Games Digest: July 2012

Games Digest is a breakdown of the games Brittany or Matt have recently played. For each game, we will share our thoughts on the game to create a brief impression, focusing on the high or low points of a game. At the end, we will make a recomendation for who should play the game.


The Amazing Spider-Man: The Video Game

The Amazing Spider-Man: The Video Game brings Spider-Man back to open world Manhattan. Smaller and more restricted than previous Spider-Man games with open worlds, it feels like a few steps back. However, the combat in this game borrows heavily from the Batman "Arkham" series games, making this Spider-Man game my favorite for combat. Never before has a game captured the way Spider-Man fights as this game has, rewarding the player with fluid animations that bring to life Spider-Man's sense to have complete control over the momentum and flow of a fight. The story takes place shortly after the movie, so there are spoilers if you haven't seen the film yet.

Who it's for: Any fan of Spider-Man, or the Arkham series Batman games.


Walking Dead: The Game Episode 2

Walking Dead: The Game Episode 2 is finally out. More of an interactive TV episode than a video game, this series continues to tell one of the most compelling, intense, character driven stories I've ever seen in a video game. While it borrows a lot of its gameplay from point and click adventure games, Walking Dead: The Game Episode 2 has a lot of choices that are timed, leaving you to really think on your feet. It's one of the most intense video games I've ever played. I'm interested in seeing how the consequences of my choices play out in Episode 3.

Who it's for: Fans of Walking Dead (the TV show, or the comic), zombie fans, adventure game fans, or anyone who wants to play a game with a mature, compelling story.

Mush

Mush is a Windows Phone 7 exclusive platformer that allows the player to change the emotion of the cute little creature you control. You move Mush by tilting the phone, and change the emotion by drawing on the screen. Draw a smiley face for happy, a frown for sad, and so on. Each emotion controls the ability of Mush. It’s a bunch of fun, and has a really storybook feel in the music and art style.

Who it's for: Windows Phone 7 users who are looking for a great exclusive game with a high production value.

Ms. Splosion Man Preview

As a huge fan of the action puzzle platformer Splosion Man (check out the review here), I was naturally excited to hear that Twisted Pixel was working on a follow up. Creatively named Ms. Splosion Man, this time players fill the stylish pumps of a newly created Splosion woman. Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out some snippets of the almost finished game from the beta version.

E3: Microsoft Keynote Recap

Mortal Kombat Review

A few years ago when Midway Games dissolved, NetherRealm Studios rose from the ashes to ensure the continued production of Mortal Kombat games. With Warner Brothers Games now running the show, Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios made the decision to reboot the series, an act which is becoming more common these days in long running franchises. Bringing the series back to its roots, this new Mortal Kombat game aims to strip the series of some of the more ridiculous concepts (animalities?) and develop a solid 2D fighting game, while still retaining the staples that make Mortal Kombat so unique.

Game Release Preview: June 2011

Click for Official Website

inFamous 2 – June 7th, 2011
PS3

The anticipated sequel to the PS3 exclusive, this open world superhero game once again allows players to take on the role of the electrifying Cole. Taken out of the big city in down to the south in a New Orleans like city, players take on a new threat and new super-powered enemies. Although Cole maintains his electric powers from the first game, he also will obtain new and powerful abilities involving other elements. Additionally, melee attacks have been added to further shake up combat this go around.

Developer Sucker Punch hopes to create endless longevity for inFamous 2 with the addition of player created missions. Hoping that their rating system allows the best missions to rise to the top, Sucker Punch hopes to develop a strong community around creating missions and other user generated content. inFamous 2 has a lot to live up to due to the critical success of the first game, and Sony hopes to add this to its list of blockbuster exclusives this year.

Click for Official Website

Red Faction: Armageddon – June 7th, 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC

Taking a step back from the open world gameplay of the previous Red Faction game, Armageddon takes players underground to the mines of Mars to fight off a mysterious alien force that is now running rampant. Players will still have the ability to destroy all in their path using a variety of new weapons and tools. Players can also rebuild broken environments with a builder tool to create pathways or barriers to protect themselves. THQ hopes that this will have more to offer than just another first person shooter, but only time will tell.

Click for Official Website

Duke Nukem Forever – June 14th, 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC

Duke Nukem Forever is finally coming out this June. In development for over ten years, this sequel to the successful Duke Nukem 3D updates the franchise to a modern engine and gameplay. Not updated, however, are Duke’s chauvinism and lack of maturity. While the game is presented as a parody on modern gaming, some question if Duke Nukem Forever is pushing the limit too far. The ESRB has given Duke Nukem Forever an M rating, and slapped it with almost every possible standout point they have for ratings.

Duke Nukem Forever puts players in the role of Duke Nukem. Duke’s newfound fame and fortune from saving the world from an alien invasion has gotten him a good life. But when more aliens show up and capture the world’s women, it’s up to Duke to stop them. Duke Nukem Forever is a first person shooter with an emphasis on interacting with the environment, and almost everything is said to be interactive.

With all those years in development, and becoming a running joke in the gaming industry, Duke Nukem Forever has a lot to live up to. Now that’s its finally coming out, its only hope is to live up to the hype surrounding it.

Click for Official Website

F.E.A.R. 3 – June 21st, 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC

Third in the F.E.A.R. trilogy, F.E.A.R. 3 continues the story of Alma and her ghostly exploits. Still branded as a horror-shooter, Day 1 Studios hopes to maintain the mood and gameplay set standard in the first two games. F.E.A.R. 3 puts emphasis on action packed shooting, while still hoping to scare players with creepy characters and horrific set pieces. F.E.A.R 3 brings a new focus to the games, with a unique co-op mode allowing players to have different abilities to use together to defeat enemies and traverse the environments. With the addition of new multiplayer modes, F.E.A.R. 3 hopes to earn a spot among popular multiplayer shooters as well as tell a compelling single player story.

L.A. Noire Review

L.A. Noire is the newest game published by Rockstar and developed by a new studio, Team Bondi. Modeled after the film genre of the same name, this crime drama takes place in post war 1940s Los Angeles. Focusing entirely on story, this semi-open world game plays more like an adventure game or puzzle game than the Grand Theft Auto games Rockstar is famous for. With the addition of a brand new facial mapping technology, L.A. Noire creates faces more realistic and lifelike than has ever been seen in a game to date.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Review

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved is a fitness game developed and published by Ubisoft for the Kinect. Containing exercises created by Men’s Health and Women’s Health Magazine, Your Shape aims to change the way current fitness games are played, while revolutionizing the ability for games to teach and encourage exercise.

Are Achievements Helping or Hurting Games?

When Microsoft launched the XBOX 360 in 2005, a seldom used new aspect of gaming, achievements, became immediately popularized. While not the first to include such a system for rewarding players for completing various tasks in games, Microsoft blanketed all games on their system with the Achievement Gamerscore meta-game. Later, Sony too, jumped on board, adding a similar system of rewards to its games on the Playstation 3 with the Trophy System. These intangible merit badges offer little more than proof of accomplishing an action within a game. But their existence has come to change the way we all play games. But is this change a welcome addition to gaming, or something that the industry needs to rethink?

Game Release Preview: May 2011

Click for Official Website

Brink – May 10th, 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC

Brink is a new type of first person shooter with an emphasis on instant action. Brink’s main premise is a squad based shooter where other players can drop in and out of games at any point. Since there is no difference between playing online or by yourself, your friends can drop in to replace one of the computer controlled players at any time. Teams compete to control objectives and complete missions created on the fly during matches based on the flow of the battle, who is playing, and what classes are being used. These flexible gameplay mechanics along with the ability to fully customize your character put a new spin on the social aspect of first person shooters.

Click for Official Website

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge – May 10th, 2011
XBOX, PS3, PC

Sometimes called Gears of War with swords and bows, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge is a co-op focused fantasy game using the Unreal Engine. Controlling either a hulking brute with a sword, or a nimble archer, players traverse through this dark fantasy combining abilities to defeat foes, as well as explore the environment. Much like Army of Two, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge was built for co-op gameplay, having the computer control your teammate when playing a single player game. Said to also include a rich story, this game is looking to be a sleeper hit in this year of blockbuster releases.

Click for Official Website

L.A. Noir – May 17th, 2011
XBOX, PS3

Developed by Rockstar, L.A. Noir comes from a pedigree of solid storytelling in open worlds. Rockstar changes things up with L.A. Noir though, putting players in the role of the law. Playing as a detective, players uncover clues, interview witnesses, and track down the criminals to solve everything from murders to traffic accidents. L.A. Noir is a slower paced game than usual Rockstar games. It it is said to play much more like a point and click adventure.

L.A. Noir uses state of the art motion capture technology to display some of the most convincing facial animations ever seen. With an impressive cast and a heavy emphasis on story, L.A. Noir is sure to be an entertaining dramatic experience.

Portal 2 Review

Portal 2 is the long awaited sequel to Valve’s hit puzzle game, Portal. With a bigger budget, more story, and the promise of a longer game, Portal 2 aims to top what some consider to be one of the greatest games of all time. Adding new elements to puzzles, as well as co-op gameplay, Valve aims to not only meet the bar it set with Portal, but raise it to a new level.