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All Articles: Gamescom 2012
Sony Japan Studio makes it Rain at Gamescom
When Sony registered several domain names related to “rain,” many assumed it had something to do with Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain. Instead, the publisher revealed Rain at Gamescom, a new and beautiful title from Sony’s Japan Studio. In the trailer, we’re introduced to an invisible boy who can only be seen outside in the rain. When he wanders inside or under shelter, players can only see him via footprints or by objects that move as he touches him.
With a similar concept to Hudson Soft’s inspired, but clumsily executed, Wii title Lost in Shadow, Rain looks to be a PlayStation Network exclusive. While little other information was revealed, the trailer shows the protagonist being chased by other wet, ghostly figures. And during his flight, he appears to be looking for someone else, possibly a little girl.
Rain currently doesn’t have a release date, but Sony has promised more information will be revealed soon.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Gamescom 2012, Rain
Dante, Sackboy, Spike, Ratchet & Clank added to PlayStation All-Stars
News of Sony’s Smash Bros.-like PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale turned from a trickle into a pour over the weekend, as the company announced four new fighters at Germany’s Gamescom. Alongside previously announced combatants such as Kratos and Big Daddy, Sony revealed that Dante (from the Devil May Cry series), Spike (from Ape Escape), LittleBigPlanet‘s Sackboy, and the deadly double duo of Ratchet & Clank will be joining the fight.
If that were not enough to make even the staunchest critic salivate, a new stage was shown based on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Labeled “Stowaway,” it takes place on the airplane Nathan hid in and ultimately crashed into the Arabian Desert. Players will not only have to contend with other fighters, but the constantly changing, shifting level as items come flying out of the plane.
I don’t know about you, reader, but I cannot wait to pummel Kratos with Sackboy. So what do you think? Is PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale going to be a Super Smash Bros Clone? Or is it going to be something special in its own right?
[Source: PlayStation Blog]
Posted in News, PS3, Vita
Tagged Gamescom 2012, PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale
Activision reveals more 007 Legends missions
In all the time they have held the James Bond license, Activision has never been able to top the critical and commercial success of Rare’s GoldenEye 007, even when they remade the game, as GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, last year. However, they might have a shot with their new game, 007 Legends, which will tie together various missions from Bond’s fifty years of cinematic history spanning 23 films.
Joining the missions already announced are two from the more modern era; the finale from Timothy Dalton’s Licence to Kill, and the Ice Hotel mission from Pierce Brosnan’s swansong, Die Another Day. The latter will see Bond teamed with Agent Jinx (Halle Berry) as they race through the melting ice palace while avoiding the deadly Icarus Solar Array. That mission will conclude with a confrontation against North Korean bad guy-turned-ginger toff, Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).
The Licence to Kill level will see Bond destroying the drug factory of evil Mexican drug lord Fran Sanchez, and joining forces with DEA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) to kill Sanchez in revenge for the death of CIA agent and friend Felix Leiter. It has also been announced that Toby Stephens and Carey Lowell will lend their thespian vocals to the new game, although no word yet on Halle Berry.
It will be very interesting to see how Activision ties all the missions from Bond’s history together, given that the character exists in a paradoxical bubble; for example, Felix Leiter dies in Licence To Kill but is alive in well in the new slate of films. Let us hope they can finally shrug off the GoldenEye shroud and give us a cracking game that will leave us shaken (but not stirred).
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged 007 Legends, Gamescom 2012
Sony launches PS3/Vita “Cross Buy” program
Earlier this month, Sony released Sound Shapes on the PlayStation Network as a special PS3/Vita bundle. During their Gamescom presentation in Cologne, Germany this week, the publisher revealed that they’ll be expanding the program to retail releases this Fall.
This new bundling scheme will be known as the “Cross Buy” program, and starting this Fall, any gamer who purchases a “Cross Buy” PS3 title at retail will receive a voucher for a free downloadable copy of the Vita version. The first wave of “Cross Buy” titles will include PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale (due out November 20), Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (due out sometime this Fall and known as Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force in Europe), and Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time (due out in 2013).
While the “Cross Buy” program is currently limited to Sony-published titles, the company is actively courting third party publishers to commit to it as well.
“We’ll obviously encourage third-parties to adopt it but ultimately whether or not a game includes Cross Buy is a publishing decision and it will be at the third parties’ discretion whether or not they want to go down that route,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate now coming in 2013
Speaking to Game Informer, Konami has confirmed that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate will miss its planned Fall 2012 release date, and instead, make its way into stores next year.
No reason was given for the new release date, but the delay could be an excuse to more closely associate it with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which will be released in 2013 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Gamescom 2012
First Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified trailer released
It’s time for PlayStation Vita owners to get excited: Call of Duty is coming for you. Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, a Vita exclusive, is set to bridge the gap between the stories of Call of Duty: Black Ops (there was a story there?) and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It’s got “familiar elements like Create-a-Class, Perks, Prestige Levels, and of course, dual analog stick controls,” according to the PlayStation Blog.
It wouldn’t be a CoD game without multiplayer: Declassified’s “multiplayer game modes include 4v4 Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, and Drop Zone,” according to Neven Dravinski, the game’s producer at Activision, who says there will also be other modes.
Not only that, there’s also some touchscreen integration as well. You’ll be able to make melee attacks and throw grenades using the touchscreen, as well as use Near technology to share your loadouts with other players.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is due out this November. If you haven’t picked up your Vita yet, you might want to start saving up for one.
Posted in News, Vita
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, Gamescom 2012
Battlefield 3 Premium Edition set for release in September
Well, my day just improved significantly: EA announced the Battlefield 3 Premium Edition. It comes with more than just the original game and all five expansion packs – it also includes the Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Head-Start Kit. This kit is designed just for people like me who are planning on coming to the party late: so we don’t get annihilated every time we hop into a multiplayer game, we get access to 15 different weapons, gadgets, and vehicle upgrades. For $69.99, you’ll get the works: more than 25 maps, 70 weapons and vehicles, and plenty of unlocks and upgrades.
Battlefield 3 Premium Edition will be out on September 11 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Check out the website for more details.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Battlefield 3, Gamescom 2012