Uncharted: Fight For Fortune announced for the Vita

Remember that Indiana Jones type of 3rd person adventure game Uncharted? Well in a bizarre chain of events, Nathan Drake is sent out on a mission to collect cards and do battle with them! From the Playstation blog’s Chris Reese, he describes Uncharted: Fight for Fortune as a turn based card game exclusive for the Vita!

 

Remember that Indiana Jones type of 3rd person adventure game  Uncharted? Well in a bizarre chain of events, Nathan Drake is sent out on a mission to collect cards and do battle with them! From the Playstation blog’s Chris Reese, he describes Uncharted: Fight for Fortune as a turn based card game exclusive for the Vita!

 

“So you’re probably wondering, how exactly does Fight For Fortune work? I’ll explain. The core gameplay in UNCHARTED: Fight for Fortune involves creating a team of Faction cards featuring heroes, villains, and mercenaries from the UNCHARTED universe, then using that team to defeat your opponent while defending yourself from their attacks.
Each Faction card can be equipped with powerful Resource and valuable Fortune cards, which enhance their stats and give them special abilities. Once you’ve selected and equipped a card, it’s time to head into battle! During combat, attacks either reduce the health of opposing Faction cards or the health of your opponent. Defeating an opposing Faction card removes it from play, while reducing the health of your opponent to zero wins you the game.”

 

Whether you enjoyed Golden Abyss or not, Bend Studios returns to the portable Uncharted series with turn based action! December 4th is when we’ll see how the $4.99 PS Vita game of Uncharted: Fight for Fortune will fare against other spin off card games based on our favorite Playstation treasure hunter.

 

Uncharted: Golden Abyss trailer

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The Walking Dead Episode 1 Review

The first episode of TellTale’s five episode The Walking Dead series has been released. Want to know if it’s worth the brains it’ll take to play? Read on to find out!

 

When TellTale announced it was working on a five episode The Walking Dead game I was very skeptical. Me being a die hard fan of anything The Walking Walking Dead, I was excited but wanted a Left 4 Dead or Dead Island style game. I’ve been a fan of their previous titles such as Sam and Max and the Back to the Future games but I didn’t really want “point and click” for this game. The more I thought about it though, I remembered The Walking Dead isn’t about just killing zombies it’s a great story and character driven drama with zombies showing up every once in awhile. So I decided to give it a try and with Playstation Plus subscribers getting the first two episodes for free there was no reason not to! Needless to say, TellTale more than delivered with great characters, gameplay, and a story that will have anyone, Walking Dead fan or not, craving more.

 

 

If you’ve played a TellTale title before you’ll be familiar with the gameplay. It’s the standard point and click system. You control a prompt with your right stick that lets you talk to people, interact with objects, or give people certain items, while controlling your character with the left stick. Occasionally, there will be quick-time events where you have to kick a zombie in the face, bust open a door, or whatever the certain situation requires. You’d have to be unconscious not to make it though.

 

 

Along with the familiar but fun gameplay you’re introduced to some very interesting characters. You start off in a cop car as a man named Lee, who has been convicted of murder. It’s not flat out said that he did it but enough hints are dropped for you to make your own conclusion. You’ll be introduced to a lot of new characters but there’s something really cool; the game is concurrent with the comic books. During episode one Rick is still in his coma and you see a few familiar faces. To find out whom you’ll have to play it yourself. You’ll have sort of expected characters introduced, like a journalist, a farmer, a go-to nerdy guy, but they all become very interesting and important to the story. I talked to everyone and chose new dialogue options whenever possible to find out more about them and their back story.

 

For a game that’s only a couple hours long, you’ll soon establish clear close relationships with people, whether if they’d shoot you with the chance or die for you. Personally, my favorite character is your surprising father/daughter relationship with Clementine. You save her (and she saves you) toward the beginning of the game. Her family is gone, and you’re left to take care of her, but for an eight year old, she’s managed to survive for days on her own. There’s an immediate sense of companionship you’ll have with her throughout the game, making decisions you’d think twice about with any other character. The way you act around people and some decisions you make will affect the way she sees you.

 

 

The icing on the cake of this game is the decisions you make. Taking sides on an argument, trusting someone, telling the truth, even saving one person over the other are decisions you’ll have to make throughout the game that will mold the outcome and make your playthrough something unique. There will be a little marker at the top left of the screen after you make a decision that’ll let you know whether someone will remember what you said or not. It doesn’t have much payoff in the first episode but I can see them becoming important in the later episodes when characters are dead/alive and how others act towards you. Hopefully, even the things you said in the first episode will stay with you through all five episodes.

 

It only being the first episode it obviously wasn’t very long. Took my barely over two hours, but for only $5 an episode ($20 for a season pass) it’s definitely worth it. TellTale definitely stayed true to the franchise and left me craving more. If you’re playing on the Playstation 3 you can still grab the first two episodes for free and see what the hype is about. If not I strongly recommend you atleast try the first episode out. You won’t be disappointed.


Final Score 9.0/10

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2 New Characters Join Sony’s Playstation All-Stars Battle Royal

As promised today at San Diego Comic Con two new playable characters were announced for Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. Who are they you may ask? Read on to find out!

 

As promised two new playable characters for Playstation All-Stars were released today at Comic-Con. Before, SuperBot stated that the original line-up was going to be ten, with the last two being announced at EVO, Toro and Heihachi. The two new characters are Cole McGrath from inFAMOUS and Jak, with Daxter by his side of course. I mean you can’t have JAK without Daxter!

 

Here are the details released via the Playstation Blog:

 

Jak & Daxter:

Players familiar with Jak and Daxter’s arsenal will immediately recognize some of the weaponry utilized in PlayStation All-Stars including the Blaster, Needle Lazer, Gyro Burster, and Mass Inverter. When the going gets tough, Jak has the ability to unleash the powers of both Dark and Light Jak to even the playing field, as seen in Jak II and Jak 3 respectively. Daxter even lends a hand in Jak’s melee attacks.

Cole McGrath:

Cole takes advantage of a wide array of abilities in inFAMOUS, an experience we hoped to emulate when incorporating him into the game. He is a well-rounded fighter who is effective at both close and long range combat, and is highly mobile as well. Players can command both his electrokinesis and cryokinesis, using these powers to assault opponents from a safe distance or propel himself towards the action. With these abilities, Cole proves to be a formidable adversary for the rest of the PlayStation All-Stars cast!

 

There are still many characters I’d like to see anounced, even more now that there will be third party characters in the game. We will see as more info is released in the upcoing weeks.

 

PlayStation® All-Stars Battle Royale Event of the Year Trailer

 

 

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God of War Ascension Revealed

The next game in the God of War franchise has been announced

 

It seems that Amazon has leaked out the predicted God of War announcement titled “God of War: Ascension” It will be for the Playstation 3 and is predicted to be a prequel from the original games before he became the Ghost of Sparta. Not much else is known about the story, however. The listing notes, “Join Kratos as he seeks freedom, redemption, and the clarity to avenge his family in the most ambitious God of War adventure in the series so far.”

 

The product page, that is now active lists a 2013 release although no official release date has been announced. It also includes a teaser trailer which you can watch below. I as a huge God of War fan cannot wait to get behind Kratos’s blades again and I’m sure you can’t too.

 

I will post more details as they become available.

 

 

God of War: Ascension Trailer

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Urgent Fury: Kinect Star Wars Review

This is not the game you are looking for.

 

If you’re a long time Star Wars fan this game isn’t for you. All of your dreams about wielding a lightsaber and the all powerful Force have not been met. Because of control problems and poor polish make the main story a chore to play and the other modes don’t help the games case much either. Besides one mode this game is almost unplayable and is definitely targeted at a young audience.

 

The main story has you jump in with everyone’s favorite robots R2-D2 and C-3PO as you go through the Jedi archives. You relive the lives of a Jedi Master and her padawans during the Clone Wars. You learn the ways of the force from a terribly voiced yoda and then it’s like your watching the greatest scenes from the original trilogy by tossing in things such as the speeder chase, the second Death Star attack, and a few lightsaber battles. It is a good enough story but it’s hard to immerse yourself in it with synching problems where voices dont match up, and occasionally broken animations.

 

Even worse is the control issues. Your lightsaber is mapped to your right hand and The Force to your left. The problem is that it regulary screws up inputs and your character sits there doing nothing in battle. With these problems it is very hard to feel like a Jedi. You rarely have control of the game either. Most of the time you are moving from area to area, aiming a blaster, or slightly controlling a vehicle. It does have a few set piece where you really feel like a Jedi but it doesnt make up for the rest of the game.

 

Even when the controls work as they should the force is no fun to use. You can sling the most basic enemies around with it but most just brush it off as if you tapped them on the shoulder. This makes the force feel all but useless. If you want to get a more force like feeling then wait for the near future Skyrim Kinect integration and get your Fus Ro Dah on.

 

 

Even if the story is pretty disappointing Podracing is a ton of fun. It does a great job at deliveing the exitement and speed of the Podracing scene from Phantom Menace. You can do singe races or a story mode called Destiny. The story gives you a sense of pregression but is also very silly. Although it’s hard to play for long with your arms stretched out, it is by fat the most fun I had with the game.

 

The other modes of the game are not nearly as rememberable. The Duels Of Fate lets you go through a series of one on one battles. It is very slow and sluggish and has input problems often. Then there’s Rancor’s Rampage that lets you take control of a Rancor and smash up settings from the movies. It is extremely difficult to control though and is at best fun to watch someone else play.

 

Watch in horror...

 

Then there’s Galactic Dance Off, which is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in a videogame. It has you dancing to songs for stars that unlock you new songs which are all pop song spin offs such as instead of “I’m Ridin Solo” it’s “I’m Han Solo.” It is very alienatin to fans and I could only shake my head in shame as Han Solo danced in the very carbonite case he was trapped in and Princess Leia  enthusiastically dancing in front of Jabba The Hutt. If you’re light hearted you’ll be able to laugh at how bad the songs are but if you’re a huge fan it’ll make you want to Death Star your 360.

 

If your a longtime fan that was hoping to live out your lightsaber dueling fantasies your wait is far from over. With all of it’s polish and control issues it has a very limited adult appeal but kids will probably enjoy it ( and no I am not one of them and I swear Shane if you make an age joke…). It is just a set of poorly executed Star Wars mini games that do not deliver on the Jedi epicness fans want. I have not lost hope for a great Star Wars game though. Maybe Microsoft will see it’s mistake with this game and make one that fans deserve (also maybe Sony with the move and PS Eye). So until then continue having your lightsaber filled dreams because hopefully this is just another drill.

Final Score: 5.0/10

 

 

 

 

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Twisted Metal Review

The longest running franchise in Playstation history is back! After a huge announcement at E3 2010 Twisted Metal has been on everybody’s radar and wish list since then but does it live up to the franchises name? Will it satisfy your “Sweet Tooth?” Read on to find out!

Ice Cream Anyone?

The longest running franchise in Playstation history is back! After a huge announcement at E3 2010 Twisted Metal has been on everybody’s radar and wish list since then but does it live up to the franchises name? Will it satisfy your “Sweet Tooth?” Read on to find out!

 

Singleplayer:

Your wish is granted!

The Twisted Metal is greatly knows for its crazy characters and ridiculous (or in TM Black’s case dark) endings and has never disappointed with them and have always been in great quantity. They did it a bit differently in this game though. Instead of the usual pluthera of characters there are only three. Sweet Tooth, Mr.Grimm, and Doll Face. Instead of being able to pick whichever character you’d like it goes in that order. To make up for it though you can choose whatever vehicle you want in each level and unlocked more and more as you progressed in the game (Sweet Tooth’s icecream truck is still my favorite though). In each level you can choose three vehicles and if one is low on health you can run to a garage and change (or find Calypso’s mobile health truck to completely restore your health). Also instead of the usual carton cutscenes they are all in live action. One of my favorite additions.
The biggest change in Twisted Metal’s single player is complete destructibility. All but the largest of buildings you can completely demolish by running through them. Nuking the Statue of Liberty was an awesome moment and something I never thought I’d do in a game. Like I said earlier you have to play the characters in a certain order and each characters levels are harder than the last. I don’t mind some difficulty but there’s a fine line between difficult and throwing your controller across the room and breaking it (one level made me do it and I don’t ever rage!). Bottom line the singeplayer had a lot of good parts but it didn’t have the heart of the last games.

 

Multiplayer:

This is where this game really shines. The online area in Twisted Metal has already shown massive potential. I don’t think this multiplayer will be the type people play for around a week then go to (insert mainstream shooter here). After the patch shortly after launch has fixed almost all network issues so you should have no trouble getting into a match. The AI in single player are fun to face but it’s even better going up against your friends and fellow Twisted Metal fans. The multiplayer has a nice set of game modes set across raked and non ranked matches this multiplayer will prove its worth within minutes of play.

 

Earning experience also unlocks special rewards in ranked matches, such as unlocking new cars, sidearms, and skin packs. And if you play enough you can even unlock augmented techniques to employ in the match.
When it comes to Twisted Metal I have few complaints but the controls throw you a steep learning curve because of how different they are from any other car combat game. The lock on system is also frustrating when you are in a high speed chase and it picks the wrong target by clicking the L3 button this causes a target switch which helps but it costs you valuable seconds in a battle. Also the faster cars like Crimson Fury and Reaper will not survive long in a multiplayer match. Even though they have super speed they have next to no armor. You may be able to keep them alive for a awhile but death comes quickly to these weaker vehicles.

 

Bottom Line:
Just like its predecessor 15 years ago Twisted Metal gives gamers fast paced crazy action that any gamer will have a blast with. It has an enjoyable singleplayer and incredible multiplayer. It only falters with its story telling, and annoying lock on system. Any game that lets you turn an ice cream truck into a giant ass kicking robot deserves some respect.
8.5/10

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Two more Sony exclusive Street Fighter X Tekken characters announced!

 

The game Street Fighter X Tekken is already highly anticipated by fans from both sides (I as a big fan of both series can’t wait!). And as it’s getting closer to its March release it’s looking more and more like the ps3 and Vita versions are the ones to have. Sony had already announced that their versions would have three exclusive characters Cole McGrath (inFAMOUS), and Kuro, and Toro (stange Sony cat things). Now they have announced two more iconic characters that we will see exclusive on the PS3/Vita.

 

1. Mega Man

Yes the picture is right. This out of shape goofy looking version from the Mega Man 1 box art is what us ps3 owners will be getting. This is a risky move by Capcom and has caused a huge uproar from fans of the series. I have to say though the combat video of him looks like he’ll be a good enough character to play as but I (and most people) would prefer the classic 8-bit version we’ve all come to know and love.

 

2. Pac-Man

My first thoughts when I heard this were: Pac-Man in a fighting game? How is that…I mean, how does he…?  Now after watching the trailer I know that our little pill munching friend will be in a big fighting robot. I don’t know what genious thought that up or how that will work but from what I saw in the video it looks pretty natural.

 

In case you haven’t seen their trailer yet here it is

 

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The next generation of consoles. Do gamers want them yet?

Not too long ago there were rumors floating around the internet that the next generation of consoles would be announced and or released in 2012 (usually concerning the Xbox 720). These were quickly shot down by almost every level headed person with a keyboard but let’s sit and think for a second. What if these rumors had been true? I can tell you I would not have been a happy consumer. I am completely happy with the way console gaming is now!

 

You can say all you want that developers have “pushed each console to its limit” but this statement is almost completely graphics based. Do you think that in 2009 when Naughty Dog’s masterpiece “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” was released that they for a minute thought “we have done all we can for this system, now we need a new one?”  No they didn’t! They continued to see what they could do better and I honestly didn’t think the snow in Uncharted 2 could be topped but when I saw the massive desert in this year’s sequel “Uncharted3: Drake’s Deception” they once again blew my mind. So I don’t think any developer thinks that they can’t continue to improve their games on the current generation of consoles.

Now let’s move to a financial standpoint. Microsoft is still selling a ton of 360’s and to release a new console now would do nothing but hurt them financially. Sure I cannot I am eagerly anticipating Microsoft to move to blu ray and to wow me with what their new console can do but for now I am content. I also heard rumors of a ps4 release (which are even more ridiculous than the 720 predictions) so let’s bring Sony into account. They have already promised that the playstation 3 will ave a 10 year life cycle of which we are only 5 years into. They also have had a major financial hit this year (an estimated 1.97 billion) from many things such as the network crashing and very poor 3D display and initial Vita sales (with the Vita already expected to have a price drop) a ps4 launch would no doubt put them in a worse financial state than they are right now. Also now away from the company’s I as a consumer would not buy one. I being a high school freshman do not have a great income and with me getting a vita, and the games that will be releasing next year I wouldn’t be able to drop $600 on a shiny new console. Plus launch titles of consoles are typically not very good so most likely I’d just be using the initial backwards compatability feature.

 

It is known that both developers are already working on their new consoles. They have been since the current ones launched. Though they will not be released this year I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a tech demo or some sort of blueprints this year. I think a release date will be announced in 2013 and the first of them will be released in 2014. Hey as long as I get to keep my trophies and gamerscore I’m fine. This gives developers plenty of time to continue to wow us on the consoles we’ve come to love these past few years and I hope 2012 is as great a year for gaming as 2011 was.

 

 

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