E3 2013 | Geekscape

E3 2014: ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ Is A Long Way Off, But Here’s A Cool Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtJune 9, 2014

Briefly: Just like Mirror’s Edge, today’s Star Wars Battlefront preview was mostly filled with behind-the-scenes footage of lucky people visiting Lucasfilm archives and set locations in researching of the new game. They talk of just how emotional an experience this development is, and how DICE is working hard to make Star Wars Battlefront as great as it possibly could be.

It also features a few gorgeous pieces of in-engine footage, which you absolutely need to see. The end of the trailer says that we’ll see (see, not play) more in Spring 2015, insinuating that Star Wars Battlefront is a long way off.

Take a look at the new preview below, and let us know how excited you are to jump back into this world.

‘Murdered: Soul Suspect’s 101 Trailer Teaches Us The Basics

by Derek KraneveldtMay 22, 2014

Briefly: We covered it extensively at E3 last year, and now it’s nearly here: the release of Square Enix’s Murdered: Soul Suspect.

The game has been intriguing since its announcement, and it looks very cool from everything we’ve seen so far, but I’m really hoping that it doesn’t suffer the same fate as Beyond: Two Souls, which featured an insanely interesting plot and some great visuals, but boring you-can-barely-call-it-gameplay.

Square today released a 101 trailer for the game, which takes us through the basics of the plot, gameplay, and characters. It’s easy to see that there’s a lot of promise here, but early reactions to the non-finished product were decidedly ‘meh’. I’m hoping that things have improved for its retail release.

In any case, I’m all for new IP’s, so I’m looking forward to checking the game out. Murdered: Soul Suspect will hit PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on June 3rd. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think!

E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘Armored Core: Verdict Day’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

Giant mechs, customization and lots of explosions seem to have a decent amount of crossover with video games, which explains why the Armored Core series has gone on for so long. I remember my days as a new Playstation owner, where I lost hours trudging my way through the difficult missions of the originals, each with a different robot of my design. Admittedly, as the years went on and the series rested on the laurels of its early success, it was harder and harder to stay interested. Armored Core: Verdict Day is looking to change that, with a renewed focus on making the online and single player experiences more unique. With such promises, it was hard not to get that old urge to jump back into the cockpit and see what this old favorite could bring to the table.

New and old fans of the series will be instantly familiar with the premise of the game. With over 90 missions spread out across story and hidden objectives, players will have to use funds collected through completing objectives to buy parts to customize their mechs with. Missions promise to be varied enough to the point where a machine that blew through one mission would completely bomb in the next. This level of customization and challenge has been a mainstay of the series, and few were expecting these areas to change. Running around and blowing up enemies felt like it always has, with a relatively fast mech making short work of its foes thanks to its various machine guns and missiles.

But if you wanted to hear about the same old stuff, there are plenty of versions of Armored Core that you could have found these details out from. What’s really exciting about Verdict Day is the new Operator Mode. Rather than being forced to go it alone when friends aren’t around, playing as an operator lets gamers meticulously customize the strategies of their AI squad mates. By mixing up to four AI or human controlled squad mates, commanders will be able to manipulate the AI to react to any situation using the 48 on field commands. The strategies offered are so robust, it was said that one of the developers was able to win multiplayer matches with nothing but his computer controlled partners following his orders. Operator mode is available for both single player and online modes, giving us a brand new way to continue the fight for giant robot supremacy.

On the subject of online, Verdict Day will force us to literally go to war. Every week, a new war will start, matching players within various groups. Each group will be constantly fighting until the end of the week, where the one with the most territory rules the world. It’s like risk, but with board pieces that are taller than buildings. Matchmaking is said to have been improved, assuring us that it will be much faster than the most recent games. Once you throw in all of the new features listed above, 150 unique weapons and 60 parts to customize with, it looks like fans of Armored Core will have their hands full once the game is released.

From the small bits I played of Armored Core: Verdict Day, the action sections don’t seem to deviate too far from what the series has come to offer. If you’re a fan of the system, this is great news, but it doesn’t seem like it will pull in many fans. What WILL bring new gamers in however, is the Commander Mode, which seems like it will have enough detail to bring out the OCD in all of us. Giving the orders might be a nice change of pace from carrying them out, so strategy, action and mech fans will have plenty to look forward to.

Verdict Day will release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 24th alongside a collector’s edition, complete with the soundtrack, art book and kick ass mech statue announced for Japan, exclusively at the Club Namco store.

E3 2013: Throwing Down With ‘Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate’ and its Three New Fighters!

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

After Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate was announced a few months back, fans of the series such as myself were curious about what exactly would make this new version worth picking up. After all, two versions have already been released since October of last year, why would we want to invest again? After walking through Tecmo’s E3 booth, it was apparent that three new fighters would be a great start. In addition to the return of Leon and Ein who debuted in DOA 2, Momiji and Rachel from Ninja Gaiden make their debut alongside Jacky Bryant from the Virtua Fighter series. While they may be able to hold their own in the worlds of demon slaying and tournament fighting, how will they fare in DOATEC’s newest fighting competition? I tried each one to find out.

Momiji

As the first newcomer announced, Momiji looks like she would fit right in with Kasumi and Ayane in the kunoichi department. This apprentice of Hayabusa has never had a chance to show off her hand to hand skills before now, and after finishing my matches with her, I’m happy to say that she’s a blast to play. Momiji has many fast hitting attacks like you’d expect from one of the ninja characters, but seemed to be much more hard hitting. Borrowing some floaty looking techniques that are usually seen from characters like Hayate, she tends to give up a small amount of speed in exchange for some powerful and surprising combo ending attacks.That was the beauty of playing with Momiji. When it looked like her strings were done, the most painful part would follow up to blast unsuspecting opponents. So far, it looks like she’s living up to the expectations of the other kunoichi characters as a formidable, yet easy to play as fighter.

Rachel

Like Momiji, Rachel is usually seen with a weapon in hand. With her trademark hammer out of the picture, this fiend hunter has a lot to prove when it comes to hand to hand fighting. While using Rachel, I definitely got a Tina vibe from her. A powerful, yet slower character, she relied on short, hard hitting combos to inflict damage on anyone unlucky enough to go against her. While I wasn’t able to test out her grapples, her ability to grab opponents out of the air mid combo is a trait usually reserved for the wrestler type fighters. It’s good to see her strength is being put to good use! Easily the most straightforward of the three characters I tried, the Ninja Gaiden mainstay feels right at home with the heavies of the game.

Jacky

While twin sister Sarah was already throwing down in the original DOA5, it’s no surprise that Jacky wouldn’t be too far behind. A Virtua Fighter mainstay, the Bryant brother specializes in Jeet Kun Do, mostly relying on his speed to catch opponents off guard. It’s obvious that Jacky’s style wouldn’t carry over from Virtua Fighter exactly, especially since the mechanics and button layout are different, but like the other guest characters, his style is replicated pretty well. Mixing fast high and low combos are the name of Jacky’s game, and opponents are going to have to telegraph his moves in order to stand a chance. While he’s the most complex of the three new fighters, he also came off so far as the most rewarding. Jacky was always my favorite in Virtua Fighter, so figuring out how to pull off some of my favorite combos in a DOA game with him was a reward all in itself.

Would I say that these three fighters are enough to justify buying the game all over again? That depends on how much you want to stay up to date with the community. If I had already bought DOA 5, I’d likely wait for a price drop, but considering I never got around to it, these new players might be enough to get me to jump back into the ring when Ultimate is released later this year. Until then, I’ll be counting the days until I can really dig in to what these three have to offer.

Dead or Alive Ultimate is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 3rd, with the free to play Core Fighters version coming to the PSN at the same time.

E3 2013: Hands-On With ‘Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

Lately, it seems like no one is safe from the zombie apocalypse. In the case of Yaiba, he’s not even safe from them in death. From the minds of Megaman creator Kenji Inafune and the development team at Team Ninja comes Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, a spin off that takes the world of ninjas, magic and fiends and throws it in the middle of a zombie outbreak. While the inherently violent idea of the undead seems like it should be a perfect fit with a series known for its creative use of dismemberment, does Yaiba bring anything new to the table compared to the dozens of zombie games already on the market? We looked to find out during our time with the game at E3.

While Yaiba’s outfit looks almost identical to the classic NES ninja garb, don’t mistake him for Ryu Hayabusa, the usual protagonist of the series. You see, Yaiba was one of the many ninjas that have fallen at the hands of Ryu and his Dragon Sword, but his thirst for revenge made him special. Because of this, Yaiba has been revived and rebuilt with cybernetic parts by a mysterious organization, promising to give him his chance at revenge. The catch? He has to stop an outbreak of walking corpses before he’s allowed to get his opportunity. It sounds silly, but considering the cheesy dialogue, comic book cutscenes and cell-shaded visuals that Yaiba employs, it’s obvious that this new game is meant to be far less serious than its predecessors.

Gameplay wise, Yaiba is shaping up to be more like something out of the Dynasty Warriors series than anything associated with the punishingly precise action gamers have associated with Ninja Gaiden. It wasn’t uncommon in the demo to find dozens of zombies on screen at once, and Yaiba’s flashy, fast hitting punches, kicks and sword slashes can tear them up in seconds. Even larger sub-boss enemies could be taken down relatively quickly, although their upgraded defense and blocking ability took a little more patience to get around. After chopping them into pieces, Yaiba could use their limbs, such as two arms attached by a string of flesh, as alternate weapons. You’ve never seen nunchucks until you’ve seen them made of human hands! If would be ninjas were still having trouble with the undead menace, players can trigger a powered up mode after killing enough enemies or taking too much damage, causing Yaiba’s cybernetic side to take over. If you’ve played any action game over the last decade or so, you know the drill. Temporary boost in power, health regeneration, faster attacks… the whole shebang!

And knowing the drill is part of my concern so far. Inafune is one of my favorite designers and Team Ninja has been one of my favorite development teams, but the time I spent with Yaiba paled in comparison to what I’d expect from the core Ninja Gaiden series. Taking a typical action route, the game looks flashy, but didn’t require anywhere near the skill associated with Hayabusa’s adventures. Attack options were slim and the camera was bad. And when I say bad, I mean pointing at the ground away from my character to the point where I couldn’t see anything kind of bad. Keep in mind though, that the screen had a very noticeable “pre-alpha” tag on the screen, so Ninja Gaiden Z is still very much in its early stages. Let’s hope someone on the team is aware of these issues before the game is released.

So far, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z has potential. Despite its early lack of challenge, repetitive combat and glitches galore, the idea of a cybernetic ninja slicing through hoards of zombies has the potential to be tons of mindless fun. While I may have personally have had my fill of the whole undead outbreak scenario, if anyone can pull it off, Inafune and Team Ninja can. After all, Ninja Gaiden is one of my favorite series of all time, so I’ll keep the faith and watch for updates as this newest take on the classic series shapes up.

E3 2013: Hand-On with ‘Dragon’s Crown’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

When gamers think of Vanillaware, most would associate the developer with some of the most beautiful 2D side scrollers of the last half decade. Both Odin Sphere and Muramasa proved that in a gaming industry dominated by 3D and HD, side scrollers could offer deep, challenging combat while still looking pretty. Their newest title, Dragon’s Crown is aiming to keep this tradition intact, and if my time with the game on the E3 show floor is any indication, this beat em up is well on its way of doing just that.

Dragon’s Crown lets players choose from one of six warriors, each one fitting different fantasy archtypes. Want a armored clad knight? You got it. A magic wielding sorceress? Yep, she’s here too. Personally, I wanted the Elf, complete with bow and arrow. Each character is accompanied by up to two support characters that aid players in battle in different ways. For example, the theif was able to snatch items from enemies and add them to your pool. If this isn’t enough, the game will feature 2 player co op if you want to dungeon crawl with a friend.
While playing throught the demo, I definitely got a strong Golden Axe vibe from the mechanics. My archer had two main attacks, using her bow for long range or close range melee attacks. Beating up seemingly endless amounts of enemies was fun, but what was even better was learning that I could steal enemy mounts and use them to my advantage. Finishing each fight rewarded me with a rank, telling me how well I did at finding the treasure in the room.

Outside of dungeons, a multi-tiered town can be explored to upgrade equipment, sell treasure and chat with non playable characters. True to Vanillaware form, both the towns and the dungeons were some of the most gorgeous looking environments out there. Judging from the hints picked up from this demo, you’ll get to enjoy the in game artwork more and more, because there’s bound to be tons of items and skills to collect. With six unique characters to do so with, local and online multiplayer and plenty of hidden items, Dragon’s Crown is looking like a game that will be worth exploring over and over again.

I’d be hard pressed to think of a time that a 2D beat em up was one of the most anticipated games of the year, but Dragon’s Crown easily fits that mold for me. The demo alone had tons of secrets, rewarding combat, a variety of playable characters and a varied upgrade system. Just thinking about how much farther the final game can take these ideas makes the approaching release date that much more anticipated. Great gameplay, beautiful graphics, challenging AI and the option to tackle all of this with a friend? What more can you ask for?

Retro, beat em up and modern gamers would do well to keep an eye out for Dragon’s Crown, which is coming to the PS3 and PS Vita on August 6th

E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘Time and Eternity’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

While touring the games on display at E3 this year was as exciting as always, it’s getting apparent that new ideas are getting fewer and far between. Which is why when something new does stand out, it makes it that much more exciting to try it out. One such moment was when I came across Time and Eternity, an RPG that takes a unique battle system and combines it with a creative visual presentation, essentially putting an anime in the hands of the gamer. Creativity? Anime? RPG? What other reasons did I need to see what this game was all about? I literally went into this demo with zero knowledge, having missed all of the information released on the game, so I was excited to find out what I could.

For a bright and cheery looking game, Time and Eternity starts on a point that can be called the lowest of the low. Moments before her wedding, Princess Toki and her husband to be are ambushed by assassins. Toki makes it out okay, but her fiance isn’t so lucky and is killed in the fight. As it turns out, the princess has another side to her. This traumatic event awakens Towa, a second soul that Toki houses. Joined by their pet dragon who now houses their fiance’s soul, the two set out to find out who attacked them and perhaps use time to prevent the murder altogether.

Just looking at Time and Eternity makes it come off as an anime instead of a game. Giving a vibe reminiscent of Dragon’s Lair, the visuals look like something you would be watching instead of controlling. This just goes to show how gorgeous the game looks in motion, which can be seen in the game’s newest trailer, (hint: check the bottom of the page!)

Random battles trigger while running along the map, starting one on one battles that play out in real time, but not in the way one would expect. Mixing real time with turn based, the girls are set in one spot, but can dodge, block, move forward or backwards and attack at will. Toki and Towa have a variety of stances and positions they can take by attacking the enemy up close or shooting from afar. Each girl specializes in different attacks, complete with their own stats and skills. After each level up, the girl you play as switches, but there are items that open up later on that lets players switch them at will.

If enemies get too close for comfort, they can be kicked back to create distance, which seemed like the best option since long range magic trumped physical damage in every way. Different enemies are said to have different vulnerabilities, but everyone in the demo went down with one spell as opposed to multiple rapid fire melee attacks, making physical combat useless. The difference is that Magic takes energy that must be recharged by dodging, blocking and attacking, so melee being unlimited makes it a strong tool when there’s no other choice.

Outside of battle, the game seems to have a large cast of non playable characters that Toki and Towa can interact with. Mostly voiced, (but all in Japanese in this demo,) conversations would serve to flesh out personalities and build relationships. Dating sim elements seem to play a role in how these friendships develop, which might play a bigger role than they seem. According to the information I was able to gather, Time and Eternity will have multiple endings, potentially making the would be husband to choose between Toki and Towa permanently. From being killed to living in a dragon AND having to choose between girls? Sounds like the worst day ever.

Walking away from Time and Eternity left me excited for what the full version will offer. Its unique battle system and stylish graphics are just a tease for the potentially robust features the demo teased. Having two party members in one person is a unique idea, and I’m anxious to see how far the “dating” elements take the story. My biggest concern is how overpowered magic was compared to melee combat, but considering I was just playing one area, the main game will have a much larger variety of enemies to test these battle skills on. After being caught completely off guard, I must say that it’ll feel like an eternity until I can finally get this game in my hands.

Time and Eternity is coming to the PS3 on July 16th.

E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘Shin Megami Tensei IV’

by Josh JacksonJune 23, 2013

For fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series, the wait for a new game has been as punishing as the difficulty its known for. Sure, there have been plenty of spinoffs and titles with the name attached to it, (games like Soul Hackers and the Persona series come to mind,) but the core games have been hard to come by. Thankfully, the wait will be over soon when SMT IV releases in just over a month, but with an opportunity to play it early on the E3 show floor, why not get a little demon slaying practice in ahead of time?

All of the core staples of the series seem to be returning in IV. Playing as a group of samurai, the player’s group will travel through randomly generated dungeons, fighting hoards of demons along the way if you choose to do so. The random battles are triggered in real time, so fights can easily be activated or avoided. Like many RPGs of today, attacking enemies on the map will start the battle with an advantage for the player. Let the enemies get the jump on you however? Then they’ll get the advantage instead, so you’ll want to stay on your toes.

Nine years have passed since Shin Megami Tensei III was released, changing up the formula from the first two games in the process, (which were never given an English translation, so it’s not like we noticed.) SMTIV borrows a few of its predecessor’s features, but seems to focus on the simplicity of the first two games. Like in III, dungeons are explored in third person, but battles have gone back to first person. IV trades in the flashy attacks for a more retro approach, with the bottom screen showing the team’s attack order through character portraits. As usual, each party member has their own sets of attack and magic abilities, which are used, to hurt, heel or boost stats. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but with the lack of JRPG’s worth playing as of late, does it need to?

That’s not to say that SMT IV doesn’t stand out. A party is only as good as its members, and this game literally offers hundreds of possibilities thanks to the return of the demon negotiation system. When in battle, players can give up their turn to negotiate with one of their enemies. Doing so starts a conversation with multiple answers, but only one of them will convince the demon to join your party. The other two will end the talk with a threat or insult, effectively giving up your turn and opening yourself up to an attack. You can try as many times as you want, but if you think it will be as easy as going through a process of elimination, I never saw the same conversation trigger twice, even with the same monsters. There’s no easy way out!

My time with Shin Megami Tensei IV brought back the JRPG fan in me. Games in the genre as of late have traded in strategy, difficulty and satisfaction for flashy moves and hours of cutscenes. Atlus seems to have taken the opposite route with this game, and I couldn’t be happier. While I couldn’t get a read on the difficulty with a short demo, the SMT series is known for its difficulty, so I doubt it will be a let down in that department. Gameplay wise, the demon negotiation brings in a much welcomed twist to the tried and true turn based battles that many gamers like myself grew up with, and I can’t wait to go back to my roots when SMT IV finally hits our shores.

Shin Megami Tensei IV will release exclusively on the 3DS on July 16th.

E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘New Super Luigi U’

by Josh JacksonJune 19, 2013

With so many new titles like Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World taking up all of the attention at Nintendo’s E3 booth, we couldn’t forget about Mario’s green clad brother! After all, it’s officially the Year of Luigi, so what kind of a jerk would I be if I was standing right next to a New Super Luigi U demo and didn’t try it out? This first full fledged expansion campaign is only a day away, and believe me when I say hardcore Mario fans will be in for a challenge.

As it was mentioned in previous Nintendo Direct videos, New Super Luigi U is a complete reworking of New Super Mario Bros U. Mario is out and Nabbit is in, giving Luigi his first starring role in a platforming title! Each of the stages from the original has been overhauled, and even the first stage that I played had many more enemies and trickier platforms than some of the harder stages from Mario’s version. Star coins have been placed in some ridiculously hard to reach places, so completionists are going to have their work cut out for them. To top it all off, the usual time limit has been dropped to 100 seconds, so you better get moving!

It’s true that Luigi’s adventure is attempting to be much more challenging, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t new tricks for him to use. What is new to the game is Luigi’s trademark flutter jump. Even when playing multiplayer, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad and Nabbit all have this ability, effectively Luigi-fying the entire cast. Speaking of Nabbit, his ability to ignore damage makes him a popular guy, effectively providing an easy mode. Sure, he can’t use items, but who needs them when you can’t get hurt? The only problem is that like the main game where player one has to be Mario in single player, Luigi has to be player one too. So anyone hopping to take a leisurely stroll through the Mushroom Kingdom as Nabbit are out of luck.

Aside from these features though, everything is the same. Co-op still locks all four players into the screen, making it so players can’t fall too far behind or run too far ahead of each other. You’ll still be flying in squirrel suits, jumping on enemies and saving Peach from the clutches of Bowser and his illegitimate kids. Just this time, it’s much harder… and with 100% less Mario. Is it enough to justify a $20 download? Well, if you love platformers, multiplayer mayhem and a hell of a challenge, New Super Luigi U is looking like a great way to use that point card that’s been lying around.

Luigi U will be on the Wii U eShop tomorrow, June 20th, with a physical release following on August 25th.

E3 2013: Hands On With ‘Bayonetta 2’

by Josh JacksonJune 18, 2013

When rumors were swirling that Sega had cancelled plans for a Bayonetta 2, fans of action, developer Platinum Games and virtual women in tight clothing continued to hope for the best. Little did anyone know, the outcry to actually getting the game dwarfed the outcry of not getting it, since it was announced that Nintendo was funding the upcoming sequel and would be a Wii U exclusive. Amongst the overreaction of some people not getting the game on “their” system, there were some legitimate concerns. Would Nintendo’s known censorship get in the way of some of the risque elements Bayonetta is known for? Will the action be as tough as other games Platinum has produced? Will there be any forced game pad integration? My time with the game answered all of these questions, and the answers just might win over fans of the original.

Picking up some time after the first game, Bayonetta, a centuries old witch with some killer gun grabbing heels, is still at war with the angels who are looking to end her. The formula remains relatively unchanged as far as combat is concerned. Each section is divided into acts, or “verses.” Players are judged by how fast they finish each verse, how many points they score by comboing, using special torture attacks and finishing moves called “Climax” attacks. Mixing horizontal, vertical and projectile moves shows off some of the cooler aspects of Bayo’s skill set, (I mean, you haven’t seen a kick until it’s from a giant foot made of hair.) Dodging right before taking damage slows time to a crawl, creating an opening for huge damage against multiple enemies. And if these skills aren’t enough for you, playing well fills your “Umbra Climax” bar, which powers Bayo up, giving her a health boost, a reach extension, upgraded power and speed. The combinations are only increased by multiple weapons that can be switched on the fly, like the standard guns and fists, or dual swords in this demo.

The most obvious difference was former rival turned ally, Jeane, joining the fight and fighting side by side with Bayo. While the version I was playing had my partner being controlled by the AI, the person running the demo confirmed with me that there will be a separate co-op campaign so you can run through hordes of enemies with a friend. Since the Wii U is limited to one game pad per console, it’s safe to say that the classic controller will be a must for two player angel slaying, but aside from the optional touch screen control scheme, (complete with tapping enemies to attack, swiping sideways to dodge or sliding up to jump,) the button based style is the same for each.

Co-op isn’t the only surprise found in my brief time as the witch. After being confronted by a massive boss, Bayonetta sprouted butterfly wings and took the battle to the sky. It was surprise moments that broke up the standard game play like these that helped make the original so unique, so this change up was a welcomed change of pace. After hacking away at the behemoth, the demo came to a close with Bayo standing tall.

So in short, fans worried that the core of the game would be lost in transition can rest easy. Bayonetta 2 brings back the challenging, fast paced and seductive action of the original. Thanks to game pad control, co op game play and different scenarios that differ from the standard combat, there’s little fear of the game being a copy and paste job either. So far, this highly requested game is well on its way to matching the reputation that the original earned, and I for one can’t wait to see how it will turn out.

Look for Bayonetta 2, coming exclusively to the Wii U in 2014.

Geekscape Roundtable: All About E3!

by GeekscapeStaffJune 18, 2013

The expo may be over, but there were announcements made during this year’s E3 that the gaming world will be talking about for a long, long time. Each of us here at Geekscape had a blast either being at or remotely covering the event, and since we’re all so different in our gaming wants and opinions, we though we’d each answer a few specific questions:

1. What was the best announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
2. What was the worst announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
3. What was the biggest surprise of the expo?

Take a gander at all of our thoughts below, and don’t forget to share your own! We hope that you enjoyed all of our coverage of this year’s E3!

Josh Jackson

This year’s E3 will definitely go down in the record books as one of the most anticipated in the show’s history. Between the launch details of the PS4, the Xbox One, and all of the controversy surrounding the two, plus Nintendo’s attempt to win gamers over with the Wii U’s line up, there was sure to be something at the show that every type of gamer was looking forward to.

Now that the show is over and all of the news is out, it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be to pick a favorite moment. During the press conferences, I would have easily given it to Sony’s PS4 reveal, but after it turned out that some of what they said either wasn’t entirely true, (there WILL be used game restrictions if third parties choose, just like the Xbox One,) or flat out untrue, (like Final Fantasy XV being exclusive,) it’s clear that the old Sony is live and well. Other exciting announcements included Star Wars: Battlefront 3 and Mirror’s Edge 2, but I think I’m going to play it safe with my answer. There was no single moment that made me more excited than when each new character was announced for Smash Bros. Villager was somewhat expected, but his gameplay style looks so exciting. Mega Man had me running around my house screaming like the N64 kid. But when Wii Fit Trainer was quietly revealed the following day? It showed that Team Sora isn’t afraid of getting creative with their characters, and I can’t wait to downward dog all over your faces!

As far as what disappointed me the most, my first instinct, (haha,) is to say Killer Instinct. I was so happy to see it back, but when I learned that Rare was too busy making a new Kinect Sports game to come back and work on it, and that it was adopting a free to play model, my anticipation dropped. Whatever excitement was left disappeared when I saw how dumbed down the game was. I could also say how terrible the Warner Bros. reps were when my friend tried to take a picture of Zod in Injustice even though there were no signs saying he couldn’t… So much so, that they threatened that he wouldn’t be able to go home unless he deleted the “video” that he didn’t film… But worse than that, I’d say the lack of creativity was the worst part of all. As seen in each press conference, aside from a few exceptions, many of these games look like games we’ve already played. Even Nintendo, who is known for their creativity, had a huge focus on Wind Waker HD and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the latter of which was a fantastic play through, but was still very familiar. New generations should offer new experiences, but aside from the cloud data ghosts in Forza, the graphics system in Knack and the two players on one control mini games on Wii Play U, there’s nothing I saw that can’t already be done. Since graphics have pretty much peaked on consoles, they can’t rely on smoke and mirrors to push the envelope forward, but with games getting so expensive to make, it discourages taking chances. Let’s hope the coming years will show the power of the new generation being put into action.

Lastly, there were plenty of surprises, but the one that blew me away was Disney Infinity. I walked in expecting a Skylanders ripoff, (and to be fair, it really is in a lot of ways), but what I got was something so much more. Each of the universes in the game is a standalone 8 hour experience? The ability to customize your Toy Box world any way you want? Online friends who are able to alter it with their figures over the Internet? And creation tools so deep that gamers can design their own games within Toy Box if they want to? Not just half assed mini games either, but full platformers, racing challenges, sports games… All with the creativity that one’s imagination will allow. The real surprise here was that out of everything at E3, this might be my game of show. With so much potential, it’s impossible not to get excited. Being able to play as Stitch and Vanellope are just bonuses.

Shane O’Hare

This year’s E3 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the big ones. The fight between Sony and Microsoft was what most major news outlets were focused on, and unfortunately, I believe it took the focus away from not only the smaller games, but all of the games in general.

The whole media fiasco that Microsoft went through was terrible to watch…but I just couldn’t look away. Quotes like “We have an offline console, it’s called 360” and “Move to another country if you want to play Xbox One” were shocking to say the least. To watch a company like Microsoft mishandle promotion of their console in the way they did was mind boggling. Now by the time the convention floor opens, people like to ask the question “Who won E3?”, but console wise it is way to soon to tell honestly. Yeah the PS4 had an AMAZING press event, the team at Sony really knew how to attack Microsoft where it hurts. Hearing an entire building full of gamers CHEER at the fact the PS4 will support used games blew my mind. You could see on Jack Tretton’s face when he announced that news just how happy he was. You knew what was going through his head. In-fact, it made him so confident and cocky while being interviewed on GTTV his exit consisted of him throwing his microphone over his shoulder. He LITERALLY dropped the mic like a freestyle rapper in a battle.

Though the PS4 had the best appearance, I can’t say that it won the conference. The games that are planned to come out at launch don’t look that impressive, and we don’t know if any of them are going to be GOOD.

My personal favorite event was the Ubisoft conference, I covered it, but I covered it for a good reason. Ubisoft has really brought themselves to the forefront recently for some truly amazing AAA+++ titles. They are focusing on great games, and not churning out high def sports simulators that will be obsolete by next year. Their event wasn’t full of awkward moments, awful jokes that could be construded as rape, or trailers that were muted. Their spread of games was very diverse, and seeing what they are going to be bringing to the next generation really impressed me. My E3 game of show had to be The Division from Ubisoft, even if on paper it’s just another Tom Clancy war story. Based off of real world simulations showing how fragile the US infrastructure is to any kind of pandemic, it seems rather bland at first, but this third-person MMO game seems like it has some real depth. Players can team up and explore cities that have fallen victim to the pandemic and choose their objectives and missions as they come up. The game has an extremely high polish to it, even in the tech demo, and the interface looks flawless. Seeing the tech demo players quickly move from PvE to PvP in the manner they did impressed the hell out of me. This was a confirmed PS4 title from me, but after reading about a survey Ubisoft had given out to see if there was PC interest, and the survey/petition destroying its “goal” in less than a day had my platform decision waned.

The publisher that I feel didn’t got the love it deserved was Nintendo. After some poor Wii U sales, most of the game media/game fans criticized Nintendo for not pumping out first party titles (and almost going the way of the Dreamcast in its beginning). At E3, they game out guns blazing with a stack of impressive first party games. Smash Bros. looks fun as always and the new Mario title reminds me of Mario 64. The problem I see is that the fickle gamer audience gave poor marks to Nintendo for not having a strong third party title lineup this E3. I feel like Nintendo just can’t win. I do have to say though, if you haven’t yet bought a Wii U, it is now time. I believe the console is finally going to hit it’s stride.

All and all it was a fairly tame E3 for me. Nothing made me fly out the door and preorder it right away. I feel the XBONE and PS4 pissing match really did steal the lime light from games that really deserved more attention. Hopefully we can get some hands-on with the PS4 and XBONE come San Diego Comic Con, and see some more impressive games come Gamescom Cologne.

Jonathan London

People are passionate about seeing the latest and brightest offerings, and I’m no different. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Halo mobile game, Spartan Assault, and was really impressed by Disney Infinity and Watch Dogs. Of course, I loved racing some tracks on Mario Kart 8 and climbing walls as Cat Suit Mario in Super Mario 3D World. That being said, my favorite part of E3 was the Videogame History Museum. So many memories came back to me as I perused the tables of old systems like the Odyssey, the Atari Lynx, the Saturn and the 3DO. There were old cabinets set up where you could play Sunset Riders or Gauntlet and classic systems where you could try out the original Sonic or Bonk’s Adventure. It was an incredibly nostalgic and educational experience (I had forgotten that there was a nearly completed Star Fox 2 for the Super Nintendo… and they had it!). I’ll for sure be visiting them online at http://www.vghmuseum.org/ to see where their next showcase will be.

We sure hope that Spartan Assault doesn't remain a Windows 8 exclusive. — We sure hope that Spartan Assault doesn’t remain a Windows 8 exclusive.

My least favorite thing about E3 is always the crowds. It’s pretty overwhelming and at times hostile. Even though this can be fun, like the blast that I had at the Machinima party on Tuesday night, usually the lines are just too long for demos that are just too short or vague. The frustration of E3 is always that it’s a bit unsatisfying. You leave with only a taste of what these game experiences will be upon release, and most times you’re not able to play the games at all, but just watch tech demos (thank you Nintendo, for having the most playable lineup on the floor)! Probably the lamest part of the weekend is the entitlement of some attendees. I walked up to one person in line and asked what she was standing in line for only to have a bespectacled hipster behind me reply with “I know what you’re not standing in line for”. I’m sorry, dickhead hipster nerd wearing a costume to impress your 3 friends, but are you that far removed from the ass beatings in high school that you’re that desperate for another one? Way to act like an asshole. Yes, being a geek might be cool today, but that doesn’t give you a green light to act like a shithead. I left E3 wishing I’d punched his Buddy Holly glasses off his face… and that’s not really in the spirit of E3, now is it? I’d have remembered his face but his forced geek hipster style was so generic that I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd.

This is my 8th E3, so there isn’t a lot that surprises me anymore. Maybe I should comment on what impressed me. I show up each year expecting to be impressed by something new and am rarely disappointed. I definitely have to say that I’m completely bowled over by how rapidly trans-media is taking over our gaming experience (which I think is awesome). From having a mobile version of Halo, to the smart glass interactivity of Watch Dogs, it’s really incredible just how quickly video games are pushing the limits of technology and further integrating themselves into our every day life. Decades ago, if you wanted to play a video game, you had to go to them at a neighborhood arcade or a video game store. Today, the games are coming to you whether you like them or not and integrating themselves into our various lifestyles, whether they be on our handheld devices, social media or our home entertainment setup. There will literally be games available to anyone and everyone. And I’m not just talking about Farmville or Free to Play games, but AAA titles like Halo and Call of Duty. Even Nintendo has announced an expansion into the F2P market. We really are living in the future that we dreamed of, and I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities.

Andy Breeding

My favorite thing from E3 2013 was the way that Sony went on the offensive against everything Microsoft’s Xbox One has done to bring the ire of many people. From no used games restrictions, no required check-ins, and the price announcement of $399.99, Sony did the equivalent of a mic drop. Actually, Jack Tretton did a mic toss. Not a drop, but close enough. Hell, there was even an impromptu video starring Sony Developer Relations VP Adam Boyes and Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida showed the many steps it takes to share a disc-based game on the PS4.

Worst thing that happened at E3 2013 was all the technical snafus during the stage demos. I seriously feel sad for anyone that has to go through any of this in front of a large audience. The Assassin’s Creed 4 demo sputtered and died at the end which lead to an awkward silence from everyone in the theater. The Battlefield 4 demo had a major false start leaving EA’s Patrick Sutherland stunned as to what to do next. Maintaining composure until the demo was finally running takes a lot of courage.

Even though we sort of knew about it due to EA making a help page live before it should have, I was pleasantly surprised by Mirror’s Edge 2 being announced. No date on when it’s coming, but I am still happy with the fact that Mirror’s Edge 2 is finally coming. Like most people, I hope gunplay is eliminated since it hampered the Mirror’s Edge experience for me.

A new Mirror's Edge is unbelievably exciting. — A new Mirror’s Edge is unbelievably exciting.

Derek Kraneveldt

I love E3. I’ve never had the opportunity to attend in person (that comes next year), but it’s always an amazing week of seeing what’s new, dreaming of playing games that are years away, and wondering what surprises developers and publishers have in store for us. I still recall sprinting home from school each day of the expo in 2005 to watch G4’s incredible coverage of nearly every facet of the expo (plus, that theme song was so damn catchy).

This year was no different. Tons of new games that I’m going to need to find money to buy, and of course this year introduced a new console or two as well. Understandably, the biggest news to come from this year’s expo was the pissing match between Microsoft and Sony. Microsoft unveiled and confirmed a series of bullshit policies, and when Sony announced that they weren’t going through with the same bullshit, but instead would be following the same expectations set by every single other console ever, people cheered and screamed that Sony had won. It’s really hard for me to see how that constitutes a win per se, it just feels like they didn’t destroy their reputation as Microsoft seems to have done. The fact that people felt the need to cheer for something like this remains the most perplexing and surprising moment of the event for me.

It’s really tough for me to narrow things down to a single best announcement. There are so many good titles being released later this year (and next) that I’m just excited to be a gamer in general. Things like Watch Dogs, a new Mirror’s Edge, Star Wars: Battlefront, and other games that have been mentioned a million times are going to rock. Arguably (and strangely), the thing that I’m most excited for this year is to replay The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I was just 11 years old when the game released, and though I finished the adventure all those years ago, the only thing that I remember is how much fun I had. The Wii U release (which also serves as the developer’s way to familiarize themselves with the new console) is going to be a beautiful, nostalgic, and incredible experience for me. I can’t wait to jump back on that sailboat.

As for the bad stuff. Honestly, I didn’t really see too much of it. Games are games, and everything that was being shown off was obviously something for a vast majority gamers to look forward to. Sure, there are things that I saw that didn’t do much for me, but that doesn’t mean that those things don’t have merit. When my most aggravating experience with E3 this year was the fact that Sony’s press conference (which I was in charge of liveblogging) began 30 minutes late and left me worrying if it was Sony’s problem or just my own computer, you know that it was a damn good year. Oh, except for the fact that The Last Guardian is probably on hiatus, but Sony won’t make that official.

Please don't be dead... — Please don’t be dead…

I’m excited for all that the future brings. I’m excited for new consoles, experiences, and competition, and I’m damn excited to kick all of your asses at Mario Kart 8! Bring on the games!

JC Marquez

Best: Platinum Games is easily becoming my favorite third party. After playing The Wonderful 101 at E3 2012 and again at Pax Prime last year, the Viewtiful Joe/Pikmin hybrid looks and handles better than ever this time around. There’s no doubt that Hideki Kamiya and his development team behind the game have taken great time and effort to ensure the title is recognized as one of the must-have games for the Wii U in 2013, and quite frankly, it’s shaping up to be one of the most fun titles on any console this year.

Worst: Ever since it became known Retro Studios was working on a secret project for Wii U, I wondered what game it could possibly be to keep Nintendo from even making mention of it at last year’s E3. Instantly, the internet blew up with rumors suggesting a new Metroid game was in the works. Later, rumors claimed it was a Metroid/StarFox crossover. As fans argued over what Retro was working on, I doubt anyone would ever have guessed it would be another Donkey Kong Country title. I don’t hate what I saw, but I was expecting more from Nintendo when it came to the Wii U—especially with a holiday season which sees the debut of two brand new video game consoles. While Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looks and plays amazingly well, and Mario Kart 8 looks absolutely gorgeous, I can’t help but feel disappointed that new entries in the Metroid, StarFox, or F-Zero franchises weren’t announced.

Biggest surprise: To say that Mega Man’s inclusion in the next Smash Bros. game somewhat surprised me would be a gross understatement. Much like a confirmed release date for The Last Guardian and Beyond Good and Evil 2, I was convinced that a Mega Man appearance in Smash Bros. was never going to happen, regardless how much I wanted it or how many deities I prayed to.

Then Tuesday morning happened.

Judging by the way the people in Starbucks looked at me as I pumped my fists in the air when the announcement was made, I can safely assume my reaction was pretty telling of my excitement, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of these live reactions:

So there you have it. E3 2013 was a pretty incredible experience, and it will be more than interesting to see how the launch of both the PS4 and Xbox One turn out. As always, stay tuned to Geekscape for all of your further E3 coverage, and all of your gaming needs! Don’t forget to share your favourite moments from this year’s E3 with us below!

E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Dual Destinies’

by Josh JacksonJune 17, 2013

As most fans of the Ace Attorney series probably know, the last few years have been a turbulent ride for everyone’s favorite spikey haired defense lawyer. Fans were divided over the handling over the last major entry in the franchise, Apollo Justice. Two Edgeworth spinoffs would see releases, but due to poor sales of the first, the second never saw a release outside of Japan. When Dual Destinies was confirmed for the States, it was announced that it was coming as digital only, a first for the series since it debuted here on the DS in 2004. Needless to say, while it’s great that it didn’t pull and Edgeworth and not come out at all, many would be defense attorney’s would rather have the option of a physical copy. While Phoenix and crew may have hit hard times as of late, my biggest fear was that shifting focus back to the original protagonist would completely ignore the plot lines started in Apollo Justice. After some hands on time in the courtroom however, it’s safe to say these fears were put to rest with the defense.

WARNING: Minor Case 1 spoilers may follow!

The demo starts off much darker than previous Ace Attorney titles, (which is hard to do when murder is the norm for each case.) During a previous trial, a bomb went off in the middle of the court room. Apollo was the acting attorney and was injured during the blast. Now, a young girl who was in the room when the blast went off is being accused of the crime, and with Apollo’s injuries keeping him out of action, it’s up to Phoenix Wright to stand up for their client and come out of retirement to stand in Apollo’s place.

While Phoenix may have a reputation as a legendary defense attorney, years being away from the bench has left him a little rusty. His ability to bluff his way through a trial however, is alive and well. The court sections play just like they have since the second game. In order to spot contradictions in witness testimony, players must compare their statements to the evidence and confront them when caught in a lie. If there aren’t any errors in their statements, witnesses can be pressed for more information on each statement, potentially giving us an opening that might not have originally been there. But think carefully… Each mistake costs a certain amount of “health” so to speak, and once that bar is gone, the judge will throw your case out and declare your client guilty. You don’t want to live with that on your conscience, do you?

But as we’ve learned in some of the more recent games, sometimes witnesses are too calculating to be cracked. What’s one to do when there aren’t any contradictions in any statements? That’s where Athena Cykes comes in, the hotheaded best friend of the defendant, rookie attorney and Phoenix’s newest assistant. Athena comes equipped with a new Mood Matrix, which highlights each statement and shows you what emotions the witnesses are feeling when they say them. If for example, the person is feeling happy while discussing a ceiling collapsing on then, you know they’re either screwed in the head, or there’s more to the story that they’re telling. Combined with Phoenix’s Psyche Locks and Apollo’s Perceive ability, this power of psychology is a welcomed addition to this crazy world that gamers have fallen in love with.

Other than the game play, the new 3D animations look fantastic in motion. The writing is in top form, making me laugh out loud multiple times, (and getting strange stares from the people sitting around me in the process.) I’m happy to see that Apollo isn’t being replaced, and instead is standing side by side with Phoenix as dual protagonists. As a side note, I just have to mention how much I love these E3 demos. Like Ghost Trick before it, this game had exclusive dialogue reminding me I’m playing a demo, (“I hope you can win in 10 minutes Mr. Wright. This is just a demo after all.”) Many old and new faces are promising to show up, and if the time I had with the demo is any indication, whether its digital or not, Ace Attorney fans can start getting excited over this newest game giving us another day in court.

Dual Destinies will be heading for a 3DS eShop near you in September.

E3 2013: Hands-On With ‘DuckTales: Remastered’

by Kari LaneJune 16, 2013

Fans of the beloved original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System)/Game Boy 8-bit DuckTales game will be in for treat with DuckTales: Remastered. It will be like the original but with a “face lift” and an expanded ending sequence. The developers have set out to have retain the authenticity of the original.

The game will contain the five original levels, plus a tutorial. The animation looks amazing and rightfully so, because it is all hand drawn! Many of the show’s original voices were used, and the rest are all official Disney voice over artists. WayForward Technologies (the developers of the game) found episodes of the DuckTales TV show that lined up with the game and incorporated them. The soundtrack has been remastered and they created original 8-bit songs for the new sections so that there is a consistent style of music/sound throughout the game play.

DuckTales: Remastered will be available this Summer for $14.99 on the Playstation Network, Xbox 360, Wii U and Steam.

I’ve never played the original game, but my love of the show drew me to this booth at E3. They even had a sound box where you could sing along to the theme song for a cool DuckTales: Remastered pin. Of course I could not resist singing along! I also enjoyed playing this game; mainly because it felt like I was watching the show, and was able to interact with it. I will most likely be getting this come this Summer!

Watch the trailer for DuckTales: Remastered Below, and let us know what you thinK!

Check out some pictures from the DuckTales: Remastered booth!

E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Fantasia: Music Evolved’

by Josh JacksonJune 16, 2013

Last week, the music game giants at Harmonix announced a team up with Disney to bring us Fantasia: Music Evolved. A Kinect exclusive experience, the initial trailer combined the magic of Disney with the chart toping hits of today, but we didn’t really see how that would happen. During a demo session with the title, Harmonix answered all of our questions about the game, how it plays and how it relates to the Fantasia film. After trying it out for myself, I must say, the game has promise!

Fantasia: Music Evolved puts us in the shoes of the sorcerer’s new apprentice. Tasked with bringing life back to worlds that are initially dull and dreary, the opening moments of each stage are closer to a point and click adventure. Standing to the right or left of the screen rotates the camera and moving your hand over the environment has various effects. Spinning, dragging, pushing, pulling swiping and poking can transform the environment into colorful, vibrant areas that match up well with Disney’s family friendly reputation. Playing with the level awards magical energy that will help open up rifts in the background. It’s these rifts that house the musical challenges, which is where the heart of the game lies.

Inside a printing press. One of the many lands sorcerers will explore.

Bringing in a mix of Wii Music, Dance Dance Revolution, Elite Beat Agents and even Fantavision visually, sections of the songs are triggered by different motions. Some of these include swiping in a direction, pushing at a certain spot or tracing your arm along certain movement strings to keep the song going. Throughout various points in the song, apprentices will be given the choice to layer a different type of arrangement on top of the song to give a custom feel to it. The best part is that you aren’t obligated to use your hands at all. If you want to dance, use your feet or throw in a spin here and there, as long as some part of you follows the instructions, the action will register. By the time the song is over, you’ll have a brand new version that can sound vastly different from the original version.

As songs are unlocked and completed, mini games in the game world will open up new sounds that are eventually blended into the world. By the end, the once dead environment was booming with tons of activity and sounds, blended perfectly into a unique creation of musical expression, taken both from the licensed songs and the included sound effects to make it unique to the player. Even if you don’t care about any of these creation aspects and just want to rack up a high score, Fantasia rewards experimentation since various arrangements might yield higher scores than others.

While the game was way too much fun to play, my biggest complaint wasn’t so much with the game, but with the Kinect itself. Using the new Xbox One version of the motion sensor, my movements weren’t being picked up for large chunks of the song. A combination of the lighting and my fellow journalists behind me were to blamed, but the new Kinect was supposed to alleviate or eliminate these issues that are part of the original Kinect as well. It could have been that I just sucked, but the demo had no way to tell me whether or not I was doing something wrong. Unlike Dance Central, which had visual cues that hinted at what you were doing wrong, Fantasia didn’t have anything of the sort. I’m hoping Harmonix adds something like this when the game launches early next year, because it’s sorely needed.

I was incredibly curious as to how Harmonix would pull off Fantasia, and this curiosity was satisfied by a creative, colorful and imaginative game that looks to recreate some of that Disney magic in ways that haven’t been done before. With the promise of Mickey Mouse appearing in the game in some capacity, hopefully more of Disney’s history will be explored within the game’s narrative. A soundtrack featuring Bruno Mars, Queen, f.u.n. and plenty of classical tunes rounds out what promises to be an interesting ride.

Look for Fantasia: Music Evolved on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One in 2014.

E3 2013: Geekscape Games Previews ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’

by Josh JacksonJune 16, 2013

When Call of Duty: Ghosts was previewed at the Xbox One conference, the aftermath felt like meme central. But between fish AI, “Collar Duty” jokes and lots of love for dogs, there was actually a game in there somewhere. Aside from the usual military shooter game play, the conference promised a weakened America, a new cast of characters and a much more desperate setting. These were all of the qualities I was keeping an eye out for when I stepped into Activision’s Ghosts presentation, and I was happy to walk out with a few surprises.

Ghosts will be the story of two brothers who are recruited by an elite squad of soldiers that tackle missions to protect a crippled United States. Traveling all around the world to locations such as Venezuela, The Caribbean and the deep, dark recesses of San Diego, each location was heavy on action. One mission had the Ghosts repelling down a building while picking off security forces on the way down. Another had them swimming underwater and blowing up a submarine with a torpedo launcher. All of this is made so much better by an obviously improved AI, so let’s hope the days of your team mates standing around looking into the distance while you get pumped full of led are long gone.

But who cares about the human partners! This game is all about Riley, the service dog that stole the show at the game’s reveal. What seemed like a simple squad member turns out to be so much more. In a dog focused stage, the main characters were able to give voice commands to their pet for various tactical functions. What’s even better is the game showed players taking direct control of Riley as he maps out paths, checks to make sure corners are safe with his back mounted camera and can even stealth take down enemy soldiers. Once the coast is clear, control comes back to the boring old humans to shoot stuff up. BUT… Riley was also seen being sent into rooms to ambush enemies and trigger breaches. On these sections alone, I’m more than excited to bury terrorists with an actual dog.

This is all framed with an overhauled graphics engine, including displacement mapping which makes terrain look even more realistic. New weapons include an underwater machine gun that’s based on real military tech, and more new guns are sure to follow. Multiplayer wasn’t shown in this demo, but as long as Call of Duty is in the title, you can expect plenty of multikills, upgrades and airstrikes when you take the fight online.

All in all, Ghosts seems like overhauling the story, the settings and adding a dog of all things might be the next step in the evolution of the series. I know that nothing I write will help or hinder this game’s ability to sell tens of millions of copies, but I’m more excited for Ghosts than I’ve been for a COD game in a long, long time.

Call of Duty: Ghosts is coming to the PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC in November.

E3 2013: Geekscape Games Previews ‘Skylanders: Swap Force’

by Josh JacksonJune 16, 2013

When Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure was first released nearly two years ago, it became a mega hit with both gamers and children alike. It wasn’t uncommon for games to get toy lines to tie in with the latest releases, but making the toys essential to playing the game was the key to a new cash cow. A year later, Skylanders: Giants added new characters, including the huge Skylanders that the game was named for. But from a game play perspective, it took the safe route, with game play and level design that felt like a copy/paste from the original. I was expecting much of the same when I got to check out Swap Force, the upcoming third Skylanders sequel that promises to add characters with swappable parts. But once I was able to see the game in action, there are a lot of big changes coming to Skylands, which left me pleasantly surprised!

In Skylanders: Swap Force, portal masters are called upon to summon Spyro and friends once again to prevent the evil master, Kaos, from corrupting a volcano with magical powers. This time around, Vicarious Visions, developers of the 3DS versions of Skylanders, have been given lead development duties in the console department. As you would guess from the title, the main feature of Swap Force is the ability to swap parts between the newest set of characters, changing their attacks and elemental properties in the process. The new guys include Night Shift, an undead boxer, Free Ranger, a storm powered chicken and Stink Bomb, a ninja skunk. Swapping their top and bottom halves create new versions of these newcomers to play with, like Free Bomb or Night Ranger. Each half stores data separately, so the upgrades made to each half will be carried over if you mix and match parts with your friends. In addition, swapping is necessary to open new elemental doors that require two elements to open. If you don’t want to buy the new swappable characters, fear not! Playing two players and using one of each element will open the doors just as well.

What you DO need the new characters for however, are the recently added Swap Force Zones. Each bottom half is associated with a type of movement, ranging from climbing, teleport and rocket zones for example. Opening these doors triggers mini games that are unique to each type, which rewards players with bonuses for completing them. Speaking of rewards, in addition to the hidden treasures and hats from the previous games, new map pieces can be discovered, unlocking bonus areas in the process. It was confirmed that these maps will replace the level based figurines, so gone are the days where you would have to spend close to $30 on sets in order to play a half hour stage.

These are just one of the many positives that Swap Force promises to bring. Running on an all new engine, the game is a huge upgrade visually. The addition of jumping means more platforming elements rather than the previous games that were essentially dungeon crawlers, while combat seems to have more depth with the ability to mix and match attacks. I was largely impressed, but my only concern is how the 3DS version will be affected. With a new developer taking over the handheld version, (which I felt was the superior version of the previous games,) what changes if any would be made for portable Portal Masters? Unfortunately, the 3DS version wasn’t included in my demo, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

All of the previous figures, including the giants, are backwards compatible in addition to 16 Swap Force and 16 new standard Skylanders. Old favorites like Stealth Elf will be getting new redesigns, but aside from the Swap Force zones, the entire game can be played with your old favorites if you’re low on cash. With all the new figures coming our way, it looks like we’ll need lots of it!

Skylanders: Swap Force is scheduled for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One this fall.

E3 2013: Hands-On: ‘Dark Souls 2’

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, two names that are synonymous with mind crushingly difficult game play. As seen with the popularity of these titles, gamers can’t get enough of the punishment that From Software cooks up every time one of the games in this series is released. Not surprisingly, a follow up in the form of Dark Souls 2 is coming, and I got the chance to take to the dark corridors and dungeons to find out what new tricks the game has in store.

Dark Souls 2 runs on a new game engine, which is immediately apparent from the vast improvement in graphics. While the game is being made to be more accessible with features such as 1-4 player multiplayer, one of the goals of the game is to keep the difficulty and sense of achievement intact. New to this game is the ability to customize your character, carry up to three weapons or shields at a time and using the shoulder buttons for independent left and right arm attacks. Enemy AI is said to be improved, and players will now be able to warp between bonfires, eliminating needless backtracking.

Players will have multiple classes to choose from, and while the full amount wasn’t confirmed, a minimum of 12 was promised. The demo gave me the choice between four of these classes, which were the Dual Swordsman, Sorcerer, Warrior and Temple Knight. Being a fan of all things dual handed, I snatched up a Dual Swordsman and began exploring. Any fears of the game being easier were quickly erased when the standard enemies drained tons of health with one attack. With two swords however, it was easy to inflict quick damage with both weapons, and while this class lacked in defense, it made up for in speed.

Traveling deep into the castle, the demo concluded on one of the notorious boss fights the series is known for. This Mirror Knight was a towering suit of reflective armor, using a giant mirror as a shield. I was handily defeating him until about half way through, where he started using his mirror to create reflections of warriors who had died there before me. So suddenly, I found myself going against a boss AND copies of player characters at the same time. Needless to say, I didn’t last long, but just like the previous games, I was addicted to the idea of getting better, anxiously awaiting March 2014 so I can get my second chance.

With Dark Souls 2, Namco Bandai and From Software are keeping what works while expanding the options players have to tackle the challenges presented. With promised multiplayer, a plethora of new classes and tons of deadly enemies, new and old fans might want to check this out if they want a game that makes you work for your victories.

Look for Dark Souls 2 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC early next year.

E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Knack’

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Sony did everything they could to wow the crowd at E3 this year, and it was largely successful. With that said, aside from the games we already knew about during the PS4 reveal, there were few exclusives shown for the new console. Amongst these titles was a creative looking action/platformer in the form of Knack, a collaboration between Sony Japan and game designer Mark Cerny. Why should you care? Because when the guys behind Shadow of the Colossus and Ratchet and Clank team up, only good things can happen.

Knack stars a mysterious creature who is composed of numerous relics. Tasked with helping the humans fight off the threat of an invading goblin army, Knack will be able to manipulate numerous objects and elements to help him fight off his enemies. The demo I played featured a large, colorful city that was being pillaged by the goblins. Destroying buildings, armor and any part of the environment would automatically absorb the pieces into Knack’s body, making him larger as the stage went on. At one point, the rep who was demoing the game pointed out that my character’s body was made up of thousands of individual pieces, all rendered individually. Even more impressive was that the game never slowed down or moved without a hitch. It just goes to show that while the game looks gorgeous, there’s more to graphical power than just looking pretty. It’s safe to say that something like this wouldn’t be possible on current gen hardware.

As Knack became bigger, his reach and power increased, but that didn’t mean the game got easier. Enemies were surprisingly punishing, assuring that this launch title is looking to give gamers a pretty decent challenge. Other demos next to me showed off interior environments, including manipulating wind to defeat crowds of enemies. The two types of elements I saw in action looked significantly distinct from each other, and I’d only imagine it can only get better with the final total being more than double this amount. Combined with the platforming focus that my demo lacked, it looks like Knack will offer tons of variety for early PS4 adopters.

By the time I walked away from my short time with Knack, I felt myself wanting more. The amount of charm and creativity with the graphics engine helped leave a lasting impression on me, and I can’t wait to see how far the final game takes these ideas. Look out for Knack when it launches with the PS4 in November of this year.

E3 2013: Hands-On with ‘Crimson Dragon’

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Leading up to Microsoft’s highly anticipated press conference, they promised that it would be all about the games. In that sense, they delivered, since plenty of new and old titles alike were announced for the upcoming Xbox console. But while everyone was losing their minds over Killer Instinct and Halo 5, most of my excitement was focused on Crimson Dragon, a spiritual successor to the Sega classic, Panzer Dragoon. Once at the Xbox booth, I made sure to jump on board and see if it could live up to my high expectations.

Not since Panzer Dragoon Orta in 2003 has a game of this type been released. Best described as a rail shooter on the back of a dragon instead of in a plane, the demo took me through the heart of a volcano, chasing a pale white dragon and blasting whatever I could along the way. The final game will have six dragons, each with their own set of abilities, but for now, I had one dragon with one set of moves. The homing lasers locked on to multiple targets that were highlighted by the right stick’s cursor, while an electric blast drained the health of whatever unfortunate soul my cursor was attached to. Dodging with the shoulder buttons initiated a quick barrel roll, which was welcomed since my dragon was too slow to reliably dodge otherwise.

When it came to the two featured boss fights, each one was timed. Doing a certain amount of damage or actually defeating the boss was rewarded with extra food that would be used to upgrade the dragons. Sadly, the time limit in the demo was so short that it was nearly impossible to actually defeat them. I asked to see if these time limits were going to mandatory, and while they will be, the time limits will be about double what they were in the demo once the full game is finally released.

From what I’ve played, Crimson Dragon is looking promising. The punishing difficulty of the previous games seems to have been toned down, but whether or not the demo was just set to be more forgiving has yet to be seen. The cursors and dragon move too slow for my tastes, but considering that this game was designed with Kinect in mind, moving with my hands might be a lot more intuitive. However, I am happy to report that the new Xbox One controller feels comfortable to use.

But aside from these minor complaints, the frantic rail shooting from Panzer Dragoon is alive and well. Keep this one on your list of games to watch as the Xbox One launch draws closer.

E3 2013: Two Retro Pac-Man Titles are on Their Way!

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Namco Bandai wasn’t short on Pac Man news at this year’s E3 convention. In addition to the TV show, toy line and video game that were announced, two retro titles are also coming for old people like me. Pac Man Championship Edition DX + and Pac Man Museum look to bring us back to the glory days of the ghost munching icon in both new and familiar ways.

As most of you could probably figure out from the title, Championship Edition DX + is an expanded version of the wildly popular HD Pac Man game that hit the PSN and Xbox Live arcade a few years back. For those unfamiliar, CE put players in timed Pac Man boards where giant waves of ghosts could be eaten in rapid succession for huge point bonuses. Eating half of the board would unlock a fruit, which would respawn dots after being eaten. In DX, bombs can be used to knock away enemies when you’re cornered, which is easy to do when the game goes into slow motion when in danger. DLC maps include classic Namco skins, including Dig Dug and Rally X, changing Pac Man and the ghosts into characters from those games. Coming this summer to Windows 8, Steam, Xbox 360 and PS3, leaderboard chasers will know which game to add to their queue once its released.

In Pac-Man Museum, many of the classic games spanning decades of history will be collected into one package. Announced so far are Championship Edition, Classic and Battle Royal, the latter of which was only released in arcades. This game looked the most exciting of all, since it features 4 different Pac Men who had to eat ghosts as well as each other. Each power pellet makes Pac Man grow in size, allowing him to eat anyone and anything else that’s smaller than him. Coming to the PS3, 360, Wii U and 3DS, it looks like our retro fix will be covered in this Pac Man collection.

Between these two titles, that’s a ton of Pac we’ll get to play. Between these games and the TV show, it looks like we’ll all be getting real familiar with the character once again. Look out for both these games in the coming months.

E3 2013: Pac Man is Getting a Huge Revival, Complete With a New TV Show!

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Pac Man has been a gaming icon since before gaming icons were a thing. If you were to sing the beeps and boops of the opening song to a random person on the street, chances are they’ll recognize it before they flag the police for harassment. Over the last few years though, the closest he’s received to recognition are a few remakes of his classic arcade game and as a pick up line in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Namco’s looking to change that, because Pac Man is back in the spotlight, starting with a slew of new media.

Starting this Monday on June 17th, Pac Man will hit the airwaves courtesy of Disney XD. Airing Monday thru Friday with repeats on Saturday, (that’s six days a week people!) Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures is a 3D animated cartoon where the eater of worlds himself will have to save his city from an evil army of ghost spirits. Introducing new friends and familiar foes along the way, Namco is banking on the idea that kids will eat this stuff up, complete with a toy and merchandise line.

But of course, Pac Man wouldn’t be anything without video games, so a tie in title is on its way. This 3D platformer was made closely with the people behind the animated series to keep both pieces of media in line with each other. Coming to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U an 3DS this fall, the game promises about 8 hours of story mode game play with 1-4 player multiplayer modes to round out the experience. In the playable demo that was on display, Pac-Man could attack by eating ghosts, eat special pelletts that transform him into new forms, (like the Iguana form that lets him swing and eat with his retractable tounge,) and force ghosts to turn blue and run away with a retro sounding scream. He ran really slow, and his eating attack had pathetic range, so I’m hoping some extra development time can iron out these issues. However, as a platforming fan, the game is looking like a solid title for its intended demographic.

While the 3DS version wasn’t on display, it was said to be a 2D sidescroller that uses the same art style as the TV show and console games. While the console version is said to have a medium level of difficulty, the 3DS is intended to be the system of choice for younger gamers with Pac Man. Because of this, it’s said to be the easier version of the two, so all ages can find the title that’s appropriate for them.

It’s clear to see that Namco wants Pac-Man back in a huge way. With Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures, it seems like they’re all in; planning to give the icon the reception he deserves. With three games, (including Pac Man Championship Edition DX and Pac Man Museum,) a TV show and a toy line, a whole new generation will have the chance to fall in love with the yellow disc all over again.

E3 2013: Hands On ‘Killer Instinct’

by Josh JacksonJune 15, 2013

Killer Instinct is one of those games that fans have been asking for for years, but after being disappointed time after time, it was easy to consider a sequel nothing but a pipe dream. Thankfully for us fighting game fans, nostalgia nuts or those dying for Rare to return to their roots, an Xbox One follow up was finally revealed, AND was fully playable on the E3 show floor! Except that the game isn’t being developed by Rare at all, but by Double Helix games, (makers of Silent Hill: Homecoming and Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters.) The new developer has a lot to live up to after being handed such a beloved franchise, so I made sure to nab the closest arcade stick and throw down or a couple of rounds.

As expected, the mechanics of the game have been upgraded. The basics of this 2D fighting game are still intact, complete with insane combos, special moves and of course, Combo Breakers. Added to these standard features are a ton of new bars that have different functions. Taking damage and executing Combo Breakers fills the Instinct Bar. Somewhat like an X Factor mode from Marvel vs Capcom 3, triggering this cancels out of animations, resets the combo knockback, increases speed and health recovery and is accompanied by n awesome yellow glow. Unlike X Factor, this can be triggered multiple times in a fight assuming the bar fills fast enough.

Secondly, the shadow meter is a new bar that’s specifically for powered up special attacks. As KI‘s version of the EX attack, blocking successful blows fills this blue bar. Once its at least half full, executing a special attack with two buttons instead of one triggers a stronger version of the attack. These moves are great ways to add extra pressure to an opponent, snatch up a little extra damage or to extend combos.

Speaking of combos, the structure in how they’re executed was changed as well. Light attacks “unlock” links to medium attacks, which then can link to heavy. I wasn’t a fan of these at all since I was pulling off decent sized combos while just tapping buttons down the line, timing and precision be damned. Just to see if it worked, I tried mashing nothing but the light punch button as Sabrewulf… and I pulled off an impressive looking 20 hit combo that took half a bar of health. Combo Breakers are essential in this case, since pressing the two light, medium or strong attack buttons simultaneously will end your opponent’s combo if they attacked with the same type of button you pressed. If you mess up though, you’re locked out of attempting another one for three seconds. Rounding these out are the infamous Ultra Combo, which in the past was a short, somewhat complex combo that would trigger a huge, multi hit spectacle if the opponent was low on health. Except now, triggering it is one command that varies between characters. It would be nice to have to work for it, but it seems like many of the features are getting dumbed down.

So after playing Killer Instinct, I’m a little worried in the direction it’s taking. Many of the mechanics we’ve grown to love have been dumbed down and the positive additions like the Shadow Meter don’t outweigh the bad, (like potentially unlimited X-Factor with Instinct Mode.) As a long time fighting game player, there’s no reason I should be able to pull off huge combos with one button and no timing. The mid match Fatalities were missing, and there’s no word if they will be in the final version as of yet. Add in the free to play aspect where only Jago will be playable and everyone else has to be bought separately puts me off too.

Keep in mind though, that this was all from the early stages of the game. There’s still plenty of time for Double Helix to refine and balance out this long anticipated fighter when it releases exclusively on the Xbox One in the near future. I’m still holding out hope that the game will turn out great. After all, we’ve waited too long for it not to be.

E3 2013: Geekscape Games Previews ‘Murdered: Soul Suspect’

by Josh JacksonJune 14, 2013

Amongst a sea of sequels and remakes, it’s always refreshing to see something new at E3. It helps when the concept is as compelling as trying to solve your own murder. Square Enix revealed Murdered: Soul Suspect where players will do just that. After seeing the game in action, this investigation title might be one of the show’s biggest surprises.

Taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, a town that’s known for its connection to the supernatural, the main character awakens from being murdered by a hooded man. As an investigator who obviously has a poor reputation with the police based on their conversations, his ghostly powers give him plenty of unique ways to gather evidence. These powers come with their own challenges however, because physical objects can’t be grabbed. This is where being dead comes in handy, because aside from blue tinted doors that are blocked by a power called, “the dusk,” any other walls or doors can be passed through, gaining access to places the police can’t reach. But what about when you need information from the physical world? Well, what kind of ghost would you be if you couldn’t possess people? By taking up residence in a person’s body, you’ll be able to look at evidence through their eyes, read their thoughts and even influence the memories of witnesses with the information gathered from others. What if a character isn’t around to possess? In that case, their memories can be relived at certain spots assuming they were recently near that spot. Once enough memories are collected, they have to be pieced together in chronological order to make progress in the investigation.

As seen in the demo on display though, just because you’re a ghost doesn’t mean you can’t be killed. Demons are roaming throughout the city and thrive on eating other ghosts. You see, demons are ghosts who have lingered too long in the living world, and the belief that eating other ghosts will restore their humanity means that your fresh meat on their menu. Whether or not this is the case wasn’t mentioned, but I’d be surprised if the threat of becoming a demon doesn’t come into play over the course of the game. Regardless, don’t think you’re helpless going against them, because sneaking behind them, possessing them first and tearing them apart from the inside is a very effective way of getting monsters off your back.

Aside from fighting for your afterlife and solving your own murder, side missions such as helping other ghosts find their body will pop up. How helping them aids you in your investigation wasn’t said, but another helpful character was an unnamed teenaged girl who at some point will help you by leaving graffiti tagged hints. This is welcomed news, because without spoiling anything, it looks like we’ll need all the help we can get when this game lands in our hands.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is looking like one of the more unique games in the pipeline from Square Enix. How this mystery will play out is anyone’s guess, but I’m definitely ready to find out. Bringing supernatural mechanics to an adventure game seems like a great combination, so I’m hoping Murdered can keep its momentum going when it releases early next year.

Murdered: Soul Suspect will possess the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in 2014.

E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut’

by Josh JacksonJune 14, 2013

Since Square-Enix took over many of Eidos’ properties, few have had as much critical success as Deus Ex: Human Revolution when it was released in 2011. This revival of the influential series brought non liner action back to a first person genre that’s used to being about shooting first and asking questions later. Adding the expertly woven story and the customizable abilities, and you had a game that pleased many of the gamers who played it. When a director’s cut was announced, I knew this wouldn’t be a game to miss, so I hacked into Square Enix’s system to see what this Wii U offering brought to the table.

As you would expect from a director’s cut, the game itself is relatively unchanged. As Adam Jensen, an officer who has been enhanced with numerous augmentations, he is tasked with taking down a terrorist organization by any means necessary. Players will still be able to use stealth, guns or a mix of both to accomplish their mission while aided by upgradable augmentations to make Adam unique. With so many options, it’s very likely that one person’s character will be completely different from another’s.

New to the director’s cut are a slew of abilities and features. Playing with the Wii U tablet made the menus much easier to access, so being forced to flip through pages of options has been simplified to a simple tap of the screen. Adam can now throw back grenades, scan the area by lifting the Wii U game pad and pointing it at the screen, (making it easier to find items and enemies,) and tackle new stealth and hacking challenges. The extra missions from the DLC have been seamlessly implemented into the story, making the overall experience longer. These are accompanied by new achievements and eight hours of developer commentary that are scattered throughout the game. Even veterans of Human Revolution will be caught off guard by the reworked maps and boss fights, hoping to keep even the most seasoned players on their toes. And if you suck at the game? Well you’re covered too, because a digital version of the strategy guide is built into the game! The best news? You’ll be able to go back with all of your upgrades with the added New Game Plus, letting players blast through for alternate endings like a super powered boss!

During E3, it was announced that Human Revlolution Director’s Cut will also be coming to Xbox 360 and PS3, so there’s no excuse not to give this game a try, especially if you missed it the first time. I was pleasantly surprised by the original release, and I can’t wait to see how well these new features play out in the full game!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut is scheduled to be released later this year.

E3 2013: Hands-On ‘Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII’

by Josh JacksonJune 14, 2013

Square Enix had no shortage of Final Fantasy news on the show floor at E3. Between the rebirth of the MMO, A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV and the official announcement of Final Fantasy XV, fans of the franchise had plenty to sink their teeth into. With that said, this doesn’t mean the next game in the series didn’t hog a share of the spotlight for itself. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was on the floor and fully playable, so I made sure I got to delve deep into the Goddess’ final adventure.

The demo threw Lightning into a very different version of her world; one that is on the verge of destruction. As the E3 trailer showed, she’s at odds with her former teammate, Snow, and was forced to fight through waves of enemies in order to keep up with him. With tactical assistance from everyone’s favorite whiny brat turned Otakon wannabe, Hope, the trailing of Snow had commenced!

Lightning Returns touts a real time battle system that is more action based, but this was the first time I was able to put it to the test. Familiar aspects return, including a renamed version of the paradigm shift/job systems and the Active Time Battle mechanic, but with a new twist. Since Lightning is riding solo in this adventure, her skill set has expanded substantially. Split amongst three battle types, (with different costumes to match,) Lightning can switch between them on the fly. Having three attack options and a guard button, players can manually make her move towards and away from the enemy while timing defending, magic and physical moves. Each move spends a certain amount of the ATB bar, and once it’s empty, you’ll have to wait for it to recharge. However, instead of other games in the series where you were forced to twiddle your thumbs while waiting for the bar to fill, each class has its own ATB bar. So all it takes is a simple press of the shoulder button to switch to another style while the drained one charges in the background. That’s pretty sweet if you ask me.

One of the most strategic aspects of the XIII series was the staggering system, where timing attacks and exploiting weaknesses caused enemies to be temporarily disabled in various ways. I’m happy to say that staggering is back, but it works differently this time around. While elemental weaknesses still play a part, it’s not enough to just level enemies with constant attacks. The best way to stagger now is to attack during an enemy’s attack animation, so while you risk taking damage, you’ll be rewarded with a window of opportunity to inflict a huge amount of uninterrupted damage if you’ve managed your ATB bar properly. And trust me, to efficiently beat the boss at the close of the demo, you were going to have to take advantage of any exploit you could.

I’ll admit, I’ve been a big critic of the XIII franchise. After being greatly disappointed by the original and its sequel, which took plenty of steps in the right direction, but still fell short in the game play department in my opinion, Lightning Returns is well on its way to change my mind. Controlling only one character eliminates the party member AI issues and the updates to the battle system fit in perfectly with the real time combat. The only big issues that have yet to be resolved are with the story and characters, but we won’t really know much about either until the game releases early next year. I can also do without the completely out of character “sexy” posing the stoic and serious Lightning does after winning a battle in her magic costume, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Look for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 and PS3 on February 11th.

Geekscape 294: Talking E3 With ‘Assassin’s Creed: Revelations’ Actor Cas Anvar!

by JonathanJune 14, 2013

E3 is over and it’s time to pick our way through the fallout! Luckily, actor Cas Anvar, the voice of Altair in ‘Assassin’s Creed: Revelations’ is here to help out! Cas also lended his talents to Halo 4, Black Ops 2, Command and Conquer, Clone Wars and can be seen in Argo, Source Code and the upcoming Diana! Along for the ride is EJ De la Pena, writer and producer on their new project ‘CAS: Nobility’ which needs your Indiegogo love! Also, Tommy Avallone calls up to talk about his documentary ‘I Am Santa Claus’ with wrestling superstar Mick Foley and we break down the XBox One vs PS4 battle!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:26 — 25.5MB)

E3 2013: Nerdcore Rapper Mega Ran’s Top 3 Retro Video Games!

by JonathanJune 12, 2013

While perusing the E3 show floor today (and what a show floor it was), we had the opportunity to meet up with the phenomenal nerdcore rapper Mega Ran. Mega Ran’s got a lot going on these days, but he still had time for a few questions from his pals at Geekscape. Watch our exclusive interview below, learn all about Mega Ran’s three favourite retro video games, and much, much more!

Mega Ran’s awesome Kickstarter launched just two days ago, and is already sitting at almost 20% of its $10’000 goal. Whether you’re a nerdcore fan, or simply love video games, there are some great incentives up for grabs, so why not throw him a few bucks?

Headed to SDCC this year? Geekscape, Tiny Nightmare Productions, and Devil’s Playground Burlesque have all banded together to put on an awesome two-night event. Night one features geek rock and comic vixens with Nerf Herder, Kirby Krackle, and H2Awesome, while night two will host DualCore, Wordburglar, Danimal Cannon, and of course, Mega Ran. We’ll see you there.

Ubisoft E3 2013 Media Roundup

by Shane O'HareJune 12, 2013

Ubisoft’s E3 panel has come and gone, and it gave us a bunch of great new games to look at. From South Park, The Crew, Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed and my personal game of show The Division. We’ve even got some NICE footage from The Division for you!

E3 2013: The Newest ‘Smash Bros’ Combatant is… the ‘Wii Fit’ Trainer!?

by Josh JacksonJune 12, 2013

Yesterday’s Smash Bros reveal trailer had the internet exploding with excitement with the reveals of Mega Man and Villager. If you were online at all yesterday, it was impossible to escape the news. But what if I were to tell you that there was one more character that Nintendo neglected to introduce? A character from one of the highest selling franchises in the company’s history? One that is at the peak of human conditioning, which is needed to go toe to toe with Nintendo’s best?

Then what if I were to tell you it’s the Wii Fit Trainer?

Yes, the personal trainer who would sleepily walk players through weight training and yoga poses is heading to the fight, appropriately using exercise inspired moves to attack. From arm-leg extensions to push-ups… hoola hoops to downward dogs. My anticipation for the character went from “WTF” to “OMG” within the short, minute long reveal. I just wish her Final Smash used the Balance Board in some way, but at least he’s apparently in the background of a Wii Fit themed stage!

If nothing else, her reveal trailer is one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen. Watching Kirby, Link and Mario trying to do a tree pose had me rolling! Check her out below and let us know if you think she’s an appropriate addition to the anticipated cast!

E3 2013: ‘Saints Row IV’ Gameplay Impressions

by JonathanJune 11, 2013

After the closing of THQ earlier this year, and the firesale of THQ properties that followed, one of the THQ published franchises whose tenuous fate concerned fans the most was the Saints Row series. Generally acknowledged as a more lewd and drunken cousin to the GTA games (yeah… even MORE lewd and drunken), the Saints Row titles are generally praised for offering a “screw everything, let’s just @%$* everything up” alternative to Rockstar Games’ main franchise. This louder and more anarchic approach is a breath of fresh air for Saints Row fans, and the closing of THQ left many of them concerned with the fate of the long planned Saints Row IV (due out on August 20th here in the U.S.). Original developer Volition continued development of the title, but publication moved from THQ to Dead Island publisher Deep Silver, ensuring that fans will ultimately have their insane, anarchic fill. But forget the history… How does that game actually play?

Well, after spending a short time playing the game in Deep Silver’s E3 Oval Office set up, I’m happy to announce that the game is both fun and insane. Is it ultimately satisfying to the extent that we expect from a full console release? Sadly, I think the jury is still out.

The 'Saints Row IV' President's Seal — The ‘Saints Row IV’ President’s Seal

The demo that I played came in two parts, a narrative portion early in the game in which the White House (under your presidency) is attacked by aliens intent on enslaving the human race and a free play, completely unlocked God mode portion set up by the developers to show off the free roam gameplay and the character’s completely insane souped up powers towards the end of the game.

I can’t hold a grudge against any game that features both Keith David’s voice talents and Stan Bush music, and in my time with the title I experienced both. Your character from Saints Row 3 is now dirtbag President of the United States, with a cabinet made up of kiss-asses, traitors and former porn stars ,and your approval rating sits at 20%. As you make your way to a televised press conference, you manage to hilariously cure cancer (or solve world hunger… you can’t do both), kick the ass of a political rival and endorse (or not) a loser hanger-on. And as you approach the podium to address the nation, the walls are blown in and the alien overlords attack. You have to make your way to the Oval Office, retrieve your high-powered munitions and kick some alien ass as the bad guys abduct most of your cabinet up into their space ship.

Me, sitting in 'Saints Row IV's AMAZING Oval Office — Me, sitting in ‘Saints Row IV’s AMAZING Oval Office

It’s a pretty ridiculous and impressive sequence of events, ending in the President manning a giant surface-to-air cannon on the White House lawn against incoming spaceships, but I couldn’t help but think that the character animations were a bit choppy, and that the gameplay felt slow. I wanted to blast a lot more aliens and explore the White House a bit more and it felt as though the big set pieces and jokes came at the expense of a faster, looser experience. It is fun to blow aliens away with a high powered machine gun, but the scripted encounter events occurred so close to each other that it didn’t leave time for exploring. This really felt like a tutorial level (and am pretty sure that it is, with the game’s release about two months away). Probably not fair to think that it’s representative of the entire game, as even though the gameplay and animations weren’t satisfying, the humor and ridiculousness were EXACTLY what I’ve come to expect from a Saints Row title.

Luckily, the gameplay picked up a lot with the free roam portion of the demo. In this open world sequence, your character is completely powered up, with superpowers involving super-speed, limited flight, freezing, fire powers, and telekinesis. And he also has every weapon in the game and is allowed to unleash them all on both the pedestrians and alien scum inhabiting the massive area. This portion reminded me a lot less of GTA and a lot more of the first Crackdown game, a title I was addicted to years ago. Here, I found myself superjumping around the city, collecting rooftop orbs, and blowing stuff up. It’s actually a LOT like the first Crackdown and even features places on the map where you can activate mini missions and co-op play. But of course, there’s a major difference: the powers and weapons are insane… and Stan Bush is playing on one of the radio stations!

The Dubstep gun may be one of the most hilarious weapons ever.

In my time blowing things up and pretty much destroying everything, I used freezing powers to freeze alien gunships out of the sky and send them crashing into buildings, fire abilities to light bad guys on fire during melee encounters, and telekinesis to pick up bystanders or vehicles (or corpses) and send them hurtling into pretty much anything and everything. And the guns were fantastic. One of the most creative is the Dubstep Gun, in which holding down the right trigger and aiming it at an enemy bludgeons them with dubstep music until they die. Pretty hilarious. My favorite (and most destructive) was the Singularity Cannon, a weapon that fires a mini-black hole at a target that immediately sucks up everything in the nearby vicinity. Cars, pedestrians, aliens, streetlamps, fences, trucks… I had a blast seeing the bad guys scrape and try and drag themselves free of the little black holes, only to ultimately get stretched and sucked inside. It was immediately one of my favorite weapons of any game ever, and it’s a blast just speed running or soaring around the environment shooting the weapon at everything in sight (including getting yourself accidentally sucked in on a few occasions). It was Crackdown… on crack. And I had a blast.

And just as I was warming up and really putting it to the alien scum, the demo was over and I was ushered out of the room by the Deep Silver folks (but not before I got a picture sitting at the Presidential desk!). Yes, the jury is still out on whether or not my time demoing the game is indicative of the full console release, but the personality on display in Saints Row IV and the rampant fun of the open world carnage were definitely enough for me to give the game another chance upon release. I can’t wait to power up, load up and cut an even bigger swath of destruction August 20th.

http://youtu.be/bQTt6bUZrSU