Monday, August 27, 2007

Watch the developers Talk About Gran Turismo


Think too much news about Gran Turismo is coming up? Well too bad, watch the video. The graphics look great and so does the gameplay. Enjoy.

[Via PS3Fanboy]

Square Enix Launches New Tokyo Game Show Portal

Square Enix has launched a new portal on their Japanese site in preparation for the Tokyo Game Show 2007. So far it appears to show nothing but a bunch of little people setting up for the show.

If you click on the 2007 in the middle, it will show you details on the show that I cannot translate. Hopefully, more will come to this portal as the Tokyo Game Show approaches.

[Via Square Enix TGS Portal]

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Slim PSP Selling for $400 USD

About a month ago, Sony revealed their upcoming new and slim PlayStation Portables. In time, Square Enix introduced us to this beautiful silver Final Fantasy VII themed PlayStation Portable. It is being sold for a limited time only, and is a must have for any Final Fantasy VII fan. Currently it is on sale for $400 USD at PlayAsia. It ships in September 13, 2007. Get yours while it lasts.

[Buy: Crisis Core PSP]

Call of Duty 4 Beta Overload Videos


The Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare upcoming game is currently in it's beta only on the Xbox 360. That doesn't mean we still can't enjoy the videos from the Beta can it? Above we have the Intro/Crash video. The second video below is the Crash video and the video below that is the Overgrown video. Enjoy!




[Via Revver]

Warhawk Packaging & Bluetooth Headset Shots

With Warhawk's Blu-Ray disc release coming tomorrow and the download coming in around 50 minutes, how about we get excited over a few packaging shots. Actually, the only package shot we have is the one above, the ones below are shots of the Bluetooth Headset that is included with the packaged game. Enjoy the shots courtesy of IGN.



[Via IGN]

LittleBigPlanet: Video Developer Commentary


Here is a new LittleBigPlanet video developer commentary were producer Leo Cubbin explains the "Pop-It" creation tool. Enjoy the video.

[Via IGN]

Warhawk: 1UP Scores an 8.5/10

1UP reviewed Warhawk today and gave it a great score of 8.5/10. Here is how they open their review:

On paper, Warhawk may not seem all that special. The game includes only five maps, after all. Only four game types. It may sound fairly limited, actually. And if you were paying 60 bucks at retail for the game itself (rather than the game plus a Bluetooth headset), you might justifiably feel like you were missing something. But for the -- admittedly pricey -- $40 you'll pay to download the game, you're getting a better deal than you might think.
Read the rest of the review at the link below.

[Via 1UP]

Silent Hill V: October 2007 EGM Article

Thanks to Silent Hill Lover and NeoGAF, SilentHill5.net have the Silent Hill V article from this months Electronic Gaming. Its yet to be scanned, but they have a transcription from the magazine, hopefully scans are coming. There are new details on the graphics engine, storyline and gameplay. Here is the transcript from SilentHill5.net:

"SILENT HILL 5....


It would seem The Collective is very honored to be working on Silent Hill 5 and rightfully so. After Konami announced they were passing on the developer work to an outside company, it was discovered that quite a few developers wanted to work on the IP. In the end, these other developers were "scared" out of doing such an ambitious title.

The Collective, evidently, is not so easily frightened.

Character Debacle

Although Alex may look similar to other protagonist’s in the series, he is an altogether different character. Alex Shepard is 22 years old and with that comes the attitude and thinking’s of a standard young adult.

While SHV will feature an entirely new plot (ala SH2), the developers have said

Along with Alex and his family (more on that later), a new host of characters will be featured in this entry. That doesn't mean however, that settings, situations and settings wont be familiar.

"It's important that the characters fit into the overall style of Silent Hill," says Brian Hourton (SHV Lead Artist).

About that story bit...

(what follows is a recap of the story we know so far)

Alex is in a Military Veteran's hospital, recovering from a near fatal wound he received. (It is not specified how he received the wound). While there, Alex has a premonition that his young brother, Joshua, is in danger.

He leaves the VA for his New England home town of Shepards Glen. Upon returning however, he finds his mother in a catatonic state, his brother and father missing and the entire town shrouded in a bizarre fog.

Gameplay

Alex's military background plays both into the game dynamics and the theme of the story. Knowing this however, the developers aren't attempting to create any sort of political standpoint.

"Alex will be confronted with horrors that reflect his psychological state" Horton adds.

Graphics

To sooth everyone's soul, the grain filter will indeed return for Silent Hill V, however in addition, other filters will be added as well. Filters that give hairline cracks in the screen or are filtered with debris allow the developers to change the mood and atmosphere of the game WHILE it's being played.

Interestingly enough, the game is using the Havok engine in a unique way. The middleware is being used in the same capacity as it was in Saints Row and in the upcoming game Halo 3. Now when you bump into chairs or tables or open doors, the game will register that action in the in-game environment. Bump into a chair? It will in turn bump into a table causing not only a response physically but also audibly. This new "noise", the running on creaking floors etc, can and will alert enemies to your position.

"The camera is now controlled using the left analog stick and allows the player to view the horrors much better then earlier iterations. Inspired by Christopher Gan's movie adaptation, the worlds in SHV, or rather the transition between the two, will all be done in real time. Like in the movie, the setting will peal and melt away or suddenly burst into flesh painted walls.

Boss battles will be revived in this entry as well. The Collective is obsessed with delivering cinematic massive, epic boss battles. Interestingly, they are looking for Zelda like encounters...hmmm.

Endings....yes there will be many, though a number has yet to be given. The developers are looking to make the decision on which ending you are given to be much more player induced then before. Missing an item or killing someone wont automatically move you to a predetermined path. The actions you do, the way you speak to the different people you meet. These interactions will have a much more fluid transition into the story upon up intriguing possibilities.

Monsters are now fully motion-captured (ala the Silent Hill movie) and all new beasts are set to make their debut. One such creature, Siam, is a fusion of a male and female body. What’s left is a pulsating, overtly sexual enemy. Monsters will now have visible effects on them. So if an enemy has busting pustules or bleeding mouths, it will be animated, in real time and will be effected by Alex's attacks.

Some of the enemies are humanoid in nature, favorites such as the nurses, will indeed return, however the variety of creatures is said to be quite large.

(Side Note: In the Silent Hill games, the "enemies" are usually physical manifestations of the protagonists mind. It can even be argued that the "monsters" they see aren’t even real or that perhaps what a character see's as a monstrosity might in fact be human after all.)"
Anyway, this game sounds like it's going to be great. If magazine scans are obtained, we will post it up.

[Via SilentHill5]

Record of Agarest War Japanese Trailer


This video is for fans of Japanese Strategy RPGs. You'll love Record of Agarest War. The title is from Idea Factory, Red Entertainment and Compile Heart. The game features the unique concept of breeding characters. In this game, the protagonists themselves for the succeeding generations will depend on who the player chooses to marry in the previous generation. Enjoy the trailer!

[Via GameTrailers]

Metal Gear Online Sneak Gameplay


Here is a new Metal Gear Online gameplay video showing sneak tactics and sneaky gameplay. The video is embeded above. Enjoy.

[Via GameVideos]

PAX 2007: Sony Booth Tour


Yes, and taking us on this tour is Sony PR Manager Sheila Bryson, who briefs us on the wares her company's brought in. Make sure to keep an eye out on the moss-covered ruins and skulls that decorate the area - that's a direct reference to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3). Viewers may also want to look out for snippets of Sony's SingStar booth, and the other titles such as Lair, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and Jeanne d'Arc. With that said, we direct you to the 7-minute video below. Enjoy.

[Via QJ.NET]

GC 2007: Lair HD Gameplay


Thanks to Gamersyde, we have some new high definition gameplay of Factor 5's upcoming game, Lair. Enjoy the footage.

[Via Gamersyde]

Best Buy Canada Selling Warhawk Bundle for $39.99

Best Buy of Canada is selling Warhawk for the unbelievable price of $39.99. Thats $20.00 less that the original cost. So if your in Canada and want this great deal, go to the link below.

[Buy: Warhawk]

First Five Minutes of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII


Here are five glorious minutes of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Keep in mind that spoilers are present, so those who don't want the experience of the first five minutes ruined, don't watch this awesome video.

[Via PSPFanboy]

October 2007 Electronic Gaming Monthly Scores

Well, we have scores from Electronic Gaming Monthly for two great upcoming PlayStation 3 games here, and those are Heavenly Sword and Warhawk (coming Tuesday).

Heavenly Sword: 8, 8, 9
Warhawk: 8.5, 7, 8.5
There is also a rumor in the issue that Capcom is working on an Okami title for the Wii. BioShock also received scores of 10,10,10 and won Game of the Month.

[Via NeoGAF]

Big Week Coming on the PlayStation Store

This week is set to be one of the biggest weeks in PlayStation Store updates. Many new games are coming, hopefully along with some demos.

First off, we have Warhawk as a downloadable title, the first title to be released on the PlayStation Store that will also be on Blu-Ray disc. Other releases have been announced for August for High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition and Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo HD Remix, that means this week is the last chance for them to come.

Sony currently has the skate demo on their hands, so hopefully that will go up on the PlayStation Store, maybe with a Stranglehold demo.

[Browse: PlayStation Store]