Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Ino-co Plus
System requirements: TBA
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Q2 2012

In 1994, Simtex released a 4X game entitled Master of Magic. Like every similar RTS at the time, it initially looked like a Civilization clone. Despite initial bugs, it was far more then just Civ with spells, and it quickly became a strategy classic. A few games have tried to capture its spark since, most infamously 2010’s Elemental, but none of them have quite made it. Unwilling to let such a great spirit languor in DOS emulators, Paradox Interactive is giving MoM a modern body in the form of Warlock: Master of the Arcane. The details are so enticing it might cause your carpal tunnel to flair up in anticipation.

Warlock features three races, each with its own very distinct set of units. You pick a race and a leader, each of whom has his own set of bonuses, and then you’re let off to conquer a randomly generated world, one turn at a time. Warlock feels very influenced by Civilization V. Before anyone panics, please note that it borrows the good parts: the hex-based combat, lack of unit stacks and actual ranged units. Being a master of arcana, you have access to a large grimoire of spells to cast, which adds whole new tactical spice. Once this plane of existence has sworn its allegiance to you, there are others to find and invade. It’s like a layered taco-dip of turn-based strategy, only instead of heartburn keeping you up at night, its “just one more turn.”

Yet, with all these features, Warlock manages to be accessible, yet still deep. A great example of this is the streamlined city management. There are only three resources: food, gold and mana. Units have build and upkeep costs, while buildings produce resources at a constant rate. Aside from the occasional bonus, tiles are not used for harvesting resources so much as for holding new buildings. Meanwhile, choosing buildings becomes more important, because you only get one building per population point. The changes are small and easily learned, but their interplay leads to a myriad of strategies.

Developer In-co Plus is still hard at work packing more goodness into their game for its nebulous Q2 2012 release. Currently, Warlock: Master of the Arcane is definitely one to watch for all those afflicted with “One More Turn” syndrome.

© Ian Davis for The Adrenaline Vault, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments

Publisher: Valve
Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 3.0 GHz Pentium IV or better CPU, 128 MB graphics card with Pixel Shader 2.0 support, 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista/Win 7), DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound device, 3 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Q1 2012
Preview by: Ian Davis

Certain gaming communities are more resistant to change then others. Some, like certain players who seem to always answer certain calls of certain obligations, pile onto the latest annual release as if it were the last doughnut in the precinct. Counterstrike gamers are of a heartier breed. CS has seen two releases since its commercial debut in 2000, each with its own slow-and-steady patch schedule along the way. The changes have been minor, but not always accepted. For reference, CS has a player base so hardcore that they not only know what a tick-rate is, but they also have strong opinions about them. With Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) 2 on the way, Valve seems to be willing to tackle all the tricky classics. Thus, this one is being recast into Counterstrike: Global Offensive. So how can Valve update this FPS pillar without being an iconoclast?

First step: don’t change what isn’t broken. The base game is still Counterstrike. For the uninitiated, that means two teams charging off at each other, one trying to rescue hostages or plant a bomb, while the other prevents said actions, the dead respawning only after the round ends. After that, everybody buys new weapons and ammo with cash they earned in the previous round for their performance, and go at it again. No perks, no kill streaks; just you, a Mountain Dew, and every ounce of nervous skill you can muster. That’s Counterstrike, and that’s not changing.

However, the first to change is the look. Updated to the latest build of Source, CS:GO’s sharp textures and glowing lighting definitely make it stand out as the best-looking Source game yet. CS:GO shows that the venerable old engine still has what it takes to make a top-notch game today.

But graphics aside, the most important part of the engine is how it feels. The CS:GO team has brought in the top players from around the world to make sure that every movement, timing and animation feels like a CS game.

CS:GO isn’t all old news, though. Valve wants to reach out into the gaming world and bestow their gift of manshooters onto everyone, even those who are likely to be shredded moments after stepping into a server. To accommodate those who aren’t FPS Doug without watering down the juice, CS:GO features skill-based matchmaking. Casual mode provides large sums of cash to all players from the onset, letting you jump right in with your favorite firearm from the start.

The largest piece of news is that CS:GO will reach the consoles. The interface has been especially redesigned to accommodate our thumbstick-and-button brethren. The current High Priest of the PC cult has released a decree, stating that this move ought to be viewed as one of “goodwill and charity, so that all gamers might know Holy Balance and their eyes be lifted to a state of True Skill Based Competition.” Further, he added that he hopes that “their addiction to arbitrary leveling systems be broken, that they break the prestige cycle and know true freedom.”

Not convinced yet? As the release date comes closer, Valve is planning an open beta (the closed beta began last November), so you can get some frags under your belt and judge for yourself if CS:GO is worthy of the name. With a soft release date of “sometime in 2012,” rest assured that Counterstrike: Global Offensive will get the same slow-cooking attention that adds that special Valve ingredient, and be released only at the peak of flavor. Go go go!

Sources: Joystiq, Kotaku

© Michael Smith for The Adrenaline Vault, 2012. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: ChangYou
Developer: Zeonix
Genre: CCG (collectible card game)
Requirements: Any Flash enabled web browser
Release Date: 2012 (projected mid first quarter)
Written by: Mindy Hartman

Korean game developer Zeonix will be releasing a new online collectible card game, Sword Girls, which will go into closed beta 2 on December 7, 2011 and be released sometime in 2012. This CCG is anime-based, featuring over 500 hundred cards (at release, with more to come) of original art, though it is not tied to any real card game or television show. Players will have the ability to earn/trade/create countless cards and build unique decks so they can battle dungeons or other players in pvp matches.

The concept of the game is fairly simple. Each player builds a 31 card deck consisting of one main character and thirty followers and spells. The board has six slots for cards, one for the main character and five for playing followers/spells. The main character has life points which must be protected. Each follower/spell has a size value (1-5) and a player can’t have more than 10 points on the board. A player can win in one of two ways: when the other player’s main character has no life left or when the other player has no cards left in their deck to play. Sword Girls has an extra challenge because players must set their board each round within 30 seconds. This means that players will need to be fairly familiar with their cards and strategy, or they will fall behind when the round starts and they haven’t set their board.

I had a chance to play Sword Girls over the last week, and I have to admit, it’s addictive. Because the rounds are time limited, you have to think and plan quickly, and some how, that focus on making good decisions in a short time turns into extreme competitiveness and real life time loss. Losing a match made me want to tweak my deck, a card here, a card there, and then get right back in to show the dungeon master what’s what. I have a whole new appreciation for Yu-Gi-Oh! too. I couldn’t help but ask the heart of the cards to be with me and hope for the perfect draw. There are GM battles posted on their Facebook page if you want to see what it looks like.

Because this game is only dependent on a Flash browser, it could really be a lot of fun for gamers of all types, not just those tied to the PC. Sword Girls is definitely something to watch out for in 2012.

© Michael Smith for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments

Publisher: Nicolas Games
Developer: Intoxicate Studios
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz Intel Core2Duo/AMD Athlon 64 X2 or better CPU, 256 MB graphics card with Shader 3.0 support, 2 GB RAM (Windows XP)/3 GB RAM (Vista/Win 7), DirectX 9.0c
Genre: Third-person shooter
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: November 2011

All psychiatrist Dr. Albert Tokaj wanted was an energy drink. He had just fallen asleep during his last session with a patient (his eighth of the day, thanks to the edict of the Shelter’s commanding officer), and he desperately needed a sugar injection. But he ended up in the bar instead when he found the nearest vending machine was empty. Soon after sitting down for a drink with a friend, Albert’s life took a distressing turn…and so begins Afterfall: InSanity, the debut shooter for indie developer Intoxicate Studios.

The Shelter is similar to the vaults of the Fallout series, a three-level underground habitat for survivors of a devastating nuclear war in 2035. It has a very lived-in, grungy look; residents congregate in the corridors while cleaning robots try to stay ahead of the human-generated blight. A monorail system links this shelter with others in the area. And it seems that Dr. Tokaj is not on many Shelter residents’ Christmas card lists; government-mandated therapy sessions have not endeared him to the populace. Still, when the General summons him to go to the lower levels with two security guards to find some missing scientists, he follows his orders and descends to the dark depths of the Shelter, where even darker surprises await him.

I recently had a chance to take the first few hours of InSanity for a spin, and I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen. The Unreal Engine 3-powered shooter delivers some very atmospheric visuals, which become more detailed the deeper you go into the Shelter. Some sections of the complex have a distinctly Doom 3 look about them, with your character having to depend upon a small flashlight and a PDA to navigate the gloomy lower levels. Combat is heavily melee-based; there are plenty of blunt-force weapons to be found (pipes, hammers, electric cattle prods, etc), very few firearms and a scarcity of ammo, most of which is found in dispensers instead of lying around on the floor. And the story has a few interesting twists and turns, with some unique puzzles to solve to top off the experience.

My preview build of Afterfall: InSanity had a few minor problems, including stability and the odd English text typo (much of the text on background monitors and TV screens is in Polish), but I suspect that these will be fixed before the final version of the game is launched at the end of the month. InSanity is shaping up to be a fine, low-budget indie offering. And with publisher Nicolas Games offering a $1 pre-order deal with 10 percent of the proceeds going to charity (click here for details), you could check it out yourself for the change in your couch cushions.

© Michael Smith for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System Requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7, Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB free hard drive space, NVIDIA® GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon® X1900 video card, Direct X-compatible sound card, DirectX 9, 3-button mouse, keyboard, speakers, Internet connection for multiplayer
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Pending
Release date: February 7, 2012

In the wake of Paradox Interactive’s release of Sengoku, it shouldn’t surprise anyone in the game industry that Paradox is looking to create a sequel to the game that started them down the path of dynastic struggles and medieval warfare: Crusader Kings. While Sengoku is a budget offering depicting the Warring States period in Japanese history, Crusader Kings II advertises itself as a full price title that offers players the chance to “Increase your lands and fill your coffers, appoint vassals, battle traitors, introduce laws while interacting with hundreds of nobles, and create the most powerful dynasty of medieval Europe.” Luckily, I was given the chance to preview it for the past few weeks. And I have to say that even in its unfinished, beta condition, it is an engrossing game filled with the kinds of difficult choices historical medieval rulers would have faced, albeit with a slicker interface.

Like its predecessors, CKII is a game that fuses some RPG elements together with strategy gaming. As the player, you do not control a country or nation-state (they don’t even exist in the period, so that’s a good thing). Instead, you control your ruler and his or her titles and lands. You might choose to play as the Duke of Aquitaine, or perhaps the king of Denmark. But at all times, you, as the player, will find yourself managing just your ruler and their personal territory in the context of Western or Eastern feudalism. Rather than run all the lands yourself, you have vassals and family members who rule in your name throughout your realm. Particularly large kingdoms might see a player running 10-15 holdings themselves, but interacting with 40-50 vassals who rule another 200 holdings. Thus, even as you manage improvements in your lands and raise armies in strategic gaming fashion, you spend a considerable amount of time interacting with other characters. Appeasing and pleasing vassals and your family takes work and is complicated by the fact that the game assigns a variety of personality characteristics, called traits, that influence how much different characters like each other. While you, as the player, control your ruler’s actions, there will be characters in the game that just don’t like your ruler because he is a gluttonous coward or a prudish busybody.

Unlike most RPGs, the characters in the game are not following narratives. There is no story as such, so no one should confuse CKII with King Arthur: The Role Playing Wargame. The AI plays all of the other characters and tirelessly works to advance the political interests of all the NPCs in the game; the catch is that the game is set in the period starting in 1066 and stretching for the next 400 years. Advancing your political standing has less to do with researching sword +5 and raising taxes and has more to do with typical medieval pastimes like arranging marriages, plotting against your liege, crusading, and manipulating the church. During my time previewing the game, I found myself actually taking an active role in the marriage prospects of my children so that I could arrange alliances, even as I fretted about the fertility of my rulers, assassination attempts from my own family members, vassals trying to take the throne from me, and even backing an anti-pope. Treason, plots, imprisonment, executions, and even assassination are all tools used against both foreign enemies and domestic threats. Hardly a decade goes by in the game without the player facing enough plotting and scheming to make Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Richard III feel right at home.

Most strategy games are focused on a “conquer everything to win” style of gameplay. However, CKII focuses on a different approach. The goal is to make your dynasty the most prestigious, so every time your ruler dies, their piety and prestige gets added to the dynasty’s score. Since piety and prestige are also spent buying claims on foreign titles and asking the church for favors, players must take the time to budget their resources accordingly. While I never painted the entire map with my dynasty’s color by conquering everything at any point, it wasn’t because the game was too hard. It was because there was always something important to do that kept my rulers occupied and busy. While some inevitable snowballing of political and economic power occurs as your dynasty gains power over the years, being the ruler of a large swath of European territory changes the nature of the game. While it is nowhere near the gameplay in Spore, CKII sees players dealing with very different challenges when they are minor rulers in some backwater as opposed to powerful rulers over an empire in the richest areas of Europe. Smaller rulers not only plot and scheme against neighbors, but they find it much easier to manage their small families and their assorted claims. Kings and emperors find that even if you can levy 100,000 troops and take in hundreds of ducats in taxes every year, it means almost nothing if every time your ruler dies, half the empire breaks into a civil war because 24 separate dukes all have claims to the throne and the Pope is threatening to excommunicate you over the investiture conflict.

Combat in CKII is not a rehash of games like Medieval: Total War. Combat is influenced indirectly as it is in most Paradox titles. The good news is that characters control these combats, meaning if your cowardly brother is running the left flank of your army, he might just run away with 3000 men at the very moment you need him to hold fast. By taking away control of armies form players, the game ironically gives your strategic decisions more weight. Angering good military leaders within your realm is dangerous, as is letting your vassals have too much freedom. They might instead spend time fighting each other, wearing out their armies and killing/maiming their aristocratic leaders, weakening your whole kingdom in the face of potential foreign aggression.

The preview copy Paradox gave us has updated itself several times via Steam as I was previewing it. This prevented me from playing an entire game from start to finish (save game incompatibility), but I have had a chance to see various mechanics improve and balance over the past few weeks. Every time it updates, it becomes more engrossing. Crusader Kings II is slated for release in February, 2012, and I can’t wait. It has the potential to be a medievalist’s dream without bogging players down in historical minutia.

© Jason Pitruzzello for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: Overhaul Games
Developer: Overhaul Games, Interplay
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 3 GHz Pentium D CPU, GeForce GT 120/Radeon HD 2600 XT or better graphics card, 1 GB RAM, 1 GB hard-drive space, DirectX 9
Genre: FPS
ESRB rating: Not rated (original game rated Teen)
Release date: October 2011

Ever since widescreen flat-panel television prices finally came down from the stratosphere, “High Definition” has been one of our most cherished entertainment attributes. The phrase has joined “Director’s Cut” and “Remastered” as important buzzwords in TVs, DVDs and feature films. New developer Overhaul Games has used its inaugural release, MDK 2 HD, to add video gaming to the list of leisure activities sporting the magic high-def descriptor. They’ve taken an 11-year-old PC shooter and made it much more appealing to the eye, while retaining the original’s fast-paced gameplay.

Kurt Hectic was just a mild-mannered janitor until he came to work for mad scientist Dr. Hawkins and his six-legged, cigar-chomping robot dog, Max. When Earth is attacked by alien forces led by a giant blue demon known as Shwang Shwing, Dr. Hawkins puts Kurt into a homemade battle suit and sends him out to defend humanity. The 10-level shooter has you playing as all three characters (Kurt, Max and Hawkins). Kurt and Max are straight-ahead shooters (mostly of the spray-and-pray variety), while playing as Hawkins involves platforming and puzzle-solving, including combining inventory items into unique weapons.

Being an old-school PC gamer, I just happened to have a CD ROM copy of the original game in my collection, so I played the first three levels (one devoted to each character) before I took on the HD version (the pre-release press demo is limited to those levels). The gameplay is exactly the same between the two versions, but there’s a striking difference in how the games look. Check out the two screenshots on this page. On the left is a shot of the 2000 version, with the same scene from the new version on the right (both games were running at 1920 x 1200 with 32-bit color depth when the captures were taken). The graphics throughout MDK 2 HD are brighter and richer than those in the original game, but Overhaul has also made the subtitles more attractive and the character heads in the text boxes more detailed. And despite the numerous graphics updates, the new game runs at an almost constant 60 fps, and it retains some of the original game’s quirks, such as the lack of a target reticule in the shooting sections.

Sometimes trying to make an original experience better can backfire (see the Blu-ray versions of the Star Wars movies as a good example). But Overhaul has avoided the potential problems by leaving the core gameplay of MDK 2 alone and giving it a welcome new look. Anyone who fondly remembers the original game should definitely check out MDK 2 HD when it releases later this month.

© Michael Smith for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Reflections
Genre: Racing
Rating: Teen
Release Date: September 6, 2011

Video games, like movies, are a collaborative art form. Anyone who waits through the 5 minute scrawl of text that ends each game, waiting to see what bonus features all their hard work has unlocked, knows that the only real difference between a video game and a movie is the lack of a key grip. Other than that, these AAA titles are assembled by a cast of hundreds or thousands, and marketed by twice that. I usually pay particular attention to the Creative Director – the person who keeps the ship afloat as it makes that long journey from inception to “gone gold.” And it’s particularly interesting when a creator leaves his baby in well-meaning hands and heads off to explore new frontiers, only to return several years down the line. Within the next six months, gamers have the chance to enjoy a series of titles that are notable for having enticed their fathers back into the fold. Next year, Ken Levine brings us a brand new Bioshock after sitting the second one out. This Fall, Michel Ancel returns to his Rayman platforming roots. And in just a few weeks, Martin Edmonson takes the wheel in Driver: San Francisco – returning to the series once again after a lengthy absence.

Edmonson and his team at Reflections burst onto the scene with the 1999 release Driver, for the original PlayStation. Putting players behind the wheel as undercover cop Jack Tanner, then a criminal getaway driver – this free-roaming ‘cops and robbers’ tale was remarkable for laying the blueprint for some of Grand Theft Auto’s later success. At the time, it was a real thrill to take the wheel and drive through a bustling metropolis, speeding through Hollywood-esque car chases. The sequel, Driver 2, allowed Tanner to get out of the car in order to grab new rides – again providing additional inspiration for the PS2 GTA series. Unfortunately, the much hyped next gen Driver 3 failed to match the innovations laid out by its predecessors and the series lost quite a bit of that luster.

Having had the chance to play through a three-part demo available now on the Playstation Network and XBLA, Edmonson’s return is felt immediately. This appetizer course offers up tantalizing morsels of game play and the racing feels crisp and dynamic. With Fast Five’s film director, Justin Lim, in the design stable – the feel of flying through a breakneck chase is immediately apparent. The recipe for addictive action racing feels complete.

Driver: San Francisco’s big hook takes a page from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. In this title, Tanner is wounded in a major car crash and from that develops the ability to project or “Shift” his consciousness from one car to another; allowing him to take control of the driver and influence their actions. While it remains to be seen how this is developed in the narrative, each time Tanner “shifts” into the guise of another character – it feels like small morsels of the Animus trips in Creed. In the game, it plays similarly to that bravura sequence in the second Matrix flick – where the various agents continued to chase Neo by “car-jacking” various drivers on a crowded highway.

The “Prove It” sequence of the demo introduces Tanner’s new power and lets players take it for a spin. Tanner brings his partner along for the journey and is forced to execute a number of stunts while hunting a suspect – whom he torments by randomly popping into his head and taking control of his ride. All of this leads to some interesting and humorous wrinkles on the traditional car chase format as the unwitting suspect begins tormenting and toying with police cars and tow trucks – all just waiting to collar this perp.

“Escapist” finds Tanner picking up a passenger moments before the long arm of the law crashes down. The player then needs to utilize their driving prowess in concert with Tanner’s “Shifting” ability to lose the cops – as indicated by a red sphere on the map. As more cops join the fray, you’ll need to discover short cuts through the environment to cut them off. It’s similar to missions seen in the later GTA games but the “Shift” ability constantly adds a shiny gloss to the proceedings.

“Team Colors” is the closest mode to a traditional race – pairing two teams of two drivers each. This means, in the single player mode, you need to keep “shifting” between your two cars in order to insure that both cars cross the finish line in the top two slots. This micro-management of two sets of racers feels like carefully orchestrated chaos and left me at the edge of my seat the entire time – as I constantly checked on my wingman to make sure he was keeping up while working to fend off those vying for my front line pole position.

Driver: San Francisco goes on sale for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 6, 2011. A PC release is scheduled for later that month. From what I’ve played, this is a well-polished arcade racer that feels similar to the Burnout series while re-embracing the roots first laid down by Edmonson in the winning first installment. This is one to watch.

© Ed Humphries for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | One comment

Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System requirements: TBD
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Not yet rated
Release date: September 13, 2011

Much like WWII, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Crusades, Japan’s Sengoku Period is an historic conflict that game designers can’t seem to leave alone. The intrigue and warfare of such a violent period has spawned a number of interesting titles over the years of such widely varying kinds as Takeda 3 and Total War: Shogun 2. Now Paradox Interactive has decided to add their grand strategy gaming touch to this period, bringing gamers Sengoku: Way of the Warrior. Rather than trying to out-do Creative Assembly or Magitech in terms of tactical battles, Paradox has taken a page from their own Crusader Kings and designed a title that is more focused on the interaction of characters than it is on the proper deployment of archers on a battlefield. In Sengoku, plotting and scheming has a central role to play in a game where your own vassals can be as much of a threat as an opposing clan.

The goal in Sengoku is to become Shogun, and in order to do so, your clan must control over fifty percent of the country for about 18 months. This sounds awfully easy, as surely any halfway competent ruler can conquer and hold half the country for two years. However, these simple victory conditions belie the intricate nature of the game. With Japan being divided into over 300 provinces, and with your character’s personal demesne limited to around 5 provinces, the game suddenly becomes much more difficult. Provinces not directly a part of your personal demesne are given to vassals to rule, and they have their own agenda as well as having a voice in clan affairs. Vassals that do not like you might plot against you, and all important vassals get to exert influence on the succession of the clan’s leadership. If your vassals are not cooperative, not only can they break away, but they can even decide that a character that is not your preferred heir be the next leader of the clan when your current ruler dies. Intra-clan politics can tie up a significant portion of your money, time, and resources, but it is worth it just so you can ensure that your own son gets to lead the clan when you die. The alternative is to become a mere vassal in a clan you have built up over a few decades.

External threats are also omnipresent in Sengoku. Warfare is conducted on the strategic map between armies, and there are no tactical battles as such. After a war is declared, armies fight one another and sieges take place. While there is some strategy to marching armies around the map, the real strategic elements involve who is commanding which armies (leader skill is crucial) and whether levies are mobilized or left home to defend their province. Like other Paradox titles, the player raises a standing army, called a retinue, using money from provinces. But provinces also generate a levy based on their buildings. This levy can be mobilized in times of war and go on offensive operations; however, if it stays home, it can add itself to the defenses of the province’s fortifications. Thus, an important decision when initiating a war is which levies to mobilize and which to leave at home. Furthermore, vassals, unless they are very powerful, cannot control their own levies during a war. Vassals generally can only control their personal retinue, meaning that the clan leader can control most of the clan’s military strength during a war without sidelining the vassals completely. This neatly gets around the problem of Crusader Kings where a liege would take a vassal’s armies and the vassal would sit on his hands for the entire war with nothing to do.

Diplomacy is very much based on whether two characters like each other; while gifts can raise their relations, characters with the right kinds of traits will like each other more than characters with the wrong kinds of traits. However, unlike other Paradox titles, diplomacy here is less about treaties and alliances and more about hostages, marriages, and plots. Declaring war costs honor. The more two characters like each other, and the more ties they have to one another, the more honor it costs. In order to prevent war between two clans, a mere piece of paper saying, “We won’t go to war” is not sufficient. Instead, the clans must exchange hostages. So long as hostages are exchanged, the two clans face a much higher cost in honor to declare a war, not to mention the cost in the lives of the hostages. And warfare, while it most often takes the form of wars of annihilation, is not always a fight to the death. It is possible to force other clans to submit to vassalage. While powerful clans won’t ever accept, weaker clans with no hope of victory might choose to become vassals. This lets the defeated clan keep its lands while owing you fealty. The disadvantage is that since they have their lands intact, they can plot against you later. But given the time it takes to conduct sieges, it can be faster to simply subordinate neighboring clans to prevent a war from lasting a decade.

Marriages are very important, and not just because your clan needs heirs. Marriages between two characters strengthen their ties, making war more costly. Furthermore, wives increase their husband’s stats. Every character has a martial, diplomacy, and intrigue stat that measures their ability in war, diplomacy, and subterfuge. Even an imbecile of a clan leader can become reasonably competent if his wives are smart; at least twice I’ve had militarily incompetent clan leaders whose wives were able to increase his martial score. And yes, I said wives. Polygamy is possible and, indeed, common; each male character can have up to four wives. While women cannot occupy positions of obvious political power in Sengoku, they can be critical in their capacity to support their husbands in whatever intrigues and warfare the clan engages.

Plotting is not just a term that covers various nefarious activities in which one can be engaged. There is an actual game mechanic called plots. When your character wants or needs help from other characters to achieve certain goals, you go to the plot menu and select a plot, activating it. Plots include everything from vassals conspiring against the clan leader to clan leaders wanting to initiate a multi-clan war against a powerful clan. After initiating a plot, your character can send diplomatic offers to other characters, asking them to join the plot. Once enough characters, with enough power, have joined the plot, the leader of the plot can initiate it, and the desired effect occurs. This mechanic is great in an environment where the AI controls maybe hundreds of characters. You don’t have to hope the AI understands the goal of a particular action; the plot mechanic ensures that if the AI accepts your offer to join a plot, it understands what is going to happen (no more “Hey, I thought we were allies so we could attack X, not to usurp control of the clan!” kind of AI behavior). Plots may also be discovered before they are initiated. The Master of the Guard can uncover plots against your character, and if discovered, not only is plot shut down (ending the arrangement between the characters) but the target who discovers the plot can expose the plotters, causing them to lose honor. Thus, plotting is not without risks.

For those who want to wage covert warfare on their own, ninjas are available and looking for work. Ninja perform a variety of mundane, but useful, activities, including taking hostages, rescuing hostages, damaging provinces, provoking uprisings, dishonoring characters, and the ever popular assassination of targets. They cost money, but much like their ronin counterparts, they are not always available for hire. Because they are not always in your demesne looking for work, you cannot abuse them by spamming ninja attacks. As for ronin, they are large additions to your retinue that take less time to recruit and are easier to support than spamming your own personal troops for the retinue. However, ronin are also not always available for hire, making it difficult to abuse them as well.

There is one unusual mechanic that has made its way into the game: seppuku. I was initially surprised that such a game mechanic was included, mainly because ritual suicide is controversial and I couldn’t see the point of its inclusion in a strategy game. As I indicated before, honor is something all characters have, and honor is used up declaring wars and in plotting. Honor can be gained in a variety of ways, but it is possible to lose way more than you earn. If your honor gets too low, you are in danger of losing the game. A character with low honor can commit seppuku, causing their heir to inherit and passing on some honor to that heir. In addition to this, a clan leader can demand that vassals with low honor commit seppuku. While the vassal can refuse, the refusal itself costs honor, resulting in serious complications for that vassal. While it might seem like this mechanic can be abused (for example, killing a bad ruler off so his brilliant son can take over), the reality is that seppuku has serious restrictions on its use. Furthermore, since vassals can exert influence on the succession of the clan’s leadership, it is often more worthwhile to hold on to a stupid ruler in the hopes that your sons can mature and take over. Seppuku is a solution for problems of personal honor only in the most extreme cases.

Sengoku is shaping up to be a very different strategy experience in feudal Japan from most other titles covering the period. It is currently still in beta, but it is slated for release on September 13, 2011. I’m looking forward to it.

© Jason Pitruzzello for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments

Publisher: Flying Wild Hog
Developer: Flying Wild Hog
System requirements: TBD
Genre: FPS
ESRB rating: Not yet rated
Release date: September 2011

Last week was one of those weeks. I found myself nearly overwhelmed by a slew of personal and work-related projects. Then I heard there was an opportunity to get a hands-on look at Flying Wild Hog’s upcoming cyberpunk shoot-em-up Hard Reset. Projects got put on hold as I made sure to allot a suitable chunk of time for it. Ever since a single screenshot appeared on the Internet earlier this year, I’ve been eager to take a closer look at this baby, because it seemed pretty damn enticing. Then there was talk about it being an old-school FPS (Doom-like as opposed to Halo-like) and that increased my interest tenfold. Finally, when I learned it was a PC-exclusive aimed at capitalizing on my favorite platform’s strengths, I was all but sold on it.

The version I was presented with showcased the beginning of the game, up to and including the first boss fight. At the start (and between levels) I was treated to hand-drawn and graphic novel-like cut-scenes. The setting is established as a grim technological future where a human city (the only one perhaps) is under siege by robots. Not as original as I’d hoped, but then again, the developers promised Doom not Planescape: Torment. The protagonist is some kind of tough guy cop/guard/soldier. He was drinking after a shift, but then there was a perimeter breach, and he was sent right back to work. Maybe they laid off all the other cops due to economic troubles.

Once on the ground you are provided with a very eloquent tutorial, which shows you what to do, how to do it, and then leaves you alone without annoying you, talking down to you, or requiring you to practice the task seven times. You basically have two guns, but that’s all you’ll ever need because you can upgrade each of those to transform into a variety of different weapons. So in the end you still get your machine gun, shotgun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, plasma gun and so on. There is also never a need to drop what you are carrying to pick up something else.

The levels are linear and chock full of ammo and health. There are also tons of explosives to blow up, and various electrical devices that can be used to electrocute anything in their vicinity. This gives you the option of dishing out some serious environmental damage to your opponents, which, as you’ve already guessed, are robots of various shapes and sizes. The lot of them are quite dumb and most will just charge you without so much as trying to avoid running by the aforementioned environmental hazards. Some stay back and shoot rockets at you, but are unable to dodge or seek cover. So while individually every robot is a pushover on Normal difficulty, they make up for it when in numbers, and the battles are quite challenging as a result.

Graphically, the game is gorgeous. It was everything I hoped it would be, and even with all of the settings maxed out (and at 2560×1600 resolution) it never choked or stumbled on me. Neither the environments nor the rendering of the many enemies running in my direction, caused the engine to hiccup. At times I found myself simply admiring the futuristic urban views, which is not something that modern shooters are generally known for.

I want to mention that my recently re-awakened appetite for secrets in games (see my review of Dungeon Siege III) was fully satisfied by the amount of said secrets in Hard Reset. It was like being taken to the good old days of Wolfenstein 3D, and I am grateful for that. Of course, other aspects of the game, such as the combat, the level design, the graphics and the cut-scenes are all of the highest quality and need not be improved. All things considered I am eagerly looking forward to the final product, which, if all goes according to plan, should hit shelves in September.

© Alaric Teplitsky for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments

Preview by: Mark Turcotte

It seemed like a moment of deja vu this past winter when it was revealed that there would be yet another entry into the 15 year-old Tomb Raider series. The announcement was accompanied by reasons for why this game was going to be the return of Lara, but somehow they all seemed eerily familiar, recalling things that had been said about Lara’s previous 8 sequels. As I walked into Square’s demo room to see what Lara’s new adventure had in store, I had few expectations. When I walked out I was convinced that Lara was finally back and that next year’s Tomb Raider would be the game that fans have been waiting for.

With this Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics scrapped everything they knew about Lara Croft and started from scratch. Gone is the seasoned adventurer whom we’ve all come to know, and instead we’re presented with a young woman, vulnerable and trying to survive. Survival is the key to this new game, and I probably heard the word survival 10 to 15 times throughout the 40 minute demo. We began with Lara’s boat crashing, and her falling to the bottom of a cave. A gruesome injury awaited her at the bottom with a bone gouging her side. A quick time event (QTE) forced her to pull the bone out and left her bleeding and in need of medical assistance. From there we saw Lara find a way out of the cave by solving environmental puzzles and using the physics of water and fire.

At one point a native of the island attacks Lara and the game went back into a QTE to have her kick him off. The developer purposely failed the QTE and allowed Lara to be killed. What proceeded to happen was one of the most gruesome and disturbing deaths I’ve ever seen in a video game. The man jabbed her in the stomach, and then got very close to her face whispering, “It will all be over soon.” He hushed her and put his knife to her neck. I was both shocked at the violence that the scene contained and how I felt when it happened. This scene showed again, that survival is the key. This Tomb Raider game is much more lethal than any before it. The environment, characters, and creatures in it are deadly and it’s your job to make sure Lara survives.

The developer continued where he left off and this time successfully completed the QTE event. Lara survived and after a few more puzzles was able to escape the cave somewhat unscathed. One thing I noticed was how fluid her movements seemed to be. One of the problems, for me at least, with the majority of the Tomb Raider games was that controlling Lara always seemed a little robotic. This time, her movement seemed much more free flowing and the camera seemed more dynamic and didn’t look to be much of a hinderance like in some previous installments. In a third person action game this is key. After completing that segment the developer proceeded to a section later in the game that had Lara fighting wolves and trying to save a companion. We learned that she is not alone on this island and that the survival of both Lara and her crew will come down to the success of the actions she takes.

The most striking thing about the game was its presentation. I think the team at Crystal Dynamics played a lot, and I mean A Lot of the Uncharted series. The cinematic flare that this game has not only draws you into the story, but also adds a beautiful environment and main character at that. In just 40 minutes I developed an attachment to this new Lara, and began to get a sense of things to come. Most of this was presented in her on screen actions and reactions to what was going on around her, something that the Uncharted series has perfected. The addition of meaningful and cinematic QTE events adds to the tension and overall story that this game is trying to present. It almost felt like there was a little bit of Heavy Rain inspiration thrown in.

I was blown away by the direction that Crystal Dynamics is taking the Tomb Raider series. It’s exactly what fans have been wanting, and possesses what will surely draw in new players. It seems as if development teams that have attempted this before had just made another Tomb Raider game and never caught up to the current state of action games. The titles always seemed a little dated with their controls and mechanics. This Tomb Raider not only looks to be the best entry since the original, but appears to be setting itself up for one of the biggest and maybe successful releases of 2012. Lara may have been lost on many adventures over the past 15 years, but come next year she will have found her way back.

© Michele White for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments

Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: July 26, 2011

Last night I was privileged to check out a special playthrough of Atlus’ upcoming action/puzzle platformer Catherine. Going into the preview, I didn’t know much about the game, aside from the sexually charged advertising and screenshots that had been released in the past months. Before I discuss the gameplay, however, I want to discuss some information about the upcoming release.

For starters, the version of Catherine that will be released in the US is the post-patch Japanese version. Japanese gamers complained that the game was too difficult, so Atlus made some changes and added a “Very Easy” difficulty setting. They have also altered a few specific areas of the game that garnered the most complaints. Atlus wants people to know that this does not mean, however, that it has been dumbed down. The game, which will run 8-14 hours depending on your play style, is still very challenging. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be identical in terms of content and as of right now there is no DLC planned. The game features only the English voice track, and the character visuals have been re-synced to match the words.

The first thing you will notice about the title is its striking artwork. The style is incredible and the animation, both in-game and during the cutscenes, is extremely well done. The second thing you will notice is the soundtrack, which does a great job of setting the mood. While Catherine is heavy on cutscenes, the action parts of the game are broken into two categories: puzzle solving and exploring. The levels are a vertical climb up a disintegrating tower, where the player can jump, hang, climb up the tower and can even pull and slide bricks into place to keep going. When not in a tower level, the player is free to roam around a small number of locations, including a bar. During the areas where free roaming is allowed, players are free to talk to NPCs and learn things about the story. In the bar area, there is also an arcade machine where one can play Rapunzel, a smaller tower puzzle game, as a bonus.

During the game, Vincent, the main character, will receive messages on his phone. These text messages usually contain questions that you can reply to in a number of different ways. How you respond to these and other questions affects your Law vs. Chaos meter. Catherine features several different endings, and the ending you get for finishing the game depends on where your Law vs. Chaos meter is when the game ends. Questions that are asked at the end of climbing levels will show online poll data from other PSN or Live users around the world. Each chapter has a boss level. The boss levels feature a monster based on one of Vincent’s fears, and each boss has a unique ability that will hinder your progress up the tower.

The game also features two multiplayer modes: Babel and Colosseum. Babel, the cooperative mode, has two players working together to climb a series of towers. Colosseum, on the other hand, unlocks when you have beaten the game. Colosseum is the competitive mode where two players can race each other up a tower. Trapping your opponent or making your way up the tower first earns you a victory. Both modes feature single-screen, offline co-op play.

Catherine will be in stores July 26. Atlus is working on demos for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, but they have not yet announced availability dates.

© Michael Smith for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments

To get back into the swing of things, this week’s App Attack is a special E3 Edition. You’ll notice a few things are different this week. First, we’re moving our App Attack release day to Thursday, and the second change is an expansion of each app’s review to two paragraphs. I felt like a single paragraph was too rushed and needed more meat. Since I got some hands-on time with some unreleased apps at E3, I’ve included them as previews. As always, these apps are only here because I’ve played them and would spend my hard earned cash on them. You should too!

Icebreaker Hockey

I hadn’t played a hockey game since Blades of Steel on the NES, when I saw the press release for Icebreaker by Digital Legends. I was fairly sure it wouldn’t give me any reason to return to playing hockey video games, and its first hurdle would be providing worthwhile 3D graphics. The second hurdle would be the development of adequate controls that take advantage of my iPhone’s touch-screen. Well, I sat down with Heather Becker, PR for Digital Legends, at E3 and saw some game footage, heard some facts, and then got my chance to play the game.

This isn’t a team vs. team hockey game, instead your player is tasked with making a dash towards the opposing team’s goal and scoring. You can pull off actual hockey moves (like a deke), and it’s all done using a combination of tilt-movement and virtual-buttons for shooting and special maneuvers. The developers chose to model the players using motion capture of real hockey players, so the 3D animations came out awesome on the iPhone. The controls were also spot-on, perfectly pairing the device’s touch and motion sensors with Icebreaker‘s mechanics. I’m not a hockey fan and even I still enjoyed this game. It’s an excellent example of taking a sport that might not translate into satisfying gameplay on an iPhone and approaching it from a different angle with great success.

Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior

Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior by Digital Legends is enjoying success on iTunes’ Japanese marketplace. Here in the states it’s not doing as well, but after playing it’s obvious that any gamer that is a fan of fighting games (or Bruce Lee) will thoroughly enjoy this game. I was skeptical of how a 3D fighting game could be translated onto an iOS device with any amount of success, but once again, Digital Legends made the game for the platform, which results in good controls and entertaining gameplay. The first time I grabbed my opponent and punched him into the ground was immensely satisfying.

Dragon Warrior plays almost flawlessly. Using two buttons, one for punching and one for kicking, the game relies on a single virtual-thumbstick to direct movement, perform combos, and perform high/low/strong/regular attacks. There are several different modes, but I stuck with story mode where I can level my character, and learn new moves while smacking the fool out of opponents from different fighting disciplines. I’m still figuring out how to perform the more rewarding combos, but even with my limited repertoire of moves, I have a lot of fun kicking my opponent half-way across the screen with that iconic, muscles flexed, face grimaced Bruce Lee style.

© Matthew Booth for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: GamersFirst
Developer: Reloaded Studios
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2.4 GHz Intel Core2 Quad or better CPU, 512 MB graphics card, 4 GB RAM, 6 GB hard-drive space, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, broadband or DSL Internet connection
Genre: MMO/Shooter
Release date: TBA 2011

I never got to play the original APB, but somewhere in the back of my mind after reading other players’ thoughts, it seemed like a bad idea. A part of me was glad I had ignored the urge to get involved. The other felt terrible for the players who had invested their time and money into it before it shut down. How does a game come back from an experience that left such a bad taste in players’ mouths, let alone countless forum posts filled with a rage most of us feel is understandable? The first step is to rethink your strategy as a publisher and developer. I had heard some time ago that GamersFirst was going to be picking up the game, re-branding it as APB: Reloaded. I wasn’t sure if I should be excited or terrified.

The story has not changed; for those of you just tuning in, here’s the basic gist. San Paro is in a state of turmoil. Crime has taken over the streets of this once fair city. As a result, the city has recruited Enforcers, normal citizens-turned-executioners, to help clean up the mess. The Criminals, whom politicians feel cause a disservice to the community, have their own reasoning for their actions. You choose a faction and are thrown into the city, completing missions, dispatching your rivals, and causing more chaos than actual good.

Character creation for APB: Reloaded is beyond detailed, on the same scale as Aion down to the tiniest features. You can actually create a version of yourself, which I might or might not have done. There were a lot of gripes about the original vehicular controls, but I’m glad to say these have so far been resolved; the only thing I haven’t been able to find is the brakes, but I’m sure I will sooner or later. If you’re a fan of other third-person shooters, you’re going to feel right at home with the control scheme in Reloaded; no fuss, no worries, just point and shoot.

So far as I can tell, developer Reloaded Studios has managed to fix a lot of the gripes from the original APB. I’ve found myself being very hard on it so far, looking through previous reviews to see if I can match up any flaws from the original, and so far I’ve been pleased. This generally isn’t the type of game I play, but I can see it maybe evolving into just that. I’m going to be doing time in the city of San Paro; let’s see how long I can make it without getting gunned down.

© Remy Ransom for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: TimeGate Studios
Developer: TimeGate Studios
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, Intel 3.0 GHz single-core/2.0 GHz dual-core/AMD Athlon XP3200+ or better CPU, nVidia GeForce 7800/ATI Radeon X1900 or better graphics card, 2 GB RAM, 5.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: April 20, 2011 (Xbox 360); May 4, 2011 (PC); Summer 2011 (PS3)

I recently wrote an article on why I thought indie pricing would change the cost of non-AAA games. I brought up Section 8: Prejudice as one of the many reasons I believe quality games at a lower price point will dominate sales. TimeGate has a history of award-winning game content, and I’m not sure if labeling them an indie developer is appropriate, but with Prejudice they’re definitely gunning for the big boys. Also consider that the original Section 8 is still selling for around $12 to $20 (PC/Xbox) brand-new. I’ve had the pleasure of playing a preview build of Prejudice that gave me access to a couple of levels, and from what I’ve experienced, we have a lot to look forward to when the game is released. There are some pretty big titles coming in April, so I’m anxious to see how well Prejudice fares, but at $15 I’m hoping it does well.

The game’s story centers around Alex Corde, who is thrown into the middle of a web of betrayals. As it’s fond of doing, humanity has found itself on the brink of destruction, and once again it’s your job to save it. Prejudice picks up where the first game left off. I’ll admit that the plot is a tired, over-used scenario, but validation of the game’s existence lies in its execution and gameplay.

From the small amount of the single-player mode that was included in the preview build, I experienced an impressive amount of weapon customization and a fairly polished combat system. While I’m mostly interested in single-player campaigns, the full version of S8P also includes four-player co-op in the form of a Swarm mode, and a 32-player Conquest mode. The full single-player campaign will come in at a slightly anorexic five hours, but given the pricing, features and multiplayer modes, I’m satisfied with that. A tutorial took me through the basic mechanics: dropping into battle, grenades, target lock-on, jetpacks and gunfire. On my medium-level gaming PC, the graphics were on par with what I’ve come to expect from $60 games I’ve purchased. I’m using a GTX 260 graphics card, and the developer recommends a GTX 460 or equivalent, so I’d be interested in seeing it on a high-end rig.

When it comes to combat, TimeGate definitely has their act together. The aiming was tight and the weapon’s balance felt dialed in. However, my assault rifle was almost too accurate against medium to long-range enemies, and zooming in felt like I was sniping with a fully automatic rifle. What got my blood pumping the most was the use of jetpacks in combination with lock-on targeting. You’re given the ability to lock onto moving targets for a brief amount of time. Watching the flapping corpse of a jet-propelled enemy fall out of the sky was entertaining. I had even more fun when I was jetpacking over a building while raining bullets down onto an unsuspecting enemy. Combat is kept interesting by a large array of character loadouts, which allow players to customize their weapons and add-ons to find the combination that best suits their fighting style. My favorite combination was the assault rifle, rocket launcher, mortar strike and grenades, although I’m looking forward to checking out a wider array of weapons. The combat does include vehicles, but if you’ve ever driven a Ghost in Halo, the scout bike in S8P feels almost exactly the same, although it’s harder to steer.

Section 8: Prejudice feels like a lot of good games mixed into one. There are elements from Tribes, Halo and Mass Effect, to name a few, but every game borrows mechanics and ideas from successful predecessors. If you’re expecting something revolutionary, you’ll be let down and dismiss the game. But I finished my playthrough thinking, “Wow, all that for only $15?” Which really seems to be TimeGate’s goal: making the best $15 shooter ever. Section 8: Prejudice isn’t going to replace Halo or any other prominent first-person shooter on the market, but I can almost guarantee that you’ll have fun without the regret of paying $60 for a game you don’t love.

I really do hope that enough of you buy Prejudice to send a message to larger publishers and developers who have suckered us into buying abysmal $60 games. I also hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the preview.

© Matthew Booth for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Genre: Fighting
ESRB: Mature
Release date: April 19, 2011

Like big Hollywood icons, TV personalities and rock stars, video game series are also subject to over-ripening. Sonic the Hedgehog is a good example – once ultra popular, the blue blur saw a steady decline as game after game featuring his likeness was released. A similar thing happened to Mortal Kombat, only instead of the games getting progressively worse, they just expanded out from the original idea and got too big for their britches. What was once an unstoppable juggernaut in the gaming kingdom, now drifted from the dock and relied on spin-offs and far-fetched distractions that took away from the core brutality of the series – the things that made Mortal Kombat great: fist to trachea – “Oh my God…did he just do that?” stuff your parents should have never let you play in the first place.

And that’s precisely what this reboot is attempting to do – take new technology and apply the same old-school magic players have always loved about the earlier games in the series. No numbers after the title, no animalities or platforming adventure offshoots – just Mortal Kombat with a few modern amenities players have come to expect from this generation of gaming.

Where this mantra is most apparent is in the fight itself. See, a homecoming to a two-dimensional fighting plane pleases not only in a return to roots, but also in the control department. Where recent MK sequels bombarded you with multiline, stance-switching combos, this iteration goes back to the D-pad friendly ups, downs, lefts and rights of the first three games. This makes pulling off special moves, and yes, the signature fatalities of the series easier than ever. The only extra I needed to take into account was the special-move bar that, as you take damage, fills up three levels. The first two levels enable you to perform enhanced special moves, so instead of Scorpion throwing one Van-Damme spear, he’ll throw two; instead of a regular ice bolt, Sub-Zero will throw an extended one that has a better chance of catching a mid-air opponent. These come in handy during a fight, but hold out for a full special meter and you’ll be able to perform what is known as an “X-ray” move. These devastating attacks show internal damage, which is not only gruesome, but can turn the tide of a fight in seconds. It’s also an idea I swear I thought of years ago, but that’s a different story best saved for a ranting blog post.

Although the demo is worth your download time to get a taste, the main attraction, when it releases on April 19th, looks to be worth the wait for those without the bandwidth to spare. A gigantic roster of known fighters and console-specific additions (PS3 owners get Kratos from God of War!), tag-team matches and something known as the Challenge Tower. The Challenge Tower is a series of 300 missions that not only test your grasp of the game’s mechanics, but do so it a unique way. You may be expected to fight without arms for a match, or with an upside down screen, or with rainbow blood. It’s all ridiculous, but thankfully not too far from the foundation the team is striving to stick to.

It all remains to be seen, though. My time with the game was pretty fantastic, and brought back all sorts of cherished memories long since lost under the piles of sequels and spin-offs the series regularly added to its lineup. If you’re as excited as I am, Mortal Kombat comes in three progressively pricey flavors: Standard, Kollector’s and Tournament editions. The Standard edition just gives you the game, Kollector’s throws in an art book, classic character skins and figurine book ends, and the Tournament edition features the content of the Kollector’s edition all contained within an extremely limited-edition fight stick.

Whichever you decide upon, one thing’s for sure: the gaming world is going to be a helluva lot bloodier come April 19. Look for Adrenaline Vault’s review of Mortal Kombat soon!

© Andrew Clark for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: March 8, 2011

At 1.98 GB, the demo for Dragon Age II was downloaded in a mere six hours. Due to the lengthy delay, my initial enthusiasm waned as my mood shifted from elation to pissed. When I finally got to the black and white (with a hint of red) opening screen, I was not impressed. Still, I’d waited almost a year for this, so it was with much anxiety that I clicked that Start button.

“The Champion was at the heart of the events that would change the world.” The Seeker of the Chantry is looking for The Champion, as a shady dwarf begins to regale her with the tales of Hawke’s early years. Fight some darkspawn…get roasted by the Arch Demon…the end. Or is it? Hawke lived in Lothering with her (or his if you prefer the male default) family until the tragic loss of Ostagar. Shortly after the last of the wardens passed through the small village, darkspawn leveled the place and they were forced to flee into the Wilds. A few darkspawn later, and Mom decides we should head toward Kirkwall as we have family and an estate there. Cool, at least we’re not destitute refugees. Of course nothing could be that simple, as your little sis is an apostate mage, and Kirkwall is crawling with templars. Life is about to get a lot more complicated. It’s not long after that you meet up with some companions on the road: Avilene and Wesley. Avilene’s a great sword arm to have in a fight, but her husband, despite his templar title and training, will remind you more of the Chantry’s softer side. After letting them know that nobody’s arresting little sis today, you head south as a party of six (sadly only four of which are combatants). And just when things appear most dire, help arrives. Flemeth, decked out in a new body but with the same voice, shows up to save the day. Remember, it’s been a busy week for her, but she still has time to offer “assistance” as if she were the Ferelden version of a demonic Red Cross. When Blight strikes – she’ll be there!

For seasoned Dragon Age Players, a lot has been changed about the way you play. To qualify for in-game goodies (there are some available from the demo and some for those playing the Facebooky Legends), make sure that all of your email accounts match. The one that you use for your Live account is the one they’ll use to automatically create a new EA account. In this case, it was my husband that got the in-game perks…no love for me. Upon arrival at the character generation section, I noted that the graphics have indeed been improved over Origins, although the female rogue version of Hawke looks a lot like Morrigan. My intention was to immediately rectify that, but I was instead immediately thrust into both the opening credits and story. You will, however, be able to customize your appearance after the tutorial in the full game. The menus are just not activated at this time. The much touted full character voice over was enjoyable to experience, but it doesn’t add all that much to your character’s personality. The sparkly indicator of goods you can loot has been augmented with a much more obvious, albeit visually disturbing, arrow. This does you little good in the demo though, as while you may loot to your heart’s content, your inventory menus are not yet active. I can’t yet tell you much of the goodies in store. Another key change is in leveling up. You now gain points for both attributes and abilities. Attribute scores, and their associated penalties and bonuses, are much more clearly defined. The old chart of abilities has been replaced with skill trees, that although more complex, are clearly mapped.

Combat has changed considerably, and I’ll confess that it took me a few passes through to get a solid feel for it. The initial battle scene pits you and your kid sis against a horde of darkspawn, and you get thrust head first into the new and improved, much more fast-paced, combat system. Armed with some killer new abilities (though most are just for educational purposes and will be removed when you actually start), the tutorial combat sequence affords you the opportunity to play around with and get accustomed to it. The new animations are kick butt (backstab rocks), but you must hit the “A” or alternate attack button for each assault. You can no longer sit passively by while your character does the work. You must also physically position yourself to engage in melee combat. Simply clicking on an attack selection will not suffice. If you’re not actually close enough to your target to do any damage with those swords of yours, nothing will happen, and you’ll just stand there looking stupid in the heat of battle. This does take some getting used to, but results in a much more enjoyable (and visceral) experience. If foes are resistant to a certain type of damage, you’ll now know immediately. A small shield appears next to their name whenever they’re hit by that element, so you’ll know to try something else for your next attack. The automatic revival of dead characters after a battle remains the same. You just need to make sure that one party member survives. Speaking of survival, the new Quick Heal is not so quick, and they added a clock to it. There will be no more chugging of multiple potions, so make your heals count.

In the end it’s just a demo and meant to be an amuse bouche before the dinner party starts. Did it whet my appetite? Maybe. Did I like it? A little. Am I still going to be counting down the seconds to pop it in at 00:01 on March 8? Hell yeah!!!

© Michele White for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments

Sequels are a tough gig. In a shoot first ask questions later gaming market, it’s difficult to keep your fan base excited for the next chapter. There are so many different factors involved, but the main one always is the same basic idea. Keep the title fresh while managing to retain the good qualities of the original title. As a reviewer, I never find myself completely satisfied with many ongoing game titles out there, and find myself wondering why the developers bother trying to top some plot twist or an awe-inspiring digital scene. Guerilla Games’ Killzone 3, however, aims to please and it does it well. All I can say is: “The madness begins.”

Killzone 3 immediately follows the events of the execution of Autarch Scolar Visari by Master Sergeant Rico Velasquez. Sergeant Tomas “Sev” Sevchenko sat, disillusioned by his comrade’s actions, on the steps of the Imperial Palace as the remaining fleet of the ISA is assaulted by a massive fleet of Helghast ships. With the almost requiem sound of violins, you find yourself as Sev, on a drop ship with a rag-tag group of ISA survivors, struggling to escape the now overwhelming Helghast forces. As your ship is shot down, you crash land into what looks like a refinery in an arctic tundra. As Sev scavenges for any useful weapons you find yourself already under attack. Slowly trudging through ice, snow and enemy fire; the game creates a tone of desperation, as you cling to a glimmering shred of hope in the enveloping darkness.

Gameplay in Killzone 3 has improved greatly from the previous installment. Combat alone is just brilliant, and movements seem more fluid than before. The lean and peek cover system still gives you that moment to take a breath if you feel the oncoming fire is a little too much for you, and if you’re like me, this is prime, as I can run and grab my kid a juice box without a possible death on my end. The storyline thus far is something to be desired and fans of the series will certainly enjoy the continuation of events past. What honestly wowed me more than anything, however, was the score. The music perfectly reflects each scene. And let’s not forget the voice acting. It’s so well done that I stayed glued throughout the entire demo.

People like me crave a good story and in the end I was pretty impressed by what I experienced with Killzone 3. There are quite a few unanswered questions regarding what really is going on behind the scenes in Helghast, so I’ll HAVE to buy the game to find out. You can purchase it alone for $59.99 or spring for the Helghast Edition for $129.99 (both release in just a few hours). The Helghast edition features a treasure trove of extras and is made for the serious fan or gaming collector. If you’re into first person shooters, this is likely going to be your game.

© Remy Ransom for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments

Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Colossal Order
System requirements: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7; 2 GHz Dual Core or higher processor; 2 GB RAM; 2 GB hard disk space; NVIDIA GeForce 8800/ATI Radeon HD 3850 or higher video card
Genre: Simulation
ESRB: Rating pending
Release date: February 22, 2011

In America, public transportation is a part of our society, but not quite as integral as it is overseas. While we in the states climb into our gas guzzlers, mount our motorcycles and pedal our bikes to green consciousness, the majority of our Euro brethren are hopping on trains, buses, streetcars and water taxis as part of their daily routine to get around town. Finnish developer, Colossal Order smartly understands this, which is why all of the scenarios in their inaugural game, Cities in Motion, take place in Europe.

See, this transportation sim (in the same vein as established norms like Transport Tycoon) puts you in the role of chief transportation officer, responsible for not only buying appropriate manners of transport for the citizens of your given scenario, but also the planning of efficient routes that cater to their specific needs. So, it’s not just about buying a double-decker bus and hitting the open road here . Cities in Motion actually requires you to get to know your population. Every city-dweller has their own goals, place of work and leisure activity assigned to them. In other words, plan those routes effectively, or prepare to deal with some very disgruntled customers!

With detail like that working behind the scenes, it comes as no surprise that there are over 30 different types of vehicles to implement into your city. The aforementioned buses, streetcars and water taxis are cool and all, but there’s also the raw efficiency of a full underground subway system at your disposal, and even helicopters that cater to the rich, business class, should you want to rake in the big bucks. Micro managers will be happy, too, because everything from ticket prices to the actual wage of your employees can be adjusted on the fly. Be a benevolent transport magnate or a total donkey’s behind – the choice is yours! Just remember to get a good advertising campaign going to keep the customers rolling in.

There are three game modes to choose from in Cities in Motion. Campaign: which puts you in the transport president’s hot seat through 12 distinctly European scenarios in Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna and, of course, Helsinki, Finland; Sandbox: which allows you to weave a web of routes without the pressures of goals to keep in mind, and City Building Mode, which was unfortunately not included in the build of the game I received. Supposedly, this mode allows you to build your city using the same toolset that the developers had at their disposal, and then import your map into sandbox mode to play around with.

What I did manage to glean from my playtime with the beta version of the game was that this is a hardcore simulation for dedicated transport fans. The menus are chock-full of information, buttons to be clicked and statistics to monitor, but then again, that’s what the PC crowd is used to. One thing is for sure, it’ll be interesting to see where Colossal Order takes us when Cities in Motion releases for the PC tomorrow. It is surely an exciting time for the fledgling developer, and their hearts seem to be in the right place to satisfy fans of the genre. Time will tell, though, and so will my forthcoming review.

© Andrew Clark for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | One comment

Publisher: SG Interactive
Developer: SG Interactive
System requirements: TBD
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Q1 2011

So here comes another online shooter ready to duke it out with the likes of Counter-Strike and Call of Duty. Developed by SG Interactive, Project Blackout seeks to bring something new to the table in what is already a highly competitive genre.

Project Blackout takes place in the country of Korogese, which has grown to be a major global power. Because of its rapid success, the country has been unable to sustain itself and has been taken over by corporations seeking to disarm. There are those opposed to the corporations, Aegic Inc and The Corps, who are both fighting for their country and their survival.

Just like Counter-Strike, Project Blackout plays like your standard online shooter. You have your array of weapons that include your machine gun, pistol and grenade. There are a variety of game modes that range from either simply eliminating the opposing team or attempting to destroy the other team’s generator. There is also the option of working with other human players and fighting against NPCs if killing other people goes against your morality.

Bearing in mind that there’s still work to be done on the game, it runs pretty well. There is hardly any slowdown in framerate, and with the action coming thick and fast, everything runs pretty smoothly. It’s a lot of fun, and I found myself going back, eager to get that kill amidst the carnage that ensued in the subway. Along with the subway, there is a library, a very narrow building for claustrophobic combat, and wider-terrain levels where you can pick off enemies with headshots. What is also nice are the various modes. If you like just busting skulls or like to see how long you can survive, the modes are all there for you to try. Another nice touch is working with other players against NPCs. As you hit specific targets, the difficulty goes up and you are forced to become a lot more tactical to rack up more kills.

If this is your kind of genre, I would recommend Project Blackout. It’s fun, it runs smoothly and its fast-paced action ensures that you are always on the edge of your seat. If SG Interactive can spruce up the levels, making them more detailed and can maybe add some more imaginative weapons for those that reach certain kills, then Project Blackout could definitely be a competitor.

© Benjy Ikimi for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | No comment(s)

On Thursday, February 3, Atlus PR Manager Aram Jabbari hosted a live web demo of their upcoming DS RPG Radiant Historia. Everything I’d seen of it showed promise, so I was more than happy to attend. I went in optimistic, eager to get not only the closest to hands-on I could until the release, but also participate in an open forum and ask the team behind the US release anything concerning the game, from localization decisions to quality control.

The first thing we were treated to was a roughly half hour walkthrough of the introductory portions of the game. Aram provided intel on its technical aspects, story background information, and commentary about the translation and localization of dialogue.

As the opening scenes began, Aram took the time to explain that the world of Radiant Historia is plagued by an ever expanding desert swallowing the land. The two main countries, Alistel and Granorg, are at war because Granorg’s queen seeks to grab all of the useable land she can. The game opens on two children, Teo and Lippti, who are the mysterious guardians overlooking the world of Historia. Expressing concern about what the world has become, they comment hopefully that “true history will rewrite itself” this time. The scene then shifts to the main protagonist – the one constant character players control – Stocke.

Stocke is a special intelligence agent for Alistel receiving his latest mission: rendezvous with a spy to collect information. Along with his assignment, Stocke is handed a mysterious item called the White Chronicle, which will come to play a crucial part in the story and makes its strange powers known very early on. On meeting his assigned teammates, Marco and Raynie, Stocke is hit with the disturbing vision of their deaths, leaving him with questions about whether the future can be changed and if foreknowledge is a blessing or curse.

While there was quite a bit more of the early story demonstrated, a good chunk of dialogue was skipped in favor of showing off the mechanics of the game. In particular, the battle system and time travel systems. The battle system is 3 players vs. X enemies with each side set on their own 3×3 grid. The grid plays a crucial strategic part in battles as players and enemies alike can manipulate each other’s positions, which changes the damage dealt. Those in the back have increased defense, the front row has increased offense and the middle row is neutral. To top that off, players can manipulate their enemies into stacks on a single space, and attack the entire stack in one shot. Adding even more depth is the Change command, which allows a player to swap places in the turn order with anyone, but sacrifices a large chunk of defense until that turn comes around. The staff also indicated that later in the game there will be obstacles on the grids as well as enemies that take up more than one space, and enemies that just can’t be moved.

After demonstrating the core battle system elements and opening narrative, Aram switched off to a save file (which it’s interesting to note had almost 55 hours of gameplay clocked in) to show off the time travel system central to the game’s story. The basic concept of it is that there’s one “true history” that will lead to the end of the game, but there are “nodes” throughout the course of the game where the player makes choices that can cause a branch off into an alternate timeline. The catch is that all of those timelines will dead end eventually, making it necessary to go back to that node again. I was impressed by the sheer number of these nodes, which create more than 200 important choices in the storyline. Interestingly, you can’t always make the right choice the first time. Sometimes you have to go forward in the wrong path, find a skill or item, and carry it back so that you can make the choice. As an example, the first “wrong choice” is the one that leads to Stocke’s vision of his teammates’ deaths. Acquiring an ability that lets them take another route changes that future. While there is no new game option, there’s no need for it. Everything can be seen and done in a single playthrough.

© Lieren Teeling for The Adrenaline Vault, 2011. | Permalink | One comment