Nine straight hours had passed since I first placed God of War 3 into my PS3, and as the credits slowly rolled down my TV screen, all I could think about was how my quest for vengeance had finally come to an end. Getting up from my couch, I calmly walked over to the sink to wash the blood of all my countless victims off my controller: for I had slain any who stood in my way and the entire world now trembled at my feet.
No, I might not actually be Kratos, son of Zeus and destroyer of the gods, but for those incredible nine hours I felt like I was. Having played all three God of War games to date, I have been with him on every step of his long, arduous and bloody journey. Now that it’s finally come to an end, I feel an empty place in my heart, like I’ve said goodbye to an old friend. The only thing left to do is explain why you need to experience the marvelous end of his quest for vengeance yourself.
There are more epic moments in the first thirty minutes of God of War 3 than most games manage to fit into an entire ten hour play-through. When the opening sequence finally comes to an end, and the last bead of sweat has dripped from your brow, you’ll probably find yourself thinking there is no way the rest of the game can top that, but you would be wrong. You should grab some Gatorade before you pick up your controller because you’re in for one hell of a wild ride.
If this is your first God of War game, I would like you to hand over your “man card” now so I can tear it up in your face. How have you managed to not play one of the most testosterone fueled action games in history? Kratos is literally a legend in the video game business. Wimpy male characters like Luigi want to be him, and beautiful women like Zelda want to sleep with him. If you’re going to step into his shoes I better prepare you for what you’re getting into.
Although the envy of many, Kratos is not exactly the most likeable character. The man killed his own wife and daughter and now wears their dead burnt ashes permanently on his skin. As a servant of the gods, he used to do all their dirty work, but that was before he actually became a god himself. Their betrayal has made him mortal again and now he seeks revenge for a lifetime of wrong doings against him. To accomplish this, he’s sought out the assistance of the Titans, huge elemental giants who were sentenced by the gods to a lifetime of solitude.
As God of War 3 begins, we find Kratos and the Titans climbing Mount Olympus to confront Zeus, which is exactly where the second game left off. Where the story goes from here I won’t say, but this is the end of the trilogy, so there is closure for sure. It is important to note that people who’ve played the previous games will get a lot more out of the story than newcomers. Things really come full circle and events from all the previous titles have consequences here.
If you’ve played God of War before, you will feel right at home the minute the action begins. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and developer Santa Monica Studios did just that. Kratos controls exactly like he always has, with a few welcome improvements. He still has his typical light, heavy, and grab attacks, as well as the ability to block and use magic.
What has changed is the depth and complexity of the weapons at his disposal. In previous games players usually always stuck with the default, dual chained blade. Now every weapon has the same amount of moves and complexity, and each has its own unique magic attack. This makes them all valuable, and allows for a wide variety of play styles.
Besides a more fleshed out weapon arsenal, Kratos has also learned a few new moves. He can now lash out with his blades and attach to far away enemies to pull himself in, closing the distance quickly before unleashing a stun attack. He can also pick up enemies to use them as battering rams, and he can latch onto flying beasts to fly him to high places.
What really sets God of War 3 apart from its predecessors is the epic set pieces that make up the final leg of Kratos’s journey. This is truly the final war to decide the fate of the gods, the Titans, Kratos, and the rest of all mankind. The developers express that through the larger than life scale of all the levels, and through the incredible boss battles, some of which are the size of entire levels from other action games. The game is essentially one long chain of extremely memorable “Oh My God” moments that will leave your jaw resting on the floor for nine hours.
All of this comes together beautifully thanks to some of the most awe inspiring visuals in all of gaming. This shouldn’t be a shock though to most fans, since God of War titles have always been known for their top notch graphics. Many people still think that God of War 2 on the PS2 looks just as good as some of the first PS3 releases. That tradition of excellence has carried on here, with God of War 3 once again standing tall as one of the best looking games in all existence.
As with most titles in the series, once you’ve beaten it there’s still more stuff to do. The disc includes a ton of video documentaries, as well as a challenge mode and harder difficulty settings. There are also in-game collectibles to find, as well as the possibility of future DLC. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably end up playing the first thirty minutes over and over again just to re-live those blood curdling intense moments.
I think it’s safe to say that fans of the series had pretty huge expectations for God of War 3, and I’m happy to announce that it lives up to all of them. Everything people loved about the previous games is still here, plus a few welcome new features, and it’s all set against some of the most epic set pieces in all of gaming. Thanks to Kratos and his thirst for blood and vengeance, Sony once again adds another gem to it’s exclusive library of games.
If you are one of the millions of people who are still playing Modern Warfare 2, even though its multiplayer is broken beyond repair, then this is your lucky day. Details and pricing for the game’s first downloadable map pack have been released, and it appears that killing has a steep price tag attached to it.
For the completely absurd price of $15 (1200 MS Points), you’ll be able to slaughter your enemies in one of five new maps, two of which are actually “slightly reworked” maps from the original Modern Warfare. Xbox 360 owners will get first dibs at this DLC when it launches on March 30th, followed by the PS3 and PC versions which will be available at some undisclosed date in April.
For more information about these new maps, hit the jump.
New Maps:
“Bailout” – A multi-level apartment complex.
“Storm” – An open industrial park littered with heavy machinery.
“Salvage” – A snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars.
“Reworked” Modern Warfare Maps:
“Crash” – A war torn urban environment.
“Overgrown” – Which features a massive dry creek bed.
While I might have a problem with the $15 price tag of this DLC, I completely understand that Infinity Ward and Activision can charge it and people will pay. After all, we are talking about a game that’s sold more than 25 million copies, many of which are still playing the multiplayer. When a game is that popular, you can charge whatever you want and people will flock to it.
I personally don’t plan on picking it up, but I also haven’t played the game since December. How do the rest of your feel about this DLC. Are you excited about the new maps? Is Activision charging too much, or is Modern Warfare 2 so good it warrants the steep price?
For those of you who don’t know, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has essentially taken over the lives of many of us here at Gamer Limit. We all adamantly agree that it’s one of the best multiplayer FPSs to come along in a while.
If you feel the same way as we do, you’ll be happy to hear that DICE and EA plan on supporting the game with lots of extra content. According to Eric Brown, EA’s chief financial officer, BF: BC2 will receive an “extensive paid digital content plan with players receiving multiple packs of $5, $10 and $15” over the next six months.
Unfortunately no more details about this paid content have been given, but we do know that by the end of this month there will be two new free maps available for download. This is on top of the two free maps that were available the day the game launched.
Hopefully the new DLC will include more than just maps. New weapons and vehicles would also be great and would make the cost more acceptable. They could even throw a new class in if they really want to get crazy.
I would like to hear from all you fans our there to see if you are interested in this DLC. I know it’s hard to form a good opinion now until official details are released, but does the prospect of spending more money on BF: BC2 excite you or not interest you at all.
It might not be official, but the first footage of the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta has leaked onto the net and it’s smoking hot! It shows off a ton of stuff like new moves, new weapons, new gameplay modes, and jetpacks! I mean who doesn’t like jetpacks, am I right?
Of course if you aren’t really a fan of Halo you’ll probably watch this video and think to yourself, “yep that looks like Halo”. I wouldn’t blame you, because to the untrained eye it really does just look like more of the same. Trust me though, there is a ton of stuff in this trailer to get excited about. Hit the jump to watch the video and see for yourself.
I’m starting to think that in the next couple months we’re going to see a lot more copies of Halo: ODST fly off the shelves as people scramble to get into the beta. We are talking about what will probably end up being the most played beta of all time, and the only way to get in is to own a copy of ODST. The sales will jump up as May approaches. Trust me.
I’m interested to hear what everyone else thinks of this leaked footage. Does it get you excited for Halo:Reach, or is it just more of the same?
There is no denying that the Halo series has become a video game cultural phenomenon that has helped define an entire generation of life-long gamers. Because of this, Microsoft has never been content to keep the Halo brand contained within the confines of just gaming. They have branched out, creating everything from toys, to clothing, books, and even their own line of Mountain Dew drinks.
It’s only natural then that their next big venture would be to bring the series to the small screen, in the form of a collection of seven animated short stories called Halo Legends. Created by five of the top animation studios in Japan, this collection provides a glimpse into the Halo universe as never experienced before.
The question is, does Halo Legends compliment the games in a way that warrants it being in every Halo fan’s collection, or is it simply another attempt to milk the brand?
I should preface this review by stating that I’ve never really been a huge Halo fan. I’ve played the three of the four games in the series, and I’ve spent some time with the multiplayer, but it’s never captured my attention the way other first-person shooters have. I’ve most definitely never been interested in the story, so when I sat down to watch Halo Legends, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
To my surprise, I discovered that I not only enjoyed most of the short stories, but they left me wanting more. I actually walked away from my experience with a desire to dive deeper into the mythos of the Halo universe to uncover all of its hidden secrets. This is probably because the stories are not the shallow, dumbed-down, action oriented anime I was expecting.
There are actually deeper messages to be found in each of these quick glimpses into the life of a people who are fighting every single day to survive. Layered on top of that is some incredible animation, mixed with spot on sound effects from the game, and action sequences that are well worth the price of admission.
Instead of describing the entire collection in general terms, I’ve decided to individually examine each of the seven stories, in order to help you better understand why you should, or shouldn’t, give Halo Legends a chance to win you over.
Origins I and II
Every great story must have a beginning, and in Halo Legends that beginning is told in Origins, a two-part short story that attempts to tell the entire history of the Halo universe in under 30 minutes. The entire sequence is narrated by Cortana as she sits stranded aboard the ship Forward Unto Dawn following the events of Halo 3.
Origins I ventures back 100,000 years into the past and tells the story of the Forerunners and how they created the Halos to battle and destroy the Flood once and for all. Origins II focuses more on human civilization, and how our entire history has been filled with War and bloodshed. Even when we traveled to the stars and colonized other worlds, our thirst for war followed us until eventually we were forced to unite together to stand against a common foe: the Covenant.
While Origins does a good job of filling in some of the backstory of the Halo universe, it suffers from the fact it only has 30 minutes to tell 100,000 years of history. Cortana’s narration never gives any real specifics about the events that occur, always stating that things happened, instead of why they happened. It’s mainly a lot of quick glimpses here and there, which always leaves you wanting more.
Origins could have easily been turned into a two-hour history documentary, and it still wouldn’t have been enough time to do it justice. Halo fans who are really into the universe won’t get much out of this, but for the rest of us, it’s a nice way to catch up with everything that’s led up to the events of the Halo trilogy.
The Duel
The rank of Arbiter wasn’t always a mark of shame. It used to be a great honor given to only the most respected member of the Covenant Elite. The Duel tells the story of Fal, the last Arbiter to ever hold that title in a respected capacity. Refusing to believe in the religious ways of the Covenant, Fal is marked as a heretic and traitor, resulting in the murder of his wife. Seeking revenge, he sets out to kill those responsible, including anyone else who might stand in his way.
Of all the Halo Legends stories, The Duel is the one that really stands out in my mind, thanks to its beautiful artistic style and epic action sequences. The animators essentially took CGI renderings and painted over them using water colors. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and the result is absolutely spectacular. Mix that with a compelling story, believable characters, and top notch action sequences, and you have a story that every Halo fan should see.
Homecoming
While Master Chief is the most well known of the Spartan II recruits, not much else is known about the other 74 people who were forced, against their will, to join the program. Homecoming takes a closer look into the lives and psyche of some of those individuals, to help us better understand what they’ve gone through to protect the rest of humanity from utter annihilation.
This is probably the most powerful and moving of the Halo Legends stories, showing just how far a desperate military was willing to go to create the perfect super soldier. It also provides the first glimpse of a female Spartan II in combat, demonstrating how graceful and dangerous they can be. After viewing it, you’ll probably have a much deeper respect for these lonely individuals who want nothing more than to live the normal lives they’ll never get back.
Odd Man Out
The minute you start Odd Man Out, you’ll feel like you’re watching a cheesy anime short. This is because it’s actually a spoof of the Halo universe, going out of its way to be completely over-the-top in everything it does. At times I couldn’t tell if I had accidentally stumbled onto a lost episode of Dragon Ball Z.
The story centers around Spartan 1337, who has fallen out of a transport and become stuck on a remote planet in the Unicorn system. If the humor of that previous statement goes right over your head, you probably shouldn’t even be watching Halo Legends.
Odd Man Out feels completely out of place on this DVD. It’s filled with weird kids dressed like cavemen, dinosaurs, an evil ape, and rainbows. You’ll have to decide if that’s a good or a bad thing, but I recommend steering clear of this one. The humor might sit well with others, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Prototype
The one thing that video games have never been able to get across is the mental strain war puts on soldiers. Prototype is the story of one such soldier, codenamed Ghost, who’s earned that title due to a loss of conscience which resulted after losing his entire squad during a mission.
The story begins on the planet Angolis, where Ghost has been ordered to destroy a secret prototype weapon suit at all costs, ensuring it doesn’t fall into the hands of the invading Covenant forces. Just when it looks like Ghost’s entire team is going to perish in the fight, he takes control of the suit in a suicidal attempt to fend off the enemy combatants.
Prototype tries hard to deliver a message about what it means to be human, but I feel like that message is bogged down by an action-heavy exterior. Don’t get me wrong, the action sequences are some of the best Halo Legends has to offer, but it takes away from the true point of this short. I really believe that this story could have been incredibly moving, but instead it just feels shallow.
The Babysitter
There are two unique traits that single The Babysitter out from the rest of the short stories in Halo Legends. It’s the only one that includes the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers of Halo: ODST fame, and it’s the only one that examines how the rest of the military views the Spartan II’s.
Up until this point, the Spartans were always perceived as being renowned and loved by the rest of humanity. They have this almost god-like aura surrounding them, as if everyone believes they are invincible. The reality though is that some people are jealous of them, and some even think of them as abominations, which leads to fear and distrust.
This distrust is the center piece of a story that revolves around a unit of ODSTs escorting a Spartan II who’s been ordered to assassinate a Covenant Prophet. It’s another great example of how Halo Legends is not the shallow action-filled romp I thought it would be. It instead provides a deeper look into the lives of a people who have to depend on and trust each other, or die alone.
The Package
The Package represents what every single Halo fan has been dreaming about since they first picked up a controller and stepped into the shoes of Master Chief: a chance to see the famed Spartan II kicking tons of Covenant ass in full, beautiful CGI. What makes it so great is that it feels like someone took a level straight out of the game and turned it into a short action movie, complete with The Matrix-style slow motion effects.
I would say more about the story itself, but I don’t want to ruin it. Suffice it to say, if you have ever played a Halo game and enjoyed it, you owe it to yourself to watch The Package and bask in all its amazing glory. The action is top notch, the CGI is gorgeously rendered, and it even includes a special FPS section that will put a smile on every Halo fan’s face. Stop reading this and go watch it right now. You won’t regret it.
Where Halo Legends triumphs is in its ability to truly dig deeper into the Halo mythos, peeling back layers and unveiling intimate stories into the lives of the people who inhabit the game’s universe. Recommending it to Halo fans is a no-brainer, as they are the ones who are really going to enjoy it, and get the most out of it. There’s still a lot for newcomers like myself though, who are looking for a reason to fall in love with the series that has changed the landscape of video games forever.
When you get to be my age, you tend to look back on your early gaming years with a sense of nostalgia. I yearn to return to those days of innocence when all it took was two buttons and a directional pad to play games. One title from my youth that holds a special place in my heart is the NES classic Blaster Master.
I have fond memories of the critically acclaimed mix of side-scrolling platforming and overhead shooter gameplay that made the game so popular back in the day. When Sunsoft announced it was releasing a spiritual successor to it on WiiWare, entitled Blaster Master Overdrive, I was extremely excited to have a chance to relive my childhood. Sometimes though, it’s best to leave those fond memories of your youth in the past.
The first thing that you’ll notice about Blaster Master Overdrive is that it was designed from the ground up to look, feel, and sound like a 16-bit version of the original. This is a perfect design choice in my opinion, since if this was an actual sequel it would have been released on the SNES.
If you’ve never played Blaster Master, here’s a quick history lesson. The game itself is essentially a Metroid clone, with a large side-scrolling world map divided up into eight different areas.
When the game begins you only have access to the first area, but once you defeat that level’s boss, you obtain a special ability that allows you to move on to the next area. Just like in Metroid there is a lot of backtracking to be done, and you constantly find yourself revisiting old sections of the game to gain access to new areas.
In Blast Master Overdrive, you play as a biologist named Alex, who’s trying to save the entire world from an evil virus that turns plants and animals into flesh eating monsters. Alex is the best choice for the job because “he specializes in viral mutation profiles and genetic manipulation”. He also just happens to have a huge tank at his disposal, called S.O.P.H.I.A., and a slew of kick-ass hand cannons. I guess in the future all biologists are this heavily armed.
The vast majority of the game is played as a side-scrolling shooter/adventure, with Alex driving S.O.P.H.I.A. around the world map, killing any mutated organisms that get in his way. Occasionally, he gets to jump out and venture by foot into caves which are spread throughout the map. These sections switch to an overhead view and contain completely different types of enemies and gameplay, which is a nice change of pace, keeping things feeling fresh.
In these overhead sections you’ll get a chance to find weapon and health upgrades to make Alex a more lethal biological killing machine. This is also where you’ll fight all eight of the game’s bosses, who drop upgrades kits for S.O.P.H.I.A. once they’re defeated. These kits give your tank the ability to hover, climb walls, and even grapple hook to higher ledges. You can also obtain health and energy upgrades for S.O.P.H.I.A., but these are found spread around the world map.
For the most part, Blaster Master Overdrive is a fun, old-school style game, which starts out strong. Unfortunately, things begin to fall apart the further you get into it, thanks to poor controls and a difficulty level that’s off the charts.
The main problem with the controls is that the game forces you to use the WiiMote tilted on its side like an old NES control pad. This wouldn’t be much of an issue if you only had to use the directional pad and the 1 and 2 buttons, but the game also requires you to use the A button to switch weapons and the B trigger to lock your character’s direction in place.
Trying to use the B trigger on the back of the WiiMote with your left index finger has to be one of the most aggravating and painful control mechanisms ever designed. It’s far enough away that you have to hold your finger in an awkward position to use it, which causes your hand to cramp up. It’s also just close enough that you accidentally push it from time to time, which can be detrimental to your characters health when in a tough fire fight.
There is simply no reason to endure all this pain and suffering when the controls would work out perfectly on the Wii Classic Controller. I simply don’t understand why Sunsoft forces the use of the WiiMote. It doesn’t help that the controls were also a bit sluggish. My commands always seemed to register just a little bit late.
The other major problem with the game is its extremely hard difficulty level that invokes the controller throwing tendencies many titles were known for back in the 8-bit days. Now I don’t typically mind hard games where a difficult section requires memorization or the player to be more skillful.
What I hate is artificial difficulty, such as a boss that throws out 100 bullets and only gives you half a second to respond and no room to dodge them. Most of the bosses in Blaster Master Overdrive are exactly like this, and it really just brings the fun factor of the game way down. I have to admit I threw my controller across the room many times, as it took me almost 2 hours of repeated attempts to beat the level 6 boss.
Another problem that can get annoying is the 16-bit music from certain levels. For the most part I liked the soundtrack, but there were just some levels that made my ears bleed. I went out of my way to avoid backtracking into area 4 strictly because I thought I would lose my mind if I had to hear that horrendous music one more time. The dull minor tones still ring painfully in my head.
Blaster Master Overdrive is not the stroll down memory lane I was hoping for. Its sluggish and awkward controls, mixed with an unyielding level of difficulty and some horrible music, make for a painful experience that most won’t be able to endure. Only the most hardcore should venture into these dangerous waters.
There are only a handful of privileged game franchises out there that can claim they’ve released a steady stream of titles for two decades or more. As of today another series is about to join their ranks, as Firaxis Games has announced Civilization V is in development for the PC and should arrive this Fall, just in time for the franchise’s 20th anniversary.
This fifth game of the series is being built completely from scratch with a host of new features included a new combat system, deeper diplomatic options, a hexagon based map, and an extensive online community system. For more details about this world conquering simulator, hit the jump.
The most noticeable changes coming to Civilization V is the completely new graphics engine and the hexagon based map system. As the initial screen shots show, the visuals are much sharper with a lot more detail than any previous Civ game. How the hexagonal map will change up the combat system is still to be seen though.
Firaxis has assured fans that the new combat system will be a lot deeper with many more strategic options available to those who enjoy being warmongers. For those prefer a peaceful resolution to problems, the game will feature an expanded diplomacy system including in-depth diplomatic options and fully animated leaders who speak in their native tongue.
Another new feature is the online community hub, which will allow players to swap community-created content and launch multiplayer matches. Unfortunately no details have been given concerning the extent of the player-created content that can be created. In either case, I think it’s safe to say Civilization V game will have something for everyone.
In other news, Firaxis has also announced they are developing a new Facebook based Civilization game for the more casual player.
“In addition to Civilization V, Firaxis Games is also currently developing Sid Meier’s Civilization Network, a Civ game for Facebook. With Sid Meier leading design, Civilization Network will offer yet another option for world domination to both the casual gamer and the biggest fans of the series. It’s another way to access the famously addictive world of Civilization.”
That’s a lot of Civilization news for one day. Is anyone excited about either of these new games? I myself love the series, which comes from the fact the very first PC game I ever played for more then 10 minutes was the original Civilization back in 1991. Some of the guys who write for Gamer Limit weren’t even born back then. Does anyone else have any fond memories of the series?
Do any of you remember years back at E3 when Microsoft first announced that Xbox LIVE would eventually be coming to cell phones. Well it’s taken them a long time, but it appears this pipe dream will finally become a reality sooner rather than later.
Microsoft announced today that when Windows Phone 7 series launches later this year, it will come with full Xbox LIVE support. This includes everything from viewing XBL leaderboards and achievement scores to playing turn-based multiplayer games on the go. For a full list of all the features included, hit the jump.
Details are still scarce at the moment, but Microsoft has confirmed that the new Windows Phone 7 games hub will include the ability to:
Collect Achievements and build your Gamerscore
View Xbox LIVE leaderboards
See your Xbox LIVE Avatar
Access Spotlight feeds, including the latest tips and tricks, game news, updates and more
Add Xbox LIVE friends to your friends list while out on the go
Turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like any of these features will available to iPhone, Google Phone, or BlackBerry users anytime soon, if ever. Right now they are going to stay proprietary to Windows phones.
So are any of you excited about this announcement? Do you think it’s going to enhance your Xbox LIVE experience?
When Darksiders was released back in January, the very first batch included a mystery code which said in huge letters, “DO NOT DISCARD”. THQ promised that the point of the code would eventually be revealed, but they’ve remained silent about it until now.
Well those of you who actually purchased an early copy of the game, and haven’t traded it back in yet, are in for a treat. If you go to the Darksiders website, you can use this mystery code to get a FREE copy of Red Faction: Guerilla for either the PS3 or Xbox 360. Click the jump to learn more details about this incredible free reward.
Here’s a complete run down of what you get if your copy of Darksiders included the special code.
A digital Hellbook disc featuring Darksiders art, videos, and other awesome stuff!
A free copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla for either PS3 or Xbox 360, a third person shooter featuring fully destructible environments… on Mars!
There is a very small catch though. You do have to pay $5 for shipping and handling, but besides that the game itself and the Hellbook Disc truly are free. That’s an incredible deal if you ask me.
All you have to do is go to the Darksiders website, choose what version of the Red Faction: Guerrila you want, and pay the $5. I already went and claimed my free copy of the game and it was really this easy.
Be warned that this deal is only available for US resident and expires March 7th, 2010. If you have a copy of the code get off your butt and go get your free game.
One thing that has always amazed me about the video game industry is the ability of some companies to actually make you excited about their upcoming games, even if you had no interest at all initially. The latest example of this trend is Bungie and their newest game Halo Reach.
As I already stated yesterday, I am no big fan of the Halo series. I like it, and I’ve played all the games, but when a new addition to the series is announced, I don’t jump for joy like a lot of people do. It therefore shouldn’t come as a shock that Halo Reach hasn’t really peaked my interest all; that is until I watched the new video documentary Bungie released today. Now I’m extremely excited about this new Halo game, which is a feeling I’ve never experienced before.
One of the biggest changes coming to the game is a huge graphics update, which is badly needed as the Halo 3 engine has started to become very outdated recently. Bungie has literally gutted almost the entire engine and started mostly from scratch to create a visual style that feels very believable. The most noticeable change has to be in the detail of the faces, which need to be able to bring out the large range of emotions the developers hope to convey to tell their “human” story.
As you watch the video you’ll notice that the visuals are by far some of the best seen on the 360 to date. Reach is apparently running at least 4 times the amount of polygons as previous titles, and it really shows, especially in the wide open environments that are truly a site to behold. Another big change is the use of motion capture to make all the characters movements much more fluid.
Not only is Bungie completely overhauling the graphics engine, but they are spending a ton of time creating a more intimate, character driven story. They want to player to feel a real sense of “tragedy and heroism” that they haven’t experienced in the other Halo games. At the same time though they need this intimate story to take place in the epic setting that is the fall of Reach.
To accomplish this, they are promising much bigger battles with at least twice as many characters on the screen at once. Reach is also being described as a “sandbox” game, though not many details are given to explain this claim. I highly doubt that we are going to get a Grand Theft Halo or a Metroid-Halo-Vania, as those styles of gameplay just don’t fit with the Halo series. ODST kind of pulled this off, but its sandbox nature felt very forced and artificial.
The most important thing I took away from watching this video documentary is that Bungie is extremely passionate about making Halo Reach a unique experience that’s the most ambitious title in the series. The best quote comes at the end when the game is described as being “The definitive Halo made by the people who created Halo.” It’s a simple quote that carries with it a lot of weight. After all, Bungie is the company that essentially made console FPS’s as popular as they are today.
Watch the video and decide for yourselves, but by the end I bet you’ll be a lot more excited for Halo Reach than you’ve been so far.
Limitcast Episode 35 - The Great FFXIII Debate
Gamer Limit Review: Final Fantasy XIII
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review
Gamer Limit Review: Mega Man 10
