Working Title 08.30.09: Working Hype

Posted by Jordan Williams on 08.30.2009

Now that we are hitting the big season for video games, how much is the hype surrounding some of the bigger titles going to affect the game? Are any of these games going to be able to live up to or even surpass the amount of hype they are getting?

Welcome back to the #1 Column to think that Arkham Asylum is probably the best Batman game that will ever be made, WORKING TITLE. The thing is I don't like Batman. I don't care for the comics, the movies (yes, even TDK) all that much. But I DO love the fuck out of his villains, especially my favorite villain in all of comic book-dom. Big Bad Bane. I love the big lumber crazy guys, but I like Bane mostly because he is a big wrecking ball but he also is one of the smartest villains Batman has come across.

Ham sandwich.

E-Coli.

And to continue this string of thought that has absolutely nothing to do with each other. How about we take a look at the games that will be heading out this fall? Well, not all of them since that will take a long ass time...but you know...most of them. Really just the ones people actually care about. A year or so back I did a column called Hyped in which I rated the level of hype that the big killer apps for the big three were getting. It was about Halo 3, Gears 2, SSBB, and MGS4. Since this year isn't QUITE as stacked as that year...well, it might be. But still, seeing as this Holiday season has been like raped by a certain gun toting sequel, at least we can still concentrate on the stuff coming out in the fall. We are looking at just how HYPED the game is and how likely it is to deliver on that hype. So let's go ahead and get this over with.


Working Title: Hyped - Fall Edition.

Although this year was actually pretty top-heavy when it came to hits early on, anyone who has been gaming for a long time knows that Q3 and Q4 is the big winner when it comes down to the blockbusters and the hit makers. Now this Holiday season was actually looking pretty fucking stacked until Modern Warfare 2 came along and mucked all of that up right fast. But there are still a few brave games that stuck it out and will try its hand at striking it big this year. Right about now are seeing they hype machines go into full tilt, so it's time to see if the game can live up to it's hype.

Because deep down, we all really like seeing things fail.




Halo 3: ODST

Kicking us off is the only game on this list that isn't a full game. ODST is the long awaited expansion pack to Halo 3 which promises a whole new experience and yadda yadda yadda.

What it really boils down to is that this is something that probably the Halo fanboys have been holding out for a LONG time. The game has been getting a ton of hype for a long time now, but since it's almost right around the corner the hype has jumped into flat out overdrive levels.

One big thing hurting this hype right now though is that for what essentially may be just an On-Disc DLC and a new gameplay mode is being charged as a full price retail game. Maybe Microsoft is banking on the fact that most Halo fans will buy anything to get their fix, but it definitely doesn't inspire those on the fence about the whole thing. And yes, I do know that ODST comes with the multiplayer of Halo 3, but even if you were on the fence about getting Halo 3 in the first place, I think you'd end up just getting the (probably super cheap after ODST hits) Halo 3 normal disc and be done with it.

But in some sort of odd balancing act, they also threw in something that might entice some people. With ODST comes a code to get into the Halo: Reach beta. Similar to how they put the Halo 3 Beta in with Crackdown a few years back. But will this all be enough to allow the game to live up to the monster hype that has been generated for it and BY it?


Hype Level : 9.0
With this game being part of the Halo world it's already generating a ton of hype in general. Now that it's around the corner and it is really the only shooter that is going up against MW2, the hype for this is almost through the roof. The price point is the one thing holding it back.

Delivery Rating : 8.0
This is not some underhanded bash at Halo or some dick-sucking praise of it. It's just a proven fact that Halo sells. Period. Even Halo Wars sold pretty well and that game was probably the worst one to bear the "Halo" name. Do I see ODST being 60 dollars great? Not be a long shot. I think if they really wanted to ODST could've been a DLC (or even episodic parts given the nature of the game) and especially Horde Firefight mode could've been a DLC. I think this will satisfy the Halo fans out there, but people who are on the fence and still iffy about getting Halo in the first place aren't going to drop 60 bones for ODST and pass up the Madden-priced Halo 3 which offers a longer story and still the multiplayer capabilities.



Modern Warfare 2

From one shooter to another, we have Modern Warfare 2. This game is already being called by many to be Game of the Year, which is a bit silly considering no one has even played the damn thing yet. But if we were to base it off of hype alone then you would really have no argument.

Modern Warfare and the Call of Duty franchise in general have been pretty much unstoppable this generation, and with a trip back into the present it looks like this game is destined to be the big seller of the year on top of the game that every twitch gamer with a console will be begging for. This game has so much hype behind it that it has forced about 20 other games to delay themselves into next year. Sure, developers can say that they need more time to polish this and more time to work that, but the real meat of the matter is that they know trying to go up against Modern Warfare this season will definitely end up loosing them money. Especially if they are a shooter or another rated M game.

So when we stack this up against ODST and pretty much every other game out there, it looks like this one has the most hype by far going into it's launch, but how well will it deliver?


Hype Level : 10
This is a no-brainer. This game is still riding high on its showing at E3 and every other convention this year. CoD/MW is a franchise that people are going to buy. Period. With a strong community support as well as the game actually looking good even from the outside eye, this game has all the hype in the world right now.

Delivery Rating : 9.0
This game is going to deliver, it's just that the only thing holding it back from being a 10 is of course that the game could very well have some of the problems that have plagued previous versions. Also the fact that although FPS games are all the rage, they still aren't for everyone. This game could make a ton of money and deliver big time, but it will mostly be for the people who are into this sort of game in the first place. A hardcore RPG-only player isn't going to jump the fence for Modern Warfare.



Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

With the last Ultimate Alliance game being so damn long ago that it feels like a launch title, Vicarious Visions has had a looooong time to work out all the kinks and make this worth it. The thing is, even though comic books are almost untouchable think to the great movies and games they have been having as of late, it doesn't seem like there is a lot of hype for MUA2 at the moment. It has been delayed and pushed back and now that Arkham Asylum is out it might just get buried and overlooked when it comes to the Comic Book Games market.

But this is not to say that this game doesn't deserve a look. From all of the videos, gameplay, and screenshots we have seen. They have really stepped up the game as far as a sequel goes with this being the first MUA game built of current gen rather than built for last-gen and ported over. The game looks, feels, and plays a lot better and might actually be a bit of an underdog this fall. Especially with gamers who love them some online co-op. The hype machine has been at a very low murmur, most of the hype for this game is simply just carry over hype for the people who are still playing MUA1. Which is sort of odd since the game is due out in about a month, so maybe we will start some more promotion for this in more than just GameStop and in every Marvel comic book you come across.

Or maybe they are trying to downplay it because the Civil War storyline wasn't all that great...

Hype Level : 7.0
This game isn't getting a lot of hype at all. It's being hyped up a bit in the circles that it is the main focus of, but I haven't seen a single commercial on TV for it or a print ad for it outside of a comic book. But this also seems to be the same way MUA was handled. Didn't have a ton of hype going into it, it's was just the fact that big names like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Capt. America can pretty much sell anything. So in a sense it might not NEED this much hype.

Delivery Rating :7.5
As much I am personally hyped for this game, I really don't see this one doing much. I think it will get the fans of the original and maybe some others who are still riding on B:AA's euphoria, but as far as being a big hit? I don't think so. But in a way I think that works for this game because it seems like XML1, 2, and MUA were all under promoted and still sold well and got great reviews. I think this game actually rides high on its 'sleeper hit' status and isn't actually looking to go out there and rule the world like some other games coming out. And like I said, superheroes are big money makers right now especially with the wee ones who don't have real control over what game they get for Christmas.



Brutal Legend

Rock out with your rock out with rock sauce on top of a rock lobster that you crack the shell of with a rock. I fear that this game will make "Rock" uncool just by the amount of times they will probably say the word. This isn't some sort of jaded music fan that hates Guitar Hero and Rockband type hate; this is just sort of the "Okay, you're going to burn me out" sort of hate. But this game is definitely getting some hype behind it. Tim Schafer is behind it and most of the indy/underground hipster gamers know that his games are pretty damn good when it comes to story, but he has so far never been able to break into the market when it comes to getting a really big hit under his name.

Maybe cashing in on the GH/Rockband rock craze might be his ticket along with overloading this game with almost every rock icon under the sun, but that remains to be seen. The game has been getting a LOT of hype, but one thing that might actually detract from it is now that gameplay footage and demos are starting to be seen, it looks like a lot of players have soured on it. The game was originally thought to be a sort of action/adventure title and has been advertised as such, but as more gameplay footage rolls out it looks like the game might be veering dangerously close to Dynasty Warriors: Rock Edition. You do control Eddie Riggs at crucial moments to lay into the enemy, but a lot of the fighting is done by groups of people at your control.

Now if this IS like Dynasty Warriors, then this is a bad thing. But if it ends up being more like...say...Viking, where you did do a lot of solo missions but for the BIG battles you had an all-out war type battle but you were still the main focus, then that will be all fine and dandy. But I definitely think this might be the hit that Schaffer has FINALLY been waiting for.

Hype Level : 9.5
This game pretty much has been sucking the hype dong since it was announced way back last year. The game is riding high off of the rock fans and the Schafer fans out there. A lot of the critics and hipsters out there want this game to succeed mostly because Psychonauts is seen to be a game that was flat out great, but didn't sell well at all. This is sort of like Tim's redemption.

Delivery Rating :7.0
This isn't saying that the game is going to be a flop...but I don't think this is going to be the redemption song for Psychonauts. I think it'll do well; the subject matter and the hype alone will do that. But with the way the gameplay is set up and how misleading it was eventually I just can't shake the idea that we are going to end up playing a game that is an AWESOME script and cut scenes, but the overall package is just disappointing. And frankly...that just doesn't rock.



Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves

The only PS3 Exclusive may be probably its most anticipated game of the year. Uncharted 1 was such a sleeper hit that it warranted a bigger, badder, and louder sequel and that is exactly what it's getting. Well, maybe Sleeper hit is the wrong term to use here, but I highly doubt anyone expected Uncharted to be the hit that it was, let alone for it to get such a good sequel.

The game will toss in some multiplayer, as well as some more frantic shooting action and Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider gameplay. But the thing that is shooting this game into the hype moon is that it's a PS3 Exclusive that is pushing the PS3 to its limits. It's been a pretty proven fact that PS3 games tend to get the short end of the stick when they go multi-platform. Don't send angry comments my way, it's just how it is and there are tons of side-by-side comparisons to prove it. But it's also a fact that when a game is built from the ground up on the PS3 it blows pretty much anything the 360 can muster out of the water.

While a lot of people are still clinging to the coat tails of PS3's early run away exclusive hit with InFamous, it looks like Uncharted 2 will be the one everyone is pining over by the end of the year.


Hype Level : 9.0
I don't think anyone saw this game coming at E3 and creating such a big splash. But I think that is just the sort of hype that this game needs. The first Uncharted pretty much came out of nowhere and was not expected to be a big hut, but then with the giant budget like HoT will have, it's sort of like that indy movie that suddenly gets a big budget...and it's got people talking.

Delivery Rating :8.0
This game will definitely surpass everything that the first one did. It's bigger, better, faster, and more importantly this one is actually being promoted. I think the only thing that might hold this back overall is the multiplayer mode. It looks like it will be fun but it just smacks of putting multiplayer into an otherwise singleplayer game just for the sake of having multiplayer. In situations like that I'd rather them just leave the multiplayer off rather than shoehorn one in that isn't very good. We'll just have to wait and see if this one is any good, though.




Muramasa: The Demon Blade

And now the only Wii Exclusive on the list, Muramasa: TDB. Now this game is probably the least hyped game on this entire list. Seeing as the majority of Wii Owners (you know, the casual ones) probably don't even know about this game. Its hype is waaaaaay down, but the hardcore Wii fans--the ones that actually BUY hardcore Wii games--this is probably the one game they are looking forward to the most. Already a decent sized hit in Japan, this game is sort of an action-platform-rpg-really awesome art style game that is sure to attract the graphic Nazis and then on top of that it seems that this might just be game that will do what it set out to do with the Wii. Appease the hardcore and the casual alike.

But since this is Nintendo we are talking about, there is one thing here that is obvious...they are not promoting this game AT ALL. Outside of the E3 appearance and little gaming articles here and there, I haven't seen shit about this game. And if someone who actually HAS to follow gaming news and what not hasn't seen anything about it I can almost assure you Joe Average hasn't heard anything about it either. This has been a HUGE problem with Wii when it comes to hardcore titles. They either do not promote them at all or promote them so little that outside of a few people no one ever gets into it. Look at MadWorld, Nintendo promoted that game but the first commercial I had ever seen for it on TV ran about a week before the game hit shelves. That doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence about the product.



Hype Level : 4.5
I'm not down on the Wii or this game, but you can make all the arguments in the world and the fact of the matter is that they are under promoting this game to death. We all know Nintendo has moved on to the casual market because that is what is making them money, and I understand that. But when they under promote games like this that are made for the hardcore it doesn't rules out Nintendo's final argument for the death of the hardcore. You know the one where they say they stopped making hardcore because the hardcore don't buy? Well the hardcore can't buy what they don't know is there.

Delivery Rating : 8.0
The buzz on this game is that it's good. Like...really good. Which is such a shame considering that the game doesn't get any promotion but I do think this will be a game similar to Viewtiful Joe...well, not similar in play style, but similar in the sense that no one will really know about the game but when they pick it up on a rental or on and impulse they will not be disappointed. If this game is as any good as the Japanese are making it out to be than this could be that one game that wins the "Best Game No One Played" title at the end of the year.

So that wraps that up, yes there are other games coming out soon that have been hyped to death, but feel free to leave a comment and let me know how you feel about the ones that are currently not on the list.

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Working Demo

It seems now that the Summer of Arcade is over we are getting a metric fuckton of demos hitting the XBL/PSN wave. So I figure I'd do some one line reviews of the demos I have played. (Note: I have a 360 and not a PS3, so this may be a bit 360-centric.)

Wet- Goddamn this game is fun, can't really understand the negative buzz it is getting. 4/5

Lost Planet 2- Game was NOT on my radar before playing this demo, tons of fun with four people. 4.5/5

Section 8- Drop in and mad dash is fun, but this feels like the bastard child of Battlefield and Halo...and isn't as good as either. 3/5


Working Question


Good response to last week, so this week you get a simple one.

What genre of gaming is dead? Meaning that with the current generation there is just no room for it and whatever game released in this style is either really bad, or just is uninteresting.

Personally, I think the Fight Sim is dead. Sure, there are still the Ace games and now HAWX but those games flew under the radar, pun intended.

So what say you?


Until next time, I'm Jordan Williams...and if a shady guy offers you a copy of Windows 7 via torrent. DON'T DO IT. BSODs are why this column is a day late in the first place.