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Six Ways DmC Will Revolutionise Devil May Cry

George Reith — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:34:12 +0000

Full blown reboots seem to be the order of the day for many franchises as of late, but the announcement of DmC back in 2010 caused a fair bit of controversy. Devil May Cry fans were displeased with some of the drastic changes made to the series, with the new Dante’s appearance in particular drawing criticism. It’s been a while since then, and with every new appearance of DmC it manages to endear itself to us little by little. Admittedly it’s doing this by merely bringing back features we loved in the previous Devil May Cry games, but there’s plenty of new and innovative additions and alterations to get excited about as well. Here’s six of the upcoming changes that could really breath new life into the series.

A New Dante

Talk smack about him all you want on forums, as we all know you wouldn’t say it to his face.

Yeah, I know. Dante’s new emo styling isn’t exactly what we’d expect from the son of Sparda. Take into account though, that this is a complete reboot of the series; a parallel universe, if you will. If you think of it like that, this isn’t really the same Dante changed for the worse, but a different character with the same name. The style is a subjective matter indeed, but some of Dante’s new lore elements should make for interesting gameplay scenarios. Though still the son of Sparda, Dante is supposedly now half angel and half demon, two modes that he can switch to in the heat of combat to unlock new abilities. Variety is indeed the spice of life.

A Different Developer

Their track record is pretty good so far, so give Ninja Theory a break on this one.

Moving away from the Capcom lead development of the original Devil May Cry games, DmC will be made by Ninja Theory. Having previously worked on the awesome Heavenly Sword and Enslaved, Ninja Theory are taking the reigns on DmC. Whilst it’s likely plenty of you conservative types are resisting the change, this could well be a good move for the series. Fresh development talent always leads to an innovative reboot, and we all know that Ninja Theory are a good developer. The glass should definitely be viewed as half full in this regard.

An Alternate Universe

Though it may share certain elements of lore with the Devil May Cry universe we know and love, the world of DmC seem very different indeed. Set in the city of Limbo, a dystopian state where the people are controlled by demons, Dante fights against the all seeing eye of the establishment. He winds up fighting alongside an equally rebellious order lead by Vergil, his long lost brother. Familiar yet different, wouldn’t you say?

Darksiders 2: 6 Reasons It Might Be The Action Adventure Game Of The Year

George Reith — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:13:50 +0000

The original Darksiders seemed to come out of nowhere at the start of 2010, taking us all by surprise in the usually dormant month of January. It wasn’t exactly a perfect game, but it showed how fresh a new IP could be, and it was easily good enough to warrant a sequel that, in case you haven’t had your ear to the ground over the past few months, is getting a release around mid-August. With developer Vigil Games now a bit older and wiser, Darksiders 2 will hopefully round off the corners of its predecessor and, should it accomplish such a feat, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be the action adventure game of the year for 2012. How could it be considered so, I hear you ask? Read on for the six big reasons below.

It’s a sequel

Whilst I normally deride sequels as unimaginative ways for publishers to milk more money out of existing IPs, Darksiders is one of the few cases where a sequel actually seems like a good idea. Whilst the game had an interesting design and tried and tested gameplay mechanics, there were moments when various elements of the gameplay, world and character design seemed a bit confused, an understandable blemish for a game so rich and vast. With Darksiders 2, it seems logical to assume that Vigil Games will be comfortable enough with the engine and game world to really hit the nail on the head. Should they do this, it could be even better than the original, and that kind of heightened quality would surely make it a GOTY contender?

A deeper story

The original Darksiders sported an intriguing concept, but the minute to minute story elements sometimes left a little to be desired. It was generally well handled, but a few slow moments belied an otherwise well paced scenario. Number two sounds a bit more engaging by comparison, with main protagonist Death attempting to clear War’s name in events that run parallel with the plot of the original. It should be a deeper tale that is more intricately interwoven with the game world, two awesome storytelling positives that should add another string to Darksiders 2’s bow.

It covers all formats

That’s right Wii U, we still care about you… Sort of.

An action adventure game like Darksiders on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC is one thing, but to launch Darksiders 2 also as an early release for the Wii U is another thing altogether. On a system that so far generally seems devoid of really hardcore titles, Darksiders 2 could offer a real boost to early Wii U sales and it could be an oasis in an otherwise dry Christmas period for the hardcore gamer who wants to continue supporting Nintendo.

Star Wars 1313: Six Gameplay Mechanics That You May Have Missed

George Reith — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:30:07 +0000

In his preface to the Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth described his style of poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings… recollected in tranquillity.” Just as Wordsworth collected his feelings in a state of calm after some time, so must us games journalists attempt to do the same. Far too often do we leap headlong into preview articles, still high on the buzz of witnessing a new game announcement. It has been quite a while since Star Wars 1313 was announced at E3 this June now, so here’s hoping it will be possible to think back upon some of the gameplay elements of the upcoming Star Wars title with some semblance of clarity. Hopefully…

No Quick Time Events

Who needs QTEs when your game looks this good?

Though it may seem odd to include stuff that will be absent from the game in a list such as this, it’s important to remember that LucasArts have promised us that there will be no QTE sequences anywhere in Star Wars 1313. Most games with a cinematic qualities, or indeed any kind of competent production values, nowadays seem to be littered with immersion shattering button mashing at every turn. It’s good to know that LucasArts are confident enough in their gameplay mechanics to avoid what has become an over-used gameplay idea.

Force-Gun

Whilst the gun shown off for the majority of the gameplay demos for 1313 was a standard blaster pistol, one particular section shows the main character knocking an enemy off the ground using a type of force gun. Force as in moving mass, rather than force as in the ultimate power in the Star Wars universe; a popular element of Star Wars fiction that won’t make its way into 1313. Either way, it shows a versatility in the game’s armoury that will be welcome when the full game releases… whenever that is.

Unsure Footing

The third and final trailer for Star Wars 1313 showed off some serious platforming action, the kind of stuff that the recent Tomb Raiders and the Uncharted series has been popularising for the last few years. Among this parkour inspired action was an interesting part where the character lost his footing on a slippery surface. It may well have just been a seamlessly integrated scripted event, but it looked a bit too convincing for that, prompting the sincere hope that the physics engine will just be that good when Star Wars 1313 hits store shelves.

6 Most Underrated Video Game Soundtracks In Recent Memory

Shubhankar Parijat — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:51:14 +0000

Soundtracks are obviously an important part of video games, and how good or bad they are can make a lot of difference to what the game and the action itself feels like. Here’s a list of 6 games that we believe had excellent soundtracks but were never appreciated for it as much as they deserve. You may disagree (obviously), and chances are, you will, so sound off in the comments section below.

6 Worst Video Game Villains In Recent Memory [PICS]

Shubhankar Parijat — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:37:25 +0000

Whenever you think of good villains in video games, names like Sephiroth, Ganon and the Reapers immediately come to mind. But not all antagonists we have seen in video games have been as badass as the ones mentioned above. There are a few who’re either too stupid in concept, or are redundant and have no memorable personality. So given below is a list of 6 such villains, villains we thought we just plain bad. Some of them may not be the overarching villains of their respective franchise, but they’re present for a significant amount of time.
Leave behind your feedback in the comments section below!

343 Guilty Spark- Halo: Combat Evolved

While occasionally funny, 343 Guilty Spark just wasn\'t a good negative character. While it can be argued that he wasn't necessarily evil, and was only doing what he was programmed for, his character in general was annoying, and some of his quotes, like "You suck, Reclaimer!", while sometimes amusing, were almost cringe worthy.

6 Reasons Why Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Looks Better Than Skyrim

Shubhankar Parijat — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:36:42 +0000

Big Huge Games’ mega RPG is almost here. It’s due for release on February 7 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, and the hype is at an all time high. Amalur has been compared to many games already- Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Fable and even God of War. But the game it is being compared the most to is Skyrim. It’s almost as if it’s going directly up against Bethesda’s recent masterpiece. What’s more, Ken Rolston, lead designer of Elder Scrolls III and IV, is also the lead of Kingdoms of Amalur, making the comparisons even more heated. Both are similar games, set in a high fantasy world with rich background and mythologies, both offering hundreds of hours of gameplay. But the question is, which of the two looks better?

Now, don’t get us wrong when we say this, but it looks like Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning might just dethrone Skyrim. We loved Skyrim- it won our Game of the Year award and we gave it a glowing review too, but Reckoning is looking so good, it’s hard not to tilt a little bit towards it.

Below, we have given six reasons why we think Amalur might just turn out to be better than Skyrim. As always, we’d appreciate any feedback, and we know tons of you will want to hate on this article furiously, so fire away with your thoughts in the comments section below!

Richer game world

Skyrim’s game world is huge- huge. And just about everything you see and everyone you meet and every place you go has a unique and interesting history behind it. That makes the game world of Skyrim richer than most we’ve ever seen in any game. But now it seems like Reckoning might be able to topple that. We all know the game’s world basically has a fully detailed, highly comprehensive history and mythology, stretching back as much as 10,000 years, giving the world of Amalur an even richer feeling than Skyrim (possibly). From the previews and impressions of the game so far, it’s clear that Amalur is a rich world that feels just as much of a living and breathing entity as Skyrin does- maybe even more.

Awesome combat

Anyone who’s been following Reckoning even a bit would know that its USP is the combat. Sure, the art style is beautiful, the game world is insanely rich and there’s a ridiculous amount of things to do in the game, but we all knon- the developers themselves included- that it’s Reckoning’s combat that makes it so special, it’s combat that makes it stand apart from the rest of the “deep, rich” RPGs these days. Kingdoms of Amalur’s combat is downright awesome. It’s flashy, it’s responsive, it’s extremely accessible and a whole lot of fun to play. But it isn’t shallow, like so many other RPGs we’ve seen with good combat. No, Amalur is a a deep, complex RPG- as deep as Skyrim or Dragon Age or Dark Souls- and it has excellent combat. I know it’s hard to digest, we’ve never really had a similar combination before, but that’s just what Amalur is. And that’s what makes it so awesome.

Less glitches

The Elder Scrolls games are notorious for their glitches, and it isn’t really Bethesda’s fault that they are. Because all Elder Scrolls games are so damn huge in terms of size and scale, it’d be impossible not to have any glitches in them. Skyrim, too, has tons of glitches, some of which are downright game-breaking. And while the demo of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had tons of glitches, we all know now that it was outsourced to a third party developer, that it was not made by Big Huge Games, and that it was built on a 3 months old code of the game, so it was bound to have glitches. Big Huge Games has said that the bugs won’t be present in the final game, and critics who’ve been playing the game have said that the most extreme bugs they’ve encountered are frame rate drops. Obviously, Amalur will have bugs, it’ll be impossible for it not to have them, considering it’s such a large game. But they’ll be far less in number and far less game breaking than the ones we’ve encountered in Skyrim.

6 Most Outspoken Game Developers In The Recent Years

Shubhankar Parijat — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:42:06 +0000

It seems like it has become fashionable these days for developers to be straightforward and in your face. While sometimes they might come across as arrogant and obnoxious, there are instances when readers truly respect their outright nature, and the fact that not only do they have no qualms with speaking their mind, but also that we get a great kick out of their statements more often than not.

So here’s a list of six of what we believe are the most outspoken game developers, those who have come out and said some outrageous, ridiculous or hilarious things- or maybe all three of those.

So enjoy the list, and tell us which of these developers you think are the most outspoken in your comments.

Cliff Bleszinski (Epic Games)

Most of those who follow games even with a little bit of dedication would know of Cliff Bleszinski, or as some like to call him, Cliffy B. We all know him to be as one of the most outspoken developers. Some say he’s very aggressive, but given the amount of success he’s had in the industry, working on games like Unreal Tournament and Gears of War, I’d say that aggression isn’t completely unfounded. He’s said a lot of things out in the open, things that most people would think twice about before saying. Come, now, you didn’t seriously expect him not to be on this list, did you?

Our favourite Bleszinski quote:

“Once you play a beta, you can check it off your list — you can say, ‘yeah, I played it.’ Then you might not feel motivated to get that initial cherry popping from the proper, final game.”

Peter Molyneux (Lionhead Studios)

It’s no secret, we like Peter’s hair.

Ah, baldielocks, it’s been a long time since I wrote about you. Remember when Fable II was about to be released, and Molyneux started telling people how Fable 1 was glitchy and not the game he wanted it to be, and that Fable II would be much better, and the biggest game Microsoft ever publishes? He made all these hefty claims about the game, and when it came out, however good it may have been, it certainly did not live up to them. And remember when Fable III was about to be released? The same f*cking thing happened.

Our favourite Molyneux quote:

“It’s you Americans. There’s something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we’d be romping around naked on the stage here.”

John Carmack (id Software)

No one, not even his biggest haters, would deny that John Carmack is a legend, one of the most important figures in the gaming industry. His claim to fame? Practically creating the entire freaking genre of first person shooters, and giving us classics like Doom and Wolfenstein. And he definitely has to be one of the most in your face game developers out there, saying what he wants to, about whatever and whoever he wants to, without any qualms and hiccups. And while some of the things he’s said are outright outrageous, we do admire him for being so… well, awesome.

Our favourite Carmack quotes:

Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It’s expected to be there, but it’s not that important.

The speed of light sucks.

6 Game Wars That Are Getting On Our Nerves

Shubhankar Parijat — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 03:30:58 +0000

“Game X is better than Game Y.” “I’ll buy this game, not that one.” “Game X sucks, Game Y is much better.” Every time you go to a gaming forum, these are the kind of posts you see the most. At first, everybody enjoys them, but soon, everybody gets tired of them. We did too. Some of the ongoing “game wars” have taken a toll on us- either they make no sense at all, or either the developers/publishers or gamers have blown them out of proportion. Can’t the gaming world be a peaceful world?

Anyhow, we’ve prepared a list of six such battles that we’ve gotten the most sick of. You can list yours in your comments below.

Gears of War vs Uncharted

Who won? Who's next? You decide!

Okay, these arguments don’t even make any sense. Yes, both these franchises are flagship franchises for the two rival first party publishers. Yes, both of them rely heavily on cover based third person shooting. And yes, both these games have a lot of similarities. But at the end of the day, despite all the similarities, Uncharted and Gears of War are very different from each other. To compete them against each other would be like competing Final Fantasy and Zelda- both have many similarities with each other, but are also very different in nature.

We’ve tried to make sense of these arguments several times, but with no luck. I mean, even the protagonists are two very different people. Marcus Fenix is a burly, muscular guy who swears at everyone and kills whatever he doesn’t like, and Nathan Drake is a womanizing, likable, somewhat funny, younger version of Indiana Jones. And how do you even decide which of the two franchises is better when they’re so far apart from each other in spirit and nature? No sense at all, I tell you.

FIFA vs Pro Evolution Soccer

FIFA vs Pro Evolution Soccer is a rivalry that makes perfect sense. The two franchises have been at each other’s necks for many long years, and, well, you can’t really fault people for pitting these two together, seeing as they are basically in direct competition to each other. But after so many years of rivalry, stabbing remarks about the opposite game, senseless arguments and shootouts, rabid fanboy wars and countless horrid video features, we’ve had just a little too much of it.

We know this argument probably will not die ever, but we can still bitch about it. Both are extremely good franchises that produce enjoyable, memorable football games each year. Sometimes, one has features that the other doesn’t, and one has disadvantages that do not hinder the other game, but at the end of the day, they’re both really, really good games. So stop it with the fighting, people! Just like a Manchester United vs Chelsea argument, you’ll never ever get a straight result.

Gran Turismo vs Forza Motorosport

There are several racing simulation franchises out there in the gaming market, like DiRT and F1 and the Shift games, but the two main competitors in the genre are Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport franchise and Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise. After recent installments, people have started claiming that Forza has defeated Gran Turismo as the ultimate racing sim franchise. Many others, however, still believe that Gran Turismo is the best racing sim out there.

Our take? Why give a damn? Both are really good, excellent titles that provide with unfounded realism, enjoyable races, impressive visuals and some groundbreaking features. No one franchise is better than the other here. Yes, the weights keep tilting in favour of one or the other often, but very marginally, and at the end of the day, both remain equally good franchises that provide us car fanatics with awesome experiences.

6 Hardcore FPS To Play In The Next 6 Months

Rashid Sayed — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:05:09 +0000

2011 has been infested with first person shooters so far and if you ever that thought that will be the end of it, then think again. The big guns have not been released yet and the battle of two of the biggest franchises in the video games industry has not even begun.

Since we are more than half way through the year, we decided to make a list on six first person shooters that you should keep any eye on in the next six months. So without any delays, lets get started!

6. Bodycount

Release date: August 16th, 2011

Bodycount is considered as a spiritual successor to the visually insane game of last generation: Black. Developed by the same team, Bodycount will feature destructible environments which could actually change the course of a battle. Featuring strong co-operative and online modes, along with a new cover system that offers complete freedom, Bodycount might be one of the wild cards of 2011.

5. Call of Juarez: The Cartel

Release date: July 19th, 2011 (PS3, 360), September 13th, 2011 (PC)

Call of Juarez has always been one of my favourite ‘western themed’ franchises. The previous game, Bound in Blood, told a story of two brothers and how they eventually destroy each other. In Cartel you will be thrown in to modern Mexico as a law enforcement agent. Expect more cart chases, slo-mo shooting and a fun filled multiplayer in this cow-boy game from Techland.

4. Resistance 3

Release date: September 2011

I am a bit surprised that how Insomniac’s third entry in to the sc-fi shooter is not getting the attention and the hype it deserves. It kind of sad but at the same time it will also make sure that people won’t over expect from the game. Resistance 3 takes place four years after the surprising events of Resistance 2 and you take up the role of Capelli who has apparently given up fighting against the Chimeran forces. Expect a ton of crazy weapons, long single player campaign backed up by a solid story and a solid sixteen player online mode. The game will support 3D and the PlayStation Move.

6 Horribly Misguided Gaming Gadgets

Will Kenny — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:01:47 +0000

Some gaming gadget companies love designing new wacky peripherals to snap onto your console. Unfortunately, some of these attempts at deeper immersion, or more flexibility don’t always come out the way they weer planned. In fact, some of them are downright dangerous, and it’s all too possible to envision a old grandma taking a kick to the face, or your little brother getting punched out cold.

6. Wii Boxing Gloves

In an attempt to make your Wii Boxing experience even more intense, Everlast have come of with a unique way of hurting your fellow players using thinly padded gloves with the Wiimote and Nunchuck attached to them. While the results could be hilarious, they could also be extremely painful (moreso when peoplego for the old below-the-belt).

The Wii platform as a whole has introduced a whole new world of hurt to those young ‘uns who least expect it, but I bet you never thought playing the Wii could….

5. Wii Bowl

…get a plastic ball hurled at your $1200, 50″ TV. This Wii-Bowl is designed so that next time you play Wii Bowling you get to actually, well, bowl. It’s not supposed to actually come out of your hand, but then again neither was this dog, which some schmuck dropped off a bridge because he believed dogs could fly. However, while you’re getting punched in the face and chucking your balls around, an even worse gaming peripheral is just around the corner to….

4. Wii Light Sabers

…stab you. These two 12″ swords are not the kind of things you want waving around while playing a hack ‘n slash. When I want 30cm of plastic embedded in my eye socket, I’ll let you know, CTA Digital.

3. Guitar Hero Guitar

I bet you guys never thought about the dangers of that spiky guitar shaped cattle prod in the corner though. Unlike the many Wii peripherals, the Guitar Hero Guitar is not designed to be thrown manically around the room until it makes a firm connection with your brother’s throat; no, the Guitar is simply designed to be held and played. However, 2 teens jamming away on Guitar Hero II were more than a little shocked when they were electrocuted by a bolt of lightning firing at their house, through the guitars and into them.

2. Project Natal

We imagine that you might end up doing this to your mother as she walks into the room to find out why there are broken vases everywhere.

Totally ditching controllers in favour of basically turning your whole body into one, Natal might appear safer than controller-related motion control. But what happens when you want to try and kick someone in the face while playing Virtua Fighter?

1. Gaming Vest

So you’ve managed to punch, kick and stab yourself and others, as well as breaking every fragile object in your living room. Still looking for that masochistic satisfaction that you crave? Look no further than the gaming vest. “The vest includes a multitude of solenoids, eccentric-mass motors, and Peltier elements controlled by custom electronics” in order to simulate, ” the feeling of bullet hit [or] body impact”. Wowzers that sounds like fun. I mean, who doesn’t want the feeling of loads of tiny powerful motors trying to burrow their way inside your skin like something out of the matrix?

Still looking for ways to hurt yourself? Check out some of the wierdest games consoles ever created here.

Got feedback? Criticisms? God forbid, compliments? Email your thoughts to will@gamingbolt.com or leave a comment below.