Q1 2010 Releases: "Don't blow all your money over the holidays" Edition

[Velorath]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat has been confirmed for February.  I'll add it into the OP when some more screenshots and video pop up.

[Azazel]

Darksiders is the first game that will be released by Vigil, who are also the developers on the Warhammer 40k MMO.  The studio was co-founded by Joe Madureira, who is a fairly well known comic book artist (with a reputation for working at a glacial pace) and is the game's creative director.

From what I've heard, Vigil has existed as an incorporated studio for 10 years, but has never actually shipped a game.

Sounds like success to me!

Well, in terms of someone is fucking paying these people (and their rent, utilities, equipment). VC moneys?

[ffc]

Dante's Inferno demo should be up for the PS3 today.  360 version won't be out until Christmas Eve.

The Dante's Inferno demo was fun but it pales in comparison to the presentation in the Bayonetta or GoW 3 demos.  However I liked the combat in Dante's Inferno (weapon, ranged/spells, holy/unholy upgrades and the absolve/punish thing) more than GoW 3's.  Plus going to hell is a nice scenery change.  But I don't understand why Dante's wife was topless.  It's like that reporter in Dexter who was topless once an episode.

Oh I forgot one more thing, I love how GoW 3 handles QTE's by placing the button notification on a side of the screen corresponding to the button's placement on the controller (circle pops up on the right side of the screen, triangle on the top, etc.) which opens up the screen and makes QTE's easier.  Dante's Inferno should lift that idea too because it's current QTE button notification is terrible.

[WayAbvPar]

At this point, you probably know whether or not you like the God of War games. 

At this point I suspect I'm the only gamer on the planet that hasn't played God of War. Something about Kratos rubs me wrong and so I haven't been motivated to try it.

/raises hand

Never played it. Don't even know the basic premise or what genre it is.

[Malakili]

At this point, you probably know whether or not you like the God of War games. 

At this point I suspect I'm the only gamer on the planet that hasn't played God of War. Something about Kratos rubs me wrong and so I haven't been motivated to try it.

/raises hand

Never played it. Don't even know the basic premise or what genre it is.

Haven't played it, not particularly interested.

[Trippy]

Never played it. Don't even know the basic premise or what genre it is.

It's DMC set in mythical ancient Greece with bladed chain whips instead of guns and more platforming.

[WayAbvPar]

Now, what is DMC? 

[Cyrrex]

I'm glad you asked, because now I don't look stupid.  Stupider.

I've been considering the GoW 1/2 pack, but I don't really know what the fuck this game is.  I do remember the .gif that went around with the protagonist disgustingly ripping off someone's head, and that was pretty cool.

Edit:  Oh wait, I just figured it out.  So GoW is like Devil May Cry?  I've just gone all flaccid again.

[Ingmar]

Now, what is DMC? 

[/obviousanswer]

[WayAbvPar]

Heh that was my first thought as well. Word!

[NiX]

GoW is DMC without the huge leather wearing cock in your ass.

[Hawkbit]

Had some fun with GoW when it was on PS2 but didn't finish it.  I think I'm getting the PS3 collection for christmas. 

Just played the Dante's Inferno demo on PSN.  It's an absolutely shameless GoW ripoff, but it's pretty well done at least.  Character movement felt fluid enough to me that I think I'll pick it up at launch.

Also keeping my eye on FFxiii, ME2 and Darksiders.  Going to be an expensive winter.

[Velorath]

Edit:  Oh wait, I just figured it out.  So GoW is like Devil May Cry?  I've just gone all flaccid again.

I don't really think it's all that much like Devil May Cry.  Superficially it's similar in that you do combo's, and the longer the combo the more orbs you get to spend on upgrades.  The games feel completely different to me though in every other respect.  The combat is paced differently, GoW has more platforming and puzzles, the story and setting in GoW are much better, the boss fights are better designed... I could go on an on.  I really dislike DMC 2-4, and DMC 1 I only found fun in sort of an arcade game style.  GoW 1 and 2 are some of my favorite games in recent memory.

[ffc]

The majority of "platforming" in GoW is moving across beams/ropes and climbing walls.  Both of which induce rage.

[Margalis]

Fuck Dante's Inferno. It's such a shameless rip-off it's pathetic, even the UI is exactly the same fucking thing. Not to mention the whole "EXXXTREME LITERATURE!!!" angle.

Plus it sucks compared to Bayonetta anyway. I suppose it's a competent GOW clone but nothing spectacular.

Ghost tits!

[schild]

Oh, you've played it at retail? How was it? What's THE FUTURE LIKE?

[stray]

Every game in that style is technically like DMC. DMC was the first.

[Margalis]

God of War and Devil May Cry aren't really all that similar other than that they are 3D action/adventure games. Devil May Cry is much more combat centric, while God of War is much more about the adventure and scope of the game as well as the art production.

God of War is meant to capture the feel of an epic pulpy adventure and it does that very well, whereas Devil May Cry is more akin to an over-the-top action movie. The mechanics of God of War are fairly simple and vanilla, whereas Devil May Cry has gotten progressively more complex and a large part of the game is exploring the combat mechanics.

Put another way, God of War is the Castlevania to DMC's Contra.

Dante's Inferno should lift that idea too because it's current QTE button notification is terrible.

This is one example of a place where they should have copied more. They are basically unreadable, I thought it was prompting to shake the stick when in fact it was to press a button. I shudder to think of hard QTE's using those notifications.

[Velorath]

Apparently the PS3 version of Dante's Inferno is essentially a Collector's Edition of the game but for the same price as the 360 version.  It contains:

Dark Forest PDLC pack FREE (available March)
Wayne Barlowe Digital Art Book
Developer Documentary
Digital copy of the Longfellow translation of Dante’s Inferno
20 song soundtrack from the game
Custom Divine Edition packaging

[driph]

What the hell? Early year is the time to catch up on games that you didn't have time to play at the end of the previous year. What are the studios trying to do to us?

[schild]

That would require more than 3 games worth playing to have been released over the holiday season.

[Velorath]

edit: I'm seeing Mass Effect 2 and getting a little pissed off.  All of my save games are on the 360.  I'd rather have it on the PC or PS3.

I was just saying the same thing to schild about ME2.  I'd rather get the PC version, but will have to stick to the 360 for now. 

Well, my 360 just red ringed so I guess I have an excuse to buy the PC version now.  I mean, I'll likely have my 360 back by then, but I'd rather have the PC version at this point anyway.  Funny thing is, I hadn't used my 360 in a few months, and it was working fine back then.  Popped in Mass Effect to finish the last few achievements I needed and it upped and died on me.

[KallDrexx]

Because there's no thread that I can find (or searching sucks), Heavy Rain preview from ars:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/12/its-boring-until-its-not-the-subtle-genius-of-heavy-rain.ars

[Velorath]

Free launch day DLC for Heavy Rain pre-orders.

After much speculation, Sony has confirmed and detailed Heavy Rain's DLC. Titled the Heavy Rain Chronicles, the first episode will be available free upon the game's release for anyone who puts in a pre-order.
Heavy Rain: Chronicle One - The Taxidermist will feature investigative journalist Madison Paige in her hunt for a serial killer. It will be an update to the original "Taxidermist" demo.

The rest of Heavy Rain's cast will be featured in later episodes, with each one taking place either before or after the original game. Each episode will be available for $4.99.

For those who opt not to pre-order the game, the first two episodes will be available through the PlayStation Store at a later date. The exact dates are still to be announced.

[TripleDES]

From that list, only ME2. And JC2, after seeing the video linked in this thread, for open world hijinx.

[Velorath]

Removed Lost Planet 2 from the list.  Monster Hunter Tri, Super Street Fighter IV, and Dead Rising 2 also won't be coming out during Q1 due to the crowded release schedule.

[caladein]

Games running away from games that ran away from Modern Warfare 2 .

[MahrinSkel]

Games running away from games that ran away from Modern Warfare 2 .

More like the consequences of cutting payrolls to support your stock price.  You can't guarantee your product for the shelves on or near Black Friday (because your schedule already called for an unrelenting death march), so they tell you to fuck off until Q1.  MW2 is the beneficiary of the drought, not the cause.

--Dave

[Hawkbit]

What's up with Darksiders?  It's got the best chance of getting post-xmas gift money but I don't know what it's like.  Is it a GOW clone ala Dante's?

[stray]

Clone, but without the charm of Greek Myth. Even a blatant ripoff of Kratos/Ares, with some other character being a personification of "war". Except it's not myth or stylized. It's inspired by more modern Bible thumping themes. Meh. GOW3 will be here soon.

Ooh, didn't know a Tropico was coming out..

[Hawkbit]

Anyone seen Darksiders yet?  Reviews have been leaning more towards Zelda gameplay than GoW.  Seems to have an open world past the first hour, with dungeons ala Zelda.  That's only what I'm reading.  Metacritic has maybe 8 reviews up and it's at an 87% so far. 

I'm interested in hearing what people think before I drop my last gift card on it.

[ffc]

I've seen several clips of Darksiders and it looks great.  Much more like Zelda (puzzles, weapons, combat and style) than GoW (there is a combo counter, but I haven't seen anyone string combos).  Here's two Dev walkthrough clips from July '09 with minor spoilers on the early levels: 1 2

[stark]

Anyone seen Darksiders yet?  Reviews have been leaning more towards Zelda gameplay than GoW.  Seems to have an open world past the first hour, with dungeons ala Zelda.  That's only what I'm reading.  Metacritic has maybe 8 reviews up and it's at an 87% so far. 

I'm interested in hearing what people think before I drop my last gift card on it.

I played to the first boss at PAX.  It had the intuitive combat flow of God of War, but with a meaty character that carries the same kind of gravitas as in Gears of War.  Nothing in the first level was particulary puzzly, just a couple jump/climb areas and perhaps figuring out how to blast through a wall.  It felt good to play.

[Hawkbit]

I like the movies - I'll probably pick it up tomorrow.  Looks like something I'd enjoy.

[Azazel]

hm, I might look out for the demo of Darksiders in that case. Certainly put it on my list of stuff to check out.