I just did something that I thought I might regret. Despite all of the negative reviews that have been hitting the Internet, I decided to go ahead and pick up "Alone in the Dark" for the xbox 360. The fact that summer is usually a sparse release window for games, I went ahead and did this with the hopes of having something else to play through during my summer vacation. Let me give you a little background first. Alone in the Dark is the 5th game in one of the longest running survival horror franchises in existence. This new AiTD has been developed by Eden Studios and published by Atari in an attempt to revive this dying franchise.
First of all, the game is set up a little bit differently than most. Rather than the typical checkpoint system, the game is broken up into several episodes, complete with "previously on" narratives and credits. The format is actually set up much like a DVD menu and makes for an interesting way to approach a game like this. The player actually has access to any episode and chapter in the game right from the get go. Of course, I have chosen to play from the beginning to end in order to experience the story as it is meant to. So far, I have completed the first episode of the game and have gotten a pretty clear picture of the games strengths and weaknesses. Surprisingly however, I have actually been enjoying the game. Since these are impressions, ill keep this brief.
First of all, this game definitely has some issues, primarily with the controls. Controlling Edward is clunky and awkward and probably the reason for all of the negative press surrounding the game. The camera can make moving around incredibly awkward especially when you are tasked with trying to defend yourself against hordes of monsters while trying to perform inventory management. The game gives you the choice of playing in third person mode or first person most of the time. Third person looks better but makes movement slow and is usually risking death when in a fight. I would recommend playing in first person for the majority of the game.
Graphically, the game looks impressive but lacks polish in some areas. There is sometimes a good amount of pop in and frame tearing as well as a few instances when the audio doesn't seem to match up. This game has been in development for awhile and could have an incredibly impressive xbox 360 title had it come out a year earlier. Based on what I have experienced so far, the horrendous controls are the only thing holding this game back from being worthy of decent reviews. Combat can be awkward at times as well because the only way to put a target down permanently is to light him on fire or shoot an incendiary bullet into the scars that cover their bodies. This makes for an interesting twist on combat but can ultimately be frustrating. With that said, let me tell you why I am actually enjoying this game.
Surprisingly, I am having a good time playing this game. While the controls are clunky and hard to get the hang of, the game play throws many different situations at you in such a way that the game doesn't get too repetitive. One scene may have you repelling from a collapsing building and the next may have you driving a car through a enemy filled parking garage.
Combat can be tricky but finding ways to take down your foes can be interesting. Also, getting through locked doors can be achieved by hitting them with heavy objects such as fire extinguishers. What is cool about this is that using the right analog stick, you can move the position of whatever object you are holding. This allows you to actually control how much force you use and what way you swing your object. This can also be used to light wooden objects on fire to create a makeshift torch or weapon. Using flaming weapons also causes enemies to cower in fear and run from you which is a cool feeling. Story in the game is also handled surprisingly well so far. The game includes some great action sequences and well produced cut scenes and dialogue.
Overall, the game seems solid enough and I am actually happy with my purchase. The game is definitely not for everyone and there is some definite unforgivable control issues but what it lacks in control it makes up for in presentation. Look forward to my full review once I finish the game.
-Nick
Check out Part 1 if you are curious about what came out in June. Here are the games coming out in July that interest me. There are a couple of others that I'm curious about, like Civilization DS, but I need to see some reviews on them first.
(July 22)
(July 1)
(July 22)
I will give more detailed impressions later, but I have to go to work now. All I can say as of now is that I fucking love Blizzard. You did exactly what needed to be done with this series.
Hey everyone, if you have been listening to the show, you will know that I am personally outraged at the fact that "Siren: New Translation", for the PS3 is only being released via PSN in North America. Sony's reason behind this decision is based on the fact that the original Siren for the PS2 didn't exactly sell well. In fact it didn't even sell well enough to ensure that its sequel would make it to the states. It's also a good way of testing the waters with this new downloadable media option. This is a reasonable decision but i think they are ultimately going to lose out on sales among people like me, who refuse to buy a game unless it is in a physical media format. Luckily, thanks to a post on a different blog, I was informed that Siren will be available in both formats in Japan with English language option! Five minutes later, I had officially imported Siren: New Translation from play-asia.com. The game will ship on July 24, 2008 and should have the game in my hands by August 1st at the latest. Looks like I have another game to play this summer! 
Let's forget what I have(or haven't) beaten as of late. Much like my illustrious colleague, Nick, I too have a huge list of games I need to (try to) get through this summer. This is going to be difficult, but let's get started.
I just did something that I thought I might regret. Despite all of the negative reviews that have been hitting the Internet, I decided to go ahead and pick up "Alone in the Dark" for the xbox 360. The fact that summer is usually a sparse release window for games, I went ahead and did this with the hopes of having something else to play through during my summer vacation. Let me give you a little background first. Alone in the Dark is the 5th game in one of the longest running survival horror franchises in existence. This new AiTD has been developed by Eden Studios and published by Atari in an attempt to revive this dying franchise. 
First of all, the game is set up a little bit differently than most. Rather than the typical checkpoint system, the game is broken up into several episodes, complete with "previously on" narratives and credits. The format is actually set up much like a DVD menu and makes for an interesting way to approach a game like this. The player actually has access to any episode and chapter in the game right from the get go. Of course, I have chosen to play from the beginning to end in order to experience the story as it is meant to. So far, I have completed the first episode of the game and have gotten a pretty clear picture of the games strengths and weaknesses. Surprisingly however, I have actually been enjoying the game. Since these are impressions, ill keep this brief. 
Surprisingly, I am having a good time playing this game. While the controls are clunky and hard to get the hang of, the game play throws many different situations at you in such a way that the game doesn't get too repetitive. One scene may have you repelling from a collapsing building and the next may have you driving a car through a enemy filled parking garage. 
Hey Guys,
Back a few weeks ago, 4PP regular thecosmicfly was nice enough to capture and send us a piece of 4playerpodcast history. I just thought it'd be nice to share it with everyone who made this possible.
Now Hideo Kojima has worked on action games in the past. Zone of the Enders is a fast paced anime inspired mech franchise that has developed a strong following over its short series. Many of these fans, including myself, would die to see a sequel to these games, but hear me out. Kojima has also toyed around with ground based 3d action as well. In Metal Gear Solid 3, one of the many easter eggs was a bloody action mini-game accessed by loading a save during Snake's captivity. This "nightmare" was actually a lot of fun. Here is a video of this sequence:
Tomonobu Itagaki on the other hand, has more than just dabbled in the genre. The former head of Team Ninja over at Tecmo is responsible for one of the greatest 3d action games ever made. Ninja Gaiden was raw, bloody, and expertly crafted. While the Dead or Alive series is pretty underwhelming and Ninja Gaiden 2 was a sloppy mess, I still have some faith in Itagaki. And if the now jobless game designer were to work with Kojima Studios, I think we could see something truly special. 
Ok, i want teh bewbies too.
Denis Dyack, founder of Silicon Knights and creator of the upcoming game 'Too Human', has just done the dumbest thing ever. ...He visited the internet. 
