DJ Hero Preview

article was originally featured on sleeperhit.net

When the flood of music games hit, from Guitar Hero to Rock Revolution to everything in between, we all knew a DJ game had to be coming our way at some point. On Oct, 27 Activision will release DJ Hero for the home consoles, and it’s something gamers should be looking forward to if they’re not already.

Compared to DJ Max, the Konami predecessor commonly found in arcades, DJ Hero has an easier learning curve–like Guitar Hero compared to Guitar Freaks. But DJ Hero isn’t a rehash of the Guitar Hero formula that gamers will be able to jump into right away.

The first thing that’ll jump out is the amount of multitasking needed to play. Like other music games, DJ Hero has notes that scroll down on different colored paths asking gamers to press the corresponding button. What breaks the norm is the addition of the cross fade, which mixes the left and right tracks, and the scratching elements that create an interplay between the turntable and the three colored buttons.

This is where the multitasking element comes in. As players tap to the beat, they’ll have to flick the slider to the correct track while scratching in the correct direction on the turntable. Then players will have to adjust an effects knob that affects their multiplier on certain notes (the equivalent of the guitar’s whammy bar), all while maintaining accuracy to build up “euphoria” and a score multiplier.

It sounds simple in concept, but it’s hard to execute at first–especially on the higher difficulties.

Another feature that’s specific to DJ Hero is the rewind ability that’s gained after holding an x4 multiplier. The rewind is activated by spinning the turntable backwards 360 degrees and it causes the track to rewind so players can perfect a prior section for more points. When this seemingly small feature is combined with euphoria, DJ Hero’s version of star power, it adds a unique, new level of engagement.

The demo offers three mixes on one setlist: (I Heard It Through the) Grapevine/Da Funk, Hollaback Girl/Give It To Me Baby, and Boom Pow/Satisfaction. There’s a short break between mixes, which keeps players involved until the end of the three songs–much like how a real DJ wouldn’t stop the music between songs. Each mix has a different gameplay style: tap-, mixing- or scratch-heavy. The three tracks are a lot of fun, and if the full game lives up to these songs then wannabe DJs should have plenty to look forward to.

A fourth song is available, a Beastie Boys/Foo Fighters mix, but was on the demo’s guitar-and-turntable option. This mode wasn’t playable with a guitar, but it showed how the two instruments are compatible by converting the other half of the song into a standard Guitar Hero track. This feature will be worth its weight in proverbial gold if there’s one turntable and plenty of guitars lying around.

The accompanying visuals are what you’d expect from the Hero line of games, with lots of colored backdrops and trendy camera angles. The demo only offers one generic club setting, but Activision boasts that the full game will have iconic nightclubs along with house parties set in the Hollywood Hills to spin tracks in.

On the hardware side is the turntable. The worst possible scenario that could happen would be if the turntable were like the first generation of Guitar Hero controllers: small, cheap, and not much to look at. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the DJ Hero turntable. Its buttons, knobs, and sliders are laid out intuitively, and it isn’t nearly as cheap as it looks in the photos.

One problem with the controller is the cross fade slider. In the middle of a game, it’s hard to tell whether or not the slider is centered or slightly off to one side. This can cause a missed transition to the other track when you unexpectedly have to push harder to overcompensate for the center notch. It’s something that won’t ruin the game, but it will take time to adjust to.

NHL 2k10 Preview

article was originally featured on sleeperhit.net

If there’s one thing sports fans love more than paying for an overpriced beer at the game it’s wearing their team’s jersey. NHL 2K10 by 2K Sports will debut on September 15 and aims to bring a true-as-possible hockey experience to gamers across all three home consoles. The development team for 2K10 sat down with a group of journalists on a conference call to discuss the direction of this installment in the NHL 2K franchise.

Looking back at 2008’s NHL 2K9 development, Ben Bishop, producer for both NHL 2K9 and 2K10, described the experience as challenging. It’s the first time the development team has worked with the game’s new code base and their first venture, and hockey’s first venture, on the Wii.

When it was time to start on NHL 2K10 Bishop said “We [the development team] were really excited right from the beginning to see what we could do. I think we’re all really happy with the final product.” Since the majority of sports game releases are annual it’s a constant struggle to improve upon the last game. The development team made it apparent the focus for NHL 2K10 were the graphics, fine tuning the control scheme and updating the online multiplayer.

Bishop says gamers can expect a big improvement in the graphics over last year’s NHL 2K9. “We have a brand new player model. The player’s proportions, uniforms and smaller details look a lot better” Bishop says, “We redid all of our player likenesses. I think there are so many players in the game that look spot on.”

These graphical improvements aren’t solely limited to the player models. 2K also redid the introductions for the teams that take place before each game. These introductions show off the detail that has been put into the venues and give gamers a genuine “ live game” experience, as if they’re at the hockey ring, ready to watch the away team get slammed.

Then of course there’s the tweaked gameplay. NHL 2K10’s gameplay will slower, compared to previous years. Abe Navarro, lead gameplay producer, explains that “when we say we’re slowing down the pace, we’re not slowing down the game by any means. Hockey is a really fast sport. What we’re doing is slowly taking back the up and down gameplay.” This adjustment will have players and their opponents, both physical and artificial, cycle the puck and play the appropriate positions more, making for a better overall game of hockey.

Another issue of 2K9’s that’s been addressed is the advantage given to AI defenders, which let them move faster than a gamer-controlled skater. The development team changed this flaw by making the AI smarter. AI controlled skaters will now, reportedly, have more options like stick lifts, checks and positioning.

Gamers will see an improvement in the way the controls handle, most notably on the Wii. NHL 2K10 is compatible with the Motion Plus attachment, so gamers can expect to see a 1-1 ratio in the puck handling for both shooting and passing. When gamers shoot for a goal the choice of shot they make will depend on the amount of movement used. A flick of the wrist gives players wrist shots while larger movements will have the virtual athlete correspond with a harder-hitting slap shot; even corresponding transitional movements will relate appropriately. Passing has been changed to work similarly, players will now need to press the “A” button as they flick and pass. Still, this year’s motion controls are a step back from 2K9’s motion-heavy configuration, which the development team thought to be overpowering. Retro controls are also available for gamers who’d rather not flail around when passing the puck.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, which the development team says are almost identical across all fronts, will use the right analogue stick for improved passing and defense mechanics. When playing defense, gamers can push the right stick in any direction making blocks more accurate. The development team simplified the passing mechanics that many considered clumsy in 2K9. Instead of the timing-sensitive button presses, gamers hold the pass button down until their player has possession of the puck, only to release it, passing the puck in the process.

Like the sports they represent, sports video games are competitive and it’s essential to have a good, if not great, online component. 2K10 will deliver its multiplayer options along with an interface that allows gamers to invite friends to a game with a few simple button presses. NHL 2K10 will bring the franchise mode online, where players can play a season with friends. Along with franchise mode, the development team has added a create-team mode allowing players to take their fantasy team online.

Personalized teams allow gamers to invite up to 15 friends to participate in matches. Out of these 15, whoever is online will then play the match against other user-created teams. At the end of the match the results are tracked so players can see how their team ranks against the rest of the NHL 2K10 community. Bishop says “this is a real cool way to have a persistent identity with a unique team, logo and uniform setup that you created and then see how you and your friends stack up.”

When gamers are making a team, they won’t be able to import logos of their own, but the development team assured us that there will be plenty of logos and uniforms, ranging from classic NHL logos to contemporary ones that have yet to be seen in the league. Bishop says that they’re able to add these new logos and uniforms before they’ve been made public because of the good relationship 2K sports keeps with the NHL. In keeping with the realism of the NHL, Bishop and the development team will work to keep the game up to date with roster updates.

Gangland on your PC

It was only a matter of time before a crime-inspired massively multiplayer online game was made and released to the masses. That game is CrimeCraft by Vogster Entertainment. CrimeCraft sets players in the world of Sunrise City, a high-rise metropolis serving as penal colony for the world’s criminals where the gang lifestyle and lawlessness rule.

Players start off as a lowly thug soon to have a gun thrust into their hand and are forced to fight in the meat of CrimeCraft’s competitive game play. Outside the city lie battle zones that run the expected death match and control point style matches. By playing the player-versus-player chunk of the game, players receive experience, loot and cash that are used inside the city.

These spoils of war are then traded or crafted into useful items. While in Sunrise, players engage in numerous crafting trades like weapon creation and drugs development and engineering. All of which power the game’s economy through an auction-house environment.

Players gain levels like any other MMO, through the unrelenting grind of quest objectives–which MMO-style games are known for–inside and out of Sunrise City. Quests in the city run along the lines of retrieve and delivery quests. While in the warzones outside the city, quests take on a more violent tone. Here players are rewarded for disposing their foes in specific ways like only using a pistol or killing 20 people who are using shotguns.

Once players have some cash and experience in hand, both can be spent on upgrades for their virtual gangster. Experience is spent on skills like invisibility and improved accuracy while cash is used to buy the weapons of urban warfare. The game has an impressive amount of upgrades and weapons to be found in Sunrise City ranging from the trusty pistol to grenade and rocket launchers. Each weapon classes can be decked out with the latest accessories like scopes and barrels giving improvements like penetration, power and accuracy while running.

Gangs come into play as the game’s guilds or clan system, much like in World of Warcraft or Warhammer Online. Once players are involved in a virtual gang, they can challenge other crews to skirmishes which will earn them a spot on the game’s leader boards. And if their gang does well enough in a season of combat they will receive cash rewards among other prizes.

CrimeCraft is currently in beta testing and is scheduled to release on August 25 of this year exclusively at Best Buy.

UFC 2009 Undisputed Preview

To this point, mixed martial arts games have been rare at best. The sport has had a handful of games released on the PlayStation 2 and we have yet to see and a title on the new generation of systems. UFC 2009 Undisputed aims to change that in mid May.

The demo only features Chuck Lidell and Shogun Rua but promises 80 more with the addition a fighter builder, so you can live out your fantasy of sitting on top of sweaty guys and beating them senseless without the eminent psychical danger.

Compared to EA’s Fight Night Round 3, which debuted in 2006, UFC 2009 stands in the shadows.

Graphically, the game is average. If you keep your focus in the octagon it’s clear the majority of the work was spent on the fighter models, as it should for a UFC game. The referee and the teams for the fighters look terrible. The ref especially looks dated complete with choppy animations. Outside the octagon UFC 2009 doesn’t fair any better. The crowd suffers from cardboarditis, a terrible disease that causes all onlookers to look like cardboard stand ins moving in a staggered wave.

The controls seem sloppy and unrefined. Unlike Fight Night Round 3′s polish and balance you get unresponsive button mashing. Blocks are sluggish to come up while punches and kicks are landed with ease and a lack of thought for timing.

Ground fighting is where the demo falls apart completely. The right stick handles all grapple moves and take downs. Once you’re on the ground the game falls farther into the hole of button-mashing hell, which I didn’t think was possible. You are reduced to punches to the face and torso with no sense that you are winning or losing. Once on the ground it’s almost impossible to return to the standing position where the game is more exciting.

The mechanics are interesting, but I’m not sure they’re balanced. Lidell is known for his strong hits to the face, but should these devastating hits allow him to knock another professional fighter out on the first blow? They can and will. If this is balanced then that’s my tip for all players who’ll be flooding ranked matches in May. Pick Lidell and aim for the head, problem solved.

Impression: Wait and See. Balance issues are big for a fighting game. Since the market already has polished keepers like Street Fighter IV and, the more appropriate comparison, Fight Night Round 3, the lack of balance is too worrisome to overlook.

Red Faction Guerrilla Preview

The third installment of the “Red Faction” series is due in June of this year after an eight year leave of absence. The game boasts the same level of destruction that is seen in Red Faction and Red Faction 2 but with a swap from first to third-person game play.

The demo is 10-minutes long and with one simple goal: Take Mason, your character, and get back the miner’s walking mech without getting your head kicked in. The Martian landscape is bland with a lot of the obvious red. I get it, the developers don’t have a lot to work with when your setting is colonial Mars but it’s still boring. There are a few scattered buildings around the area. All of which are completely destructible.

Your load out is your standard assault rifle, demolition charges and sledgehammer–which is god awfully powerful, you can tear down buildings with a few swings. The later two weapons are useful for ripping down the various buildings. The first time you knock one down to it’s metal frame is ridiculously entertaining. Figuring out ways to demolish the Earth Defense Force buildings is the meat of this demo and it’s too bad you have the 10 minute timer.

Unfortunately, being a one man wrecking crew is the height of the demo. Everything else has a been there, done that feeling reminiscent of GTA4. The worst part is the terrible AI for the enemies. Instead of having a real opponent the game takes the approach of throwing as many inept guards at you until you are gunned down. A lot of the time you can simply walk up to a guard and obliterate him with your hammer like Thor without him even thinking of running away.

Red Faction Guerrilla is interesting start but I wont give it another thought until it comes out.

impression: meh

Left 4 Dead First hand

Valve had me at first person, four player co-op, zombie survival horror. “Left 4 Dead” comes out next week and I’m excited. More so after I played it.

The demo had the first two stages of the first scenario and it’s fun as hell. “Left 4 Dead” shows the depth and polish that Valve is known for.

The visuals of the game are great. The world has a post-infection “28 Days Later” feel that throws you right into the head-exploding carnage. Turned over big rigs, containment fences, streets littered with biohazard bags, it’s all there.

One thing that made the game real was the flashlight – wow, a flashlight,nifty I know. The beam stops about 20 feet in front of you. Keeping you guessing what’s just beyond your vision. The worst – and by worst, I mean best – part is the flashlight is attached to the barrel of your gun. Anytime you reload you lose your vision. This really sucks when your ass is swarmed and your getting the tar kicked out of you.

The inability to see coupled with eerie music with the soft, distant weeping of a witch zombie laying in wait somewhere in the area had me thinking more than once, “Oh shit, what the f****, that a witch or a pile of rocks? F*** I don’t know. F*** it’s a pile of rocks… damn I’m such a pu***.”

The sound in horror is what gets the heart going. L4D is no different. I constantly had my ear to the ground waiting for the howl of a hunter. Wondering when, and who, the hooded bastard was going to spear to the ground.

A down fall is the A.I. is touch and go. The first part of the demo has the survivors stranded on top of an apartment building, needing to work down to the street and into the subway. In the apartment building the infected A.I. seems weak. I could walk into a room and wave my flashlight in the air like a crack addict and they would stand there, facing the corner and scratching their ass.

If this is a flaw, it’s overshadowed when the infected rush you. When they get going, the intensity is kicked to high and you’ll be glad you’re not alone.

If you don’t have four people in the lobby when you start that’s fine. The stand-in buddy A.I. is good enough to not get you killed and to keep you alive and on your feet.

Piece of advice, find and keep four people. The game expects you to work together and if you wander off, the game will punish you and your team for it. This is definitely the case when you run into boss zombies. Each requires a different tactic for you and your merry band of misfits to figure out.

Left 4 Dead constantly has you walk the knife-edge between complete disaster and barely surviving; making one play through feel different, yet vaguely familiar, from the last.