Living LIVE News Report 06.27.10
Posted by Trace Aber on 06.28.2010
We discuss E3, the new family subscription deal for Gold, Kinect, and review four indie games including Vampire Rage and Avatar Insane Race 3D!
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Reoprt, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber. You may have noticed that last week there was no column. I was spending the weekend with my girlfriend in Hershey, PA, to celebrate her birthday. We checked out Hershey Park and the gardens, and it was an absolute blast. Unfortunately, today is not nearly as good as it was last week. Somehow I managed to bite my tongue to the point where my mouth was filled with blood last night. Needless to say, it hurts like a bitch and it's just generally awful. Oh well. We have a quick recap of E3, a couple videos, and not much else in this slow post-E3 week for Xbox. To make up for it, we have reviews of Avatar Insane Race 3D, Swords and Magic, Vampire Rage, and Crazy Wizard in a Creepy Castle! Let's get underway!
The 2010 E3 Recap
Microsoft opened the show up with a trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops. It looked impressive and reminded me of Modern Warfare 2 while also being able to stand out on its own. It appears as though Black Ops will be more about helicopters than anything this time, and while I enjoyed the helicopters in the previous games I don't know if I want the entire game to be centered around it. To be fair though, controlling the helicopter did look beyond awesome. They also announced that all map packs for the series will come to the 360 first until 2012. Looks like buying the 360 version of COD is the smart choice if you want to stay up to date.
Metal Gear Rising was talked about and looks to be coming along nicely. Raiden's story before MGS4 will be covered and is first and foremost an action title. It looks to be a bit more complex than your typical hack and slash adventure, focusing on precise, exact cuts over randomly slashing whatever is in your path. It's an interesting direction for the series to take, and even though I'm a bit worried about it I'm still anticipating it.
Gears of War 3 was showed off and they promoted the co-op ability. The Locust are bigger and badder than ever this time around, and teamwork is key to defeating them. Gameplay doesn't seemed to have changed match for Gears 2, though why fix something if it ain't broke? Players can expect to get their hands on Gears 3 in April 2011.
Fable III, coming out October 26, showed off the more modern Albion. Set years after the last game, the king has died and his cruel, selfish son has taken over. It's up to one brother to stop the King, and that's where you come in. You'll be able to do quite a bit in the game once you become King, including the design of your kingdom. Albion is becoming more modern while still immersed with monsters, magic, and the sense of humor that has become a staple of the franchise.
Halo: Reach, which had a ridiculously successful beta program (2.7 million people can't be wrong!), had a chance to show off its single player mode, where a group of Spartans get dropped into a battle with the Covenant attack. New powers were displayed, including a shield that destroys nearby enemies in an awesome clash. New to the series is space combat, though details are scarce. Pick it up when it comes out on September 14, 2010.
Kinect, formally known as Project Natal, received nearly half of the time, proving that Microsoft is going to do everything in their power to sell this thing. The dashboard interface can be controlled with your voice or by waving your hand, though the potential for guests to mess around with your 360 is high. There's the new VideoKinect, which is a live video chat program available on the 360 and PC later this year. The biggest game for the peripheral was Kinectimals, which I really hope gets a name change before being released. Featuring over 40 animals, players can avoid the hassle of a real animal and just get a virtual one. It's a more complex Nintendogs, basically. Other games announced includes a Wii-sports like game (Kinect Sports), Kinect Joy Ride and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, which is the Kinect version of Wii-Fit. Harmonix stole the show with Dance Central, which requires you to learn how to dance. If this is done well it could be huge and a killer app for Kinect, but we'll wait and see. All in all, Kinect didn't impress me. Thankfully, my room doesn't have the required six feet or whatever of space needed, so I don't have to worry about spending my $150.
The other two big announcements involved ESPN and the Slim. ESPN on Demand will feature over 35,000 different events from college football, basketball and soccer. Most of them will be in HD and have interesting stats and trivia while your watched. Kinect is supported, meaning controllers are optional. The new Xbox 360 Slim was announced, which features the fastest Wi-Fi in console gaming, a 250 gig hard drive, and the original $299.99 price of the classic 360.
All in all, Microsoft didn't have any bombshell announcements that stole the show. Sure, Kinect impressed some people but it seems like every few days another detail about it comes out that I don't like. They had an impressive line of games that will likely sell very well, but we already knew that before we saw them. Still, the future looks bright for our beloved console, so here's to the future!
All in the Family for LIVE
Microsoft has announced its new family subscription plan for LIVE members looking to save a few bucks. For $99.99 users will be able to purchase the "Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack" which features four Gold accounts and allows for parental control and restriction settings. Each individual account can be modified to allow only certain age-appropriate content.
Four for the price of two isn't bad by any means, and with their new marketing campaign towards families this makes a lot of sense for them to do. This would be great for people with roommates, assuming people can resist the temptation of setting restrictions on their friends for fun.
Mortal Kombat Trailer
The Digital Downloads
This week saw some big demos get released, including Crackdown 2, Mass Effect 2, and NCAA Football 2011. Games on Demand received some new titles including LEGO Batman, Mercenaries 2, SEGA Rally, Bee Movie Game, and Mirror's Edge for $19.99 a piece. Over in the arcade section Risk Factions, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, and Space Ark were released for 800MP each. All of the preorder bonuses for Just Cause 2 can now be downloaded, as well as the highly anticipated free co-op mission pack for Red Dead Redemption. Snoopy has his first DLC in the Snoopy Flying Ace Dogs of War Map Pack which features two maps for 80MP.
Avatar Insane Race 3D (80MP)
Out of the four or five Avatar games released this week, Insane Race looked the most interesting and the most 3D. While promising extreme tricks and awesome courses, the game only manages to entertain briefly and even then it's very little.
This cover is very misleading
The game does offer thirteen tracks and vehicles, and each vehicle has different stats and are unlocked by collecting the letters "INSANE" found throughout the tracks. Graphically, the game looks pretty good and the music is serviceable. While the game is good on presentation, the gameplay itself is subpar. You control the vehicle by switching lanes using the up and down button, and do tricks with the right analog stick. As you'd imagine with an insane race, there's also plenty of turbo to go around. Throughout each track is a series of ramps, obstacles, and challenges to complete. Promising, yes, but it's so difficult to switch your car in the correct lane in time and since the lanes aren't well defined it's hard to know your position. Also, it seems nearly impossible to win any of these actual races and there's very little time given.
Avatar Insane Race 3D shows a lot of promise and with some heavy tweaking and reworked controls, could be a really good game. Instead it's disappointing to think that instead of doing flips over fire we're trying to figure out if the lamp is directly ahead of us. Pass on this. Rating: 4.5
Sword and Magic (80MP)
There is turmoil in the kingdom of Wald Heim when the princess is taken away by a dragon. The King figures it'd be best to send two kids, Ralph and Chris, to save the princess. Unfortunately, and this is where the poor grammar comes in, these two people's relations were very bad. Can two people save the princess really safely? Ok, sounds like a basic RPG storyline, and since it's called Sword and Magic, you can imagine there being lots of, well, swords and magic. Also, there's really badass dialogue:
"I am boring. Because an enemy is weak."
"Do not be careless. The first enemy is weak, but becomes gradually strong."
"It is not wonderful. I have won the championship at a magic meet. I tore a dragon at a blow."
"It is a weak dragon. The monster in which magic is not effective exists. The training is important. I adventured with the companion in old times…"
"A day went down. Let's go early. The shrine of the dragon is still far."
"Please, wait. Hear my story."
And that's just the first set of dialogue we get. But, here's the thing about Sword and Magic – it's not a RPG, it's a side scrolling shooter. You fly around as Ralph and Chris and shoot the weirdest assortment of enemies I've seen in a game while questioning the entire situation constantly. You can only shoot forward, which would be fine if it weren't for the fact the enemies come from all directions and shoot constantly. I don't know why a war torn cheetah thing, a blob, an evil cube, and flying orcs are all working as cohesive unit, but sometimes tells me Ralph and Chris are pretty big assholes who just piss everything off. The gameplay is awful and the controls are worse. You can switch between characters but it doesn't really matter. One of them shoots swords or something and the other shoots an oval, which I'm assuming is magic. There is a leveling up system that makes the weapons have better range, so maybe after a few levels you can shoot in all directions. But something tells me they didn't think that far ahead.
Who's going to look at this picture and rush to buy this game?
Outside of a good device to punish your kids with, or get back at someone you truly despise, there's no reason to play this game. It makes absolutely no sense at all, the shooting is awful, and there's absolutely no difference between the two characters. And why is a knight flying? Ugh. Rating: 2.0
Vampire Rage (80MP)
Truth be told, I'm not big into vampires. Never have been, probably never will be. But there are some positive attributes to being one, I suppose, and Vampire Rage showcases some of those. Among them, that blowing shit up is pretty cool, and gothic font is totally in.
Some games just don't work well with screenshots. This is one of them.
Vampire Rage is a vertical shooter that has you playing as a vampire seeking revenge for, uh, something. You're given two types of shots, with an alternate fire that provides a powerful beam while slowing your speed. The enemies are large, varied, and willing to shoot on sight. Vampire Rage takes some getting used to, but after adjusting to the game's mechanics it's quite enjoyable. In addition to your shots, you're equipped with a huge blade that can deflect pink bullets (of which there are many) and also just slice people up. If you deflect enough pink bullets you can create a bomb that you can then control. Figuring out the correct balance of shots, sword usage (there is a delay between tries), and movement is key in this game.
Vampire Rage is a fun, cheap shooter that is well worth the money. The gameplay is challenging but balanced, and the presentation is done extremely well. You can't go wrong with this. Rating: 8.0
Crazy Wizard in Creepy Castle (80MP)
Evil has befallen Odoriza, a place rid of magic thanks to, oddly enough, wizards. A castle has appeared out of nowhere and there's purple fog, the international sign of evil magic. Ghosts are also chilling around in town, generally freaking people out. There's only one wizard left in Odoriza, and while he was a hero back in the day, he eats potato chips now. Seriously…that's one of his defining personality traits.
Crazy Wizard isn't really in a creepy castle, I mean, most of the creatures there seem pretty damn happy. Sure, there's fire that chases you and bats that whack you in the head, but overall they're a happy bunch. The Wizard moves a little too fast, almost like you're ice and seeing as how the game requires some pretty precise jumps, it can get frustrating quickly. You're given a basic bolt to throw that will take out most enemies with a few hits, but you're biggest problem are the flames. They chase after you, they combine to create giant pits of fire, and sporadically shoot out of every block. Fuck them. Level design is basic and not very inspired, but there certainly is a challenge to them.
Seriously, they're having a damn blast there!
Crazy Wizard isn't necessarily bad, and it's not necessarily good either. It's just kind of…there. You might have a good time with it, but I was pretty bored myself. Rating: 5.0
Question of the Week
I forgot to do one last week, though el_pieablo was nice enough to come up with one. He asked if there are any games out there that could work as a mini movie using their cut scenes. We had our first e-mail and an answer from el_pieablo himself.
Justin Beiber Sucks: i think any metal gear solid game would be an awesome movie. maybe putting them all together in one movie or something. i also think halo could make a great movie.
I think the MGS series is an obvious one, especially considering that the game is already like watching a movie. Only having played Halo 3 I can't say a whole lot about the story arc, but I don't see why that wouldn't work out. There's enough explosions.
el_pieablo: The Gears games on the 360 would produce a 80's style action movie, full of machismo and explosions. Also I think that Dead Rising was ok too. "Ive covered wars you know"
On the other side of the coin, some recent games have terrible cut scenes. The likes of Two Worlds(Verily Kind sir), Risen and the soulless eyes of Oblivion .
I definitely like your thoughts about Gears. I've seen a few of the cutscenes and it does seem like it fits that era well. Dead Rising would make a decent movie I think, but I think Left 4 Dead would be a better choice. Sure, you'd have to use in-game footage, but with the right editing it'd be great.
I actually like the idea of Oblivion, though the eyes are pretty awful. You have to remember that the game is pretty old (relatively speaking) and quite dated. Nowadays those eyes would have souls and be even more realistic.
This week's question regards the Kinect. Either shoot me an e-mail (found below) or post in the comments and it will get posted here next week.
After seeing the Kinect in action at E3, and hearing all of the recent news about it, how do you feel about the Kinect? Do you see yourself picking it up or writing it off as a Wii rip-off?
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
Kinect is in no way a Wii rip off, but I have to say that I expect Kinect to be a big middle finger to anyone over the age of 15. I was excited for it at first, but then more information started to come out about it and I realized that it's not for me. My 360 is in my small room so there's no way I'd be able to have 6 feet of space. Hell, certain games can't be played in basements either because of ceilings and if you need 6x6 feet, this is going to be awful. Why can't they demo it in an area that doesn't look like it belongs in a rich family's house? Not only that, but what games are announced for it so far? Wii Sports and Nintendogs...why should I be excited about this? I'm sure Kinectsports would be fun if I had the room for it, but Kinect looks like it's going to end up making Microsoft a laughing stock. I don't care how revolutionary it will be, I want it to be fun and accessible for the casual gamer, not for families of 4 who love to spend every minute with each other.
Posted By: SHADE (Guest) on June 28, 2010 at 12:08 AM
I was really excited about Project Natal, but all that hope went right out the window with the name change and the crap ass games that are going to come out for it.
Posted By: Todd Vote (Guest) on June 28, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Agree with SHADE. I canceled my Kinect Pre-Order as son as the Press Conference ended. If I want casual gaming on my 360, I'd pick up Family Game Night, or Scene It or a bunch of other good Casual games. I don;t need to spend $210 ($150 for Kinect + $60 for a game) plus tax to Pet Imaginary Animals? To Pretend to Drive a Race Car?? To Act like a little kid doing Star Wars Moves???
I Seriously hope Kinect and Move FAIL BIG TIME! So that M$ and $ony (Intentional use of the $) can see that Motion Controls are a giant Middle to Finger to ANYONE (Not just over the age of 15).
But In short, M$ had the worst Press Conference. $ony's was ok. (Slow Start, Nice finish). Nintendo FAR AND AWAY was the winner of this year's E3:
Zelda: Skyward Sword
DKC Returns
Metroid Other M coming August 31st
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Disney Epic Mickey
And of course the 3DS! (BOO at Nintendo for a 2011 3DS Launch)
And Finally: KID ICARUS FOR THE F***ing WIN!
But it's a great time to be a video game fan! I expected a lot more from M$ then what we saw at E3? Maybe we'll get some great titles at TGS.
Posted By: Guest#6060 (Guest) on June 28, 2010 at 12:11 PM
When Natal(kinect is a stupid name) was announced last year, I was kinda looking forward to it bringing forth a new generation of 360 games. But alas it wasn't to be.
Kinect looks like a shoddy Wii clone with Wii sports rip offs and Nintendogs(even with the similar name,Kinectimals). I feel that MS are ignoring their core demographic, which is real gamers(not Wii buying pensioners) for the chance of cracking the 'casual' market. But MS should look at the things that have made them successful in the first place. Catering to the 'real' gamers.
Posted By: el_pieablo (Guest) on June 29, 2010 at 07:53 PM
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