Dead to Rights: Retribution Dev Diary: Motion Capture

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

The developers show how the intense motion-capture sessions paid off in creating the animations for Dead to Rights: Retribution.

Technorati Tags: dead to rights retribution, developers, the making of dead of rights, video games

A review on Assassin’s Creed II: Battle of Forli

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

A review on Assassin’s Creed II: Battle of Forli

Created by: Ubisoft Montreal
Type: Historic Action Adventure
Date of release: January 28, 2010
ESRB: Mature

The disappointing and super schemed add on doesn’t improve as a follow up to Assassin’s Creed I. Assassin’s Creed II takes away the thrill of its predecessor mainly due to its poorly paced and messy plot and game play.

Superior points:

The beautiful Caterina Sforza finally gets her due.

Some great new dialogue and voice acting

Weak points:

The “special” memory is pointless

Destroys the main game’s narrative pace

Several annoying contrivances

It is not difficult to notice the two missing sequences directly preceding the finale of Assassin’s Creed II. The Battle of Forli is the first of two planned add-ons. It is meant to fill in the obvious break. The historic action adventure game is not that bad for a price of $ 4.00 or 320 Microsoft points. However, the added missions in part 2 of the game don’t embody the spirit and essence of the original game and seem tossed to earnest fans starving for new content. The shooter starts with the charming and deceptive Caterina Sforza whose earlier appearance was very short-lived. The overall delivery of Assassin’s Creed II feels hastily done and thrown together making it a forgettable chapter in an otherwise unforgettable game.

Read the review and Assassin’s Creed II spoilers below:

For those of you who just started to play the game, you should know that you won’t be able to access the new content not until you reach the end of the game. The new chapter happens after a dominant revelation that completed sequence 11. There shows the too clear chronological gap here, but that emotional leap of faith was a very suitable end to the definitive chapter and supplied a delicate transition to the game’s great finale. The new content packed with narrative pace along with the opening scene showing essential artifact as a major spoiler that makes the game’s ending less spectacular. You might not mind this gives away if you have already finished the game. In this case, you will enjoy the romantic tension between Caterina and Ezio, who find Forli under attack by a couple of brothers who are into more than merely the joy of combat. I find the dialogue about a missing toe and finger, well the whole limb for that matter, between Ezio and black-robed monk particularly funny.

The weakness of the game is the early climax of the plot resulting to the rest of the game to be plain rather than a blast.

The initial third of the add-on focuses on the battle scenes that pit you, along with Caterina and Niccolo Machiavelli, versus a big number of sword-swinging foes. The big scale combats are fun but are not quite as challenging as expected. The simple feat of positioning yourself behind a busy attacker and to fatally stab him at the back with a single thrust is not particularly challenging. One thing about the visual chaos is that gets rid of the joy of counter kills, crowding up the screen and keeping you from witnessing Ezio’s sleek murder moves. The rest of the memories comprise ACII missions such as rescues, chases and more battles. The missions don’t proudly show off the sleekness of the main game.

“Special memory”

An addition to the game is the “special memory”, which is nothing more than an out-of-context flight on the flying machine. You will find no mission or goal associated to your flight. I don’t find the machine to hold a key importance to the game. It is another contrivance in a game that obviously doesn’t need more. You might want to forget your hopes to pad your game score since The Battle of Forli doesn’t offer any new achievement.

If you were at least hoping to pad your gamer score, you’ll want to note that The Battle of Forli doesn’t offer any new achievements. This feature does not come to be unsurprising as no new locations are available to explore or weapons to display.

As a conclusion, Assassin’s Creed II is a great game for its fans. The various bits and parts fit together into one cohesive whole. It intends to fill a narrative gap, but ironically The Battle of Forli is out of place. The interesting character of the tough Caterina, and the awkward reference to her reproductive ability, is fun to play. On the other hand, the game play is a medley of standard missions sewn together without careful-thought cohesion. The Battle of Forli II offers another way to go back to an excellent game but unsuccessfully gain a spot for the must-have Xbox live arcade game.

Technorati Tags: assassin's creed II battle of forli, review game, ubisoft montreal, video game, xbox live arcade

A Review of Army of Two: The 40th Day

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a third-person shooter in which your objective is simple: get out of Shanghai alive.

When you are in the mood for something loud and fun, The 40th Day is the game for you. It provides a brash, satisfying action with the same, shallow appeal as a hit.

Play the Army of Two: The 40th Day with your buddy and blast your way through enemies care of customized weapons. The gunplay and some awkward movements of the game are solid and satisfying. If you are into teamwork to complete goals then this game is for you (and your buddy)!

Release date: January 12, 2010

Good points

• Brutal, satisfying gunplay

• Engaging weapon customization

• Diverse, detailed environments

• Good implementation of light cooperative tactics

• Surprising replay value.

Bad points

• Short campaign

• Often laggy online play

• Awkwardness in movement

• Weird dabbling on morality.

A combination of superb game play, humor and action-packed game play made Army of Two an instant success. EA Montreal, its maker, knew just what its entire fan base need to satisfy their expectations.

For those who had played the first game, it is obvious that the main game play mechanics haven’t drastically changed despite some major improvements. The key to this game is the cooperative game play. The 40th day pushes the trend of weapon customization and tactical strategies at the same time exploring something new to the series, moral choices.

Army of Two: the 40th Day sees the return of a more improved and better weapon customization system. You earn new items by completing objectives in the game. Find weapon parts lying in the street or heavily guarded supply crates. Aim to kill guards nearby to gain access to crates filled with parts of weapon and cash. The fundamental part to the game play is to constantly upgrade your inventory. The game won’t dictate when you’re able to make changes. You can now access the weapon customization menu whenever you want to, given you are not in combat.

Tactical decisions made in the game must be carefully weighed since it has a direct impact on your team and long-term consequences. For an instance, a series of negative decisions can lead to a character hindering your access to a useful area. Due to the cold-hearted nature of mercenaries, you can find yourself torn between a unique piece of item and ethical choice. Every scripted decision has an animation that shows the consequences of your action either positive or negative. Aim to save civilians from the deadly hands of the enemy to reap bonus morality points as well as weapons parts and extra cash. When these civilians die, you are left with only negative points.

Teamwork

Learn how to think of decisions beneficial for you and partner. You can find a friendship status at the bottom left of the pause menu. Get to earn a friendly hero label when you free hostages, stick with right choices, and play a game of rock-paper-scissors with your partner on a frequent basis. Don’t overdo high five or hug too much or else you would be labeled as “ambiguous or uncertain heroes”. Labels can be changed if you decide to slap or punch your partner for no apparent reason at all or because of the moral choices he makes. The game is interesting thanks to the new morality system but could be limited than you might expect it to be. Watch out when the entire level or chapter resets itself at the start of the next chapter. You can make wrong choices if you want to then make it up in the next one.

See a more vigorous multiplayer feature in the new Army of Two: the 40th Day. Three modes can be played with twelve players namely Warzone (a returning mode found in the first game), Control (two groups battle it out to seize and hold control points) and Co-op death match. The fourth mode is called “extraction”, a survival mode with an emphasis on cooperative play but is only available to players who pre-ordered the game with EA but will be soon made available to everyone as DLC a month following its release.

Visual effects and sounds

The 40th Day shows an enormous improvement compared to its release. The plot is limited in Shanghai unlike the diverse locations in the first game. When you play the character of Rios and Salem in the chaotic city, you witness the transformation of Shanghai from an urban paradise into a wrecked place. Play your way through highly detailed indoor and outdoor settings. See stunning Zoo and Market levels as well as other subtle touches found in new melee attacks and the characters flipping their masks up from time to time. Visit the game’s official website to customize their facemask and armor and use them in game. The visual enhancements may seem apparent but the game suffers from camera issues evidently seen during fooling around animations and some texture pop in but is minimal.

The voice behind the characters Salem (Nolan North) and Rios (Jonathan Adams) did a brilliant job. The humor is amusing especially when the two protagonists talk but some people can find the humor irritating when it becomes repetitive. Aside from that, the sounds of the environmental build of the city are outstanding most especially the sound effects of the weapons. The better your weapon gets, the better the way your weapon sounds.

The weak points of the game include strange comments on morality during the short campaign but can be easily forgotten by the brutal action of the plot. There is a lag when you do play on the lively online game by is not enough to stop you to enjoy the brutal gunplay of The Army of Two game.

Campaign

Expect to see six chapters of the campaign. The expected time to complete the game is less than 10 hours depending on the skill level. Replayability is what makes the 40th Day different from few other shooters. It is better to play the game alone then replaying it with your buddy (human, of course). Multiplayer function sets it unique and more fun to play. You will be logging even more hours especially in the Extraction mode, available to those who pre-ordered the game. If you haven’t, check it out after a month.

Technorati Tags: army of two 40th day, ea montreal, release date, review, shooter, shooters, video game

R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

As awkward as the title may sound, Irem is working on a sequel R-Type Tactics called Operation Bitter Chocolate. Its first PSP game strays far from its shmup predecessors. See an Advance Wars-like turn-based strategy in its game play.

The sequel has the force of Earth, Bydo Empire, and Granzela army locked in a hex grid war.

R-Type Command sequel is coming at you on October 27 to Japanese retailers. Irem is preparing a downloadable version scheduled to come out on the same day. A boxed copy is priced 5,040 yen ($53) while the downloadable release goes for 3,800 yen ($40).

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, irem, new release, r-type tactics II operation bitter chocolate, shmup

Watch the trailer of Shadow Complex here!

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Epic Games released the trailer of Shadow Complex, a 2.5-D-shooter/platformer resonant of Super Metroid and Bionic Commando. The action game in the works at Epic’s Utah-based Chair Entertainment Group will be available via Xbox LIVE Arcade this summer.

About Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex takes place in the compelling universe of Empire based on the best selling novel of Orson Scott Card. It offers a fresh twist on classic side-scroller action by showcasing an original single-player adventure that develops across a range of non-linear levels. Play the character of a lost hiker, Jason Fleming, who discovers a mysterious underground military complex. He and his girlfriend, Claire, accidentally stumble upon a rogue paramilitary group named the Restoration. It then becomes apparent that the faction’s intent is to start a chain of events that will cause America to collapse into a civil war. Mistaken as a government agent, the Restoration captures Claire. This event initially fueled Jason’s drive to find justice moving on to discovers the magnitude of what the sinister offshoot has planned. As the game continues, Jason acquires many high-tech “toys” the Restoration is developing, and eventually becomes a super-powered engine of destruction.

Watch out for Shadow Complex out soon on August 31.

Technorati Tags: 2d shooter game, epic games, new 2d shooter 2009, shadow complex

Raiden Fighters Aces package soon

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Get your hands on a three in one disc shooter for only $ 19.99 on August 18th.   Let’s welcome Raiden fighters Aces, a top-down shooter of Raiden franchise with a history through the 1990s. The franchise starts spanning multiple releases that included three Raiden Fighters games towards the turn of millennium. Raiden Fighters Aces may not be the greatest top-down shooters in history yet it is good compilation of old school gaming.

While most top-down shooters wind their way to Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade, Raiden Fighters Aces reaches its fans on disc and store shelves. Raiden Fighters Aces on disc has few advantages over its XBLA equivalent, especially the full set of 1,000 Achievement points and a sturdy set of options for tweaking the game play.

Raiden franchise reliably reborn all three Raiden Fighters games for play on Xbox 360. Among the additions on this new package are online leader boards and a replay save option. Its technical limitation, however, is the classic visuals and sound can be improved.

The three games in one package contain little difference. Each of the three has a good selection of ships that carries their own stats and special weapons. It’s a good deal of dodging bullet among all the chaos that greets you during the start of the game.

Power-ups can be grabbed to increase your firing power or to add slave ships a la Galaga. This game is tailored like the rest of all top-down shooters. It dwells more on memorizing enemy patterns than any other skill set. The game can be brief to play but poses a big challenge of beating enemies without continuing to get all of the Achievements.

Each game can be played co-operatively and only offline with another player. I find it rather annoying that this two-player game can get rather hectic after adding a second bullet-spewing ship onto the screen. Come to think of it, any missing multiplayer features of any Xbox Live multiplayer features fails to live up to my expectations.

You may find the whole concept of the Xbox Live integration a bit unusual. It’s true that there are leader boards; however, you have to select the Xbox Live tab on the main menu to play a game where your scores will be registered. You’ll then find a more restrictive option set to keep everyone on the same playing field. .Even if you play under the default settings on the normal “Game Play” tab you’ll find that your scores aren’t uploaded to the leader boards.

Another oddity to the Xbox 360 integration is the saved videos option. You can only save a video shared online while playing an Xbox Live game. You can save videos in other modes but can only be viewed locally.

Despite these minor setbacks, Raiden Fighters Aces manages to offer an impressive set of options and features. It comes fully equipped with plenty of sliders and filters exist to get the visuals just right to what you need. It includes fully customizable controls and the ability to rotate the screen thus you are able to maximize your widescreen television.

Take a trip down memory lane when you get your copy of this top down shooter. Raiden Fighters Aces has the budget price and good assortment of options leave little to be desired. Be mindful of its limitation though. It lacks the feature of online multi-player. It is a three in one game bundle of arcade games which the actual content is still rather slim. If you’re looking for an impressive visual showcase, you should go look somewhere else.

Technorati Tags: 2d shooters, new game release, raiden fighters aces, xbox live arcade

0 Day Attack on Earth – A Shooter from Square Enix

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Square Enix oddly named the upcoming XBLA shooter “0 Day Attack on Earth”. It is one of those Xbox Live Arcade games where players can shoot and reflect lasers at rectangular prisms yielding them into a bloody mess.

Microsoft recently held a press conference in Japan showing the growing local support for its Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade service. It is quite a surprise to know that Square Enix , who came away with the most interesting developments of the show, had nothing to do with Final Fantasy or RPGs in general. As it was once dubbed as Project Cube, the minimalist effect of the game makes it interesting to play.  Sad to say, we will have to wait for the sequel of Einhander.

Watch a clip of Square Enix here.

Technorati Tags: 0 day attack on earth, 2d Shooter, shmup, square enix, xbla, xbox 360

Download Valkyrie Sky Closed Beta Here

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

The closed beta release of Valkyrie Sky is finally here. For those of you avid gamers who constantly crave for a new vertical scroll shooting game, Valkyrie Sky is for you. It is a shooting game based on a Northern European mythology. Enjoy the tension, game interface and sense of achievement along with other elements of an MMO game such as leveling up and playing with each other. It may look and feel like an MMORPG yet fundamentally different from MMORPG because it’s not repetitious and players’ control skills have dramatic effects on battle results. The best of RPG game also exist in this game such as various occupations for a character to choose from, and players can join a party to play together.

Download Valkyrie Sky Closed Beta here.

Technorati Tags: : valkyrie sky, closed beta launch, download, mmorpg, vertical scroll shooting game, video games

New 2d Shooter Radio Flare now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Introducing the first iPhone game created Studio Radiolaris, Radio Flare hits App store this weekend.  Get your hands on this musical shooter for only $4.99 where you destroy enemies in sync with the beat.  Radio Flare is currently available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

The 2d shooter game is developed as a traditional side-scrolling shooter with an end goal of annihilating enemy ships and avoids incoming fire shot at you by enemies.  You gain a radio flare after every destroyed enemy.  These radio flares must be collected so as to progress to the next levels.  Enjoy Radio Flare having 5 stages with the final stage as a special boss fighting finale.

In Radio Flare, your space ship is equipped with a sonification beam that desynchronizes space debris, as well as an entire alien invasion force. Propelled by radio flares, your ship speeds pulsing through deep space, taking you on a journey into sound. The game features an interactive electronica track from Berlin based electronic musician DJ Glow (Trust Records).

The “sonification beam” wipes out enemies in your way and renders a bit of musical accompaniment to the soundtrack.  It is a good idea to wear your headphones to better appreciate the music of Radio Flare.  The primary feature of the 2d shooter game is the musical interaction was a bit of a disappointment in its setting.  The pulsating music contributes to the immersiveness and “feel” to the game yet uncertainly at the same level of Rez and related musical shooters before the release of Radio Flare.

Radio Flare offers easy navigation which involves the use of your left thumb to provide direct movement control of your spacecraft with the other thumb used for targeting.  The way you target enemies is similar to Space Deadbeef in which you can target multiple enemies with the swipe of a finger.

Side-scrolling shooters have been unsatisfactorily represented on the App Store with the most notable game Platypus most easily recalled.  Radio Flare as a scrolling shooter was a surprisingly good experience.  The direct touch control on your ship permits a quick maneuver to move around enemies and to avoid incoming fire.  The mechanics of the game is relatively easy to love but the limited game play is another issue.  The game play value is quite limited with its 5 stages offering with the first three stages fairly easy to get through.

The combination of its musical interaction and scrolling shooter makes Radio Flare a good but fairly short game.  Fans of any musical shmup may find this game quite disappointing however scrolling shooter fans may find Radio Flare as good find for the $4.99 price and playable in their iPhone and iPod Touch units.  Though, it may not fall into any “must-have” category for players having only a casual interest in the genres.

Technorati Tags: 2d Shooter, iPhone, iPod Touch, Radio Flare

Digg Attack – A Unique 2d Shooter Uses Digg to Power Enemies

Posted by John as 2d Shooter

Click to play Digg Attack!

Now here is an original 2d shooter where the steady flow of enemies depends on stories that are “dugg”. What perhaps is the most innovative use of social media, Digg Attack uses Digg API to create different anti-heroes characters that need to be shot down.

The Javascript based 2d shooter game, Digg Attack, connects to Digg.com and as stories are dugg, enemies are spawned and enter the screen at the left or right side. You begin each level with a number of heroes in little bluish specks. The swarm of protagonists arrives in the form of a small flock of social media heroes, can be controlled by targets set by the player and influenced by various objects on the map.

Levels of Digg Attack
This 2d shooter has a total of 12 levels with a combined game time of 15 minutes and 10 seconds. The ultimate goal is to achieve the highest possible score by the time the last level is done. The first level is a basic empty playing field. As the levels progress, the field features blocking structures, attractors/deflectors, zappers and even small black holes.

The first level is just an empty playing field. Later levels feature blocking structures. Here’s a quick overview of what you could be facing:

Blocks: These are simple impassable structures that block your path and/or divide the map in smaller sections.

Directors: Your heroes will suddenly move in the direction of the arrow within the range of a director. They come in 4 flavors: up, down, left and right.

Attractors: Attractors are almost the same with directors. Once your heroes move close to an attractor, they lose their sense of direction and are compelled to move towards the center of the attractor. Be careful as it can be hard to escape once you’ve become trapped.

Repulsors: The repulsors enable your heroes to move away from the point where the repulsors are.

Zapper: Aim to avoid a Zapper at all costs. Your magnificent heroes will be toasted once within range of these high powered electrical menaces. Fortunately it takes a second before the zapper is ready again.

Vortex: Vortex are miniature black holes with a strong gravitational pull dragging your heroes to the midst of blank space where nothing and everything meet and the very fabric of space time is torn apart.

Since Digg Attack is a JavaScript canvas based game, it runs smoothly in Firefox 3 but appears to be working in Opera 9.6 and Safari as well. For any graphical glitches while playing Digg Attack in Safari, try with a recent Webkit nightly. Internet Explorer shouldn’t be used to play this 2d shooter.

Click to play Digg Attack!

Technorati Tags: Digg, Digg Attack, Javascript 2d shooter game