Gorgeous Red Dead Redemption Time Lapse

If there’s anything to say about Red Dead Redemption besides its great story, gameplay and endless fun diversions, it’s that the game is simply beautiful to behold. Once you’ve played it, it’s hard not to admire the stunning vistas, the sweeping landscapes and the wonderfully detailed terrain. The guys at Rockstar really put together one fantastic world.

Which is why it’s so exciting to see that Eurogamer has put together this excellent Red Dead Redemption time lapse video. Apparently, if you leave your controller alone for several minutes, the game slips into an awesome afk mode, which then presents you with some preset camera angles. They recorded several days of game time from these and then produced something wonderful. It shows just how gorgeous the game really is to look at, and I still can’t help but marvel at it, even when I play.

Give it a watch!

If you want to know more about the process by which this whole thing was put together, head over to Eurogamer. They’ve even got some examples from other open world games like Crackdown, Assassins Creed 2 and Fallout 3.

Peter Molyneux Bemoans Fable 2’s Development

Fable 3Fable 2 was OK, for the most part, but it wasn’t perfect. Like all games helmed  by Peter Molyneux, it over-promised and under-delivered. That’s not a shot against the long-time developer, but it’s a sad fact that most ambitious projects get crushed down by the harsh realities of development. The difference with Fable 2, though, was the astounding number of bugs that had to be squashed before the game game out. According to a recent interview, some 67,000 bugs were present in Fable 2’s code at one time, necessitating a rating of “super-black” by the Microsoft quality assurance team. Judging from the interview, games are rated on a sort of “threat assessment” scale, with “super-black” being a very scary area.

Eventually, Lionhead Studios got the bugs under control and the game shipped to above average reviews and sales. Molyneux still wasn’t happy with the finished product, conceding that there were “huge design flaws” in Fable 2 (what those were, he did not specify. How about farting until someone married you?).  Fable 3 is apparently facing a tough time as well, breaking its predecessor’s record for most bugs present in a Microsoft first-party title. While the exact number wasn’t mentioned, it is a known fact that Fable 3 has more coding errors than Fable 2, and the team at Lionhead are working very long hours to get it under control for a fall release.  Molyneux maintains that this is endemic to the industry as a whole, and reading post-development breakdowns of games like Uncharted 2 would reveal similar problems.

What do you guys think of Molyneux’s statement? As gamers, I think we’ve all come to accept the reality of bugs and glitches, but 67,000 is quite the staggering number. Does this change your perception of Fable 3?

Source: 1up via VG247.com and GamesIndustry.biz

The Curse of Fat Sonic 2 XL

OK, I’ve seen a few bizarre mods and hacks to videogames in my day. Some of these range from funny to weird and ridiculous to just plain awesome. This one for Sonic 2, dubbed “Sonic 2 XL“, actually might cover all of those categories, while smashing a few new ones all its own.

The hack basically puts a new spin on the Sonic franchise: namely, that rings transform our favorite speedy hedgehog into a morbidly obese blob that can’t move, and thus, dies. Like I said, it’s weird but also manages to be hilarious to look at. I laughed out loud at fat Sonic trying to outrun the explosions towards the end of the game.

What do you guys think of this? And what are some of the cooler mods you’ve seen to games? Also, this makes me want to go and play the real Sonic 2 quite badly.

InFamous 2 Gameplay Trailer is a Whirlwind of Excitement

It’s no secret that I really enjoyed the first inFamous, it just had a nice feel to it that you don’t get with a lot of open-world games these days. Sure, it was a little rough around the edges, but it won me over enough to play it through two times to experience the game from both sides of the morality coin. Since Sucker Punch is hard at work on a sequel, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for anything that pertains to the game, so this new gameplay trailer fits the bill just right. There’s plenty of neat stuff in here, including some very cinematic close-quarters combat, so take a look and tell me what you think.

The game itself is looking pretty hot, but I’m still not sold on Cole’s redesign. I think the voice is the most jarring change, and I don’t know if replacing the old gravelly-voiced Cole with the new one will be favorably received. What do you guys think? Ready to ride the lightning once more?

New Kid Icarus Game Will Look at “Lack of Creativity” in Gaming

kid icarusThere’s a new Kid Icarus game coming to the Nintendo 3DS, and most of us are understandably excited. Aside from an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pit has sadly been absent from the gaming scene since the NES. While we’re excited to just have him back in our gaming systems, Masahiro Sakurai the game’s lead designer, is using Uprising to address what he feels is “an overriding problem with a lot of game design.” The full quote goes like this:

“I’ve found that, in the established genres, the controls are always the same. For example, in shooting games, you find first-person-shooters utilize all of the buttons on the controller and always do the same thing — the stick is for moving, triggers for shooting and they’re always trapped in this very restricted framework for gameplay. And, that’s just not creative. It feels like people are taking this empty shell and just swapping out the story and art and whatnot. This time, with Kid Icarus, we wanted to address that certain problem and not only because I think the industry deserves it, but also because it’s a more satisfying experience personally.

That’s a very interesting perspective, and I can’t blame Sakurai-san for wanting to shake up the industry a bit. On the other hand, he cites first-person-shooters as an example, one that I feel isn’t that strong. Those games use a standardized control scheme because it works, and it’s what we’ve been using for a long while. Take the Orange Box, which used a different set-up for its controls, and how awkward that felt. They weren’t that different, but the buttons for reloading and melee were swapped around, and it took a few frustrating tries to get used to.

If you’re going to innovate in this industry, are controls the best way to go about it? Do you think that this idea has some merit, or is Sakurai-san barking up the wrong tree? Is the 3DS even the right platform to attempt this on?

Source: VG247

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

transformers_optimusWelcome to our semi-monthly open-forum post where we pose to you the simple question of “What Are You Playing”? It’s summer now, but the games keep on coming, so much so that I can barely keep up with them. I’ve completely skipped Final Fantasy 13, missed half of God of War 3, only just caught up on Heavy Rain, and I still feel like I’m struggling to stay current. It may have something to do with sinking about two days worth of playtime into Red Dead Redemption, but that game is awesome, so I’ll assume that you forgive me.

Other than that, there’s been a couple of co-op DLC releases, a licensed game that’s actually pretty good, and Steam is having a ridiculous sale right now (you can find all of the delicious savings through this link if you don’t follow us on Twitter). I think I’m going to pick up Torchlight since it’s so cheap. I’ve heard good things about it, but has anyone played it?

Also, before we jump in to your posts, I should mention that next week will be bereft of the GamerSushi podcast since Nick and Eddy are “ascending the slopes of Mount Doom” with Web Zeroes, as they put it. We’ll pick up where we left off with our normal format in a couple of weeks though. Hopefully you can wait a while before our dulcet tones, and my nasally voice, caress your ear canals once again. OK, enough blabbing on my part, get cracking!

The Trailer for Studio Ghibli’s Ni No Kuni

If you’re at all familiar with anime, then you’ve no doubt heard of Studio Ghibli, the group behind such memorable and classic titles like Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. These movies are known not only for their stories, but for their memorable artistic style and the quality of the animation. They’ve produced some truly remarkable films, some of which rank among my favorites of all time.

That’s why I’m excited that Studio Ghibli and Level 5 (Dragon Quest VIII) are teaming up to create Ni No Kuni, a PS3 and DS title that’s slated for release next year in Japan. The new trailer for the game is out, and in my opinion, its absolutely stunning to look at. I love the animated look of the whole thing, and how smooth and vibrant everything appears. I for real can’t wait to play this game.

What do you guys think? Anybody else excited?

Crackdown 2 and Demo Achievements

crackdown2This past Monday, the demo for Crackdown 2, the forthcoming open-world super-hero cop game, dropped on X-Box LIVE, and most of the GamerSushi crew have been getting skills for kills. One new thing that the trial introduced is the notion of “Demo Achievements”, a system where you can unlock specific goals before the full retail version comes out and they will be applied to your Gamerscore. While this is 360 centric, I do think it brings up a neat idea that Sony can probably start emulating in their demos.

While Achievements and Trophies are not popular amongst all gamers, accumulating points is something that most of us enjoy and the prospect of getting a bit more out of demos isn’t bad either. Of course, offering these Achievements may color the perception of the game, or produce a subconscious need to buy the game to get your points.

While I’m all for the prospect of unlocking Achievements in demos, I’d like to know how you guys feel. Is this a good idea, or will it hurt the nature of demos? Do you even care? Also, what are your Crackdown 2 impressions, if you’ve been playing it.

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Co-Op Memories?

heavy rainEver since we’ve been able to use the internet to connect our consoles to each other, cooperative play is becoming more and more popular. I’m all for this, as I enjoy taking on waves of baddies with my friends just as much as I like shooting them in the face in a competitive match. There’s just something about co-op play that is altogether different and more satisfying than a straight-up Deathmatch game, but maybe that’s just because I’m a team player.

Both Red Dead Redemption and Battlefield Bad Company 2, two excellent games in their own rights, are getting co-op add-on packs today. Since both these games should be a blast to play with friends, I thought I would find out what your favorite co-op gameplay memories are. Do you have a specific recollection of you and a buddy (or several) holding out against AI antagonists, or maybe a particularly epic campaign playthrough to the wee hours of the morning? Let us know!

Review: Red Dead Redemption

red dead redemptionRockstar has a well-deserved legacy of making really engaging, if somewhat wacky and ultra-violent, sandbox titles, one where the player assumes the role of a mass-murderer of some note. Ever since the first Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar has been poking fun at various eras of history, but they’ve never strayed further back than the 80s. The most recent game from the studio, GTA IV, took a look at modern America through a very skewed lens, using the viewpoint of immigrant Niko Bellic to make a commentary on our post 9/11 society.

For their most recent title, Rockstar has decided to eschew the modern trappings of GTA IV and travel all the way back to the Old West; 1911 to be precise, an age where the cowboy still roamed the plains, but the government was slowly encroaching on the frontier. Players assume the role of John Marston, gravelly-voiced gun for hire, forced to hunt down his old gang members at the behest of the Bureau of Investigation. Does Rockstar’s traditional formula survive in the Old West, or does the corpse get picked apart by vultures when I’m done with it?
Continue reading Review: Red Dead Redemption

The Dreamcast is Back as Downloadable Content!

dreamcastThis will surely be good news for those of us who fondly remember SEGA’s last foray into the console business as it has just been announced that the Dreamcast’s library of titles is being made available on the PlayStation Network and the X-Box LIVE Arcade. The Dreamcast garnered over 650 titles during its lifespan, which started on September 9, 1999 with Sonic Adventure.

While some Dreamcast games have seen re-releases on previous generation consoles (the Sonic Adventure series being the most notable) this is the first time they’re being set loose on the current generation featuring all the fancy bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect like updated graphics, sound, and online integration.

SEGA’s VP of Digital Business, Haruki Satomi, had this to say about the Dreamcast’s resurgence:

“The Dreamcast is fondly remembered by a large community of dedicated fans as a console that was ahead of its time in terms of graphics, quality and online gaming. There are few things that are more requested from us than making Dreamcast classics available for download in today’s digital market place. We’re very excited to begin offering gamers our beloved Dreamcast titles again on the current console systems.”

The first games to be out in the fall will be Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, and I can tell you that those are on my list. What about you guys? Excited about the Dreamcast coming back? What games would you like to see?

Source: Kotaku

Hold On To Your Butts: Episodic Jurassic Park Games Are Coming

Jurassic ParkThere are few things that can elicit fanboy feelings of delight from me. For the most part, I try to keep a level head when it comes to gaming news, but I seriously can’t help myself with this one, as it concerns Jurassic Park. I might throw up a little from excitement. Jurassic Park is probably in my top 10 favorite films of all time. That’s why I freaked when I read the news over at Game Informer tonight that the franchise is seeing a re-emergence in video game form sometime in the near future.

And not only will we be seeing a new video game, we’ll actually be getting multiple titles released in an episodic format. The maestros behind this will be none other than Telltale Games, the same folks that have been creating Sam and Max for years, along with the recently revived Tales of Monkey Island. While there are few details known about this, it seems like this could be a match made in heaven, and I would love playing an old school adventure game (or several) in the world of Jurassic Park.

So what do you guys think of this? By the way, I could have used any number of quotes in the title, and ran through a dozen or so before I settled on “Hold on to your butts”. I suppose I will have to use other memorable quotes in future updates.

Update: Apparently Telltale also nabbed the rights to Back to the Future games. What magic did these guys do to land these awesome IPs?

Source- Game Informer

Square Enix Teases Final Fantasy VII Remake Again

ff7 remakeSquare Enix just released Final Fantasy XIII and the company is on the cusp of releasing XIV, the upcoming MMO, but people still want to see a Final Fantasy VII remake. Square knows this very well, so every couple of weeks they get one of their higher-ups to mention a remake during an interview, but continually maintain that re-doing FFVII would take a long time.

Just take this recent quote from SE Producer Yoshinori Kitase at a FFXII launch event in Korea:

“To make FFXIII at this level of quality, it took us 3 to 4 years. If we were to make FFVII in the same style of FFXIII, it would take 10 times as long, so it would be difficult to take it up immediately. However, we always keep in mind how often this is requested.”

I think that this might be the most requested remake in the history of videogames, based on how many times Square Enix has said that they are exploring the option. What do you guys think? Will this actually happen, and do you even want it? What would you like to see out of an FFVII remake anyways? Just a thought: if Final Fantasy XIII showed up on the 360, would an FFVII remake do the same?

Source: VG247.com

Sega Announces Sonic Colors

So, full disclosure here: I originally had a very snarky post written out, lambasting SEGA for their strange choices regarding Sonic. Honestly, for every step forward they take, it seems that they are determined to take two steps back. For example, take a gander at the trailer for Sonic Colors, the newly announced Wii and DS title. It’s bright, it’s colorful, and it’s definitely targeted towards casual gamers. On the other hand, it does look like everything we want from a Sonic game: daytime levels and blistering speed. Apparently, Sonic can use the help of his alien buddies from the trailer to take new paths through the levels, like using the yellow guy to drill through the ground, and darn if that doesn’t sound cool.

Sounds neat, but I might pass depending on how Sonic 4 turns out. What do you guys think? Good or bad on SEGA’s part? Is this of any interest to you?

Review: Alan Wake

alan wake2010 may become known as the “Year of the Delayed Game” as we’ve already been graced with the release of several titles which may not have seen the light of day. Heavy Rain, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII have all been pressed to discs and have been devoured by the hunger gaming masses, but what about that other game? You know, the next title from Max Payne developer Remedy Studios, the one that was voted the most anticipated game of E3 2005?

In case you’ve somehow forgotten, this product is called Alan Wake, a game where the player takes control of the titular character in an attempt to parse out the mystery of the dark presence in the town of Bright Falls. Playing upon the natural fear of the dark and blending that into the mechanics, Alan Wake promised to be a premier psychological thriller with a great story and gripping atmosphere. Now that the game is out, how well do the boasts of the developers hold up?
Continue reading Review: Alan Wake

The Life and Times of Yoshi

This past Sunday brought us a fairly major landmark for the year in gaming in a brand new iteration of the Super Mario series. Super Mario Galaxy 2 hit store shelves, and from several accounts, it is pretty stinking good.

In honor of the game’s release, which now includes Yoshi, it seems that Nintendo has put together a little bit of nostalgia mining in the form of this Yoshi tribute video. It recounts his appearance in every game he’s been in, from Super Mario World through the Sonic Olympics. If you are into these games, it is certainly worth the watch.

So, who’s getting or has already played Super Mario Galaxy 2?

The Empire Strikes Back is 30 Years Old, and That Means a Lot of Hoth Levels

If you ask anyone with a brain cell what their favorite Star Wars movie is, chances are it will be The Empire Strikes Back. This movie has all the right ingredients to make a great film, and it’s surprisingly dark to boot. This is the first Star Wars film to show us just what the series is capable of out of the grubby hands of George Lucas, and I’m forever thankful to director Irvin Kershner for giving us this cinematic masterpiece.

My personal fawning aside, The Empire Strikes Back is also known for it’s cinematic Battle of Hoth which pits the Rebels against the titular Empire on the snowy wasteland planet. Naturally, such a big exciting fight is perfect fodder for video game recreations, and since 1982, we’ve had almost a dozen interpretations of the Battle of Hoth. Kotaku put up a nice post collecting all of them, but I’m going to share my favorites after the jump.
Continue reading The Empire Strikes Back is 30 Years Old, and That Means a Lot of Hoth Levels

Pop-Fiction Looks at Link to the Past Secrets

I have always been a huge fan of some of the retro looks that GameTrailers does in its numerous original videos. They do a really good job of taking a unique glimpse into some old favorites, and re-capping some lesser known facts about the games we’ve always known and loved.

Enter Pop-Fiction, their brand new gaming series where they test out gaming’s unsolved mysteries, one at a time. Think of it as a Mythbusters for old school games. Their first episode takes a look at the fabled Chris Houlihan room in Link to the Past. Very entertaining video, for sure.

So what are some of your favorite urban legends in video gaming? I think one of my favorite would have to be the Ermac character in Mortal Kombat.

Upcoming Alan Wake DLC to Spruce Up Facial Animation

alanwakeI was originally going to slap this thing with a “Today’s WTF” prefix, but with E3 around the corner, those things are going to be coming fast and furious. Still, this little bit of news is a head-scratcher for sure. Alan Wake, the upcoming X-Box 360 exclusive by Remedy Studios is catching a bit of flack for the game’s facial animations which apparently don’t match up with the tone of voice the character is using. For such a story driven tale, you can bet this has caused some consternation amongst the game’s reviewers.

One would expect such a fix, if it were to come at all, to be included in a patch, not through DLC. Remedy is doing the exact opposite, however, bundling in the change with the supernatural thriller’s upcoming downloadable content. No word on whether or not the additional gameplay will be free of charge or not, but if it includes alterations to the game’s code, it’s a safe bet that there will be some Microsoft Points involved.

What do you guys think about this? Fair or foul on Remedy’s part? For a game that’s been in development for so long, should we have to pay for something that should be there in the first place?

Source: VG247

GamerSushi Asks: Giving Up On Games?

DarksidersIn the past, I’ve been foolishly devoted to games at some points. I’m the guy that used to play the JRPGs, even when I couldn’t stand them, all the way to the end. There’s something to me about giving the game the benefit of the doubt, and giving it a chance to unfold a little bit. If I hadn’t done that, there would have been plenty of games I would have missed out on.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to do that kind of thing as much anymore. Games have to get my attention fairly early on in order for me stick them out, unless they’re known to be pretty short. This is why I stuck out Splinter Cell: Conviction even though I wasn’t thrilled through it. Tonight I played Darksiders. I’ve heard a few good things about it, so I thought I would give it the trial run earlier. Much to my surprise though, a few minutes in, I caught a game breaking glitch and couldn’t play it anymore. I immediately put it back in the GameFly envelope and lost interest.

This is kind of odd for me as I’ve never given up on a game that quickly. It felt rash at the time, but now I’m glad I did it, as it frees up time for me to play the Halo: Reach Beta on Monday. What’s funny is that I can’t remember the last time I’ve done something like that. I think the most recent game was Red Faction. It made me wonder about you guys, and what’s the fastest time for you to have given up on a game? Go!