411 Games Fact or Fiction 08.05.08: Paying for Missing Characters in SoulCalibur IV, Stopping the 2D Re-Imagining Trend, Next Parasite Eve, Blizzard's Decision To Ignore Hardcore Fans, & More!

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 08.05.2008

411's Dan Owen and John Curry tell us what they think about the likelihood that gamers will eventually be able to pit Darth Vader against Yoda in SoulCalibur IV, whether or not the 2D re-imagining trend should go on, the relevance of the Parasite Eve franchise, Blizzard's decision to stick with StarCraft II's new art direction, the popularity of Geometry Wars 2 in light of the fact that the 360 has decent games now, and whether or not the pricing scheme for the next Ratchet & Clank game is sensible in this edition of Fact or Fiction Games.

Welcome to another edition of Fact or Fiction. Today's guests are Games section writers Dan Owen and John Curry. Dan currently does reviews while John writes The Checkpoint. As usual, we were able to get them to take some time out of their busy day to tell us what they think about some of the week's most important video game news and issues.

Let's go -


1. SoulCalibur fans need not worry. The Star Wars character that their copy of SoulCalibur is missing will be made available down the line through paid downloadable content.

Dan Owen: Fiction

Look, I have a sneaking suspicion that we are going to see more Star Wars characters down the line as part of the marketing campaign for the new Clone Wars movie coming out in a few weeks. One would assume that they might tack on this missing character, but that's not where my answer is coming from. It's the part about having it be paid downloadable content. While it's nice to give each game an exclusive character, people aren't going to be buying both versions for one exclusive character, so there isn't much to gain by keeping it all separate. I really think that they should have just included both characters in both games and been done with it right from the start.

John Curry: Fact

While I agree with Mr. Owen that SoulCalibur should have included both characters, there is simply too much money to be made by the Star Wars franchise. I look not only to see the two players added but the inclusion of a majority of the Star Wars universe added as the build-up for Clone Wars hits full stride.

Score: 0 for 1


2. It is rumored that Konami will follow in Capcom's footsteps and revive one of its 2D franchises ala Mega Man 9 and Bionic Commando. This trend has got to stop!

Dan Owen: Fiction

I say why not (at least at this point)? It's not as though the market is over-saturated with this sort of game. With the advent of Nintendo's Virtual Console, some of the older games like this are starting to see a rebirth, and I think that it makes sense to give older gamers the chance to relive the past glory days.

John Curry: Fact

Fact, Fact, 100% Fact. Stop bringing things back from our past. It shows a glaring lack of creativity in the market and the current gaming world when companies have no other ideas than to simply bring back the same game from 10 or 15 years ago or more simply to push products. It's shameful and I hope that these game companies read this.

Score: 0 for 2


3. Out of all the titles that were showcased at Square Enix's DKΣ3713 private party, the only one that matters is the PSP Parasite Eve sequel, The 3rd Birthday.

Dan Owen: Fiction

I won't lie. I don't really know the full details of what was shown at the party in terms of information and whatnot, so I'm going to have to say fiction just based on the list of games shown. In addition to The 3rd Birthday, we also had entries from the Kingdom Hearts series and the Final Fantasy universe. Both of those franchises are major players in the gaming world, so I can't possibly fathom a way that The 3rd Birthday was the only one that mattered to the gaming community as a whole.

John Curry: Fiction

For me, simply stating that I have a new Kingdom Hearts to look forward to does enough to get me excited; the 3rd Birthday takes a backseat to the Kingdom Hearts series. This is great news and simply proves that Square Enix is not getting the recognition it deserves.

Score: 1 for 3



4. Blizzard has an obligation to listen to the fans who complain about Diablo III's new art direction.

John Curry: Fiction

Speaking of irony, just today I was playing Diablo II on my PC. You know, the simple fact is that in this day and age, people want the whole Warcraft and Guild Wars style to their games. So what if it is going a little cartoony and brighter? This is Blizzard's company and Blizzard's risk. I am quite sure that this is a calculated move from them. So no, they don't need to listen to the fans about the art direction. If game companies tried to please every fan, games would be nothing more than a convoluted mess and these whiney petitions would be everywhere.

Dan Owen: Fiction

John is right - Blizzard cannot please every fan, and in the end, it is their call as to what will be best for the franchise. I especially like the move because when you really think about it, who are the ones complaining about the art style? The diehard fans who, when all is said and done, will be the first ones to pick the game up. Taking this route will open the game up to the legions of fans that Blizzard has gained through World of Warcraft.

Score: 2 for 4


5. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 will be nowhere near as popular as its predecessor since this time around, the Xbox 360 has games that are actually worth playing.

John Curry: Fact

Ahhhh, you sly boots. Trying to make the Xbox 360 look bad. The reason this answer is fact is that the Xbox 360 now has a much larger online availability that it didn't have when the original was released. Secondly, while I enjoyed Geometry Wars for a little while, there are much better games to purchase for the same cost, such as Aces of the Galaxy. I really don't understand sequels to downloadable games like Geometry Wars. I mean, did I miss a storyline that warrants a sequel?

Dan Owen: Fact

Again, I agree perfectly with John. What exactly is the point behind the sequel??? To resolve the cliffhanger of a sto... To introduce an all new, even badder vil... Nope. The only reason behind this game is to capitalize on the perceived popularity of the franchise. Unfortunately, there really isn't that much of a demand for another Geometry Wars, and even if people were craving for another Xbox Live Arcade game, there are a lot more options this time around than there were when Geometry Wars first came out. I hate to say it, but this has letdown written all over it.

Score: 3 for 5


6. The next Ratchet & Clank will be a $15 downloadable game and will last 3-4 hours. As far as downloadable content is concerned, this is a good deal.

John Curry: Fiction

As far as downloadable games go, 15 bucks is too damn much money for me personally. There is no way in the world that a game that lasts only 3-4 hours and has very little replay value will be worth that kind of money. While I admire the efforts of one company to put out a game that would do okay as DL content (which eliminates a lot of things I wouldn't need anyways), 15 bucks is just too much money for that little of a game. 3-4 hours is for average gamers; advanced gamers would do it in 1-2, if that. Not worth it in my book.

Dan Owen: Fiction

I just recently reviewed an Xbox Live Arcade game (Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando) that was supposed to last about 1-2 hours. As if - it might have taken 45 minutes. For 15 dollars, I could run down to the local Gamestop and pick up a used game or two that could give me more enjoyment than a "3-4" hour downloadable game. I'll give props to the developers. It's nice to see them trying downloadable games that are a bit more serious, but come on - you've got to give us more than that! I'm interested in seeing how long it takes to download this game, but I'm a bit worried that a failure with this venture might scare game companies from trying this in the future.

Score: 4 for 6



And we end with a final score of 4 for 6. Don't forget to join us next time for more Fact or Fiction!

Now, we just found ourselves a magical green boot that allows us to walk on anything we want. Unfortunately, we can't seem to be able to take it to the next level. If we can figure out how to keep the boot from disappearing, we'll be back next week.