Out This Week - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Alamur: Reckoning just came out in the Philippines. Since it's an EA game, we actually get the game with the rest of the world. Got the game on day one and so far it's nothing but great.
It cost me P 1,850 for the PS3 version in Datablitz(Sort of the Gamestop here). I didn't bother with the pre-order since the bonuses included wasn't worth it at all. Just like any other EA game, nothing really goes with a standard copy. Kingdoms of Alamur requires an online pass to have access to a couple of quests in the game. Since my copy is an R3 version(asian), I had to hop over my asian PSN account to redeem the online pass. Once you download the content on your system, you can use any account with the online pass content open to you.
One more thing was also included in the standard copy which is pretty standard, and that's the game manual. Problem is, it's an EA game manual.
most EA games don't really include a physical game manual. All you get is one piece of paper folded twice. The real game manual is included in the disc and can be viewed in the options. Real smooth EA. This isn't the first. Games like F.E.A.R 3 and other EA published games get the same treatment.
I'm three hours in and I can feel the addiction coming. I'm literally surrounded by side quests, crafting, and huge starting area to explore in just the first three hours. I played my first hours on our live channel and will continue to stream Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning when I get the chance.
Another game that should be out now is The Darkness 2. So far, no word of it being out here in the Philippines. If it was an EA game it would have been different, but no it's published by 2k Games. It should be out sometimes this week.
Minecraft + WoW = Cube World
What do you get when you have the art style of Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, and something like World of Warcraft? You get Cube World.
I'm not going to say much about the game since the fan made trailer pretty much speaks for itself. I will, however, share the Extended Cube World FAQ from the creator's blog since it pretty much answers all the questions I had about this game.
Extended Cube World FAQ Q: When will Cube World be released? A: I'm currently tuning and fixing everything but I don't know how long it will take and can't estimate a release date.
Q: How many persons are working on this game? A: Just me. I started this as a small hobby project in June 2011.
Q: Can I help with programming, graphics, sound, music etc? A: Thanks, but I want to do everything by myself.
Q: Which platforms are supported? A: Currently just Windows PC. Mac support is planned in the future.
Q: Which games inspired you? A: - Minecraft: Endless random world made up of blocks - Zelda, Secret of Mana, Landstalker, Monster Hunter and more: Style, gameplay, overall feel - Diablo, World of Warcraft: RPG elements - And many more
Q: Which features do you still want to add? A: - Player customization: I'm planning to add player customization whith different faces, hair styles etc. - Classes: I'm planning to add a mage class next and more classes in the future - Different playable races - Quests: A variety of different quests - Items: Different weapons, armor and other items - Building: Different blueprints and materials - Weapon/Armor upgrading system - Different pets
Q: Is there multiplayer support? A: Yes, you can do everything in the game cooperatively with friends. I can't say anything about maximum players per server because it still needs to be optimized and tested.
Q: Will you add mining/building/crafting? A: - I'm not planning to add mining or digging. - House building is supported. - I will probably add a crafting system that allows you to craft weapons and armor from loot dropped by monsters.
Q: How do you create this game? A: I've programmed everything with C++ and DirectX (OpenGL for the first version). For the voxel sprites, I created my own voxel editor.
Q: Will the final game still be called "Cube World"? A: Probably not. It's currently just the project name. I'll have to come up with a new name soon.
You can read more about the game's development here as well as updates about what content and features being added at http://wollay.blogspot.com
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4s2jdV7_dA[/youtube]
Reality Fighters (PS Vita Game)
Now new gadgets, add-ons, and systems there is usually a gimmicky title that comes with it early on that makes use of the new and unique features available on the platform. With the Wii it was Wii Sports, the PS Move had stuff like Kung-Fu Riders (which I heard was horrible), and the DS had a demo of Metroid Prime Hunters which had you using the touchscreen to aim.
The PS Vita has a mix of features found in a lot of portable devices today, the one being used for the game Reality Fighters is the cameras. Reality Fighters is a fighting game where you create you own custom fighter and fight some other random created fighter. The thing is you can use the camera to take a picture of yourself and have the game generate your face on the character. Sounds cool and has your standard fare of gimmickry right? But wait, there's more. You also use the rear camera to capture a video stream of whatever is infront of you to use as the background arena for the fighters. The game looks fun and goofy. Perfect for when you're out and about and want to kill a few minutes by just beating the crap out of someone while using whatever you want as a background.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zipHSPewumA[/youtube]
Recent Buys: Episode 2 - Of Souls and Swords
I know February just started but things happened (me watching a bunch of videos on the internet) that ended up with my getting a new game.
Up until a few days ago I had absolutely no interest in Soul Calibur V, then Maximillian’s videos of it. Early on it looks just like any other Soul Calibur game but then I started seeing some of the super and ex moves and that made me go “whoa! That looked cool”. Now I know that supers in SC aren’t new but with me not playing since SC2 I got caught off guard. Max then brought the game online and it sounded like SC5’s netcode is really good which peaked my interest even more because, from experience, fighting games and online don’t really mix all that well. Caught a SC5 stream from CrossCounterAsia too and watching the players go at it while hearing the commentators totally geek out about the game was like throwing gasoline into the fiery pit that is my hype. I looked a bit online in formus both local and worldwide and they also said that the netcode is something that Project Soul can brag about. So yeah, I caved.
After playing some matches online, and losing most of em, I gotta say that the definitely were true to their word. For the most part the game is really responsive online and I’ve only experienced that “UMvC3 style” input lag once and even then it was still very playable.
It’s a bitch that there are a ton of characters to unlock but I guess that we’ve been spoiled by fighting games of this generation that have all the characters already unlocked from the get go.
I’ve been playing this game using an arcade stick and the move from pad to stick here is easier and feels a lot less awkward.
Weekend, what are you playing?
First week of February, can you believe that we’re already 2 months in the New Year and there are already game releases happening left and right. What are you playing?
Migoy: Spent some more time with Grand Theft Auto IV. Already got safe houses in Algonquin and I can now access all the other islands in Liberty City. Once I beat the main game I’ll go and pick up a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV Complete Edition since it has the main game and both DLC episodes in it and because the copy of GTA4 that I am currently playing with isn’t mine. Also went and picked up Soul Calibur V. That’s right, I got yet another fighting game. Haven’t really played Soul Calibur since Soul Calibur 2 and I gotta say they have done some major improvements since then.
Quash: After coming home exhausted one day, I had this sudden urge to do a second playthrough of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Last playthrough was when the game came out back in 2008. Remembering what to do and where to go is a blur since it's been a couple of years, but the boss fights I still remember very well. It's still a great game after how many years.