The Lair of the Monkey

No doubt you’re wanting to know what’s coming soon that will be worth playing, as I haven’t had a lot of time to get some new dates on here.  As I’ve been neglecting you all, here’s a hot gaming picks update for the coming months (it’s also sort of a wish list for what I want to play soon):

• Silent Hill: Homecoming (Xbox 360, PS3) - 31/10/08
• Alan Wake (Xbox 360) - 28/11/08
• Fable II (Xbox 360) - 24/10/08
• Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - 24/10/08
• Dead Space (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - 24/10/08
• Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows (Xbox 360, PC, PS3, Wii, PS2 etc) - 24/10/08
• Fallout 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) - 31/10/08

So, it looks as though this year’s gaming drought is actually now firmly over.  My head tells me that Fallout 3 will be an absolutely massive gaming experience, both in terms of how good it is and the literal scope of the game.  However, my heart is telling me that I’m most excited for Silent Hill: Homecoming.  I simply cannot wait to play this game.  I hope Konami/Double Helix Games get this right and have it filled with deep, dark atmosphere.

My copy of PURE arrived for Xbox 360 a few days ago but unfortunately I’ve not had a huge amount of time to play it.  However, first impressions are extremey good so far.  It is:

• Fast and hectic
• Not too easy
• Great racing fun

To be honest, I was expecting it to be completely set up for the casual gamer, with no additional thought for those who want a more involving game.  Brilliantly though, you can modify your ATV(s), change riders and mess around with stunts until you find what suits your style.  It’s really a joy when you first start a race with a huge bunch of other riders - especially true when you’re online.

I’ll be playing PURE more this weekend so expect a full review this week.  I was right in my prediction though, it does have a feel of Motocross Madness (that came out for the PC all those years ago), but that’s by no means a bad thing.  In fact, it makes for fun, addictive gameplay that you can simply pick up any time.

No, not an actual date with a Persian prince (well, that’s Iran now anyway and doesn’t have any Princes), but a date for the new game on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC:
The Prince will Reign December 2, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 18 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced that Prince of Persia will ship December 2, 2008 for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. Prince of Persia: The Fallen King will also ship simultaneously and exclusively for the Nintendo DS(TM) system.

Prince of Persia opens an entirely new chapter in the Prince of Persia universe in addition to introducing a fresh Illustrative art style, evolved combat system, open world structure and dynamic AI – most notably in the form of the Prince’s powerful ally Elika.

About Prince of Persia
Set in a land rooted in ancient Persian mythology, the Prince finds himself caught in an epic battle between the primal forces of light and darkness: the God of Light, Ormazd versus his brother Ahriman, the destructive God of Darkness. The Prince arrives just in time to witness the destruction of the legendary Tree of Life – an act which threatens to plunge the entire world into eternal darkness. Manifested in the form of the Corruption, a dark substance that physically contaminates the land and the skies, the Prince must partner with Elika, a deadly companion, to heal the world from the evil Corruption.

About Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
Facing imminent danger, the Prince flees to a deserted kingdom that seemingly offers sanctuary. Already touched by the evil Corruption, a dark substance that physically contaminates the land and the skies, the kingdom is filled with adventure, challenge and intrigue. As the Prince seeks a way to fight the spreading Corruption destroying the land, he encounters a partially infected creature that promises salvation. But is the creature truly an ally or merely an enemy in disguise? It seems this perilous alliance may be the only way for the Prince to face the forces of darkness and save the Persian kingdom from the Corruption once and for all.

There’s no doubting that when it comes to Peter Molyneux, his games are normally quite good.  However, they are never the thoroughly excellent gems that he promises to bring to the table.  The reason for this?  Well, I still personally think that he aims too high.  There’s almost TOO MUCH ambition in there.  Instead, the game he wants to make is only able to be fully realised in about five years time.  As for this ‘one button does everything lark’ in Fable II, well it won’t be very appealing to me after the hard-as-nuts Ninja Gaiden II sessions I’ve been having (I do know there is a ‘rhythm’ to fights in Fable II on the Xbox 360 that does make it sound a little more interesting).  Nonetheless, I love to hear what the big man has to say, and this time he has come out with this gem:

“I think for a long time I mistook the number of features in a game for how good the game will be,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that’s wrong. I’ve got a great analogy. I think a lot of my games in the past, I’ve been like a cook [and I] just keep shoving ingredients in the pot thinking ‘oh, I need more of this, more of that.’ I never tasted it, and then normally it tasted a bit weird at the end. And now what I’ve realized is it’s not the number of features you’ve got in the game, it’s the way those features work together.” (from MTV Multiplayer).

So, what can we take from that?  Frankly, I have no idea.  Here’s hoping that he’s going to take one simple concept and make one simply amazing game.  After all, some of the most appealing games have simplicity at their core.  Just look at Tetris, WOW (the repetition of levelling), Mario Bros, Ikaruga (simple concept, really freaking hard), Lemmings and so on.  Maybe it’ll even be something like Archer Maclean’s Mercury?!  Who knows.  Let’s not get too excited just yet though.

Over at The Average Gamer there’s a great post on Oblivion and how the UI isn’t up to scratch.  Check it out, then come back here.  Here’s some reasons why I liked the Oblivion User Interface (I played it on the PC):

• It was fairly straightforward
• Compared to something like Neverwinter Nights 2 it was downright simple
• Items were grouped by type
• The Journal section was brilliant for keeping tabs on quests
• The view of your character let you see exactly what the modifications you made were doing
• One key lets you access everything

Perhaps Oblivion is made for those who’ve played many, many other roleplayers.  If you have ever had to inventory manage for something like Ultima 7 (on the PC, another amazing roleplaying game) then you’d see the leaps and bounds that we’ve come to get to where we are today.  That’s not to say that we can’t keep improving however.  What I will sign off with is that i found Oblivion to be one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time.  Everything from the graphics to the gameplay seemed to be of quite a polished standard.  I just hope that Bethesda can do the same for Fallout 3 and I’ll be happy.

Nonsensical title aside, if you’re looking for a new RPG to play on your Xbox 360, you could certainly do a lot worse than Infinite Undiscovery (it’s an exclusive by the way).  There’s some great character models, a nice world, decent battles and some exciting enemies.  Unfortunately, some might find it short, a little repetitive and ultimately far less engaging than, say, Eternal Sonata (also an Xbox 360 exclusive).  However, if you are a big fan of RPG’s and completed most others on the Xbox 360, it is still worth a look.  Here’s the blurb:

• Epic new action adventure RPG gameplay from tri-Ace, creators of the Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile series
• Seamless real-time action means no separation between exploration and combat - the only thing punctuating your adventure will be the game’s amazing action sequences!
• Unique situation battles - escape the clutches of giant ogres, run from dragons’ fiery breath and even fight while a tsunami approaches!
• Command a party of four in real-time to seize victory
• Stunning visuals bring a complex world to life
• Stirring orchestral soundtrack from the composer of Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile
• Seventeen characters join the hero, Capell, each with a unique “Connect Action” that allow you to take direct control
• Episodic “situational battles” urge you to think before you engage
• The twisting, 30-hour storyline was co-written by Ryo Mizuno, creator of Record of Lodoss War

Unfortunately, when you’re seriously ill, you can’t get much gaming done.  It’s surprising how many people say “well at least you’re not at work”, to which I’ve replied - “well, having emergency surgery isn’t exactly a fair tradeoff now is it?”.

There’s an assumption that because I’m at home I’m able to do stuff.  Try having your abdomen operated on, see how it works.  You’ll find that you quickly realise that you use it for far more than you think, let alone considering any sort of complications (of which I’ve had a few).

I can say that I’m grateful to finally be able to do this short update to my gaming blog though, as I’ve missed creatively writing about computer and video games.  I have enjoyed playing the following on the PSP though:

• Final Fantasy Tactics
• Archer Maclean’s Mercury
• Silent Hill: Origins

Other than that, not a lot of gaming has gotten done.  I will complete Ninja Gaiden 2 eventually, I’m sure!  I’m quite looking forward to Mirror’s Edge and Dead Space, those are my two future hot picks.  What I will say, returning to the title, is that gaming is a hobby best enjoyed when well.  Otherwise, like with most other things, if you really are ill, you probably just can’t be bothered to pick up the controller…