PREVIEW: Assassin’s Creed
Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft | Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Previewer: Cian Ginty
There used to be a bit of magic or mystic that surrounded the worlds of old 2D games, your imagination governed what laid in the world outside of your mission path. The advent of 3D games — and 3D games which tried to be too much — somewhat killed this. Assassin’s Creed is one of those games that brings you back, while keeping the gameplay at the edge of today.
As the name should suggest, you play as an assassin. It’s set in the Holy Land in middle east in the year 1191 AD, but there’s futuristic hints around the game - from the menu and loading systems to graphics which appear around some enemies.
“And it’s about this science company trying to, Matrix-style, go into peoples brains and find out an ancestor who used to be an assassin, and sort of locate who that person is” actor Kristen Bell, in this case voice actor, let it slip to US games site IGN.
Some type of Timecop theme? However, when we went to see the game recently at Ubisoft offices outside London, they were remaining tight-lipped, saying they want some things left as a surprise, only elusively saying it’d be revealed at the start of the game.
Assassin’s Creed is set in a free roaming environment with four main areas — three cities, the assassin’s enclave, and the open lands and paths of the ‘the Kingdom’ in the middle. There’s freedom of which city
to go to first, and there’s freedom to jump wildly across city rooftops or to slowly walk among the people.
In the backdrop is a Crusade, the third one we’re told, and in a hidden group of assassins you’re sent on missions to kill members of both sides of the conflict for the greater good. Nevertheless, as cut scenes
just before assignations will tell, moral conflict might ensue as things aren’t all that black and white.
In gameplay, there’s basically you, the civilians, the guards, more cutely aware groupings such as patrols, and your targets. Guards will for the most part ignore you unless you act up — for example, jumping around rooftops isn’t normal and the archers will literally draw their attention on you. You can attack back with throwing knifes, your sword, or your assassins’ blade — unfortunately no archery of your own.
The developers have tried to balance thing out, picket pocketing or messing around with civilians won’t get you too much trouble. The levels of danger can be lowered by, for example, hiding in plain sight in your monk-like robes, among monks or not. Patrols on the other hand may be actively searching for an assassin.
You could say the game is Hitman meets the speed and building jumping and climbing of the revived and critically acclaimed Prince of Persia games, with a dash of horse riding and open environments of Shadow of
the Colossus. Although, that’s a bit of a mouth full and Assassin’s Creed should stand out on its own. It’s not a bog standard stealth game, you’re not a prince, and your targets are not Colossi (at least not in size). It’s a unique and immersive game.
Assassin’s Creed is out in Ireland and the UK on November 16 on Xbox 360 and PS3, the release date for PC is yet to be finalised but is due before the end of the year.
PREVIEW: Halo 3 beta impressions
Halo 3 is going to break all sorts of records upon its release later
this year, that much is almost certain. The original game
single-handedly moved Xboxes from shop shelves for the best part of a
year, and its sequel topped the charts both in retail and on Xbox Live.
With the second sequel almost upon us, we’ve taken a look at the
multi-player beta.
The first thing you’ll notice is the familiarity of it all. The weapon
load-out is tweaked here and there, but remains largely unchanged. Your
avatar is still the Master Chief, and he’s still running around the
same rocky, grassy vistas and snowy tundra as in previous games.
Worse, the graphics aren’t the giant leap forward one would expect from
the blockbuster series’ debut on the Xbox 360. There are some nice
environmental effects - grenades fling up dirt, water sloshes around
you and so on - but the textures aren’t sharp, the architecture is
perhaps too sharp, and the rocky plains lack real definition. It’s not
quite last-gen, but it’s a far cry from platform-leading visuals.
For this gamer, however, the biggest bone of contention is the
community. With only the press and those who have access through the
Crackdown promotion currently able to play the beta, it is perhaps too
early to judge accurately, but on current conditions, the community is
not a very welcoming place.
As an American-produced game about a
alien-battling space marine, the audience is understandably populated
by over-enthusiastic, under-sexed teenagers, who endeavor to suck the
fun out of proceedings. Whether it’s a problem with the
matchmaking-system, the community itself or something else is unknown,
but this is a major issue for the casual gamer, and one which will
hopefully be addressed upon release.
Based on the beta, Halo 3 is shaping up to be very much evolution over
revolution. For fans of the series, of which there are many, this will
prove to be enough. For those still on the sidelines, they’re likely to
be underwhelmed, even put off by those fans who insist on taking things
so seriously.
Alan Wake - will the hype kill?
April 17, 2007 by editor
Filed under News, Previews, Views & Comment
Normally we like to focus on gameplay first and shiny graphics second. But we were reminded recently that the graphics on the upcoming Alan Wake (above) are so much of a focus for the studio we’ll be disappointed if the shiny bits don’t live up to the hype.
Microsoft were smart enough to retain an exclusive with Remedy, developer of Max Payne, so the action adventure thriller game staring fictional novelist Wake will be appearing on Xbox 360 and PC, but not PS3. Let’s just hope the graphics on 360 will do, as our PC (or at least my PC) would burn into flames just trying to install the game.
A few impress videos are here, while there are screenshots here and more on a fan site at alanwake.co.uk. Now, all we need is a firm release date: maybe even a release year?
PREVIEW: Gears of War
Developer: Epic | Publisher: Microsoft | Format: Xbox 360
Previewer: Cian Ginty at E3 in LA
The blood still rushes, after a few developer sessions and video trailers, you’re left wondering will all this ‘duck and cover’ work, answers come with a controller in hand.
An eight player team death match - start, run, duck, cover: but the running isn’t norm, in third-person the camera angle is to the players left, as it is generally. There’s a feel for speed, head down, and with the angle it’s like something out of a film with a camera following a trooper across a live battlefield, then you just ram into cover.
Right trigger gives un-aimed gunfire, left allows you to aim. The some crazy developer at Epic then allow for a chainsaw in the one gun. Mounted under the barrel, once it starts to dig, the screen splatters, red fills the TV — Microsoft a keen to point out Gears of War is for adults only.
If you’re not pinned down, you can revive team mates in a short time after normal death - unless their shooters came in to finish the kill.
The single player starts as Marcus, the lead, is helped out of military prison now under attack by the enemy, ‘the Locust’; in for disobeying an order, but since then the war isn’t going well. Everyone is needed. Desperation is in the air.
The stunning graphics are somehow nearly ignoredafter a minute of gameplay (the shot above is actually like what we played), it’s immersing. Fraying way from the term ‘Halo killer’, Gears of War looks to be put on a pedestal at near height. We hope we’re not wrong.
Gears of War is due in the “Autumn” on the Xbox 360 - it is to be ported to PC sometime afterwards.
E3 2005: Revolution?
Cian Ginty in Los Angeles, CA.
At Nintendo’s pre-E3 press conference this morning the company
brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘backward compatibility’,
showing a prototype of their next home console, the Revolution, they
said it would allow for download of some games released up to 20 years
ago, including games from the N64, SNES, and NES — as well as
compatibility with GameCube disks.
The 12cm disk drive will be a slot, not a tray, and a
“self-contained attachment” will allow for the use of DVD films and
other content. With 512mb flash memory, and a SD memory card port for
storage. Built-in Wi-Fi will allow for online and DS connectivity.
Controllers — like the 360 and PS3 — will be wireless, and the
console will host two USB 2.0 ports. The publisher is claiming the
controllers will be somewhat ground-breaking,
but did not elaborate on such.
Square-Enix is, according to Nintendo, working on a “WiFi game” of
Final Fantasy for the new console, with Metroid 3 and Nintendo’s other
’stars’ also lined up for the Revolution.
E3 2005: Resizing the GBA, again
Cian Ginty, in Los Angeles, CA; Nintendo has become infamous for repacking old software and
hardware - with the latter normally with slight design changes - and usually
selling them again by the bucket load. The company has now redesigned the
Game Boy Advance, making it yet again smaller.
Although they made it clear this
is not the GBA’s successor, the announcement was made early this morning at
their yearly pre-E3 press conference at the Hollywood and
center on
The third GBA revamp, the Game Boy Micro, will see the handheld
console shrink to 4″ wide, 2″ tall, and 0.7 thick, according to the company
weighting around the same as 80 paper clips, or 2.8 ounces. Sporting a backlit
2″ screen, it’s virtually the same insides.
E3 2005: More on Xbox 360
Further to the main reveling
on the 360 early last Friday morning, at the pre-E3 Xbox event it was
confirmed that the console will be backward compatible, and will launch
at the same time in Europe, North American, and Japan, although it’s
still sometime before the end of the year.
Xbox 360 officially revealed last night
Microsoft’s second games console was officially publicly revealed
last night on the viral marketing website OurColony, and then on MTV in
North America, although renders of the console have been online for
sometime, and photographs from the MTV program were leaked after the
show was pre-recorded.
The console’s name, Xbox 360, has been confirmed along with the
white colour (or “Chill” according to MS), wireless controllers,
and a removable 20Gb hard drive. All of which was revealed vie reliable
sources before.
Technical system specifications (you’ve been warned:) boast
three IBM PowerPC processors each at 3.2 GHz, 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM @ 700
MHz, 10MB 500 MHz ATI graphics card, with high-definition out of the
box.
Paid for hardware add-ons include up to three extra controllers, a digital camera, and a wireless networking WiFi adaptor.
The WiFi adaptor or a cable will allow the console to connect to
home networks. The console will be able to connect to Window XP PCs,
and directly vie USB to MP3 players and digital camera to listen to
music or view photographs.
Xbox 360’s updated Live online multiplayer service will come in
Silver or Gold editions. The Silver is free, but will only allow you to
play multiplayer at the weekend. While Gold will apparently allow for
transfer of an original paid-for Xbox Live account, with
‘intelligent’ matchmaking based on skill. Both will allow for some
type of file sharing and the downloading of free and paid games content.
The
star-studied MTV preview show was recorded at a Hollywood night club
last week with Elijah Woods, Snow Patrol, the Killers, Robbie Williams,
Tony Hawk, Xzibit, Tim Burgess (the Charlatans), and a host of others.
Meanwhile the games industry and associated press are converging on
LA for the trade-only E3 2005, where over one thousand games go on
display on the show floors and behind closed doors — what is seen as
the most important event in at least the calendars of publishers, and
the media. The events kick off with the Sony press conference on Monday
afternoon, followed swiftly by Microsoft’s Xbox briefing.
Games
Toaster will be in LA for the week for on-site coverage, and for the
less apparent act of enlightening our selves for the year to come.
PSP European launch in September
00.06AM 26/04/2005: By Cian Ginty: On
September 1, the PSP, which is already available in the United States,
and Japan, will be released in Europe. The announcement came to Games
Toaster under embargo from SCE Ireland late yesterday.
The PSP ‘Value Pack’ will retail at 254.99 euro, or £179 UKP,
it contains a PSP console, a protective pouch, 32MB Memory Stick Duo,
battery pack, headphones with remote control, AC adaptor, wrist strap
and a non-interactive demo of video, music, and game, on the PSP’s
UMD format disk. No price was given for the standard PSP.
The ‘Value Pack’ is nearly identical to the current US/Japanese
‘Value Pack’, which currently retails on the import site
lik-sang.com for 219 euro, while the standard PSP sells there for 195
euro — excluding delivery and related charges.
Games currently released for the portable console includes Ridge
Racer, Wipeout Pure, Spider-Man 2, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, Tiger
Woods PGA Tour, and Need for Speed Underground Rivals.
As well as the ability to use video, music, and pictures vie Memory
Sticks, the PSP also plays music and film on the PSP’s protected
read-only UMD format - although unlike games, films are region
protected.
In a limited early offer SCEE will give free copies of the film
Spider-Man 2 on UMD to people who buy the game ‘Spider-Man 2′ and
register their handheld on vie their site yourpsp.com.
PSP specifications and features…
Product Name: PSP
Colour: Black
Product Code: PSP-1001K
Dimensions: Approximately 6.7″ (W) x .9″ (H) x 2.9″ (D)
Weight: Approximately 280g / .62 lbs (including battery)
CPU: PSP CPU (System clock frequency 1 - 333MHz)
Main Memory: 32MB
Embedded DRAM: 4MB
Display: 4.3 inch, 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD
80 x 272 pixel, 16.77 million colours
Maximum luminance 180 /
130 / 80cd/m2 (when using Battery Pack)
Maximum luminance 200 / 180 / 130 / 80cd/m2 (when using AC Adaptor)
Sound: Built-in stereo speakers
Main Input/Output IEEE 802.11b
USB 2.0 (mini-B)
Memory Stick Duo
IrDA
IR Remote
Main Connectors: Memory Stick Duo slot
USB connector
DC OUT connector
DC IN 5V connector
Headset connector
Power: Lithium-ion Battery
AC Adaptor
Disc Drive: UMD Drive (Read only)
Profile: PSP Game
UMD Audio
UMD Video
Codec: [Video]: “UMD”: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile | Level 3
[Video]:”Memory Stick”: MPEG-4 SP, AAC
[Music]: “UMD”: linear PCM, ATRAC3plus
[Music]:”Memory Stick”: ATRAC3plus, MP3(MPEG1/2 | Layer3)
[Photo]: JPEG (DCF2.0/Exif2.21)
Security: (Encryption) 128bit AES
(Copyright protection technology) MagicGate
Access control: Region, Parental Control
Wireless: IEEE802.11b
Infrastructure Mode
Ad Hoc Mode
(connects up to 16 PSP systems)
PSP Value Pack (supplied accessories)
AC Adaptor
Battery Pack
Memory Stick Duo (32MB)
Pouch (Black)
Headphones with Remote
Control (90dB limited*) (White)
UMD In-pack Sampler
Wrist Strap (White)
Cloth (Light Grey)
* conforming with European
standards
Xbox 360 images?
Renders and photographs (above below) apparently of Microsoft’s
next games console, the Xbox 360, have being doing the rounds on the net yesterday
and today. The images, which are believed to be real, match a close-up
photograph previously released from Microsoft’s viral marketing website OurColony.net.
In not-so-great-news, a vague advertisement - that reveals nothing - is
currently airing on MTV to promoting the console’s half-hour first-look TV program
due to be broadcasted on the station the week before E3. 