Hey folks, Valkor here, and were taking part in the first of two gaming events that past last week. First round goes to Sony with their Holiday in July Playstation event. The skys were dark and the rain was ferocious, but I still made my way into NYC to check out what titles were making their way onto my favorite console. We got some hands on and some not so hands on time of upcoming titles. And what of the Vita you say? I didn’t see much and to be honest, I was sorely disappointed. However it did have a presence so I can’t be too upset, I just wished there were more! But make no mistake, thar be exceptional gaming coming at yee!
Dust 514 (hands on – December 2012) – If you’re a fan of EVE Online, then the gang over at CCP is about to take things to a whole new level with Dust 514. An MMO first person shooter at its core, what you do in this game will greatly affect the EVE Online world. How so exactly, I’m not sure but it will be interesting to check it out (currently I’m in possession of a closed beta code, so I will have more impressions as I go further in-depth with the title). I’ll be honest, I’ve been out of the first person shooter scene for a very long time, so it definitely took some getting used to when giving Dust 514 a test run. Controls were a bit stiff, but the settings weren’t set for me, plus I’m a keyboard/mouse guy and hey guess what? The game can be played with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse! But even with the controller I still had fun and it was a blast knocking out a transport ship that was meant to drop soldiers (sucks if you’re in one and you die before your boots hit the ground). If you fall, a medic can heal you or you can commit suicide; I don’t recall ever trying the suicide option, but the thought does give me the shivers. Just like in EVE, you can use in-game money or real money (real money will allow you to access much stronger items faster) and there are tons of different weapons and armor to mix and match. I’ll go further in-depth as I get more hands on with this Playstation 3 Exclusive.
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale (hands on – October 23rd, 2012) – I didn’t know what to think when I first heard of this title other than “Hey! It’s just like Super Smash Brothers!” PASBR takes famous characters – past and present and drops them into a variety of worlds, each with their own unique and interactive settings, then forces those characters to duke it out free for brawl style. The title is a mix of hardcore and casual style fighting and players get to choose from a variety of characters such as Kratos, Parappa the Rapper, Big Daddy, Sweet Tooth, Heihachi Mishima, and many more. I got to play the game with the 2D-X crew and I have to say, it was a lot of fun! We played 3 rounds, each using a different character; I chose Kratos for the first run, Big Daddy for the second, and Radec from Killzone for the third. Each character has a definite unique control about them and if you’re familiar with their mechanics you’ll fall right in. For me, Kratos played the best and was the wildest. Favorite level to play was the Little Big Planet where the world literally creates itself around you as your battling. Crazy! The game is expected to launch on the Ps3 as well as the Playstation Vita (expect cross platform play), with the Vita you can play over Wi-Fi or local adhoc.
Wonderbook: Book of Spells (hands on – December 31st, 2012)
– Take a real book (not with any words mind you), toss in some augmented reality, and power it up with the mind of JK Rowlings and you’ve got Wonderbook. The story of this title takes place in the Harry Potter Universe, 200 years before all that crazy shit went down. The game uses a mix between the PS Eye and the PS Move, allowing you to learn/perform spells, learn more about the history of the spells, and play a variety of games. I had a run through, first learning how to perform the fire spell and then playing a game where I launched fireballs at bugs then a dragon. It was pretty simple and fun. Wonderbook: Book of Spells is the first in a series of Wonderbook titles and it should be interesting what else is in store. Not just for this title, but for future books as well.
Assassins Creed III (demo – October 30th 2012) – Didn’t get any hands on with this highly anticipated title, but from the looks of things, the folks at Ubisoft are pretty much gonna nail this one. You’re placed in the role of half English, half Native American Connor Kenway who gets sucked into the Revolutionary War when his home is attacked. We got to check out some of Connor’s new skills such as stalking, hunting animals for meat, which he can sell, blending in amongst a couple of people rather than a crowd, and a rope hanging attack similar to that of Batman in Arkham Asylum, where he can snag an enemy and hang them from a tree or wherever. You’ll get to visit locals such as Boston and New York, plus take part in a naval battle (more of this when with the Ubisoft event). I think I need to start playing these Assassin Creed games, because daaaaaamn they are looking mighty fine!
Beyond: Two Souls (demo – Spring 2013) – From the guys who did Heavy Rain comes a unique action thriller, which spans the 15 year life of Jodie Holmes (voiced by Ellen Page). You not only control Holmes, but also an entity ghost that can possess other characters to assist Jodie and depending on who you posses and the actions you take changes the overall outcome of the story. In the demo we got to watch, Jodie is trapped behind a car by members of a SWAT team. The rep used the entity to show not only can the ghost inflict environmental damage, but the possession process as well and how the ghost is used in gameplay. I really want to get my hands on time with this one.
Look for more previews and hands on of these titles and more. And while I didn’t mention “The Laugh Factory” App, I will be giving it some shine in a separate piece. I wanna thank the folks at Sony and all the other reps for allowing us the chance to experience some amazing gaming.
