Yesterday, I was at the Tekken 6 Launch Party in Hawthorne, CA for a lot of console Tekken 6 goodness. I got there hella early for parking reasons as they were barely setting up as it took place at some random gym inside a hangar near Hawthorne Airport. At first, it seemed kind of crazy it is taking place inside something like that, but it worked out in the end despite starting a hour late, which is expected. Once it got started, I went to the VIP room right away to grab some free food and then it is a lot of playing of console Tekken 6 action for the rest of the night. There was free swag given out at various times of the event as I got a poster, Raven arm sleeves (which I'm rocking now) and Heihachi hair. I wished I got a Tapout Tekken 6 shirt because they look cool and obviously a free copy of the game in which they were raffling it to a few people. There was even a tournament for the Limited Edition stick bundle, but I'll talk about that later.
A good amount of people showed to this launch party even though it was not a packed house, which was cool and why it is very chill playing as much as I can whether casuals or the tournament itself. Obviously the SoCal Tekken scene showed up in force from MYK, Rip, SuikenUser, Aris, ChetChetty, and many more regulars from Video 94 and Super Arcade. Even some of the Street Fighter IV scene from SoCal showed up such as Alex Valle, Ken I, Mike Ross, StarSlay3r, Gootecks, Shoo and his girlfriend Naomi, Sanchez, Warren, Vic the Slick, and others. Of course I gotta hand it to MarkMan for putting the event together under short notice along with the ActiveGamersLA staff from DJ Vest and Hugo. Also, Get Your Tournament was there doing their thing as well taking pictures, doing interviews, and shooting random videos. There was a DJ doing his thing as well even though no one cared about that since its all about playing and hanging out with great people.
I had a great time playing casuals throughout the night against fellow Tekken players that are the same level as me as well as some of the Street Fighter folks that are willing to learn the game like Mike Ross, Alex Valle, who was the Tekken Tag champion at one point along with being a SoCal Street Fighter legend, and KillerKai. There were lots of setups (both PS3 and 360) for players to mess around with along with sticks and controllers. Namco Bandai was also there providing support for the event with the swag wagon and other stuff. A big HD setup was at the VIP room too, which was cool. Of course I was rolling with Bryan and Paul the whole time doing things I have been doing since Bloodline Rebellion was out at arcades. I'm willing to learn new things once I get to practice mode when I get the game on Tuesday (I didn't win a free copy = oh well).
The 64-man tournament happened as well being single game and single elimination, which I didn't mind to speed things up a bit. The grand prize was the Limited Edition stick bundle which was 150 bucks. I competed along with the best SoCal Tekken players and some Street Fighter 4 folks that are curious. The stream was showing the tournament too, so I was in it (the video above) for a bit. I'm playing matches at 2 hours and 55 minutes into the video and also 3 hours and 51 minutes into it. I rolled with Bryan for this launch party tourney as I won my first one against some Eddy player Mike C. Things went my way in that match, but I lost my next one against a Christie player Smash. It was a close match and a nailbiter coming down to the final round, but its all good. With a lot of Eddy/Christie players around here in SoCal, I'm starting to get used to them more seeing their shenanigans other than mashing kick the whole time dancing like a freak. Some of the big hitters were out early, but it was Aris, a top Dragunov player, who won the whole thing beating IronChef for the title. Even though the tourney setup was in 480i for stream purposes, complaints about the lag were definitely heard, but all of us pretty much dealed with it and didn't mind since the tourney was free to enter having more good times.
I actually decided to leave the launch party before midnight when the tournament was still going on, but I still had a fun time the whole night playing a lot of console Tekken 6 for the first time. I can't wait for Tuesday when I get it for myself to hopefully level up to get better (Yes, I'm still taking a break from Street Fighter IV, haven't been playing that for a while already). Its always nice to see my friends from both the Tekken scene and the Street Fighter scene especially when we are at an open basketball court trying to make half court shots (Damn u AJ and Warren!). Its about time Tekken is in the spotlight once again and I hope Tekken 6 is as successful as Street Fighter IV bringing the HYPE to the masses.
Please note: The videos in this review may contain spoilers, so watch at your own risk as well as the review itself may have some too.
There are so many words I can describe Uncharted 2: Among Thieves: awesome, amazing, epic, mesmerizing, breathtaking, mind-blowing, suspenseful, and lastly gaming perfection. While the first Uncharted was a great start for the franchise, this sequel is everything it could of been in the first place as it is way better than the original. Everything is improved tenfold from the story, the combat, the graphics, and everything else. This game is filled with so many memorable moments from beginning to end that no other game has even matched that same high quality the developers Naughty Dog have put into this amazing sequel. It is better than any summer blockbuster movie out in recent years (yes, I include Star Trek, Transformers, Dark Knight, etc.) Only a handful of games can define a console generation and Uncharted 2 is not only one of them, it is arguably the best game I have played this decade.
The story for Uncharted 2 is pretty simple. You play as the adventurous Nathan Drake as he attempts to solve the whereabouts of Marco Polo and the entrance to the hidden city of Shambhala to find the legendary Cintamani Stone. Your comrades from the first game return with Sully and Elena, who will be around later in the game. This sequel introduces new characters with Chloe, who used to love Drake in the past and a fellow treasure hunter as well having arguably the best looking ass in a game ever. The bad guy this time around is Zoran Lazarevic, a sadistic war criminal that is willing to get what we wants which the same thing Nate and the gang are going after, but obviously for different and evil intentions. The whole storyline is what you expect out of a high budget summer blockbuster movie, but Naughty Dog did a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters as more humanized having true reactions to everything they experience rather than filling up a generic slot. You do get a sense of attachment for these characters especially everything that Drake deals with his Indiana Jones-like persona in which you are motivated to get the task done. Just like the first game, expect a lot of twists and turns throughout the single player journey. Once the story is over, you feel like you experienced the best game and movie at the same time.
While the first game's combat of cover-based gunplay and melee fights were both great, they were both flawed because the enemies took the punishment not realistically. It is fixed in Uncharted 2 with better results. Shooting at the opposition feels very natural now as a headshot is an instant kill with the tougher armored henchmen being exceptions. Even though you face the same enemies throughout the game, it progressively gets harder as the weapons get better too. The enemy A.I. also has improved significantly as they will provide a fight at any time hoping in and out of cover, throwing grenades to make you move, and they will flank you as well so you gotta keep moving to stay alive. Good thing the melee system has improved too with more moves at your disposal to defeat enemies up close especially the stealth mechanic as well choking enemies from behind as an example. Of course other than the fighting and shooting are the platforming elements in which they work fine as well. The amount of puzzles compared to the first game have dropped, but they dropped in quantity not quality as these are still brillantly designed puzzles as your journal is your guide towards completing them. The treasure collecting also return as well being scattered throughout the game to find as there are 100 of them. Also, the checkpoint system is as generous as it has been like the first game too being lots of them and not too spaced out. The developers definitely amped up the action to eleven perhaps even further even though there is a good amount of platforming and puzzle solving.
What sets Uncharted 2 apart from other similar games is the amount of memorable moments and setpieces from beginning to end. At first you may think a certain scene will be just another cutscene, but you are actually this part and living it rather than watching it. With all the epic setpieces this game offers, all you can say is holy *** that was awesome and no other game I can think of at this point can match the intensity these setpieces deliver. From falling buildings, bridge collapses, train hopping, and a crazy vehicle chase scene, Uncharted 2 delivers the perfect marriage of gameplay and entertainment. Especially for highly anticipated games like this, you totally feel like you just want to keep playing to see what happens and that is indeed the case. The game goes on a beautiful and perfect pace spacing out the the big enemy encounters, platforming sections, and puzzles. Sometimes, after completing some of these memorable moments you ask yourself, did I just do that? On the normal difficulty, the game can be beaten in eight to ten hours, which works fine, as the game does get a little tough in the end and it would take longer to beat on hard and crushing difficulties.
Other than the single player, Uncharted 2 does offer a big team-based multiplayer component of a max of ten players that is five on five and it is actually pretty fun being better than most shooters out there today that have multiplayer. Everything that you can do in the single player from the shooting and the neck braking can be done against other players online. The standard modes are there online for players to mess with from deathmatch, elimination, capture the flag (called Plunder), king of the hill, and territory-type games (Turf War and Chain Reaction). The objective-based games definitely have that Uncharted twist especially adding the platforming to all the seven maps currently available. Just like any other big multiplayer game these days, there is a level up system that consists of gaining money by getting kills and medals for certain tasks being done (there is a medal system for the single player as well), a Call of Duty 4-like perk system with boosters giving you special abilities from aiming better with long guns or dropping a grenade after you die Martyrdom style. Also expected for games like this are a party system of letting your friends join along easier and playlist options of what to play from deathmatch-only, objective-only, to ranked games which have their own skill level. If you do not feel like playing against others online or wanting a break from the versus action, there is also co-op with up to three players going through certain areas of the single player game together with somewhat of a different storyline. Co-op is its own thing with different gameplay twists like a multiplier that increases by killing enemies gaining more points and the enemy A.I. also being no slouch like the single player even on the easy difficulty as they can kill you by shooting or by getting choked from behind if you don't get rescued by a teammate. If a player is temporarily down, they can be revived to get back in the action, but if all players die, the team loses a life and starts over at the nearest checkpoint (if the team loses all their lives, the game ends). Other than regular co-op, there is a survival "Horde-like" mode for teammates to mess with trying to survive ten levels of increasingly difficult enemies. The community features are also present from a replay mode that can be uploaded to the official web site, photo mode, and even Twitter support to letting your tweets be related towards your game as a whole. Whether playing co-op or versus multiplayer, you will have a blast online with friends as well as shooting other online players away for weeks and maybe even months.
I had not even mention the graphics yet in Uncharted 2 and how amazing it looks. This is the best looking game I have played in this generation of consoles and it just looks too good. Everything runs perfectly at a smooth framerate even with all the frantic action happening. The environments themselves are breathtaking sights as if they are real and the character models look awesome too showcasing their emotions. Even the draw distance is jaw-dropping when being at a top of a mountain looking at the Borneo jungle below and the top of a building in Nepal looking at the ruined city below that sometimes you just have to stop and look around. The animations also top notch showcasing true human emotion rather than some robotic clumsy moments that climbing ledges, falling off cliffs, and so on. This game is meant to be played on a big screen HD television as playing it in standard definition, you are missing out on the true beauty of this game. It is truly a visual and graphical masterpiece for both the single and multiplayer games.
As for the sound, Uncharted 2 delivers an amazing theatrical quality soundtrack filled with epicness with these big enemy encounters and setpieces happen. It is very orchestral reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. Not only the music is something special, the voice overs are among the best I heard in a while. They truly nail their characters perfectly like Nolan North reprising his role as Nathan Drake. He makes Drake feel alive like any other normal human being It is filled with so many lines from the in-game cutscenes to even random chatter while walking around and the co-op too. The other sound effects from the shooting and atmospheric sounds are also top of the line too being extremely polished.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is what I call "the game of the generation." It is everything the first game should of been and all the improvements made are perfect. It is definitely a feature-heavy game from the epic single player journey that takes eight to ten hours to beat on the normal difficulty and the endless replay value of multiplayer and co-op with its level up and booster system. I don't think any other game out now looks as good as Uncharted 2 as it is best looking game out in years with the jaw-dropping graphics. In addition, the sound is also the best of the business with awesome voice-overs and an epic theatrical soundtrack. Is it the definitive killer app for the Playstation 3? I think so because it has everything a gamer would want these days, which is a superb shooter that delivers from beginning to end by epic setpieces and intense enemy encounters. Sure, some decisions that Naughty Dog made into the game were not for the better like the stealth section in the beginning of the game and a game freezing bug near the end of the game, but those are really minor complaints. Uncharted 2 is simply gaming perfection and deserves to be played no matter what whether or not you have a PS3... you just to have to play this game to experience the amazing. Lastly, this game is truly one of my favorite games of all-time now.
Score = 10/10
Pros:
Breathtaking single-player campaign (8 to 10 hours long)
Epic setpieces to experience that are better than any summer blockbuster movie out this year
The best graphics I have seen this decade.
Amazing soundtrack and voice-overs
Endless replay value with versus multiplayer and co-op
Simply "gaming perfection"
Cons:
None - please play this game no matter what whether or not you have a PS3.
Alright, I should of wrote this earlier, but oh well (busy with things like school and Uncharted 2 - so good!). Anyway, I was at Pasadena again for Street Fighter Bar Fights II, aka the sequel to Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez's brainchild of an epic Street Fighter event. As if the first one was crazy enough, Bar Fights II was a crazy success among how many people showed up (the line was already long three hours before it actually started). Luckily, I bought myself a VIP pass to skip that line and go straight in to Jake's, again the venue for this event, to the VIP area. It was a Street Fighter IV-filled weekend for me because it was like I disappeared within the SoCal scene for two weeks and it felt like a long time. From Friday night at Arcade Infinity as Arturo "Sabin" Sanchez was wrecking dudes fresh off his level up campaign at Japan (I did play him one game and got wrecked as well), to the big show itself it was just a great time seeing all my friends from the SoCal Street Fighter scene as well as meeting new faces too.
Even some of the big wigs of the scene recognized me like Dogface, who MCed the event again, as that guy is cool and energetic every time I see him providing the jokes during the event (Dogface Show is returning soon too = Yes!), and James "JChensor" Chen, who has been around the scene for like forever as well. I also had a chance to meet the East Coast peeps "aka team Empire Arcadia" like Arturo, who I mentioned already, Marn, who I saw already at West Coast Warzone winning that and loves California (yes he does), Sanford Kelly, arguably the best Cammy player in the U.S., "ILoveU" Joe, the non-Empire member there and the East Coast's best Sagat player, and the man himself Justin Wong, now with brown hair. They're all nice dudes once you get to know them. Along with East Coast coming to town, NorCal and San Diego is there as well from Magus1234, who switched to Zangief from Viper the last time I saw him at West Coast Warzone, Filipino Champ, aka the hypest Filipino I know from Northern California rocking the Dhalsim, Yeb, aka the Gen master, and the infamous MarkMan himself from SDTekken.com and MadCatz. I chatted with MarkMan for a bit about the event itself and of course Tekken 6, since it will be the hotness at the end of the month (more on that later). Other than that, it was just great catching up with friends I haven't seen in weeks like Ciji aka StarSlay3r, who I haven't seen since the Ladies of SF4 tournament being busy with the Guitar Hero/Rock Band thing, traveling to PAX/Mexico/Japan, and more, as well as Mike Ross, still the nicest man you'll ever meet, and others. Of course it is nice seeing the regulars again from Keno, his girlfriend Teresa (her birthday was that day as that couple looked fabulous there), Shoo and his girlfriend Naomi (picture of those four above), Sherryjenix (aka "No You Cannot!"), Sanchez, Luka, Bebop, Dae, KillerKai, Colin aka Fade Out, ComboJack, Jeremy aka Vicious (aka "twin?"), DJ Vest, Hugo101, Vic the Slick, ChaiThai, Warren, Anna, the Get Your Tournament crew (Glenn, Kara, AJ, Kelly, and Cami), and many more I probably can't remember now.
The Beat A Pro Challenge returned and started off the event as there were lots of stations for players to face off against the main eventers (Justin, Alex Valle, Sanford, Arturo, Joe, Marn, Mike Ross, Edma, Ken I, and Combofiend) for an opportunity to win 100 bucks. I didn't really go there to attempt to do so since it was crowded like mad with players playing and watching. I think at that time I was just hanging out at the VIP area drinking a beer or something like that. I did stop by the area once in time to see Joe lose once and randomly played a game against Gootecks with the MadCatz SE sticks (that went quick and I lost). There were also drawings throughout the event for prizes like posters, shirts, stick art, and the grand prize being two Round 2 Tournament Edition sticks autographed at the main eventers (Dope!!! and I didn't win = :C) After Beat a Pro, the exhibition matches started proper as I hanged out with Bebop, Luka, and Ultradavid to watch the shenanigans unfold on top of pool tables (no joke).
Magus1234 (Zangief) & Filipino Champ (Dhalsim) def. UTJ (Dhalsim) & (Bryant the Tyrant) - These guys started things off and they were good matches. At first, seeing Magus switch to Zangief from Viper was crazy to me, but it seemed like he got his Zangief skills on lock beating Johann "UTJ" and Bryant easily. Bryant has been on the rise with his Balrog knowing how to do "jab ultra consistently" (I think). Seeing the Dhalsim mirror between Filipino Champ and UTJ was interesting as well since mirror matches are pretty self-explanatory. GS to NorCal for winning this one.
Yeb (Gen) defeats Tatsu (Vega) 5-2 - This matchup between these two is one I wanted to see because not features two characters you don't expect and two of the most talented players in SoCal. It is always great seeing Yeb's Gen in action executing his chop combos with ease (using his stick as a piano), but Tatsu's Vega is no slouch being the premier Vega in SoCal. Once Yeb got things going, it is hard for Tatsu to bring things back as you can hear Bebop getting advice left and right. Vega let Gen jump in too much and that could of been countered by standing roundhouse I think. Anyway, the match video is available to check out below, but these two players put on a great show with the two most unexpected characters.
Killerkai defeats shglbmx to become the new Roseball champion - Roseball "aka THIS GAME IS SO GOOD as Kai would say it" returned in better form as more Rose mindgames were put on the table other than standard Roseball. From EX reflects, FADCs, and other stuff, it looked Roseball evolved into something else. Anyway, Eliver "Killerkai" Ling took this one home against now former champ shglbmx. Yes, Roseball is still hella exciting to watch once the rallies go longer.
Kai (El Fuerte) defeats Shady K (Ryu) - This match was announced the night before, but it was a still a great match with these guys regardless. Kai still has the best Fuerte that I know of (and apparently still hates Street Fighter IV) and Shady K has been a consistent top player in the SF4 scene lately finishing top 8 at Evo with his Akuma, but decided to go to Ryu this time. Except going with Ryu didn't work in his favor as people thought Kai's Fuerte shenanigans brought him the victory.
Team East Coast (Marn, "ILoveUJoe," Sanford, Arturo, and Justin Wong) def. Team West Coast (Mike Ross, Ken I, Combofiend, Edma, and Alex Valle) 10-1.
The main event is what we have been waiting for since Evo 2009 and it turned out to be complete and total annihilation by the East Coast over the West Coast (as Glenn from GYT says, "Murder's Row"). I did expect EC to win it because of their stacked lineup by a close margin over WC, but I didn't expect the complete ownage they laid out. At first, there were signs of hope with Mike Ross (Honda) against Marn (Viper), but Marn laid out first blood from the get go. Ken I (Rufus) couldn't do anything against Joe's "safe" Sagat playstyle and Combofiend going with Abel against Sanford's Cammy was an interesting choice as Sanford's Cammy rushdown was too much for Peter to get things going. Another sign of hope of Edma (Akuma) nailing a Raging Demon ultra through Arturo's (Dhalsim) ultra which made the crowd go crazy. Then, Justin (Rufus) defeated Alex Valle (Ryu) easily to close out the 1st set and sweep for the East Coast.
The West Coast team was allowed to change up their order for the second set, but it still was not enough to beat the East Coast team's domination. The last sign of hope for the West Coast team was Alex barely beating Joe preventing the total sweep as if WC still had a chance, but nope. Sanford beats Combo again, Arturo defeats Ken I despite the matchup not being in Dhalsim's favor, Justin owned Ed, and then Marn finished it off against Alex. It was still a great main event to watch, but seeing East Coast destroying the West Coast easily demoralized the crowd into silence. Still though, GS to Marn, Joe, Sanford, Arturo, and Justin for getting it done while the West Coast team had a "bad day at work" as Alex Valle would say it. The East Coast/West Coast smack talk on internet forums escalated again after this happened the way it did and those who support the EC deserve to talk smack after the dominating performance. Despite that, it is still a game and we all love it, but if Evo and West Coast Warzone weren't wakeup calls for the top SoCal players, Bar Fights II definitely was.
After the main event ended, people started to leave even though a bonus challenge for the winning East Coast team was laid out by Gootecks with another team of five (himself, Tatsu, Yeb, Kai, and Shady K). The EC guys were allowed to use their secondary or other characters so Sanford used Dan as an example and Justin used Fei Long. It was getting a late too on a Sunday, so I left before that went going. This contest went a little better for the West Coast, but East Coast still won using their other characters.
In the end, Bar Fights II was a great event regardless of the results with East Coast coming in to our house and owning. I had a great time personally just hanging out with all my friends in the whole Street Fighter scene as they are great people and having drinks as well. Get Your Tournament provided the amazing coverage for the event from photos, videos, interviews, and podcasts. The event was handled better than last time from the VIP area, free drinks, free appetizers from Jake's, streaming of the matches, and more. Thanks again to Gootecks and the crew that helped for putting ever another amazing event as well as my friends for more good times. As for what's next for me with Street Fighter IV? Well, I'm taking a break from the game to focus more on Tekken 6 since console versions are out at the end of the month and the SoCal arcade scene is slowly evolving seeing more people compete in Video 94 tournaments. I'm willing to get better at Tekken again by playing more against the regulars and hopefully learning a thing of two other than improving on fundamentals (spacing, techs, okis, hit confirms, frame data). I'll be still around the Street Fighter scene because of my friends from random trips to AI, AI Ranbat 2.6, and other events. Check back this post for more video and other stuff that I missed.
So I went to Best Buy yesterday before Street Fighter Bar Fights II to try out DJ Hero, out in the end of the month (the 27th). It took me some tries to get used to the gameplay mechanics and turntable controls, but I eventually got the hang of it playing it again today. I'll explain this in detail after I quickly mention my thoughts about Band Hero.
I played a demo of Band Hero for a bit (more like two songs), which is pretty much Guitar Hero 5 for the pop generation with easier songs. Out of the six songs playable, I played "Love Story" by Taylor Swift (yes I did, don't hate) and "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson on Expert guitar. Band Hero has the Guitar Hero 5 features like drop-in drop-out gameplay with more players joining at any time as well as I think multiplayer with the same instruments. If you played any Guitar Hero game so far, Band Hero is no different, but a little easier because of the pop-ish songs in the game (Don't expect any crazy metal stuff in this). I feel like this game will get a lot of sales because its Guitar Hero and it has Taylor Swift as a playable character in the game. Plus, it has the most popular song out on the radio now, "You Belong to Me," too as if you heard enough of this song already (Not hating - I see why people love it especially my friends lol). Band Hero is out early next month for the obvious platforms.
DJ Hero, on the other hand, is a completely different game despite having "Hero" on the title. The demo has three mixes available for single DJing as well as the guitar/DJ feature in which I didn't try. Those mixes are "Grapevine"/"Feel Good Inc.," "Give It to Me"/"Hollaback Girl," and "Boom Boom Pow"/"Satisfaction." My favorite so far is actually the Black Eyed Peas and Benny Benassi mix. Three difficulties are available to try out with Easy, Medium, and Hard. I jumped to Normal at the gate to mess with the controls. Yesterday, I was one and two starring mixes since I was learning it, but after today, I can three and four star mixes easily on Normal with the feeling Hard won't that bad (check the video below for that). Also, there is no failure at all, so even if you screw up horribly, you'll probably get a star or two. The notechart you will see with these mixes go by this: green and blue buttons let the songs flow and you hold the button with a long note comes up to scratch at the same time while the red button on the middle is the effect button in which a long note comes up to allow various effects (I prefer the horn) to be optionally used. What makes and brakes your skill level is your ability to use the crossfader as there are three lines as seen in the gameplay and you have move it left or right pending what is ahead. The fader itself can be loose at times trying to get it at the right level because if not, you lose your combo and such. I didn't realize how important the fading is till actually playing the game and it does play a key role on being successful. As long as you know to fade effectively, you'll be fine playing DJ Hero at any difficulty. There is also the euphoria mechanic, which is pretty much star power hitting a certain stretch of notes in a row to gain it and then pressing the euphoria button (it will flash once you have to some to double your multiplier since the game scores you throughout the song). The rewind is there too also gained by having a note streak, but timing it at the wrong time can lead to the combo being lost especially if you over spin the turntable because I did that twice . The game itself looks pretty good with the art style they want to portray. The mixes themselves also sound fine as well as of course you will find some songs you'll love and hate when the final game comes out.
After playing it for like a hour now, I'm sold on DJ Hero as a game and a learning experience. Once you get the hang of it learning the controls, it is really fun. The learning curve does not seem as daunting as I thought as it was pretty much pick up and play after a song or two for me. At least I know for a fact that this game is the real deal, but I highly recommend going to a store like Best Buy and try for yourself if its your thing before it comes out at the end of the month. As I mentioned the last time I talked about DJ Hero, I'm not buying it right away, but I would buy it in December if there is still copies around.
Today, I finally decided to create a Japanese Playstation Store account more specifically to play a demo for a game I have been waiting for ever since it was announced which is Bayonetta by Sega and Platinum Games. Bayonetta is a Japanese stylized 3rd person action game and the man behind the first Devil May Cry, Mr. Kamiya. Right away, you can tell that it is pretty much Devil May Cry with a chick that looks like Sarah Palin (or maybe more MILF?). However, this game is more than just some DMC clone as Bayonetta hopes to blow away the competition the genre offers now (DMC4, Dante's Inferno, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, God of War III). So far from playing the demo, this is way up my alley being one of my favorite genres of gaming, but playing as Bayonetta herself, you just feel like you want to kill things with style.
Bayonetta's gameplay is simple if you ever played something like Devil May Cry. Enemies show up and she has to do crazy things to defeat them. Her signature guns (that come out of her heels - this is true) are her primary weapons being sexy, stylish, and awesome all at the same time. If you time your dodging against enemy attacks, you will automatically activate witch time, which causes the enemies to go on slowmo while you keep being a badass. Melee attacks can be "mashed" by the square and circle buttons (Y and B on 360) while firing your twin pistols can be held by those same two buttons. Just like Devil May Cry, the combat system is more than just simple attacks and dodging as the depth is indeed there to do some crazy stuff (more on that on the last video below). Bayonetta is just filled with style all the time and if the demo is just the beginning, who knows what crazy business could be in the final game especially if you have seen the latest trailers.
The demo itself is not that long (usually around 20 minutes) as it exists of some enemy encounters and two boss battles (actually three if you have the PS3 demo as the last one in the demo is against your rival-like character that the experience itself reminds me of all those Dante/Vergil battles in Devil May Cry 3 - in the storyline). There are two difficulties to choose from the standard Normal difficulty and the easier "automatic" one where Bayonetta turns into an one button game of doing everything, which seems okay for novice players. The music is truly amazing especially the main battle theme when against normal enemies. The most controversial thing, however, that has the game angering some folks especially on PS3 is the handling of the versions. On the Xbox 360, the demo right now runs at a smooth and consistent 60 frames per second. The PS3 on the other hand, in which Platinum Games is not developing the port and Sega themselves are doing it, has some framerate issues being between 30 and 60 frames per second. Also with the PS3 version of this demo is some other technical issues like tearing, and bad aliasing, but it didn't affect me that much as I was focusing on the awesomeness. We'll see in the final game if both the 360 and PS3 versions will be identical as early word on the streets say so meaning perhaps this demo is just some early build of the game.
I had a great time with the Bayonetta demo on PS3 despite its technical issues. I'm a fan of the Devil May Cry-style game and this game almost makes them a joke in terms of the style and insanity especially Bayonetta herself being "risque" at times the videos will prove that). I can't wait for the final game to come out this Winter (more like Q1 2010 in the States) even though Japan will get it at the end of this month region locked. If you're ever into those stylish action games, give Bayonetta a shot when it comes out next year. In the meantime, enjoy this combo video from the superior running 360 demo and witness the amazing (Also check out this dude's DMC franchise combo videos too if you like this).
We shall start this with some old school 3rd Strike action because 3rd Strike is still an awesome game. I said many times I suck at this game, but still play it here and there. Rather than the good match above which took place three or four years ago be the star, I'll let Rockfeller's amazing commentary be the star of it.
Next up is another arcade game, aka another one of my favorite "I wish I was good at it" games, DJ Max Technika. I think this is some special event that this dude played with some stipulations like no line to help you and its on the harder difficulties. It is just crazy to me seeing the game being played without the line as if you need perfect memorization and timing to do well.
Lastly, I might as well put this up here since it features some of my Street Fighter IV friends as this took place at the House of Cicada tournament last Saturday at Moreno Valley. I missed out on going to this one due to other plans, but I checked out the stream for a bit saying what up and such along with checking out the SF4 action. Alex Valle won this one, Mike Ross was the runner up, and Keno finished 3rd. Marn is also back in town for this and Bar Fights II this weekend, but he wanted to win it from losers bracket and it didn't happen. I wished I was there personally for the madness, but there's Bar Fights II on Sunday in which I have a VIP ticket ready to get hype for the West Coast/East Coast 5v5 main event.
So DJ Hero is out at the end of October (27th to be exact) and it is looking to be the gaming holiday gift of the season (other than the Wii again, DS stuff, Guitar Hero 5, and The Beatles: Rock Band). Even though I won't buy this myself that day because of Tekken 6, I do want to eventually get it likely on December as a Winter Break game. The soundtrack is looking like to have a great mix of pop, hip-hop, rock, dance, and techno stuff for us to mess with (also Daft Punk!!!). Sure, there are the skeptics out there being this is a completely peripheral-based game out there to buy as the turntable itself can either be amazing or a complete flop, but I can see this game being very fun and especially a great learning experience. As a fan of music in general (well besides country and especially my dance/rave music phase with David Guetta week), I'm excited for it and I hope it catches on to everyone that wants it and those non-gamers too. We shall see about that, but meanwhile, enjoy the new footage of some full mixes.
UPDATE - Full track list has been announced, so click here to check that out. Also, one of the upcoming DLC packs that will be released soon has David Guetta songs like "When Love Takes Over" with Kelly Rowland and "Sexy Chick" with Akon (aka that hit song you have been hearing at the clubs lately).
So I finally was able to try out the demo for Brutal Legend, the highly anticipated game by Double Fine (headed by the awesomeness that is Tim Schaefer) starring Jack Black. This demo has been out for a couple weeks already if you already pre-ordered the game, but it is now out available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network. In case you don't know, Double Fine has made some amazing games like Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, but Brutal Legend could be their coming out party they always wanted with EA publishing, Jack Black starring as Eddie Riggs, and all that heavy metal it will offer. The demo is pretty much the beginning of the game where how Eddie is randomly in a different world filled with demons and such to gain his battle axe and guitar to take out enemies. The combat is pretty simple, which is the norm of third-person action games being mostly a hack-and-slash type of deal, but the game is more than that with vehicle sections, using the guitar, controlling minions (not featured in the demo, but also in multiplayer), and Double Fine's signature humor all rolled up in an open world. I did enjoy what the demo offers, which is a good taste of what's to come in the final game and I'm sure fans of Double Fine's previous games will love it right away, but we'll see if Jack Black's voice acting will eventually become hit and miss. However, if will enjoy heavy metal in a different way than Rock Band and Guitar Hero, then give Brutal Legend a shot. Since this is out the same day as Uncharted 2, I don't see myself playing this anytime soon, but if you're in the fence about Brutal Legend, try the demo to see if it's your cup of tea.
