Eurogamer Expo - Game Roundup

This past weekend was the annual Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court in London. The Expo showcased the upcoming releases to close out this year and also what will break us into 2012. I must say all in all the show was a massive delight to attend and each of the different stands appealed to someone or other.


Gamers got a chance to get some hands-on time with the titles they are most looking forward to over the coming months and also grab as much swag as possible before the show closed.


In this article I will give you a run down of what I saw at the show and any general points of interest relating to the games I tried during my time there. I must first of all say that the Saturday event was very well organised and gave everyone ample opportunity to play the games we wanted and also attend the different events going on around the venue.


Obviously one of the biggest announcements going into the Expo was the fact that the OnLive system would be give out to those in attendance. I tried by copy out recently and found that the system worked exceptionally smoothly and the interface was easy to navigate. I’ll post a more thorough understanding of the product once I’ve really got my teeth into it.


Secondly the amount of free gifts I managed to pick up this year was unbelievable – free tees, magazines, games, hats, stickers and the standard stationary offers all exceeded my expectations. The free copy of Rift I picked up was frankly one of the highlights as well as a lovely OnLive tee and Raving Rabbids key ring.


Anyway on with the games….


Batman: Arkham City
One of the longest queues on the show floor was for the highly anticipated Arkham ASsylum sequel for local developer Rocksteady, who are based in Highgate just a few miles down the road. The demo really shows why Rocksteady will soon be one of the biggest studios on the planet and have really fine tuned what was already a brilliant franchise.


Catwomen was up first with a combat simulator that showed us exactly how she will be handling the action sequences. Her whip is accompanied by some really acrobatic techniques that give her a very unique feel against the tough tackling capped crusader. After introducing us to Catwoman's acrobatic combat moves, the demo switched over to Batman himself and showed us a familiar mix of stealth, action and exploration. The new open world environment looks lovely too and the depth of the city is really well handled on the Xbox 360. Batman can glide, grapple and climb his way around the talk buildings which really adds to the stealth elements of the gameplay. Although we saw in previews the chance for Batman to grapple onto Helicopters I didn’t get to see this for myself.


Overall this game is coming along really nicely and feels exactly as it should. The action is still well coordinated and the scope really has been expanded. The next few months will give the developers a chance to really fine tune their action adventure.


Excitement – 8/10

Guild Wars 2
I found that all the time I was queuing for other games around the Expo I was still thinking about this MMO; although it might have been down to the Eurogamer bag everyone was given on entry. First of all let me explain that MMO’s are definitely tough to handle in the short time I got to play this. Guild Wars 2 has a striking art style, crunching combat and seamless action. The show floor gave us both PvP and boss fight demo’s which gave players a chance to see what the final game will offer. The interface is very much like World of Warcraft (there’s a surprise) and was relatively easy to pick up and play.


The thing I found most astounding was how polished this version was when the actual release is still a very long way off. It’s no surprise that this looks to be the next big MMO.


Excitement – 7/10

Battlefield 3
DICE attended Eurogamer with several different Battlefield 3 setups so the aspects could be shown clearly ahead of the UK release next month. There were both console and PC competitive multiplayer, plus a single player mission called Operation Guillotine. Both had their tweak game systems on display and the Frostbite 2 engine looks fantastic. The single player level saw the player joining a platoon on a night assault oh Tehran; the character had to race downhill into mortar zones while flares and gunfight filled the starry sky above.


The multiplayer offerings showed some of the more tactical affairs of the shooter while the campaign looked a lot more run and gun. DICE have already confirmed that the single player will be co-operative on general release which should bring another exciting element to the table. The new engine ran very smoothly with almost zero lag even in high octane fire fights. The environments become destroyed in a lot more interesting ways which should add another dynamic specifically to the online portion.


The main thing I thought off the back of this was the definite perception that this could well be a Modern Warfare beater. Whether in reality this could actually happens remains to be seen. I do think this version could at least lower the Activision market share quite dramatically.


Excitement – 8/10

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The final game addition to the Expo was the welcome return of Activision world beating War franchise. The stand was setup to give players a chance with the Spec Ops Survival mode, which pitted two players in a wave based campaign. Enemy troops invaded their space as they tried to hold increasingly harder waves at bay.


Players could tactically buy weapons, upgrades and support between each round as well as special perks like air strikes. As the waves became harder and harder the enemies would throw more adventurous variations against you with helicopter gunships and bomb dogs being my particular favourites.


For all the great parts of this game it just seems like a bit of a remake and doesn’t bring anything particularly revolutionary to the table. I think Battlefield trumps this in most departments and although I think COD will win the eventual sales battle the DICE game deserves to knock it down a few pegs.


Excitement – 6/10

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The third war based shooter on display at this year’s Expo showed us exactly what we have been missing over the last few years. The demo ran through on an updated version of the classic Dust map.


The new layout and weapons showed fans what to expect when the fame finally launches. The new additions like Molotov’s alter the dynamic of the original Cs but hardened veterans should enjoy the changes.


Valve have already outlined their plan to make this version of Counter Strike more forgiving for newcomers and at the same time raise the depth of the skills ranking. The game itself looks quite polished and LAG seemed no existent even in the most action packed areas. Although I didn’t get a chance to play the demo myself I found that the general expectation of the game was high and players were pretty happy with how the whole thing handled. Time will tell if this can live alongside the Battlefield and Modern Warfare held fan-base on consoles.


Excitement – 7/10

Dark Souls
This was one of the stands that surprised me for not being as popular as expect. A few of the gamers seemed to play it several times though which is always a good thing and also a richly designed game. This is much more action orientated the Skyrim with probably the same amount of depth. Although I am looking forward to this game it didn't strike my hopes up as much as I thought it would. I like challenging game too but the gameplay didn't feel that fluid.


There is certainly a pull to this that keeps you wanting to go further as the mysteries deepen. Prepare to die a lot still and I'm sure any fan of the original is in for a treat.


Excitement - 6/10

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
I gave this game a full article of it's own a few days back which truly explains what I saw but whether that was because of how much I've hype it myself or not remains to be seen. It certainly lived up to my expectations but it wasn't the best game on the floor in my opinion.


Bethesda have really worked hard to completely overhaul their previous outing and the differences to the gameplay or brilliant. Two-handed combat is great and really adds a certain depth to an already truly expansive series. The game is absolutely beautiful game too with so many hidden surprises even in the demo area I am sure many people will lose themselves in Tamriel once again.



Excitement - 9/10

Super Mario 3D Land
Mario's debut on Nintendo's new handheld has quite a few hands waiting to lure in fans. A good quality Mario game is just what the console needs to increase it's fan base. 


I played the standard Mario affair that worked it's way left to right across a fairly standard course. The first thing I noticed was that the game handled a little like Mario 64 DS which isn't necessarily a good thing. Mario took a little bit of time to get up to speed and the triple jump was a bit of a pain in the narrow route. The actual depth is handled really well and a different level would have no doubt showed this up more. Mario did work his way behind walls but the level wasn't a puzzle like as I would have liked.


This will still be a massive hit though as it's so playable.


Excitement - 7/10

I did see quite a bit more at the Expo but didn't feel like I got enough to give them too much of a run through. Final Fantasy XIII-2 was very easy to pick up. It plays exactly like the first installment but follows Serah and some guy I can't for the life of me remember the name of  (Noah I think). The graphics are exactly the same but it's does feel a little quicker. That might just be me though.


Sky 3D was quite good too. The Video really resembled the normal Media Application on the normal device but the novelty is nice. If they put any sort of TV on there then I'll be first in line to get on it. All the Nintendo stands were great with a nice Zelda model above the 25th Anniversary stand. Skyward Sword looked good too, I didn't give it a go myself as I know I'd talk myself into needing a Wii.


Once final point of notice was the well polished Inversion that comes out early next year. It looks really nice and is very playable. The difficulty was quite well balanced with none of the firefights feeling straight-forward. It will certainly be a third person shooter that could knock Gears down a peg or two.

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Gears of War 3 - DLC

The recent release of Gears of War 3 has been a worldwide success with over 3 million units being sold in the first week alone. Epic Games have again brought us a high octane action shooter pitting Marcus Fenix against the locust horde. I love the series for it’s brutal and unforgiving approach. I’ve purchased both the previous versions on midnight releases and love playing them both on and offline. The one thing that doesn’t sit easily with me is EPIC’s pathetic approach to DLC. In fact as a fan I’m totally disgusted in the way they have decided to handle the Gears 3 content.

Normally when a company chooses to provide DLC that’s a total rip off I just ignore it completely. In fact I usually make jokes about it and shun the developers for the ways they line their pockets. The difference this time is that it’s a AAA development house that’s doing it and a studio that usually listens closely to fan reaction. EPIC have been known for giving fans exactly what they want and keep them as loyal as possible. This decision to make their fans pay to unlock content already on the disc is a complete disgrace to their fans. Obviously this concept isn’t new but EPIC games have taken this to a whole new level.

In the multiplayer beta earlier this year players got to run around in several of the DLC skins for character. At that time did you realise you were going to have to pay even more money to run around in this again? That’s right you were testing the multiplayer game and also the paid DLC too.

Another point I’d like to raise is the length of time this DLC has been in production. The pink lancer that EPIC have mention before was first shown to us nearly a whole year ago and is another example of the paid skins available on release day.

It goes from bad to worse too as the bot characters in multplayer can also spawn using DLC creations. When you marvel at a bot characters design you might find yourself having to put in even more money to play as the character yourself. The worse part by far though is the fact that the accumulated total of DLC on offer exceeds the original price of purchasing the game.

The principle of this issue is not that I dislike paying for DLC; it’s actually the way EPIC have handled this particular release. I’ve very surprised to see a studio with such a good reputation tarnish themselves for the sake of a few extra pounds. It’s disappointing in itself to find DLC locked into the retail disk. If this content had been on XBL only then I don’t think I’d have had quite the amount of anger inside me. I’m more then a little disappointed – when exactly did Microsoft or EPIC decide Gears of War didn’t make enough money?

I’ll finish by saying that the game itself is great and should make fans of the series very happy. The graphics are very clear and the gameplay elements have all been tweaked in the right sort of ways.  The game has actually averaged a 9/10 on most of the reviews I’ve read but this DLC would be luck to get any points at all.

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Eurogamer Expo 2011 - Skyrim Impressions

I’ve been really excited about getting my hands on Skyrim ever since it was announced in 2010 and as you may or may not be aware the brilliant RPG was playable at this weekend at the 2011 Eurogamer Expo. Finally, an opportunity to sit down and play the game itself? Unfortunately not I’m afraid.

Although the temptation to play the game was pretty much overbearing I never actually managed to stay in the queue long enough to get to the front. To say the queue was long is quite frankly the understatement of the century but I did watcherbearing I never actually managed to stay in the queue long enough to get to the front. To say the queue was long is quite frankly the understatement of the century but I did watch many fans playing this epic adventure.

So, first of all it’s character creation which is probably the most important part of this game. On several occasions I have started to play oblivion for a few hours and then found myself annoyed by a hairstyle or facial choice and start over again. The good news is that the character creation tools are much deeper and slicker then ever before. All the amendments create a truly personalised character that really spills over into the game itself. The character animation is much cleaner too and the visual upgrade was certainly needed. In Oblivion the non-human races looked quite awkward at times but Bethesda have definitely improved the quality of those designs for Skyrim.

The character I watched was a male Khajiit who almost immediately bounded up a hill towards the snow covered mountains. The countryside has a feeling of being alive as the trees, grass give way seamlessly to snowy mountains as you traverse the landscape. The rivers look brilliant and the general effect on the gameworld creates an even more immersive playing area. The whole world feels alive.

The Xbox 360 version that I watched looked a little jagged in places but I’m sure this will be ironed out. From what I’ve heard the Playstation 3 version has the same problem but this isn’t an issue you can’t get past.

The animals look much more active with Rabbits often rushing through the long grass. Wolves also look much better then in previous instalments with a more varied attack pattern and a much more solid animation. The salmon leap in the river and the trees rustle in the wind.

Anyway the gamer I watched sent his character rushing up a mountain into the snow and attacked some bandits who were held up in a worn down tower. After knocking them down fairly quickly with a couple of the nicely displayed finishing moves he left to head back down the way he came. The tower itself looked very typical of the Elder Scrolls series and had the feeling that makes you want to explore further and loot everything possible. He used a short word and a fire combo that looks devastating and added nicely to the smooth action based gameplay.

Shortly after leaving I watch as he entered the village of Riverwood. I was pleasantly surprised to see a horse and cart which is another lovely addition to the world that adds another layer of immersion. The townsfolk gossip about the world around them, argued about family turmoil and deal with conversation in a realistic manner. The town was lively and gave the player even more reason to explore its streets. I didn’t see the conversation tree open but previews have explained that this is a vast improvement over Oblivion too.

A few other points of interest were the world map which is now displayed in real time which is very aesthetically pleasing. It allows you too see a much more detailed version of the world around you and what sort of places are local. The whole package is just much smoother than ever before and Bethesda have clearly gone to great lengths to improve not just the combat and gameplay experience but the whole interface too.

All in all, I felt immensely satisfied with the game, even after watching the game in action is was pleased by the whole experience and what it additions Bethesda had added. Once again the delicate mix of RPG and action is handled well and the advancement system looks to give the user a much more diverse creation tree. It's certainly a game I now wish I'd cued for but at the same time it can only get more polished before it's release in November.

Excited is an understatement.....

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Eurogamer Expo 2011 - The Overview

This past weekend was the eagerly anticipated Eurogamer Expo at London’s Earls Court. Many gamers including myself made their way through the hustle and bustle of London to see the upcoming games and chat to members of different studios.

First of all the atmosphere was amazing, and everyone helped one another to get around or suggest games to be played. The arena was broken into seven zones each dominated by various AAA titles. No doubt the liveliest stand was that for the OnLive system which was also a hot topic of conversation within the crowds.

Not surprisingly this is the first place everyone seemed to head upon arrival including myself as there was the buzz of grabbing a free console while you were there. The stand itself was rounded by a queue of fans each eager to grab themselves the free swag. There were a number of different consoles set up around the stand with both wired and wireless controllers with demo’s of some of the more popular games on offer. I have the new Space Marines game a try and found that the experience was very similar to the other console versions recently on sale. When the system goes on general sale in the UK on 22^nd September there will be over 100 games on offer. The OnLive system has been running the the US for a little while now and it’s popularity is starting to show. As well as playing a few of the games on offer I also managed to snag myself a free console which I will post more on in a separate article.

All the big names in gaming were at the event to showcase their newest creations and to basically explain why we should all part with our hard earned cash. The big upcoming releases were all on display including Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Skyrim.

My first port of call after grabbing myself an OnLive console was the Indie Games tend and the Final Fantasy XIII-2 stand. Both grabbed my attention with their colourful displays and interesting subjects. The over 18’s areas showed us adults a taste of Gears of War 3, Inversion and Rise of Nightmares. The Battlefield 3 multiplayer had one of the largest queues I’ve ever seen and gave players the chance to destroy buildings and kill enemies in one of the most visual entertaining maps I’ve seen from DICE. The Frostbite 2 engine has created some impressive gameplay and it’s hard to see Modern Warfare retaining their market share.

The 3DS stand was another of the brilliant showcases on offer with the new Mario and Kid Icarus on display as well as the newly announced Sky 3D package. The Sky offer was to no doubt show people that this handheld had more to it then just gaming. The 3D effects on the video looked much like the on board video player and the details for the software were reasonably sparse so what this space to hear more.

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Lack of Activity

I would like to apologise to you all for the complete lack of activity over the last few weeks. I don’t have any really excuse except I’ve been out of the country without the comfort of the internet to keep me warm at night.

I tried to get a few bits off when I could but all in all it was pretty much a completely failed attempt. I am a little bit ashamed that I didn’t give Eurogamer more of a build-up but I’ll certainly let you all know how it went and more importantly what the games actually played like. On a lighter note; Dieppe is awesome - go if you get the chance.

One point I’d like to mention after my hectic few weeks is that you should not expect Southern Water to be of any help… ever….!

This past week my girlfriend had a pipe burst and her garden got flooded by 6 inches of water due to the extent of the damage. Because of the large scale of water engulfing her garden a decision was made to turn off the stop clock so the water level could not get any worse. Unfortunately Southern Water feel that this means you are no longer a priority issue as you have made sure the problem will not worsen. The break in the pipe made sure that her whole house was without water. No washing machine, No taps, No tea and coffee as well as No way of flushing the toilet. To live without water for almost a fortnight is beyond a joke so trust me when I say – let the problem get worse and claim the damages back. DO NOT HELP THEM LIKE BATMAN WOULD!

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Eurogamer - The Plan @somemanwithplan

Eurogamer is upon us this year and the first two days have looked like an exciting mix of gaming and networking. The Eurogamer website has been flushed with information and the developer sessions seem to have gone down a storm. I’m hoping to get quite a lot of tweets sent out over the course of the weekend to let you all know what is going on and especially during my time at the event itself – I hope you’ll follow using the tag #egxp.

There are obviously several areas I ‘must’ visit and although my train travel will now be a complete pain in the arse I’m sure it will all turn out well. I must say its exceptionally difficult posting from my phone especially when I have so much to say but my brief and often approach tomorrow on twitter will certainly help.

Obviously I’ll be going along to some of the Careers Fair sessions in an attempt to get my name out there but also for the experiences these people have had. I’m a little disappointed that the programming panel is scheduled for Friday only but I’m sure I will make do.

The developer session from Bioware is probably one of the most important things for me to see, they are of course one of my favourite studios and I have followed their game for most of my life. It will also be nice to stop by the ID software conference and the one hosted by From Software relating to Dark Souls. I wish I’d have brought a Thursday ticket too though as the OnLive conference gave each of their seated participants a free console to take home.

Although I’ve never been a big fan of Cosplay I know why people are and the lengths they will go to make themselves look just like their favourite characters. It’s a great chance to see these people in action again and I’m lucky my girlfriend isn’t attending as she is worried about people in costume which would probably be a fairly regular occurrence.

Obviously the main attraction is the Video Games themselves and I’ve started planning my route with the help of a floor plan to make sure I see everything I want. There are some great games on show all weekend from Guild Wars 2 to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. The follow game lists will be featured heavily in my tweets all Saturday so follow me @somemanwithplan

§   The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

§   Batman Arkham City

§   OnLive

§   Microsoft Stand

§   Star War: The Old Republic

§   Counter Strike: Global Offensive

§   Fifa 12

§   Mass Effect 3

§   Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D

§   Halo Anniversary

§   Retro Zone

§   Fianl Fantasy XIII-2

§   Battlefield 3

I might even get a Pizza Express to keep my energy levels up.

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A Game of Thrones - Review TV & Book

I know I haven’t done this before but I thought now was the time to tell you just how much I am loving A Song of Fire an Ice. I usually read a book once and put it down but I don’t often reread them or contemplate opening them again as soon as they are shut. A Song of Fire and Ice is a brilliant series that gets deeper and more impressive the further through it you get. As much as I've enjoyed many books I've read, they just don't require a second read for me. The first book in this beloved series is of course A Game of Thrones which recently got a TV outing from the people at HBO. I love the series but the book is so richly created with a wealth of depth that I would stress that any fans of the series go straight out and start reading right away. I loved this book and all its characters so much that I find myself craving the world of Westeros and narrative so much that I can’t wait to get home and carry on.

Every single character in this tale has a rich background and heaps of personality that make you want to know more about each of them. The characters themselves make for a deeply engrossing tale that makes you want them to succeed and it’s difficult to actually find one you dislike even when they have the vilest of personalities. Characters I was original repulsed by grew on me and change in many fascinating ways – each one emphasising how great George R.R Martin is at creating a brilliant world.

Normally I’m not a fan of books that have too many different characters but the whole series is very well integrated. Each chapter is written from a perspective of each of the more involved characters which really give each a different depth you don’t often find in modern fantasy files. Martin has the ability to hook you in and it’s great to start a chapter and follow a specific characters quest. You are really provided with a broad picture of the current affairs and it’s a seamless narrative to follow.

I’ve read quite a few epic fantasy saga’s in my time and love books by both Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordon, both are probably Martin’s biggest rivals. Both of these authors have a very different style to Martin and are happy to let their stories build into each dramatic event but a Song of Fire and Ice is different. As each chapter is split by character it is very easy for the progress to occur in a faster passing then Martin’s contemporaries. I never had a moment while reading this where I thought that the chapter had been put in as filler or without a specific reason for inclusion.  Each chapter grabbed me, and by the time it ended I was groaning as I had to leave behind this story thread but are then instantly swept up by the events of the next chapter.

The other thing I love about A Game of Thrones is the authors commitments to the narrative and not the characters themselves. Many stories have jeopardy but you always count on the fact that the main character will not die as there are more books to come. The series is different and tragedy occurs as much as any success. It makes the whole experience feel as real as possible. I couldn’t recommend the series more.

Off the back of this brilliant series has been the recent HBO TV adaptation that has given the saga an even bigger audience. It’s right up there with LOST, Fringe and Broadwalk Empire as the best things to watch this year.

Game of Thrones might just urge on other, just as faithful adaptations of books to the small screen as this really has been a global hit. Shows like True Blood and The Walking Dead follow their source material loosely, to varying degrees of success while Game of Thrones adhered to its source material so closely that even the pickiest fans could only find small faults. Neil Gaiman's American Gods will be having an adaptation of it’s own shortly (also on HBO) and this series might well be the reason why this has got a chance at success too.

The series did a masterful job at bringing us wonderful characters, through both writing and acting. Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Lannister was an obvious standout with wonderful dialogue delivered with witty sarcasm or believable poignancy whenever required. His recent EMMY award shows just how good his performance really is. The newcomers also did a great job filling this world with characters that seem almost exactly the same as the portraits I gave them in my own head.

What I would suggest though is to read the book first! It’s a brilliant story that is supplemented superbly by the TV adaptation and one that I feel would be less beneficial if read once the TV series has already been watched in full.

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Skyrim - Further Game Points

I have found a lovely list of new Skyrim features. These have all been confirmed by Pete Hines the marketing man at Bethesda when he took to Twitter last week to answser some questions.

• You can save anywhere. Bethesda don’t do checkpoints. They have got an Autosave system though.
• Yes, there are children but No, you can’t hurt or kill them.
• Autosaves alternate between timed saves, sleeping and waiting.
• There will not be a hardcore mode.
• Finishing moves happen randomly. They aren’t under the player’s control whether you see them, or which ones you see will be random.
• There are hours of music written by Jeremy Soule to enrich the experience
• Bethesda have not created deformable terrain. Creating a beautiful, seamless outdoor world without loads is hard enough as it is.
• You can buy enchanted armour and weapons or create them yourself. DIY is certainly cheaper but it may or may not be better than what you’ve found in chests, on creatures or in the environment.
• You can put weapons or magic in either hand but you can only equip shields and torches in your left hand
• The game settings determine how hard enemies are and the difficulty adjusts some varients based on your level.
• Subtitles will be used throughout the game
• Button mapping has been included again.

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Bethesda's Game of Thrones

Bethesda are without a doubt the most ambitious fantasy developers of the last few years. Their Elder Scrolls series is best known for its open sandbox style that brings with it fantastic graphics, depth and brilliant storytelling that are all crafted into a seamless classic within each instalment. While fans of the series are no doubt excited that they can soon play Skyrim there have recently been murmurs of what could have been.

Tod Howard the series executive producer revealed in a recent interview that his team had apparently turned down an opportunity to make the official games based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels.

The fanbase for these books has grown considerably since the debut of the popular adaptation series on HBO, and many devotees have begged for a game worthy of the source material. Howard explained that the studio are already massive fans of the property and were very close to making it a reality. I mean who wouldn’t want to wander a Bethesda created Westeros?

‘We were actually asked a while ago to turn those books into games’, said Howard who found that the property had a lot of similarities to their Elder Scrolls series.

Obviously A Game of Thrones is a large story that has now progressed into a 6 book series (the third instalment has been cut into two books) and it certainly seems like a money spinner. Howard agrees but found that although the partnership was very tempting the team were too invested in their own IP that they didn’t want to take the project on.

Bethesda have always been keen to create their own worlds and invested many hundreds of hours into the story of Tamriel. It is a shame that the studio turned down this opportunity as I’m sure many fans would think they were the perfect candidates for the job. If it means that Skyrim would have suffered though I’m glad we will be experiencing their own world in the way it was intended. Maybe Bethesda will rethink their options once they complete the release of Skyrim on 11th November this year.

 

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Fifa 12 Demo

The FIFA 12 demo has been released on Xbox Live Marketplace and on the PC.

In it you can play as one of several teams from Arsenal and Barcelona to Milan and Borussia Dortmund. Finally a Fifa demo without Manchester United – still no Liverpool though.

Manchester City who are also in the demo provide the home action as their Etihad Stadium is the only available pitch. Matches are three minutes a half and are only Daytime and Dry as the settings.

There are demo tutorials for the different skills and follow controls for standing tackles, sliding tackles, jockeying, contain and push pull.

You can download this now directly from the Xbox 360 dashboard and has a size of 1.42GB. It is noted that you may have to search under E for EA rather than F for FIFA. Another game hits the Xbox first as the Playstation 3 demo from what I hear is due out tomorrow.

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Microsoft at Eurogamer Expo 2011

Microsoft have confirmed their attendance at this years Eurogamer Expo and will be brining with them a host of the biggest Xbox 360 exclusives.

Those games are Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Forza 4, Gears of War 3, The Gunstringer, Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports 2.

What a line up!

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is the long expected remake of Halo 1 - the game that started it all over 10 years ago.

Gears of War 3 was at last year's Eurogamer Expo, and this year its coming back. At this point we are unsure what will be shown of Gears of War 3 as the game releases a few days before the Expo itself.

Forza 4 is Turn 10's new racing game which has now established itself alongside Gran Turismo as one of the most realistic racing simulations.

The Gunstringer is a promising Kinect game by the maker of 'Splosion Man. And of cours Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports 2 need little introduction.

The Eurogamer Expo 2011 bursts into life at London's Earls Court on 22nd September 2011.

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Windows 8 and Xbox Live

Finally another revolution in mobile technology was announced yesterday with the confirmation that Windows 8 will feature Xbox Live functionality when it launches next year. Microsoft themselves released the announcement so at least you know it’s true.

Major Nelson’s blog confirmed that it will be called ‘Xbox Live on Windows’ and will bring the console services onto all Windows 8 devices. This will range from gaming, music and video content to the applications.

More details on how it will work is expected at the BUILD conference later this week where Microsoft will be talking developers through the Windows 8 cycle.

This is a very interesting development and a sure fire way to integrate their services even further. Now I need to get a Windows 8 device on top of everything else I already wanted.

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The 2011 Finale

With Christmas just a few months away the Video Game season is here in full force. The last few months have provided the build up on all the different platforms with the releases of Resistance 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dead Island and Starfox 64 3D.

From now on we can expect a big release almost every week for the rest of the year and there are some fantastic games coming our way. I thought now would be a good time to give you a breakdown of the games I’m most looking forward to.

Notable Mention - Battlefield 3 - Release Date: 25th October

The Battlefield series has always been at war with Call of Duty that it has always lost due to the massive popularity of its competition. EA knows this better then anyone and has decided that it does not want to lose this time around; at the very least it wants to significantly reduce the COD market share.  I’m a massive fan of Bad Company 2 and feel it is the best online FPS currently available on the Xbox 360. The large maps house hectic battlefields and vehicles capable of destroying everything in sight. I love the whole experience and can’t wait to see the tweaked Frostbite engine in action. Battlefield 3 looks to add a new level of realism to the FPS genre and I believe it will score higher the MW3 within reviews and in my personal opinion rightly so.

#5 Gears of War 3 - Release Date: 20th September

We know its coming – we heard it over the hill. Epic Games and Microsoft made the right choice when they pushed back the release of Gears 3 until now. The multiplayer Beta earlier in the year played like a retail version and showe4d a large amount of details and polish environments would be on display when GOW3 is due to be released. Since this is the finale to the trilogy expect Epic to pull out all the stops and make sure we play GOW3 for years to come. There is an awful lot of content in the new game and I expect it to be one of the big contenders for game of the year.

#4 Dark Souls - Release Date: 4th October

When Demon’s Soul came out it game gamers a different perspective of the gaming experience. It made for a deeply challenging adventure with a very solid fan base. The sequel is set to do the same thing with new challenging ideas that really require players to think in order to solve problems. I first heard about this game a few months ago after missing the originals whole release (meh PS3 only) but I won’t be missing this. The action horror won’t be the biggest or the best game this year but I certainly expect it to sell well and continue the franchise for a third instalment.

#3 Batman: Arkham City - Release Date: 18th October

Arkham Asylum marked the first game under the Batman name that was actually any good. The large scale, immersive story and solid gameplay gave players a reason to finally play a superhero video game.  It took concepts that are a usual addition to most action games now and added the dark prison island to it. Plus I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t wish they were Bruce Wayne. This time it’s set in Gotham City and provides an even large world to explore. The successful gameplay of the original will be tweaked for the large scale game and promises some of the best action of any games coming out this year. I think this will be a massive seller but I still don’t think it will grab the top spot.

#1 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Release Date: 11th November

Just a moment – breathe in Tamriel again. Remember running through the world of Cyrodill in Oblivion? Of course you do, we all do. Now what you’ve just been thinking about is the reason why Skyrim will be or at least should be the biggest selling game this year. The Elder Scrolls series has given gamers several amazing worlds to explore over the years and Skyrim for me has personally been the one I’ve always wanted to play in. For me the Nordic world will bring on a better sense of the race and their ways as I always play Nord first in each of the games. While Oblivion was a great open world game, Skyrim will take it one step further with much more to explore and many more tasks to complete. The radiant story should also ensure that the whole experience is unique for each person. Bethesda has taken their time crafting this world and when it is finally released into the world, everyone will remember why they are the king’s of this genre.

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The Elder Scrolls V(ampire): Skyrim

Another Elder Scrolls update was released in the last few days which confirmed what we really all expected.

In the usual fashion Skyrim game director Todd Howard has confirmed that the Elder Scrolls V will allow players to assume the role of a vampire.

As is common in the previous game of the series players will be able to contact the disease Porphyric Hemophilia (as it’s commonly known in Tamriel). If this is left untreated the player will turn you into a member of the fanged undead. Alternatively you can treat the infection and stay mortal.

As in the other Elder Scrolls games contracting Porphyric Hemophilia will have some drastic changes to how the game is played. For instance, sunlight will actually harm you, but you’ll get a power boost, and eventually you’ll be able to harness your various vampiric tendencies. However, you will be able to feed on people as they sleep silently in there beds. In fact the while experience appears to be much better then the blood pack health boost obtained in Fallout 3 for siding with The Family.

No confirmation on status effects have been confirmed but we hope I hope we can turn into a bat and follow the Frost Dragon home. I predict that my Nord Warrior will be a Vampire by 6am on 11^th November!

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Xbox 360 - Possible Streamworks Software Update

A recent report has outlined that an ‘Xbox Support’ option has become available on Steams Support area.

For those of you who don’t know Steam is a digital distribution website from Value that was released in 2003 to worldwide success. As of July 2011 there were over 1300 games available on demand and usually at a reduced price too. The software available comes from many different developers and has a massive user base.

The most interesting thing about this option is the fact that Steam isn’t available for either of the Xbox platforms. Steamworks is only currently available on Playstion 3 on the home console base. Value have said that this is due to Microsoft’s reluctance to open up the Xbox Live infrastructure but this could change in the wake of the Playstation 3 price drop that has given them a sales boost.

I suppose the big question is whether this will be a dedicated support option or if the option was produced in error. Either way this is the first hint of Steam coming to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console – I’m one man hoping that this is a look into the future.

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What happened to Pokémon?

I know Pokémon hasn’t gone anywhere but I must admit that with age (in the franchise not personally) I have grown further away from ever wanting to play it. I remember a time when fans liked the game just to collect the monsters, to beat the Elite 4 and occasionally battle friends.

Pokémon used to be awesome and even when the game concept was the same people just kept coming back for more. Fans would always buy the next instalment even if it was just an aesthetic difference and we were all happy levelling our Dratini until we could blow everyone out of the water.

Now we have settled into the Black and White games people have either loved the new series or held themselves back pending another remake.

Something changed as the series progressed and the original fans either drifted away or used the excuse of growing up to stop playing anymore. There are several reasons why Pokémon has slowly lost its momentum and it’s mainly down to laziness on the developers behalf.

Firstly we all know which were the best selection of critters and if you say anything other then the original 150 you’d find it hard to argue your point. The new games have done away with all the old favourites from Pikachu to Squirtle and filled the gap with a whole new selection to catch. The issues is that how can people be expected to jump into a new game without giving them the ability to familiarize themselves with the monsters. It’s all well and good giving people some fresh ideas but who would really choose a Fire Piglet over a Fire Dinosaur? That’s right – NO ONE!

When the original series was released we all stood in awe of the brilliant names and ideas that the creative team used. Names like Bulbasaur were used to give people a straight up idea of what they were based on and their appearance. This particular Pokémon was easy with ‘bulb’ from plants and ‘saur’ like the end of most reptile names. In other words this was a Grass/Plant monster which looked like a Dinosaur. The newer names have no correlation with the monsters themselves and do not have the same creative stance as the originals. Can anyone explain how Aggron fits the character to me?

In the original games there were 150 Pokémon and each one had a factor that made players want to ‘Catch em’ all.’ As I’ve said before the originals made sense and were based on animals, elements or people. They all had the same basic concept that they must make sense. This has gradually had less of an impact over the newer creations and this can be seen in both the names as previously discussed and the character designs. What the hell is an Ice Cream going to do against a fire breathing Dragon? The other creature to grind my gears this year is a Bin Bag – and he’s no Muk that’s for sure.

As with all games Pokémon has evolved over the years and new gameplay introductions have been produced. From Physical and Special attacks to Effort Values and Levelling the series has seen almost a complete overhaul. It actually means that a player must put in hundreds of hours to get the best team and battle online. This is a detriment to the game that allow both a hardcore crowd and those more casual players to have fun. Why would a casual player ever want to venture online and in particular how does my 4 year old cousin cope with all these number crunching stats when all he wants is to have fun and play against some real people.

As the game has evolved statistically the new series has also watered down the games difficulty too. You can now battle the Elite Four in whichever order you like and also gives them a level which is easier to obtain during the gameplay. I know this means less grinding to level up your monsters but does it really need to be this easy. Where is the challenge of these games going?

I just want a decent remake of the original game where I can take my Charmander and smash everyone!

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Halo 4 - The True Sequel

The Halo 4 leak before E3 sparked company outrage within Microsoft as this was suppose to be part of the highlight reel and something the crowd were not originally anticipating. To be honest I thought there might have been a Halo 4 in development ever since 343 Studios took over the franchise. Still when this trailer was released the gaming community were found in an unusual stunned silence that such a large sale announcement was pretty much a blind hit to most of the population.

Halo 4 promises a fresh adventure in the shoes of everyone’s favourite Spartan Solider, the Master Chief, who will certainly have a whole fresh batch of problems to deal with once the forth instalment hits our shelves. To say this is another trilogy is quite a sentiment to the popularity of the series. 343 Studios are expecting the forth game to be a hit globally otherwise they wouldn’t already be predicting the production of another two games too.

Halo 4 is going to be the first true sequel to the original sage as both ODST and Reach followed a completely different pattern from the original trilogy and were actually prequels. Each of these games had their own set of story issues that were finalised in each games closure. Of course these are games set in the Halo Universe but Master Chief will always be a leading factor in the true Halo franchise. I’m sure everyone is looking forward to using John-117 again.

Another reason to get excited is that 343 Studios has taken over the reigns from Bungie. As much as I love Bungie for what they have created the last two entries do not match the superior quality of the main trilogy. It sounds unfortunate but I think Bungie were just creating games for the sake of it and had lost their original drive to create a fully realised universe that continued to expand. Along with a new studio comes new ideas and with the Halo: Combat Evolved HD remake also coming from 343 we as fans have a lot to be excited about. In fact the remake has been created with a lot of care and hopefully this is something held onto in the process of completing Halo 4.

Obviously the fact that Halo is an exclusive to Microsoft is a big deal – especially with their end of year run coming along soon that has some great new releases. The masses will be excited for the next instalment of the Master Chief series and exclusives are an excellent way of keeping people committed to one system or obtain new customers. Exclusives also tend to be better then multiplatform games as a developer can focus on one version; cleaner code makes for a better game.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Halo will be back with the Master Chief. This bad-ass has now saved the universe multiple times, prevented the flood and he has escaped and killed thousands of enemies. If he isn’t now the biggest hero in the universe then I don’t know who is?

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