Shawn Vermette

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter

January 31, 2010

Reviews / Wii / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is the next in a unique series from an up-and-coming studio. It’s the first Wii game made by 5th Cell, so it was interesting to see how they would continue their history of unique games while adapting to a new console. 

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter’s story begins with the Raposa, the inhabitants of the world of Drawn to Life, noticing that one of their number is missing along with a number of objects from around town. A Hero is required to help track down the person responsible for the thefts and this is where your drawing first comes in.

Of course, the biggest feature of Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is drawing your own hero and drawing various other parts of the world. If you are a good artist, then you’ll enjoy having your creations populating the world and watching your masterpiece of a hero travel through the levels. If you aren’t, well, then I hope you enjoy watching grotesque caricatures of animals travel around the levels. I fit into the latter category, and none of the things I drew looked anything like what they were supposed to look like. Luckily, you’ll often have the option of just using a model, if you aren’t a good artist.

The actual gameplay is fairly standard for a side-scrolling game; you’ll beat enemies, jump across platforms, and collect coins and various other objects until you finish the level.

The graphics are all 3-D despite this essentially being a 2-D platforming game, which is a really nice touch. However, all the objects you draw into the world are 2-D. This tends to make them stand out from the rest of the graphics, and not necessarily in a pleasant way. The music is catchy, though none of it is overwhelmingly good.

A couple other things of note is that the production values are clearly present in the game. It is obvious from the get-go that this isn’t just another Wii game, it had real effort put into it. On the other hand, the loading times are ridiculous. Loading between levels makes sense to me, but having to reload the level every time you draw some new creation or object is just silly.

Overall, this is a worthwhile sequel to the original. It is well-made and an enjoyable side-scroller. If you enjoyed the original on the DS, you’ll enjoy Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter. If you didn’t enjoy it, then there’s no reason to consider this one either. 

Plays Like:  Previous Drawn to Life games

Pros: Can draw many things in the game

Cons: Have to draw many things in the game; Loading times are tedious and far too common

 

Assassin’s Creed 2

January 31, 2010

PS3 / Reviews / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

The shortcomings of the first Assassin’s Creed are well-known and well-publicized. It was too repetitive; the free-running was too awkward sometimes; and there was way too much pointless backtracking and traveling. Much to everyone’s delight, Assassin’s Creed 2 takes everything that was wrong with the first, fixes them, and then improves on everything it did right. 

The story of Assassin’s Creed 2 begins pretty much immediately after the end of the first, waking up in your room with all the glowing symbols and writing etched on the wall of your room. After this you’ll soon escape from Abstergo with the help of an old friend. Upon escaping, you’ll quickly be sent back into the animus to live through the life of another ancestor of yours, Ezio de Auditore.

The introduction to Assassin’s Creed 2 is longer than the intro to the first, but it is much more intriguing and enjoyable. It also gets you more interested in the story because of how you live Ezio’s life alongside him. If you’ve never played the first Assassin’s Creed, there is also a short cinematic that walks you through the story of the first so that you aren’t completely lost when you start playing. This is a nice feature that I wish more sequels employed.

Pretty much every mechanic from the first has been improved, from hiding to free-running to assassinations; everything is much more fluid and realistic-feeling. Obviously none of it is really possible, but it looks more natural, as if it really was possible. While there is still lots of backtracking and traveling to do in Assassin’s Creed 2, there is much less of it than there was in the first, which is a huge relief. Some new mechanics are the addition of looting of bodies and the pick-pocketing of just about anyone you want. After a fight, you can loot the bodies for florins, and when walking around the cities you can pick pocket anyone you want to for more florins. What do you need florins for, you ask? Well, you no longer rejuvenate health simply by being anonymous so you have to buy medicine to heal yourself, but you can also buy maps to treasures, improve your equipment, and even buy art to display in your home. Careful with the pick pocketing though, doing it too much or too conspicuously and you’ll be targeted by guards who will make life difficult for you.

The graphics and the setting are gorgeous; Ubisoft did an amazing job of reproducing Renaissance Italy and making it feel like you are actually there. The sound design is high quality as well, with the ambient sounds contributing to the feel of Italy almost as much as the graphics.

The controls are the same as the first game, which is great because they were really intuitive and responsive to begin with. All the intangibles of a well-made game are present as well. The entire feel of the game is that it was a labor of love, an attempt to not just overcome all the shortfalls of the first game, but to wipe them from the memory of anyone who has played the series.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this might just be the most improved sequel of all time because if it isn’t, it definitely ranks up there with the best sequels we’ve ever played.

Plays like: Assassin’s Creed meets GTA

Pros: Controls are same; Combat is enjoyable; Graphics are spectacular; Sound design is great; Story draws you in; Open world Renaissance Italy

Cons: Combat can be too easy

 

Ju-On The Grudge: Haunted House Simulator

January 24, 2010

Reviews / Wii / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Calling Ju-on a haunted house simulator is a very good description. This isn’t a game as much as it is an interactive movie. Nothing you do will impact the way events play out, nor is there any way to avoid the inevitable end to this game.

Ju-on is very faithful to the movie series, with appearances by freaky little girls common, and an atmosphere very reminiscent of the movies. Ju-on is split into 5 episodes, each of which has you playing out events from the perspective of a different character. The bulk of the game is comprised of exploration of grisly, eerie, or abandoned environments with nothing but a flashlight, broken up frequently by cheap scare tactics. Cheap though they may be, they worked on me…I’m not a horror fan and this was a very scary game to me. For those who play horror games, this may be more tame or run-of-the-mill for you. There are also interactive attack sequences in the game, but they consist of simply waggling the wiimote quickly in order to shake off whatever it was that attacked you this time. 

The graphics are decent for the Wii. Nothing is really detailed, but the atmosphere is fittingly eerie and freaky. On the other hand, the sound design contributed a great deal to the feeling of being in a horror game. The surprisingly apt sounds hint at grisly and ghastly things awaiting you in the darkness that your flashlight hasn’t revealed.

The controls are a pain though. They are sometimes laggy and imprecise, while other times they work perfectly. Similarly, the camera will sometimes lag, while other times working perfectly. This all adds up to an experience that is very uneven from start to finish.

In the end, Ju-on is not a game I would recommend for fans of horror games in general, as there are already several horror games on the Wii that are much better, such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil. However, if you are a fan of the Grudge movies, or you’ve played the other horror games and are still hungry for more, you may enjoy Ju-on.

ESRB:  M for violence and blood

Plays Like:  An interactive horror movie

Pros: Faithful to the films; pretty darn scary

Cons: Controls are very laggy and imprecise; camera is a pain; less a game than a virtual novel

 

Snackbar Speculator: Houses divided

January 17, 2010

Features / Speculator / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

We’re back with another edition of Snackbar Speculator.  This week’s topics: The DS2 and lots of internal politics. 

Current scores:

Andrew Passafiume: -35

Graham Russell: 0

Shawn Vermette: 5

Nintendo readying ‘DS2’ for mid-2011 release

The Game Boy Color was released in 1998. The Game Boy Advance was released in 2001. The Nintendo DS was released in 2004. It has now been almost 6 years since the release of the DS, and history tells us that a new handheld system should be on the verge of being released. Nintendo still refuses to discuss the possibility, but there are rumors swirling now that not only is Nintendo readying a new handheld, but it is aimed for a June 2011 release, with information on it to be released at E3 and the Tokyo Game Show this year. There’s no question that the DS is starting to show its age, but is Nintendo ready to move on considering how much of a cash cow the DS has been for them?

Andrew: Knowing Nintendo, this seems like a pretty good possibility. But what else could they do with the DS aside from simple upgrades that we’ve seen? That is uncertain, but people would buy the system nonetheless. I can definitely see this happening. 75%


Graham: If you look at the GBC, GBA and DS, it seems like it’s time.  We have to remember, however, that the original Game Boy lasted for nine years.  After the GBA, the company was so nervous about the short lifespan that it came up with the whole “third pillar” spiel to cover for it.  Is Nintendo working on a successor?  Of course.  It’s not inconceivable that it won’t come out until 2012, though, since they might want to give the DSi more time. 50%

Shawn: The only advantages the PSP seems to have over the DS are its graphics and multimedia capabilities. I can definitely see Nintendo announcing a new system that has all the abilities of the DS and the connectivity and graphics (or better graphics) of the PSP. And, following standard Nintendo policy for handhelds, it would not be launched during the holidays so mid-2011 is as good a time as any to predict. 75%

Modern Warfare 3 not on Infinity Ward’s plate

After creating the Call of Duty series and then rejuvenating it with the Modern Warfare sub-brand, word is that Infinity Ward won’t be working on the next installment in the Modern Warfare series. For a while, Infinity Ward has wanted to get away from working solely on Call of Duty, but they’ve never had a chance due to the lack of another high-profile studio that could take over for them. Reports are now surfacing though that Infinity Ward is working on an all-new IP rather than beginning preparations on Modern Warfare 3. Activision has a new studio headed by the men behind Dead Space, but would Infinity Ward be willing to hand over the reins to a new studio, regardless of its pedigree?

Andrew: I can see this happening, and I think Infinity Ward would want to get away and work on something new. Activision knows any future Call of Duty game will be successful either way, no matter what developer is behind it, so either way Modern Warfare 3 is bound to be successful. Whether or not Infinity Ward will allow another studio to take over is hard to figure out, but I could see it happening. 60% 

Graham: Bungie wanted to escape Halo.  Infinity Ward wants to escape Modern Warfare.  This is the kind of craziness we have in the games industry.  What other developer out there wouldn’t want to be at the helm of an incredibly successful franchise?  But people get restless, and Infinity Ward has only been partially responsible for the series.  (Their installments are generally accepted as better, but still.) Bottom line: it’s possible.  It’s stupid too. 40%

Shawn: I can definitely see Infinity Ward being tired of working on nothing but Call of Duty. After all, that’s all they’ve worked on for nearly a decade. However, considering the lack of success Treyarch has had living up to the quality and reputation of Infinity Ward developed CoD games, I can see how Infinity Ward would have trepidation over giving it over completely for a cycle. Given the amount of money and effort Activision has put into building this new studio, however; I believe it is likely that there’s faith in that studio to at least do as good a job as Treyarch. Due to this, I find this rumor entirely believable. 75%

Midnight Club canceled by Rockstar after internal studio strife

The game industry was hit years ago with a work scandal at EA in the now-infamous incident over unpaid overtime that resulted in millions paid out in class-action lawsuits. Now that same scene is repeating over at Rockstar San Diego. Accusations of the same treatment and unpaid vacation/overtime have been leveled at the management of Rockstar San Diego by numerous spouses and former employees. The key to this rumor though is the accusation that the Midnight Club development team has been dismantled and everyone either fired or farmed onto game projects that have been struggling for years. That there is strife and disarray is unmistakable, but would Rockstar have really allowed such a profitable series to fall by the wayside?

Andrew: I really find this one hard to believe. Rockstar doesn’t seem like the kind of company to do this, their development studios definitely seem a lot more lax than most. I doubt they would let something like this happen, and I doubt a fairly popular game series would be canceled because of it. If the series is canceled, this reason seems highly unlikely. 5%

Graham: The bottom line of this is Midnight Club’s cancellation.  It’s certainly possible, since 2K seems to be impatient with any Rockstar series that isn’t GTA.  It’s a fairly popular series in a genre that was recently vacated by the other giant, EA’s Need for Speed. If it’s gone, it’s a tragedy. 30%


Shawn: I find this rumor somewhat unfathomable. After the turmoil and bad press the game industry received last time, I was sure no other major developer would do these things; however, apparently the IGDA has offered to step in and help with some conflict resolution at the studio, so there may be some truth to these rumors. That something is going on over there is obvious, but I doubt Rockstar will simply cancel the Midnight Club series because of it. 10%

Max Payne 3 to be delayed due to internal studio strife

Mirroring the strife at Rockstar San Diego, it appears Rockstar Vancouver has also had the same charges leveled at management there. Rumors are swirling of 14-16 hour workdays being enforced at Rockstar Vancouver for all employees working on Max Payne 3. Despite these long workdays, it appears the strife and discord brought on by working conditions there are having more of an impact than the increased workload, as its being rumored that Max Payne 3 will be delayed again because of it.

Andrew: This is a tough one, because I can see Max Payne 3 being delayed, but I very much doubt this reason is valid (for the same reasons I stated above). I can see the game being delayed though, and if it is, I can’t imagine us finding out why. I will say there is a good chance the game is delayed, but I doubt it’s for this reason. 50%

Graham: Man, Rockstar has some issues, doesn’t it? Yeah, games get delayed, and Max Payne 3 is no exception.  There’s no way to know whether this strife was the cause of the delay, because they won’t ever admit it.  Therefore I can’t say anything. 50%


Shawn: Considering the game is scheduled to come out in August, such long days and ‘crunch time’ management seems to be to be a bit far-fetched for the moment. I agree with Andrew on this one, the game will likely get delayed, but I doubt this will be the reason…if we ever even know the reason. 35%

SB’s Most Anticipated of ’10

January 12, 2010

Features / Opinion / by Shawn Vermette Make a comment! / Tweet it!

So we’re at the beginning of a new year.  There’s a whole 12 months of gaming ahead of us, but we already know a lot of what we want to enjoy. 

My most anticipated titles of 2010 betray the true loves of my gaming world- RPGs and Strategy games.

Final Fantasy XIII

Do I really need to say why this is my most anticipated game of 2010? I’ve yet to meet a Final Fantasy game I didn’t like, and this one looks and sounds so beautiful and epic that I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect remains one of my favorite games of all time, and Bioware has promised to up the ante, storytelling, and decision making in Mass Effect 2. Needless to say, that just makes me all the more excited for it.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

The Splinter Cell series drew me in from the very beginning, and I’ve been waiting for Conviction for a very long time. The build-up of anticipation I had from the delays was made all the more powerful thanks to everything we saw for Conviction at E3 2009.

Alpha Protocol

Obsidian makes great games, but they usually create sequels to established properties. This time, they are creating their own IP- an action RPG based on a modern day espionage story. Considering my love of RPGs and espionage games…I’m really hoping this game lives up to my expectations.

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

I still play Starcraft with my brothers and friends. It is one of the best and most balanced RTS games to be ever be released. Thus, the release of the first episode of Starcraft II is my most anticipated PC games since Civilization IV.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy won our best game of the decade award. While I still haven’t had the opportunity to play it yet (it sits on my media cabinet mocking me), I’ve loved every single Mario platformer I’ve played, so I’m excited to see what Nintendo does for the sequel.

Halo: Reach

Halo: ODST had the best story of the Halo series, and the next Halo will be a prequel based on the book The Fall of Reach. It was a great book, with a great story and gave a lot of history for the Halo universe. Getting more Halo story and multiplayer? Great. Getting more Halo with more Spartans than just the Master Chief? Priceless.

Final Fantasy XIV

As I said before, I’ve never met a Final Fantasy game I didn’t like. True, Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG, but I’m still hoping for it to be a free to play MMORPG on the 360 if you’ve got XBL Gold. If so, it will eat up a lot of my time, as Square Enix has said that there will be a much greater focus on single player as well as multiplayer.

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout 3 was amazing. Therefore, Fallout: New Vegas will also be amazing. True, it is coming out very soon after Fallout 3 is finished, but considering how fast Bethesda was able to churn out expansions for Fallout 3, and how they were definitely worthwhile for the most part, I’m excited to see what is in store for us in New Vegas.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

Command & Conquer is my favorite RTS series. Thanks to the great storytelling, great gameplay, and awesome FMV sequences between missions, it’s been a very popular series for nearly fifteen years. Tiberian Twilight marks the finale of the Tiberium series of C&C games, and I can’t wait to see how things turn out.

 

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

The original made our Best of the Decade list, and the sequel promises less boring, more action. How is this NOT a game to anticipate?

Metroid: Other M

The one clip we’ve seen from this title suggests a mix of 1st- and 3rd-person action, plus a curious plot development with a second Samus (that probably isn’t a dark Phazon clone). But Nintendo giving the reins to Team Ninja may be the most interesting development of all.

Mega Man 10

I loved MM9 with the full force of 20 years of nostalgia. My looking forward to this goes without question. (Although… Sheep Man? Really?)

Golden Sun DS

It’s been so long since the first two GS titles that I’ve probably forgotten most of the plot details, but I haven’t forgotten the awesome gameplay. I’m a little worried that they’ll implement a bunch of touch screen nonsense, but with the psynergies it could still work.

Lost in Shadow

A quirky little platformer that sees your character confined to the two-dimensional shadow of a three-dimensional world. Figuring out how to affect changes in the real world in order to allow you to progress seems like it could provide some original game play.

Again

Another adventure game by the creators of Hotel Dusk, except this time using photo-sprites rather than the noir sketches of their previous title. I love the fact that point-and-click style adventures are slowly making a return, having grown up on the early Sierra and LucasFilm games like King’s Quest and Maniac Mansion.

Sam and Max Season 2 (Wii)

What did I just say about point-and-click adventures? The X360 got this collection late last year, now it’s (finally) the Wii’s turn.

Infinite Space

A sci-fi RPG by Platinum games, creators of Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and MadWorld amongst other titles. Real-time 3d space battles between crazily-customized ships. It basically sounds like a space version of Skies of Arcadia (and it shares the same publisher in Sega), although with more emphasis on the ship aspect.

Monster Hunter Tri

I’m not wild about online cooperative games, but this just looks so epic. Apparently Tri has a strong focus on single player that is new to the series, so hopefully I won’t be missing out on the “real experience”.

The Legend of Zelda

Yeah, we don’t know a lot about this one right now. But it’s a new Zelda title… so it has to be anticipated. It’s almost a law of gaming.

 

Mass Effect 2

Bioware makes wonderful RPGs, and science fiction is my preferred setting. I can’t wait to see what will happen to the Shepard I took through the events of Mass Effect 1. I am also excited to see my old squad-mates and hear about what has happened to them since the events of ME1. Wrex. Shepard.

Metroid: Other M

I can’t get enough Metroid. The seclusion, the exploration, the blowing up everything that moves with super missiles. The series is a warm memory for me, and I haven’t found an entry yet that I didn’t enjoy. The prospect of making things a bit more action-oriented is interesting and new, but the trailers retain that old Metroid feel as well.

God of War III

I am a simple man to please. Big swords and plenty of guys to use them on is enough for me. The fact that I get wrapped up in the narrative is just icing on the cake. Kratos may not be complex, but his adventures are fun to play and entertaining for other folks in the house to watch. The combat is simple enough that I don’t die a whole lot and complex enough that I can pull off some really nice combos.

Final Fantasy XIII

As time goes on I find myself less and less drawn to JRPGs in favor of their western counterparts, but Square Enix still knows how to wow me. I loved the gambits in FFXII and the turn-based combat and sphere grid from FFX. Even though I haven’t read or seen much of this one I know it will be spending a lot of time in my PS3 this March.

 

Super Mario Galaxy 2

The sequel  to my favorite Mario game of all time? Sign me up. Galaxy is probably the best looking game on the Wii, and easily its best platformer. There’s no reason not to expect the sequel to be even better, and that’s why Super Mario Galaxy 2 is my most anticipated game of the year.

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect was everything I wanted in an RPG, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. I’ve also heard that elevators throughout the galaxy in Mass Effect 2 have been upgraded to run faster, what else could I ask for?

Metroid: Other M

The trailer for Other M that was shown at last year’s E3 was great, and I am interested to see how the new third person perspective and a stronger emphasis on story play out. I’m a little apprehensive about Other M being a collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja, though. On the one hand, I loved the Ninja Gaiden titles…on the other hand, such collaborations haven’t worked out so well for beloved Nintendo franchises in the past.

Final Fantasy XIII

I’m not a huge Final Fantasy fan, but the landmark series always seems to deliver, and I am pretty eager to try out this gorgeous new installment. If there is one thing Square knows how to make, it is a Final Fantasy RPG, and I am grateful that they have decided to bring XIII to the 360.

Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou

I absolutely loved Okami, and that is why this game rounds out my list. Obviously the disbanded Clover Studios is not involved in the development of Okamiden, which is unfortunate, but the videos of this title that I have seen so far seem to indicate that Okamiden will remain very faithful to the original title’s style and gameplay mechanics. I’m also surprised at how nice it looks for a DS game.

 

 

Glory of Heracles

When Nintendo finally debuts Japan-only games in the U.S., it usually goes well.  Fire Emblem.  Rhythm Heaven.  Advance Wars.  Starfy.  (Okay, so maybe that last one wasn’t such a hit.)  Heracles looks right up my alley, and with the Nintendo stamp on it, you know it’ll be polished.

Mass Effect 2

Immersive, deep worlds and interesting role-playing mechanics make this one a must-get for me.  Also, I can’t get enough of a long, involved interactive story.

ModNation Racers

Creation in LittleBigPlanet is fun.  Of course, the amount of fun you get out of one level is small, especially if you design it yourself.  ModNation creation is much easier, and racing is the kind of thing you can keep having fun doing.  It’s not as tight as Mario Kart, but I think the customization is worth it.  The beta has me worried about the online capabilities of the game, but I assume they’ll get the kinks worked out.

3D Dot Game Heroes

Retro homages make my heart warm.  Add in the magic word (customization), and I know this will be a timesink for me when it releases.

Valkyria Chronicles 2

I re-bought a PSP just in anticipation of this game.  The PS3 original was great, and though I wish the sequel were also on a console, I’ll take what I can get.

Arc Rise Fantasia

This JRPG has some obvious influences, but, well, I like those influences.  I’m getting a bit impatient with all the delays, but it looks like we’re finally nearing release.

Epic Mickey

This could be a big flop, or it could be one of the biggest releases of the decade.  I don’t see much chance of it being in-between.  No one expected such originality from the House of Mouse, but once we saw it, we were hooked.

Fable III

I’m sitting here with my fingers in my ears every time Peter Molyneux says anything, because he has a way of overselling his games and making the end result a disappointment.  That worked really well with Fable II, as that was one of my favorite games of 2008.  

Golden Sun DS

Okay, no one expected this at all when it was announced at E3 last year.  Camelot has moved on to more profitable games, and it was weird when they said they’d go back to a niche RPG.  Not that I’m complaining.  GSDS doesn’t look like it will wow us visually like the originals on GBA did, but the underlying gameplay was solid.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

How much would N64 gamers have done to get an entire game’s worth of more Super Mario 64 levels?  That’s pretty much the opportunity we have now.  I don’t expect anything breathtaking, but I do expect a heck of a lot of fun.

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