IGN: Yakuza 3 Detailed

Straight from IGN.

If you'd told us that SEGA would be continuing its Yakuza series with a third game on the PlayStation 3, we wouldn't have been too surprised. While the game was a big flop internationally, in Japan, the first two have combined for over a million sales on the PS2.

Now if you'd told us that the third game would actually be a prequel set 400 years in the past, we'd have looked around for a giant cone (or bench, or car) with which to smash you over the head (in case you haven't played Yakuza before, and few of you did, this is a typical scene in the game's battle system).

Officially titled Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! in Japan, this PlayStation 3 adventure takes SEGA's adult-oriented franchise back to 1605. Gone are the neon signs of Tokyo and Osaka, now replaced by the neon signs of an Edo Period Kyoto.

The game begins in the enclosed town of Gion, where girls use their bodies for money, and men use their money to buy dreams (that description is translated directly from a Famitsu article on the game... please don't write). Unlike the first two games, which were set in fictional towns designed to look like real places, Gion is a real historical part of Kyoto that was known for its geisha girls.

The story begins when main character Kazumanosuke Kiryu, a bodyguard who will take on any job if the price is right, is approached by a young girl named Haruka. She asks Kiryu to kill Musashi Miyamoto. Musashi Miyamoto is actually Kiryu's past self, and the name he goes by when outside of Gion. This, incidentally, is the same historical Musashi Miyamoto who's regarded as one of the finest swordsmen.

If you're familiar with the Yakuza series, you'll recognize the Kiryu and Haruka names. The two characters may share the same name as the hero and heroine of the first two titles, and they may even share the same basic model design, but they seem to have no actual relation. Presumably, these are the names we'll see in future Yakuza titles as well.

As we've come to expect from the series, SEGA has hooked up some serious talent to do the voices for Yakuza 3. The voices for Haruki and Kiryu haven't been revealed, but here's a sampling of the talent for a few of the other characters.

Kojiro Sasaki (voiced by Shouta Matsuda)
Nagayoshi Marume (Naoto Takenaka)
Itou, the bodyguard (Susumu Terajima)
The mysterious monk (Hiroki Matsukata)
Seijyurou Yoshioka (Masaya Kato)
Toji Gion (Takeshi Tsukamoto)

In Japan, these are some of the biggest personalities in television and movies. They'll be put to use this time for more than just their voices, as SEGA is using face scan technology to make their in-game counterparts share some visual similarities.

Outside of an adult-oriented storyline, Yakuza 3 appears to bring back much of what made the original two games so special. In addition to exploring a living town, now with more detail than ever thanks to the update in hardware, you'll get to make use of an updated combat system. You can now select between four fighting styles: fists (the standard style from past titles), single blade, dual blade and broad sword. "Heat Action" special moves return, complete with dramatic camera angels.

One of the coolest parts of the first Yakuza games was how your character grew as you progressed through the game. Previously, you learned new fighting moves by consulting with a master. That remains in Yakuza 3, but now you can also learn moves just by witnessing key events. Kiryu will even learn special attacks by watching animals move -- for instance, a dog leaping up to fetch a bone.

Mini games and side quests also have their expected place in Yakuza 3. The game will feature over 100 sub quests, some possibly featuring historical figures. Mini games include shogi, dice and archery -- things you might expect from the Edo Period. Hostess clubs are back, giving you a chance to woo the ladies, although these scenes now take place in a seedy tatami room rather than a seedy bar.

SEGA's NE Soft R&D Creative Officer Toshihiro Nagoshi, head producer of the Yakuza series, pointed out to Famitsu in a recent interview that the game doesn't have "3" in the title. That doesn't mean it's an offshoot. In fact, he says the game is being made to surpass Yakuza 2 in all areas, and that we'll slowly learn of the great scale as new information is unveiled.

The information should be forthcoming for this one. Although just announced, Yakuza 3 is already set for Japanese release this Spring, and will have a prominent presence in SEGA's booth at the Tokyo Game Show.

[Via IGN]

PS3 Games: Run New Games Without Latest Firmware

Team PS3-Hacks has done it again. Team PS3-Hacks has apparently achieved a breakthrough in the PS3 exploit scene as it showed us that the team can make new titles run on the high-end console even if you haven't updated to the latest firmware. Confirmations on the validity of this breakthrough have not yet been confirmed.

[Via QJ]

Gamer.Blorge Learns of Rumbling SIXAXIS

Gamer.Blorge learned some new information today. After a lengthy conversation with an important industry insider, they discovered Sony's real plans for the next iteration of the PlayStation 3 controller.

"As usual, the insider can't be named, but, according to her, she witnessed a set of test controllers used at her very important game development company. When I say "very important game development company", I'm talking about super major huge, like Nintendo huge but obviously not Nintendo.

She wouldn't mention if she had a chance to get her hands on one, but she knows for a fact that they rumble and are heavier, although not as heavy as an Xbox 360 controller."

Sounds like it's matching up with all the other rumors on the rumbling SIXAXIS, perhaps a Dual Shock 3.

[Via Gamer.Blorge]

Conan The Barbarian Delayed for PlayStation 3

What did you expect, an advance in the release? September 29, 2007 is the release date for the Xbox 360 in Europe and the US. THQ today revealed in its newest release schedule that the Playstation 3 version will hit stores on October 12, 2007 in both the US and Europe.

No reason for this delay was given.

[Via GFData]

Silent Hill V: New Scans and Screenshots

Here we have some new screenshots and scans from German magazine PLAYZONE on the upcoming Silent Hill V, the renowned psychological horror series on next-generation consoles. The game thrusts players into a shadow world of chaos and terror with atmospheric high definition graphics and an original storyline that sheds new light on the desolate, fog-shrouded town of Silent Hill.

View the scans at the link.

[Via GamePlanets]

WipeOut HD: Eight Teams Lined Up

Straight from Games Radar.

Sony's Studio Liverpool has revealed to GamesRadar the eight racing teams that will appear in WipEout HD when the game is released via the PlayStation Store later this year. They are:

• FEISAR
• Piranha
• AG Systems
• Triakis
• Goteki 45
• Assegai
• EG-X
• Qirex

With the exception of EG-X (which is new to the upcoming PSP title, WipEout Pulse), fans of the series will be familiar with all the featured teams. It's also highly likely that this roster will eventually increase in number through additional downloadable content.

As for which tracks will appear, so far we've seen WipEout Pure's Anulpha Pass and Chenghou Project. The developer is keeping the identity of the other six circuits a secret for now, although we do know that two will be taken from WipEout Pulse and the rest will be from WipEout Pure.

[Via Games Radar]

Conan: Magic Vignette Video Clip

Here's another gameplay video for the PlayStation 3 version of upcoming title Conan the Barbarian, entitled Magic Vignette.

This clip shows where Conan got his magic powers that will prove to be handy and useful as he ventures into the different quests in the game. It is also important because unlike any other third-person adventure game, Conan only allows players to have one kind of weapon at a time.

Rumor: Rumble SIXAXIS at TGS 07

There has been so many rumors that look like it's starting to confirm it's existance.

Speaking to an insider, Pro-G has learned that Sony is now supporting rumble for its SIXAXIS controller as revealed in the latest System Development Kit (SDK) sent to developers on Thursday. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, SDKs are essentially packages of tools given to programmers enabling them to develop applications for a specific platform, in this case, Sony's PlayStation 3.

Guess we will have to wait till the show, no?

[Via Pro-G]

Final Fantasy VII Remake: If It Happens

Okay, hints are getting fonder and fonder of a Final Fantasy VII remake for the PlayStation 3, but Square isn't giving the details. Hopefully, TGS 07 will. But lets look into it, if an announcement is made about the remake, what would you want in it? Here's the list that I've gathered up thanks to sources:

1) Improved Graphics to match the next-gen fad, obviously. On par with the tech demo.
2) Better translation then the PSone game. Even the PC version had better translation.
3) Voice acting, maybe the voice overs from Advent Children, but make it look like they are actually talking this time. Have subtitles and the option to turn voice acting off.
4) Keep the good ol' world map, were we can fly free in the Highwind like never before in tech demo 3D.
6) Option to skip the summon animation.
7) More accurate story, so people understand it better. Many people still don't fully understand Final Fantasy VII's story.
8) Update the story with all the retcon from the compilation. For example the fact that Sephiroth jumps into the Lifestream in Last Order rather than Cloud throwing him into it like in the original game. Many people don't like the fact that Squae Enix are changing things in the story, but when Square changes the story, then those changes are official, and that means that some of the events we see happen in the original are outdated compared to what "really*" happened according to the updated story.
9) Online. There were a lot of mini games in Final Fantasy VII. There was chocobo racing, snowboarding, even boxing (the little machine at the Golden Saucer). If we had online, it would be great to play newly enhanced versions of those mini-games with other people around the world. Maybe even Player vs. Player at the Gold Saucer. Perhaps even add Home integration, adding new clothes when you buy the game, like Cloud armor, etc.
10) More side-quests would be nice, but no "revive Aerith"-quest or secret Holy- or Meteor-materias. Only side-quests that don't affect the story. A few extra mini-games for the Golden Saucer and mentioned online mode would be nice too.
11) When we can enter Midgar again, we should be able to go to all the areas of it, not limit ourselves. Even climb over the Sector 7 collapse. Not just Midgar, make everything truly explorable.
12) Random encounters and the Limit Break battle system need to stay.
13) Extra costumes for the main characters.
14) More materia, summons, weapons, and armor for the characters. Along with the weapons, more weapons to fight too.
15) Digitally Remastered music from the original game.
16) Explaination of why Cloud is in Final Fantasy Tactics.
17) Day and Night system, for more realism.
18) Destructible environments, like quake will mess up the ground, fire will burn grass/melt snow, certain attacks will leave grooves or craters in the ground, etc. so at the end of battle you see what effect you had. Also moving fight maps, like the fights still take place in a glass-shatter/swirl type area but your characters move around alot, like at first you run up and attack but don't return to your starting position, you stay where you were, spells and attacks would have a knockback effect, say for example in the fight with palmer, you could knock him back far enough that he would crash through a window in a house and your fight continues there where you'd break chairs and tables during the fight.
19) Have things from the other games and movies in it. A mysterious locked door in Shinra that says Deepground over top, but you can't unlock. Vincents Chaos actually looks like the new Chaos, and Valiant Beast too. Maybe a secret boss somewhere that is a Genesis Clone who survived. Clouds New sword could have a minigame on where to find each one, say you have to find one after you reach Costa del Sol but before you reach Gold Saucer or else you can't get it and can never complete the sword. Have it so when you get the sword it unlocks Omnislash 5. Maybe a fifth limit for all characters as well. Also make an event where you can find the Sherra.
20) Ability to keep all vehicles and not have the Tiny Bronco disappear after you get the Highwind.

Well, those are the best of the best, gathered from my source. Drop a comment, tell us what you think of the list. Got something to add? We just might add it.

[Via GS Forums]

PSP Slim vs. PSP Fat: Crisis Core Loading Times

The video shows both PSPs loading a battle in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - and it's a bit interesting to see that the PSP Slim immediately loads the event, with Zack readily slashing away at opponents, while the original PSP is left loading in the dark. Loading out of battle also had the PSP Slim way ahead of the original handheld, even when both finished the battle at almost the same time.

Great job Sony, for making it that much faster.

[Via GameBrink]

Rainy Woods: First Screenshots from Famitsu

Famitsu has the first screenshots of the upcoming PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 survival horror title, Rainy Woods. Check them out, right here.

Rainy Woods puts players in the role of a young FBI criminal investigator who is investigating a mysterious homicide in a quiet, American town.

The game features a morning/noon/night system that will not only change the town visually, but will also alter how the town's inhabitants interact with your character. The evening will also bring about mysterious apparitions that'll make you scream "Oh my God, what the f**k is that?", and if you're lucky, lots of rain. And as a growing FBI investigator, you're going to need to sleep, and pay close attention to your hunger level, as well, if not, prepare to starve.

[Via Famitsu]

Uncharted Box Art Revealed?

Whenever Amazon adds a boxart officially we've never seen, you know there is gonna be commotion. This is the boxart on Amazon, but we've heard nothing official to confirm it from Sony or Naughty Dog themselves. Keep your eyes out though, if we get that, we'll let you know.

[Via Amazon]

onAXIS: Ratchet & Clank Demo Impressions

Alright, as you know, I've picked up the demo for Ratchet & Clank yesterday at my local GameStop, and I promised impressions today. So that is what your going to get.

Lets start off with the CG cut scenes. They are marvelously done, you can tell the developers of this game spent a lot of time perfecting them. There are screens below to prove it, bad quality though because of the camera phone.

The weaponry in this game is great, and some are quite entertaining. The weapons in the demo are the Combuster, Fusion Grenade, Transmorpher, and the Groovitron. The Groovitron and Transmorpher are quite funny. The Groovitron gets your enemies into the beat and they start dancing while you get a chance to attack. The Transmorpher turn your enemies into penguins. Screens below.

The gameplay in Ratchet & Clank Future is also very fun, with a little bit of new, with some old school mixed. We still have the wrench as our secondary slasher, we have the double jump, Clank helipcoter, crouching, bolt collecting, etc.

The demo also uses jump transfer, you go on a green triangular platform and jump, when that happens, you jump really high on to the next platform. There are pink ones too, they automatically shoot you up when you touch them.

The demo uses rails a lot, picture Sonic, but slower, but you can't blame Ratchet, he's not the world's fastest hedgehog. The railing is quite fun, pieces break, electric cords come about, and you have to dodge all those bits. You can even grind on train rails, which you will have to switch between before the train hits you.

The fighting is pretty much the same as other games. Use your cool weapons and wrench to take down the enemies.

The game also has some SIXAXIS functionality. When your falling, you use your controller to avoid the Rush Hour.

Thats about all there is to this demo. It ends just after it looks like your about to fight some giant 5-6 legged robot. Then we get the sad screen of disappointment that states "Coming Fall 2007". I guess we will have to wait.

All in all, if I had to give this demo a grade, based on categories, this is what it'd get:

Graphics: 9.4
Gameplay: 9.3
Music: 8.3
Replay Value: 8.8
Overall: 8.9

Congratulations Insomniac, for making such a great game!

Game Informer Sony Review for October 2007

Here are all the latest Sony reviews from the newest Game Informer, which is October 2007. Enjoy.

PlayStation 3
Dynasty Warriors Gundam (PS3/Xbox 360, Koei): 5
FIFA 08 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 7.75 / 7.75
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (PS3): 8.5 / 8.5
Guitar Hero III (Wii/Xbox 360/PS3/PS2, RedOctane): 8.75 / 9
Heavenly Sword (PS3, Sony): 8.75 / 9
NHL 2K8 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 7.75 / 8.25
NHL 08 (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 8.5 / 8.5
Skate (PS3/Xbox 360, EA): 8.75 / 8.5
Stranglehold (PS3/Xbox 360, Midway): 7.25 / 7.25
Stuntman Ignition (PS3/Xbox 360, THQ): 8.5 / 9
Warhawk (PS3, Sony): 8.25 / 8

PlayStation 2
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (PS2, Koei): 7.75
Soul Nomad (PS2, NIA America): 7.75 / 7.25
Warriors Orochi (Xbox 360/PS2, Koei): 5.75
Wild Arms 5 (PS2, Xseed): 6.5 / 6.5

PlayStation Portable
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP, Konami): 7 / 7.25
Dragoneer's Aria (PSP, Koei): 5.75
Hot PXL (PSP, Atari): 6
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes (PSP, Namco Bandai): 6.75
Worms Open Warfare 2 (PSP/NDS, THQ): 7.5

There you have it, looks like Heavenly Sword and Guitar Hero III did really good.

[Via Xbox 360 Only]

Sonic the Hedgehog on Robot Chicken

What does this have to do with the PlayStation 3? Well, there is a Sonic game for the PlayStation 3. So just laugh, it's short but funny.

[Via YouTube]

Soul Calibur IV: Two New Scans

Well, here are two new Soul Calibur IV scans for you, enjoy fans.

[Via SCUniverse]

PS3 Fanboy Interviews Ratchet and Clank's Ryan Snyder

PS3 Fanboy was lucky enough get in touch with Ryan Snyder, their friend at Insomniac, and talked a little bit more about their upcoming Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction game. Ryan was able to tell them a bit about the game's massive size, potential Home integration, and more.

Read the interview at the link.

[Read Ratchet & Clank Interview]

Ratchet & Clank Future Demo on Video

If you stop by your local EBGames or GameStop like I did yesterday, you'll be able to pick one of these up with a $5 down reserve. If your waiting for the PlayStation Network download, thats coming October 4, 2007. Enjoy the video.

[Via YouTube]