Impressions: Dead Space 2 demo

PSN was updated with loads of new stuff for christmas and one of them was the Demo of Dead Space 2. I quickly downloaded it to see what the sequel has in store for us when it hits Jan 25 next year.

If you watched the latest gameplay footage of Dead Space 2 and their demo feeds, thats exactly what your getting in this demo. The Demo starts off with a recap of the events of the first Dead Space giving a brief history of the game's story and about the main Protagonist Isaac Clark. Dead Space 2 is set 3 years after the events of the first game and has Isaac Clark waking up in this inhabited moon with necromorphs everywhere. Again he has to survive.

I've seen this demo already in E3 but playing it hands-on gives a better impression than watching someone play it of course. When you get control of Isaac Clark for the first time, everything feels familiar. I grasp the controls of the game quickly and started exploring this narrow area surrounded with containers on the walls. You are given 4 weapons to play around with. the 3 weapons were known since they were in the first game. The famous plasma cutter, the plasma rifle(which btw has a nood tube alternate fire now, better than that crap alt in the first game ) and the line cutter.The fourth one though was some sort of weapon that shoots nails. It's pretty trippy since it can stick Necromorphs to walls and you can dismember them slowly as they struggle to get free.

During the course of the demo you are introduced with new enemies. Aside from the normal necromorphs shown at the start of the demo you get enemies that can slow you down and spit green stuff that hurts. Another new necromorph is this tripod-ish thing that in the middle of the demo grabs hold of your leg and just like the first game you must shoot his obvious shiny "weak spot" before he drags you somewhere. Another new necromorh introduced were these necromorph babies with fingers as claws. Freaky stuff. I hated the baby shooters in the first one, now they have these group of fast freak babies running straight at you.

There was a small easy puzzle involving you to hack a terminal(very easy mini game to hack through) then using your stasis to fix this device. You get introduced to the new feature which has you have free control of Isaac in zero gravity which is a good improvement. The demo was roughly 20 mins long and it ends with a huge necromorph appearing in front of isaac.

I enjoyed the demo and I liked the fact that everything felt familiar. The best part of Dead Space 2 for me was the fact that Isaac Clark can talk. I hated the fact that I was controlling a character that doesn't say anything. That's what lacked in the first game, the ability to see the personality of Isaac evolve as he progress and experience the horror. Giving voice to main characters can go a long way in improving the story, especially a horror game.

Sadly, though I may have enjoyed the demo and liked the new improvements just like the first game, it doesn't feel like a game to get on day one of release. With all the games coming out early next year, I can't grab all the new games and have been deciding which game to skip. This demo has made my decision. I think I'll be experiencing Dead Space 2 a few months after release.


Dead Space 2 Demenia trailer

Uncharted 3 debut gameplay with Jimmy Fallon

First gameplay footage of Uncharted 3 was aired on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  The Late Night Host gets first hands-on time with the game and it got weird when he started playing the demo. Regardless of Fallon's lack of how the PS3 controller works we still get an early glimpse of Uncharted 3 gameplay. 

The demo starts off with Drake and Sully trapped in a burning Chateau and tries to escape. They show off new melee moves and how amazing their fire effects are as they try to escape the building. Everything looks amazing. Close to the end you get a taste of those exciting moments Uncharted is famous for. It was short but sweet. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is aiming for a Nov. 1, 2011 release date. Enjoy!

Batman: Arkham City debut trailer

Batman: Arkham City Trailer

Trailer for Batman Arkham City was aired at the Video Game Awards 2010. Trailer reveals Batman's nemesis Dr. Hugo Strange, who knows batman's identity. Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to, well for me, the best batman game developed, Batman: Arkham Asylum.  Sadly no gameplay footage but it will be released fall of 2011.

Uncharted 3 long teaser trailer

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Trailer

It's great waking up to so many announcements. Video Game Awards 2010 revealed the trailer for Uncharted 3 and again takes us in the shoes of Nathan Drake through a Desert Wasteland. Take note, the teaser trailer isn't in CG. Just like in Uncharted 2, Everything is being rendered in Real time meaning thats going to be gameplay graphics. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception will be released November 1, 2011.

Uncharted 3 is officially real

I was just about to sleep and i found news that Uncharted 3 has surfaced. Entertainment Weekly revealed the next chapter in the Uncharted franchise named Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. The reveal mentioned that the story will focus on Drake's relationship with mentor and father figure Victor Sullivan, and has him searching for a legendary lost city that will take him to the Arabian penunsula and into the Rub'al khali Desert. Everything we love from the Uncharted series will be back and Naughty dog mentioned the multiplayer aspect in the game will be improved and will be just as addicting as other multiplayer games out today.

Aside from the reveal, Spike Video Game Awards will also reveal Uncharted 3 mentioned in Entertainment Weekly. In the event they will reveal the first trailer of the game and a released date announcement is rumored to be in the trailer. Spike Video Game Awards is scheduled to air on Dec 11.

And more reveals! the first live demo will be revealed in Late night with Jimmy Fallon next week Dec 13 2010. Jimmy Fallon brought in the makers of gears to reveal gears 3 with a trailer, this time they will be getting Naughty Dog to show their first live demo of the game. Jimmy Fallon is starting a new trend revealing game announcements and i hope he sticks with it.

I won't say much about it set since its all teasers and pictures but i like the idea that they are bringing Uncharted to a desert wasteland. Change the setting, new likable add new features for us to enjoy, that's all cool and great but i hope they keep everything we enjoy in the Uncharted Franchise intact.


short short teaser for uncharted 3: Drake's Deception


Sources: Kotaku, PSblog

Neglected Side of the Force

I know Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2 (FU2 lol) isn't new news but it has just come to my attention that there is also a Wii version of this game. I played the PSP version of Force Unleashed which was a port of the PS2 version and is exactly the same as the Wii version aside from controls. Chrome studio did a great job with the lesser versions of the Force Unleashed but this iteration of the FU2 looks to be better.

I'm talking about storm trooper limbs flying off bodies, and this is a Wii game! Of course they're going to integrate Star Killer's moves into motion controls, luckily the light saber combos are button based.

To set this game apart from the PS3 and 360 versions, they gave Star Killer some pointer based moves, those moves being his Jedi mind trick is now pointer based so I'm guessing it's easier to mind trick troopers and since you aim manually there's a depth of strategy. Another move is something they're calling "Force Rage" which is basically a Jedi's equivalent of Red Dead Redemption's / Revolver's "Dead Eye" in which you go into bullet time and aim at multiple targets and Star Killer starts warping to each target and taking them out with a powerful strike.

The 4 player mode looks to be some soft of a Smash Bros. clone which I am very curious to try seeing as Smash Bros. is one of my favorite franchises of all time. I will be going into this game with a very positive attitude and I hope it doesn't disappoint.