The West is Up For One Wild Ride

The next "Red Dead Redemption: Gameplay series" Video has finally been released and if you're jaw hadn't already dropped to the floor then get ready to pick it up as the viewers were given just a small taster as to what the world of "free roam West" is ready to give us.

Now I dont know if you guys agree with me or not, but the idea of hunting down outlaws, animals and other players with a posse of you're own seems like a rather interesting idea. And being the offline man that I am, it feels strange to say this but I believe this is one multiplayer that I won't tire of playing, it seems crazy, fun and completely outside of the box in terms of ideas and concepts and that is yet another reason added to the pile which fuels my anticipation for this game.

Also in the news, a spot of good luck/karma (whichever you prefer) has finally hit the Sony PSN store as the "Flower" soundtrack landed within it's virtual shelves however, the EU store has once again found difficulties uploading this product but no worries as Sony has confirmed that this will soon be fixed if not already done and up on the store, so dont hold back PS3 owners, buy the soundtrack and if you somehow dont have the game then buy it now, its cheap and well worth the money.

Diamonds and splintered Gems

It's finally reached the months that all gamers have been longing for, with the releases of God of War 3, Final Fantasy XIII and Yakuza 3 all hitting stores this March, its given gamers a time to sweat as we decide which and what to buy without exhausting our supplies of coins and notes and although I cannot deny my longing for the latest Final Fantasy, this post was mainly created to point out some of the games that most would just overlook.

Yes, you may laugh at my first suggestion due to its over the top randomness and aweful gameplay but I have no doubt that Deadly Premonition is one game that I would love to get my hands on, as one review said: A games purpose is not to provide amazing graphics or a fully fleshed story (although these can be targets for companies to accomplish) but games were created for the interest of the buyer and to just pass the time with, and Deadly Premonition looks to promise just that with it's hilariously bad lines and completely out of place yet catchy songs.

Metro 2033 may be up there with some of the bigger titles but I still continue to get the feeling people might pass this down due to its style and gameplay, which is sad when you consider all the newest features being put into the game, yes it may be another post apocalyptic universe but since when did exploring the ruins of Russia or Washington ever leave you needing more? I never felt that feeling that Fallout 3 was unfinished as its wide open world and detailed downloadable content left me full for what could be years after finishing the game and yes, I understand the money management within game could be quite a learning curve due to you're own ammo being the currency, but i'm sure the developers have left us some way to balance out our currency/ammunition so that you'll eventually be able to buy that rifle you always wanted while being able to push you're way through any firefight you may encounter.

And finally we have... Resonance of Fate which who knows how long I have kept my eye on, the games crazy yet simple battles were what really brought me into it's embrace but then I was hit by the thought of travel and exploration, how are they planning to pull it off within such a healthy looking JRPG as one exploration slip up could bring the game toppling to the bottom of the charts and soon after, my questions were answered by one of Tri-Aces latest developer walkthroughs which basically described the the field and world exploration in a nutshell and I was pleasently suprised to hear the introduction of a grid system in which the player unlocks certain areas on a large set of grids before progressing and opening up other areas and this in my opinion was just as unique and the world map itself which is based upon larger sprawling cities and shantytowns placed upon one another until shaped into a gigantic metallic and rusting tree. But just as mentioned before, the game never ceases to amaze me since its first cinematic trailer and im happy to of kept my eye on its movement.

p.s. To those in the UK like me, Deadly Premonition was only released within US and Japan (a.k.a. red seeds file) although the game has been rumored to be released somewhere in Mid Summer but if anyone else has any confirmation, please send it in through the comments.

Japan In you're living room!

Boy has it been a few crazy months for SEGA and Yakuza 3, well silence has finally fell upon on the gaming crowd for a Yakuza 3 demo was finally released just a few days back provided with full english translation and subtitles, for those like me who just loved the ridiculous fighting styles while indulging themselves on a tasty meal of Miso or Ramen, the series of Yakuza was a real treat for people with a love of such things but when the news that Yakuza 3 was never planned to hit western shores, cries from across the USA and EU were all that could be seen and heard for months as endless forum threads and videos were created to underline such a mistake made by SEGA until they finally confirmed the existence of a project based on localising the game into several different languages. It was believed that such information was a lie or fault until eventually our solemn prayers were answered with a package left for us over the psn and in all honesty, the game has possessed more than I had imagined with it's massive mix of rpg/fighting gameplay along with its crazy yet subtle features of Karaoke and side shooters hidden throughout the streets of Tokyo. Although some of the dialogue was slow and uninteresting, most of this was made up for when small stabs of humor are injected into each individual conversation and cutscene although not always for the right reasons, but having seen myself replay this demo for a fourth turn I can officially say this game is ready to be welcomed into my gaming archive without any hesitation and as I have mentioned in forums myself, lets just hope that we can get the same deal with Yakuza 4 no matter how long it takes.

Size DOES matter.

Normally when you see a large blade the first thing to come to mind would be Cloud and the Buster Sword but "3D Dot Game Heroes" is far beyond that, as confirmed in the newest trailer, when going into the nearest blacksmith you can now be given the option to "upgrade" you're sword although in all honesty I get the feeling this isn't the idea but to up size the sword you possess. But with all this insanity occuring my decision to love this game is never going to waver and I will still probably find myself buying this on it's release and this is not just because it's published by the ever wonderful "ATLUS" but that could be reason, i'll leave that up to you lot to guess whether it is.

Has Silent Hill got lost in the fog?

It's been a long time since I last played an original Silent Hill game and I found my perfect chance when I found it in a second-hand store, so I bought the game with the last remaining pounds I had stuffed in my pockets and took the closest bus home. Now I bet you're wondering what this has to do with the title of this post?

Well, as I slipped the disc into my slowly aging ps2 and selected my way through the menu, I was hit with an intro scene of "James Sunderland" staring into a lake, I was hit with many memories as I had previously played this game before selling it many years ago. As the cutscene met it's end, I met the beginning of a long journey and every journey needs good music, and Silent Hill was perfect at providing such tone and sound to its games, this was mainly due to the sound artist, "Akira Yamaoka" who has been providing his expertise to Konami for almost every Silent Hill which has currently been released, but as you all know, he recently left Konami for something different and to someone like me, the eerie music of Silent Hill was one of it's main attractions to the public so where will the series go, if anymore are to be made? Is there really anyone who could exceed Akira? these questions are all that pop into my head as I replay Silent Hill 2, lets just hope they get someone good for the next game.

P.S. Is it me or are these posts getting later and later? hopefully I will be able to sort this out when I can persuade the rest of the team to post something and to post more myself.

A New Year and new expectations

Seeing as these were the fabled Christmas holidays I and the rest of the team decided to watch Avatar and since that day i've been speechless when it comes to conversations on the film not just due to the effects and the 3D but also because of the story and the characters involved, this then led me to thinking about the latest Final Fantasy game and how this will change the gaming atmosphere for years to come, but it also got me wondering as to whether games will be able to live up to the cgi cutscenes used to advertise them, will they ever reach that much detail?

Maybe, but the time for such a console would have a long way to go. After days of thinking, it also brought me onto the topic of story and characters, we all know games can provide a detailed adventure with a fantastic story and character detail as there are already few examples of this in the market today (e.g. Dragon Age or Uncharted 2) but will it ever reach a day where I will be brought to such a point of emotion that I could burst out laughing or begin to cry, or at least shed a single tear, yes there have been moments of sadness after watching a loved character die or leave the group but I wonder if it will get to a point where im truly immersed into the scene?

For now I will continue to think on how these topics will outcome but if there is anyone who can provide their own thoughts, please do, we would be happy to hear them.

Trailers Galore!

Just as the title says, its been a great month for gaming trailers due to the many releases and the much loved news which has been spread worldwide. We'll start off with news that the award winning company of Bethesda has finally spread some light on their new product which had been officially named as "Brink" although this game shows as a Killzone 2 clone, I can honestly say that it has succesfully... no, exceeded Killzone and although this is just early demo footage I can honestly say that this game will probably also exceed my expectations I mean who doesn't love Bethesda's games?


While on the topic, Rockstar Games has finally released one of its first trailers featuring its newest game "Red Dead Redemption" which has revealed just a small portion of the games and gameplay, yet with just a small hint to the game I believe this will be a much more interesting game compared to Rockstar's earlier game, "Grand Theft Auto 4" which I believe was somewhat lacking what the earlier games had presented. After all this, I believe that the game will offer much more than what GTA 4 had to give as well as a polished story to submerge the player within the world of the West.

P.S. we are considering on bringing "The top of the week" posts as a full feature to the blog.