The core premise of Split Second is a competitive reality game show set in made for TV city. Bored of formulaic track racing, the producers idea to spice up the action is to allow the drivers to trigger Michael Bay style “explosive events” called powerplays. Similar to Burnout, the player acquires these by driving stylishly (i.e. drifting, slip-streaming & air) and thus building up a power bar, which then allows them to trigger some Hollywood style explosions, at a moment of their choosing in an attempt to interfere with the other cars. These can range from blowing up petrol tanks and helicopters dropping bombs on the track all the way up to collapsing buildings onto the road, altering it permanently.

“We’re all fans of street racing here, but as a genre it is relatively stale – the evolution is only coming from how you customise cars, which can only serve to remove you from the action – I think Split/Second will do the opposite.”

Nick Baynes, Black Rock Studios

In one way, the set up is analogous to the studio’s misgivings about the racing genre these days. Sensibly however, they’ve not thrown out the stuff that worked. Black Rock have taken elements from games such as Burnout & Mario Kart but after applying their particular twist to it, focused on making it look and play fantastically. Like Pure, the game is simple to pick up and play but offers plenty of subtle nuances once you get into it. Cars feel satisfying to steer sideways round the track without feeling too arcadey and in the one track demo available on the show floor, the AI didn’t come across as cheap. On record as detractors of rubber-banding, the powerplay elements balance well. The power bar has three segments meaning the player can either keep or use up to two “normal” powerplays or save it up to unleash a “super powerplay” on a much larger scale of destruction. The playing field is completely level. All drivers have the same opportunities to acquire powerplays, no overpowered items going to those bringing up the rear.

That’s not to say a well timed play by a car at the back can’t win them the race. The large power plays can bring entire buildings down onto the track or open up entire new sections yielding a shortcut that can either be temporary or permanent. In one playthrough of the demo, triggering a super powerplay in the final stages of the race brought a control tower crashing down onto the track opening up a short cut route through some hangers on to the final straight. Whether the huge plane crashing on to the runway in front of me as I hared towards the finish line was another power play by the cars I’d just overtaken or not was hard to say but with all of them, if your reactions are quick enough you can get out of the way. I managed it, just, scraping over the line amongst the smoke and fire. Very Hollywood.

Indeed, Hollywood is a big inspiration of the game. The developers use similar deferred rendering techniques as found in Killzone 2 to good effect, giving the game a very filmic saturated look. There is generous amounts of motion blur to go with it but it’s not overdone and the overall result is very effective, especially considering the amount of destruction and explosions going on. My only disappointment was that I couldn’t check out the audio which is a shame as the Hollywood blockbuster influence is said to apply to the soundtrack also. One very nice touch was the HUD, dynamically attached to the back of your car. It can look a little odd in some screenshots but works nicely when the game is in motion meaning your eyes are never taken away from the action in the centre of the screen.

Early indications are positive then. Each one of my four playthroughs was different from the last and the guy next to me deferred his filming for that “just one more go”. A release date isn’t yet known though it is set to release in an increasingly crowed first quarter of next year. We’ll hope that doesn’t put it on a collision course with a certain Gran Turismo 5 as it would do Split Second a disservice. The game demoed excellently on the show floor so a chance to preview the game prior to it’s release should be a no-brainer.

The demo starts off in Olympia where its citizens find themselves at the forefront of the betrayal of the gods. The dead of Hades walk the streets willing to ward off all who attempt to ascend Mt. Olympus. The first thing I tried to do was my standard and most basic combo: square, square, triangle. The game was quick to tell me “try this.” I’m unsure how deep the game is into the main game, but Kratos is highly advanced in his repertoire of attacks. Although (as always) you can button mash your way to certain victory, it’s more rewarding to try things out instead of placing the controller on the floor and jamming your foot against the face buttons. Making the most of his strength, Kratos can perform a variety of grab moves from using his victim as a ram to splitting them in half. Who ever is on the ESRB panel will have a “good time” marking off their check marks for this game. They’ll be especially thrilled with the sagging old breasts of the harpy women. You’ll be just as thrilled trying to ride them to new areas of the level. If you have trouble doing it the first few times, get ready to have more issues during later sections.

In the background you see a fiery Titan battling with the god Apollo. It’s instantly obvious that the Titan needs some help, as crazy as that match up would seem. But before Kratos can get up there to help the demo treats you to the first mini-boss fight. It is a small skirmish with a Centaur which is surrounded by a small army of undead skeletons. I found the fortune of stumbling onto one cool animation in the game. I was instantly dog piled by twenty or so skeletons, but with a few shakes of the thumbstick they were blown apart Hercules style. Concentrating on the horse/human abomination, I struggled to remember Kratos’ aerial combos. They haven’t changed, but I really have forgotten them. Some may complain that QTEs in the game are so common, but I for one enjoyed them. There’s nothing wrong with them when they are done right, and it was wholly satisfying to remove the bowels of the Centaur after a slight tussle.

You’ll get the chance to launch an arrow straight in the chariot of the sun god, but before that happens you must contend with a Chimera. For those who don’t know, it’s three beasts all mashed together. Snake, goat, and a lion. Where and why all these creatures are coming from all over the mythological world to fight Kratos I’ll never know, but it’s nice to have so much awesomeness packed into a small taste. This is the first time you’re introduced to Kratos’ new weapon the Cestus. They allow him to pretty much pound and mash his way through any fight, but I found them to be a bit more cumbersome than they’re effects were worth. They seemed to be getting the job done, the boss fight was rather quick, but I felt like I was chasing this thing around an arena against its will. Sure, he provoked me first, but after I chopped off its tale and broke its neck, I felt guilty just beating a poor firebreathing goat to a pulp.

I’m generally pleased with their additions so far to the game, however few they may be and more or less cosmetic. Corey Balrog and David Jaffe both departed the series, proving that I guess being lead game designer for this series is just more than someone should ever commit to. The unique style changes do seem to give each game a distinctive style, and while I believe God of War 2 was better than the first, there are just some additions I can’t pin all the blame on one person on one team. The pace of the demo is set at one speed, and although it attempts to switch things up with platforming, it doesn’t really provide much of a distraction. Perhaps it’s just that Uncharted 2 provided far more depth to this than can be expected, but it was more of a hindrance than a bonus.

The third and final mini-boss in the demo is a Cyclops. After inflicting a bit of damage and a QTE segment, you’ll ride him into battle against the defenders of Apollo’s crashed chariot. The mechanic works well and is a good addition although over quickly. Once the enemies are gone, you’ll witness a morbid scene with Kratos ripping the head off of Apollo and using it for his latest item. Like the Medusa head, Apollo’s has a unique effect on enemies as well as the ability to reveal hidden paths. When you’re in the pitch dark of a cavern cliff face, Apollo provides more usefulness in death than he did in life. He blinds and lights enemies, allowing you to take advantage over their already brittle and defenseless bones.

The final and undoubtedly coolest section of the demo features Kratos using the wings of Icarus to ascend through the core masonry of Olympia. Rubble and debris from the mountain is crashing all around you, and steering clear of falling objects is a necessity. Once the passageway opens, you witness the Titan “friend” you had just fought a Centaur and a Chimera to help has been knocking flaming rocks on your head for the past minute or so. The demo ends with Kratos understandably lunging at his stony jugular. It leaves you wanting more, badly. At the very least you’re going to go right back into it for another shot.

More teaser than demo, it’s all around awesome. The build is older than anything you can expect in March so there’s a good chance noticeable changes will be made to the final product. For those who already found the series to be shallow and uninspired, they can go home knowing that there’s probably nothing for them in this game. It’s more or less the first couple of games in a new skin, but whoever said a new skin couldn’t make a world of difference? *cough Killzone 2* For everyone who has come to love the series and already couldn’t wait, fear not. Whoever is in charge this time (I really can’t and won’t keep track, they’re just going to leave too) is doing a good job. I hope the best to them in their future efforts after this game has shipped.

The first thing you’ll be treated to is a view you won’t quite be familiar to in Left 4 Dead. Sunlight, shopping grounds, gazebos, a wide array of diverse scenery all around. Graphically, the Source engine maybe showing its age, but on the game’s highest settings you won’t be complaining for long. You’ll be far to busy slaying zombies to form a complex sentence anyway. There are a few things that often change in video games you’ve put a lot of time into that you didn’t even realize needed tweaking at the time. When these things are adjusted even slightly they make more of a difference than the most pronounced changes. This evident in games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and sports gamers swear that their favorite titles change year after year. It’s debatable really. The casual observer will notice next to nothing has changed in Left 4 Dead 2, but anyone who’s put in at least 20hrs into the series will see how small things have managed to wind up different, for the better in this case. Your new cast members might not be quite as iconic as the original set, but give them a break. They lived in New Orleans, that place was a disaster zone before a zombie outbreak.

Your first weapon will be the standard fare of shotgun or SMG. Don’t complain for too long, the weapons do get better along the way. The items that you’ll find as melee weapons will be hilarious at first, and then life saving throughout your journey. Your friend may have a machete and you may be stuck with a frying pan, but the game really doesn’t differentiate between the two, or at least the zombies don’t. More powerful than the melee of your guns and having a wider damage radius, this is your best way for clearing the path for you and your buddies. The new guns are definitely a welcome addition, especially the desert eagle. Eight shots, but they make such a big impact compared to the standard pistol. It’s fun to watch zombies split in half. You’ll also find an AK-47, less accuracy but more damage than the M4, but both fail in comparison with the new 3 burst assault rifle the name of which escapes me.  The SMG gets a little bit of an upgrade as well. A silencer has been tied off with twisty ties and attached to the regular SMG making it more accurate and devastating to zombie flesh. And can you believe that there are some people who believe that you shouldn’t try this at home?

You’ll be met with a diverse array of Louisianian zombie wildlife. Although they’re really not harder to kill in most cases, they’re definitely more fun to watch die. Expect them to charge at you with a limb or two missing, as well as stumbling or tripping over something when you swat them away. They’ll get back up of course, so it’s a good idea to blast them while they’re down. It’s also not uncommon to mistake a good sign as a bad one. In a disaster scenario it is only natural to try to find the police, but trust me, the cops in this game will use excessive force. The SWAT zombies are brutal, completely armored and swing a billy stick hard enough to turn a flower tossing hippie into Rush Limbaugh.  The riot guard’s only weakness is being shot in the back while one of your friends distracts him. Not to be outdone in the annoying department, the Jockey is like a head humper with a full body. It leaps onto your head and steers you around (often into Molotov fire) until it’s shot off of you. The Charger is like a lighter version of the tank, much lighter. It can be taken down in a few seconds, but it breaks up the pace of your winning streak if it manages to down a partner. It only takes going down once to lose a game for everyone. The Spitter manages to inspire vomit from herself and others. If you don’t pay attention you can find 30% of your health gone in the blink of an eye. She sprays acid on the ground, far deadlier than the Boomer and less obvious when there’s a zombie horde at your feet. It’s best to stow the yo mama jokes and take her out quickly when you see her from a distance, she has a far reach…like yo mama.

Sure, Louis is no longer in the game to shout “PEELS HERE!”, and when they do its not nearly as funny, but there’s more than just pills now. In addition you’ll find shots of adrenaline providing a temporary boost in health as well as heightened senses. Don’t use it unless you have to though because it’ll leave you in worse shape overall. For teammates who are dying there’s also a defibrillator used to keep them alive. I suppose you could also Kill All Sonsabitches with it too, although I haven’t actually tried that, yet. You will also find containers of Boomer bile lying around that can be thrown at zombies to get them all in one area. A traitorous swine could also use it to betray a teammate who cracked wise about his mama when The Spitter showed up, but you’d have to be a bastard to do that. It begs the question as to who or what collected all the Boomer’s bile, or even how they did it. The best questions are the ones you don’t want to know the answer to.

There are quite a few things that are different. The enemy skins are more diverse although the game moves so fast you won’t even notice. If you pay attention you’ll even see a female Boomer, and I might not be sure but as I was being trampled to death the Tank looked like he’d gotten a new pair of pants. Valve always did have the gameplay down to a science for this game, but the variations of game types weren’t available in the demo so the jury is still out. The only real thing to complain about would be for the modders still working with Left 4 Dead 1. If there work will carry over or not seems to be an issue all on its own. The first game won’t magically disappear, but it will seriously reduce interest. For me the boycott came from a typically unexpected move from Valve. They’d always extended the life of their games and have never release a sequel this fast. All the Half Life’s had interchangeable assets, even updated in some cases. But in a move like this, it’s still awkward to see these changes however slight or effective be separating the two games in the most bizarre of ways. Identical on a genetic level, but their skin deep qualities affecting their interactions. Sort of like humans and zombies forever at war. I guess that is pretty fitting.

I’ve played God of War, Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, and a crap load of lesser variations on the genre. I came into this expecting to be met with staunchly archaic principles mixed in with boobs and pantie shots. I was half right, quarter right maybe. Surprisingly the game is not flashing the main character’s assets at you 100% of the time unlike the Tecmo games. 70% of the time max.

Try to take away her guns and you'll meet more than a witty campaign slogan.

The first thing I noticed while playing the demo was that everything was in English except for the controls. Character dialogue is spoken in English as well as the writing of some context sensitive menu items, but as for the combat you’re all on your own. Luckily it was easy to grasp once the tutorial mode rolled on. The game is fairly simple. One button allows you to kick, one dedicated to shooting and another delivers heavier sword based attacks. If anything the combat is deceptively simple. Anyone who has played Devil May Cry understands how interesting combat can be when you only have one main attack. Like that game you’re minus a block button, but Bayonetta is able to dodge most attacks with a click of a shoulder button.

Faced with my first batch of opponents the style of this game shown through. The most simplest attacks are made fresh again in this game. Shooting is handled by either targeting one opponent, or you can cycle through them quick in a over the shoulder type view that allows you to decimate multiple opponents. This allows you to distance yourself easily in a bind. I was relieved to finally find a game where projectile attacks didn’t feel completely useless. Bayonetta is capable of staying in the air far longer than you would expect, even if you’re used to Dante blasting off an unlimited supply of rounds from his twin guns.

Might as well stare, she's already gonna kill you.

One thing that sticks out is the ability to pick up and use the weapons of fallen enemies. At one point I equipped a spear of a fallen angel and began a combo. To my amazement Bayonetta began to…dance on the pole. Not only did she have the skills to pay the bills, but all the surrounding enemies were devastated. I can expect this to be just one of many signature touches that will be a staple of the character in the full game. This game knows how to sell to a crowd.

The demo features two mini-bosses and one end boss. They aren’t too deep or complex but they are completely fun. For the first boss it is essential to attack a glowing red spot on the giant’s back (give this game a break, the guy worked for Capcom). Sticking to aerial attacks and finishing it off with Bayonetta’s pistols earned me a miniature version of the monster’s axe. However the weapons don’t last indefinitely, I used up the item upon dispatching some enemies in the next room. The final boss in the demo was a bit more challenging. The character you are fighting is a woman similar to Bayonetta who is capable blocking your attacks. The best approach is to get behind her and knock her down without eating her stilettos. This was probably the more enjoyable of the fights as it required more creative execution of the attacks than simply wailing on it for a few minutes.

Even without a HUD your eyes gravitate to the lower right of the screen.

The set pieces in Bayonetta aren’t unexpected for a game in this genre but the touches added to them are very unique. The camera has a very different positioning for certain attacks and signature moves are impossible to miss. In order to defeat the two level bosses, Bayonetta removes her entire outfit and transforms it into a sort of dragon, eating the enemies alive. Yes, you will say holy crap when you do that the first time. Even the second.

I’m not quite sure exactly what is going on in the story, and I’m not altogether positive that it was because it was partly Japanese. Devil May Cry 4 didn’t make a whole lot of sense, Ninja Gaiden didn’t make a whole lot of sense, nothing in this genre makes a whole lot of sense. Bayonetta’s style carries the story more than anything, plus that fact that it is pure fun. It’s very hard to get bored when you’re attacking enemies, mainly because she’s constantly doing something new to switch things up. Every encounter feels fresh, every battle engaging. You couldn’t ask for much more to try out this game than that.

Yes, that is a naked woman feeding a colossus to her dragon dress.

Solidly convinced that this game is more than just She-Devil May Cry, I’m looking forward to its release in early January. If you don’t have access to a Japanese PSN or XBL account I suggest checking the signs for word on a US demo release. It’s definitely something you do not want to miss.

Don’t forget to check out the demo gameplay videos in HD over at Gamersyde.

You start off backstage while the band is ready to start the show. As you hand the guitarist with the Kabbage Boy shirt his guitar, you realize that the music you once knew and loved is long gone. Dead. As the band hits the stage, the guitarist decides to climb the beast decoration. During this scene, you’re given the option to censor out bad language just as Eddie is about to drop the F-bomb. In an obvious turn of events, the guitarist falls, you’re there to save him, and you disappear into the darkness. Before you know it, a huge piece of steel slab falls on you, crushing you to death. As blood pours out of your metal body and leaks down into your metal belt, out of metal hell comes a metal beast (literally) and releases a metal wave of destruction upon the non-metal; decapitating them… assuming you’re ok with gore. Yeah, this game is metal!

"Get outta my dreeaaams, and into my caaarr!"

You wake up to see a group of cult demons around an Axe in the center of the stage, which you will later realize is positioned atop a tower of death and despair! After an exchange of hilarious dialogue, you’re able to move around freely. Avoid picking up the Axe so you can hear the lines of Eddie. I found them hilarious. Your first obvious objective is to pick up the Axe, which goes by the name of The Separator, all the while avoiding the evil cult of evil hell! Once you pick up the Axe, which is controlled by the A button, a couple of basic moves become available. Tapping A will give you a light attack, while pressing and holding will give you a strong attack that will strike your opponent so hard it will decapitate them. Metal style! Just after picking up the Axe and defeating a couple of drones, you pick up another Axe, this time it’s a guitar and it’s named Clementine. The guitar also comes with a set of moves that are attached to the X button. Just like the Axe, you have a light and strong attack. Using both A and X gives you an AOE (area of effect) attack where it pushes away nearby enemies.

As you progress, more moves become available and both can be put into play for massive damage. The Left Trigger is reserved for targeting enemies. While targeted, moving the right analog stick will toggle between who you want to target. The B button is for blocking while the Y is reserved for picking up objects or action commands. The Right Trigger is for selecting solos that you can shred with your guitar. More on that later…

They should've called this game "Boobal Legend"....Ok no more bad captions.

Half way through the demo, you meet a female character that was also seeking Clementine. You team up with her to reek metal mayhem and learn moves in which you partner up to cause even more damage! Immediately after, you come across something known as Relic Raiser. It’s “A rare vine that grows wherever the land is steeped in legend.” Press the Right Trigger near a vine and select the Relic Raiser solo to begin. You have to press the corresponding button when necessary. It’s similar to music games of today. Once you rock that solo, a cut scene plays in which you put your roadie skills to work and build a vehicle that you lovingly name “The Deuce” or “The Druid Plow.” Once in the vehicle, the Left Trigger is used to go in reverse while the Right Trigger is to accelerate. B is for sharp turns and clicking in the Left analog is for nitro which will be used to defeat the boss which was quite easy. The short vehicle section was fairly easy. Just drive forward while running over anything you see in sight. When you reach your destined location and defeat a couple more cult demons, a huge skeletal creature appears and, you guessed it, boss battle time! You just have to circle around the vagina with teeth looking beast and avoid its attacks. Once it misses, you have to nitro boost into its tentacles that got stuck to the ground. After that, you’re done with the demo. Short and sweet…

The demo, while linear and fairly easy, got me hooked and wanting more metal mishaps. The sound track alone should please every metal head out there and if metal isn’t your style, the story and dialogue should be enough to keep you entertained. The game play itself falls a little short in the demo but I’m sure it’ll expand as you dwell deeper into the wonderful metal world that Tim Shafer has created. I’m looking forward to picking this up come October 13 and I recommend you do the same. In fact, we here a Couch Campus will take it a step further and provide the link as to where to reserve it! Here you go and rock on!

Arcade what you say? Let’s get this out of the way up front. Sim-racers are not a genre I can claim any expertise in. As far as racing games are concerned, I graduated to the PGR series from Sega GT on the original Xbox and loved every minute of them. To this man, other cars on the track are “braking opportunities” and corners should be taken sidewards to look good on replays. You aren’t going to find a rigorous analysis of Forza 3′s impressive physics model or a detailed critique of the representation of the 2009 Ferrari California vs it’s competitor’s games here.

Does this make me a bad person to write about Forza 3 then? Not really. Dedicated sim-racer communities are numerous and extremely vocal on the internet. The debates across the forums are some of the most savage and detailed you will ever come across. If Turn 10 have modeled an interior correctly or if the Ferrari doesn’t feel right, opinions on it will be ten-a-penny. I’m here because of a different reason, notably Activision’s purchase of PGR developer, Bizarre Creations.

In the eyes of many, Microsoft opting to not buy Bizarre was the death of PGR even if they still retain the IP with lip service to use it. Delivering the first party racing experience for Xbox 360 for the time being solely lies on the shoulders of Turn 10 studios. Their mandate for Forza 3 was pretty clear. Broaden the appeal of the franchise without alienating the existing fans who appreciate its realism and attention to detail. A tricky tightrope to walk if ever there was one.

Whether they will achieve this is hard to say from the demo but the encouraging signs are certainly there. Comprising of only one track, five cars and two laps it initially seems like a frugal offering, especially when things like the community features and livery editor are so key to making Forza what it is but the first two laps were great fun and I didn’t hesitate to have another go, and then another. Eventually I was fiddling around with the driving assists, the interface to which is deceptively simple but clearly hiding a lot of depth. It should be easy enough for gamers of all abilities to tweak the game to their liking, which should mitigate any concerns that it’s been dumbed down. Tempting as it might be to use the “rewind” feature (accessed via the back button), I didn’t bother. The game is fun and rewarding enough to simply have another go, rather than cheat that perfect lap-time.

The other main takeaway from it was the visuals. The jump from it’s predecessor is dramatic and initial reports of a lack of anti-aliasing are wide of the mark. It’s there for sure but barely noticeable when you’re zipping along at 60 FPS. The track in the demo (Comina Viejo) was especially impressive. The oft-demanded cockpit view is a little less so but at least it’s present.

For many Forza 2 was a little bit of a disappointment despite being a solid game. It didn’t look great, several features were cut and it offered nothing to the likes of me. My experience with that demo was short lived. Turn 10′s third offering has had the opposite effect and transformed a game I had less than a passing interest in to one which I’m keen to play a little more of. So far so good then but we’ll have a few months yet before we can assess lofty claims of it being “the definitive racing game of the generation”. At the very least though, it has a good chance of going some way to filling the hole left by that other Xbox racing franchise.

Forza 3 releases 27th October.

This is a similar style post as our Champions Online Impressions

For as long as people have traveled the globe, they’ve done so carrying stereotypes tucked neatly away along side their other baggage. Despite your best intentions, sometimes it’s difficult to check these preconceptions at the gate. Occasionally, such a stereotype may be based on a partial truth. These scenarios make it even more challenging to remain unbiased. In my virtual travels, this has always been the case with the Asian market for online games. You may think that Ireland is filled with hapless drunks, or that Jamaicans are all ganja smoking Rastafarian – I think that China and South Korea churn out a dozen new MMORPG’s a week, greatly favoring quantity over quality.

This past week marked the last stage of beta testing for NCSoft’s new entry into this crowded space: Aion: The Tower of Eternity. Having launched in South Korea nearly a year prior, Aion is now taking aim at the western market. With equal amounts of flash and polish, does Aion really break new ground, or is it just more of the same?

Ryk Jaams in search of a super freak.

The path you take into the world of Atreia is pretty routine. After selecting which server you wish to create a new avatar on, you’re asked to pick a faction. The factions in Aion follow a pretty common formula; one faction is light, and one is dark. Unlike many modern MMORPG’s, the faction you’re aligned with is mostly a matter of aesthetics. Both factions have the same basic and advanced classes, so your choice mainly decides how you look, and on which end of a shattered world you wish to reside. If you feel like you’ve done this all before – don’t worry – you probably have.

Once you decide on your server and faction, it’s time to design your toon. You can chose between four starting classes at this point in your career: a warrior, a scout, a priest or a mage. These ultimately branch off into eight more advanced professions. Warriors can become gladiators or templars; scouts can advance as rangers or assassins; priests graduate into chanters or clerics; and mages ascend as sorcerers and spiritmasters. The intricacies of each advanced class could fill their own wiki, so it would be wise to do a little research before diving headfirst into any position. With your class and sex established, it’s time to decide on your appearance.

Showing off my wings.

The character customization, like much of the Aion experience, is medley of good and bad. The fundamental elements of your toon’s appearance will be the same regardless of your faction. There are a reasonable number of body types and features to take in, and beyond those basic options, you’re given a great deal of freedom in your physical proportions. While the latter may add a little diversity to Atreia’s population, it regrettably results in some rather hideous designs. You can just as easily create a beautiful avatar, but some players opt for super-deformed toons. The world of Aion is populated with an unhealthy mix of beautiful avatars and genetic freaks.

For my journey through the open beta event, I chose to create an “Asmodian” scout named “Killandra.” I chose the Asmodian (dark) faction so I could start in the same area as my friends, but given the opportunity I would have opted for the alternative. The Asmodians are ugly creatures. While the details of their appearance are mostly identical to their rivals (the Elyos), they have a few unique characteristics that you won’t find on the catwalk anytime soon. It’s especially difficult to make an attractive female avatar when they have hooves for feet and long flowing hair on their backs. Despite my apprehension, “Killandra” was ready to explore her new world.

Typical MMO nerd banter.

As an Asmodian, you begin your quest as a mortal on the island of “Ishalgen.” While Aion features a sort of pop up as you play tutorial, this area will be your home for your toon’s first ten levels. Aion’s world is literally divided in two, having been physically split down the middle by a previous catastrophy. The world of Atreia was protected by divine forces, but the cataclysm that fractured the planet’s surface also divided its population. The two factions continued to evolve down separate paths, which altered their appearance based largely on their environments. The divine forces at play seem to have diverged on separate paths as well, and it’s the goal of every inhabitant of Atreia to ascend to a higher level of existence. While this all plays directly into the games rather convoluted plot, it also has a more practical effect. Once you’re ready to ascend, you can leave this area and travel to your faction’s main city, where you’re granted with your advanced profession – and a pair of wings.

Flight is possible, but not always convenient.

Flight marks one of the more unique aspects Aion’s gameplay, but it’s not without compromise. You can’t freely coast through every area, but there are zones which are partially open to free flight, and you can still glide through other areas given enough height to get off the ground. While Aion’s advanced movement didn’t weigh heavily upon my experience in the beta, I’ve heard that it shines in the later stages of “PvPvE” (Player versus Player versus Environment) combat. Aion’s “endgame” faces players off against one another (as well as NPC’s) in an area known as the Abyss, where guilds compete for control and influence. Having not experienced Aion’s PvPvE zone, I can only hope that it adds more variety to what can often be a routine experience.

Many of Aion’s mechanics are very traditional, but while it doesn’t often venture into new territory, it does conventional things mostly well. Combat is your typical timed affair, but offers a little action and diversity through skill chains. As you learn new skills, some will form a chain. When the first skill from a chain connects, it opens up the next, allowing you to unleash a combo of attacks on your enemy. Other MMORPG mainstays, such as gathering, crafting and trading, are also competently executed. Ultimately (and quite unfortunately) the traditional nature of Aion also marks some of its biggest faults. For every thing it does well, there’s a classic genre pitfall waiting to bring it down. For every exciting moment of gameplay, there’s a time-sink waiting around the bend, and you’ll be waiting for quest items and mobs to respawn as you compete with other players to complete identical missions.

The game makes use of in game cinemas -- but don't expect blockbuster performances

The games direction, from music, to art, to gameplay is a bit of a sensory overload. I only wish that every bit of this assault was successful. The graphics are lush and detailed, but every surprising detail is packed along side some equally surprising flaw. The low tech lighting and shader treatment aren’t especially shocking, but some of the games muddy, low resolution textures are. The music is similarly awesome and awful – orchestral scores giving way to grating rock guitar riffs in combat. For all of the ways that Aion assaults the senses, it’s a little unfortunate that it can’t do so with some measure of consistency.

Aion may be gearing up for its western release, but it’s hardly a game that has followed western trends. This game follows a pretty standard formula, and while it does add a few new twists, it’s very oldschool. If I felt like being more critical, I might even call it archaic, but it’s important to note where Aion succeeds as well. There’s something oddly appealing about all of this, and it even managed to draw me in. One thing is certain though: This is not a casual experience. Aion has been crafted from the ground up for the genres more dedicated followers, who are ironically the genres least demanding demographic. If you’re looking for an easy going MMO adventure, this is probably not your game.

Hardcore MMO junkies – welcome home!

The sun sets on another open beta.

Cassandra Prime

As with most online role playing games, Champions begins with the creation of an avatar (toon). Cryptic has upped the ante once again, and offers players an unheard of number of options. If you have played an average MMORPG, you’ve seen how simple most character creation is. Most games give you a very limited set of options in your appearance, relying mostly on equipment (loot) to diversify the population. Champions, like City of Heroes before it, doesn’t really have armor or clothing drops – Instead you’re given vast control over your avatars appearance. Through various sliders you can change nearly every detail of your physique. Combining this freedom with a plethora of costume pieces that you can mix, match, and color, you can create practically any hero you want.

The freedom granted by the astronomical tailoring options are only half of the creation process. You have to design your heroes abilities as well, or at least the path on which you’re going to build upon those abilities. The first job on your journey to Champion status is chose or create your own framework; the basis of your hero’s abilities. Basic frameworks include descriptions such as power armor, electricity, and telekinesis. The framework you chose mostly seems to dictate your initial statistics (strength, dexterity, etc), since you’re not limited to powers from one specific framework. The lack of any real class distinction adds a great deal of depth to the games progression and character building.

It’s easy to imagine that there will be an abounding variety of heroes in the Champions world; from knockoffs of old favorites, to entirely new and unique creations. The tailors you’ll find scattered throughout the game’s world allow for even more options. For a fee (in “gold”) you can visit an NPC who will allow you to create and save new costumes. You can even send your saved costumes to friends, who can then load them into their own game. For the purposes of the beta, my main toon (Cassandra Prime) was a mechanized female, who followed the basics of the power armor framework. Perhaps the most amusing creation I encountered was Jesus, complete with a white robe and halo; I didn’t bother to inquire about his superpowers or crime fighting prowess.

Not every creation has a human appearance.

After you’ve finished creating your Champion, you’re thrust into an entirely typical tutorial area. This “newbie zone” is a segregated instance where you will complete a series of quests designed to familiarize you with the game. It’s probably a necessity to have such a tutorial in your game, but it’s also a little unfortunate that you can’t skip it with your subsequent characters. In this area you’re given quests that will teach you the basics. You’ll learn how to dispense enemies; how your powers work; about different types of quests; and a bit of the back story. As tutorials go – it’s functional – a necessary evil.

Power Armor is all the rage!

One interesting aspect of the tutorial zone is the inclusion of one “Area Quest,” a feature shamelessly borrowed from Mythic’s Warhammer Online. In these “Area Quests,” players will participate in large groups. These players don’t have to be in your party; they just have to be in the area of the quest (in its duration) to participate. At the end of the area quest player’s participation is ranked and awards are given out accordingly.

Upon completing the tutorial zone, you may think that you’re ready for the real thing, but Cryptic disagrees. You are immediately given the option to move into one of two other instances, the Crisis In Canadian Wilderness, or the dryly named Desert Disaster. It’s in one of these instances that you will learn about crafting classes and progressing your character. This is the first area in which you’ll find a “Power House,” where you can upgrade your toon’s abilities. By visiting one of the power house trainers, you can spend your acquired points on new powers (or upgrade your old ones). Chose carefully, but know that you can adjust your choices freely until you leave, as well as “respec” your previous ten levels for an in game fee. Once you’ve finished the available quests in this zone, you’re finally ready!

Now you’ll find yourself in a more open world. There were three basic areas available in the beta: The Canadian Wilderness, The Desert, and Millennium City. All three areas contain a variety of sub-instances, all with their own quests and sights to see. Most of my time in the beta was spent running around Millennium City. Once you’ve gained your travel skills, it’s hard to resist flying to the tops of skyscrapers for some improvised platforming and base jumping. Unlike some other MMO games, there’s no server designation to choose from the beginning. All players seem to exist in the same central server, but even the over world is divided into instanced zones. It’s a little disappointing that there’s no real persistent over-world in Champions, but the illusion is kept safe by mostly seamless gaps between instanced zones within the environment.

Say "Cheese!"

The basic gameplay is a little more exciting than your typical MMO flair. Although the combat will seem familiar to those who have played any MMORPG since Everquest, it has its own unique twists that inject some excitement into a rather stale set of mechanics. Your powers are generally timed abilities, and their use is dictated mostly by their effect and cool down time. This method of “timed combat” is wholly conventional (almost cliche), but additional depth is added through assorted tweaks. You typically activate a power by either clicking on its icon on the heads up display, or by pressing the assigned hot-key; what is less than typical is the ability to tap and hold certain powers, using them in alternative ways. These options, combined with the ability to block, and the health and power orbs that will drop at the feat of felled enemies add a little more action to a traditionally dull combat model.

Player Versus Enemy (PvE) gameplay is about what you would expect from this genre. You go on quests, you gain rewards, you spend them on upgrading your toon. The “Area Quest” system puts Champion’s on the same page as most other modern MMORPG’s, but it’s still a little dull. The quest story lines are a little too easy to ignore. I found myself skimming through the NPC quest-giver’s dialog, discarding the story in favor for the goals I was being tasked with. This portion of the game is merely acceptable on the surface, but it’s potentially enhanced by one of the games most unique features: The Nemesis. When your toon reaches level 25, you can craft your own nemesis, with all of the tools and options granted by the initial character building. This character becomes a key figure in your Champion’s story, which will likely add some excitement to the PvE portion of the game.

Mind.... Slayer?

The Player Versus Player (PvP) component is also a pretty standard fare. As with many games in this genre, PvP instances are a menu click away. You can browse a list of available games from any location by clicking on the “queues” button on the HUD. From here you can jump in line and get ready for a little superhero mayhem. The basic mechanics don’t differ from PvE, but it is a little more dramatic facing off against other people, instead of brain dead enemy AI. The most interesting PvP game available in the open beta was a prison escape scenario; one team played a group of captured villains trying to break free, while the opposing team tried to prevent their escape. It’s a little hard to gauge versus gameplay without further exposure, but it wasn’t hard to see the potential. I am lividly opposed to RPG gaming as serious competition (that belongs to other genres), but fun is fun.

While it’s impossible to form any lasting opinion in this genre from such a short experience, my time spent in Millennium City was simply a blast. Champion’s shares some of the genres common pitfalls, but it also manages to set itself apart from the pack. By layering a bit of action into gameplay that has been recycled since the early days of the genre, Cryptic Studios has created a world that will appeal to old and new players alike, and the campy humor peppered into the Champions world pays honor to its inspiration and solidifies it as fantastic geeky fan service.

I may not have stayed long, but my vacation in the realm of Champion’s Online has piqued my interest in one day returning to Millennium City. It may not be soon though – there are other vistas to visit first.

Like every other project that Bungie has worked on, they’ve been mum on the story with the exception of a couple of tid-bits. The story takes place during Halo 2 as Master Chief jumps into slip-space in chase of the Prophet of Truth. The game begins with a change of objective at the last minute and you know nothing about it. So as you’re dropping in your HEV (Human Entry Vehicle), the tear in slip-space drops you and your team out of trajectory. You wake up in a destroyed New Mombasa alone with your crew no where to be found. So you do what every one will do… go and find them. While you’re searching for them, the Covenant is looking for something beneath the streets. You’re free to roam the city as you please while you excavate for clues as to where your crew may be. You then befriend a little AI that goes by the name SuperIntendent. This little guy with help you along the way while warning you of near-by enemies. As you find clues, you’ll flashback in time and instead of watching a boring cut-scene of what happened, you’ll play it instead. Isn’t Bungie awesome?

There's nothing funny about this image at all. People died here.

If you went to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), ComicCon, GamesCon, or are following the ODST Tour Bus, chances are you got your hands on time with Bungie’s new multiplayer mode named Firefight. If you haven’t then shame on you! If you’ve played Gears of War 2 and enjoyed Horde mode, then you’ll love this mode. There are a couple of big differences in Firefight, One of the main ones is that you have lives, and once all of those lives deplete, the game is over. You entire team grabs from that pool of lives so you’re only as strong as your weakest link. In Couch Campus’ case, that would be Phaethon. Also, there are 5 waves of enemies in a round and 3 rounds in a set. After every set, you get a bonus round where you can get additional lives. World around town is that there are 99 sets totally but Bungie has said it never ends so we’ll have to wait and see. Another big difference is that after every round, different Skulls activate making it for a greater challenge and a different experience every time.

Everyone wants to get their hands on Johnson. Ha.

If you’re expecting a completely new way of playing, well, you won’t see it here. You’ll have to wait till Halo: Reach. Halo 3: ODST is running off the same engine as… you guessed it! Halo 3. There are minor tweaks and differences that change the game-play some what but if you kicked butt as the Chief, you’ll kick butt as the rookie… just not as easily. Expect a full review when the game comes out. Till then, check out Bungie.net to stay posted on the newest update on the game. See ya guys and PREPARE TO DROP!

I loved the first game’s demo to bits. Granted, this was back in mid 2006 when there was jack squat to play on the Xbox 360, and game demos on Xbox Live was a rare treat. Still, I loved it. It wasn’t so much the infantry controls that hooked me, but the being able to take down these awesome foes in Vital Suit (big mech) or sticking it out with your shotgun and assault rifle. Naturally the VS was always the most fun. But having a large Akrid ambush you just as soon as you’d gotten settled having to scurry to your mech was an adrenaline rush. That few seconds it took to power up gave you all the time you needed to figure out how best to take it down. Sure the combat wasn’t deep – the weak points glowed! But it was fun regardless. Each encounter’s experience heightened all the more by the incredible graphics. The original Lost Planet was the first game to make me love Capcom’s graphics engine. Sorry Dead Rising, I liked you too, but the explosions in LP were killer.

"That's really as close to it as you want to be." - That's what she said.

Now seeing where I come from on the first you can better gauge my impressions of the latest venture into planet E.D.N. III. Without hesitation I rounded up a few buddies and stepped directly into the online co-op mode. From there on it was a little jarring getting used to everything again, but after a few minutes I got the hang of things. I was unprepared for how challenging the new bosses would be. The one featured in this one is nothing less than a beast. Scale is everything this time around. You will not only tackle this monster from the outside, but from within. Damaging the enormous creature to the point of exhaustion will cause it to lie down with its mouth agape. Also for the unfortunate soul, it is possible to be swallowed whole by the creature in trying to avoid it. Once inside the player must contend with a horde of smaller Akrid from the first game as well as attempt to strike the core of the beast. You will have a limited amount of time to do this before you meet a “dark ending.” That’s right. You aren’t going out the way you came in.

"Get in mah belly!"

It’s important to keep an eye on your team’s Battle Gauge. Dying will reduce the amount of points your team has, and when that runs out you have no more respawns to attack the creature. The best way to increase your Battle Gauge is to activate key markers around the map. Doing so will also restore and add to your individual T-ENG supply that will heal you and power your Vital Suit. I recommend getting in one of those by the way. This thing has a lot of legs, and getting stepped on is easy whilst on foot. Plus when on the ground its easier to be damaged by its EMP attack which will cause you to dump your T-ENG reserves in order to save your life.

Leave it to the Japanese to figure out the best way to attack a giant monster.

It took us a little while to get the concept of how best to take on this thing but we eventually got a handle on things. Team work isn’t quite as important as in other games, but it is very rewarding. Just because your buddy is at the head of the creature doing damage to it and you’re behind it doesn’t mean you’re safe from harm. It will thrash it’s tail at you with razor sharp spikes capable of taking you out instantly. There really is no safe spot from this thing as it is the size of at least a tenth of the entire map and is capable of climbing or attacking you from any surface or nook and cranny you might find to hide. The best approach being to remove its legs and then forming a boarding party into its colon. The four of you can then manage the Akrid inside as well as bombard its intestines with as much firepower as you see fit.

A few minor details seemed to have been improved from the first game. You don’t seem to get knocked down as much, leaving you defenseless as in in the first game. But until you’re up against snow pirates that’s hard to tell. The aiming is still the same so if that was a bother for you in the first (not sure why it would be) you’re out of luck. There’s a sprint feature now that sort of screws up the whole point of roadie running. You view your main character’s butt the entire time while he just kind of runs. It really feels awkward and it looks just as bad. It gets the job done but it could be improved. Other than that there is nothing that will stop me from picking this game up when it’s released in 2010. I liked the first game a lot, flaws and all, and co-op just makes it a much more enjoyable experience.