Gamesugar

December 20, 2010

Hydrophobia Pure

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 9:00 am

Hydrophobia Pure
Dark Energy Digital’s episodic action title caused a sizable divide when it hit Xbox LIVE Arcade earlier this year, with plenty of outlets calling it broken while others called it inventive, and plenty more fell somewhere in-between the extremes.

I was anticipating some changes for the next installment, but today the studio announced an overhaul for the first episode based on critical and community feedback. Launching tomorrow, Hydrophobia Pure is a free update for those that already own the game, and a price reduced title for those that haven’t taken the plunge – the game will move from 1200 Microsoft points to 800.

The studio also released a developer diary showcasing changes made, which you can catch after the break – you can also catch a rather large list of retooled features at the official site here.

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December 18, 2010

Nanosuits, etc.

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 3:50 pm

Crysis 2
Important warning: if you’re concerned about the welfare of your face, stop now and go do something else. If you feel you may need your face for later, leave your computer and do not return. Gamesugar accepts no responsibility for the possibility that your face may be blown off by the force of the following trailer for Crysis 2.

If there was any doubt that an urban sprawl would offer infinitely more intriguing options for the wielder of the nanosuit than the original jungle, it’s been washed away in a flood of images depicting the player kicking cars, hurling aliens off ledges and bounding across rooftops at super speed. Crysis 2 appears to be shaping up into a defining FPS experience, and if you dare risk the safety of your own face, you can check out the most recent trailer after the break.

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December 17, 2010

Treasure Hunting

Filed under: News Feed — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 1:52 pm

Treasure Hunting
Hori is fishing for interest in the ultimate accessory for Treasure fans. This proposed Radiant Silvergun arcade stick aims to replicate the arcade on Japanese 360’s when the game hits XBLA, assuming Hori gets enough pre-order interest to put it into production between now and January 4th. Keep in mind it will set you back 13,500 Yen, which I’m led to believe currently works out to just over $160 USD.

I suppose one could justify the purchase based on that being what a Saturn copy of the game could cost at times, but loving Treasure can often be an expensive affair any way you slice it. On the doubleplus good side of life, we get Radiant Silvergun next year too, I remain ridiculously happy about that.

If you’re tempted, you can pay Hori a visit for more info.

December 8, 2010

More Costume Quest – Grubbins on Ice

Costume Quest Grubbins on Ice
An extended dose of Double Fine’s Costume Quest releases for some, with Grubbins on Ice releasing for Xbox LIVE Arcade today at 400 Pts – sorry PSN fans, you have to wait until December 21 when it releases for $4.99.

While PlayStation owners sharpen their knives over that, the 360 crowd can visit the universe of Repugia, complete with new costumes like the ziplining pirate, eyeball, and Yeti, as well as eight new battle stamps and eighteen new creepy treat cards.

November 10, 2010

Review – Fable III

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 9:02 am


The design imperative represented in most games on the market is simple, and nigh-universal: give the player one thing to do, and develop and fortify this mechanic until it is strong enough to engage the player for the bulk of the experience. The addition of the odd mini-game (driving a tank in Gears of War, for example) serves to break up the action, but the focus of the design is still to provide a mechanic that can be successfully repeated for the entire game without becoming tedious.

Fable III represents the opposite extreme, and an entirely alternative design philosophy. Here is a game that provides a myriad of game options, with the caveat that each is relatively simplistic. The effect is that Fable III feels like a game made up of mini-games; an exploration mini-game, a finance mini-game, a combat mini-game, a social mini-game, and so on. The dilemma lies in whether players will find the sheer number of these mini-games to be sufficiently engaging as to offset the fundamental simplicity of the mechanics.

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November 4, 2010

Return of the Review – Vanquish

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 5:15 pm

Vanquish
In my capacity as a Sugarperson, I really only serve two functions: sometimes I manufacture prettiness in an effort to make it appear that the site was not, in fact, designed in my basement, and other times I play games, and then I tell you about them. This is one of those times. As tasks go, it is not the worst one could hope for. In fact, the only way it could be better is if it caused the numbers on my bank account to increase, or perhaps if writing overly long sentences made me irresistible to nerd girls.

Vanquish is a game that, upon playing, I was compelled to fulfill this second duty; to write words and deliver them to you, so that you might understand their meaning. Accordingly, in addition to our regular review of Vanquish, I am here to provide a rare second opinion. Let’s begin: if anyone tells you that Vanquish is not worth playing, your duty is clear. Cut this person out of your life forever, as this person is a liar who wishes only misfortune upon you. If, after taking this action, you still doubt the value of Vanquish, I suggest the following: visit youtube, and search for “Casshern.” When you come to the inevitable realization that “There should be a videogame of this,” return here, and I will present to you, Vanquish.

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October 29, 2010

Review – Dead Rising 2

Filed under: Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Brad Johnson @ 9:06 am


In playing open-world games, perhaps the quintessential dilemma is to what extent it is necessary for a game to push players to explore what it offers, and at what cost to player freedom–where at one end of the spectrum the player becomes bored and complacent, and at the other, the game is no longer open at all. I have found it can be far too easy to become mired in endless side-quests and irrelevant mini-games, thus losing a sense of progression and purpose, and while it’s certainly true that the player is ultimately responsible for utilizing the game assets, it is also fair to say that the game is responsible for presenting these assets in an engaging way.

Dead Rising 2’s solution to the problem is to grant the player freedom, but with consequences—the same as you find in the good, old fashioned real world. This is achieved chiefly through demanding that the player manage his or her time. Unlike, for example, Red Dead Redemption, where you could conceivably hunt bounties for a month before choosing to start the next plot event, Dead Rising 2 is characterized by a ticking clock, and story events that occur at specific times on that clock—whether the player is ready or not.

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