May 2011

New Game+: No more secrets

May 11, 2011

Features / New Game+ / by Andrew Passafiume /

Remember the days when secrets in video games used to be rare to come across and sometimes only discussed among a group of friends?

The original Mortal Kombat, when released in arcades, was full of hidden Easter eggs and secrets. And when Mortal Kombat II was out, it was a hot topic of discussion among my friends. Rumors would start about secret fatalities and characters that weren’t actually in the game. The new Mortal Kombat is now out and people have dissected it thoroughly, making lists and compiling every last secret and unlockable that game has to offer.

With the popularity of the Internet and the creation of many different gaming communities, it’s not hard to find yourself stumbling across people discussing these secrets just as you might have done with your friends back in the day. Back then it was about discovering them for yourself and trying to find something new to talk; it was more involved and allowed for more playtime of certain games.

These days you can find everything a game has to offer in a day thanks to these gaming communities. Everything that you need to know about the new Mortal Kombat is just one Google search away, including the unlockables, secrets, and easter eggs. You can certainly avoid these things, but if you keep in contact with any gamers online, chances are you might find out more about a game than you might want to.

Were the days before the Internet better because it gave you a chance to discover these things on your own, or is it more enjoyable to find out things right away instead of discovering them yourselves? Is a game ruined for you if you find out about all of the unlockables and extras that the game has to offer before you can even play it? And I’m not talking about story spoilers either.

The answer to these questions will vary depending on who you talk to, but it’s hard to deny that, no matter how hard you try, it might be pretty tough to avoid finding out about these things before you even discover them yourself. Perhaps knowing about a funny line in Portal 2 ruined that great moment for you, or maybe it gave you an idea of what to expect, allowing you to be more excited for it and potentially enjoy it more as a result.

Gaming secrets are rarely even kept secret anymore. Achievements and trophy lists come out way before games do, allowing players to get a brief glimpse at everything they will come to expect from the game (with the exception being specific events in the story). I used to be obsessed with looking at achievements ahead of time to find out what lies ahead in a game I’m playing. These days I rarely glance at them, allowing myself to be surprised by these moments once again, at least the best I can.

Video games are still full of surprises, but those surprises may become fewer and fewer as time goes on. Is knowing everything about a game ahead of time a good thing, or does it prohibit that sense of discovery? It might depend on the game, the situation, or the people you interact with both online and off. However you look at it, there’s no denying that how we obtain information about games has become easier, for better or worse.

Steel Diver

May 11, 2011

3DS / Reviews / by Chris Rasco /

Steel Diver is a side-scrolling action game where the player pilots a submarine through a series of complex levels using a series of touch screen controls. Originally intended to be released for the DS, Nintendo decided to change its platform and make it available for the 3DS instead, feeling that it stood to benefit from the added 3D effects of the new system.

Steel Diver features 3 primary gameplay modes. The first is your standard Mission mode. Players can choose from one of three available subs for each level. The subs vary in size, speed, and weapon capabilities which drastically alter the difficulty of the level. Each is full of enemy subs and ships, narrow tunnels and other obstacles. Your sub is controlled using a set of touch-screen controls on the lower screen. Controls will vary based on the sub you choose, but the basic navigation controls and firing controls are common between vessels. Each mission has a time limit, which adds to the chaos of carefully navigating some of the tighter tunnels while also taking enemy fire. Fail to complete the mission in time, or destroy your sub, and you’ll still enter your initials into the high score list along with the percent of the mission you completed. Successfully complete the level and you’ll get a chance to play a bonus game, Periscope Strike, in order to earn decals for your subs.

In Periscope Strike, you are no longer controlling the sub, but instead viewing the surface through a periscope and attempting to sink enemy ships with projectiles. Your control screen changes to reflect a zoom-and-dive slider and fire buttons. The zoom is for viewing far-off ships, while dive allows you to avoid taking damage from enemy fire. Your goal is simply to sink all of the enemy ships. One unique aspect of this mode is that, in order to track enemies on the surface, you literally hold the 3DS up like the screen is a periscope and move in a circle. The upper screen reflects your movement, giving the appearance that you are in fact using a periscope. While I found this feature to be incredibly engaging and fun, it makes playing Steel Diver in the car or on the bus a little difficult. Others may not enjoy having to stand and spin around at the end of each level.

The final gameplay mode is called Steel Commander. Steel Commander is a top-down two-player strategy game that is half-Chess and half-Battleship. Each player commands a fleet of battleships, supply ships, and a submarine. The goal is to sink your opponents sub or all of their supply ships. Fans of tabletop gaming should really enjoy this game mode.

As you play through the Mission Mode of Steel Diver, you’ll unlock a few additional levels as well as power-ups called decals. Decals are collected for each ship you sink in the Periscope Strike bonus game, not in the standalone gameplay mode. Each decal has a different upgrade to your sub, and you must collect a certain number of the same decal in order to activate that power. Mission Mode also tracks which sub you’ve completed the level with, encouraging you to complete all levels with all of the available submarines.

Despite the lame pun, Steel Diver really is a very deep game with three vastly different gameplay modes that come together to make a very enjoyable game. The 3D features provided by the 3DS are nice, but in the end I usually played with 3D turned off. Steel Diver is definitely not a title that simply shows off the features of a new platform, it’s one of the most enjoyable handheld games that I’ve played in a long time. The interactive gameplay won’t be for everyone, though.

Pros: Three gameplay modes

Cons: Can’t be played without room to stand and move

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

May 10, 2011

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Graham Russell /

Divinity II, by Larian Studios, is an action-RPG where you choose a class, level up skills, complete quests, fight random monsters and progress toward an overarching goal. So far, that describes many games to release in recent years, but unlike all those other games, Divinity II has one more thing: you can also turn into a dragon.

The game actually originally released as Ego Draconis early last year, in the wake of Dragon Age: Origins and to a host of glitches and problems on the console. In a sort of mea culpa, the team found a new publisher (Atlus) and put together a new version, The Dragon Knight Saga, which fixes many issues and adds in expansion Flames of Vengeance. The contrast of these two releases is really striking, and made more so with Atlus’ typical policy of throwing in extras like a soundtrack and pricing it at $40.

That said, the game has a bit of a barrier to entry. The system itself is somewhat clunky and dated, from the actions to the movement to the menus. Before you get to the point when you can be a dragon, this means it’s a clearly inferior experience to more polished efforts like Dragon Age and Fable. Once it can start avoiding direct comparisons, it fares a bit better, and everything starts to feel a bit more cohesive when you get through the grating, uninspired first act.

There are cool elements here, though, especially if you like games with loot and leveling. TDKS doesn’t streamline anything like inventory systems or skill trees, but there are certainly those out there who like the old-school approach and appreciate when people keep it. The mage class’ skill options are a bit underwhelming, but others are about what you’d expect.

I usually knock games for touting stuff like this, but the biggest draw to TDKS is its hours and hours of gameplay. With the expansion added in, you could play Divinity for weeks with no problem. This genre, unlike any other, becomes more immersive and enjoyable with time put in. (And, put charitably, Divinity II has its work cut out for it with its first impression.)

There are a few elements other than the dragon thing that are interesting. You can read the minds of NPCs to try to get more information, but this costs experience to attempt (and more for some people than others). This mechanic may frustrate some who just want to get in and hit things with swords, but it makes for an interesting dynamic, where players need to weigh whether the information could be worth grinding more to make up for lost progress.

It boils down to this: if you are looking to play a game for 10 hours or so, Divinity II is not a very good option. It’s really for those who are looking for a 60-80 hour, life-consuming experience and have a high tolerance for system limitations. This is certainly the best version to get, and it’s priced right for what it is.

Pros: Tons of content, you get to be a dragon

Cons: Sub-par foundation, awkward story

Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection

May 9, 2011

PSP / Reviews / by Justin Last /

Square Enix has never stopped pumping out Final Fantasy games, but my personal favorite is Final Fantasy IV. Everybody has played this one by now – it was first available on the SNES, then the PSX, GBA, DS, and now the PSP. Why would you consider playing it again? Because the PSP version returns to sprite-based art and includes Final Fantasy IV: The After Years along with an Interlude bridging the two games that isn’t available anywhere else. For those who have never played FF4, or those that want the entire story on a single platform, Final Fantasy IV Complete is the version to pick up.

Square Enix is no stranger to rereleasing their back-catalog on modern platforms, but with Final Fantasy IV Complete you get updated sprites and magic effects instead of the same graphics you saw on the SNES (PSX, GBA) or Square Enix’s terrible idea of what 3D on the DS ought to look like (DS). Audio is upgraded as well, but you have the choice between the SNES-original soundtrack and an updated score, and both are worth listening to. While the original is full of classics, the update calls back to the original wonderfully. You won’t forget what you’re playing, and you’ll find yourself humming the new music just as much as the old. Where Final Fantasy IV really shines, though, is its characters. Final Fantasy IV plays the most like a true role-playing game out of any Final Fantasy game I’ve played. Characters are complex, have their own motivations for tagging along with you, and don’t have plot armor. You will control up to five characters at a time, and it’s believable because when you have three party members then that is who you’ll use in battle. You will never have people sitting on the bench while your mains fight, and that’s refreshing. Everybody is walking through this cave, and for once in a JRPG they’re all taking part in every battle.

Odds are that if you’re at all interested in this collection you’ve played Final Fantasy IV. New content is probably why you’re here, and Final Fantasy IV Interlude and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years are it. The After Years was originally only available on the Nintendo Wii through the WiiWare download service, and it follows Cecil’s son Ceodore as a new villain emerges and threatens the world 17 years after you saved it in the original game. You’ll control and meet many of the same characters that you got to know over the course of Final Fantasy IV, and everything should feel familiar. The graphics are the same type of upgraded sprites that you’ll find in Final Fantasy IV. The battle system, though, while similar has seen a couple of updates. First, you can “band” attacks together. Banding works like Double and Triple Techs from Chrono Trigger and makes for more strategic battles. Not everybody can summon (just like Final Fantasy IV characters are restricted to their one preset class), and banding gives you a more powerful option to break out in battles. The second addition is that of lunar cycles. Some monsters only appear during certain phases of the moon, and your party’s combat prowess is affected by the moon as well. Some phases favor melee strength over magic while others are the exact opposite. This means you won’t be leaning just on one party member since every stay at an inn can drastically alter who your primary damage dealer is.

Interlude serves to bridge Final Fantasy IV and The After Years with a chapter showing some of the events that take place in the 17 years between the two. It fits well between the two games, and the style meshes well with the rest of the package, and it should since Interlude had may as well be the new chapter 1 of The After Years.

You’re really getting the most bang for your buck with this package. Upgraded sprite graphics, cutscenes from the DS version, content previously only available via WiiWare, and a chapter that can’t be had on any other platform make The Complete Collection the definitive version of Final Fantasy IV. Now maybe SE can move on to giving Final Fantasy VI a similar treatment on the PSP.

Pros: Tons of content, beautiful upgraded sprites, great musical choices, finally a single collection

Cons: Lack of diagonal movement (FF4 was a SNES game, after all)

Weekend Trailer: Legendary Ocarina 3D footage

May 7, 2011

News / by Graham Russell /

This weekend, we have a trailer for Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. It makes a point that it is both a legend and in 3D, which we hope you knew before watching the trailer. Still, it’s Zelda footage, so check it out after the break. READ MORE

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