Grand Theft Auto V is one step closer to a release date, Nintendo explains the Wii U Deluxe Digital Promotion, a Dreamfall sequel is still on the way, and more.
Click through for the biggest stories of the week of October 29:
I've lived and learned that some things are better left in the past.
I have fond memories of Sonic Adventure 2. The revision, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, was the first game I ever played on a Nintendo Gamecube, and I remember that moment very clearly. At the time, I swore it was one of the coolest games ever. Running down the side of a building at high speeds? It was awesome to me at the time. On top of that you had two parallel stories that lead to an epic final chapter. I made it a priority to eventually own the game and I did, and I enjoyed it a lot. From the campaign to the Chao garden, I spent a lot more time playing Sonic Adventure 2 than I should have. Looking through the lens of Sonic Adventure 2 HD, it’s kind of hard to see why I enjoyed the game so much in the first place.
Just add water. And worms.
My introduction to Worms came with Worms Armageddon for the Nintendo 64. I was working in gaming retail at the time, and that game took our store by storm. We’d spend hours after closing playing that game, and those are some of my most cherished multiplayer memories. Since then, I’ve been chasing that feeling, only to come up short every time. The first Worms on XBLA felt stripped down, and I couldn’t find anyone to play Worms Armageddon 2 with me. So here I am, playing Worms Revolution for review, and trying desperately to recapture that magic I felt huddled around an N64 with three of my friends. Even though Revolution is an enjoyable game, it seems that my quest continues.
This ain't your daddy's Metal Gear!
I was really worried about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. It was originally known as Metal Gear Solid: Rising, and was announced in 2009 as an Xbox 360 exclusive. A troubled and protracted development cycle almost ended in cancellation before the project was given over to Platinum Games. We may never know the full story about how an Xbox 360 exclusive designed by an in-house team hand-picked by Hideo Kojima became a multiplatform game developed by Platinum, but I can at least say that my worries are gone. Metal Gear Rising may not be what people have come to expect from the Metal Gear series, but so far I’d say it’s an impressive game in its own right.
Is simularcade racing a genre?
Whenever you hand a franchise off to an outside development studio, you run the risk of it being handled poorly. This is a particular concern with Forza Horizon, as it marks the first time Turn 10 Studios has allowed another company to handle the property. Furthermore, Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon, is completely unproven. Thankfully, this group of racing game vets has managed to create an experience that has universal appeal; its construction is one that brings both simulation and arcade racing fans to the table.
BioWare also details what DLC will be included in the package.
We reported recently about the upcoming release of the Mass Effect Trilogy as part of BioWare’s new “N7 Day” celebration. At the time, we knew that the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game would be available on November 6, but the company was mum about the PS3 version of the game. We now know that the PS3 release will be in December, as well as some more information about what will be included on those discs.
More toys, same mundane experience.
I really wish I understood this Skylanders craze. Don’t get me wrong; I totally understand the obsession over the toys themselves, they’re pretty neat on their own right. Plus, bringing them into the game via the Portal of Power truly excites both my inner-nerd and inner-child. However, the game these plucky creatures get dropped into is so basic and mundane, it’s puzzling to me that there’s still a market for it all.
It's Halloween! Listen to find out how PB & Jason celebrate the holiday.
This week's PB & Jason features a list and description of game titles just perfect for Halloween! Games with costumes, games with suspense, and even games that feature ghosts and never-ending mazes! That's right, PB & Jason is chock full of various games fit for Halloween. Even better? The list fore-goes the normal Halloween survival-horror fare. Stay tuned after all the Halloween candy to hear about a few announcements involving spaceships and dragons, respectively, as well as a little bit of talk involving gaming on a Windows 8 machine. Click through for the download and streaming links!
Yuck.
I’m not really sure what Konami and WayForward were going for when they made Silent Hill: Book of Memories. While it bears the Silent Hill name, it draws nothing but characters and visual design from the series. As someone outside of the fan base, I don’t mind this departure; however, their attempt to marry a dungeon crawler to the Silent Hill formula results in gameplay that even fans of the genre won’t appreciate.
Will DQ VII finally find an audience?
The handheld market has become a boom town for RPGs in the past 5 or 6 years, and possibly no series has embraced that fact more than the Dragon Quest franchise. Not only have most of the older games been remade for the DS, but Square Enix saw critical and commercial success with the most recent entry, Dragon Quest IX. Now the Nintendo 3DS will be graced with its first DQ game, thanks to a port of the very divisive Dragon Quest VII.
