February 2011

Corrupted

February 14, 2011

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Graham Russell /

One of the largest downloadable hits the 360 has ever seen is Castle Crashers, the four-player medieval beat-em-up starring four differently-colored knights, pursuing princesses and increasing stats along the way. The creators of Corrupted, OnlyLuck Interactive, clearly wanted their game to play similarly, down to the four colored knights. The resulting game is one that, while less ambitious, offers a fun evening for three bucks.

The twist on the formula? You’re evil, and you’re capturing the princesses so an evil guy can consume their souls. (It couldn’t be less relevant to the gameplay, though.)

At first glance, the game looks a lot like the Indie Games service’s other offerings, with sub-par visuals and not a lot of polish. Once you get into it, though, you find the game’s smooth and visually balanced (though it wouldn’t have killed them to find some help with the UI art). The game uses a top-down perspective and both analog sticks, with the right one controlling the sword swipes. Holding down a trigger allows you to shoot arrows, and upgrading this skill turns the game into something more like Geometry Wars than Castle Crashers at times. The face buttons are used for special “corruption” abilities, temporarily giving your attacks (and those of allies around you) a fire or ice ability. (You can also heal in the same way using special stones.)

In the campaign’s dozen or so levels, you go through, killing enemies, collecting gold to use for upgrades and beating whoever’s at the end. There are also mini-games to play, and players can save different characters to their profile. Up to four players can enter any of the modes locally.

It may show its lack of polish from time to time, and it probably won’t stand up to multiple playthroughs, but for three bucks, Corrupted is a wonderful little game. Gather some friends and give it a try.

Snackbar Speculator: Limbs of War

February 14, 2011

Features / Speculator / by Shawn Vermette /

This week we talk about Apple home gaming, game ports, and the prospect of a hardcore Kinect game.

Current score

Gerry Pagan: +30

Andrew Passafiume: +395

Graham Russell: +384

Eric Schabel: +35

Shawn Vermette: +335

Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia trilogies coming to Xbox 360

Ubisoft recently released trilogy packs of Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia updated with HD graphics on the PlayStation 3. However, the ESRB has also rated these packs for the Xbox 360. Ubisoft refuses to comment on it, but did the ESRB let the cat out of the bag early yet again?

Gerry: It’d be of no surprise if the Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell trilogies also arrived on the 360, though it is a little curious given that only the PS3 has done the trilogy re-releases that have been gaining popularity as of late.50%

Andrew: It seems like whenever the ESRB rates something, it’s bound to be true. There’s no reason for Ubisoft not to release those HD collections on the 360. 95%

Graham: The ESRB is bad about letting things leak, but with re-releases like this, why the secrecy to begin with? Let people know you’re considering a release, and see how much interest it garners. It’s not like a big reveal at E3 or something would mean much with that kind of thing. Yes, they should be re-released, and soon, since we don’t know how much longer the 360 lifespan is. 86.75309%

Shawn: Considering the recent popularity of such compilation packs, I’d be very surprised if Microsoft didn’t try to get some of them released on the Xbox 360. Also taking into account the fact that both the Prince of Persia originals never appeared on the Xbox tells me this is a very likely rumor. 85%

Epic Games to announce Kinect-enabled Gears of War game by E3

Microsoft has said since the announcement of the Kinect that they would support hardcore gamers with titles that they would enjoy, not just the casual game crowd. What better way to do that than to release a Halo or Gears of War game for the Kinect? Some images have been leaked that purport to be from an on-rails Gears of War Kinect title. Could Microsoft be on the verge of finally announcing its first hardcore Kinect title?

Gerry: Not too sure on this one. Epic already has it’s team working on developing Gears 3, and with Kinect being a very… “different” type of hardware, I can’t imagine they would rush a Kinect-enabled game at Microsoft’s request. Maybe at some point, but by E3? Unlikely. 20%

Andrew: Microsoft has been touting the reveal/release of some “hardcore” Kinect titles sometime later this year. All of these rumors about a Kinect version of Gears of War seem to be springing up lately, despite the denial from Cliffy B himself about it not happening. I’m not sure how well it would work with the Kinect, if at all, but I could see it being one product that could draw in a lot of other 360 owners. 55%

Graham: Do I think Microsoft’s working on a Kinect title to appeal to the core? Yes. Could Epic be working on it? Certainly. But Gears of War just seems like it doesn’t line up, demographically. I could certainly see something like Infinity Blade get the Kinect treatment, but if it’s a shooter, I think they’d try to slap the Halo name on it instead. It’s a bit more mainstream. 20.175%

Shawn: I…really don’t know what to think of this rumor. On one hand, it’s definitely the type of title that would attract hardcore gamers to the Kinect. On the other hand, how in the world do you use your hands for aiming and shooting? I definitely see Microsoft pushing this through testing at least, though I don’t know if it will ever be officially announced. 40%

Games coming to Apple TV

Apple has obviously struck a gold mine of casual portable gaming with their iPad and iPhone, but they’ve repeatedly stayed away from any kind of console gaming, preferring to stay portable. However, if recent reports are true, Apple may finally be bringing gaming to the living room with Apple TV. According to Engadget, there are references in the iOS 4.3 beta firmware to “ATVGames and “ATVThunder”, which are theorized to be references to Apple TV games and a controller for those games. There are also references to a storefront, leaderboards, and game scheduling. Could Apple finally be ready to take on Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo on their home turf?

Gerry: Pretty high possibility of this happening as it’s not uncommon for companies to integrate games into other systems. Is Apple ready to take on the big three? We’ll have to wait and see. 60%

Andrew: If Apple ever does release “home” games, it’ll most likely be stuff you already see for the iPhone or the iPad. This could be a very distinct possibility, but I doubt Apple would actually look to take on Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony at the console market with this. 50%

Graham: As the site’s resident heavy Mac and iOS user, I can’t even get myself to care about this. Clearly, these games would be iPhone and iPad ports, and there’s just not a very big audience for talented developers to try something for just that system. Plus, a controller? If you’re not using the iPhone or iPad as a controller, you won’t have all their capabilities, and if you are, there’s no need to even have the Apple TV. They could do it. But I don’t think it will matter. 50%

Shawn: If Apple does this, they need to understand that in order for it to be as successful as their iPad and iPhone app stores, they really will need more substantial games than what you get on their portable devices. That said, I can see Apple doing this since they’ll make money on it regardless of how widespread it actually becomes. 90%

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!

Guitar Hero canceled by Activision

February 11, 2011

News / by Shawn Vermette /

Activision, the publisher responsible for the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero franchises, has announced plans to cancel all games currently in production for both series. This comes amidst news that they will also be laying off around 500 of their employees from various studios, mainly the ones involved in their music game development. READ MORE

Gaming Unplugged: Hansa Teutonica

February 11, 2011

Features / Unplugged / by Chris Ingersoll /

Andreas Steading’s Hansa Teutonica (published in the US by Z-Man Games) is a difficult game to describe, since there is a lot going on and not a lot of thematic reasoning to help explain it.

Each player (from three to five, with additional two-player rules provided and a double-sided board accommodating either 2/3 or 4/5 players) has a board indicating his strength in five different abilities; all of the spaces on the board save the left-most in each ability begin the game with a cube or disk covering it. The rest of a player’s cubes (and one remaining disk) are split between his active supply and his stock according to player order. The abilities and supply/stock mechanic are reminiscent of another Z-man published title, Endeavor, but the similarities (and easy comparisons) end there.

On a player’s turn he has a number of actions as indicated by his current ranking in that ability. Each of those actions can be one of five different types: 1) placing a cube or disk on a route; 2) claiming a completed route and either installing an office in one of the cities (if you have the appropriate privilege level for the current office; the other cubes/disks are returned to the player’s stock) on one end or advancing in an indicated ability if applicable (the removed cube/disk is added to the player’s active supply and the ones on the route are all sent to the stock); 3) drawing a number of cubes and/or disks from your stock to your active supply (the number determined by your “money bag” income ability); 4) rearranging a number of cubes/disks on the board (equal to your current “book” ability); or 5) displacing an opponent’s cube/disk. Displacing a cube costs you one additional cube, and displacing a disk costs two cubes; the displaced player then gets to take that many cubes and/or disks from his stock and places them, along with the displaced object, on an adjacent route. Forcing other players to displace your pieces is a very strong tactic, as it costs them pieces while providing you with additional ones.

A point is scored whenever a player has control of a city (the most or, if tied, right-most offices in that city) and an adjoining route is completed. Additional points can be scored by claiming certain offices (often ones with only one adjoining path) or if a player manages to connect the two red-indicated towns (on opposite ends of the map). A player reaching twenty points will end the game, although the scores will not remain there for long. There are also two other ways to trigger the end of the game: when the supply of bonus disks is exhausted, or when ten cites on the board are completed. Bonus disks lie along certain routes and provide one of several free actions for later use; when a disk is claimed, a new disk is placed along an empty route by the active player at the end of that turn. Completing cities is such a rare and difficult task (due to privilege requirements) that a situation in which that condition is met before one of the other two seems impossible to visualize, but it must exist as a viable condition for a reason.

Regardless of how the game ends, bonus points are then scored for various categories. Each maxed-out ability (save one) is worth four points. Claimed bonus disks (used or not) are worth an increasing number of points based on how many you have collected. Each player scores one point for each office he controls in the longest chain of connected towns, which is then further multiplied by that player’s “town key” ability (the one ability that doesn’t award a bonus on its own). A player also scores two points for each city he controls. Finally, any players that have placed a disk on the “Colleen” space on the board scores the corresponding number of points (from seven to eleven).

As you can see, there are a ton of options, which means a staggering number of choices each turn. New players can (and usually will) be overcome with a sense of having absolutely no clue what to do, and observing a game in progress doesn’t help as there is seemingly no rhyme or reason as to what is going on. The only real way to learn is to play; if one or two players have even only a couple more games’ worth of experience they will probably be destroyed. Not helping matters is the incredibly dry theme (something about 12th – 14th century Germanic merchants forming a sort of trade league… yeah) which does nothing to draw in new players. That basically just leaves a lot of wooden cube-pushing to wade through, which is decidedly not for everyone. The strategy is definitely there, and multiple apparent routes to victory provide additional depth. If the lack of theme is something you can deal with (or, in some cases, prefer), Hansa Teutonica can be picked up at a gaming store for about $50, although I’d recommend playing a game or two first if possible to make sure.

Dead Space 2

February 10, 2011

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop /

Three years have passed since the Necromorph outbreak on the Ishimura and Isaac Clarke is awoken from a drug-induced haze in a psychiatry ward aboard the Sprawl, a city-sized space station built on the remnants of Saturn’s moon Titan. With no knowledge of the past three years Isaac discovers another marker has been built and now the entire city is reduced to rubble as the Necromorphs run rampant. Haunted by debilitating visions of his dead girlfriend Isaac must quickly piece together the source of the new outbreak, who he trusts, and how he can escape unharmed.

Aware that Isaac was a mostly silent protagonist of the first Dead Space, the developers put him front and center with a personal story, taking time to remove his mask for pivotal scenes to create a better bond between player and character. Without this change, the story might have fallen flat as a basic save-the-world endeavor, but with a voice, this mission of survival is more about battling internal demons that pays big dividends as the game progress. Similar to Dead Space’s Ishimura, the Sprawl is a character in itself as a dark haunted labyrinth Isaac must cross.

Dead Space 2 is a horror game in every sense of the phrase as the successful elements of sound, setting and tension return from the first game in an even darker, more disturbing atmosphere. Within the first hour of gameplay alone, you will be spooked by silence, startled by shadows and haunted by sounds in the ventilation shafts. The Sprawl provides the perfect setting as you can look out the windows and see fires in the distance, enter apartment complexes and see the remnants of families who fought to survive. Heightening this experience is the lack of a heads-up display, which immerses you into the experience. All of Isaac’s stats are either located on his back or projected via holographic images immediately in front of him. If that isn’t enough to scare you, then the Necromorphs should finish the job.

Visually disturbing and twisted, the Necromorphs return with a passion. They pop out when you least expect it, packing a few new varieties of enemy types to keep you on your toes. Hunters hide behind objects and wait for a good moment to come sprint at you, necessitating effective use of your stasis to slow them down. Swarms overwhelm you with sheer numbers of child sized necromorphs that require more tact to take down. Regardless, ammo is at a minimum and the action is upped from the original to create suspenseful fight sequences that take place inside and outside of the station.

Fans familiar with the original Dead Space will feel at home with the third-person shooting mechanics as well as loving the new additions this sequel throws at them. The standard weapons like the plasma cutter and the ripper blades return while adding some additional arsenal to Isaac’s repertoire. Of note are the sniper rifle and the proximity mine gun that help change the dynamics of the fight in Isaac’s favor, but a gun is only useful if it has ammunition, and this game heightens the terror by constantly letting you run out. It is vitally necessary to use all of the tools at your disposal to fight the hordes, slowing them down with stasis, using all equipped weapons, blowing out windows to suck enemies into the vacuum, using telekinesis to throw Necromorph limbs back at them, and when all else fails using good-old-fashioned melee attacks to take down the overwhelming odds of enemies.

The game is difficult, you will most likely die several times in a single section as you attempt to memorize how best to take out your foes, but the autosave function saves this from being overly frustrating by putting you succinctly back in the action. As hard as the game is, it is worth it for the increased action set pieces and the heart-pounding thrill of surviving, although past its puzzles and boss fights, the action becomes rote Necromorph killing and item searching towards the end of the game.

If the single player begins to get repetitive then you can immerse yourself in the new multiplayer aspect. While nothing exceptional, the multiplayer gives you a chance to play as the Necromorphs themselves trying to stop another team from achieving an objective. These team matches are interesting to a point, as it is pretty fun to play as a Necromorph who has more spawn points allowing you to jump out of almost anywhere at your enemy, but even these matches can only add to the game so much before they get repetitive too.

Dead Space 2 does an admirable job following up the horror and suspense of the original while giving Isaac more of a form. Fans of the genre or of the original should pick this up with no doubt, while others with a squeamish heart should steer clear of the blood and guts.

Pros: Perfect horror atmosphere, better action set pieces than the original

Cons: Repetitive gameplay sections, ho-hum multiplayer

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