Category: Xbox 360

Windows Phone Mango’s Xbox Live Features Detailed

Microsoft has released several details on the next major Windows Phone update (Mango) and how it works with Xbox Live. The question is, “Can you handle the Mango?!?” Just kidding. Moving on from that dated SNL reference, Microsoft’s Shirlene Lim posted a lengthy blog entry on how Xbox Live works with Mango. Here’s an excerpt:

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Games Hub in Mango is its new look: A cleaner and lighter design that emphasizes your game collection and Xbox Live info — the heart of the hub. Responding to your feedback, we also made tweaks to improve the overall performance and speed.

Finally, the Games Hub in Mango now comes with many of the features previously found in the popular Xbox Live Extras app, such as 3D avatars with fun animations, a new Collection view, and more.

If you’re interested in bringing more Xbox Live connectivity to your phone and/or you want to see gaming features on Windows Phone then I highly recommend reading the entire post. It has plenty of new information and lots of UI pictures.

I know that RPadholic smartguy is waiting to see Nokia hardware running Mango. Anyone else interested in Windows Phone? Is Xbox Live connectivity an important feature to you?

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s a great week for videogame releases! FEAR 3 has been getting some good reviews and is a fine pick for those longing for some atmospheric action. Shinki Mikami (Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (No More Heroes) team up on Shadows of the Damned. I totally goofed on Dungeon Siege III last week; it comes out this week. Sorry!

Last, but not least, is the first great games for the Nintendo 3DS — The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D!!! I’m so looking forward to diving into the game this weekend!

Any of you picking up new games this week?

Tomb Raider Dives Into Lara Croft’s Past, Shows Bright Future

Although Lara Croft is the first lady of modern gaming, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted games have supplanted Tomb Raider as the best action-adventure videogame series. Square Enix has Lara set for a huge comeback by delving into her past. The upcoming Tomb Raider game stars a young Lara Croft as she embarks on her first adventure. From what I saw at E3 2011, it looks like Lara will be taken to new heights by going in a very different direction.

From the gameplay I was shown, as well as the beautiful intro movies, it’s clear that Lara has been trained but hasn’t been battle tested. She’s capable, but not yet confident. I liked seeing the vulnerable side of her character…though she did a bit too much moaning and whining when she was attacked. There were times I wasn’t sure if she was under duress or on the verge of an orgasm.

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The gameplay had plenty of exploration and puzzle solving — two hallmarks of the Tomb Raider series. Exploring the caverns and outdoor areas was lots of fun. The graphics I saw were beautiful and it was a pleasure watching someone else play the game. The early puzzles I saw played up fire and water. Lara would have to manage her torch (stop thinking about her managing your torch) and relight as necessary. The caverns were full of streams and pools, making torch management an interesting gameplay facet.

While I didn’t get to see any of Lara’s famous gunplay, I saw her engage in a number fights using her limbs, a dagger, and a bow (with arrows…duh!). The back-to-basics fighting was appropriate for the early portion of the game as she was freshly shipwrecked, but I imagine she’ll be dual-wielding pistols towards the end of her adventure.

A lot of the fight scenes implemented quick time events. The amount of them surprised me. The developers are trying to give the combat a cinematic feel while also appealing to casual gamers that are familiar with the Tomb Raider brand. It’s an interesting gambit that potentially gives the game a broader appeal and also differentiates it from a more traditional title like Uncharted.

My demo session of Tomb Raider left me wanting more. The graphics were impressive, the story was interesting, young Lara is hot, the puzzle gameplay looked like fun, and the combat was different. My chief concern at this time is the combat. It was definitely atypical, but it wasn’t as fun to watch as the other facets of gameplay. Will the fighting be fun to play? That’s what I want to know…and I’m willing to watch Lara Croft for hours in order to find out.

This Week’s Videogame Releases

I didn’t get around to this article on Monday since my brain was still melted from E3, but it’s an interesting week for videogames. The sequels or spiritual successors to three old franchises were released this week. After years of being a running joke, Duke Nukem Forever was finally released. Longtime fans of Rez will be thrilled to play Q’s Child of Eden. American McGee jumped down the rabbit hole once again in Alice: Madness Returns.

By the way, I’m looking for some peeps to play Dungeon Siege III if anyone is down. The game is so different from Chris Taylor’s original, but I’m enjoying it in a hack-and-slash loot-fest way.

So, any of you picking up new games this week?

Watch Cliffy B Talk Gears of War 3 on Jimmy Fallon!

Here’s a clip of Epic Games’ Cliff Bleszinski showing off Gears of War 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I’m so, so, so jazzed by this clip for several reasons. As some of you know, Cliff and I used to be tight back in the day and I’m so proud of his success. Secondly, my friend Gavin is a producer for Late Night. He’s one of the original G4 peeps and a super-nice guy. I’m proud of his success too.

Anyway, awesome gentlemen aside, the game rocks! Check out Fallon’s reactions as he plays Gears of War 3.

BioShock Infinite E3 2011 Preview

Out of all the games I saw at E3 2011, one was a cut above the rest: BioShock Infinite. There’s a lot of change happening in the industry, with games becoming more social, quick time events permeating every genre, and games getting more casual. From what I saw at the show, BioShock Infinite is the ultimate realization of what enthusiast gamers currently consider a videogame to be.

BioShock Infinite takes place on the floating island of Columbia in 1912 — a stark contrast to the underwater world of the original game. Columbia is like a traveling World’s Fair, but armed to the bone. It flies around the world terrorizing other nations. Within Columbia there are two factions vying for power: the Founders and the Vox Populi. You play the role of Booker DeWitt, a disgraced Pinkerton detective that has been tasked with the job of rescuing a young woman named Elizabeth.

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During the demo I noticed a lot more characterization than in the previous BioShock games. Booker and Elizabeth talk a lot. Some of it is idle chatter that helps you learn more about the characters, the world, and more. Some of the talk gives you combat cues. Elizabeth has mysterious powers that can be used for combat combinations.

One portion of the game had Elizabeth using her powers to heal a horse. Instead she ripped space and time, causing the game to fast forward to 1983. A movie theater playing Revenge of the Jedi was in the background. I’m going to guess that time travel, choices between the Founders and Vox Populi, and your treatment of Elizabeth are just some of variables that will help determine which ending you get.

The action was very fast, with a great sense of speed and scale. In addition to shooting, Booker can use telekinesis, electricity, and other powers. There’s a substantial role-playing element behind the action, as you’d expect from an Irrational title. What was different and surprising was the skyline system. Booker can use this above-ground rail system to zip around environments and reach optimal positions for combat. Swinging on the skyline via grappling hook is super fast and gives you an exhilarating feeling. You really get a sense of each level’s size and the art style does a great job of conveying a “sky” feeling that’s a sharp contrast to the “water” feeling of the previous games.

BioShock Infinite looks like it will deliver outstanding quality on several levels. The graphics, powered by a modified version of Unreal Engine 3, are stylish and technically impressive. The gameplay looks thrilling and deep. Although only a few details of the game’s story and setting have been revealed, it’s already more compelling than standard videogame narratives. Like I said earlier, it’s shaping up to be the ultimate realization of what gamers currently consider a videogame to be.

I’m a big fan of Irrational Games and Ken Levine. With that in mind, I was surprised that my expectations were exceeded by BioShock Infinite. It was so good that I caught the demo twice — I didn’t do that for any other game at E3 2011. Even though I only caught a small portion of the game, I’m confident that BioShock Infinite will be great. Hell, there’s a good chance that it will end up being one of the best games this console generation. I can’t wait to see more!

Bastion E3 2011 Preview

At E3 2011, several of my friends told me to stop by Warner Bros. Interactive’s booth to check out Bastion, an action-RPG for Xbox Live and Windows PC. I’m super glad that I did. The game is right up my alley — classic action-RPG gameplay, a beautiful art style, and surprising storytelling for a downloadable game. While Batman: Arkham City was getting the lion’s share of attention at WBIE’s booth, people in the know were spending a lot of time with Bastion.

If you enjoyed games like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, X-Men Legends, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance then you’ll likely dig Bastion. The perspective and gameplay mechanics are similar to the ones in those games. You run around, fight things, nab loot, fight more things, get new weapons, and fight some really big things towards the end of each level.

I was surprised by the diversity in Bastion. Changing weapons and abilities really give the main character a different feel. Whether you like getting up close and personal with melee combat or enjoy firing away from a distance with ranged attacks, Bastion has a fighting style for you.

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The game’s art is really striking. WBIE refers to it as “painterly”. The artists use a cartoon-like art style and a bright palette of colors. Check out the screens above. If Bastion’s art style doesn’t make you feel happy then there’s no hope for your soul. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but the art should be able to elicit some degree of warm fuzzies…or at least a hearty grin.

There are more than 40 levels for you to play in, which is surprisingly high for a downloadable game. WBIE promises up to 10 hours of gameplay, not including a “new game plus” mode that allows additional ways to experience the game.

Bastion will be released this summer. On Xbox 360 it will be part of the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade, which kicks off on July 20, 2011. On Windows PC it will be part of…the Windows Summer of Haywood Jablome (not an actual event). I’m super psyched to play it. It feels familiar and looks cool. Let me know if Bastion is something you’d be into.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 E3 2011 Preview

Final Fantasy XIII was a polarizing videogame. Some players loved the game for its gorgeous graphics, great soundtrack, fantastic battle system, and strong voice acting. Other players hated the game for its strict linearity, confusing story, and uneven pace. Square Enix hopes Final Fantasy XIII-2 will address the complaints of FFXIII while maintaining the features that made it popular. I got to catch a demo of the game at E3 2011 and play an early level. If the brief portion I played and saw is representative of the final product then FFXIII-2 will end up being the game that everyone wanted the original to be.

In terms of story, not much has been revealed. The game takes place a few years after FFXIII ended and Lightning, the protagonist in the first game, has disappeared. The game’s trailer implies that she has been displaced to an alternate dimension and only her sister Serah believes she’s still alive. In my hands-on time, I controlled Serah and newcomer Noel. Serah appears to be the main character — at least in the early going — and it was implied that other FFXIII characters will join the party.

The biggest change to the game is that it’s more open than the original. I’m not talking about Elder Scrolls-like or anything, but there’s definitely some exploring to do. The levels I was shown had hidden paths and alternative branches. You’ll have the opportunity to explore levels instead of just marching down a straight line. I’m very interested to see how far the dev team will take this aspect of the game as the strict linearity was the biggest complaint of the original.

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Adding general cuteness and aiding your exploration is a new moogle companion. Moogles are awesome and I’m happy that one will be accompanying me in FFXIII-2. In addition to making cute sounds, the moogle will reveal some hidden objects and use his powers so that you can nab them. It seems like he rips the fabric of space, perhaps revealing the dimension where Lightning is stranded…but that’s just conjecture.

FFXIII’s excellent battle system is back, with a few changes. As with the original, you’ll have to change your team’s behavior during the course of the fight (damagers, healers, buffers, etc.). After you defeat certain monsters, they’ll join your party. Different monsters will appear by your side, depending on what role you’re using and each monster has their own special ability.

Battles now have short quick time events. Some QTEs I saw were just simple finishing moves. Others had gameplay consequences. For example, some QTEs will buff up your party if successful and cause your party to take damage if failed. I didn’t see enough of these to see if they really add to the gameplay, but it appears to be part of a larger trend of quick time events infiltrating all sorts of games.

During my demo, I saw a brief portion of the game featuring Lightning that was not playable on the show floor. She engaged in a cool fight while riding her Odin eidolon. Horsey fights looked like a nice change of pace from standard melee. They felt faster and seemed to implement quick time events better. Plus, Lightning just feels more bad-ass than her dainty sister and her boy toy companion.

I’m psyched for FFXIII-2. Keep in mind that I really liked the original game. It builds on a strong base and expands the world of FFXIII. Gamers that were disappointed in the original should keep their eyes on this game. It appears that Square Enix will address some of the complaints that turned off longtime RPG fans. If the devs add a mode that lets you torture wussy boy Hope Estheim then everyone will be happy!