Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, of course. Activision has a history of creating amusing live action spots for their cash cow, so why should MW3 be any different?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases on November 8. Hey, that's this week! Preorder now, if you haven't already. That is of course, providing you're not content with your purchase of Battlefield 3. Or not planning to throw every waking hour of your winter away on Skyrim.
One of my favorite things to do in SoulCalibur IV was create characters. I spent hours and hours creating everyone from Batman and Joker, to Magneto, the cast of Samurai Champloo, even myself and all my friends. The character creation utility was not the most robust, but the sheer amount of clothing and armor options available meant it was possible to create just about anyone you could think of. It looks like Project Soul has outdone themselves this time.
I realize this character creation trailer may be a hard trailer to watch, as it's a) upwards of 5 minutes long, and b) filled with silly Japanese humor, but sit through it, it's worth it. In addition to the wealth of armor and clothing that is no doubt available, you're now given an amazing level of control to finetune your character exactly as you'd like. Adjust individual body parts, place special customization pieces anywhere on your body or armor, change clothing colors and patterns, scale the patterns, change the color of your weapon effects, sky's the limit pretty much! In addition to creating new characters, you can even change existing characters to to fit whatever ridiculous standards you may hold them to. Mitsurugi in a leopard print dress? Ivy with a negative bra size? Go nuts!
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the amount of characters one can create on a single profile. SoulCalibur IV was capped at 50, which was no where near enough. I've put the question out to Project Soul, so hopefully they respond with news. Regardless, SoulCalibur V is going to be dope, and the character creation only reinforces that. SCV drops on January 31, 2012. Save the date!
Here it is, kids. Rockstar has finally released the first trailer for GTA V, and I must say, I am disappoint. Of course, no post about a Rockstar title would be complete without my infamous jaded eye toward the well-recieved juggernaut. It's been a long running friendly feud between R* and myself since I was completely underwhelmed by Red Dead Redemption. Though I was worried about L.A. Noire, and that turned out to be a great game, so anything can happen.
Grand Theft Auto V brings the series back to the West Coast, in what appears to be Los Santos, the fictional equivalent of Los Angeles. If we're to judge by the trailer, I'd say the character speaking is a man of Hispanic descent. He makes it very clear that he's relocated to Los Santos to find a better life for himself and his family, though if this is a GTA game, we know he'll end up becoming involved in some illegal hijinks somehow.
Is it too early to pass judgement? Of course. Though this whole 'former criminal trying to start a new life only to be dragged back into crime' angle is way overplayed, especially in the Grand Theft Auto series. That said, I still don't know 99.9% of the story behind Rockstar's latest. There were some rumors about multiple protagonists, so maybe - hopefully - one of them will come from a different pedigree, who knows. I will say the graphics look incredible, while sticking to the GTA style that fans of the series have come to love. Also, funky music. I can fux with it.
Growing up, I loved fighter jets, the open blue sky, and explosions. Aside from having an active imagination, I have Ace Combat to thank for that. Not sure how or why I acquired the first Ace Combat game back in 1995 - known then as Air Combat - but I did, and it was good. Fast forward to the year 2011, some 5 or 6 home console sequels later. Having not played any of Namco's recent air dominance titles, I wasn't too sure what to expect from Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. After having logged hours in the sky, I can easily say Assault Horizon offers a surprisingly complex and unique experience that I will continue to revisit in the next few weeks, even ahead of Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3.
I'm finally getting the chance to experiment with something I've been wanting to try for a very long time. Last week, I was sent a review copy of Go Vacation for Wii, courtesy of my chums at Namco Bandai Games. The problem is, my Wii has been broken for months, so this fun little title is going to waste in my possession. Rather than cry myself to sleep while spooning the unopened copy of what is surely Namco Bandai's opus, I'm reaching out for your help, dear reader.
Here's the plan: leave a comment below. If you're a regular reader, you know the drill for OBG giveaways. I'd like your comment to be on topic, so if you should feel inclined, let me know what your dream destination to Go Vacation would be. Or, just say something along the lines of "ii want a frii Wii game." I don't discriminate. HOWEVER! The winner MUST supply a review of the game, to be featured on OBG. This review can be anything you'd like; a write up, a song, a youtube video, a series of comic panels, whatever. All I ask is that you carry this out if you win. Honor system bros, we're bringing it back!
In a perfect world, the winner will be a family of gaming parents with an excitable, hyper-cute little offspring, but I'm sure the odds of that are slim to none. So, no matter who you are, where you live, or how bad you smell, this contest is open to you, provided you are willing to do the review! Depending on how well this goes, it may become a regular operation here, so maybe this time next year I'll want to get 10 user reviews of Call of Duty: Modern Ops 4. You never know, right?
Terms Winner to be chosen on 10/30/11. Winner's review must be solely their own, plagiarism will not be accepted. Written reviews must be under 1,000 words, and can be accompanied by images of winner's choice (keep it clean, people!) Audio/video reviews must be under 5 minutes. Audio reviews can be accompanied by images of the winner's choice. Additional forms of review will be accepted after approval. Try breaking the game down into 10 haiku, for instance. Review must be completed no more than 2 weeks after receiving the game. Winner is free to submit any personal information they would like published along with their review (website, Facebook, Raptr profile, etc.) Exceptional work will be considered for future collaboration, pending mutual interest. No purchase necessary. Offer expires while you wait, operators are standing by. Good luck!
I finally got an opportunity to play Star Wars: The Old Republic, much to my joy. BioWare's latest take on the Star Wars universe just happens to be one of my most anticipated games in a winter season jam-packed with quality titles, so you can guess how excited I was for this hands on. Though I played both PvE and PvP, this article will focus mostly on PvP. I don't think I can convey an adequate measure of the PvE aspect due to a few factors: limited time, lack of party or companions, and starting from an incredibly low level, which veteran MMO players know to be one of the slowest parts of the game. So without further ado, let's talk player vs. player!
While waiting the 30 minute queue, I befriended a fellow World of Warcraft alumni who was just ahead of me on line. Our two-man party made its way toward the entry of SWTOR's massive PC complex, which easily housed at least 30 stations running the game at max settings. As the last two to make it into the current session, we couldn't really choose which class we played, as classes were predetermined by which station you manned. My compatriot took control of the Gunslinger, an advanced Smuggler class who dual-wields blasters and comes equipped with a variety of tricks. After he was seated, I was informed by the helpful staff - who don't head count especially well - that there were no more available stations and I would have to wait until the next session. Nuts, but I made the best of my time by observing the Gunslinger in action.
The players of this current session were dropped into a match of Huttball; The Old Republic's official sport, which lead writer Daniel Erickson described as football almost exactly, complete with player positions for the classes. The match is between two teams of 8, on a playing field littered with an assortment of traps and pitfalls. I spotted vents of highly damaging fire, movement slowing pits of acid, and high-pressure air vents which propel the player into the air and has a chance of dropping you into one of the aforementioned death traps. At the beginning of the match, a ball spawns in the middle of the field. The first to touch the ball becomes the carrier, and is tasked to deliver the ball into the opposing team's base, which acts as an end zone. If you kill the man with the ball, you become the carrier. As the carrier, you can attack and use skills as normal, and can also pass the ball off to a teammate in case the pressure of having the entire opposing team's crosshairs on you is too much to bear. A single team can consist of both Republic and Empire combatants, but only same faction players can party to enter the war zone together. It pays, however, to know your team. A lightly armored Jedi Sage may not be who you want attempting to blitz the opponent's end zone. The Sith Warrior makes a strong running back, due in part to good defensive capabilities and Force Leap, an attack that propels the player at his target, who is in the direction of the end zone, ideally. A Jedi Consular, in addition to healing, can use an area-of-effect Force Push which can keep melee heat off of the ball runner. Huttball is one instance where working with the enemy can be beneficial.
As Huttball ended, players shuffled out of BioWare's brief abode of bliss with mostly all positive reactions. After watching the entire preceding match, I was electrically charged to get on the mouse and keys. As the first person in, I had pick of the litter among the classes. Boba Fett fanboy that I am, I chose to play a Bounty Hunter, which is a class I was leaning toward to start my adventure in The Old Republic anyway. The real decision came between advanced Bounty Hunter classes: Mercenary, ranged DPS dynamo akin to Jango Fett, or Powertech, defensive juggernaut akin to Boba. My choice was simple. I always thought Jango was a bitch anyway. Once the players were set, we were thrust into the Alderaan war zone, which played a bit like a 'territories' game type. Teams began play away from the battlefield, and mounted speeders to be automatically flown to one of three turrets of their choice. After a short period spent to capture the turret, it would fall under your faction's control, and begin firing on the opposing faction's transport ship, which is chilling in low orbit. The more turrets you hold, the sooner your faction will win.
In the Alderaan war zone, my Powertech was impressive, raking an 11:3 kill-to-death ratio. He chipped away at enemy health from distance with wrist-mounted rockets and his trusty blaster, and when the enemy got up close and personal they were greeted by a flamethrower and a rocket punch to the teeth. It took about 2 or 3 enemies to take the Powertech down, a testament to his defensive capabilities, especially with his shield buff active. I would usually stay at a distance from the turret and attempt to pick off the Republic do-gooders, usually pulling them away from their objective one at a time, which is where the Powertech excels it seems. I made a point of asking every Old Republic staffer which class they preferred playing as, and the response was surprisingly well spread out. Not once did I receive the same answer, which means either there is incredible character balance, or those dudes are very well trained to tell players what we want to hear. According to Mr. Erickson, 6 of the 8 playable classes can be played as either tanks or healers, meaning you won't often find a shortage of two of the most important in-game roles.
What I think is one of the coolest parts of the PvP experience is the level playing field that BioWare has created. Players can PvP beginning at level 10, and the war zones are built with players ranging from the entry level of 10 to the level cap of 50. Base stats are evened out, so a level 10 and level 50 may have the same amount of base HP and other attributes, meaning the polar opposites could technically stand toe-to-toe, with the fight going either way. Of course, the level 50 will have superior equipment and a wider range of abilities to use, so there is still an advantage for he who has invested more time into the game, but the lackadaisical end-game PvPer will be punished. Some players may not agree with this aspect of the design, but I think it solves more problems than it creates, so consider me a fan.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is gonna be hot fiiiiiiire. I cannot wait to spend a good portion of my winter humiliating would-be Jedi who cower behind the false sense of security provided by a lightsaber. If battling other players ain't your thing don't worry, it appears SW:TOR will have something for everyone. With 50 man years worth or writing in the story how could it not? Unique storylines for each class means you'll have to play with all 8 to truly experience all The Old Republic has to offer. December 20 cannot come soon enough.
This fall's somewhat-but-not-quite similar military shooters are vying for your attention (and money). As much as people like to believe that these two games can coexist, they simply cannot. They are too much alike. Have you ever walked down the street and spotted someone who looks sort of like you? At the moment where the two of you glance at each other, the intergalactic threads of time and space begin to unravel and bolts of plasma rain down upon the ethereal plane; instant enemies. Yep, that's exactly what happens each time a copy of Modern Warfare 3 crosses paths with Battlefield 3.
One releases in a few days, one in a few weeks, but both have released newish 'launch' trailers to get you hyped up and get your wallet open. So readers, where will your money go, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 or both? Personally, I could go either way, but will probably buy Modern Warfare 3, as more friends of mine will be throwing their money at Activision as opposed to EA.
Photography: people suck at it. Whenever I browse convention galleries, I can't help but notice how terrible the photos are. Here at OBG, we try not to suck as bad as some of the other guys when it comes to photography, because we know a good image will make you feel like you're on the show floor with us. So without further ado, here are the notable get-ups from our time at the show. Enjoy!
If you have never played Max Payne, buy and play it right this instant, then come back and read this post. Go on, I'll wait.
All settled?
Right then, Max Payne is one of the most revolutionary action games to date. A disturbing, multilayered story coupled with the first uses of 'bullet time' created a winning product, no doubt. When Rockstar announced Max Payne 3 - 8 years after the second entry - I raised an eyebrow. That was all. I didn't expect the newer, older Max to be of any interest to me, but after watching 15 minutes or so of gameplay.. Well, let's just say I've underrated Rockstar, again.
Max Payne 3 is set several years after the conclusion of Max the second. Max is now an older, fatter gentleman who continues to deal with the traumatic events of his past by turning to the bottle. The demo starts with a flashback to Max's time in New York, to help to illustrate how he came into his current situation as a bodyguard for one of Sao Paolo's most politically powerful families. James McCaffrey's return as the voice of Max, together with hints of Max Payne's iconic theme sets things off in the right direction. A ghost from the past has shown up at Max's doorstep with an army of mobsters, seeking consolation by way of bullets. As the mafia mobs Max's misshapen manor, the bullet ballet begins. Right now, the HUD almost exactly resembles its previous incarnation. A white silhouette represents health, with a number within to note the amount of painkillers carried. Next to these is the bullet time meter. Max can wield either one or two one-handed weapons, or one two-handed weapon, quickly accessible via weapon wheel.
Players familiar with the series will already know what Max is capable of, however Rockstar has done its best to add something fresh here and there. Bullet time, as I hope you know, slows the world around Max, while allowing him to aim at normal speed. You're also less likely to be hit by any incoming bullets when this mode is active, providing you don't just stand around like a lame duck. The best course of action in bullet time, is always to activate and dive, which not only gets results, but looks cool as hell. As you would expect from Rockstar, all sorts of attention to detail has been paid to animations, assuring that Max looks as realistic as possible when completing a dive, after which he has full 360-degree aiming control while on the ground. On the topic of animations, get this: the motion capture process was so thorough, Rockstar created full scale sets to mimic the environments found in game, so every fence-climb, every median-vault, and every dash for cover is preformed by Max & company with unparalleled realism.
After the flashback in New York, Max is now in current day Brazil, looking a bit on the haggard side. This scene begins with a new take on the graphic comic style of storytelling the first two entries in the series used. It's been described as a motion comic, but it seems more along the lines of an interlude scene from 24: full video clips occurring in multiple panels, with more cross processed color, and less Jack Bauer. I am not a fan, but should they keep this style in the final product, I'm sure I'll get used to it. Max is accompanied by a lovely young Brazilian woman, whom it seems he is tasked to protect. Of course, the duo is then assaulted by waves of men possessing body armor and assault rifles. Here is where the combat shines. Max is now able to take cover behind objects to help shield him from harm when bullet time is not an option. In past titles, having to rely solely on bullet time instead of cover encouraged an aggressive play style, whether or not the cover system will detract from that remains to be seen. Environments contain a high level of detail, especially when being shot and blown up. Just about everything comes crumbling down as it soaks up the hail of bullets and explosions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. When the last enemy of each wave is set down, bullet-cam makes its glorious return. As the enemy is shot, the camera takes a unique, dynamic angle to show the bullet exiting the barrel of Max's gun. As the bullet heads toward its final destination in slow motion, you have a great deal of control, including increasing or decreasing the speed, so you can savor that final kill any way you'd like. My words don't do this much justice, it looked pretty damn good.
I was slightly skeptical about this title before, but Rockstar has done well to ease many of my concerns. Many, but not all. With no sign of deviating from the classic Max Payne formula, will this title lack depth to the game mechanics? Lips were sealed tight regarding multiplayer, but rest assured it will be an integral part of the title, however in what form is completely unknown. Max's internal monolgue is in tact, and we were told Remedy Entertainment - developers of MP and MP2 - like what they've seen and have given their blessing. Max Payne 3 is still a ways off, but from what I've been shown, Rockstar appears to be on the right track. Will a vicious Valkyr addiction ruin Max's return to glory? Stay tuned.
BONUS: Free T-shirt Giveaway Leave a comment below for a chance to win a spiffy Max Payne 3 T-shirt courtesy of the loving folks at R*. Let me know what intrigues you most about Max Payne 3, or just say "I want free shit." Winner to be announced on Friday October 17, so get on it!
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 3:47PM 
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