Max Payne 3 - Review

Some guys just don't have any luck, and Max Payne's ran out quite a while ago if the events of Max Payne 3 are anything to go by.

It's 9 years since the events of Max Payne 2 and Max, still haunted by the death of his Wife and Child, has moved to Sao Paulo to work personal security for the wealthy and influential Branco family. Apparently Max's luck rubs off pretty easily though, as soon enough his Boss's wife has been kidnapped, several attempts are made on the rest of the Branco family, and Max has to work out what the hell is going on.

The story in Max Payne 3 is undoubtedly in the true traditions of Neo-Noir. Max is the typical Anti-hero in a modern setting, and while Sao Paulo doesn't fit the 1940's American archetype of traditional Film Noir, it's the tone of the story as well as the presentation that give it the unmistakable feel that was also present in previous Max Payne titles.

The first thing you'll notice about Max Payne 3 is the style of presentation. The camera effects are similar to those found in portions of Manhunt, flickering and discolouration on screen leave you with the impression that you're watching these events unfurl on CCTV, while words from the on going conversations appear on screen to punctuate what's being said. In a way Rockstar are ensuring that you pay attention to the right thing by highlighting them on screen, and it's a natural and fluid style that works well with the setting. The whole effect is very strange at first, but it makes for an extremely memorable experience and certainly sets MP3 apart from the likes of Red Dead Redemption and GTA4.



Something that makes a welcome return to the series is the voice over by Max himself, it's audio cues like this that help tie this game to its predecessors even though they are strikingly different to look at. It also helps guide you through the level if you get a little lost and again lends the feel of a neo-noir detective story to the game.

Another welcome return is that of the comic strip style plot points, although Rockstar have done something a little different from Remedy Entertainment's games. While Remedy used them during cut scenes to get plot points over to the player, Rockstar use the comic strip to show the player where they are in the story while the saved game loads up, easing you back into the experience while also giving you something to look at as you wait. Cut scenes themselves are full motion, in game animations. This is something that has, understandably, become the modern day standard and I'm happy to say that the voice acting and animation is superb throughout. Perhaps in tribute to Remedy the first in-game cut scene is presented in "24" style panels.

While we talk about audio it would be a great time to mention the soundtrack for this game. The music doesn't ever really take your attention away from what happens on screen, much like Red Dead's soundtrack. In the traditions of great film and Game making, the music helps frame the action without distracting you from it. It's a fantastic soundtrack all told, it has the flavour of Brazil, thumping club land tunes and of course variations on the original Max Payne theme, that I've had in my head all week. The Audio design is well thought out and employed throughout, a big thumbs up to everyone responsible for it.

Level design for Max Payne 3 follow the franchise tradition of fairly linear level design, but that shouldn't be looked upon as a bad thing. By keeping Max Payne focused on the task at hand and not allowing him to wander off track, the games narrative which is easily the best part of this title is much better served. Sandbox games are all well and good but when you a well scripted story, like Heavy Rain, level design can and should be used to keep the player on point.

Gameplay will feel extremely familiar to anyone who has played the previous entries in the Max Payne series, but also for those who have played Red Dead and GTA4 thanks to the inclusion of the new, much vaunted cover system. In fact this is probably the biggest change to the franchise and I have to admit that at first, I didn't quite get it. If you approach this game like you did the previous entries you'll get your arse handed to you (unless you're extremely good at shoot dodging). Bullet time is a useful tool, and can help you pop a few rounds in your opponents head, but enemies in this game are tougher and more numerous than in either of the previous games. If you are to have any hope you'll need to use all the cover you can find.

Don't stick to one spot for too long though, because Rockstar have programmed different types of cover to have different damage tolerances. So for example, an office divider will take a few rounds of handgun fire before it splinters and leaves you exposed, while a filing cabinet will take all the flying lead you can throw at it.

Destructible cover works both ways in Max Payne 3

 
Enemies are fairly intelligent in this game too, they'll take advantage of cover just as you do so it's vital not to get pinned down as more opponents file in to the room. Luckily there's not a magical spawning point for enemies though, so once you take them all down that's your lot until the next area, and you'll know when you've cleared the room thanks to a gruesome slow motion camera shot of the last enemy going down after a well placed slug to the face.

Beautiful.

The improved damage that both you and your opponents take is thanks to the "Euphoria" dynamic animation engine which featured in Red Dead and GTA4, allowing for more detailed and unique gunfire damage to character models. It really is impressive seeing bullets rip through your enemies as you pull the trigger.
 

The Euphoria engine in all its gory splendor

Another useful new feature, and certainly one that I've needed a few times is the "Last man standing" mechanic. If you have a spare painkiller in your inventory and are taken down by the enemy AI you have a short window of black and white bullet time during which if you take out the guy who shot you, you'll get some health back and live to blow another blokes face off. It's Useful and adds to gameplay without gimping the game, the perfect addition to Max Payne.

It would be very easy to say that Max Payne 3 is Red Dead re-skinned, and in part I suppose that this could be true, but it's more than just the engine that makes a game, and frankly Red Dead was such a great game that I don't care if it is. There's more than enough difference in how they play to differentiate the titles. Dead eye might be a bullet time mechanic, but it's not the same as the one we get to play with here, and that's important.

Conclusion

Max Payne 3 successfully integrates the old with the new, and re-invigorates a franchise in doing so. Non regenerative health is a rare thing these days in a shooters whether they be 1st or 3rd person but Rockstar have managed to retain it without making the game feel infuriatingly difficult or like it belongs in the last decade. New mechanics like last man standing and the inclusion of the Rockstar standard cover system allow for more enemy AI's and therefore a greater degree of challenge but ultimately the game is designed in a way that you can play it as you see fit.

Fans of the series should find this enjoyable and refreshing while those who have played it's stable mates, Red Dead and GTA4, will find the controls familiar enough to jump in and have some fun.

The Walking Dead: The Game (Episode 1) - Review

 Fans of the Robert Kirkman comic book series "The Walking Dead" have been waiting with baited breath ever since it was announced that a video game based on the comic book universe was in development. With Episode one of five now available to download I can safely say that it was worth the wait for both zombie and adventure game fans alike.

The first episode in Telltale Games' Walking Dead series, entitled "A new day" begins with your character, a guy by the name of Lee, being transported to prison in the back of a cop car. Through a surprisingly civilised conversation with the cop behind the wheel you learn a little more about Lee as well as a few details about your escort. As you can imagine, things soon go wrong and through a series of unfortunate events (for your policeman friend at least) Lee is left injured and free from custody but with a much bigger headache to contend with.

The dead have risen from the grave and are hungry for some living flesh.

The opening conversation introduces the timed response mechanic

Pretty soon you meet up with Clementine, the 8 year old first grader who's well being it falls to you to ensure, as well as a small group of survivors that you will be spending a lot of the following 5 episodes with.

This game doesn't play like your typical adventure game, but similarly isn't hampered by the constant Quick time events that made Jurassic Park such a disaster in many peoples estimations. Quick time has its place but the gameplay is almost like a hybrid between the story driven Heavy rain and the point and click adventure games that Telltale have made their livings on for the past decade.It focuses much more on exploration than combat.

Movement around the environments (on consoles) is handled with the left analogue stick, while the right stick allows you to move a reticule around the screen with which you can interact with items, other survivors and in one early scene, a zombie intent on getting some dinner. This control system feels intuitive enough that anyone could quickly learn how to play the game, although it was disappointing that the reticule controls didn't have an inversion option for those who have played too many flight-sims for their own good. Even so, I quickly got used to the non inverted aiming of the right stick, and found that the standard presentation option, where interactable items show a white target dot when the reticule is moved, didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game and actually helped out a little from time to time.

Use the reticule to interact with items, people or zombies

Interactions play a massive part in the Walking Dead comic series, so it shouldn't surprise anyone to find out that a majority of the time you'll be talking to people, rather than wading through a hoard of zombies in a Left 4 dead/Dead Rising style killing frenzy. With this game Telltale have made sure that character interaction is treated with the importance it deserves. Many of the dialogue choices that you make as Lee will have knock on effects later in the series, and some even have an effect on this episode. Don't worry If you didn't like the way it turned out either. Telltale have allowed for three seperate play throughs to be saved so that you can experience the game multiple times to see how different choices affect the outcome.

Speaking of choices, On two seperate occasions in the first episode I had to choose who to save during a zombie attack. Whilst the decision of who to save might be an obvious one at first, the immediate consequences do make you question if you made the right choice. Ultimately though it's down to how you feel about the characters in peril, Save the idiot with the gun or the nerd with a heart of gold? There is no right or wrong answer, this is about survival. There's another choice laid out for you in episode one that is both heart wrenching and shocking, i won't spoil it here but it's an impactful piece of storytelling that leaves you questioning what you would have done in the same situation.

Another hallmark of the Walking Dead series is the well written characters, and while it's very early to be judging if every character in the game will display a similar amount of depth i think they've got off to a good start. Lee is a complex and mysterious character that isn't everything that he first seems, while Clementine is a smart, resourceful girl who is much wiser than her 8 years might suggest. Not every survivor you'll meet is a nice person, and i have no problem with that at all. A whole range of personalities will survive the zombie apocalypse and dealing with jerks makes it that much more realistic an experience. Other characters haven't really had the chance to be expanded on, although i very much doubt that Duck has any depth to him at all while Carley, a reporter from Atlanta, doesn't get off to a good start as she apparently can't fathom the complexities of electrical devices and how to use batteries (you'll see when you play it).

I'm amazed Carley hasn't managed to shoot herself yet

This dumbing down of a main female character isn't the only mis-step in episode 1 though.

I was left bewildered when Lee, after being chased by the walkers to a fenced off garden, started to shout for help to anyone that could hear him. The only reason that the zombies had originally left him alone was because they heard gunshots in the distance, it's not unreasonable to think that the sound of a guy shouting for help might get their attention back again. Probably just a brain fart on the part of the studio, but if i can pick up on this immediately why didn't anyone else?

The audio in Walking Dead, unsurprisingly for a Telltale game, can be sketchy at times and the animations can sometimes freeze slightly, but overall the presentation is excellent for a near ten year old engine. The voice acting is very good all round (TV's Steven Yuen reprises the role of Glenn for the first episode) while the graphical aesthetic of thick lines and cell shading makes the game pop. It really feels like an interactive comic book.

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Conclusion
While recent Zombie games have been an excuse to hack, slash and shoot our way through a large number of shambling opponents, The Walking Dead takes a much more thoughtful approach to the genre which reflects the series from which it was spawned. Despite the seemingly illogical choices that characters make at times, and despite the same old audio/video issues that seem to be a Telltale hallmark, the well paced story shows great promise and sets up a believable and compelling cast and situation, while the cliffhanger ending make it a difficult decision to walk away from the season pass.

All that is old is new again

The year is 1988. Lester Piggott is stripped of his knighthood by the Queen, George H.W. Bush wins the presidency of the United States of America, I turn 5 years old, Celine Dion wins the Eurovision song contest for Switzerland, and Nintendo release Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES.

24 years on, Fred Goodwin is the latest man to be stripped of his Knighthood, George W. Bush has served two terms in office, I am now 29 and the UK has drafted in Englebert Humperdink in a desperate attempt to emulate the Swiss Eurovision success of almost a quarter century ago.

Oh, and Super Mario Bros. 4 might be on the way.

It’s no secret that Nintendo are working on a new 2D Mario game, Saturo Iwata admitted as much at their last investors meeting in January, but until now it was widely believed that the new game would be a follow up to New Super Mario Bros.

So, what changed?

Well, IGN are reporting that a few days ago Nintendo registered the domain name www.supermario4.com and visiting that URL actually re-directs you to the Nintendo home page. While this isn’t a direct confirmation that the next 2D Mario game will be the fourth in the Bros. series it’s certainly interesting timing on Nintendo’s part.

Oh and did I mention the release date for that aforementioned 2D Mario game is currently scheduled to be before April 2013? That would make for a great reason to buy the Wii U don’t you think?

Also making headlines today is the news that Shigeru Miyamoto has been talking about the possibility of the Zelda series returning to it’s roots with a more 2D presentation style.

In an interview with Edge magazine, Miyamoto intimated that he would like to use “A Link to the Past” as the jumping off point for a new title.

I think I’d be even more interested in creating something new maybe based on, or starting from, A Link To The Past. I think it’s important to bring some really new software. 

 Miyamoto went on to say that he felt the direction of the Zelda series would depend on the Director that was appointed to the project, saying that while some would take a more straight forward remake approach, others might be more original. He specifically mentions Koichi Kawamoto who was involved with the WarioWare franchise, saying he felt he had a “very important role in the future.”

Whether we get a re-tooled Link to the Past port on 3DS or a new title that originates from the 1991 release, it’ll be nice to see another Zelda game with the 2D aesthetic that i, and many others grew up with.

Journey - Review

The characters don't speak, there is no narration, the story is told almost entirely through pictures and tapestrys, there is no violence to speak of and there is no online PVP experience. With so many staples of the current crop of blockbuster games missing, you would be forgiven for asking what all the fuss is about. Surely this is just a cheap downloadable game that couldn't afford voice actors?

Journey is the latest in the Sony exclusive trilogy of downloadable games from "That Game Company", and while it would probably be a good idea to take some time to think over my time with Journey, i won't be. The reason for this is simple, I absolutely loved the experience.

In the same way that Ico and Shadow of the Colossus told amazing stories without words, so too does Journey. The game has a simple premise, get to the top of the mountain and enjoy the trip on the way.

With gorgeous graphics, fantastic gameplay and a superb, haunting soundtrack, you'll find it difficult not to.

Much has been made of the interaction between players in Journey, there are no loading times, little to no lag on the evidence of my play through, and the game is designed in such a way that, even with two random players inhabiting the same environment, there's no competition. This is a game that rewards co-operation and creates an environment in which it is nurtured and encouraged, which is just as well since pairings are completely random.

Your traveller can fly and he can sing, although the sound of your voice is more flute like than human in sound). These two abilities are represented on your controller by the X and O buttons respectively, and despite these being the only two actions available to you during your time in the desert, the gameplay is both deep and rewarding.

Singing while your partner is in range of your voice (a visible white sound wave that radiates from your position) will re-charge his ability to fly, which is elegantly represented by a tapestry that hangs from the back of every travellers robes. When charged the tapestry, and later the robe of your character, will glow with an ornate white light pattern.

The power to fly can likewise be restored in an array of other ways, including coming into contact with swirling pieces of cloth, Manta Rays and Jelly Fish that share the same light pattern as your robes.

One tiny problem that i had with the online co-op of Journey was that it doesn't list the user names of players you meet along the way in the "players met" section of the XMB. They do at least show you a list of all the players you interacted with at the end of the game, So if you liked the experience of playing with a sensible adult instead of a screaming 12 year old you may want to write those names down...

From a graphical point of view this is a game that needs to be experienced first hand, no amount of waxing lyrical will quite cover how stunning it really is. The desert stages of the game are some of the best looking that I've seen in a video game, you can almost feel the heat on the back of your neck as the traveller traipses up one side of a dune and then expertly slides down the other.

The animation of the Traveller is also excellent. There are fluid transitions between walking and flying, as well as several different types of walking animation depending on surface and angle of incline. It really is hard to believe that this is a £10 downloadable title. When compared to some full retail releases it comes away looking like the more polished product

One of the most influential aspects of this game is the Music. The Macedonia Radio Symphonic Orchestra were responsible for the hauntingly powerful soundtrack to Journey, and with such affecting music as this you have to ask why more games developers don't go the orchestral route when scoring their work.



I've said in many a review, that good music can improve a game ten fold, while bad music can rip you right out of the experience. The beauty of Journey's soundtrack is that it syncs perfectly with the singing mechanic of the gameplay, the notes you sing often changing to better complement the music in the background.

The overall feeling i took away from playing Journey was that this is a phenomenal game. The story is emotionally affecting thanks to brilliant use of music and a narrative that relies on actions rather than words, the gameplay is deep and varied despite the two button control scheme and the level of polish is staggering for a game that retails for so little.

This game marks the end of the contract between Sony and "That Game Company", a relationship that saw  Flow, Flower and now Journey released exclusively on the PS3 platform. If i was Kazuo Hirai i would tie them down to a nice long deal, because on the strength of this release, they're the best studio in the business right now.

Catherine - Review

A certain Irish Stout advert states "Good things come to those who wait" In the case of Catherine this claim holds just as true. European gamers, unlike our American cousins, had to wait an extra 7 months for an English language version of the Japanese Survival horror/Dating Sim/Puzzler, but the wait was definitely worthwhile.

Those of you that follow this blog as well as the Killer Keyboard site will have seen the unboxing video for Catherine: Stray Sheep Edition that i made back in February. I've been a little slow to get into it, but when i finally did make the time to sit down and work my way through the latest Atlus release i discovered an extremely deep puzzle game wrapped in a delightfully vibrant yet disturbing anime style ribbon.



Vincent Brooks is the main character in Catherine, a man who avoids commitment and growing up at all costs. His girlfriend of 5 years, Katherine, is restless with the current state of their relationship and is starting to exert pressure on our man to commit to her long term (yep, the M word people) However, his increasingly complex life takes yet another turn when the morning after a heavy night's drinking he wakes up next to his dream girl, who strangely enough is also named Catherine, but as you can see it's with a C not a K.

Katherine and Catherine

 The game is, at this point, split into 2 main parts. During Vincent's waking hours you see him eating with friends, and can take control of him when he goes to the Stray Sheep bar to drink and talk to his friends. In the bar you can talk to the patrons, check your phone for messages, drink until you drop (the drunker you are the faster you move in your dreams) use the jukebox to play music that is unlocked as you progress through the game, and play a strange game called Rapunzel which bears a striking resemblance to the Nightmares that you will have to play through in the other half of the game. Texting is an important part of your waking life, the messages you send can alter how the story plays out so think carefully about how to end your texts in-case they give the wrong impression.

This Nightmare half of Catherine is where the puzzle elements come to the fore. Every night when Vincent goes to sleep he finds himself in a weird nightmare world where everyone else looks like sheep, and he must climb giant block mountains if he is to survive the night. Because as the theory goes, if you die in your dreams you die in real life too. The puzzle portion of the game is surprisingly deep and extremely addictive, the emphasis during the nightmare is to ascend the tower as quickly as you can while the blocks below you fall away. on top of this there are some stages where you will be pursued by your worst fears, be that a demonic chainsaw wielding baby or a shadowy reflection of yourself.



At regular points during your nightmare you'll reach a base camp of sorts which more closely resemble a church than anything else. During these levels you can save progress, talk to other sheep to figure out what's going on and even exchange techniques that could better help you climb the towers still to come. If you look closely you may even recognise a few of the sheep you talk to at this base camp...

As you progress, the towers will get more and more difficult to ascend, and more varieties of blocks will be brought into play. Immovable blocks, heavy blocks, black holes, exploding blocks and spike traps are just a few of the varieties you'll have to learn to use to your advantage because, and i forgot to mention this before, you might not be the only one climbing the tower, and the other sheep won;t think twice about throwing you off the block and down to your death.

When Catherine was originally released in Japan a lot was said about how difficult the game was, and that it was prohibitively difficult for Western audiences let alone the Japanese. Luckily Atlus patched the Japanese release to lower the difficulty, and included that coding in the EU and US releases of the game. There's also a "Very Easy" mode available if you're really having a hard time of it, but for the most part i have to say that Easy is rather forgiving while still frustrating you every now and then. Rapunzel, the arcade game in the Stray Sheep Bar also offers some fantastic alternative gameplay as it focusses more on solving the puzzle rather than getting it done as quickly as possible. It really is the hidden gem inside the larger hidden gem that is Catherine.

Music, as most of you will appreciate, is a very important part of any game and in Catherine this is just as evident. The Music is excellent, there's a good mixture of songs available on the Stray Sheep's Jukebox so everybody should be able to find something listenable there, while the classical music used in the nightmare stages is unsettling and atmospheric. As a fan of Samurai Champloo it was nice to see some J-Hip-Hop used in the Game intro as well, you really get the feeling that Atlus appreciate how music can improve the game play experience.

Graphically the game looks superb, Atlus themselves have said that it serves as "an experiment for Persona 5" and there's no doubt it was a success as the engine runs superbly. The animations are smooth and natural while the cell shade style gives it a unique look that few games can match. Studio 4 degrees C have done a stand-up job with the story animations as well, they mesh perfectly with the rest of the game thanks to the cell shade colouring of the in-game engine.


Fans of Japanese games will lap this up while most gamers who enjoy a puzzle game should find plenty to enjoy about the game too. The multiple endings give Catherine decent replay value as do the nightmare levels themselves as they all have multiple solutions. Rapunzel offers something different while the additional Babel and Colosseum game modes offer something different for anyone who wants to slide some blocks around outside of the main story. 

Anyone looking for an off the wall puzzle game with charm and personality could do a lot worse than giving Catherine a try, This is a great example of a game being different and better for it.

It's (not) in the GAME

As some of you are no doubt aware, an internal memo from GAME (transcribed below) was recently leaked which detailed the reasons as to why the beleaguered high street chain will not be stocking EA releases in March.

Dear all,
Last week we held an event for our partners in the industry and explained the challenges we are facing in the short term - and we asked for their support.
We asked them to trade with us using manageable credit terms, and for them to continue to do that whilst we work through the strategic review and refinancing of our business.
We gave the industry commitments - we committed to integrity and openness in our dealings, and working with everyone equally.
We committed to only stocking products on which we could get the right credit terms, regardless of the title or the supplier. We will not stock products if the terms are not right for our business - we will not sacrifice long-term credit requirements for short-term sales opportunities.
As a result of us taking this position - a position that we believe is critical to our long-term health as a business - we have taken the very difficult decision to not stock EA's March releases, including Mass Effect 3.
As a specialist retailer dedicated to games and gaming, it is never easy to make a decision not to stock a title, particularly one with such a strong fanbase. But it is imperative that we treat every supplier evenly, that we stick to our commitments, and that we don't sign up to payment terms that will hamper us further in the future.
It is even more critical that we manage this appropriately with our loyal customers. We know they will be disappointed regarding Mass Effect in particular and in recognition of this, we will be contacting our Mass Effect pre-order customers and as a gesture of goodwill we will be offering them £5 of reward card / elite points.
I know that many of you will have to manage customer and supplier feedback directly, and I would like to thank you in advance for your support and am happy to answer any questions you have directly - just grab me as I walk around.

While it's commendable that GAME will not back down over the issue and is trying to deal with all publishers/distributors on an even playing field, it strikes me as strange not to put off the decision so that they can stock two of the most hotly anticipated EA titles of the year, Mass Effect 3 and the SSX reboot. The timing really couldn't be any worse for GAME, as these two titles, ME3 in particular, would have made a decent profit for the group.

Perhaps the bigger concern for GAME going forward is that if this stand-off continues they may find themselves on the outside looking in when FIFA13 comes out later this year. As many readers are aware FIFA12 set the record for both the highest and quickest selling sports game of all time, so to remove yourself from the equation seems tantamount to corporate suicide to me.

GAME recently said that they would be willing to consider giving publishers a cut of their used game sales, perhaps they could bring this to the table in an attempt to get a more flexible arrangement with EA ratified? I certainly think this is a case of GAME needing EA rather than the other way round, especially with the increase in games sales on-line at places like Play.com and Amazon.

Either way, this situation needs to be sorted out, and fast. EA represents a large chunk of the gaming pie, and GAME can't afford to do without their games on their shelves.

UPDATE 

Mark Photiades, a market analyst with Singer Catalyst Markets has estimated the capital loss to GAME from not stocking Mas Effect 3 at around £2.5million. In a Post by Nick Fletcher on the Guardian website, Photiades is quoted as saying -

"Working on the assumption that a decent triple A title sells 0.8m-1m titles in the first few weeks of release in the UK and assuming Game has around 20% share, we calculate that by not stocking Mass Effect 3, Game is potentially missing out on around £6m-£7m of revenues in the UK given the title will retail for £39.99,"

 That is a massive loss for a company already forecasting losses of around £8million for this year alone. Interestingly he also states that profit margins on new titles stand at around 24%. Also of interest is the opinion of Nick Bubb in the same piece who doesn't seem to understand the market at all.

So, had you heard of this new so-called blockbuster game Mass Effect 3 that comes out next week? Well, nor had we, and despite all the tut-tutting about how ominous the EA supply problem is, we suspect that it is just a storm in a teacup in a seasonally quiet time of year, as the big game suppliers can't really afford to do without Game at Christmas, given its huge share of the market. We are more concerned about the lack of news on the overseas disposal front.

Idiot...

Catherine Unboxed

I had a lovely surprise waiting for me when I returned home from a hard day of graft today. As I walked through the door my peepers fell upon a gloriously large box emblazoned with the corporate logo of Amazon.co.uk. This could only mean one thing, Catherine had arrived.




Okay, so I admit to being slightly disappointed with the lack of soundtrack. Honestly I have no clue why I thought there would be one, other than perhaps seeing the coasters and making the assumption that they were actually the game disc and therefore the OST too. No matter, as you can see from the video the special edition of Catherine is a nicely packaged piece of kit with a super large T-shirt, Poster, Coasters and Pizza box style container to keep it all in. The box art is superb and as for the game... Well I'll let you know when I have the chance to play it.

In the mean time, you know when I said on last weeks show that I wouldn't be getting a PS Vita any time soon...

Amazon orders for Catherine hit with 7 day delay

 I should be writing this after having been up all night playing my newly acquired copy of Catherine: Stray Sheep Edition, but as you sharp eyed readers will have gathered from the title of this entry i'm not. Instead I'm rather more bright eyed and bushy tailed and writing about the delays which have hit the Japanese puzzle/dating sim game. According to Amazon, as well as a source at Game (if you can call a local branch manager a source) there have been problems at the suppliers end which has delayed delivery of the Game to UK suppliers


Amazon.co.uk yesterday sent out emails apologising for the delay saying "Our supplier has notified us that there is a delay obtaining stock", the aforementioned source at game confirmed this when i enquired about Catherine the same day saying "we haven't got any Catherine stock at all, it's a problem at the suppliers end".

If this is as a result of the biting cold weather that has battered the UK and mainland Europe for the past week then it is, i would venture to say, just about an acceptable delay. However if, as others have theorised, it is because the game is still not localised properly for EU release, then it's absolutely unacceptable that we were told this late that the game was going to be delayed. Certainly, it would make more sense that it's a delay at the manufacturing stage since Amazon claim that their supplier has yet to obtain their stock, but it's strange that this should affect the UK release since the US has had an English language version of the game since July 26th 2011. I hasten to add that it hasn't been confirmed, as yet, what the reason for the delay actually is.

Amazon has already reached out to its customers in a second email, with February 17th now the revised release date.

As soon as any more news regarding these delays surfaces, we'll have it right here. And keep checking back for the first ever Game For A Laugh/KillerKeyboard.com Video Blog where I'll be doing an unboxing of Catherine: Stray Sheep Edition.

EDIT: It would appear that some GAME stores do in fact have copies of Catherine on the shelves, although the one that i've managed to contact directly only had one in stock and no special editions at all. It seems that the supply chain issue primarily affects Amazon.co.uk while other retailers have, at least, a limited supply of the game. This certainly doesn't help anyone who pre ordered it on Amazon though.

Why games can't vanish from the high street

On episode 24 of the Killer Keyboard podcast Nick and i talked about the financial difficulties that GAME currently find themselves in. The reports, which detail plans to close as many as 60 shop fronts by 2013, make for depressing reading for employees and gamers alike. 

Since May of 2007, when Gamestation was purchased by GAME for approximately £74 million, there has been no other dedicated games retailer in the UK, nowhere else where you can get the same dedicated advice and assistance. Shops such as HMV and WH Smith, along with Supermarket chains like Sainsbury's and Tesco all sell video games, but unlike GAME they don't have dedicated staff with knowledge specific to the field, and certainly don't have the floorspace to stock the same variety of software.

Without a dedicated Video Games retailer out there on the street we would see a massive reduction in the one thing that is the life blood of Video games. Choice.

If there was no GAME on the high street would we even see new and interesting games like Catherine or the niche Ace Combat series on the shelves? or would the big supermarkets and retailers stock the things they knew would sell? There would be a whole shelf full of CoD and FIFA, while lesser games would be buried on the bottom shelf, unseen and unloved.

Go into your local supermarket and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. With little room to spare you'll see every PS3 or Xbox game they have to offer on a rack that measures, at best, 6ft x 10ft. You won't see Catherine, you won't see Ace Combat, but you'll see a shed load of games that the managers think will sell the best. You can't blame them for doing it, but it would kill smaller game developers if these were the only places you could buy your games.

While i applaud HMV's efforts in the expansion of their games business, both in range and the addition of a pre-owned section, their financial position is even worse than GAME's is purported to be. The only other retailer that could possibly do justice to games may be about to vanish down the plug hole.

You could, of course buy your games online through a website such as Play or Amazon, but some of my fondest memories of games growing up come from seeing a random game on the shelf and buying it on a whim. Loaded and its sequel Re-loaded were two games that i had for the original Playstation, but I only played them because i had seen the first game sitting on a shelf in GAME. If I'd seen it on a list of games on Amazon, i would very likely have skimmed straight past it. Would I have played the hilarious and completely addictive Football game " All-Star Soccer" if I hadn't have picked it up in GAME? probably not, since it was neither FIFA or ISS (Pro Evolution Soccer's predecessor) very few played it, but it had a charm that made me want to play it, and i never regretted buying it.

 

Sure, it wasn't "sexy football" but it was fun

Then of course there's downloadable titles. True, it looks as though the days of the physical game disc are numbered, certainly as the dominant delivery system, but it would be a shame for physical copies of games to disappear completely. Even if downloadable titles were cheaper, as they appear to be looking at Japan's Vita game sales on the PSN, a great number of gamers, myself among them, resist this trend and would always prefer to own the disc than have a downloadable version of the game. You don't get the same "just opened" smell from an online game manual...

No, if GAME were to cease to exist, gaming would be a worse experience for it. Limited Choice, reduced interaction with the product and the loss of a tradition are what we face if they can't turn it around. I just hope that they can.

Opinion: The Next Generation Of Consoles Shouldn't Need The Internet To Work

I recently read a very interesting article by Mitch Dyer on IGN.com entitled "12 Innovations We Want fromPS4 and XBox 720" and while I agree with a majority of what the author had to say, including a unified Video service, complete online retail and automatic updates, there was one particular point he made that made me extremely worried.

"We don't need a hard drive. Let's enter a future where all our games and all our saves live somewhere else, instantly accessible on our next-gen console as well as on associated mobile devices.

In an ideal world this would be a fantastic idea. Every console owner on the planet could access their saves wherever they were, whosoever's console they were using. Unfortunately though, we don't live in a utopian world where everyone has reliable access to the one thing that makes this all possible.

The Internet.

A friend of mine recently went two weeks without even basic access to the Web, and while this is in no way the end of the world (although you'd be pressed to find a 13 year old who would agree) he got by. The reason for that was simple, he had his game saves on his hard drive and could access them whenever he needed to.

I'm no enemy of "the cloud" in fact it's a brilliant idea so long as it's coupled with local data storage, like we currently have with this generations pre-installed hard drives. Sony have already taken the first steps toward cloud storage, any Playstation Plus member can store their game saves in the cloud, but they can also keep those save files on their hard drive. Essentially the Cloud is a back up plan in case the hard drive fails, and the reverse is also true. Extending the application of Cloud storage further is certainly where the future of gaming lies, it would be of great use to be able to back up your DLC and other purchases on the cloud, but limiting consoles entirely to using online saves is short sighted and cuts out a great many people who don't have access to the internet.

The Round-up: Good Dog!

The Last of Us has taken most people by complete surprise, I count myself as one of them. I honestly wasn't expecting to be so enthused about a "zombie" style game, especially at a time when most commentators seem to be suggesting that the craze for the brain eating monsters seemed to be all but exhausted. Maybe it's the fact that this isn't truly a Zombie game, but more akin to an open world survival experience where some of your foe's happen to be extremely aggressive and have really bad acne, but whatever the reason, Naughty Dog deserve credit for managing to put together an extremely smooth début video that told us everything we needed to know in a short amount of time.



According to the Twitter account of Naughty Dog's creative director Neil Druckmann, the game has already been in development for two years! This makes the fact that they could keep it almost completely under wraps until now even more impressive. Well played Naughty Dog.

During the latest Killer Keyboard podcast we mused over whether this games impressive début trailer could cause it similar problems to those suffered by Dead Island after its début with the reverse time trailer. I can understand the worry, but in all honesty I don't see an issue. Naughty Dog are Sony's premier development studio, they have enough manpower and development experience to ensure that, even with their second team being the primary development team behind the project, whatever they show us now will be a fair example of how the game will work.

With the game reportedly due out next year we don't have much longer to wait until we can play it for ourselves. Probably more than I can say for "I Am Alive"



This seemed to be the week for shock admissions and announcements. First, we had the aforementioned news that Naughty Dog had a second team who had been secretly working on The Last of Us for the past 2 years, and then the admission by Hideo Kojima, that Metal Gear Rising had quietly been dropped from development until Platinum Games showed interest in finishing the project.

Said Kojima: "In the summer of 2010, the team made a presentation for me...I realized the game design still wasn't there yet." He continued "As the young staff said to me, they wanted a good game that just felt good moving around, and we would never get that, so I decided to cancel the project."

"But still, we had a lot of things" [already developed] "Motion capture, a lot of good story, the view of the world inside the game, and I wanted to use that somehow. I wanted Rising to be born again, so that's when I decided to contact Platinum Games."

This is the first Metal Gear game to be developed outside of Kojima's own studio but so far on the evidence of the VGA trailer it looks like Raiden should have a decent game behind him when he next draws his sword in anger.




If you were thinking of using more than one account on your PSP Vita you'd better have more than one of their ridiculously overpriced memory cards to hand. SCEA's associate brand marketing manager Crystal Mackenzie has told Wired.com that "If you wanted to change different PSN users but use the same memory card, you would need to go factory reset," effectively wiping the card of all it's save data. Good news however, you can apparently spread your saves over multiple cards all tied to the same account. Although, why you would want to, and how you could afford such a thing is, frankly, beyond me...



Plenty of 3DS news this week, starting with the announcement that sales of Nintendo's handheld console had their best ever week in Japan with just over 378,000 sold. This was no doubt aided by the release of the fantastic looking Monster Hunter Tri-G branded bundle. It includes the rather snazzy looking Monster Hunter branded 3DS and a copy of the game. Fear not though because it's headed state side soon.

Kid Icarus: Uprising, a game that i had a hands on with earlier in the year, and which caused meto get a nasty cramp in my left hand, will be released on March 23rd. Mario Party 9 goes on sale a little earlier in the month, releasing as it does on March 11th. I have absolutely no idea if either of these games works with the circle pad, you know, the thing that gives you a second control stick that should have been part of the console as standard...

That little niggle not withstanding it turns out that when the circle pad is released in the States (February 7th in case you wondered) it will be a GameStop exclusive. You stupid company Nintendo, why make it an exclusive? Oh, and you'll have to pay an extra $20 for that second stick that should have been included anyway.



I bought Skyrim recently, well it would be silly not to since it was only £22.49 at Game and GameStation. One of the things i like about these games is the amount of stuff you can do which has absolutely no point, like, for example, putting buckets over NPC's heads.

Todd Howard mentioned this little peculiarity when, during an interview with Joystiq, the subject turned to bugs: "I think our favourite really is putting the buckets on the heads," he laughed. "It was like day two, and we went, what? Do we fix that? Our lead programmer is pissed and wants to fix it, and I said I'm not sure we should. That's one of those where maybe we leave it in."

Games developers have a sense of humour too!

Probably helps when you've made the most played game of 2011, that was the news that came out of game tracking service Raptr this week. Not surprisingly Modern Warfare 3 was the most played Shooter, FIFA 12 took the Sports prize while Skyrim was the most popular RPG, but the shock comes in the overall category. Despite being released 3 days after the Activision juggernaut, Skyrim still managed to squeeze more play hours out of it's fans.

That's what infinite Dragons and un-ending quest systems can do for you i guess. Congratulations Bethesda.



Remember that Sorcery game that got shown off at E3 2010? It made fantastic use of the Playstation Move controller and actually looked like it was a lot of fun. Well it's been a little quiet since then, and silence from a developer is never a good sign, but the good news is that development of the game is going as expected and the final product will be due for release in Spring 2012. I doubt i'll be buying a move controller to play it, but if you have the tech already it's well worth your checking it out.

Continuing on the Playstation theme, the next piece of news will shock none of you. Except maybe for Tarquin Jones from Northampton. SURPRISE TARQUIN! #clearlymadeupname



Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will let players use their Vita as a PS3 control pad. To be honest this was something i expected from the PSP so it's nice to see, but unless it improves the gaming experience somehow this is surely just a waste of your handheld's battery life isn't it?



Time for some nostalgia now. Hands up who remembers playing the original Tony Hawks Pro Skater on their PSOne, N64 or Dreamcast? Well as you may have heard on the Killer Keyboard Podcast there's an HD re-make on the way, and it uses all the original skate parks. No news as to the track listing yet but fingers crossed for the original line up of Goldfinger, Primus and the Dead Kennedys.




Here's your UK Top Ten for the week ending December 10th 2011

1- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
3- Just Dance 3
4- FIFA 12
5- Assassins Creed: Revelations
6- Battlefield 3
7- Professor Layton and The Spectre's Call
8- Saints Row: The Third
9- Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
10-Mario Kart 7

Not too surprising that the best played game of 2011 is also at number one in the UK. I fully expect to see Skyrim at number one next week too, thanks to the half price Skyrim offer at Game and GameStation. CoD MW3 is at number two thanks to Skyrim's rise from mid-table while Just Dance 3 gets a surprise podium finish ahead of FIFA 12. Another week with no Zumba fitness in the top ten, I must be in Heaven!

Well, thanks for checking in once again, remember to check out the latest episode of the Killer Keyboard Podcast and feel free to contact us either by E-Mail, leaving comments in our stories, or tweeting us your views.

@Killerkeyboard
@RealDaveRoberts


TTFN

The VGA Round-Up

Despite the fact that Spike TV couldn't seemingly be bothered to screen all the award winners at this years Video Game Awards, and while acknowledging my own personal abhorrence for their treatment of living legends such as Mark Hamill, it wouldn't be right to completely ignore an awards ceremony that had as many trailers for new upcoming games as E3.

On a side note, It's worrying that Kojima tweeted yesterday that perhaps he would abandon E3 and make all subsequent announcements at the VGA ceremony from now on, although i think perhaps his tongue was placed firmly in his cheek.

So here's a quick list of the categories and victors at this years Spike TV VGA's

Game of the Year - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Studio of the Year - Bethesda Game Studios

Character of the year - The Joker – Batman: Arkham City

Video Game Hall of Fame Award - The Legend of Zelda

Gamer God Award - Blizzard Entertainment

Best XBox 360 Game - Batman: Arkham City

Best PS3 Game - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Best Wii Game - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Best PC Game - Portal 2

Best Handheld or Mobile Game - Super Mario 3D Land

Best Shooter - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Best Action Adventure Game - Batman: Arkham City

Best RPG - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Best Multiplayer - Portal 2

Best Individual Sports Game - Fight Night Champion

Best Team Sports Game - NBA 2K12

Best Driving Game - Forza Motorsport 4

Best Fighting Game - Mortal Kombat

Best Motion Game - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Best Indy Game - Minecraft

Best Adapted Video Game - Batman: Arkham City

Best Song in a Game - "Build that Wall (Zia's Theme)" by Darren Korb – Bastion

Best Original Score - Bastion

Best Graphics - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Best Performance by a Human Male - Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2

Best Performance by a Human Female - Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2

Best Downloadable Game - Bastion

Best DLC - Portal 2

Most Anticipated Game - Mass Effect 3

Gametrailers.Com Trailer of the Year - Assassin's Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer

EA Sports NFL Blitz Digital Cover Athlete - Ray Rice


We gave a quick breakdown on our thoughts on the winners in episode 17 of the Killer Keyboard podcast if you haven't already, have a listen for our discussion on topics such as, who really should have won the best Human Male award, and why i was disappointed that Fight Night got a gong.

Also, of equal interest to many watching the VGA's were the many trailers that were interspersed throughout the evening. Games such as Metal Gear Rising were re-packaged and duly put back on our radars, while newer titles such as "The Last of Us" and the somewhat controversial Rainbow Six: Patriots were given their débuts.

For the benefit of those of you who didn't or couldn't watch the awards on TV, here's a few of the trailers that ran that night.


Hitman: Absolution

The Last of Us

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD

Command & Conquer: Generals 2

Mass Effect 3

Rainbow 6: Patriots

The Amazing Spider-Man

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Fortnite

BioShock Infinite

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance

Darksiders 2


Metal Gear Rising - Revengeance


That'll do for the VGA Round-up, the regular round-up will return soon to cover the rest of what's happened in the last seven days, along with further details on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, The Last of Us and news on the most played game of 2011

Until then, happy trails.

The Round-up: Microsoft say "Gaming doesn't have it's head in the clouds (yet)"

Guten Tag, Konichiwa, Bienvenue, welcome and come on in. It's time once again for your semi-regular gaming round-up of the week brought to you by the Game For A Laugh Blog and KillerKeyboard.com.


It's been a strange week all told. England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley, marking the first time that the Three Lions have beaten the number one team in the world since rankings were publicly printed, Italy has finally seen the back of the Bunga-bunga obsessed playboy prime minister Silvio "shuddupayaface" Berlusconi, and in news closer to this sites roots, MINECRAFT HAS GONE GOLD!!!

"So, yes, Minecraft has gone gold. :D" - @notch

I know, i was shocked too. I guess two years was enough time to work out all the bugs, and it's nice to see that the game is to all intents and purposes "finished", but can a game like Minecraft ever truly be finished? I foresee a long lifespan for the game punctuated by many, many updates (some big, some small) but I don't think that this Gold version of the game will represent the bulk of the finished article. Either way, it'll be fun to play.


In news that will worry no-one, it was revealed today that the Unity game engine will not support Windows 7 phones due to it being a "relatively closed system". According to David Helgason, the CEO of Unity Technologies, the company might be looking at supporting Windows 8 instead.

Not a big loss in the world of mobile gaming, especially in a world where iOS and Android dominate the smart phone market by such a great margin.


There are an awful lot of unhappy Batman fans out there right now, and almost all of them appear to be Xbox owners.

Since the launch of Batman: Arkham City players of the 360 version have complained that they are losing game saves. While some suspect it's to do with the Catwoman DLC, nothing has as of yet been confirmed. Warner Brothers, who published the sequel to Rocksteady's critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, have acknowledged the glitch and are asking users for information regarding the circumstances under which the data loss occurred. If you've suffered the loss of Save data in your game you can visit the official forum and fill in the survey to help get to the bottom of all of this.


Talking of DLC, do you remember when games developers used to wait a couple of weeks before announcing any forthcoming DLC? I do, with great fondness. Unfortunately it's not a practice that Ubisoft agree with, since they just announced their first DLC pack for AC: Revelations entitled "Ancestors". The DLC itself is a multiplayer character pack containing 4 unique skins including the Gladiator and The Privateer, each character has their own unique skill set and animations to give more variety to your online play and doesn't go live until December 12th, so at least there's a decent gap from the games release date, but if they knew about it already why not put it in the game to start with?

Oh wait, money. Doh!


In slightly better news for Xbox 360 fans it turns out that a free avatar item is available for a short time to celebrate Microsoft's 10th anniversary in the console business. The Xbox anniversary prop fires streamers and glitter into the air and does nothing else of real worth, but since it's free you can't really complain now, can you?

It's on the avatar marketplace until Saturday, so grab it while it's free and prepare to be underwhelmed...

Staying with the Xbox theme, some news that came out of GDC China this past week after Microsoft's Brian Prince spoke about the role of Cloud gaming in video games today. He stated his belief that OnLive style systems represented the "distant future of gaming in the cloud," mainly due to the high bandwidth required to stream high quality game feeds in real time with minimal slow down. On the subject of Cloud related features coming to the "Xbox platform" Prince remained tight lipped, He did go as far as to promise cloud specific features but wouldn't be drawn further on the subject.

Is it possible that the next Xbox might have some form of OnLive style streaming component? or maybe Microsoft want to emulate Sony's move towards Cloud based game saves? Either way, only time will tell on this one (okay, maybe insider sources as well).


I downloaded the free version of DCUO recently after reporting a 1000% increase in the population in the last round-up, and while it took damn near 8 hours to fully download and install I'm happy to report that the game itself runs smoothly and is easy as pie to pick up.

Apparently I'm not the only one who downloaded the MMO recently, as it was reported at the weekend that DCUO has now attracted 1 million new players since it went F2P. Maybe this was the move they needed to make all along? Now they just need to keep hold of those players...


NINTENDO NEWS!!!

To paraphrase the great Mark Twain, the reports of the 3DS' demise may have been greatly exaggerated.

That's according to a statement from Nintendo that claims the 3DS is well on track to sell more units this year than the original DS did in its first 12 months. That isn't necessarily all good news though, as it was only when the DS Lite was released that DS sales really picked up to a respectable level and then sky rocketed into the "ridiculous-phere". The 3DS might very well sell more units than the DS did in year one, but until they re-jig the console to include a second stick as standard they're doomed to sell a disappointing number year on year.

Moving over to Nintendo's other underwhelming console, Tecmo financial results have revealed that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razors Edge will be released as a launch title for the Wii-U when the system débuts around April 2012. The game on which Razors Edge is based was launched on Xbox 360 and PS3 some time ago...

Finishing up the Nintendo news on a high note, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has revealed to GamesRadar that Shigeru Miyamoto has talked about the possibility of bringing old school 2D Zelda games up to date, by giving them the 3D treatment. Assuming the idea is to give them a 3DS or stereoscopic 3D update It's an interesting concept, and is certainly something that would work well for a top down perspective Zelda game such as my favourite, A Link to the Past.



Ban Hammers at the ready, Lock and Load!

It appears that Dice have been busy bees since they got the Battlefield servers working, identifying anyone taking advantage of cheap exploits in the BF3 multiplayer. Wielders of the sacred Hammer of Banning have taken a "zero tolerance policy for cheating," that they find on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and so far hundreds of accounts have been deleted. A patch is in the works to remedy the more common exploits as well as common complaints such as flash-lights that are hotter and brighter than the sun itself.

You have been warned.



Would it be a round-up without the weekly look at the top ten best selling games on all platforms? No, probably not, so here it is.

WARNING: This top ten is unsuitable for Gamers with a sensitivity to Zumba Fitness being popular.

1.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2.The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
3.Battlefield 3
4.FIFA 12
5.Just Dance 3
6.Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
7.Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
8.Batman: Arkham City
9.Zumba Fitness
10.Wii Party

I have no earthly idea what a Moshi monster is, but the fact it sold more than Zumba means it's okay by me. CoD:MW3 is, unsurprisingly at the top of the mountain this week after setting an all time Video Games sales record that surpassed that of 2010's MW2. Skyrim bats clean up while BF3 manages a creditable 3rd place this week.

FIFA is an unstoppable juggernaut and somehow manages to hang around in the 4th champions league qualifying spot and Batman come up a little short at number 8 on the list, just below the aforementioned Moshi Monsters.

Anyone reading this who has bought a copy of Zumba fitness should hang their heads in shame, Bad consumer, naughty consumer, did you do this?!

Right then, I'm off before I lose all hope for humanity. Maybe the Mayans were right, and it's Zumba that will end civilisation as we know it...

The Round-up: Best bye bye

It's been a while chums, my apologies for not putting up a news article in a while. I'm sure you'll agree though, there's been quite a number of AAA titles launched in the past month and they all needed to be played. So, on with the show.



Best Buy Europe, a venture which is part owned by both Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse, has announced the closure of all 11 of its UK megastores with approximately 1100 jobs being affected. Most of the affected workers will be redeployed to Carphone Warehouse stores, with some of these retail outlets being re-branded as "Wireless World". The Best Buy UK experiment lasted just over 18 months but was brought to a close due to disappointing sales figures, most likely a result of the economic downturn. Plans to open Megastores across Europe as well as China have also been shelved. It's a real shame that so many people will be affected by this withdrawal from the UK but it's encouraging to see that they will be re-deployed where possible. On a positive note it would be safe to assume that when the 11 stores close at the end of the year there will be plenty of bargains to be had...



It's over a week since DC Universe Online went free-to-play but there's been some encouraging news for Sony Online Entertainment. SOE president John Smedley tweeted recently that the in game population numbers for the game have risen by 1000% compared to pre free-to-play figures. Gamers are always fond of a bargain, and free is as good a deal as you can get for a game that originally cost £40 plus a yearly subscription to play. Friend of the show Darragh O'Connor downloaded the PS3 version last night while I myself will be shortly. I'll be giving my thoughts on the F2P version of the game during episode 14 of the Killer Keyboard podcast next week.



Rockstar's Dan Houser certainly isn't backwards in coming forwards with his thoughts on the 3D revolution that's sweeping the Movie and Video games scene. In an interview with Variety magazine he said -

"I don't think anyone has solved the riddle of how you make 3D an integral part of the gaming experience,"

While this certainly doesn't mean he's not a fan of 3D, it does indicate that perhaps Max Payne 3 and GTA V might not be too heavily dedicated to the pursuit of 3D gaming perfection. In my mind that's not a bad thing either. I've yet to see a game use 3D in a way that adds to the gaming experience in a way that couldn't be achieved using a two dimensional display. Sure, Super Mario 3D comes close with it's "giant coin" puzzles, but echochrome proved that perspective bending puzzles are just as easy to achieve without the use of a 3D display.



There's something gloriously original about Takashi Miike's films. Ichi the Killer and 13 Assassins are two of my favourite films, each is very different from the other but the direction and camera work in each is spot on. This being the case, when i heard that he was behind the movie adaptation of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney i was interested to see what he'd do with it. The trailer hit Youtube recently, and even though my Japanese is just south of atrocious I could still see that it's going to be a well made movie that is extremely faithful to the source material. If you don't believe me just check out the hair and wardrobe in the trailer below..






By now you've probably heard about a promising little game that's due out soon, it's got Dragons and swords and lots of fighting in it and is apparently part of something called the Elder Scrolls series. No, it's not ringing many bells with me either...

Well if there's anyone reading this that knows what the hell this game is about, this news is for you. First up, Skyrim will receive a patch on day one that "fixes some minor stability and quest progression issues," this patch will be downloaded automatically the first time you play the game and should make the experience that little bit smoother.

Also in the news this week, Skyrim Director Todd Howard has told Wired that the game will have an unending list of quests to take part in. The "Radiant quest system" allows for random generation of quests in-game for each of the guilds, while also generating random NPC quests for you as well. So that's great news for anyone that gets through the main storyline in this years game, although you do wonder how long it will be before you get bored of "take this bag of herbs to my brother on the other side of the bandit infested woodland" or "my cart is broken, could you fetch me a fixing pin from the blacksmith?". Oh and while we're talking about Todd Howard, here's something that he told Norwegian publication Gamer.no.

"There is an unlimited number of dragons"

Is that enough to get those juices flowing a little more freely? Killing one Dragon is great and all, but killing a dozen more is better don't you think? Well done Bethesda.



An inductee to my personal gaming hall of fame is up for sale on GOG.com right now for only $6 (£4 approx.) Quantic Dream's classic title "Fahrenheit", or "Indigo Prophecy" as it is better known in the US, is one of my favourite PS2 titles of all time and served as a proving ground for many of the control and story telling techniques eventually used in Heavy Rain on PS3. The game currently on sale at GOG.com is the uncut European version, meaning that, for the first time, our American cousins can have simulated sex with a polygonal woman while Theory of a Deadman plays softly in the background. It doesn't get any better than this.



Time for my free download of the week, which this time is actually a full blown game. I haven't played this game yet, but it's getting my recommendation purely because it has, quite possibly, the greatest name in Video Games history.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this weeks Free download of the week is Stealth Bastard: Tactical Espionage Arsehole. It's completely free to download and includes a level editor to boot. You can thank me later...



There's been more rumours this week regarding the next XBox console. For ease of reference i'll list them by source.

MS Nerd blog

-Console is codenamed XBox Loop
-XBox Loop will run on a modified version of Windows 9 and use ARM architecture
-Hardware will include a "main processor" which is supported by dedicated cores for graphics, audio, AI, physics etc
-New console will be Cheaper and Smaller than 360

Paul Thurott - TWiT

-Holiday 2012 release
-Microsoft will "would almost have to announce this [the new console] at CES"
-Console will use the same Metro UI design as Windows Phone 7
-Next XBox will feature Embedded Silverlight
-Expect integration with Windows Phone and Windows 8

The code name certainly makes a lot of sense, Loop fits with the whole 360 degree philosophy and brings to mind the idea of coming full circle. Of course that's reportedly only a code name, the same as Natal was for Kinect, so the real name is probably some horrible title with a K or a Z in place of the C's and S's. There have been multiple predictions of release dates, safe to say it will be sometime during 2012-2014. Integration with Windows is a must, especially with Windows phone being on the market from the beginning of the console life cycle. If the Console is to be more powerful than the last then it makes sense to have dedicated cores for each function, but chip technology moves so quickly that it's hard to get a real feel for what direction they'll take.

Ah, hell. Let's just wait for CES in January and see if they announce something...



Finally, it's time for the UK top ten games on all platforms for the week ending November 5th

1.Battlefield 3
2.Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3.FIFA 12
4.Batman: Arkham City
5.Just Dance 3
6.Football Manager 2012
7.Forza Motorsport 4
8.Zumba Fitness
9.Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure
10.Sonic Generations

Battlefield and FIFA 12 are non movers at numbers 1 and 3 respectively while Uncharted 3 makes it's chart début at number 2. It's a solid showing from the latest Nathan Drake game although Naughty Dog must be disappointed not to have claimed top spot for themselves, but with sales that are over 1/3 better than Uncharted 2 at the same point there's no shame in being second. Batman loses 2 places as does Football manager, and then there's Zumba Fitness. Again...

I had hoped that in a month with so many great games on sale, that Zumba might just have slipped outside of the top ten, but that dream has yet to become a reality.

There's always next week...