| |
 |
| |
The day is almost here. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was one of the best shooters ever released, and gamers have been anticipating the follow up for two years. In 8 days, gamers will finally be able to get their hands on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In this preview, I'll go over everything you need to know about the game, including new game modes, campaign, and an all new co-op mode called Special Ops. Come, have a seat, and be prepared to be wowed by Modern Warfare 2.
We'll start with the single player. As you remember from Modern Warfare 1, you had to take down Imran Zakhaev and is group of Russian Ultranationalists. As you may have guessed, they are back, and even more pissed off. The new head honcho of the group is Vladimir Makarov, who was an associate to Zakhaev. He is using Zakhaev's death as a way to garner support in Russia, and unleashes his group onto the world. You play as Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, who is a member of Task Force 141. The playable character Sergeant "Soap" MacTavish returns from the first game as a captain in the Special Air Service and the head of Task Force 141. As Sgt. Sanderson, you will get to travel the world taking on the Ultranationalists, going to places like Kazakhstan, Brazil, the Middle East, and a burning Washington D.C. I'm very interested in that level. The single player looks more intense and dramatic than the first game. I hope it is longer than 5 hours this time as well.
Hit the jump for more on this awesome game...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
Let’s rewind the clock, shall we? Assassin’s Creed was revealed and everyone everywhere was incredibly interested and excited by Ubisoft’s biggest game of the year. The graphics, gameplay and the cool looking plot all got gamers pretty damn hyped for the game. Yet, when it finally was released in November, everyone was staring at it with a blank face and thinking “meh”. That pretty much summed up everyone’s feelings towards the over-hyped game. Ubisoft listened. Fast forward to the end of 2008 and Assassin’s Creed 2 will be on everyone’s mind. Will it be better than the first? Will it be more varied? Will it be more fun? Well, from all the impressions and information trickled out for the game we have three answers for you: yes, yes and yes!
The game’s premise promises to remain the same. You’re an assassin named Ezio Auditore da Firenze and you’re out to seek revenge on the person that killed your father and your town brothers. Not much is known about the plot currently, but Ubisoft have said that it will continue directly on from the original. The game is set in 15th Century Italy, meaning you’ll be visiting new locations. For example, you’ll be in and around Venice, Florence and Rome, and you can expect to see important landmarks.
Obviously, the game needs to add many improvements over the first game if Ubisoft expect it to reach the high expectations of the fans, and boy, have they added many new features to the title. What many people despised the last game for was the lack of variety in the missions and the long waits between each of them. Thankfully, this issue seems to be worked on and now accepting missions is a lot more simple. You can simply accept them on the streets of the game and some missions even have side-missions inside them, allowing you to chose different paths and ways on completing the task. Also, Ubisoft have said that there will are around 14-16 mission types in Assassin's Creed 2, which is nearly 3 times as much as the original. But with 200 missions set to appear in the final game, would that be enough variety to keep the player entertained? I sure hope so.
Read on inside...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
A year ago, many gamers were gearing up ready for Left 4 Dead, a game which was promised to be a fantastic 4 player on-line horror FPS co-op game. The game certainly delivered when it was released and many fans of the game were excited by the prospect of plentiful free downloadable content. However, 8 months later Valve made a shock announcement: Left 4 Dead 2 was coming out very soon. Many fans (and gamers) questioned the idea and presumed that Valve were cashing in on the franchise. Regardless of the controversy, Valve pushed on and argued that this game would be "bigger and better" than the first and if we know Valve, then I think we can be pretty confident that it will.
Left 4 Dead 2 won't be changing the core gameplay that was present in the first game. You play as one of four of the new characters in the game. You���ll be able to play as either Coach (original��¦) a high-school football coach; Rochelle, a news reporter for a local television station; Ellis, a mechanic; or Nick, a gambler and conman. As before, you���ll be playing from a first person prospective whilst trying to work together to escape the mutants that haunt each of the five brand new chapters in the game.
The same modes from the original also appear in the game, as well as the addition of a new mode: scavenge. Although there isn���t too much information available for the new mode, there are small snippets of information to tell. In the mode, you���ll have to try and collect as many gas canisters as possible, which are used to power the rescue houses and increase your time in the round. But whilst doing this, the infected players then have to try and stop you. It sounds like a pretty interesting addition to the game. Finally, Valve let slip of a new mode ��œrealism��� mode, but gave no details about it apart from that it���s supposed to give skilled players a challenge.
More inside...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Ripe off of the lovely demo on the Japanese Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, Bayonetta is truly pathing its way to greatness. I would highly recommend this download on either service, especially if you're a fan of Devil May Cry or are feeling ready to become a believer. Where Bayonetta succeeds greatest is in its diverse, but easily-caught control system and its unabashedly, hilariously over-the-top action. As of the demo, one area where the game suffers somewhat is the story, told through these keyhole like cutscenes that parody film from prior to the cinema era displaying on running tape, static images and with minor close-ups or animations to liven things up.
On the battle system, it really does work wonders for the game which is good, as it's an essential part of every action game. Every button is aligned to some action or other and it all works fluently enough, although I find myself reaching for (X) quite a bit to punch, rather than (Y) or (B); this does however have little effect on what happens on-screen..
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| There is nothing more metal than fire breathing dragons |
I've been watching Brutal Legend for sometime now. After the whole Activision-Blizzard buyout, Brutal's future was in doubt. Vivendi Games was originally supposed to publish the game, but after Activision bought out Blizzard, Activision decided it didn't want the game. Then along comes the savior, EA Games. Now, being released October 13, Brutal Legend's goal is to be the most metal game ever made. Does it succeed? Yes, it succeeds hardcore.
The game is about a roadie named Eddie Riggs (played perfectly by Jack Black). He is the best roadie in the industry, and is a huge fan of metal. After an accident at a concert, Eddie's blood awakens an ancient demon that takes him to a mythical world inspired by metal music. Everything is darker, and has a big influence from music. One of Eddie's weapons is a guitar that he uses to electrocute enemies and set them on fire. His other weapon is an axe that he can use to literally rip enemies apart. This game is not intended for little children. The game curses a lot to have more authentic dialogue between roadies. Did I also mention the extreme violence? Yeah, this game is definitely metal!
Continue reading about this metal game.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| It's all fun and games until a car blows up |
With the release of the demo on Tuesday, I've had myself plenty of time to get to grips with the game. After tearing up the tarmac with every car and trying everything there is to do in the -limited- demo, I thought it would be great to find out my demo impressions of the game in case you're still not quite sure what all the fuss is about.
I just want to point out that I am not, in any way, a fan of motorcar racing, nor am I particularly fond of racing games in general. So there's noway I will be even slightly bias towards the game because of the genre. But anyway, I have to say what I did play left me very, very impressed.
Like I said, the demo is quite "limited" in terms of what you actually get to play. Although there are 5 cars to chose - from the 400 available in the final game - within the demo, there is sadly only 1 track you can race on. It doesn't really give a sense of how much there will be in the game, and I was slightly disappointed by the lack of choice within the demo. Demo or not, would've been nice to of seen one or two more tracks in the game - that would've really got me drooling at the mouth for the game. Nevertheless, that one track did leave me very impressed, and the demo clearly worked as it really did leave me wanting more.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| Why aren't they fighting? |
For all you lucky readers in Europe, FIFA '10 is just around the corner. You will be able to get your hands on the game October 2. But for us in North America, we still have about a month for the full game to be released. That doesn't mean we can't be excited for the game, though. After getting a lot of hands-on time with the demo, I think I can safely say that FIFA '10 will be better than FIFA '09, something that I thought would be an extremely difficult feat.
Lets start off with the biggest feature of FIFA '10: 360 degree dribbling. The previous FIFA games limited the player to an axis where players could only dribble eight ways. With 360 degree dribbling, you are given more control over the players, plus it is more fluid and realistic looking. While watching videos of FIFA '10, you can see the 360 degree dribbling, but when you pick up a controller and experience it yourself, it is a whole new feeling. Everything feels more smooth, and grounded. This sounds weird, but players feel heavy when you control them. It is a huge improvement over FIFA '09.
Continue reading for more on FIFA '10
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Forza Motorsport 3 went gold this week, and I'm going to preview the three main elements of the game.
Racing
The racing aspect of Forza is one of the best I know, having played Gran Turismo on the Playstation and Need for Speed on the PC. In my early days, I was hooked on both games, but back then more realism wasn't possible.
Until now. Forza's way of racing is nice, and well thought out. You can go and race the hottest cars all over the globe with just a push on the right trigger, and the game will auto break and aid in turning. Or, for the more hardcore racer, you could turn every thinkable assist off, and drive the car like you would in real life.
The damage on cars is very noticeable, you'll even be able to see the slightest scratch on the chassis. You could flip over, land on your side and slide off the hill until you stop, and then press rewind to watch it over and over again.
The rewind fuction is great way to learn how to drive in Forza 3. If you screw something up in a turn, just press rewind until right before the turn,
and you can take the turn again, without any loss of time, but your time on the leaderboards will become unverified.
More inside...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Fall is on the way, and that means that we can expect a new Guitar Hero game. Technically speaking, this will be the eighth Guitar Hero game. It is called Guitar Hero 5 because it is the fifth full game, I think. I'm not really sure anymore. Anyway, you don't care about the number or name. You want to know about the game. It is Guitar Hero, so you know what the core gameplay will be like. But Neversoft and Activision has put a lot of work into the game to make sure you aren't playing the same game you played last year. With new features, 85 songs, updated graphics, and the ability to have multiple same instruments playing at once, this Guitar Hero is looking like it could be the best Guitar Hero by Neversoft.
The biggest feature of Guitar Hero 5 is drop in/drop out gameplay. If you set the game in party mode, the game will randomly play songs from the set list. So if you are having a little get together, let Guitar Hero be your radio. But if a song comes up that someone wants to play, it would be a pain to have to go to the main menu, find the song again, get everyone ready, and start playing. Not this year. Just pick up the guitar, press start, choose your difficulty, and you automatically start playing. It is a really neat feature. Once you are done, you can just drop out of the game, or if you pass the instrument onto a less or more skilled player, you can change the difficulty on the fly. Neversoft has put a lot of work into making the game more accessible to the more casual players. There is no limit to the number of instruments you use this year as well. So if you have three people wanting to play lead guitar, or four people wanting to play drums, or two people sing, you now have that option. Guitar Hero 5 has almost no limits in the way to play.
Hit the jump for more info on this rock 'n roll game. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Over the years, Batman has had the spotlight of the cinema and comic world with its portrayals of the dark knight, but rarely has there been a good game based on our favourite hero. Now, Rocksteady Studios has stepped up to try and deliver a truly memorable experience, aiming to combine the charm of the comic books with entertaining gameplay. Judging from the latest demo [on XBL now – go play] and early impressions, it seems like they’ve been successful; could this be the first Batman game to live up to the heralded franchise?
To start, the storyline of this game is a massive departure from previous games. Covering a new arc in the series where Joker (voice provided by an emasculating Mark Hamil) escapes his guards whilst entering Arkham Asylum: he traps Batman in this creepy, gothic environment, filled with escaped prisoners, monstrous creatures that were before being kept safely in the prison. All the while, our bat is locked in a battle of wills with the Joker... |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is the latest World War 2 airborne dog fighter game from 505 Games and Gaijin Entertainment. The game’s been on my radar (pun slightly intended) for some time now, and with the game coming out at the start of September, I thought now would be a great time to look at why a lot of us should be looking forward to it.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is based around large-scale and open-sky combat as well as the ground military operations of World War 2. In the game, you’ll be able to take control and fight in some of the most famous fighter planes from that era. You’ll be able to take control of battle planes and heavy bombers across an array of missions. The game will see you taking battle across Europe in five different theatres of war: The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun.
Gaijin Entertainment have really taken advantage of the amount of power the Xbox 360 gives them and have created a fantastic game engine, to make the experience even more realistic. Aircraft stress will appear on the plane and damage taken to the aircraft will be shown accordingly. Get a few bullets threw your wings and you’ll see the holes which have damaged you and you’ll notice that controlling your aircraft will be that much harder.
More after the jump. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
The joining of one of the most popular bands of all time and one of the most popular video games of all time is almost upon us. The Beatles: Rock Band is coming out in a little less than a month, and fans are eagerly waiting in anticipation to get their hands on the game. The Beatles: Rock Band is aiming to be the most popular music game to date, and with how the game is shaping up, it looks like it could be possible.
Beatles: Rock Band features 45 songs from The Beatles music catalog. Unlike other games that focus on one band, The Beatles: Rock Band will only feature music from The Beatles. Of the 45 songs, Harmonix has named 27 of the songs already. You will be able to play songs like "Twist and Shout," "Yellow Submarine" and one of my favorites, "Paperback Writer."
The career mode in Beatles: Rock Band is a different than the previous versions of Rock Band. You will play through The Beatles' career, and play in different venues that The Beatles played in. The career mode starts in the Cavern Club where The Beatles first started. From there, you will play on the Ed Sullivan show, then Shea Stadium, head to Japan and play in Budokan, retreat to Abbey Road Studios, and then end it all with the famous Rooftop Concert. Each song is associated with each venue, so you won't be able to play Twist and Shout at Budokan. But there is a reason for that. Each song and venue represents a different time period for The Beatles, so Harmonix thought it would be weird to make you play in random venues |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
There will always be a constant battle between the English and the Australian when it comes to cricket, especially when it comes to The Ashes. With the Ashes currently underway, Codemasters have taken the opportunity and given Transmission Games the chance to create Ashes Cricket 2009. Baxy-Z will take a detailed look into how the game’s shaping up.
The game is shaping up to feature a ton of features for cricket fans. Not only can you play through the entire Ashes tournament as either Australia or England, but you’ll also be able to part-take in the Test Cricket tournaments - which cricket fans will know are the lead up to the final test. You’ll also be able to take part in One Day Internationals, as well as Twenty20.
Not only will you be able to play the sport in the game, you’ll be able to edit and create own your players in addition to your final team before taking them out onto the pitch. If you’re having trouble playing or just aren’t all that familiar with cricket, then there’s ‘Legends’ coaching available for you. Here you will learn how to play the game and get to grips to the rules, so even now people new to the sport will be able to pick it up quickly. Finally, if you’re in the mood for a bout of cricket with friends, you’ll be able to create your own tournament. Hopefully in the final game you’ll be able to play them through Xbox Live.
More Inside...
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
The concept of ‘Spolsion Man is simple: activate chain explosions of your own body to reach high ledges and progress through each level of the game. Sounds simple, but it’s certainly very addictive and because of the strange, yet exciting concept. I was able to have a brief play of the game, and I came away with mixed feelings. Read on to find out more.
The opening cinematic gives you the basic story behind the game. “Spolsion Man” was a scientific experiment that had gone wrong and out of control and now you - Spolsion Man - is on a mission to break free from the scientists. Of course, with my brief time with the demo, there’s the possibility the story shall get a little more complex.
As I keep saying, the game I very simple, and that is portrayed in the controls. Either A,B,X or Y act as your ‘explode’ button, with the control stick moving you left, right, up or down. Tapping the explode button will erupt Spolsion Man up to 3 times, with each time gaining more and more height or distance.
The simplicity is there for anyone to be able to pick up, but things were made a little more interesting in the demo when exploding barrels were included in the game. As we all know, they were made for videogames to do one thing: explode on impact. The same is said here in Spolsion Man, but this time instead of damaging you, used in successful timing, you can reach far off distances because of the increased velocity of the explosion.
However, because of the minimalism style the game takes, the demo wasn’t really that varied and unfortunately I don’t see the remaining 47 levels taking a new direction either. The demo felt repetitive, but hopefully the final game doesn’t. Nevertheless, the levels are broken down into segments and boss fights are present throughout the game.
More Inside.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Monsters, goblins, Yetis and giant swords… what more could you possibly ask for in a game? The perfect medieval fantasy for young teenagers all wrapped up in one game. That pretty much sums up the feeling of Overlord II.
When you first download the game and delve into what you have to play about with, you’ll notice the cute and unique charm the game carries. You’ll be kicked straight into a beautiful CGI cutscene plotting out some simple story before you to get to grips with everything you need to know. Cheeky and slap-stick humour is chucked in their to keep you amused whilst tackling the game, which admittedly make me chuckle once or twice. And for once, you’ll be on the side of evil!
The game plays much like the first - although to me it still feels a bit clunky. You can use magic or attack with your axe to wipe out any enemies or obstacles which will attempt to stop you progressing through the dank caverns or ice plains. You’ll also be able to take control of up to 15 goblins to help you fight off the Yeti which constantly caused you trouble in the demo.
I was instantly reminded of Pikmin (a game from the Gamecube) when first playing Overlord II. The control scheme and gameplay concept is very close to it. However, like I’ve already said, the game feels somewhat clunky; you’ll be tapping buttons on your controller expecting some reaction yet nothing happens on-screen. Frustrating to say the least, especially in the heat of battle with a bunch of violent pirates.
More after the jump.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Welcome to Baxy-Z - Site version 3.0.2
Currently our registration system is down. We'll be fixing the problem as soon as possible. Thanks for the understanding!
We've currently launched site version 3.0.2; please see this link for more details.
|
|
.png "Back to the top of the page")