Monday Impressions: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a new twist in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Ever since It's official reveal even before Konami decided to pass the project over to Platinum Games, I was excited. An action game set in the Metal Gear Solid world with Raiden once again in the spotlight. I gave the public demo a try on my Xbox 360 and quickly noticed that this is will be one hell of a stress reliever.

The demo released is the same demo included in the Zone of Enders HD Collection. It's a good 20-30 minutes of your time. Once you run the demo, you see the menu screen with Raiden in great detail rotating every once in awhile showing a different angle of his pose. I don't really care much about game menus, but this one was impressive. Once I pressed start, I only had two options: Story or Options. I quickly started Story which only showed three modes: easy, normal, and hard, with hard the only option unavailable. I went with normal and I was then given the choice to try the tutorial.

With it being my first time, I tried it out. The tutorial stage has the VR mission look seen in past Metal Gear games that gave a bit of nostalgia. Object like floating cubes, barrels, and even watermelons are found in the stage to practice your cutting skills. We all know Revengeance's biggest feature is blade mode - Holding down the left trigger activates blade mode, which then allows you to slice the target in front of you in any angle you want by either using the right stick or the attack buttons. Just like the first gameplay demo showcasing the cutting feature, I went up to the watermelons all neatly placed on the tables, and started slicing them into small pieces like a pro. It was weirdly satisfying and I was actually now eager to test this blade on actual enemies.

After the tutorial ended, you are given a short cutscene. A small briefing was given as we see Raiden heading to his destination via a small bomber-like plane. The graphics look amazing and after Raiden lands on the beach, we were given control. I was still craving for more slicing, so every tree, barrel and rock I  saw on that beach was cut into pieces. Once I had nothing else to cut, I moved forward and encountered my first batch of enemies.  With the light attack and heavy attack buttons, I hacked away and just after the combo finishes, I enter Blade Mode and finish them off, seeing the human cyborgs getting sliced up in slow motion. Once you slice him enough, you are given the option to press X which let's Raiden consume the enemy cyborg's electrolytes. These cyborg juices replenishes Raiden's life.

After the first batch, you move forward and the game informs you that you can go behind an enemy and kill them from above or behind by simply pressing X when told to do so. That is pretty much the stealth portion of the game which I hope doesn't force players to sometimes play in the shadows to move forward. We had too much of the stealth approach in MGS, I wanted blood, or rather, those electrolytes. Once your done assassinating, you enter this open area filled with different avenues to approach each enemy. You can tell already that they are giving the players the choice on how to engage. There's an augment mode which can be used by pressing the up on the D-pad. It highlights enemies and other points of interest in the area, a way to scout what you're getting into. Sneaking isn't a big portion of the gameplay, it looks like it's just there when you want to use it. I was able to go behind a guy and assassinate, but after that, I just went on the main road and alerted everybody in the area.

The famous alert sound from MGS with the exclamation point above the enemy's head return in Revengeance and I quickly find myself going against a couple of cyborg soldiers and two of those Gekko's that first appeared in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot. During the fight, the game teaches me about parry, which is pretty much the only means of defense. I had no roll, and it felt like I had to just stand my ground and parry any attack coming my way. I kept going in their face, deflecting anything they throw at me, while activating Blade Mode to finish each one off.

After I had cleared the area, a report pops up showing how well I performed giving me my stats and rank for that fight. Hopefully that won't happen in every encounter, but I do enjoying seeing how well I did. Instead of moving forward, I decided to look around since I noticed how big this area was. With the right trigger, holding it down lets Raiden sprint and make him react to certain environments making him jump ledges, and climb boxes smoothly. While exploring, there were crates that have consumable items for Raiden to pick up like healing items and even grenades and rocket launchers that can be used if equipped, Metal Gear Solid style. Rockets do damage, and grenades seem to stun enemies like the Gekko's, but it's quite hard to use them effectively in a fight. It was unusual to see Raiden use these equipment, but hopefully they come out useful in the full game because I simply ignored using them.

I then enter the next room and a cutscene occurs. Raiden is welcomed with a chainsaw that barely touches his jaw. The chainsaw slices up the corridor forcing it to collapse. Now in the streets, Raiden gets acquainted with IF Prototype LQ84i, a beast-like AI machine with a chainsaw as it's tail tasked to kill him.  This is obviously a boss fight and it was fairly easy thanks to the parry system. After he takes a few hits, he jumps on a high ledge and calls for reinforcements. I slice them all up and the beast-like machine comes down for another go. Rinse and repeat.

After beating the AI, that was sadly the end of the demo. I wanted more! The fights were exhilarating. Blade mode was a lot of fun and the music played once a fight starts the mood right especially during the boss fight. I was worried they would change it up a bit to give the game its own identity, but no, It looks and feels like a Metal Gear Solid game (which I was hoping for) but with a good twist. The UI, the cutscenes, they even included the codec making Raiden call his teammates to do some small talk. Staying true to the Metal Gear Solid world, while providing a satisfying combat system, makes this a game I'll most likely get when it hits shelves this week.

You can check out Migoy's impressions in the video below.

[Updated]First look at Bungie's new game - Destiny

Bungie has finally lift the lid on their new project with Activision. The first look comes as a ViDoc which shows and explains the now independent developer's vision for Destiny. Check it out below. 

Bungie also released the official description of the game via Bungie's forums:

Everything changed with the arrival of the Traveler. It sparked a Golden Age when our civilization spanned our solar system, but it didn't last. Something hit us, knocked us down. The survivors built a city beneath the Traveler, and have begun to explore our old worlds, only to find them filled with deadly foes.

You are a Guardian of the last safe city on Earth, able to wield incredible power. Defend the City. Defeat our enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost.

Key features: -The next evolution of entertainment - an incredible story set within a newly-imagined, always-connected universe filled with action and adventure.

-Create your character, forge your legend by defeating powerful foes, and earn unique and customized weapons, gear and vehicles.

-Unprecedented variety of FPS gameplay that redefines the genre breaks traditional conventions of story, cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, combined with public and social activities.

Destiny is an online game and requires internet connection at all times, even when you play solo. bungie quickly clarified that this game will not have any monthly subscriptions, but also won't be Free-To-Play, which confirms that this game is somewhat an MMO-ish kind of experience. The ex-halo developers is really focusing on the social aspect in the game, hoping that this game will be something you'd like to play with friends for hours. There won't be any main menus to pair up players, everything will be done in-game. The best way i can describe a concept like this is that it may be similar to the online features of PS3's exclusive PSN title Journey - You play and explore the game, then you will stumble upon another player that might be going the same way, so you decide to work together.

With gameplay, it's going to be very familiar since this is Bungie after all, and we know damn well that they do good with FPS. The game will definitely have a competitive side, but they haven't talked into detail on how it will work in this world.

It's hard to pinpoint Destiny's genre aside from it being a FPS, but Activision is calling this a “shared world shooter”. GameIndustry reports that Destiny will have persistent worlds with sandbox-like elements.

Players will be able to customize their guardians looks, weapons, abilities, and even their own ship which can be used to travel from planet to planet. There are three confirmed classes so far - The Hunter, the Warlock, and the Titan. Not much details on the classes at this point.

Destiny will be available on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but no PC. This is a bit strange and I'm sure a lot of PC gamers are outraged by this decision. Bungie considers themselves a "console shooter", so don't expect any PC port anytime soon. No release date was give, but is expected to launch this year.

Released concept art of the game can be seen below.

UPDATE: Activision confirms that Destiny is not set for a 2013 release, when? To be announced...

The Last of Us delayed to June 14

Updated your calendars because Naughty Dog needs more time to polish The Last of Us. Originally planned for a May 7 release, this PS3 exclusive is now coming out on June 14.

The Uncharted developers made the announcement on Playstation's official blog:

"As we entered the final phase of development for The Last of Us, we came to realise just how massive Joel and Ellie's journey is. But instead of cutting corners or compromising our vision, we came to the tough decision that the game deserved a few extra weeks to ensure every detail of The Last of Us was up to Naughty Dog's internal high standards.

"As a team we pride ourselves on setting a very high quality bar for every aspect of our games - gameplay, story, art, design, technology and more. We want to make sure The Last of Us raises that bar even further - for ourselves, and most importantly, our fans.

"The extra wait will be very short and your patience will be rewarded. Update your calendars. You won't even have to change seasons. The Last of Us will be available June 14, 2013. Until then, know that we will be working extremely hard to deliver an experience that matches your high expectations."

The Last of Us is the only PS3 exclusive I'm excited for this year. Take all the time you need to polish the game, but hopefully this is the last delay we will see for Naughty Dog's latest.

[source: PS Blog US]

Pick 5: Remembering THQ's Best

Just in case you don't know, the video game publisher THQ has gone bankrupt recently and has auctioned all their studios and franchises to the highest bidder.  It's sad to see a great publisher go out like this, but the game industry is still a business. To pay tribute to the now bankrupt publisher, here are a couple of great games that came out of the company. 

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II

There were tons of Warhammer 40k games, but the one title that really stood out from the rest was Dawn of War II. A game that I've played for hours online thanks to it's addicting gameplay. It didn't have base building, but has a squad system that makes each unit crucial for your success. It can get intense even in the campaign and I considered it one of my personal favorite RTS games. In a span of two years after it's release in 2009, it earned two expansions. The developer, Relic Entertainment, was bought by SEGA during the THQ auction.

Metro 2033

Ha! I started playing Metro 2033 last weekend and was able to finish it before writing this, and I can now say that from start to finish - It's a great game. It has a lot of interesting mechanics behind this fairly new franchise, and together with an appealing post-apocalyptic setting, I just can't wait for Metro: Last Light. Thankfully the property was purchase and is now under the Koch Media banner A.K.A Deep Silver (Dead Island). Development for the sequel is still underway, but no other details were given after the sale.

Saint's Row: The Third

I'd like to call this as THQ's Grand Theft Auto with a sense of humor. I wasn't too keen on previous Saint's Row titles, but the third was so over the top that It kept me entertained for hours. The story was so ridiculous that I was eager to start the next mission. It's even a great coop game that also scratches that sandbox itch. The developers, Volition Games, was also bought by Koch Media and they even bought the property rights to the Saint's Row franchise.

Red Faction: Armageddon 

Also developed by Volition, Red Faction: Armageddon is the fourth Red Faction game and retained the unique feature of destructible environments. They took it a bit farther in Armageddon by not only giving players the ability to destroy everything around you, but also the ability to rebuild. Still set in Mars, Armageddon is a more linear affair compared to the open world Red Faction before it. With the ability to destroy and rebuilt, packed with the addicting magnet gun, Armageddon was a great sequel to move the Red Faction series forward. Sadly, the Red Faction series was not picked up during the THQ auction sale.  Volition was saved but so far no publisher has no interest of owning this franchise.

Darksiders 1 and 2

Darksiders, developed by Vigil Games, is a rare gem. An action adventure series that tried to be different. In the first game, they added so many elements to the gameplay, bringing a lot of variety to the game. It also incorporated the hardly used lock-on system mostly used in The Legend of Zelda games. It was considered one of the best new IP's to come out of 2010, and that's saying a lot considering that this is the first ever game for the developers. Sequel came and they continue to bring something new to the table by adding a leveling system and loot system on top of everything else. During the THQ auction sale, the Darksiders property and Vigil Games did not receive a single bid, destroying any possibility of having a third Darksiders game. Hopefully, a company would see the potential in the Darksiders series (Platinum Games is considering it) but so far no dice.

R.I.P THQ. If you'd like to read more about the bankruptcy case, you can check out this Forbes article. And if you want to see the final results of the THQ auction sale, have a look at Kotaku's article.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen New Enemies Trailer

Capcom released a new trailer for Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, an expansion to the 2012 Shadow of Colossus-ish open world RPG. The trailer gives us a good look at the added monsters you get to face in Dark Arisen. Check it out below.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen will be available on April 23 and will include the original game together with the expansion. I considered Dragon's Dogma as one of the best games of 2012, so I can't wait for Dark Arisen to hit the stores. It's priced at $40 instead of the regular $60 for new titles, so expect a good deal when it hit's the Philippines.