E3 hasn’t even officially started yet and already we have an E3 trailer. Ubisoft’s newest look at [amazon_link id=”B00BGHUS58″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] has main man Aiden Pearce taking on a human trafficking ring with only his cell phone, baton, guns and a boat load of kick ass.
Just imagine that in this part of the game you are Liam Neeson in Taken and play his phone clip over and over again.
Watch Dogs releases this November for 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, Xbox One and PS4.
The XBLA exclusive, open-world zombie killing fest, State of Decay, was downloaded more than 250,000 times in the first 48 hours. Undead Labs, developers of the game, touted the success on their blog. The game is the second fastest selling game on XBLA behind Minecraft.
I am currently playing through State of Decay for review and can already highly recommend it. It is only $20 and is easily the best zombie game on the market. Our review will be up next week to not get in the way of all of our E3 coverage this week.
Dead Island developer Techland is back and they are staying in the genre that made them famous: zombies. Dying Light is a first-person action game that will have you thinking more Mirror’s Edge with zombies than just another Dead Island.
The new E3 trailer for the game is just as well made at the original Dead Island video that put that game on the map and while the Dying Light video may not tug at your heartstrings it certainly conveys the hopelessness in this society and has a great “pull the rug out from under you” part.
If Techland can correct a lot of the jankiness that accompanied Dead Island and get the smooth, free running gameplay of Mirror’s Edge down, they could be looking at a winner.
Dying Light releases in 2014 for Xbox One and PS4.
Sony is pulling no punches this month. With E3 only days away they have updated their Instant Games Collection on PS Plus for the month of June and as you can see, it is damn insane.
You will be able to get Uncharted 3, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Saints Row The Third, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Little Big Planet Karting and Machinarium FREE for PS Plus members. The Vita will also be getting Virtue’s Last Reward and Gods Eater: Burst free to play.
So just this month you will be getting well over $200 in games to play on the PS3 just for being a PS Plus member. What more do you need to realize that this is the best deal going in gaming?
In 1996, a game developer called Naughty Dog released a game starring a bright orange bandicoot that spun, wore talking tiki masks, had a super-hot girlfriend, and loved “wumpa fruit.” Crash would soon become synonymous with the PlayStation brand, and that mascot-level connection would only grow across the next two generations with Jak & Daxter on the PS2, and Uncharted’s Nathan Drake on the PS3.
As such, it is fitting that in the twilight before the PlayStation 4 launches in November, Naughty Dog is releasing a game entitled The Last of Us. While this is not actually the absolute final big exclusive for the PS3 (Beyond: Two Souls isn’t until October), it is almost certainly the most anticipated one. Feel free to disagree with that statement in the comments, but only after you’ve read my thoughts below.
1. Presentation
In all my years of gaming, few things have ever left me as slacked-jawed as The Last of Us. The character models are incredible, the voice-acting sounds phenomenal, the lighting effects are a sight to behold, the details on the Infected makes me what to throw up, etc. Take note, because I almost never say this: Here is a PS3 exclusive that might not be graphically possible on the 360.
2. Atmosphere
Graphical prowess aside, the world that Naughty Dog has crafted feels like a very real, very terrifying place. The Infected are horrifying to behold, but the other survivors are arguably more threatening; you have to wonder how far you would go to survive in a similar situation. I’ll also give kudos for the fact that this world doesn’t look empty or dead just because the people are gone; other life would just have more room to roam.
3. Character Stories
The Resident Evil series started losing fans when it became clear that Capcom was more interested in storytelling about their various viruses and conspiracies than their characters. Thankfully, The Last of Us appears to be much more focused on Joel and Ellie’s personal struggles and triumphs; of course, I am interested to know what makes Ellie so important to everyone involved. The best sci-fi has always been more about people than anything else, and I’ve got my fingers crossed on this one.
Photo courtesy mashable.com
4. New Mechanics
Most big games have this-or-that new cover feature, AI system, or shell casing shininess engine that marketing loves to hype. The Last of Us is no different, but videos have shown both the “Dynamic Stealth” and “Balance of Power” systems to be more than just hot air. The former refers to the countless different ways players can approach any given situation or obstacle; the latter is the system that governs how enemies react not just to the player, but to the world around them.
5. The Infected
Holy *@&^ these things are terrifying to behold, and the noises they make in the trailers almost make me rethink picking up the game. If you’ve never looked up Cordyceps fungus, hit this link and then get back to me. The concept of these things evolving to infect humans is bone-chilling, and the way the physical changes to the hosts have been conceptualized for The Last of Us is exceptional. It won’t be easy to dethrone Necromorphs in terms of terror, but the Infected have the best shot I’ve seen yet.
I’m not saying The Last of Us is the last great video game ever, or the last great Naughty Dog game ever, or even the last great PS3 game ever (again, Beyond in October, and it looks amazing). But I do genuinely feel like it represents the end of an era, and a culmination of things born on the original Playstation and refined for the last seventeen (!) years of development. I’ll leave you with the trailer below until June 14:
Popcap recently released a trailer for Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time. Though amusing, the clip doesn’t reveal much about the game, apart from the fact that we can expect time travel. The Plants as well as the Zombies have apparently learned how to traverse the time continuum and will can expect battles in places like Ancient Egypt and the Wild West. Other than that, the game doesn’t appear to be too different from the first.
Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time is expected to release on July 18th for free on iOS. No word yet of when an android or PC version will be released.
Sony will be the last press conference on Monday before the actual E3 show begins on Tuesday so they better use the opportunity to absolutely hit me (and you) over the heads with how insanely awesome the PS4 is going to be. Now I have already gone on record and said that Sony has already won me over with their February press conference when they solely put the focus on games. I expect E3 to continue this, especially since Microsoft is getting a bit of blow back from their gimmick heavy Xbox One reveal (which they did say beforehand would happen, but the internet cares not).
Like with Nintendo, we will offer up a few points that we think Sony should hit on to make sure gamers know the PS4 is a powerhouse that warrants their hard earned money this fall.
PS4 Price AND Release Date
This is in no way a guarantee to happen, but it will go a long way to helping out my wallet if I know the when and how much of the Playstation 4. Selfish? Yes, and I don’t mind. Sony could hold one or the other off for a later date, but they know all eyes will be on them on Monday so why not go ahead and throw us gamers a bone?
I still hold to my thoughts that the PS4 will beat the Xbox One to the shelves, if only by a week or so. October 25th still has a nice ring to it. It is a few weeks after a big PS3 exclusive (Beyond: Two Souls) and a week before the release of Call of Duty: Ghosts.
When it comes to the price of the system this is where the guesses are all over the place. Some analysts have recently ventured a guess and said that the PS4 could retail in the $350-$400 range. This is a pipe dream. Now don’t get me wrong, I hope to God that I can get a PS4 for under $400 come this fall, but I just do not see this happening especially with all the hardware under the hood of it. I am already mentally prepared for a $499 price point with a slight possibility of a second sku for $549. We are a different culture than 2005 when Sony floored us with “599 U.S. dollars” for the PS3. We pay $200 for new phones on a regular basis, a large section of the population have tablets that range anywhere from $250-$800, Apple overcharges for a brand name and our country proudly ponies up the cash. I don’t think Sony has to be worried of any backlash when they announce a $500+ console anymore.
Photo courtesy arcadesushi.com
Use Your Franchise Power
The real power behind Sony is in its bevy of quality studios and their franchises. Sony Santa Monica, Naughty Dog, Polyphony, Sucker Punch, Guerrilla and Media Molecule are huge developers that handle Sony’s biggest properties and there is not a bad one in the bunch. Microsoft only wishes they had studio strength like that which is probably why they have announced a new initiative to get more studios under their umbrella. We already know that Killzone: Shadow Fall and Infamous: Second Son will be launch titles for the PS4 and should be playable at the show. That is a good start. For Sony to really take a hold of the gaming community they need to show off the PS4’s potential with their other big names. Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, God of War and others will all eventually make their way onto Sony’s next-gen machine and even just an announcement of one of these will certainly help matters. Please be Uncharted 4.
Let Microsoft Take The Hit On Used Games Fiasco
Ever since the Xbox One reveal, Microsoft has quickly gone from elation to damage control over the mixed signals about the online connectivity of its new console and the possibility of charging a full game fee for using games on other consoles. Now Sony has already gone on record and said that the PS4 will not be requiring an internet connection of any kind to play games, but the jury is still, mysteriously, out on a one-time use code for games that will link new games to owners consoles. I think this is inevitable and Sony and Microsoft are going to get a lot of flak, but it is most likely publisher driven. So since Microsoft is already the “bad guy” in this scenario let that keep being the story for as long as possible. Let the idea a new game code marinate in people’s brains for a few months before announcing that the PS4 will require them also. It may not be a popular decision, but at least most of the heat will have died down.
Photo courtesy turntherightcorner.com
Wherefore Art Thou Vita?
Even with slow sales, the Vita keeps chugging along and has, in the year and a half since its release, built up quite the quality library. The addition of PS Plus to the handheld has added a lot of extra value giving buyers anywhere from 6-11 free games with a year of Plus. Guerrilla Games Killzone: Mercenary is looking like the true current-gen handheld FPS we have been waiting on. Beyond that it gets a little thin, but fear not, Remote Play is coming along to save the day. News is that Sony is requiring all games that will release on the PS4 that are not Move oriented to have Remote Play between the console and the Vita. Now I know that Remote Play on the PSP was sketchy as hell, but the Vita is a powerhouse for a handheld system and should have no problem running a scaled down version of games with its beautiful OLED screen. The Vita will never be a competitor to the 3DS, but Sony can still ensure that it carves out its own unique niche.
Stay The Course
It has been so far, so good for Sony and the PS4 and there is no reason why they should not leave E3 feeling as if they are in the driver’s seat for the next-gen consoles. They took a calculated risk in February when they went all in with gamers. Microsoft will keep up with their “all in one” presentation for the Xbox One so all Sony needs to do is keep hedging their bets on the gaming community wanting a system that is built from the ground up to play games. This next generation will be like no other with Sony and Microsoft splitting paths on their company strategy when it comes to consoles. To me, Sony is easily winning the word of mouth battle with gamers and come E3 all they need to do is stay focused on the games.
I don’t believe you truly understand what you are in for when you click play on this video. Even if you are a Saints Row veteran, nothing can prepare you for the dong-slinging, alien crushing, Keith David-having action in the new [amazon_link id=”B00BRQN2H4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Saints Row IV[/amazon_link] “War on Humanity” trailer.
Yeah, you read that right Keith David. Now that may not sound like anything new (especially for Mass Effect fans), but the fact Keith David is playing Keith David is so meta it makes my brain hurt with joy. I swear to God if Roddy Piper is in this game anywhere I will gladly bestow the title of “greatest game of this generation” to Saints Row IV.
Overreaction? Maybe? But I’ll be damned if I don’t love They Live.
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is bringing two of their heavy hitters to the Playstation 4 this fall further expanding its launch library.
DC Universe Online will be ported over from the PS3 and the first-person shooter Planetside 2 will come over from the PC. Both are free to play and offer microtransactions to add to gameplay. I am happy to see Planetside making its way to a home console giving more people a chance to try it out.
It looks like console users won’t have to wait very much longer to get their hands on Blizzard’s massive sequel, [amazon_link id=”B00BGA9V2Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Diablo 3[/amazon_link]. The hack and slash dungeon crawler that fills our deep, hidden OCD desires to loot everything in site will be making its way onto the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 3rd.
The control scheme has been completely reworked for consoles and best of all, it will not require an internet connection to play like its PC big brother. You can play online or can have local co-op for some old school adventure. Remember? You used to have friends that would come over to your house and you would play games together? No headsets or racist twelve years old. Good times.
