VentureBeat » DmC: Devil May Cry

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows fights like Devil May Cry (preview)

Rus McLaughlin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:00:36 +0000

I gave up on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right around the time they started wearing different-colored masks. Chris Frechette, the lead designer at Red Fly Studio, had the opposite experience.

“I grew up with the cartoon and the movies,” he says. “I had all the toys, dozens of notebooks with drawings I did as a kid. Then I discovered the original comics and was like, ‘Holy crap, this is not the turtles I know,’ and I fell in love with that.”

Appropriately enough, he’s putting both approaches into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (due this summer on PC, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network), the turtles’ latest jump into smack-em-up video games. Frechette describes it as his dream-come-true project, and during a hands-off preview session, it wasn’t tough to see why.

For starters, the game looks dark and gorgeous. A walk through a rainy New York alley at night threw around plenty of sensuous shadows and water effects while sai-wielding Raphael smoothly walked to a nearby manhole cover. The game borrows from Nickelodeon’s current — and very popular — take on the turtles but lives in its own continuity with its own style. Rather than the angular designs seen on the TV show, Out of the Shadows more closely resembles the realistic features from the 2007 film TMNT, and each turtle comes with their own unique look and play style.

Frechette points to nunchuck-carrying party animal Michaelangelo. “Mike’s the smallest guy in the group [and] does the least amount of damage, but he’s the fastest, so his combos chain, and you can build combos really quickly.” His moves incorporate elements of the Jamaican martial arts capoeira and breakdancing whereas Raphael is the beefier, more muscular Muay Thai bruiser. One favors button-mashers. The other requires technique.

Donatello’s bo staff and kung fu move-set gives him the best reach while sacrificing speed. He’s the tallest and the slowest of the four. Naturally, team leader Leonardo comes off as the best all-around fighter. Frechette doesn’t want to pin down Leo’s style to taekwondo but does admit it’s very kick-centric.

And every turtle gets upwards of 70 moves each, including unlocks, roundhouse special attacks, power knock-outs and counters, and modifiers players activate by hitting triggers on the controller — and that doesn’t count taunts and shell-bumping high-fives. On paper and on screen, it comes off as a step into a DMC: Devil May Cry-type fighting system … minus gunfire and dismemberments. The overall design might reach for the franchise’s more gritty roots, but the action stays firmly in PG-rated territory. Finishers look painful yet remain blood-and-viscera free. Still, during a huge crowd-control battle between the turtles and a dozen ninja from the rival Foot Clan, the combat looks fast, frenetic, and fun.

The best part, however, is that you aren’t locked in to any one turtle. Out of the Shadows features four-player online co-op and two-player local co-op, but all four turtles go on every mission, and you can instantly switch to any open character just by tapping the D-pad.

You can even use that swap to pull off two-man combos on your own or keep your own combo alive by switching to avoid taking a hit. Expect your fellow turtles to rag on you if you keep get roughed up and cheer high-combo runs. That also earns experience points toward earning new moves. And once you’re ninja-ed through the 4-5 hour campaign’s seven environments, you can take your buffed-up amphibian and his upgraded weapons into arena challenge modes.

Frechette won’t talk story or plot yet, but the standard rogues gallery of Foot ninja and Purple Dragon baddies — “They’re not as nice as they are in the show,” he says — appear, with hints that TCRI aliens and possibly even the Shredder himself will put in an appearance. Above and beyond that, Frechette’s throwing in the kind of easter eggs only a true, dedicated fan would know about … things from previous games, shows, and the movies. I caught a two-turtle combo attack where they rolled through the screen like a bowling ball, just like they did in the rooftop battle from the first movie.

And while they’re still wearing their well-established color-coded masks, Out of the Shadows does hit on one thing that takes it a step away from the “Cowabunga, dude!” kiddie fare that drove me away so many years ago.

“When you’re in combat, you get the white eyes,” says Frechette. “I’ve never been a fan of the iris-and-pupil look on the turtles. I want white eyes.”

Same here.

Filed under: Games

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Reboots are counterproductive to the gaming industry

Community Writer — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:37:48 +0000

So, video game reboots are a big thing now, right? But rebooting a long-lasting franchise is in no way a new concept. Lately, though, the reboot has been bursting onto the scene more often than ever, with the likes of Tomb Raider, DmC: Devil May Cry, and the recently announced Thief (pictured above) as well as many others. The idea behind a reboot is to revive a series that is considered outdated and revitalize the community’s interest in it. Old series of games are taken back to the drawing board as developers hold onto the aspects of their choosing while throwing out those that they feel may not work so well in the current generation of gaming.

It seems as though the concept of a reboot has been growing more and more popular with developers, and we have been witnessing an increase in quantity in recent years that is bound to continue for some time. I understand the intentions of the concept, but we must consider an unintentional rather negative side effect to these constant reboots. No, I’m not talking about disappointing fans by making adjustments to a series’ canon or mythos or both. The issue I have is that if developers are putting so much focus and effort into rehashing these old titles, they may become distracted from making any true progress.

Source: Vgmemes.com

Not my opinion entirely but to the point.

Allow me to elaborate on this. These old titles that developers often wish to reboot are just that: old. While this is the very reason that a series would be ideal for a reboot, it is also what makes the concept counterproductive. The game has already been done; we’ve seen it all before. Sure, you could take it and upgrade it to fit in properly with a new generation of gaming, but wouldn’t it be more productive to concentrate on giving the gaming universe some new and improved ideas featuring new adventures with new faces?

Many fans and critics have shared complaints on the abundance of video game sequels released year after year. Releasing a reboot is not much different, and in the way, we are still missing out on any truly new ideas. The fact is that even if a reboot is shedding new light on an old concept, developers are still simply rehashing what’s already been done. Think about it this way: Are video game reboots any different from the continuing onslaught of movie remakes?

For example, while the recently released Tomb Raider reboot was a fantastic game and quite enjoyable, it did not offer much in the department of new concepts and ideas. Yes it was a new installment to the Tomb Raider series as well as a new and improved storyline and control scheme. But this still does not present us with anything we haven’t seen before. We are still playing as a female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures throughout the ruins of ancient civilizations.

It may have been done in a slightly different fashion, but the old base concept is still there, and it’s worn out. The original Tomb Raider series was great for its time, but that time has passed. The gaming universe has had this archetype before, and now with the existence of similar games originating after the time of Tomb Raider, it’s reaching a state of repetitiveness. By putting so much effort into rehashing titles of past generations, such as in this situation, the industry is holding itself back.

Now, just because I see reboots from this perspective, in no way does that make any of them bad games. Still, I feel as though the industry may be wasting its time dwelling on the past when it could be putting more effort into creating a new series. As enjoyable as some of these reboots have managed to be, they are still rehashes of things that have already been done. Many classic titles of the past are great games, but they have passed their prime time.

Developers, give us some new stories and new adventures with new characters. Put us in control of new methods of gameplay. Focus on the future.

Filed under: Games

Going the hard way with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Community Writer — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:34:21 +0000

Note: This post contains spoilers for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

When I finished DmC: Devil May Cry a few weeks ago, the first thing I did was dive into a “Son of Sparda” difficulty run, which introduces vastly harder enemy configurations and a reworked damage model. I put on a brave face for the first mission, but before long, I was up against Butchers as well as Ghost and Blood Rages that broke me and any chance of conquering a greater challenge.

I don’t think I’ve ever completed a “Hard” playthrough of any 3D brawler now that I think about it. I’ve started quite a few — even came close to finishing the original Devil May Cry – but I never had the resolve or the wits to rise above Normal in anything from Maximo to Bayonetta.

Despite reading that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was beyond brutal from the likes of Kotaku and my Twitter feed, I thought I handled its bombastic brand of butchery with aplomb. Sure, I only attained a C ranking for my Normal playthrough, but developer Platinum Games seemed to be quite punitive with its grading scheme. I could only see one C grade on my entire report card (displayed upon completing the campaign), but all of those As and Bs weren’t enough to earn me more than a pass overall. Regardless of the mediocre ranking, I felt that post-Bladewolf, I was rarely troubled by the Winds of Destruction or even the monstrous new iteration of Metal Gear that awaited me in the final stage.

Revengeance’s difficulty plateaus after the duel with the carbon canine on the default setting, which occurs roughly halfway through the second level, or after about an hour of play. There are some small spikes in the challenge, but if you can tough out that first real obstacle, then I have faith that you’re up to the task of completing the game on Normal.

I found that the pace changed slightly when I upped the scale for a New Game-Plus playthrough. The plateau still hits really early (even sooner, in fact), but so long as you as you parry often and make the most of both Blade and Ripper modes to reap as many spines as possible, you’ll survive. Those sword upgrades and an expanded move list help a great deal as well, but you’ll need to endure some pain to access the fruits of your lower difficulty labors.

Basically, New Game-Plus doesn’t start until you finish the prologue. “No sweat,” you reply, but can your confidence withstand a stronger, more durable Metal Gear Ray? I used the majority of 14 continues in the first stage of that boss fight. The plasma cannon attack is just shy of an instant-kill for Raiden without the extra cyborg upgrades, so be sure to avoid Ray’s wide, deadly … erm … ray. I learned that the surest way to survive the first two parts of the fight is to slice incoming missiles for repair units. It’s tough-going, but YouTube, as always, offers a wealth of strategies and insights if you need them. (For example, you can parry the immense machine’s stomp attacks!)

The difficulty flatlines once Raiden gets ahold of his new body. The first Bladewolf can be worn down in seconds, and the encounter with Mistral was a breeze (though I should note that it’s just as visually arresting the second time around). I didn’t find a need for repair paste for a couple of hours, something I’d have found hard to believe when first coming to grips with Revengeance’s fast-paced combat system.

Monsoon marked the first bump in the road of my Hard run. One of the few boss fights that requires parries from beginning to end, he whittled down my stock of healing items before I cut him into a hundred tiny slivers. He still couldn’t take my life, though — nor could the doppelgangers, nor could Sundowner. Sam was just as delicate if not more so on Normal. All but the final stage was cause for any real concern. Sure, there were some instances where I had to swallow my pride. The minigun turrets couldn’t survive the defense of World Mashall’s lobby, I ninja-ran to my death while traversing the rooftops of Denver, the cargo-elevator fight knocked me around a bit, and I generally lost a lot more life than I should have when dealing with Mastiffs … at any time.

Metal Gear Excelsus and Senator Armstrong were the only other real challenges. Much like the first time I dueled with the screen-hogging mech, the seemingly-open nature of this particular battle caught me unaware and claimed my life a few times. There’s a sense of intimacy that accompanies battling the Winds of Destruction that is absent here. Even though Raiden is still confined to a relatively small area, the vastly greater dimensions of this opponent again proved both disorienting and daunting. It was by luck that I managed to avoid some of Excelsus’s more devastating attacks by performing a Zandatsu on one of the Gekkos that are thrown into the field about halfway through the fight. With blade energy and vitality restored, I managed to sneak through to the final showdown with one precious serving of repair paste.

The battle — that is to say the actual fighting against Armstrong — was surprisingly easy. The dodge attack was more effective here than in any other scenario, dealing relatively large amounts of damage and conveniently sidestepping pretty much anything in the muscle-bound politician’s offensive repertoire. It did, however, take a few attempts to cut through the various parts of Metal Gear Excelsus that were hurled toward me. Using both analog sticks to line up the required angle without prematurely slicing was no small feat as I’d long grown accustomed to mashing Square and Triangle in Blade mode without much care for accuracy. A few precise cuts later, though, and Revengeance came to a spectacularly violent close once again.

What did I get from my victory? Not a great deal other than some pride and a few trophies that could otherwise have been earned on any other difficulty. I attained the same overall ranking, the same titles, and a new skin.

I may not have received many tangible rewards from this endeavor, but I did muster enough confidence to venture into Very Hard — with two Bladewolves and a Gekko before you even reach the first checkpoint, with no upgrades and no dodge attack. No thanks, Platinum. No thanks.

How do you like your brawlers? Do you prefer the default difficulty setting, or do you thirst for a true challenge?

Filed under: Games

AMD Never Settle Reloaded gives you up to six blockbuster games with two graphics card purchases

Dean Takahashi — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:47:49 +0000

Advanced Micro Devices is squarely targeting hardcore gamers with its AMD Never Settle Reloaded bundle, which gives a bunch of free games with a graphics card purchase.

AMD makes the Radeon series of graphics chips, which are housed in add-on cards for persona computers. For gamers who buy the graphics cards, AMD has a special offer. The whole point is to try to get an edge over rivals Nvidia and Intel and work AMD’s brands into the minds of hardcore gamers, who spend tons of money on both gaming hardware and games.

If you buy two AMD Radeon HD 7900 series cards (for use in a single gamer PC), you can get six games for free: Crysis 3, BioShock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution, and Sleeping Dogs.

For the purchase of a single AMD Radeon HD 7900 series card, you can get Crysis 3 and BioShock Infinite for free. If you buy an AMD Radeon HD 7800 series card, you can get BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider for free, said Devon Nekechuk, product manager at AMD, in a briefing call. If you prefer, you can get DmC and BioShock Infinite with an AMD Radeon HD 7800 series card.

Tomb Raider debuts on March 5, while BioShock Infinite is out on March 26. DmC: Devil May Cry is already out. And Crysis 3 debuts Feb. 19. For these games, AMD will give you a code once you register with them. You can use that code to download the games on Steam or your preferred platform once they become available.

Last fall, AMD launched its AMD Never Settle Bundle with four games: Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution, Sleeping Dogs and Medal of Honor: Warfighter. That amounted to $170 in free games with a graphics card purchase. And in the spring of 2012, AMD gave three games away with a card purchase.

Filed under: Gadgets, Games

Similarities between DmC and classic Devil May Cry titles (gallery)

Samir Torres — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:00:14 +0000

Capcom announced a new title in the Devil May Cry series in 2010, and longtime followers of the franchise cried in agony when they learned it was a reboot and not a sequel. Dante’s new look alone (with short black hair instead of white) sent gamers into a furious frenzy — some going as far as boycotting the release.

Being an enthusiast of the demon-hunting saga myself and having played DmC in its entirety, I can put your fears to rest by saying developer Ninja Theory did not stray too far away from the formula that made Devil May Cry such a huge hit on the PlayStation 2. Hardcore fans have nothing to worry about.

In the images below, you’ll see recurring themes and familiar features from classic Devil May Cry games that made it into DmC. Hover the cursor over the picture to launch the gallery.

Filed under: Games

Required listening: Ni no Kuni, Anarchy Reigns, and an interview with Aliens: Colonial Marines composer Kevin Riepl

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 00:26:21 +0000

Game music isn’t all chirpy chip tunes or sweeping symphonic movements. Just like film scores, soundtracks inspire us, scare us, and can even bring us to tears with a well-placed melody or a jarring action cue.

Because of this, I decided it was time we start paying attention to music as well as the people lovingly creating it. Try playing through Final Fantasy VII, Borderlands, or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with the sound turned off. None of these are even half as good without their scores subtly shifting tone and setting scenes around us.

Each month, I’ll take you on a guided tour through some of the notable albums released in the last few weeks and interview a composer on an upcoming project.

This month, we’ll take a look at Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, DmC: Devil May Cry, and Anarchy Reigns. We’ve also got an in-depth interview with Aliens: Colonial Marines composer Kevin Riepl.

January albums

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Composer: Joe Hisaishi

It’s a bit disheartening that many Japanese role-playing games these days are moving away from jaunty adventuring tunes. Long-time Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi’s score for Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch delightfully combines the orchestral bombast found in older Final Fantasys and Dragon Quests with his own playful melodies.

Hisaishi’s music enhances the overall Ghibli quality to Ni No Kuni. You could use the studio’s art style and even the same story with any other composer’s work but it wouldn’t retain that feeling that you’re diving into a Miyazaki film. With Hisaishi’s help, Ni No Kuni gets a little extra sprinkle of magic in an already fantastic adventure.

DmC: Devil May Cry
Composers: Noisia and Tom Colvin

This is probably the least comfortable soundtrack I’ve listened to in many years. DmC: Devil May Cry leans heavily on pulsating and grating dissonance with an occasional burst of tinny orchestral melody.

Dutch electronic group Noisia took a step away from their signature drum ‘n’ bass for most of Devil May Cry and focused instead on a grungy and oppressively synthetic wall of noise.

Fans of dubstep insisting on “dirty” bass drops will likely enjoy the soul-vibrating nastiness to the bass lines in “Mundus Theme” and “Lilith’s Club.” Dubstep is already an overplayed addition to most games, but Noisia’s attempts fit it into Devil May Cry’s overall tone and maintains a feeling that the world is constantly shifting between reality and Limbo.

Anarchy Reigns
Composers: Compilation

I dare you to not want to kick some ass after listening to Anarchy Reigns. Every song drips with that “hardcore” sound Sega established in Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi in the late ’90s, but here it updates it for a more hip-hop-aware world. Fat beats and heavily repetitive lyrics deliver a perfect one-two punch for tireless combos and horrible acts of digital violence.

Nothing about Anarchy Reigns is particularly classy or subtle, so it stands to reason that the music glorifies vengeance and thuggish braggadocio. Spending a few minutes with “Kill ‘Em All” and “Laughing at U” will almost certainly make you put on some gloves and destroy a punching bag.

Unlike Ni No Kuni and Devil May Cry, Anarchy Reigns’ music is always in your face like an overzealous hype man urging you to feel the beat.

Well, it worked. Excuse me while I go to the gym.

Filed under: Games

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The people ask the White House to put a stop to the new Devil May Cry

Jeffrey Grubb — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:53:40 +0000

It’s a beautiful day for democracy and civil participation. Today, we witnessed the results of a democratic process to elect a common leader, and we simultaneously celebrate the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is everything that is good about the United States. But don’t worry — some gamers are trying to ruin it.

A new petition on WhiteHouse.gov asks President Barack Obama to take time away from dealing with important issues foreign and domestic to deal with the most important issue of all: The removal of Capcom’s DmC: Devil May Cry from store shelves.

Here’s a real petition that someone thought was OK to actually call on the White House to respond to:

Dear Mr. Obama: As a consumer to the video game industry there is one video game that has caused a lot of controversy over the past few months.

The name of the game is DmC: Devil May Cry made by Ninja Theory and Capcom. A majority of gamers are aggravated that this game has changed so much from its past predecessors and the game actually insults the consumers in-game.

We, as consumers did not want nor need this reboot and we believe it violates our rights to have a choice between the originals or the reboot. This game is violating our rights as a consumer and we believe it should be pulled off shelves from game stores due to it’s insulting nature and the fact that it violates our rights.

Please Mr. Obama, look into your heart and make the decision that will please us gamers.

As I watched Obama at his second inauguration give a speech about how we are all the same, I believed in democracy. I’m glad that this petition was able to bring me back crashing to Earth.

Yes, DmC: Devil May Cry has upset some longtime fans of the series. They have bombarded Metacritic with low user reviews despite the generally positive reception from professional critics.

As you may know, the White House provided an online petition platform where people can ask the president and his staff to address a certain issue if the petition receives enough signatures.

This important movement will require 100,000 signatures before the president will address it. It currently has nearly a dozen.

I’m just glad that we have a group of gamers who are so engaged in civics. They know that Capcom is trampling their rights by making a game they don’t have to buy, and they’re not gonna do nothing about it — cause that would actually solve their problem. Y’know … if they just didn’t think about the game, they wouldn’t be in this situation. And that’s not right!

When Obama started this petitions initiative, the barrier to receive an official response was 5,000 signatures. Thankfully, he recently raised it to the 100,000 number.

Imagine if the White House actually had to acknowledge this. Why are other gamers trying to make me embarrassed of my hobby?

Eff it all to hell.

Filed under: Games

Video game characters modeled after famous people (gallery)

Samir Torres — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:00:28 +0000

Games don’t have to be based on movies or sports teams to feature real humans. As 3D rendering technology advances, more and more developers turn to flesh-and-bone actors, and models to give life to their protagonists and antagonists.

In the case of Far Cry 3′s Vaas Montenegro (top image), Ubisoft hired Canadian actor Michael Mando to portray, voice, and provide motion capture for the sadistic madman as well as star in promotional material. Vaas’s appearance (combined with Mando’s performance) give the title an extra layer of realism.

I made a list of 20 celebrity sightings in modern video games with side-to-side images of their in-game models next to their real faces. Hover the cursor over the image below to launch the gallery.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat weekly roundup: Disney Infinity, torsos, and violence in video games

Jasmine Maleficent Rea — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:03:20 +0000

If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.

This week, Disney announced its version of a Skylanders-like game featuring characters from the company’s various intellectual properties, President Barack Obama urged Congress to research the effects of violent video games on children, and the Internet takes Dead Island: Riptide to task over a controversial preorder bonus.

News:

Mobile News:

Interviews:

Reviews:

Previews:

Oculus Rift is virtual reality that won’t make you barf (hands-on preview)

Community Spotlight:

Pieces of Flair:

Filed under: Games

The backlog blues: What happens when you can play it all

Community Writer — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:01:12 +0000

DmC: Devil May Cry came out today. There’s a copy of it sitting on my desk, but I won’t be playing it anytime soon. Sure, I’ll peel off the shrink wrap in a few minutes so I can record an episode of Mashing Buttons, but then it’s going on my shelf for at least a few weeks because I have a system. It dictates what games I play, when I play them, and how much time I can dedicate to them. Whether I like it or not, I am currently a slave to this system. It’s not a person or an app or anything like that.

It’s my shelf.

When I got my first job out of college and realized that I could afford to buy any game I wanted to play, I filled up all the empty space on my shelf with titles and even a PlayStation Vita. However, that newfound fortune came with a catch: spending time at work instead of with a controller. This resulted in a backlog of fantastic games that goes as far back as August. I’ve been making steady progress, but the video game industry discovered it could sell me games every month of the year and not just during the holidays. Because of this, my backlog has continued to grow at a near-unmanageable rate despite my efforts to stop it. Even from here, I can tell that March’s buffet of gaming goodness is going to be a bloodbath at retail and for my shelves.

Most casual players are probably pickier with their selection and don’t buy nearly everything that costs less than $10 during a Steam sale. Those players usually don’t run into this issue. I’m not those players. To make matters worse, I’m one of those people that has to finish every game I start. This means I’ve wasted countless hours playing bad games just because I didn’t have the foresight to avoid pressing the Start button, which takes time away from the good games in my backlog.

I want to play Sleeping Dogs. I want to play Persona 4: Golden. Before my brain will let me, though, I need to finish Resident Evil 6 — a game with a ridiculous logo that I think is kinda bad. I’ve started watching Netflix on my laptop while playing just so I can mindlessly shoot my way through. It’s actively boring, but I can’t fight the system. My backlog is my burden to bear.

I have a problem, but I’m looking for a solution. I’m going to try going back to my old ways of waiting for reviews and making tough decisions about what games I want to play. Just because I can buy any game that I want to does not mean that I should. With time more precious than it’s ever been before, maybe I can’t really afford every game I want to play after all.

Filed under: Games

DmC: Devil May Cry brings the sexy back to demon killing (review)

Rus McLaughlin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:01:46 +0000

Don’t ask me why the revised Devil May Cry comes with its own acronym attached to the title. More than anything, it looks like the new kid who’s trying to sneak a piggyback from the old soldier, and certainly that’s the impression DmC: Devil May Cry (available Jan. 15 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and Jan. 25 for PC) reinforced as I played through it.

Not that it’s a bad thing. Publisher Capcom brought in U.K.-based Ninja Theory (Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West) to reimagine its classic demon-smacking franchise, and that turned out to be a wise move indeed. The result isn’t so much a reboot as a do-over made by a very talented group of devoted fans. As such, DmC invites you to dish out a colossal helping of whoopass at supersonic speeds for nearly 12 hours straight, and I like that in a game. But you can’t say the 2001 original didn’t have a few kinks to work out, and unfortunately, Ninja Theory lovingly re-created those, too.

What you’ll like

Yep, it’s Dante

When the developers first unveiled their redesigned Dante, the Internet exploded with hatred. Dial it back, folks. Sure, he’s got a shorter, darker haircut, but nouveau-Dante swaggers with a nicely familiar, too-cool-for-you attitude that puts the “bad” in “badass.” Seriously, he even gets dressed with more screw-you style than every rock-band singer living or dead combined, and a fun visual gag early on nails home just how cosmetic the changes really are.

In fact, you can almost apply that thinking to the entire game. Ninja Theory made the smart decision to untether from the franchise’s twisty continuity for its remake, but the game fans remember is intact. Dante, the son of the demon Sparda, gets involved with his twin brother Vergil and a supernatural assistant — the witchy Kat, who replaces the demonic Trish — to whack archdemon Mundus for killing his parents. You collect red orbs, discover secret missions, activate Devil Trigger overdrive modes, and find your performance graded on total items collected and attacks chained. Your sword’s name is Rebellion. Your rapid-fire, no-reload shooters are Ebony and Ivory. You’ll kill scores of infernal bastards in brutally awesome ways almost nonstop for 12 hours or more, depending on your thoroughness. Just like old times.

And it’s still as good as I remember. DmC feels like what the original Devil May Cry would have been if Capcom made it in 2012 rather than 2001. It resets the stage but remains loyal to veterans while opening the door wide for newcomers. That’s a tough juggle. Ninja Theory pulls it off … with style.

Getting all shoot-stabby

The new spins on the old beast mainly happen in the combat, and they’re all geared toward dishing out constant pain in interesting ways.

Dante and Vergil aren’t just half-demons anymore — they’re Nephilim, demon/angel crossbreeds. That gives Dante access to a range of heaven and hell-based weaponry that unlock at a steady clip and, just like past Devil May Crys, the game highly encourages you to combine them and get experimental with your attacks. Switching weapons midcombo is as easy as pulling a trigger on your controller. I routinely swept an enemy into the air with Rebellion, shot him a whole lot, and then turned him into my personal pinata using a swirling angelic scythe before applying the beating of a lifetime with Satan’s own boxing gloves — all in the blink of an eye. A robust combo system rewards aggressive yet eclectic tactics while punishing button-mashers, particularly when you run up against baddies that only respond to specific weapon types.

Oh yeah, you get to tear it up in DmC, and it feels good.

But it’s the mix of heavies, soldiers, and armored soldiers — along with the various tools for dispatching them — that really elevates what’s basically a long series of locked-room arena fights. Ninja Theory threw in dozens of enemy types, and each combination made for a new problem I had to destroy in slightly different ways. That keeps the pace brisk (save for one late-game puzzle … the only one in the entire game) and the action engaging right through to the end.

It’s not all beatings and hell-axes, though. Frequent platforming and aerial maneuvers also key into the heaven/hell arsenal, either by yanking items and enemies closer or whipping Dante to them, often with the same thrilling rush of decimating armies of monsters. As an example, one major highlight sees Dante chasing and protecting Vergil and Kat’s getaway car as Mundus destroys the world around them. Escort missions generally don’t get my adrenaline pumping. This one did.

The social commentary

Plot? C’mon. It’s a Capcom game. Demons bad; shoot/slice them, bro. But inside that framework, the team at Ninja Theory got to play, and they didn’t feel compelled to play nice.

So Mundus cheerfully brags about ruling the planet through debt while his primary tools of conquest are junk food (laced with a fairly vile secret ingredient not called high-fructose corn syrup) and hysteria-fueled news media. Most of the action happens in Limbo, a surreal parallel dimension where Dante can see the demonic influence on our world, so in addition to some genuinely inspired visuals, we also get subliminal messaging from hell’s marketing department, They Live-style. Global warming … it’s as good as it sounds! Feel thin and sexy because you drink soda! Hate the poor because it’s their own damn fault for being poor! DmC riffs hard and heavy on themes of everyday excesses, shoving pure spite down your throat at every available opportunity with a mad twinkle in its eye. I can appreciate that.

Generally speaking, the writing sustains the thin storyline surprisingly well. It’s not as rich as what Ninja Theory did with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, nor do the characters come off as deep or (I’m suppressing a chuckle here) nuanced. But if you wanted subtlety, you came to the wrong franchise, bucko. Approach DmC as a popcorn flick with a particularly sick sense of humor, and you’ll enjoy the ride.

Mostly.

Filed under: Games

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The biggest gaming disappointments of 2012

Evan Killham — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:00:42 +0000

Remember all the way back in January, when we looked at all the games that were coming out in 2012 and thought, “Holy crap! This is going to be the Best Year Ever (for gaming)™!” Well, this is December, and some of us are looking back to those wide-eyed, optimistic past versions of ourselves and wondering why they ever looked forward to some of the stuff we got in 2012. Sure, some of those anticipated titles lived up to our expectations, but in a lot of cases, that optimism was just the first step on a journey of regret and nonstop head shaking.

Here are some of our picks for the most disappointing games and events of 2012.

Assassin’s Creed III

Contributor Rus McLaughlin

Occasionally, a little time and distance softens the heart, and you remember things more fondly than what you actually felt at the time. I, on the other hand, despise Assassin’s Creed III more now than when I gave it a midrange score back in October. Oh, my man-love for its naval missions continues unabated, but I indulge in those behind the back of the main game and its sloppy mechanics, frustrating chases, and worthless side missions. I’m gratified that it doesn’t whitewash our nation’s origins as some altruistic crusade for peace and freedom (often spoken of in earshot of working slaves), but Creed “concludes” its overarching, modern-day plot with a firm middle finger to its most loyal fans. At least it finally settled one lingering question: Desmond is indeed as pointless and useless a diversion as we always suspected.

The delays

Contributing editor Stephanie Carmichael

Most of the games I was looking forward to all year are now coming out in 2013. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (or whatever we’re calling it now) are the handful I’ve been most itching to play. Other titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth, Devil May Cry, and Aliens: Colonial Marines have experienced delays as well. I guess I can’t complain too much. More time in development means a better chance of getting these games right, but it also means I’ll be burning a big hole in my wallet come spring.

Capcom continues to lock content in game discs

Contributor Samir Torres

F*** you, Capcom!

Twisted Metal’s online multiplayer

Intern Giancarlo Valdes

As a huge fan of the Twisted Metal games since the original PlayStation days, I was ecstatic when I finally got my hands on the PS3 reboot earlier this year. The folks at developer Eat Sleep Play did a fantastic job of bringing its unique brand of vehicular combat to a new generation of consoles with its campaign mode, and playing these levels with a friend in local multiplayer was fun, too. But going online was a different story: Starting from launch day and lasting for weeks, a host of problems made it almost impossible (for me at least) to stay connected to a match. The developers deployed various updates to fix these problems, but I had already moved on.

Disney Epic Mickey 2

Contributor Rob LeFebvre

After hearing, yet again, legendary designer Warren Spector’s “big picture” idea of games needing to be open-ended, with multiple paths, as well as not judging players for their “playstyle,” I really think this game was a huge disappointment. It changed very little from the first installment and was just another mess of control, camera, and barely comprehensible storyline. As with most things disappointing in life, the real problem was going into it with such a high set of expectations.

Endless Space

Copy editor Jason Wilson

We saw a couple of space-themed 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) strategy titles this year (Genesis Wars, Legacy of Pegasus, the final “all clear” for Sword of the Stars II). But the one that many space strategy fans were looking forward to was Endless Space, a game that turned out to be style over substance. Endless Space sports a good-looking user interface and some kick-ass ship designs, but it commits one of the biggest errors that any single-player strategy game can make: The A.I. isn’t good at its game. Your foes don’t do a good job of using its systems — like combat — against you, ultimately providing a limited challenged against a skilled player. And for the demanding fans of strategy games, this is a tactic that just doesn’t work.

Mass Effect 3′s ending

Intern Jason Lomberg

From an artistic standpoint, my biggest disappointment was that developer BioWare pulled a George Lucas and “fixed” the ending. That’s not how it should work — you don’t “fix” art.

A piece of art represents the succinct vision of its creator. It’s also a product of its time and, therefore, a cultural artifact. The best films – like Star Wars – engender a certain timeless quality, but even so, it’s not hard to discern that Lucas’s masterpiece reflects the norms and attitudes of the ’70s. By mucking with his own creations to “update” the special effects or modify story elements, Lucas is destroying a piece of history. This is why fans reacted so negatively to Star Wars: Special Edition (and the innumerable “updates” before and since), and it’s why BioWare should not have changed the Mass Effect 3 ending. For gaming to take its rightful place among other artistic media, it shouldn’t be so malleable and subject to “revision.” Numerous gamers took issue with the game’s ending – and I’d be hard-pressed to disagree – but we should criticize ME3 as a piece of art, not a software program that its makers can patch. We should analyze the creator’s vision and not treat it like a technical glitch.

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

Intern Mike Minotti

I was excited to have a real Assassin’s Creed experience on a portable system, and I was hoping that such a game could be a great showcase for the PlayStation Vita. Sadly, Liberation was a boring, uninspired slog through the bog hampered by technical problems and an empty open world.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

Intern Evan Killham

Developer Level-5′s series of puzzle-driven adventure games sold me both a Nintendo DS and a 3DS. I love everything about them: the full-on animated cutscenes, the stories, and even the bizarre idea of a universe in which brain-teasers work as a sort of social currency. But I’m not sure what happened with the franchise’s fifth installment. The plot and style are as good as ever, but the riddles in this one are inexplicably obtuse at times (I’m convinced that one challenge’s “clever” solution is not a valid answer to the setup) and blatantly not puzzles at others. A maze, for example, is not a puzzle by my definition, and this Professor Layton contains several of them.

Miracle Mask is the first Layton game that has felt like a chore.

XCOM’s lack of longevity

Contributing editor Rob Savillo

A game about saving the world from an alien invasion is probably beyond cliché at this point. You’d think that such a premise would doom the entire experience to a single playthrough, never to be touched again. But this wasn’t the case with the original X-Com strategy games, where I felt like anything could happen at any time. My first encounter could be the extraterrestrial menace terrorizing an urban populace or a dogfight with high-flying UFO that segues into a ground assault or even a struggle for survival within the supposedly safe confines of my only operational headquarters! Add in a healthy dose of pseudo-randomization, and X-Com felt fresh over and over no matter how many campaigns I played.

But Developer Firaxis’ recent reboot, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, unfortunately starts to feel all too similar all too quickly. Even during your first game, you’ll see the same premade maps again and again. Some missions feel scripted (even featuring monster closets!) and like long, narrow hallways (I don’t ever want to play the final stage again because it’s such a boring slog). I’m convinced that Firaxis doesn’t really want me to play another campaign, which is crystal clear because the game forces me to listen to the same unskippable explanatory voiceovers with every new start.

After well over 100 hours, I’m just about done with XCOM. And it shouldn’t have been this way.

Zynga’s belly-flop

Editor-in-chief Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Zynga was supposed to be the next big thing in gaming, but then it flopped … hard. Its stock became the joke of the industry (currently: $2.39, down from $9.50 at the initial public offering and a peak of $14.69 back in March, and rather than make a bunch of new Silicon Valley millionaires, it had to lay people off. Not many people are rooting for the company that regularly spams Facebook walls. But when the guys leading the charge for social gaming fails that badly, it’s a very bad sign for the health of the business as a whole.

Nearly everything Resident Evil

Intern Jasmine Rea

This year, I found myself sympathizing with legions of Sonic the Hedgehog fans because at our core, we are far too loyal for our own good. Like them, I go into every Resident Evil game with the same naive hope that the series isn’t spiraling the drain. Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil 6 were nearly enough to make me give up on playing any console-based entries in the series. Poor execution, tedious gameplay, and wretched quick-time events have finally broken me. I’ll go into 2013 with a dull ache for another Resident Evil: Revelations, but I doubt I’ll get that.

Will I buy the inevitable Resident Evil 7? Of course I will, and that’s why gin exists.

Filed under: Games

Concept art vs. character models: A visual comparison (gallery)

Samir Torres — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 18:00:33 +0000

Every video game character you’ve ever loved (or hated) started as a rough sketch during early development stages. Some artists nail the appearance of the hero, villain, monster, or scenery on the first few tries, but designers usually go through dozens of doodles before reaching the final, definite look.

Check out this hand-drawn concept art from 15 popular characters and see how much they resemble their finished in-game 3D models.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat’s gigantic E3 2012 roundup

Omri Petitte — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:48:59 +0000

The sensory smorgasbord of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) heaved itself upon the video game industry for three straight days, and GamesBeat’s intrepid crew enthusiastically hit showfloors, conference halls, and meeting rooms to offer our readers piles of previews, interviews, and news.

What follows below is our collected coverage during the show. You’ll find everything here sorted into categories for easy navigability.

Awards

Who needs stickers? We analyzed, judged, and sorted our top picks for the show’s offerings directly for you. Take a look — the results might surprise you.

GamesBeat’s E3 2012 Game of the Show…plus staff picks – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

The GamesBeat E3 non-award awards: The least prestigious awards in the industry – by GamesBeat staff

The coolest technologies we saw at E3 2012 – by Dean Takahashi

The best family games of E3 – by GamesBeat staff

The top 8 trends of E3, from bows to brutality – by Mike Minotti

The top 15 swag shirts of E3 2012 – by Rus McLaughlin

Previews

You’ve found the beating heart of E3′s overwhelming magic. Whether from observatory impressions or direct, hands-on experiences, GamesBeat discussed and dissected a sizable stable of upcoming games and hardware.

Hands-on

Hitman Absolution lets you perform hits in giant crowds – by Dean Takahashi

Metro Last Light fights shooter fatigue with deeper single player – by Dean Takahashi

Crysis 3 brings the jungle, gun hacking, and silent stealth kills to Manhattan – by Dean Takahashi

EA reveals Dead Space 3, coming with drop-in cooperative play – by Dean Takahashi

Sleeping Dogs turns Hong Kong crime movies into a video game – by Dean Takahashi

From the creator of Portal, Quantum Conundrum caters to physics-based puzzle gamers – by Dean Takahashi

Capcom remakes hack-slash-shoot-grapple formula with upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry – by Dean Takahashi

Capcom shows three playable characters for Resident Evil 6 – by Dean Takahashi

Neverwinter’s user-generated content could elevate it above the competition – by Stefanie Fogel

DmC: Devil May Cry is full of swagger…and F-bombs – by Eduardo Moutinho

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed leaves Mario Kart in its dust…and wake…and vapor trail – by Mike Minotti

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is an anime you can actually play – by Eduardo Moutinho

Sony Online Entertainment’s PlanetSide 2 – by Rob LeFebvre

Slice, dice, and julienne enemies in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – by Eduardo Moutinho

Medal of Honor: Warfighter deploys fire teams to the front lines – by Eduardo Moutinho

Hell Yeah! is like Metroid with a chainsaw jetpack-riding demon bunny – by Mike Minotti

Dead or Alive 5 wants to deliver a power blow to the competition – by Eduardo Moutinho

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s simplicity is just what consoles need – by Omri Petitte

Hands-off

Just what kind of game is Star Wars 1313? – by Dean Takahashi

Warner Bros. confirms LEGO: Lord of the Rings video game – by Dean Takahashi

EA’s cute The Act romance game exploits iPad’s touchscreen for unique gameplay – by Dean Takahashi

Turn the snow crimson with redcoat blood in Assassin’s Creed III – by Dean Takahashi

Far Cry 3 demo leads you deeper into drug-induced insanity – by Dean Takahashi

Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls is one of the best games of E3 – by Dean Takahashi

The 5 different games you’ll be playing in Dishonored – by Sebastian Haley

Final Fantasy XIV brings new gameplay and western sensibilities to venerable franchise – by Rob LeFebvre

Windows 8 works hard to meet the needs of all gamers – by Rob LeFebvre

A trio of Mario games strengthen Nintendo’s 3DS lineup – by Mike Minotti

OnLive’s MultiView spectating entices multiplayer and co-op gamers – by Omri Petitte

Player choice matters in The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – by Stefanie Fogel

The Last of Us is even smarter than you think – by Rus McLaughlin

Star Wars 1313 is a game of firsts for the sci-fi franchise – by Eduardo Moutinho

The adventure-game renaissance continues with The Cave – by Eduardo Moutinho

Heroes and villains join forces in Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion – by Mike Minotti

007 Legends proves personality makes or breaks a game – by Omri Petitte

Breaking down what’s exactly new in God of War: Ascension – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Turning technology against your friends in Watch Dogs – by Omri Petitte

Interviews

Chasing after the wayward developer or evasive executive amid a sea of journalists and industry luminaries didn’t slake our interview appetite, and we nabbed a slew of thoughtful talks with members across various gaming companies. Take a look.

Why Ubisoft is pouring a lot of resources into Wii U games – by Dean Takahashi

Harvest Moon creator wants to spread happiness with his new game – by Jacob Lopez

How Shenmue’s lead programmer rescued a bad game – by Jacob Lopez

The Last Story developer talks Operation Rainfall, reason for cover system, and Wii U – by Jacob Lopez

With 1.3B tanks obliterated and 30M players, Wargaming.net plans to conquer the online gaming world – by Dean Takahashi

Even Scribblenauts’ creator is surprised by the things people make in his new game – by Jacob Lopez

The Witcher developer CD Projekt RED wants to set new standards with Cyberpunk – by Stefanie Fogel

Japan’s Gree moves mobile gaming into the spotlight at E3 – by Dean Takahashi

THQ’s Brian Farrell talks about looking for a bottom and staging a comeback – by Dean Takahashi

Crytek says CryEngine 3 already does awesome graphics as good as Unreal Engine 4 – by Dean Takahashi

Our opinions

During the craze-filled days of E3, our minds typically busied themselves with ensuring our legs avoided snapping off our torsos and running away with yelping noises. But sometimes, a cohesive thought miraculously coalesced within our overloaded brainpans. Our hands shakily reached for the keyboard, keys started tapping, and well…these are the results.

The DeanBeat: What to expect at E3 – by Dean Takahashi

4 ways developers will use SmartGlass to enhance Xbox 360 experiences – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Nintendo’s Wii U: Safe on first, weak on third-party – by Rus McLaughlin

Why Nintendo will have a tough time adding a second GamePad tablet controller to the Wii U – by Dean Takahashi

Tomb Raider is not torture porn – by Rus McLaughlin

Would it be a mistake for E3 to move out of LA? – by Dean Takahashi

Bored, impressed, and giddy: Our final thoughts on E3 2012 – by Dan “Shoe” Hsu

Move over, consoles – mobile is the future – by Rob LeFebvre

Microsoft’s E3 2012: Analysis of 16,000+ comments shows Halo 4, South Park impressed, rest did not – by Andrew Hiscock

Sony’s E3 2012: Analysis shows “shotgun blast” won big, Wonderbook lost – by Andrew Hiscock

Nintendo’s E3 2012: Reactions show hardcore gamers lost faith in Wii U – by Andrew Hiscock

Memes

All it takes is one memorable quote, one Freudian slip, or some facepalm-worthy banter to prompt the Internet community’s creative and unrestrained hand at animated gifs, a worshipful use of Impact font, and hastily jangled Photoshop edits. Here’s what we’ve found.

The best memes of E3 – by Jeff Grubb

Remember these crazy memes from past E3s? – by Jeff Grubb

The wildest memes from the Microsoft E3 press conference – by Jeff Grubb

Silly memes inspired by Sony’s E3 press event – by Jeff Grubb

Aisha Tyler: Ubisoft’s meme machine – by Rus McLaughlin

The oddest Nintendo E3 gifs and Photoshops from the Internet – by Jeff Grubb

Galleries

We snapped plenty of pictures while attending parties, pressers, and meandering the showfloor. Direct your eyeballs upon these galleries, and enjoy the view!

The big gallery of E3′s huge banners – by Mike Minotti

E3 2012 will get your hands up – by Evan Killham

Our editor-in-chief’s E3 adventure – by Evan Killham

The many costumes of E3 2012 – by Jacob Lopez

Retro games have a place at E3, too – by Jasmine Rea

Videos

Dubstep. A beleaguered Lara Croft. Ham-handed hosts. No, this isn’t the latest entry in Alex Trebek’s dream diary — it’s some of our E3 video and trailer content below. Enjoy!

Tomb Raider trailer shows how Lara Croft feels sorry for shooting you – by Dean Takahashi

Konami pre-E3 2012 event: More Castlevania and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – by Jasmine Rea

Ubisoft shows strong commitment to the Wii U – by Mike Minotti

6 awkward moments from the E3 press briefings – by Evan Killham

Why we wub wub wub E3 2012: The dubstep of E3 – by Jacob Lopez

Press conferences

Surprises and snooze-fests alike emanated from E3′s five major press briefings held by Microsoft, Electronic Arts (EA), Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Check out all the announcements and debuts here.

Microsoft (video)

Halo 4 trailer video shows Forerunners, new tech – by Rob LeFebvre

New Splinter Cell: Blacklist borrows from Uncharted – by Jeff Grubb

Gears of War: Judgment sets Sera on fire (again) – by Rus McLaughlin

Microsoft previews Xbox Music at E3 press conference – by Rob LeFebvre

Forza Horizon brings street racing to the franchise – by Jasmine Rea

Microsoft introduces Xbox SmartGlass to integrate smartphones and tablets with Xbox 360 – by Dean Takahashi

Nike+ Kinect Training brings in-depth fitness measuring to Xbox 360 – by Jeff Grubb

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer coming to Xbox 360 this fall – by Jacob Lopez

Usher hits the stage to announce Dance Central 3 – by Rob LeFebvre

Xbox Live is getting Nickelodeon, Machinima, and tons of live sports – by Tom Cheredar

Kinect voice commands hit EA Sports flagship titles – by Eduardo Moutinho

South Park creators introduce their game and playfully mock Microsoft – by Jeff Grubb

New Xbox 360 games coming from Signal Studios, Twisted Pixel, and…Gore Verbinski? – by Stefanie Fogel

Microsoft E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Electronic Arts (video)

SimCity Social: If this free-to-play game is too good, will you pay $60 for the full PC version? – by Dean Takahashi

EA reveals Battlefield 3 Premium and fields “15 million players worldwide” – by Omri Petitte

Star Wars: The Old Republic gets new planet, new species, and free trial – by Jacob Lopez

EA nabs UFC from THQ – by Jeff Grubb

Medal of Honor: Warfighter’s beautiful carnage – by Rus McLaughlin

EA shows off Need for Speed: Most Wanted at E3 – by Rob LeFebvre

Ubisoft (video)

Rayman Legends rhythmically runs to the Wii U – by Eduardo Moutinho

You are the network in Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs – by Rus McLaughlin

Here’s where that Watch Dogs cube-head QR code goes – by Jeff Grubb

Sony (video)

Experimental developer Quantic Dream reveals the haunted life of Jody Holmes in Beyond – by Jasmine Rea

Nathan Drake and the Big Daddy Bouncer join PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale – by Mike Minotti

J.K. Rowling is writing PlayStation’s Wonderbook – by Rus McLaughlin

Sony announces Assassin’s Creed III Vita and PS3 bundles with exclusive content – by Jeff Grubb

Sony brings down the house with The Last of Us demo – by Dean Takahashi

Sony E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Nintendo (video)

Social networking comes to Wii U, Miiverse will interface with PCs and phones – by Jasmine Rea

First look at action-strategy game Pikmin 3 – by Jeff Grubb

Nintendo confirms 23 games at E3, video streaming, and more for Wii U – by Mike Minotti

Wii Fit U will make you sweatier, livelier, and happier – by Rob LeFebvre

Brag to the Miiverse and take on new modes in New Super Mario Bros. U – by Eduardo Moutinho

Zombify your face with ZombiU for the Wii U – by Mike Minotti

Nintendo bets big on “asymmetric” tablet-based gameplay – one player against several – by Dean Takahashi

Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition utilizes Wii U’s GamePad screen – by Omri Petitte

Nintendo details 3DS Mario titles, Luigi’s Mansion, and third-party games – by Jeff Grubb

Nintendo Land brings asymmetrical multiplayer to Wii U – by Jasmine Rea

Nintendo’s E3 2012 press conference recap…in limerick form – by Andrew Hiscock

Filed under: Business, Games

DmC: Devil May Cry is full of swagger…and F-bombs

Eduardo Moutinho — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 01:32:39 +0000

“Hey succubus, suck on that!”

Those words flowed through my headphones at some point in my private demo of DmC: Devil May Cry, and they embody the swagger that the slash-happy title plans to bring players in 2013. Before I even jumped into the game at Capcom’s booth during the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), I knew the experience would drip with attitude.

According to Karl Reader, an associate producer at Capcom, the title is a “reimagination of the DmC story.” You play as a younger version of series-protagonist Dante as he shreds and shoots through a slew of supernatural enemies. The third-person, action-heavy nature of the Devil May Cry series is very much evident here, so expect a lot of button-mashing, combo-linking combat, and context-sensitive set pieces.

With real-life pole dancers in the background, I grabbed a controller and played through a boss battle where Dante confronted a gnarly worm-like creature with a human face and multiple, talon-like appendages. Even though the fight itself featured its fair share of gruesome moments — read Dean Takahashi’s piece for more on those — what truly stood out was the game’s over-the-top sass.

The young Dante epitomized youthful brashness as he dissed and disemboweled his enemy.

Both he and the boss threw as many F-bombs at each other as they threw attacks. Dante made fun of the enemy’s millennium-spanning age. Then, the boss said something about chewing up Dante’s limbs and spitting them right back at him. I caught a lot of this back-and-forth banter and thought it added an extra layer of storytelling to the skirmish — even though I couldn’t help but chuckle at the hyperbolic, Mature-rated nature of the whole spectacle.

In a series already known for its edge (in more ways than one), Capcom is trying to revitalize the spirit of Dante with DmC. And my brief glimpse gave me plenty of reasons to see more.

Filed under: Games

GamesBeat E3 Roundup Day 2

Evan Killham — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 04:30:24 +0000

We know how you feel. E3 is in full swing, and you can’t hear yourself think over the non-stop din of news breaking. Who’s going to clean up all of that news, anyway? What if someone cuts himself on a news shard and sues? Don’t worry; it’s taken care of. We’re posting all of GamesBeat’s coverage for each day of E3 in convenient (and lengthy) roundups, and you can keep track of them all by searching for “E3 roundup” in that search bar up there.

Today, Nintendo held the last of E3′s five major press conferences. We got a lot more information about the Wii U hardware and its software lineup, and then the GamesBeat crew descended upon the show floor to get some hands-on time with the biggest games of the show. We also threw in some silly memes, just for fun.

6 awkward moments from the E3 press conferences (videos)

Why Nintendo will have a tough time adding a second gamepad tablet controller to the Wii U

E3 2012: The 5 different games you’ll be playing in Dishonored (preview)

The oddest Nintendo E3 gifs and Photoshops from the Internet

E3 2012: Nintendo’s Wii U: Safe on first, weak on third-party

Dark Souls Prepare to Die edition coming to Steam and with additional content

Capcom shows three playable characters for Resident Evil 6 (hands-on preview)

Ni No Kuni gets an official launch date and new enemy reveal

Capcom remakes hack-slash-shoot-grapple formula with upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry (hands-on preview)

Dragon Ball Z Kinect lets you fight like Saiyan in the privacy of your living room

Tekken Tag 2 wants you to be a better fighting game player

The Wii U game from the Bayonetta developer that Nintendo didn’t show during its E3 event

Aisha Tyler: Ubisoft’s meme machine

Nintendo Land brings asymmetrical multiplayer to Wii U

Nintendo details 3DS Mario titles, Luigi’s Mansion, and third-party games

Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition utilizes Wii U’s GamePad screen

Nintendo bets big on “asymmetric” tablet-based gameplay — one player against several

Zombify your face with ZombiU for the Wii U

Brag to the Miiverse and take on new modes in New Super Mario Bros. U

Wii Fit U will make you sweatier, livelier, and happier

Nintendo confirms 23 games at E3, video streaming, and more for Wii U

First look at action-strategy game Pikmin 3 (gallery)

Social networking comes to Wii U, Miiverse will interface with PCs and phones

From the creator of Portal, Quantum Conundrum caters to physics-based puzzle gamers (hands-on preview)

Sleeping Dogs turns Hong Kong crime movies into a video game (hands-on preview)

Nyko’s Free Fighter arcade fight stick is southpaw-friendly (gallery)

4 ways developers will use SmartGlass to enhance Xbox 360 experiences

Silly memes inspired by Sony’s E3 press event

Filed under: Games

Capcom remakes hack-slash-shoot-grapple formula with upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry (hands-on preview)

Dean Takahashi — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:00:08 +0000

The year of remakes continues with Capcom’s upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry. We caught a hands-on preview of the game at an event for game journalists in Los Angeles, and it reminded us of those old, sweaty-palm, hack, slash, shoot, and grapple gameplay mechanics that worked so well with the original series.

In this game, you play a teenage version of the character Dante who has supernatural powers and finds himself under attack by a town that has a sentient personality. Limbo City is populated by demons of all kinds, and they’re all pretty nasty.

Ninja Theory is developing the game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It uses the Unreal Engine 3 and features a kind of bizarre, comic-book-style 3D graphics animation, at least in one of the levels that I played.

The title is an action game where Dante uses multiple kinds of attacks to deal with different enemies. He can dual-wield pistols, fight with gigantic, magical swords, and pull enemies to him with a God-of-War-style grappling hook.

In the level I played, I had to hook onto the upper levels of buildings and jump from balcony to balcony to get around the demons and traps that the town was spawning for me. The town constantly closes off avenues of escape and reforms its streets in order to trap Dante. The city is actually in a parallel universe, full of monsters and demons. But Dante figures out that he can escape detection if he can take out security cameras in the town.

I had to use Dante’s full powers to deal with one of the ugliest bosses I had ever seen. The boss has a nasty human face and a worm-like body. It vomits green spew and attacks with big claws. When the boss vomited, I had to use the grappling hooks to jump to another platform. It was easy to fall off the platform in the middle of combat, so it took an exceedingly long time to deal with the boss using all of Dante’s weaponry.

The title will come out in January, 2013. Capcom originally showed the game off in September 2010, so it has been in development for a long time. The creative director is Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades.

Filed under: Business, Games