Coming Attractions 9.13.08: Rock Band Returns!

Posted by Drew Robbins on 09.13.2008

Another week, another batch of games hitting store shelves. This week, Rock Band makes a triumphant return on the 360, and The Force Unleashed is...unleashed onto store shelves!

Welcome to another exciting adventure in the world of upcoming releases, that is right, another edition of Coming Attractions. I can just sense the excitement! This week sees the release of another Rock Band, a World of Warcraft clone (don't even deny it, I've played it, I know), and a Star Wars beat-em-up.

- As you know, Spore did come out and I was a first-day customer, something I usually don't do. It was pretty fun, but I don't really know if I like the space stage. The Civilization and Creature stages were pretty awesome, but the space stage is just kind of…eh. Maybe that part just isn't for me? I have a question for you intelligent* readers, is the Civilization stage in Spore anything like Civilization IV? Usually I'm horrible at those games where you need to build an unbeatable army, but a game where I can beat the enemies with economic power sounds awesome to me.

- Outside of Spore I've played a few other things. Battlefield Heroes is one, but I'll tell you more about that when I do my preview for it. The other was Warhammer Age of Reckoning. Derek preordered the game, gaining him access to the week-long beta. From what I have played, it really does just feel like WoW with a bit more involvement in the combat. I probably won't play it anymore; there is something about it I just don't like, maybe that it feels like a game that I've played before?

- I'm kind of excited to play TNA: Impact, despite the crap it has been receiving from various users on this site and IGN. To me it just seems like they nailed the animations, and the gameplay looks like the old 64 games that I loved. It also helps that it seems more arcade-like than ultra simulation Smackdown vs. Raw. I'm just not in the Smackdown spirit this year. The updates on IGN haven't even gotten me excited like they used to, something must be wrong with me.

- Last note, reader feedback has been moved to the bottom. Just switching things up.



Coming Attractions – Week 10

Hey look, it is my 10 week anniversary, woo! Ten weeks of RPG bashing, Microsoft bitterness, and rants that have been deemed "fanboyish." Hopefully the next 10 weeks will be equal in awesomeness.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Multi) - Star Wars has always been a weird franchise in the video games world. When you are just watching the movies, it seems like it would be easy to make a good game out of. However, we haven't really seen too many "great" Star Wars games since the Super Nintendo era (heck yeah Super Star Wars). Jedi Knight Academy was ok (though I remember being very angry that the game starts out as an FPS as opposed to starting out with, I don't know, a light saber maybe?), Battlefront was a tad bit unbalanced, and we got Rogue Squadron, which is, in my opinion, the best out of that group. Now they have put another Star Wars game on the table, hoping that it will feed our tremendous appetite for a good Star Wars game. Trust me on this, my friends, do not take any more than a small sample of this meal, as that sample should be enough to feed your appetite. Force Unleashed is like McDonalds. Yeah it tastes pretty good, but there really isn't any depth to it. After you eat McDonalds, you don't really feel anything special, not too full and not incredibly satisfied. On the other hand, when you go to a big time restaurant, you feel full and satisfied, and you have this desire to go back for more later. Force Unleashed will be a fun game, but once you beat it, it isn't something you will want to play too much more. I guess what I am trying to say, but probably failing at it because my metaphor was a little long-winded, is that Force Unleashed is a rental game. $60 is not really worth it for a game that last 7 hours, and you will probably only play once. It doesn't have multiplayer, and the difficulty levels don't seem to different, based off of the demo. Also, a big part of a game called "Force Unleashed" should be the force, and the gauge for that runs out too quick for you to be destroying your enemies with lightning.
My Opinion: Ehhh - Rental only. Odds are that you won't need to play this game any more than once.

- One thing that I do love about the game is the way Apprentice holds his light saber. He is just…very awesome.

Pure (PS3/360) - The moment I saw this game, and found out that it was an ATV racer, I was instantly biased against it. I put my bias aside and clicked the video on its information page…this game looks pretty decent. From the looks of it, this is just SSX on everyone's favorite four-wheeled machines that they can race in the desert, four-wheelers! The only problem is that his game is not, as it turns out, SSX. Why EA Big, do you fail to recognize how awesome a next-gen (not on the Wii, I don't want motion controls in my SSX) SSX game would be. It was such a big deal when it first came out, but now it just feels like everyone forgot how great it was. SSX3 was an all-time great human achievement, and now it is all gone. Gone and replaced with ATVs...I'll get over it, some day. Back on to the subject at hand, Pure has some pretty good potential going for it. SSX was a great game, ATV games have been fun in the past, and when you add those two together…you are making magic! I find it a little strange that this game is coming from Disney, of all people. This isn't based off one of their newer animated movies, so I'd love to know the inspiration behind this one. Pure doesn't seem like the kind of game that will just fly off of shelves, and Disney is a company that usually only goes with the flow of cash. Not that I'm complaining, or anything, it just seems odd. This is something I might have to download the demo for…
My Opinion: Thumbs…Up? Yes, I'm going with my gut instinct of giving a SSX-like game a thumbs up. My instinct never got me in any trouble before, right? *Takes a second to reflect on the Disgaea 3 incident.* Yep, it has never steered me wrong.

- Pure-ly…awesome? I hope.

Yggdra Union (PSP) - Haha, I don't think so, Atlus, nice trap! I'm not going through this again. Though, I feel it is my responsibility to tell you about these games. Yggdra Union is an SRPG with card-based gameplay. This is probably more out of my target radius than Disgaea, merely by including the word "card-based." What I do understand, however, is that Atlus apparently makes delicious tactical games. If you are still hungry for more strategic gameplay, this is definitely for you. Card-based usually turns up the strategy just a bit more, I remember Baiten Kaitos…lots of strategy there. No, that isn't a backhanded comment; I really was challenged by that game. It is weird, but it was a game that I bought on the Gamecube because everyone else wanted it. The thing I failed to realize is that people just wanted it because the system had about two RPGs in existence at the time. If only I knew then what I know now…
My Opinion: Thumbs Up - While this may seem strange, I do enjoy the card based strategy games more than the regulars. I feel like it is more than just selecting the attacks. Maybe it is just because I liked Pokemon cards when I was younger.



Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC) - It frustrates me beyond belief how much this game is like World of Warcraft. So where should I start? Upon starting up the game, you can select from the Order (Alliance) or the Forces of Destruction (Horde). The Order features dwarves, humans, and elves (high-elves I guess), while the Destruction features Orcs, Dark Elves, and the Chaos. The only thing missing here is some trolls, gnomes, and Taurens, and the Dranei. Your next step in the game, after creating a character, is seeing the actual UI. The User Interface could not look any more like Warcraft if it tried. It has the simple button interface at the bottom, a health bar (complete with energy bar) right under it, and I do believe that the map was in the top right. I'm not a fan of this game's interface, because it does seem a little bit more cluttered than the game it is clearly trying to imitate. From the few quests I've done, there was one where I kill a set amount of Squiggs, and one where I go and get cannonballs out of boxes…this sounds familiar. What people keep assuring me is that the game shines when it comes to PvP, something I have yet to try out. Should I believe these people? A lot of the fans of this game just seem to love everything about it due to the fact that it isn't WoW, and they will be looked down upon in less shame when they say they play Warhammer. Honestly, it isn't a big step up. If anything, it might be a step down.
My Opinion: Ehhh - The game doesn't seem to be doing anything "way out there," and it just feels like WoW with more realistic graphics. I don't know if that is a good thing.



This Week's #1 Pick

Rock Band 2 (X360) - Surprisingly enough, 2008 has been a year where nothing has really made me too angry. Obama won the Democratic nomination, Smash Bros got released, and a new Prince of Persia was revealed to be coming this holiday season. There was one peace of news, though, that did make me want to slam my head on the computer desk. The second that Harmonix announced that Rock Band 2 would be a temporary exclusive; I was sent into a state of rage. Not only will I have to wait an extra month to play Rock Band 2, that will be one less month where I own a rhythm game with Living on a Prayer. Harmonix claims it was because Microsoft was really supportive of Rock Band (see: they paid them off), so they decided to reward them with a temporary exclusive. My rage is almost inexpressible, so I won't express it. I'll talk about how awesome Rock Band is, just to reassure everyone. The environment created by this game is so astounding, something about the game just feels special. When I was singing "Wanted: Dead or Alive" for the first time, chills ran up my spine. It really is a surreal experience, the crowd seems alive (sometimes they even sing along), and everyone is getting into the music. When you play Guitar Hero on multiplayer, it feels kind of dull, just too people playing on a plastic guitar. Take that idea and add drums and a microphone, and suddenly you have one of the best multiplayer games of all time.
My Opinion: Thumbs Up most people avoided Rock Band because of the price, but now they are really on an even playing field. Activision just doesn't have a feel for the rhythm genre.

- Wooooahhhh, half-way the-ere WOAAAHHH, Livin' on a Prayer!

Quick Previews

Sorry that I forgot this last week. Just in case you wanted to know, I recommend Viva Pinata on the DS, I've heard good things.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky - I've heard a lot of good thins about the original.
My Opinion: Thumbs Up - Fans of the original have claimed that this one has better graphics and improved gameplay. I can't see a problem there…

TNA: Impact (Wii) - Hey, TNA is coming out again this week, but on the Wii. Considering that Impact is already bare bones, I don't imagine the Wii will fix that.
My Opinion: Thumbs Down - You probably have a PS2, 360, or PS3…just stick with those versions.

Igor (Wii/DS) - He is a hunchback.
My Opinion: Thumbs Down It is probably a shovelware platformer, like they make for movies.

Dragon Quest IV (DS) - I had no idea they were remaking Dragon Quest as well…
My Rating: Ehh - I think when it comes to RPGs, Dragon Quest isn't exactly original. Dragon Quest VIII bored even Derek, the man who bathes in Square-Enix games! Just take Yggdra Union instead.

Naruto Ultimate Collection (PS2) - They already have enough of these for a compilation?
My Opinion - I loved the PS2 Naruto games…and this is three of them for $30. This is, as it turns out, a great deal.

The Console War Scoreboard

I am a cruel man, and being as Rock Band is only a temporary exclusive, I will give the points to all four consoles! WAHAHAHAHA, look at how evil I am!

360 5
PS3 3
PC 3
Wii 2
PS2 2
DS 1
PSP Nadda

Still waiting PSP, pick up the pace. I'm still rooting for the PC, so the urge to give this week to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was incredibly strong.

Yesterday's Attractions

Baiten Kaitos - I played this game, I think, four years ago. My ears are still aching from the horrible voice acting. Let me try and recreate the experience for you. Find your most annoying friend, one with a loud or high voice. Your next step is to give him a tin can with a tiny hole in it. Now, tell him to talk. Chances are that your ears are in the process of bleeding, and you have by proxy just played through Baiten Kaitos. Kalas was a pretty big offender, but the worst voice acting didn't come till about the mid-way point when a masked-man (it might've been a woman) joined your party. He/She introduced a new form of pain, which they regularly released in any of the game's plot scenes. Another flaw in Baiten Kaitos is the leveling up system, which caused me to quit this game forever. Once you gained enough experience, you didn't just simply level up. You only had the experience, so you couldn't level up until you found a specific type of save point. The idea doesn't seem to be deal breaking until a part later in the game that takes place on the airship. Said airship features a boss fight with three of your annoyingly voiced enemies, and this fight is incredibly difficult if you are a bit under leveled. As it so happens, I wasn't quite ready for the boss, but I had already saved. I was incapable of leveling up because the only save point on the ship didn't have access to the monastery of leveling up. That is where my game ended, and I never had the urge to pick it back up again.
Related To: Yggdra Union
My Rating: ** out of 5.



Reader Feedback

Here's the mail it never fails it makes me wanna wag my…oh no, I better stop that.

Triple J is excited for Spore…

Spore will be great, looks like a game that I can sink hours of gameplay into.

Mercenaries 2 seems like a weird choice for the #1 pick last week given all the negative/average reviews it has been receiving.

It will satisfy a lot of people in the space stage, I don't know if that part is for me…though. I'm having trouble really getting into the flow of it. I think a lot of people will spend hours on it, however.

Brett is confused..

So hold on, in 'TNA Impact' you need a 4-count? That's crossing the line, alright.

No, it applies to the regular three count rule…but I can see why the video mislead you. Looking back at it, it does look like that. The only thing I'm wary about with the pin system is the joystick waggling…can't we just mash buttons. I don't want to damage my hands like I did with Mario Party.

Twitchy or SDC, your preference.

Hopefully it isn't too blasphemous, but none of these games are really setting my world aflame. I guess TNA would kinda, if I had a 360 or *snicker* PS3. I think I need to go play Super Mario RPG or something. I need a hit of something classic. Speaking of which, that nostalgia void, I'm... looking into it. Saying it like that made sense on multiple levels, incidental though it was.

Also, I know someone who starts with a "D" and ends in "roo" (with that r-o-o spelling) that isn't you. Just sayin'. :P

It isn't blasphemous, because I don't know if any of those games are going to rock your world. TNA does look fun, I think, and I am looking very forward to playing it. I'd encourage you to pursue the open spot on 411 Games, it has been a pretty great experience for me so far.

Mark Salmela is angry that I won't use his banner. I'll consider it…

Well J, I've personally enjoyed Mercs 2 so far, and it's definitely better than everything else that came out last week *Viva Pinata is the same game and I hate Disgaea*.

And drew, I loved Uncharted as well. Hell, I voted it as the best PS3 game to date back in March *right before GT5 Prologue came out, and it was obviously before MGS4*. Now days MGS4 is obviously number 1, and there are a number of game including Uncharted that follow in the top 5 for me.

I'm glad some people enjoy Mercenaries, though to me it seems like a sure-fire rental, as opposed to a $60 investment. My stance on Uncharted places it as #1 on the PS3, I really liked it. I mean, I really liked it. It took me back to the old days when all a man needed was a couple of platforms and jumping to satisfy him.

JP Prag corrected my error.

Drew, as noted by others, there is a major submission system in TNA iMPACT. You lock in submission holds and then each person has to put in a succession of buttons quicker than the other to decide if is successful or not. I've played the game a few times and can guarantee that. Read my preview of the game from March some time! :-P

I've now seen said submission system in action, so that means I was definitely wrong. Though I'm a bit disappointed, it is good to know that every submission won't instantly lock in.

Travis

You know, you made it all the way through talking about Spore without mentioning the rid-fucking-iculous copyprotection shit.

Seriously, three installs and then you have to call EA in order to "rent your CD-Key again"? What kind of bullshit is this? If you have to pay to re-rent your CD-Key, then EA needs to go to hell...

Sure I will probably buy it, but the install thing is a load of horseshit.

This is definitely a problem, but I'm hopeful that some day it will be fixed. It makes me angry that people are refusing to buy it just for the DRM, so I'm glad to see you are still going to pick it up.

The 411

The Exploding Barrel Podcast starring Mike and AJ Minotti. Hey Mike, I'm excited for Sonic Chronicles, and I hate RPGs…I don't understand your problem with it, maybe you know more about it than me.

The Full Circle by Joe Roche. Dead Space was banned in Japan, which is just shocking. I thought this country let everything slide but…I guess not.

The Negative Edge News Report by Tommy Coloma. PSO on the DS? WoooooOOOoooooOOOOOOOooo!

Achievement Unlocked by Rod Oracheski. I disagree with him, because as a gamer myself, I never finished a game with a number even close to 700 points. Even 400 is a stretch for me. Trophies and Achievements don't really matter to me…

The Wonder Years by Owain J. Brimfield. This is Owain's last week on the games section, so he went out with a bang. Super Metroid was #11, which I disagree with. It is probably my favorite 16-bit game.

Working Title by Jordan Williams. I, too, hate the I-block. Glad to see I'm not the only one in opposition to its tetris-stopping ways.

Hall of Shame by Vincent Chiucchi. This is some really good stuff, and the kids he mentions in the article are insufferable. Angry Video Game Nerd XD also reviewed Contra, in what can only be described as the decline of today's youth.

PC Centric Extravaganza by Chris Evans. More Football manag…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The Checkpoint by John Curry. I have played a Caveman game before. It had the Flinstones in it, though.

That is all for this week, comment below or send me an email at [e-mail]. Next week is…something exciting I'm sure.