“Over 1,000 new animations ensure that this year’s PES feels slightly slicker than in years gone by”

What’s the story?

PES games in recent years could best be likened to England’s performance in South Africa. They were lazy and passionless; the inspiration appeared to have run dry, and Konami were outpaced by their greatest rivals almost as badly as we were by the Germans. But Konami isn’t going to give up that easily. With a ton of enhancements, this year could see a return to the glory days of old, but it won’t come easy.

What’s new?

Plenty actually, and though we get the impression Seabass is still playing catch-up with EA (total 360-degree control, one of PES 2011’s biggest improvements, still comes a year after its inclusion in last year’s FIFA, for example), there’s still a lot here to sink your teeth into. The power gauge usually reserved for taking a shot on goal is now present with every kick, giving you complete control over the power of your pass, while up to four feints and tricks can be mapped onto the right analogue stick to let you dazzle your opponent far more easily. A new motion blur filter also makes the action look slightly more realistic, and although the game still feels as arcadey as ever, over 1,000 new animations do their bit to ensure that this year’s PES feels slightly slicker than in years gone by.

Is Master League back?

Yes, and it’s better than ever. This year’s Master League is completely online-enabled, meaning you can take on rival managers the world over. Think you’ve got what it takes to be the best? Now’s your chance to prove it.

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“Expect the usual Bond witticisms, a ton of explosions and plenty of gorgeous girls”

What’s the story?

Bond’s back, and he’s looking better than ever! Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench return for one of Bond’s most dangerous missions yet, in a brand new story that sends the suave super spy across Athens, Istanbul, Bangkok and Monaco to protect the UK’s biggest secret from falling into enemy hands. The story’s being penned by GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough scriptwriter Bruce Feirstein, so expect the usual Bond witticisms, a ton of explosions and plenty of gorgeous girls.

What kind of game is it?

Blood Stone’s primarily a third-person cover-based shooter, taking inspiration from Splinter Cell: Conviction’s gameplay to deliver action-packed set-pieces, whether it’s through hand-to-hand takedowns or slow-mo 007-style ‘Focus Aim’ shots. Bizarre’s handiwork with Blur should also have a chance to shine, with between 5-10% of the game consisting of driving sections, and further stealth-based ‘espionage’ missions.

Who’s the new Bond girl?

Her name’s Nicole Hunter and she’s played by stunning British songstress Joss Stone. Nicole’s what Joss refers to as a ‘posh Paris Hilton’, an it girl who parties hard, and parties with the right people, giving Bond access to players he’d otherwise struggle to find. And no, there’s no relationship between Joss Stone’s involvement and the name of the game – it’s purely coincidental!

Anything else?

As well as jumping into Bond’s Aston Martin to pursue your targets on land, you’ll also be able to jump into a speedboat to give chase at sea.

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“Welcome to paradise”

What’s the story?

After cruising the streets of Oahu in the original game, TDU2 takes us to the Balearic paradise of Ibiza, and puts us behind the wheel of a fleet of supercars. It’s the type of dream fulfilment that videogames do so well, but unlike most games that allow us to hurtle around in desirable vehicles, Test Drive Unlimited 2 doesn’t force players into challenges or down specific routes. In TDU2 the island is your playground.

What do we know?

Well, Ibiza has been mapped out beautifully, but impressively, Eden has managed to fit all of Oahu on the disc, too. Just hop on a plane and you can be over on the other side of the world. As with the original game, it’s not just the cars; it’s the lifestyle, the music, the clothes and the money. You can customise your apartment and your gear, and (if you do so wish) even get plastic surgery on your face. It all comes back to the pseudo-MMO racing though, and that’s where Test Drive Unlimited 2 shines. The handling’s a little twitchy as before, but when you get used to the oversteer, you can have some riotous drives across a truly huge environment.

Anything else?

The soundtrack is shaping up nicely (Paul Van Dyk and Phonat making the cut on the dance side of things) and the overall package is looking smooth. Expect more in our next post article.

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“Spoiling for a fight”

What is the story?

Despite being a prequel to the popular Mabinogi, it’s likely you’re not familiar with the story, as the game was only popular elsewhere. So we shall enlighten you. Vindictus is set on the world of Erinn, a grim and depressing place where monsters stalk the land and the people live in constant fear. Their existence is made tolerable in the vain hope that an ancient legend will come to pass and rescue the population from their drudgery. Players will, of course, be hoping to rise to that legend by beating the crap out of each other.

What you should know?

From the distance of just looking at a few screenshots on a website, Vindictus seems to have little to differentiate it from any other fantasy MMO. However, the game is built around the venerable and still distinctive Source engine, which allows for a higher degree of environmental manipulation than most other off-the-shelf engines allow. This suits the gameplay very well, seeing as the game is ostensibly set around arena-based combat, where you can pick up a cabinet and smash it over the heads of your enemies.

Distinctive real-time combat and depressing fantasy backdrop aside, not being in on the closed Beta puts us at a slight disadvantage. We should know more in a few weeks, when we can assume testing will open up for the masses.

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“Destiny is not what it seems…”

What is the story?

Humans from another part of the galaxy get mauled by deadly robots (Cylons), collect what’s left of their burning civilization and try to run away, escorted by the eponymous Battlestar. Of course, there’s more to the story than that, but for the benefit of players who have avoided one of the best science fiction serials ever seen on TV, none of the ‘there are many copies and they have a plan’ nonsense really matters in the context of the game. Missed opportunity? Perhaps.

What do we know?

From what we do know, we can extrapolate a fair bit. For instance, the game will be browser-based, using the Unity3D engine, so it’s not going to be the most visually stunning game. It will also be funded by optional microtransactions. As for the gameplay, think along the lines of Wing Commander, with lots of arcade-style combat, a selection of ships to upgrade to, weapons and systems to fit in-between combat missions and mining asteroids for income. Okay, so there wasn’t much mining in the series, but it beats sitting in the bar feeling sorry for yourself.

What to expect?

We’re told to expect Beta entry before the end of the year, although considering the fact that NBC Universal own all things BSG as well as Bigpoint Games, it’s likely that the game release will tie in with some other ‘cross media’ development, such as the airing of the send half of the Caprica series, or some tantalizing info on the new movie that’s supposedly being fast-tracked into production.

“Two titans of the beat-‘em-up world clash head-on”

What’s the story?

After weeks of speculation, Capcom’s Yoshihiro Ono finally dropped the bomb at this year’s Comic-Con. Street Fighter versus Tekken, or Street Fighter X Tekken as its being called. In fact, there are two games – a 2D, Capcom-developed effort, and a 3D version being handled by Namco, with the names switched around. For now though, Capcom is the only company that’s talking about its game.

What do we know?

Footage shown at Comic-Con revealed that Street Fighter X Tekken is indeed a 2D fighter, and one that looks like it has been built with the Street Fighter IV engine. Ryu is fighting Devil Jin, which is cool enough on its own, and then things get even more exciting when both combatants tag in their respective partners: Chun Li and Nina Williams. There appeared to be some sort of tag-combo moves, Ultra-style cutaways and lots of dashing. Basically, at this stage we’re happy to say that it looks superb.

Anything else?

Yes it’s fighting game overload at the moment, as Ono also announced Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition, presumably for Xbox Live. It’s generally considered the finest version of Street Fighter ever, so bring it on.

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