Random Encounters II

Every now and then, I will sound off on a number of topics that are on my mind lately. As the Triple-A titles start rolling in this week, here are a few of the things occupying my grey matter this week:

1. Shadow of the Colossus is such a great, artistic game that makes you feel like a tiny ant next to these behemoths, while also making you feel like a bad-ass when you take them down. But then you feel terrible at seeing such majestic creatures tumble in agony and you question whether or not you are the hero in this game. Also, I love the simplicity of it. Find a Colossi, kill it. That’s it. No fetch quests, no nothing. Want more like this. Can’t wait for The Last Guardian

2. Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes out on the 31st and I am pretty excited. I don’t really care for much for the story of this game, but the time-travel aspect has me more intrigued than I should be. As long as the battle system is improved or unchanged, I know I will enjoy my time with this game. Having spent the extra twenty bucks for the Collector’s Edition, I can’t wait to hear the soundtrack that accompanies it.

3. The SOPA blackout was a success as the legislative momentum has died out, but I would like to see more alternatives to combating piracy from the groups opposed to the bill. The solutions I see most are getting more content in an easier place for people to access, but most things are already plenty easy to obtain. The most pirated movie of the year in 2011 was Fast Five, which clearly shows we are dealing with a species unfamiliar with quality. Fast Five was still successful, but also making the list was Source Code, I Am Number 4 and Sucker Punch, all of which had lackluster revenues. I can’t help but think piracy had something to do with this and I would like to see the brilliant minds of the Internet devise a workable solution to limiting piracy.

4. I drive myself crazy trying to decide whether to trade in a game or keep it. Some are easy: Dead Space 2 and Killzone 3 were fun, but I don’t see myself ever going back to either of them. But Uncharted 3 and Batman: Arkham City are so fun and there are moments I want to go back and relive or in Batman’s case, collect all those Riddler trophies. I always tell myself that I will do it when I have the time and have no other games to play, but will that ever happen again? I have less time every day and more games coming out every week to play. I honestly don’t know what to do.

5. I hear talk about people Occupying E3 for some reason that I have not bothered to pay attention to and all I have to say is: No. Stop it. As ardent a liberal as I am, the Occupy Movement had its place and it raised awareness for the issue of income equality so much that it is being used to damage certain candidates in the Republican Primaries. It was a success. To leverage it into a protest at E3 is just annoying and unimaginative. It’s become a trend and it should be stop before it becomes the political version of a flashmob.

6. Finally, I plan on getting Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii, which releases on April 2nd. It’s only being sold through Nintendo’s website and GameStop. Trying to avoid ever setting foot inside a GameStop again, I went to Nintendo’s site and there is a disclaimer that they will begin shipping at the end of April. The game comes out on the 2nd! WTF! Sorry, Big N, but you just drove me right to GameStop. Why would they make it such a terrible deal to get the game from them? This is Nintendo! Surely they can pull some strings and get better shipping times for people! My only hope is that enough people buy this game that Nintendo decides to bring The Last Story to the U.S. as well.

Well, that’s my take on these topics. What’s your view on any of these? And what else is on your mind? Pull up a chair, pour yourself a nice cup of coffee and let’s just talk.

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

Dragon Age 2

You thought you had a break, didn’t you? In your naivete, you thought that maybe, just maybe, there was going to be a brief lull for you to catch up on all of your games, before all of the big releases of 2011 rained down on us like manna from heaven. Sadly, you’re mistaken. You see, time has this way of sneaking past you – yes, it’s already almost March.

Between Dead Space 2, the Dragon Age 2 demo, the release of Bulletstorm, Killzone 3 and Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, we gamers have our plates more than full. Sadly (or joyfully, depending on how you look at it), it’s only going to get crazier from here on out.

In terms of what I’m playing, I’ve been splitting my time between a small bit of Dead Space 2 (yes, I screamed like a girl), Little Big Planet 2 and my first ever playthrough of Final Fantasy VI Advance. I also tried my hand at the Dragon Age 2 demo today, and I have to say that I’m already in love with how they’ve revamped the combat. It feels slightly more hack-n-slash without losing that DA:O flavor that I loved. The art style is very nice in motion as well, so hopefully that will alleviate some concerns in that department. I’m not sure just yet how I feel about the conversation system, which has a little less moral gray than I would like, but I suppose I’ll have to wait and see how it pans out.

Needless to say, I’ve been infected with the Dragon Age flavor all over again and can’t wait for March 8th to get here. So what about you guys? What are you playing? Did any of you try out the demo? Go!

Hottest February 2011 Releases

Killzone 3

The first month of 2011 is already gone and thanks to LittleBigPlanet 2 and Dead Space 2, we’ve seen two sequels that took their franchises to a whole new level. The month of February, which also happens to be my birthday month, looks like a nice mix of sequels and new IPs for us to blow out hard earned cash on.

Take a look at the list and see if there is anything that catches your eye. For myself, Radiant Historia, a time-travel JRPG on the DS that reminds me of Chrono Trigger, has capatured my imagination and likely my pre-order as well. Are there any games I left off that you think should be on the list? Speak now!

2/14/11

  • Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation  – DS

2/15/11

  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds – PS3, Xbox 360

2/22/11

  • Bulletstorm – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
  • Killzone 3 – PS3
  • Radiant Historia – DS

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 15: Slunk!

It’s the first podcast of the new year! The year isn’t all that new anymore, but we finally got off our butts and chatted about video games. In this edition, we were careful to avoid recapping 2010 (again) and looking forward too far into 2011 (again), and instead just talked about what we’re playing and some stuff that’s been rattling around our mostly empty brains.

In order to achieve that ultimate state of full disclosure, I must say that we actually recorded this the week before last with the intention of releasing it last week, but stuff happens and we didn’t get to it. So, it’s new to you, and should get us back on our regularly scheduled podcast programming. I know you’ve just been dying to hear our nasally voices.

For some reason, I was either hyper or bored, and by the end of the podcast I was in a bit of a rare form. It’s the form that Daniel and Nick know best from when I goofed around on the set of WZ or in the making of Leet World. Since I haven’t listened to it just yet, I’m not sure if it’s been immortalized in podcast form. If it is, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Anywho, hope you guys enjoy, and be sure to rate the podcast on iTunes! Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 15: Slunk!

A Peek at 20 Exclusive PS3 Titles in 2011

last guardian

2011 is going to be an exciting year for gaming, no matter what console or platform you play on. Well, except maybe the Wii. Kidding, of course, Zelda will be a hot ticket come the Fall, I’m sure. But I think it’s safe to say that the PS3 has a large selection of announced exclusives that few other platforms can match.

The Playstation Blog was nice enough to give a little peek at 20 of these titles and as I scrolled down the last, my jaw dropped a little bit. It’s pretty staggering. From the blockbusters we know about, such as The Last Guardian, Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3 to the ones that flying under the radar, like Hyperdimension Neptunia, Journey and Yakuza 4, the sheer variety of games is enough to make my wallet cry.

Take a look at the list at the Playstation Blog and report back here for comments. Personally, Hyperdimension Neptunia sounds kind of interesting and you know I am down with Ratchet and Uncharted 3.

What games on the list are you most excited about? Is there anything that you can think of that was left out? Start your comments!

Source: Playstation Blog

Sony’s E3 2010 Event Highlights

playstationSo far, Microsoft was mediocre. Nintendo was superb. What is Sony, the Playstation 3 and PSP heavyweight, going to do? Would their press conference be the longest of the bunch? Let’s find out.

Here are the highlights, after the jump!

Continue reading Sony’s E3 2010 Event Highlights

Killzone 3 Trailer and the Problem With Teasers

Killzone 3 was announced recently, so you know what that means: a teaser! Admittedly, this video is really cool, if a bit ultra-violent (it is also scientific proof that the Helghast are made out of wafers), but it also brings up a problem I’ve been having with trailers as of late. I recognize that companies like to build hype, and we as consumers like being strung along with as little info as possible (see LOST and any Halo game ever), but it’s getting kind of ridiculous. For games, I’d like to see something concrete as the money and time I’m going to be investing into a game is significant compared to a movie or a TV series. If I don’t like a TV show, I can stop watching, and movies are two hours at most and I can always walk out. If I return a game, I’m going to end up with a lot less money in my pocket, so I think the more gameplay in a trailer, the better. Take a look at the Killzone 3 teaser, and let me know if you agree:

Killzone 3 Details are Live and in 3D

killzoneI’ll admit that I didn’t play the original Killzone or Killzone 2 (mostly on account of not owning a PlayStation at the time), but the series has always intrigued me. While it may be describe derisively as “World War 2 in space”, that sort of thematic setting is right up my alley. Sony and Guerrilla Studios dropped a bit of a shocker on us last week, revealing the third entry in the series before E3 even started. What’s more, the game is going to be in 3D! A lot of people say that the third time is the charm, but will that ring true for Killzone? Quite a few websites got to go hands-on with the game this week (our invitation got lost in the mail), and Kotaku has a nice write-up detailing all the new changes.

What stood out to me most, besides the 3D, is how crisp this game looks. Perhaps you don’t remember the infamous E3 2005 trailer for Killzone which painted an image in everyone’s mind that the sequel couldn’t quite match. While it seems quaint now, the lasting impressions of the video have given Killzone a lot to live up to, and the third game seems to come the closest to reaching those lofty heights.

Besides looking like the most tasty of eye candies, Killzone 3 is getting some neat gameplay improvements like a revamped melee system and jet packs. Before you go off claiming that Killzone is ripping off Halo: Reach, let me remind you that someone will bring up Tribes, and we’d all like to avoid that scene. The close-combat promises to be more brutal than your average first-person-shooter, which mostly deals with that via a gun stock to head, or maybe a quick stab. While the build being presented was a little early, it did promise face-kicks, back-stabs, and knives through the Helghast’s iconic eye-piece.

For those of you wondering about the 3D, it appears to be well integrated with the head’s up display smoothing nicely, and aiming down the sight offering a nice differentiation of depth. Unfortunately, the preview does mention that the 3D got nauseating at one point. This will differ for everyone, but I got a little sick during Avatar, so I think I might skip on this option.

What do you guys think? How is Killzone 3 looking to you so far? Sure-fire purchase, rental, or are you passing altogether?

Source: Kotaku