Aah, December. Still loving the back log of games I haven’t finished. Still looking forward to the upcoming thrills of Spring. Still looking high and low for any kind of decent gaming news but finding little. But here’s what I’ve got:
If you’ve been watching the coverage for Asura’s Wrath but just can’t decide if it’s for you then you’ll want to pick up the demo first. It will available in Japan in January. North America’s PSN and XBLA will get the demo on the retail game’s launch date, February 21st. Doesn’t really give you time to pre-order but you’ll probably still be busy with Skyrim and your other backlog of Fall games anyway. If you like what you see in the demo you can pick up a retail copy at your leisure. For now, this one’s in my GameQ. I’ll pick up the demo and decide if it’s getting upgraded to a buy, or downgraded straight out of the Q.
Capcom really needs to learn the meaning of the word “ultimate.” As in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 should be the ultimate version of the game. That means additional DLC ruins the title. Regardless, the “Heroes and Heralds” add-on will be coming next week. The add-on includes a new mode that utilizes “Ability” cards to have temporary invisibility, speed boosts, etc. Online play will boost rankings and top ranked players will get new Ability cards and character skins as rewards. Apparently their ranking system works in such a way that players who only have time for a few matches each week can still unlock cool bonuses. Really, I shouldn’t be complaining about additional DLC – especially since the add-on will be free. It’s just the use of the word “ultimate” when it’s really “penultimate” at best. On top of that expansion, Capcom has also let out the secret of the “Ultimate Controller” for the PS3 version. The controller has a touch screen which can be mapped to perform four special moves with just a swipe. So how much will it be and when can you buy it? It’s coming at the end of February with a starting cost of $250 for the wi-fi version. Wi-fi version? That’s right, this “Ultimate Controller” is actually the PS Vita.
Ninja Gaiden 3 has received its Japanese release date, March 22nd. Hopefully this means we’ll see a North American date soon, and hopefully it will be in the same time frame. Also announced with this release date is that the game will have a Collector’s Edition. No details on that edition were included. I’d expect to see more on that very soon.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything on Risen 2: Dark Waters, the upcoming pirate RPG from Piranha Bytes and Deep Silver. I’m expecting to see more coverage of it now that it’s been given an April 24, 2012 release date. As if the very concept of a pirate RPG doesn’t sell itself, you’ll be able to control a vicious monkey. Sold. But, any chance we could make that a vicious robot monkey?
I’ve made no secret of my feelings about adding multiplayer to games that don’t need it just because the market expects it. That said, Rockstar has a decent track record with GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, so I was willing to listen when I heard multiplayer was coming to Max Payne 3. The mode is being called Gang Wars and actually intertwines with the single player story, expanding on what happens before and after scenes you’ll play alone. The game itself has different challenges, such as recovering suitcases after a blown drug deal, disarming bombs, and seizing rival turf. All of these objectives can change during the course of a single game. As you accomplish goals you’ll earn XP that rewards you with in-game “Bursts.” These “Bursts” provide a variety of gameplay benefits. Bullet Time is an obvious bonus for the series. Others like Paranoia and Sneaky will cause opponents to see allies as enemies or you as an ally, respectively. I’m still not completely sold on it, but I’ll give the mode a look when the game launches in March.
Platinum Games is certainly high in the media spotlight after being announced as the developer for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. But don’t let that make you forget that they’re also finalizing Anarchy Reigns, which was just announced for release on July 23, 2012. If you haven’t followed this game much, expect the same level of violent craziness you saw in their previous games, this time with 8-player free for alls. If frantic violence is your thing, Platinum will always have you covered.
While Kojima has handed off Revengeance to Platinum he is still working on the Fox Engine, which will power his upcoming Project Ogre. In typical Kojima fashion, we don’t know anything about the game yet. However, he has released a few pictures showcasing the graphical power of the new engine. The first, showing a man with a tank, is reportedly from Project Ogre. The second, showing a couple of nurses (or maybe flight attendants?) with visible bra straps beneath their clothes, is apparently not from the game itself. Rather, it’s simply a good shot to show the graphic capabilities of Fox. I’m impressed with the look, but we all know it takes more than good graphics to make a good game.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, the franchise’s first foray in to a fully multiplayer game is coming in March. So far, the main coverage on this game has been the lesser known members of Umbrella’s Security Services. Finally we’re getting more details on the more fleshed out characters in Heroes Mode, including a list of playable characters. Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, and Ada Wong are obvious choices. But other, lesser known characters, are also being included. Among them, you’ll see Hunk, a secret character from Resident Evil 2 representing the U.S.S. I haven’t followed the entire series, so some of the others on the list are unfamiliar, but maybe a bigger fan can clarify their origins in the comments: Carlos Oliveira (“A member of the U.B.C.S. dispatched into Raccoon City to help rescue survivors”), Nicholai Ginovaef (special military forces, “a cruel man with a dark purpose”), and Lone Wolf (U.S.S. helicopter pilot, “skilled with firearms and proficient at tactical combat”). The Heroes squad will apparently consist of Leon, Claire, Jill, and Carlos as they face off against the opposing heroes Hunk, Nicholai, Lone Wolf, and Ada. Slant Six (of SOCOM Confrontation) is developing. Capcom, obviously, is publishing.
There’s been a lot of speculation floating around about the PS Vita and how many user accounts it will hold. a spokesperson for Sony has confirmed that the device will only allow one PSN User ID. “In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user.” So, if you plan to share your device with your family, only one of you will be able to earn trophies. The hardware will need to be reset to the factory settings to set up a new user, then reset again to go back to your own. This is an obvious attempt to curtail custom firmware and game sharing. While their goals may be admirable, the tactic is a little overbearing. This is yet another one of Sony’s attempts to block gamesharing by limiting the number of devices that can be activated. What hasn’t been clarified yet, however, is how many Vitas can actively use content from one PSN ID. I’m guessing that will also be limited to one. Again, I understand the goal, but I actually wonder if this will result in fewer PSN games being purchased at all. Many players aren’t willing to pay the asking price just for themselves, but are more willing to part with the money if their friends and family will get use of it as well. Regardless, combining this news with the ridiculous price of proprietary memory for the system spells a drastic decrease in potential sales for the latest handheld. Thinking back along the lifespan of my two PSPs and the 3DS launch, coupled with the rise of mobile gaming on phones and tablets, could the Vita’s failure (almost by design) spell the end of the dedicated handheld gaming device?
While the Vita may be dying on the vine, Activision is doing the best Scrooge McDuck-swimming-in-gold-coins impression with over one billion dollars in sales for Modern Warfare 3. Some would consider that money enough and just retire to a Taj Mahal in the woods. Instead, they’re adding new game modes. Hardcore Ricochet and Hardcore HQ Ricochet have already been added as playable modes. Drop Zone will be playable this weekend. In Drop Zone, your goal will be to hold a specific area of the map. “Care Packages” will be dropped every 15 seconds. Whoever has the most teammates in the Drop Zone will “own” the package, but it can still be stolen by your opponents. The Ricochet modes are a hilarious response to the childish dickheads that like to slaughter their entire team as soon as a match begins. The new Ricochet effect will apply friendly fire damage to the shooter, not the target. I kind of wish this was never announced or explained, just implemented in all modes. How funny for the 14 year old kids to just start dying immediately with no explanation?
And that ends it for this week. I really need to spend more time playing games and less time talking about them. My backlog is so deep that this week alone I finished L.A. Noire (finally, I am so awful at that game), Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Limbo, and inFamous: Festival of Blood. I also started Braid and will be diving into X-Men Destiny this weekend.