Posts Tagged ‘Video Games’

Preview of Halo Reach initial armor.  Much more information to come after game release! Take a look!

Halo Reach live action trailer released today from Europe’s Gamescon! Not flashy or heavy with action, but still cool. Halo Reach may have more ‘serious’ real-world overtones than expected in a Halo game.

You’ll probably remember playing on this highly lit indoor map from Halo 2. This remake for Halo Reach looks fantastic. Remember?

This generation of gaming consoles will last for some time considering a few big game releases on the horizon in 2011.  Two games, Id software’s Rage and Crytek’s Crysis 2 will be released in September and March of next year.  The current consoles are still powerful enough to run the very high tech game engines for each.  The id Tech 5 for Rage first demonstrated by Carmack himself in 2007 on an 8 core Macintosh with a 512MB Quadro video card is one bad-ass game engine.  It is rumored the engine will also power the hotly anticipated Doom 4 which has been confirmed by id software to be “deep in development.” Also, the Cryengine 3 game engine designed by Crytek will power the long awaited Crysis 2.  This engine is also very powerful and is said to support DirectX 9, 10, and 11.

Not much is known about id software’s next game Rage except that it is a new franchise about a post-apocalyptic world left behind from an asteroid impact. This game will allow the player to fight and drive in a combined first person shooter driving game.  I personally think the game will be much more in-depth than that and will probably include many RPG elements, although car combat and shooting will be at the games core. Rage is a huge game and id did voice some concern early in development whether they could release the game on 2 discs for the Xbox 360.  There are rumors that the 1 Terabyte game could be released on 3 dual layer DVD discs for the Xbox 360 and 1 Blu Ray disc for the PS3. Lately there has been talk that a version of Rage will be released on the iPhone!

Crysis 2 for release on all systems besides the Wii is the other huge release for 2011. Developed by Crytek in Europe the game will follow in the footsteps of the smash PC hit game Crysis.  Crysis is a game that not many people got to experience considering the very powerful and expensive gaming rigs required to run the game.  Very much a first person shooter at its core, Crysis 2 is set in New York city in the year 2023 during an alien invasion.  Combat will be urban in style where you’ll be able to strategically plan your movements and attacks in an evacuated cityscape wearing the high powered Nanosuit 2. Debates about whether the console version of this game will live up to standards is under discussion among gamers.  I was not impressed with the first teaser trailer released early this year for console versions.  Let us hope Crytek won’t disappoint us.  Crytek’s earlier console versions of FarCry and FarCry 2 where not bad so there is hope.  On a final note, the PC version of Crysis 2 will definitely outshine the console for those who can afford the latest and greatest hardware.  If you have an Alienware machine then your in for some awesome eye candy.

Some games that sneak out as little known originals or fantastic revamps of PC games for consoles really get me excited. Dark Star is one of these games for the Xbox 360 that was first released in 2006 for the PC as a star fighter simulation game. The game garnered great reviews for the PC back then, and this version for the Xbox is looking great as well. The game should introduce this generation of console gamers to an older and successful genre of space flight combat.

Dark Star One reminds me of space fighter games like the acclaimed Wing Commander series from the 1990′s played on PC’s.  There aren’t many games of this type released on consoles today and newer PC games of this genre like EVE require some decent hardware performance in order to get the full effect of the space environment.  Finally, we have something to play on consoles that not only looks stunning on an HDTV big screen in 1080p at 60 frames a second, but it is fun to play as well.

Dark Star One: Broken Alliance has depth.  The game follows its predecessor very closely. Space dog fights and exploring planets in the galaxy is something that rarely gets old.  The game is vast in scale offering over 30 hours of single player campaign play with more than 330 unique planets to explore.  The game also allow you to customize your ships with over 200 components.  The story in the game is also very in-depth featuring more than 40 minutes of voice acted cut-scenes and more than 90 minutes of original music score.

Although exploring the galaxy is fun in its own right, space combat is where its at.  Players can shape their own experiences in the game depending on what type of archetype they choose to pursue.  Whether you enjoy playing like a Mercenary or Smuggler is up to you. Over all, the game should satisfy gamers who love sci-fi although the only major complaint about Dark Star is the somewhat cheesy voice acting and somewhat simple and repetitive game-play.  If your a sci-fi fighter combat fan and can overlook some minor faults then your in for a great time!  I suppose the price could be a little lower for a revamped title from 2006.  Decide for yourself if the $50 dollar price is worth it for a game that has changed little except for the introduction of High Definition. Dark Star: Broken Alliance may well be worth the price for over 30 hours of gaming.

British game developer Just Add Water is working with studio Oddworld Inhabitants on several new Oddworld projects.  That is fantastic news!  I would have been excited about just one new Oddworld project.  There are several?  I’m elated!  Just Add Water is making the new games and is licensed on several platforms including the PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC.  We should see Abe and maybe Munche return with renewed vigor.

After Munche’s Odyssey debuted on the original Xbox platform disappointed fans were waiting on the fifth game Squeek’s Odyssey which never debuted.  In the late nineties after several hit side scrolling games for PlayStation were developed, Oddworld Inhabitants transferred its license to Microsoft.  Munche’s Odyssey and Strangers Wrath did average business on the Xbox.  Both games disappointed fans since the games were only available on one platform and the design changed from classic 2D side scroll-er to a 3D design. Stranger’s Wrath further disappointed by jumping onto the First Person Shooter band wagon in 2005 leaving behind its core puzzler game style.  Although both Xbox games were interesting and innovative Oddworld Inhabitants ceased production on further games due to mediocre reviews and declining sales.  The studio decided to shut down and take a multi-year hiatus.  Oddworld Inhabitants is now said to be back working on a movie project with a game tie-in, and another separate game all its own.

Studio Just Add Water (JAW) is working closely with Oddworld Inhabitants since June 2009. That’s just over a year of work on the franchise.  Fans of Oddworld should breath a sigh of relief to know that Oddworld creators Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna have been working closely with JAW. This should ensure the games will remain true to their Oddworld roots and atmosphere.  JAW is the developer of the PlayStation Network and the game Gravity Crash for the PSP.  The studio should be announcing their new projects in coming weeks for multiple platforms starring your favorite Oddworld characters.  Lets see if they show anything this August at Gamescon.  Of note the JAW blog says these guys are true fans of the past Oddworld games.  The franchise is in good hands it seems.

JAW’s director:

“To work with the team at Oddworld has been amazing; being able to tap the minds of Lorne Lanning, Sherry McKenna and others has been fantastic,” said Just Add Water’s Managing Director Stewart Gilray.

“It’s almost symbiotic in that when something moves forward on any of the projects we just start chatting about new items, or what if we do this,” Gilray continued. “We’re all extremely excited to breathe life into the Oddworld universe and indeed to let it breathe life into us.”