Hype/Videos/Screens: Scary Dark Blood Guys + Amazing Looking Games

I’ve been watching the new Dead Space media pretty closely (here’s all of the videos), and whenever I don’t have to watch the developers tell me how dark and scary it’s going to be, I see a pretty interesting game. The time slowing thingie (what is that exactly), the different weapons and grips, the dismemberment, it all looks interesting, tense, and fun. There are three videos up from the Conference, showing combat, combat, and zero-G combat. The last looks especially cool, with its floating limbs and wall-hopping gameplay. I must sound like the biggest hypocrite when I write about this game, I’m hot then I’m cold (like that awful Kate Perry song!).

I am still annoyed by their webcomic/tv show thing, which continues to be formulaic, silly, and self-important. Do all of the characters need to swear like junior high schoolers? Where’s the adult to tell these people that you can be cool and not say fuck all of the time!? For real! Also, it has become apparent that this prequel thing is a way of borrowing some exposition from the bad Resident Evil movie: dead tissue gets reanimated. The religioin, beacon, and other bullshit looks like it will mean nothing. I guess we’ll have to wait and see on this one (duh).

On to the next topic. I’ve never played Indigo Prophecy, but I’ve read that it’s a very interesting game, with regards to its narrative and gameplay. It also featured some jarring and stupid plot possibilities (people changing their sexual preferences because the hero wants to have sex with them, as I recall), but was generally regarded as unique and better than its faults might have indicated. Anyway, the people who made Indigo Prophecy are gearing up to deliver Heavy Rain, a game in the same vein which also has absolutely amazing graphics.

That? That’s in-game. Pretty amazing huh? The game sounds really interesting, but I’d have to play its predecessor (apparently the gameplay will be pretty similar) to comment on how good it could be. Regardless, I’m up for a serious, dark, choice-heavy game with interesting protagonists, as long as the rest of you are. Check out the 1up writeup, it’s worth a read.

New PoP!

I’m supposed to be working on an essay, but this is too cool to pass up. The next Prince of Persia game is going to really awesome, I think. They’re redoing the art, all cel-shady, and redoing the combat and gameplay. Instead of lots and lots of normal bad guys who you have to kill, they give you fewer bad guys, but they’ll be more memorable and unique. Oh, and apparently it is going to follow a particular story from the Thousand and 1 Nights? Check out the 1up article for story info, and Joypad/ActionTrip have a bunch of cool screens, pluss tons of French writing! Have fun translating. I think it’s important to note that the French way of saying “bosses” is “less boss.” Yes! Oh, and Le Prince can now use his gant (claw) to glisse sur toutes les surfaces! Fucking awesome.

Oh, and one must understand what is behind the looks of the bosses, their minds! I didn’t realize I could actually read any of this.

More of the Dragon Age!

I was attempting to not work, as is my wont, and over on 1up I found this piece they did on Dragon Age, back in 2007. It’s nice and long, and covers stuff I didn’t put in my last post. If any of you care about this game and read 1up, you may already have read this, for the rest of you, check it out. I’ve included some of the more interesting (to me) bits in the post, so read on:

Sensitive Games Guidelines….. must include a woman!

Alright, so this new game, Faith & a .45, looks interesting. You play as two people (although I guess Ruby, the woman, is a sidekick, kinda like that ugly bug dude in Halo 3, which I totally haven’t played much yet), and you are in love, on the run from evil oil prospectors during the Great Depression. 1up has an alright preview up, but it isn’t fantastic. Because, duh, what I have always wanted is to be “rewarded” by my partner with kisses for winning a fire-fight. Really? I guess I get the hoaky “wake up kiss” thing, a bit. And by that I mean it is hilarious. I mean, look at the end of The Matrix. He’s like, totally dead, and then she, like, totally wakes him up with a cyber-love-kiss. Dude. Seriously though, the setting looks cool, and as long as they play it classy this could be a good game, the co-op actions especially sound good (and they might be all we have, since Army of Two is apparently racist, dumb and bad). Oh, and seriously, just because it has a main female character does not mean it is going to be “sensitive.” I can’t think of the last game that was terribly “sensitive,” prominent female character or no. Maybe I just don’t get that women are soft and cuddly and sensitive, like human kittens. I should go read more “sensitive” pieces by Destructoid maybe? Or maybe, developers could try being “sensitive” a different way. As long as you aren’t racist, sexist, dumb, or infantile, and you can put any character you want as your lead, and I’ll play. Although, might I suggest a certain reporter from BGE, or perhaps a rather dashingly heroic (yet lovably self-effacing/boastful and a total wimp when it comes to heights and scary dark areas) treasure hunter? Sequels, please!