411 Games Fact or Fiction 11.03.08: Resistance 2 As The Next Big Thing, Mirror's Edge Living Up To The Hype, MK vs. DCU's T Rating, The Lack of Mother 3 in the US, & More!

Posted by Tommy Coloma on 11.03.2008

411's Chris Vicari and Joe Roche give us their thoughts on how they think Resistance 2 stacks up to the competition, whether Mirror's Edge will live up to the hype, the chances that people won't ignore the Wii port of Pikmin as they did the GameCube original, the effect MK vs. DCU's T rating will have on sales, whether downloading the Mother 3 ROM is full of wrong, and the chances that a "real" actor will play Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie in this edition of Fact or Fiction Games.

Welcome to another edition of Fact or Fiction. Before I get started, I'd like to thank Sean Garmer and Mark Salmela for filling in while I was in Japan covering TGS. They both did an excellent job and are now at the top of my list of writers to turn to when I need a sub.

This week's participants are Chris Vicari and Joe Roche. Chris does both news and reviews. His latest review is one for Europa Universalis III Complete for the PC. He also writes The PC Spotlight. Joe writes The Full Circle every week. In addition, he recently did a fill-in for Coming Attractions and also did a review for Mega Man 9 (XBLA).

Let's go -


1. Resistance 2 has all the makings of being the next big thing.

Chris Vicari: Fiction

While I'm sure Resistance 2 will attain high praise from reviewers and gamers similar to its predecessors, Resistance has a lot of big competition heading its way. Blockbuster titles such as Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War, and even the recently released Dead Space will pose a big threat to Resistance. When people think of good console shooters, they think Halo, Gears of War, and Call of Duty. I'm glad the PS3 has an exclusive shooter, but I don't believe it'll hold a candle to the popularity of the others. While Resistance 2 will sell well, its limelight will fizzle out rather quickly.

Joe Roche: Fiction

I think Resistance 2 is going to be a good game; it might be the best of its genre on the PS3 to this point, and it'll be the biggest game the company has for the holiday season not featuring a burlap sack. However, when I think the "next big thing," I look at games like Halo which spawned comic books, novels, and screen plays, and I just don't see that coming out of Resistance 2. I agree with Chris when he says that the buzz that R2 creates will fizzle and I can almost pinpoint the date that it'll happen. I say almost because the only release date information that I have for Killzone 2 is February 2009 and that's the time that I imagine the shine will wear off of Resistance 2. Some might argue that for a game to remain "on top" for three months is pretty good, but I don't think the game will have the shelf life to be considered the "next big thing."

Score: 1 for 1


2. From what you've seen and/or what you've played of the demo, it is clear that Mirror's Edge will live up to the hype.

Chris Vicari: Fact

Mirror's Edge is shaping up to be a revolutionary game. There has never been a game based on free running, but it looks and plays really well. I'd venture to say that it'll be one of the biggest sleeper hits this year, potentially topping Dead Space. Hopefully, its emphasis on free running over combat and gunplay won't dissuade too many people from purchasing this game. They could be missing out on a unique experience apart from the throng of shooters and strategy games out there.

Joe Roche: Fact

A lot of this really depends on how much hype you really think has been heaped on Mirror's Edge. In my view, Mirror's Edge has been hyped as a unique experience that some people will love while others won't get it and I think it'll live up to that end of the bargain. I expect Mirror's Edge to raise some eyebrows and be talked about as a game that is unlike anything else available. However, I'm pretty sure that a good chunk of people won't really "get it." The one thing that separates Mirror's Edge from a game like Dead Space is that in the end Dead Space is a horror shooter with guns, interesting weapons, and gore which is a formula for success. That audience isn't there for Mirror's Edge, so while I think the game deserves to be played, and should be praised for taking a risk, I'm just not sure how successful it'll be. I'm especially concerned when you take into account the other games that have come out, or will be coming out during this stretch that we're currently in.

Score: 2 for 2


3. Gamers are going to ignore the Wii port of Pikmin, just like how they ignored the original on the GameCube.

Chris Vicari: Fact

I barely remember playing the Pikmins on the GameCube, let alone have the urge to purchase the games all over again for the Wii. I was quite surprised to hear that Nintendo was porting them over to the Wii... Actually, no, I wasn't, since Nintendo rarely does anything original any more. Pikmin 1 will flop right from the get-go because nobody likes being timed whilst playing, so I'm going to assume the game's sequel will be more successful. If both games are being released in one bundle though, then I can safely say again people will prefer the second game. Nonetheless, it'll have very little impact, if any.

Joe Roche: Fact

I know this will be boring but I agree with Chris in all of his reasoning. I'm just not sure that a Pikmin remake or a Pikmin bundle is really what the Wii needs right now. I will say that there is nothing I hate more then a game with a timer. It's possible that I have been spoiled on games that reward you for spending an inordinate amount of time going through every nook and cranny of an area so that anytime I'm told to hurry, I just get agitated. That's a bit of an unnecessary rant but the long and short of it is that I don't think this is necessarily a great move for Nintendo.

Score: 3 for 3



4. The fact that Midway is going for a T rating for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is not a big deal.

Joe Roche: Fact

The only reason that I'd think this is a big deal is that Midway isn't going for the M rating, which you had to assume when they removed fatalities. A T rating is about what I would expect from MK vs. DC and I don't think it'll have much of an impact on the game either way. Really, the only time the ratings affect a game's sales are when a very hands-on parent checks them before buying a game for their kid, and based on history alone, that parent wouldn't buy a Mortal Kombat game regardless of rating. Even if you were talking about LEGO Mortal Kombat, there is still enough history in the franchise to keep most parents away. So, who is really put off by a T rating other than the small handful of people who won't play this game because they can't rip Superman's spine out through his throat?

Chris Vicari: Fiction

I'm going to respectfully disagree with my colleague here. Mortal Kombat was always about pulling off bloody combos and using over-the-top fatalities to decimate your foes with gory showmanship. I'm not even sure why we're calling it Mortal Kombat any more. If I wanted to play a straight-up fighting game without any blood, gore, or fatalities, I'd play Tekken, Virtual Fighter, or the newest Street Fighter. MK is a shadow of its former self. The fact that a T rating is preferred is just icing on this fail cake. Instead of degenerating a successful franchise into a game for the everyman just to attain higher sales, they should stick with what works. MK vs. DC screams of corporate panic. I hope the game fails and Midway goes down with it.

Score: 3 for 4


5. Since Nintendo does not seem to have any plans to ever release Mother 3 in the US, you see nothing wrong with downloading and playing the ROM now that the full fan translation has been released.

Joe Roche: Fact

My biggest problem with this premise is the idea that we somehow know Nintendo will never release Mother 3 in the states. However, assuming that they will not throw their American fans a bone, I really can't see why downloading and playing the ROM translated version of the game is a big deal. This isn't the same as people getting a leaked copy of Gears of War 2 on Filefront and playing it a week early. Those people are actually getting a game they otherwise would have paid for through pirating and that I cannot support. But when it's either download and play the ROM or don't play the game at all, I really can't fault people for going that route.

Chris Vicari: Fact

This isn't the first time Nintendo pulled something like this and it won't be the first time I downloaded one of their games because of this either. I'm sure Nintendo will eventually catch on and make their games available for everyone, but for now, where's mah download link?

Score: 4 for 5 - Note: You can get the fan translation here. As far as getting the ROM, you're on your own...


6. Cliff Bleszinski wants a "real" actor to play Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie adaptation. That won't happen.

Joe Roche: Fiction

Define "real" actor. Is Dwayne Johnson a real actor or are you only a real actor when you've been nominated for an Academy Award? I never expected to see Edward Norton CGI into The Hulk, but he did and I don't see why it would be impossible for a "real" actor to take on the role of Marcus Fenix. Gears 1 was highly successful, and if Gears 2 makes money combined with the enhanced story in both the game and the recently released Aspho Fields, you've got a pretty compelling world to play with. Actors are just like anyone else - if you throw enough money at them they'll take the bait, so as long as Gears of War is being made as a big budget action movie, they will find a real actor to play the role of Marcus Fenix. Although, on the other hand, if you follow the story in Aspho Fields and hear Karen Traviss explain the process of writing the book, it might be more important to cast a "real" actor in the role of Dom over Marcus.

Chris Vicari: Fact

If any "real" actors were intelligent, they'd stay the hell away from movies based on video games. I don't care how popular these games are - every single movie has been mediocre or utter crap. Like Joe said though, if you throw enough money their way, the greedy bastards will consider it. Hook, line, and sinker. So let's see which desperate actor is having a sour career and let's cast ‘em. Michael Ironside from Starship Troopers will be a good Marcus Fenix, John Leguizamo as Dominic, Cuba Gooding will play the token black soldier (i.e. Cole), and Dane Cook will play the comic relief role of Damon and utilize his awesome skills at being annoying, but then walk over a land mine in the first five minutes. Okay, now that we have a cast, let's see what we can do with the plot. We've got the locust hordes, but there needs to be something more. How about a romantic encounter with some random female higher-up? No no, what about betrayal from within? Yea! Nobody will see that coming! Now we have a movie! To production!

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, a menacing red robot is standing between us and a doctor that we need to capture. Unfortunately, all we have is one buzz saw blade. If we can figure out how to use that one blade to defeat the robot, we'll be back next week.