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Torchlight (XBLA) preview: Cure for the common controller
Runic Games' Torchlight has received lots of well-deserved acclaim since its release back in October of 2009. It took Diablo's well-traveled hack, slash, and loot action-RPG formula, and updated it with both some solid innovation and a lot of excellent polish. Now, after a lot of promises, Runic is bringing the game to XBLA, and the question is how such a PC-centric title will work on a console. Microsoft let us have some hands-on time this week at CES, and after playing the game for hours on the PC and the better part of an hour on console, I can say the answer is: Pretty well. At this point, I wouldn't call the console version definitive at all -- there are a few quirks in the system like monsters getting caught in corners and some complicated menus (probably a given anyway, as Runic has revamped everything from the original with a brand new interface). But combat works great, the new menu systems are carefully considered and designed, and a vast majority of the PC version's polish shines right through like a Perfect-level gem. %Gallery-112898%
Full House Poker preview: Know when to hold 'em
After leaks about the secret beta appeared way back in November, Microsoft finally unveiled its Full House Poker game during an event at CES this past week, and I sat down with members of the gaming press (and celebrity guest Shannon Elizabeth) to run the Xbox Live Arcade poker title through its paces. The rumors of the game being part of 1 vs. 100's legacy are true. "This is pretty much a spiritual successor" to the popular-in-certain-circles event-based massively multiplayer arcade title, says lead designer John Scott Tynes. But rather than a snappy trivia game show, this is definitely a Texas Hold'em poker game -- there's no celebrity hosts or mob members here. If you don't know your straight flush from your two pair, ace high, the game does have a tutorial to teach you the basic rules, but you'll have to find your own way to figuring out when and how to go all-in. %Gallery-113483%
Beyond Good & Evil HD preview: There is power in numbers (Carlson and Peeters, chapter 21)
In November of 2003, a much younger Ubisoft was launching two high-profile (and excellent!) titles: the Montreal-developed reboot of the Prince of Persia series, subtitled "Sands of Time," and the Montpellier-developed Beyond Good & Evil, the supposed first installment in creator Michel Ancel's planned trilogy. By now, you know how this story goes. The Prince of Persia reboot – fueled by Ubisoft's curiously siloed marketing muscle – was a massive success and spawned two immediate sequels, a 2008 reboot, a 2010 feature film and associated tie-in game. The remainder of the Beyond Good & Evil trilogy? Despite a sequel being announced five years later at Ubisoft's Ubidays event in 2008, the company has subsequently ignored, mismanaged, or forgotten that promise. But now, seven years after both games made their way to retail, we're being treated to HD rereleases and, while Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was released on PS3 as a lazy up-rezzed port (even retaining major bugs from its original release!), Beyond Good & Evil appears to be benefitting from a degree of care (and marketing) it was never afforded in 2003. Talk about karma. %Gallery-112902%
Torchlight coming to Xbox Live Arcade with new content for House Party series
Runic Games has announced that the Diablo-esque RPG Torchlight is coming to Xbox Live Arcade for the upcoming House Party series of releases. The game has apparently been remade to use the Xbox controller (with dual sticks for moving and attacking, bumpers for potions, and hotkeys assigned to triggers and buttons), and given a new interface for the console release. There will also be "new quests, armor sets, weapons, and a new pet" to play with as well. Consider us surprised -- it'll be interesting to see how a very PC title (that's found a lot of success on Steam) fits into Microsoft's arcade lineup. The House Party will start on February 16, and will also include a release of the Beyond Good and Evil HD remake, Hard Corps Uprising, PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz Live, and Full House Poker. That's a quality lineup right there! %Gallery-112898%
