2009: Hands-on with Dante's Inferno in the Land of the Lust
We've talked up Dante's Inferno and its similarities to God of War before -- and not much has changed in that regard in the game's latest build. So, instead of going deep into the gameplay here, we'll focus on the content we saw in the new level, based on the sin of "Lust." It's quite the hellish journey, especially for the folks at the ESRB. (Just a warning: despite our best efforts, given the subject matter, some of the content described might be considered NSFW. Read on at your own risk.) %Gallery-45836%
TGS 2009: Kojima toyed with shocking, 'transforming' controllers for MGS4
In one of a series of videos released by Microsoft of developers offering their thoughts on Project Natal, Kenichiro Imaizmu, producer of the Metal Gear Solid series at Kojima Productions, revealed that Hideo Kojima had been leading the design of a custom controller for use with Metal Gear Solid 4. As Imaizumi described, the ideas were figuratively -- and literally -- shocking. "We tried running electric shock waves, install a pulse reader ... we also tried to build a controller that's receptive to the strength of the [player's] grip," he divulged. "We tried a lot, even a transforming controller." While it's too bad the truly shocking DualShock will never see the light of day, at least we may now know where Nintendo got the idea for its pulse reader: Kojima's dumpster ...Back to the video, Imaizumi also extolled the virtues of Project Natal, mentioning its ability for gesture, voice and color-based interaction. But, as far as we know, Natal doesn't have the ability to zap players with electric shocks. That's just never gonna happen. (Uh-oh ... did we just say -- yep. Never say never again.)
Overheard@TGS: A high five from the real Dante
"Well, you know, I do think Dante would approve of our game. He was a man ahead of his time," supposed a Dante's Inferno developer about Dante Alighieri, author of 14th-century epic poem the Divine Comedy; the first part, Inferno, serving as the game's source material ... in theory.
TGS 2009: Hands-on: Okamiden
I've waited in long lines for two things at TGS: the Level-5 demo session, which has been packed since the first minutes of the show, and Okamiden, which required more standing around than I expected. How can the sequel to a game that is regarded as a sales failure, developed by someone else, be such a massive draw to the TGS crowd? Perhaps the adorable Chibiterasu and Kuninushi statues inside the demo area helped bring people in. Or maybe people are just way into sitting down -- an amenity offered (and required) by both the Level-5 and the Okamiden demo.
TGS 2009: Motion-controlled Resident Evil 5 caught on video
Remember when it was first announced that Resident Evil 5 wasn't coming to the Wii, and fans got really upset, because Resident Evil 4 on the Wii was totally awesome? It seems that decision wasn't made due to Capcom's oversight of said awesomeness -- rather, it looks like they chose to bring that experience to the PS3 with the ball-pointed PlayStation Motion Controller. Seriously, check out this gameplay sample (video posted after the break) from Sony's TGS keynote and tell us that doesn't look exactly like RE4 on the Wii. Okay, the PS3 version is significantly prettier -- and due to the fact that Sony's controller has no nunchuck (which forces the player to hold a SIXAXIS in one hand and the wand in another) the controls look a bit more awkward this time around. [Via VG247]
Don't expect old 360 games to add Natal support
Speaking to Destructoid, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda had some bad news for gamers hoping to see old Xbox 360 game updated with Natal controls. The Natal team has been able to effectively implement motion controls in older titles -- like Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme -- but Tsunoda intimated that it required large portions of code to be changed. According to Tsunoda, it's not something that developers could easily patch into older titles. In other words, if you want your favorite pre-Natal title to support motion control, you'll have to hope for a full-fledged re-release from the publisher. That's definitely a blow for those hoping to enjoy some of their favorite games with motion control, especially considering Sony can patch motion control into older PS3 titles. Here's hoping Namco sees the light and releases Beautiful Natal-amari once Project Natal hits retail shelves.
Find out what Ezio's deal is in this Assassin's Creed II trailer
Ever wonder what makes someone become an assassin? It's really not the kind of job one finds at a career fair. No, it's really more of a vocation that one is compelled to do. For one Ezio Auditore di Firenze, lead character of Assassin's Creed II, the reasons are very, very personal. We'd hate to spoil it for you, so go ahead and watch the latest trailer, fresh from the Tokyo Game Show.
Joystiq vs. TGS 2009: Day Two
Another day, another video of Joystiq on the streets of Chiba! Day Two of TGS 2009 proved to be more eventful than the first as our gaggle of bloggers split up to tackle the laundry list of titles available to play on the show floor -- and some that weren't!You wanna know what it feels like to be Joystiq staff? It's murder on your feet!
TGS 2009: Hands-on: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom vs. that guy from Dead Rising
My usual delight in playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars was tempered by a note of skepticism at TGS. I knew that the build being offered would include Frank West. He's an admirable character, to be sure, and skilled at using retail goods to fend off hordes of zombies, but I wasn't sure his improvisational violence would translate well to the hand-to-hand, superhero-vs-superhero combat in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.Let's face it, the cel-shaded Frank in this game doesn't look great. All the other characters look like excellent 2D sprites, but Frank looks like a weird 3D model. However, Capcom has made a respectable fighting-game character out of Frank; one that borrows from an obvious source in Capcom fighting game crossover history: Marvel vs. Capcom 2's Jill Valentine. Frank shares Jill's ability to summon a zombie from either side of the screen, which will grapple with the opponent (or Frank) upon contact.%Gallery-73852%
TGS 2009: Koei announces Dynasty Warriors Online for PS3
Even from our poorly lit offices, some 6,500 miles away from the Tokyo Game Show floor, we heard shouts of jubilation coming from the Koei stage. The reason for the uproar was due to the announcement made just moments before: Dynasty Warriors Online, an MMO-Samurai-Warfare-Sim for PC, will be making its way to PS3 next year in Japan. Wait. We hear those cheers again! Man, our windows are closed! What's going on? Details about the title are few, though the official DWO teaser site confirms that while the title will get a retail release, players won't have to shell out for any irksome subscription fees. Instead, Koei will be supported by the community's purchase of Musou Coins, which can be spent on special items and furniture. Furniture? Does this mean we'll finally be able to play as ... the Ottoman Empire?
TGS 2009: Watch a Crackdown 2 deathmatch
One of the biggest surprises to come out of TGS 2009 is the presence of Crackdown 2 -- and it's playable! While the Ruffian Games developed sequel was only just announced at E3, Microsoft decided to let press in Tokyo step into an early build of the new Pacific City. Some textures were missing, and a few glitches popped up, but it was to be expected in what we were told was a game "roughly at 60 percent" complete. Stay tuned, we'll post our impressions soon, along with an interview with Ruffian lead designer Steve Iannetta. (Oh, and just in case you were wondering: we mopped the floor with the competition.) %Gallery-74365%
TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!)
Explaining Project Natal's mantra of fun and accessibility can't be the easiest task in the world, especially since it has to be done while ricocheting about in front of a motion-detecting camera. And despite that, creative director Kudo Tsunoda makes it look easy, calmly elaborating on Natal's goals and features while he dances about in a room full of journalists. We've heard it before: Natal is Microsoft's sledgehammer, swung straight into the walls that years of button pressing and circle strafing have slowly erected around traditional gaming. We've seen similar attacks from Nintendo's Wii, as well as from the massive genre of the Instrument Protagonist, but Microsoft is hoping for much more than a dent. In the wall. Do you get it? It's like a metaphor and stuff. The bizarre problem with Natal in its early state is that it, um, works. The technology is clearly functional -- heck, it's vaguely magical -- which makes the absence of truly compelling software almost immediately disappointing. Anyone can simply hop in front of the camera, which never seems to stop and ask, "Who are you and where did you come from -- and why are you so fat compared to the last person?" You're recognized within seconds and can start playing a moment later. And then you slap flying balls. It's a bit of an unfair demand considering the product's not due until 2010, but the impatience is testament to the convincing nature of the technology itself. In the meantime, Microsoft is exploring Natal's tricks in two existing games: Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme. %Gallery-48663%
Overheard@TGS: Putting the 'crack' in Crackdown 2
During a behind-closed-doors presentation of Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games lead designer Steve Iannetta broke it down like this: "The orbs are the 'crack,' in Crackdown." It's true, and Iannetta says that orb fiends will not be disappointed when they go hunting for the returning collectible in Crackdown 2. Stay tuned for gameplay footage and our hands-on impressions of the upcoming sandbox title. %Gallery-74365%
TGS 2009: Hands-on: Dead Rising 2's 'Terror is Reality'
Terror. Is. Reality. Don't believe us? Check out the new trailer, which we just witnessed (and caught on camera) at Capcom's Dead Rising 2 event in Tokyo. You don't want to miss Keiji Inafune's posh yellow jacket as he introduces the clip. The event is a junket unlike any other at Tokyo Game Show this year. Capcom (with the help of Microsoft) took over a restaurant/bar in Ebisu, promising free food and drinks to all attendees -- with the promise of a two-of-a-kind yellow jacket at stake for the person who wins tonight's Dead Rising 2 mutliplayer tournament. Yeah, multiplayer. Long hinted at, we finally had a chance to play the game's competitive multiplayer mode. It certainly wasn't what we were expecting. You take control of one of four participants in a zombie-ridden game show called "Terror Is Reality." Players will compete in four different minigames, each of which takes a different spin on Dead Rising's zombie-smashing gameplay. %Gallery-44178%
Overheard@TGS: At least someone's happy ...
While rushing to make an appointment to get hands-on time with Crackdown 2, we overheard two Microsoft exhibitors discussing the reception of the recently released Forza Motorsport 3 demo.Microsoft Rep #1: "Seems like a lot of people like the demo."Microsoft Rep #2: "Yeah, well we really like that GT5 release date!"With Gran Turismo 5 launching in 2010, it looks like Forza Motorsport 3 won't have much traffic to contend with when it launches this October. And boy, is Microsoft happy about it.
Video: a brief history of game console teardowns
Granted, none of these are teardowns we haven't already seen ad nauseam, but seeing every Sony and Microsoft console ripped to shreds and placed side-to-side in a series of glass cases is still a sight to behold. Peruse the display yourself, found at Tokyo Game Show and shown courtesy of the Museum of GAME Science, in a video tour after the break.
TGS 2009: Why Epic Games briefly gave up on Gears of War 2's Japanese release
"Our experience with the first Gears of War was very frustrating," Dr. Michael Capps said at his Gears of War panel at Tokyo Game Show. He noted that translating into Japanese is no problem, but passing the censors? "Huge problem," echoing the sentiments of Square Enix's Yoichi Wada yesterday. Essentially, Epic was forced into making two different games: "Japan version and 'rest of the world' version'" A separate team was needed in customizing content and removing much of the violence featured in the game. "Every Title Update, and all Downloadable content, had to be done twice."In spite of all the effort, Japanese sales of the first GoW represented "less than 1% of Gears sales worldwide," prompting Epic Games to simply give up on working on a Japanese version of the sequel. "We could never make a version for Japan that would fit our creative vision," Capps said, content with avoiding a Japanese release of GoW2."But our fans in Japan were very vocal about playing the new game." According to Capps, about 50,000 Japanese fans in Japan imported the game from America. With encouragement from Microsoft Japan, the team discovered that censorship had become a bit more lax since the release of the first game. Development ended, with a Japanese release of GoW2 in July, over half a year after the US release. Capps was happy with getting the critical reception in Japan, but the trials of the Gears of War franchise show the continuing problem of games censorship in Japan.
TGS 2009: Impressions: Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Guess Square Enix lied when they said they weren't going to be showing off Final Fantasy Versus XIII at Tokyo Game Show this year. Once again, the company continued its Closed Theater antics by ... well, having one.This year's trailer for the still-only-for-PS3 Versus XIII broke the mold of all the previous ones by focusing exclusively on gameplay (gasp!). The trailer is barely a trailer at all, absent of the fancy editing and slick text overlays so common in a Square Enix trailer. Instead, we're treated to handicam footage of the game running off of a TV. The footage isn't particularly interesting: we see Noctis running through many different kinds of environments, such as European-inspired towns to grassy green fields that look like they're ripped straight from Final Fantasy XIII.Unfortunately, the trailer didn't answer the one question all Square Enix fans have on their minds: what will it play like? Sure, we know he can run, but we'd love to see how this trailer translates to gameplay (if at all!). This secret trailer reveal at TGS did answer one though, though: Versus XIII is actually in development and, from the looks of things, may be farther along than any of us had expected.
TGS 2009: Capcom bringing Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes and Ghost Trick to NA, Europe
A deluge of Capcom media arrived from the Tokyo Game Show today -- so much, in fact, that we nearly forgot to tell you the Japanese publisher announced intentions to bring Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes and Ghost Trick to North America and Europe in 2010. Traditionally, the Sengoku Basara series (think Dynasty Warriors, but from Capcom) hasn't been published outside of Japan, but with the game's third installment Capcom has decided to bring the game worldwide for the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii (thrilling trailer above). While we don't have any video for Ghost Trick (there are screens below), we know it comes from the same folks who worked on Capcom's Ace Attorney series. Apparently players will be controlling the ghost of a recently passed gentleman, piecing together clues to solve his own murder. That's some trick, you crazy ghost! Sorry, we're done channeling Brian Fellows now. %Gallery-73943% %Gallery-73939%
TGS 2009: Impressions: Toy Soldiers (XBLA)
While it has become an extremely popular style of game over the last few years, tower defense titles have always struck me as a boring concept, personally. Perhaps it's my penchant for firing weapons at moving targets in first-person, but I can't really articulate my lack of enthusiasm for the strategy-style gameplay. My initial reaction to Toy Soldiers -- a tower defense game in a World War I setting -- in a behind-closed-doors Microsoft demo? Snore. Imagine my surprise, then, that I soon got genuinely excited to play the game when it lands sometime next year.%Gallery-73953%
