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New York Comic Con 2009 Game Preview February 08, 2009 Tom YodaBlues Colarusso |
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Summary: Comic Con is underway in NYC right now with several 2009 games on display. Tom gives his impressions of over one dozen games including Battlefield 1943, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, Prototype, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Velvet Assassin
 New York Comic Con 2009 Game Preview | Page:: ( 1 / 10 ) |
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THQ
THQ’s Volition had a small booth in the back that was modeled around the destructible playground that is Red Faction: Guerilla. On display was the aforementioned Red Faction, as well as Deadly Creatures on Wii and Legends of Wrestlemania. Having played through the first Red Faction, we were interested in seeing how the newest iteration was taking shape, with special regard to the destructible environments that made the first game successful.
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THQ had two kiosks setup playing through 4-player death match, giving us the opportunity to try the game for the first time. Red Faction: Guerilla features an almost fully destructible environment, similar to its predecessor. The physics system was developed in-house at Volition, which gave them greater control over certain effects in the game. Your player starts with a standard machine gun and sledge hammer, which is useful for knocking down walls of concrete and steel allowing you to create quick escape routes from your enemies. One of the really cool aspects we saw was multitude of backpacks scattered throughout the level, each with its own specific ability. The Thrust pack essentially gives you the ability to pull a Boba Fett on your enemies, while the Rhino pack lets you charge through buildings and enemies alike, sending both flying through the air.
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We were really surprised by Red Faction: Guerilla, as the previous game didn’t hold our attention once the novelty of the GeoMod system wore off. Guerilla, however had us captivated and it was really hard to tear away from the multiplayer once we got used to the system. It was a blast using a Rhino pack to launch one of the developers into the air during our play test and we are eagerly awaiting some more time with Red Faction: Guerilla when it gets released in June. Red Faction: Guerilla is being developed for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Windows platforms.
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| Atari | Page:: ( 2 / 10 ) |
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Atari has had some rough times during 2008, with their delisting by NASDAQ and a less than stellar fiscal performance. Salvation seems to have come from a late year acquisition by Infogames, who made Atari a wholly owned subsidiary. For now, Atari is continuing with business as usual and their booth featured a demo of the new Ghostbusters game being developed by Terminal Reality. Somewhat of a blast from the past, Ghostbusters brings the original four title actors from the 1987 film back together and is a sequel to Ghostbusters II.
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We got some hands-on time with the 360 version of Ghostbusters and were given the opportunity to play through the high rise level seen in promotional videos released last year. You can play as any of your favorite 'Busters, and the character model likeness’ are pretty much spot-on. The particle effects from the proton packs look really good in action, while controls were smooth and responsive. There are a few new tricks up the Ghostbusters sleeve this time around, including the ability to fire a concussive proton blast that overheats your pack for a short time. You have to repeatedly hit a ghost to wear down a life bar before you can snag him in your beam, all while dodging pieces of the landscape thrown in your direction of the dastardly ghouls.
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Graphically, special effects are looking pretty good and the environment takes a lot of impressive damage, although only certain objects are destructible such as air conditioners and room service carts. Your proton pack scars the walls when you miss, as the does the arm of the Stay Puft Marshmallow man. Once you have damaged a ghost enough times to trap him in your beam, you have to maneuver him to a trap set by yourself or comrades, which will then capture him, similar to the movie. So far, Ghostbusters is looking like a neat throwback to 80’s nostalgia and we look forward to its release on June 19th. Ghostbusters is being developed for the PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3.
| Sega | Page:: ( 3 / 10 ) |
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House of the Dead: Overkill is the latest iteration in the venerable series and it seems to follow along identical lines to previous outings. As an on-rails shooter, you guide the protagonist from room to room blasting Zombies and trying to stay alive, all while making split-second shots to get power-ups scattered throughout the levels. Headshots are almost instant-kills, and some power-ups give you special abilities, like a slow-motion effect that makes it easier to aim in pressing situations. HOD also uses the motion sensitivity of the Wii-mote to allow you to pull off melee attacks, should any zombies get a little too close for comfort. House of the Dead: Overkill is scheduled for release on February 10th on the Wii.
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MadWorld is another Wii exclusive game brought to us by Sega that features ultra-violent combat and a stylistic approach to graphical effects. The game is played in a black and white shaded world, with the exception of blood which is displayed in bright red contrast. MadWorld looks fantastic, both in terms of graphical style and game play. We didn’t get the opportunity to play it firsthand due to the long lines, but watching others play through the level on demo was pretty telling. You can use the environment to execute foes in pretty creative ways, such as impaling enemies on road signs or dropping huge spike cages on top of them. They even have neck breaking finishing moves which has the bad guy’s heads spurting blood and facing the wrong way, which is a pretty gruesome sight. A lot of the action is also accompanied by colored phrases, like ‘splat’, similar to the 1960’s Batman TV series. So far, MadWorld is looking pretty fantastic and we can’t wait to get our hands on it when it gets released in March.
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| EA | Page:: ( 4 / 10 ) |
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EA had a big booth setup showing off lots of their properties, from the recently released Burnout: Paradise Ultimate Box to Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and even the just announced Battlefield 1943. We took some time with the latest in the Battlefield series to see how it stands up to its much revered predecessors. From what EA has explained to us, BF1943 is going to be a downloadable-only game sold over Live, PSN, and over the EA downloader service.
EA did not have a pricing structure for us, but they did say it will most likely follow other high profile Live games, around the $15 price point or 1200 MS points.
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EA had kiosks setup allowing gamers to play through the classic Wake Island map. If you’ve ever played a Battlefield game, with the exception of Bad Company, then you should pretty much have this map memorized by now as it has been included in every iteration since 1942. Since Microsoft limits Live Arcade games to 350MB, BF1943 is going to be somewhat limited in the graphical department and it does show as textures aren’t as sharp as previous games. Also, the game almost has a cartoony quality to it that doesn’t really fit in with previous franchise games. The game does seem to make use of the destructible environments featured in Bad Company, as we found out when a jeep driven by an enemy player plowed through a roadblock and pancaked us against a wall.
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Our time with BF1943 was interesting, but we were a little underwhelmed as the game felt more like Battlefield light than a real progression for the series. This is no doubt due to the size limitations forced by MS, but we would still rather see a true sequel than an Arcade variant. Ultimately, we think 1943 is going to appeal more to the uninitiated Battlefield players than veterans, with its limited map variation and cartoony graphics. Battlefield 1943 is set for release later this summer.
| Cryptic Studios | Page:: ( 5 / 10 ) |
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Cryptic told us the interface is constantly being worked on, so what we saw will not be representative of the final build. We played through a small section of an enemy base attacking foes and just testing the combat system. Graphically, we really like what Cryptic has done as Champions Online has a combination of cell shading and bump mapping. The game looks like a comic book come to life, and it really works to enhance your experience. Combat was pretty standard MMO fare, with special abilities locked on a task bar on the bottom of your screen.
Cryptic has said they plan on making combat more involved than MMO’s, in an attempt to prevent the button mashing of other games. Cryptic also told us the character creator will allow you to configure just about anything you can imagine, not only in regard to costumes, but also animations. Players will be able to specify certain animations, as well as things like whether a ranged attack comes from their characters chest, eyes, or hands. Players will also be able to configure their abilities, weaknesses and even design an arch-enemy who you confront multiple times throughout the game.
Champions Online is scheduled for a release later this year and we look forward to the chance to jump in.
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| Codemasters | Page:: ( 6 / 10 ) |
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The graphics in Jumpgate are gorgeous, with impressive galactic backdrops and shield effects. Jumpgate will support joystick and mouse/keyboard control, which they had setup on their demo unit. We really liked the control scheme with the mouse the best, as it reminded us of Freelancer in its functionality and simplicity.
While EVE may require an Economics PhD to fully understand the monetary organization, Jumpgate will revolve around a more simplistic auction house and crafting system. The best thing we liked about Jumpgate was the fact that combat is all in real time and dependent upon the skill of the player. NetDevil told us there is no background dice rolls like other MMO’s. Instead, your piloting skills will make the difference in combat, not just tweaked out armor and ammo. Sign-ups for the beta have begun on the Jumpgate: Evolution website, although the start date hasn’t been announced yet. Jumpgate: Evolution is scheduled for release this summer and we will be keeping an eye out for it.
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| Ubisoft and Southpeak Games | Page:: ( 7 / 10 ) |
Ubisoft
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Flight controls are responsive and combat is pretty action packed. The landscape looks great when you are high above it, but as you get closer, the 3D aspects of the terrain turn into a 2D texture mapped to the ground which is somewhat disappointing. H.A.W.X. will feature what Ubisoft calls the Enhanced Reality System, or ERS, that can be toggled on or off to make it easier to play through the missions. The ERS can help prevent the player from crashing into the ground or avoid incoming enemy missiles. H.A.W.X. looks pretty good so far and will be ready for release in March on Windows, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
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Southpeak Games
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Velvet Assassin is currently in development in Germany and follows the true story of the Violette Szabo, a spy and saboteur who worked for MI6 during WWII. Designed around stealth game play, Velvet Assassin will boast over 50 different types of stealthy kills depending on the weapon carried. The game world has a dirty feel to it thanks to its gritty graphics and game play. In the demo on display, our character had access to some trademark stealth weapons like a silenced pistol and combat knife which allows you slit the throats of your enemies. Velvet Assassin is an interesting take on the stealth genre and is set to be released April 14th for the PC and Xbox 360.
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| Sony Online and Rockstar | Page:: ( 8 / 10 ) |
Sony Online Entertainment
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Rockstar
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Rockstar had a booth setup right by the entrance that was showcasing Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for Nintendo DS. We played through a bit of the game, which returns GTA to its roots as a top down shooter. Similar to the original PC outings, GTA: Chinatown Wars is played from an overhead perspective and features the same open ended game play the series is known for. Graphics are 3D and look pretty good for a DS release, featuring a cell shaded look that helps differentiate it from previous games. GTA: CW will allow the player to drive or pilot any vehicle, although to do so requires the player to use the stylus to jam a screwdriver into the ignition. Some vehicles will require special tools to hotwire, such as helicopters. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is set for release March 17th.
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| Activision | Page:: ( 9 / 10 ) |
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From what Raven showed us, Wolverine will literally disembowel and behead his way throughout the game. Combat is unmercifully brutal as Wolverine sends limbs and heads flying. The combat is based around a combo system that focuses on light and heavy attacks, with Wolvie also getting the ability to block and execute counter-attacks on his enemies. Perfectly timed special attacks will grant the user a mini-cinematic showcasing Logan dispatching his enemies in pretty gruesome ways. Overall, combat looks visceral and brutal and definitely what you would imagine a guy could do if he had 10 inch claws sticking out of his forearms.
The graphics of X-Men Origins: Wolverine looked pretty good as well, as damage on Wolverine is depicted realistically on his body. Guns and blades cut our hero to shreds, leaving marks on his body that heal in real time. His clothing takes damage depending on the type of blows received and while he started out in a tank top and jeans, by the end of one level Wolverine was completely shirtless due to a bad run-in with a helicopter blade. X-Men Origins is slated for release May 1st on the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 and we are eagerly awaiting the chance to do what Wolverine does best, even if it isn’t very nice.
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Activision also had the latest build of Prototype on display and we got to give a few of the later levels a go around. Prototype puts the player in the shoes of a genetically mutated shape shifter who can create weapons from his own body. Players are sent into the city of New York with the goal of finding out who created you as you seek revenge. As you play, you will learn new abilities that come in handy in some pretty brutal ways. Combat is fast paced and vicious, as you chop civilians and military personnel into little bits with blade extensions on your arms.
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Players can also consume certain personnel to take their appearance and abilities, such as tank drivers who give you the chance to pilot an M1 Abrams through downtown New York. We loved the open-ended combat that pretty much let us do what we wanted to whomever we wanted. The graphics look fantastic and the small section of New York we played in was wonderfully rendered. Prototype has a deep combat system that allows you to elbow drop tanks and bicycle kick enemies, as well as run up skyscraper walls and grab people on the move, to be consumed in a safe location. Prototype is looking pretty good and will be released in June on Xbox 360, PC, and Playstation 3.
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| Conclusion | Page:: ( 10 / 10 ) |
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The biggest surprise for us was Red Faction: Guerilla, which hooked us early in the morning with its addictive backpacks and destructible environments. Those two features alone create a level of unexpected consequences that help make multiplayer gaming hilarious and fun, which leads to an incredible amount of addictive re-playability. We had a hard time tearing ourselves away from it to check out the other booths. Of course, we haven’t had a chance to take a peek at the single player game yet, but we’re hoping Volition and THQ follow the standards set by the multiplayer demo we played.
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2009 is shaping up to be a real stellar year in gaming. We’ve got some new MMO’s that hope to replicate the success of WoW, while action games appear poised to set a new standard in brutality. The Wii looks like it’s finally growing up so to speak and Raven looks like they are ready to release the first good Wolverine game since, well…probably ever. We will keep you updated on release dates as we hear them, but for now, let us know what games you are most excited about in the comments!
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