Gaming Addict

So the Spike TV Videogame Awards hit, and with them, the new Halo: Reach trailer.  Looks like this Halo game will have several new changes from the series’ past exploits.  First off, the trailer actually shows Spartans without their helmets.  They have a zombietastic creepy, pale white eye look.  The trailer also eludes to Reach being a more tactical squad based shooter. 

Clearly you are joining a Spartan team, as they refer to the trailer’s main character, who I expect is the player character, as the new no. 6.  Also the Fall of Reach is about a hopeless battle that the Spartans eventually lose, eliminating all of them, save Master Chief.  So I’m guessing this goes more the route of Gears of War.  Squad shooter, with an emphasis on hopelessness as you face insurmountable odds to accomplish your goals.  

Definitely a direction Halo has never gone before, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or bad thing.  The more Halo games that come out in the series, the farther they stray from the original look and feel of Halo.  I liked the sci-fi feel of the first game, the vibrant colors and weapons.  Now with each game the vibrant colors are dulled to be more gritty, and therefore make Halo look like every other shooter.

So while this is one step forward for the series in terms of gameplay, for me as a fan, this looks to be a giant step back from why I liked the series in the first place. 

Also announced at the VGAs was the new Lucasarts Star Wars game.  Despite rumors about the Australian revelation of a game titled Star Wars Legends, this announcement was far more boring.  Instead of giving us what we all want with Star Wars Battlefront, they’re making a Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.  Lame.

Maybe if the game is longer, has larger levels, and combat that’s a little more balanced, I might consider renting this one. 

Mirror’s Edge is a great game, period.  Despite cut scenes that look like they were thrown together by an 8 year old with awful flash animation software, and a story that had to have been written by the same kid.  The gameplay is so unique and fantastically executed, any flaw is forgivable.  Which is why I’m very excited by EA’s new announcement that Mirror’s Edge is coming to iPhone in January.

The iPhone version will be a side scrolling adventure through 14 missions, with full 3D graphics.  Looks like you’ll once again don the red shoes of Faith as you run, jump, and slide your way to the truth.  I’m not entirely sure about how the controls are going to adapt on iPhone with accelerometer and touch screen control.  Although I have complete confidence in the studio that created such a brilliant control scheme the first time around.  

I just hope you have a decent amount of control over Faith herself.  I’m going to hate if this turns into a cheesy side-scrolling game where you tilt for movement and slide your finger in different directions to jump, etc.  I’m hoping for something fantastic here, just like what I experienced the first time I played Mirror’s Edge.  I want this to be one of the few mobile games to absolutely amaze me. 

The iPhone is about to get the coolest mobile game ever made, in the history of the world.  Doom 3: Resurrection, a Doom 3 themed FPS developed by Id Software’s John Carmack, exclusively to take full advantage of the new iPhone 3G S’ advanced speed and graphics capabilities.  This is going to be mobile gaming like you’ve never seen it before.  A first person shooter with graphics that will push the iPhone to it’s limits, and still never drop below 30fps no matter the carnage on screen.  That also features five hours of brand new Doom gameplay, all resulting in an experience completely worth the hefty price tag it will no doubt carry. 

Word is that Doom 3: Resurrection will feature a storyline parallel to the events of Doom 3, in which you take on the role of a sole marine survivor battling against the armies of hell.  The events of Resurrection will take place on a different smaller portion of the space station, no doubt to facilitate the smaller environments that will lend themselves to the iPhone’s abilities better.

I love Doom, but I love the new style of Doom started with 3 more than anything, and I’m glad to see another game continuing in that vein. 

We all already know that except for a few problems, such as battery life, the iPhone is pretty much the coolest mobile device ever.  With the ability to play awesome games with fully 3D rendered visuals, and the ability to manage your emails and stocks, and practically everything else, all on the same device.  But now Apple has announced the iPhone 3G S, which is not only going to be twice as fast as the original iPhone, but will have OpenGL 2.0 support, meaning the new iPhone will have the ability to surpass the graphical prowess of the PSP.

The time for the iPhone’s being accepted as a gaming platform has just arrived.

Now what we need is for Apple to stop approving so many crap games and actually be proactive to search out some quality titles and franchises.  I mean seriously, with all that gaming power in your pocket do you really want to waste your time playing a text based RPG, or yet another awful tower defense game?  Really?

But this definitely is really great news, especially considering the quality of games that already appear on the iPhone, like Galaxy on Fire, or even the new Terminator Salvation game.  Both have awesome 3D visuals approaching PSP levels, so you can imagine my anticipation at the new iPhone’s faster processor capabilities and advanced graphical abilities.  This is going to be awesome.

It’s absolutely no secret to anybody that reads this site fairly regularly that I’m an absolutely huge Mass Effect fan, and in dire anticipation for the upcoming Mass Effect 2.  Well throw another game on that anticipation fire as just announced is an iPhone Mass Effect game.  Coolest thing ever made in the history of the world.  Portable Mass Effect is the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.  

The game will be called Mass Effect: Jacob’s Story, and will be a two hour story driven Mass Effect experience in which players take on the role Jacob Taylor, who uncovers a terrorist plot to strike against civilizations greatest beacon of hope.  BioWare promises the game will bridge the first Mass Effect to the upcoming sequel, and that the game will feature more back story from some of your favorite characters.  I’m dying to find out what’s going on with Ashley Williams and Garrus, the two compatriots I most often took with me throughout the first Mass Effect’s campaign, I also hope they’ll be available in Mass Effect 2 for that matter.

Mass Effect: Jacob’s Story is described as a graphic novel experience, which will feature a well written story driving the gameplay, and frantic top-down shooter carnage thrown in.  And I’m already predicting that this will be the coolest mobile game ever made.  As long as it doesn’t feel cash-in/gimmicky like the Metal Gear Solid Touch game, I’m completely down.

No release date, but expect a price tag of around $2.99, not bad at all.  

So Rock Band is planning on releasing a full Guns N Roses album via Xbox Live and Playstation Network, and the WiiWare store, for your playing enjoyment.  You’ll have the option to either purchase tracks individually for $1.99 a pop, or $19.99 for the entire disc.  Now when I read this at first I figured Appetite for Destruction, the band’s legendary disc, would be perfect for a music sim game, and there really isn’t any other 80’s hair band album that would be more fun to play.  But no, no, the folks at Harmonix have a different idea entirely of what’s fun to play, as Chinese Democracy, the it’s not really a Guns N Roses album because Axl Rose is the only original band member left album, is what you’ll be able to avoid downloading.

That just doesn’t make much sense to me.  Who wants to play Guns N Roses without Slash’s guitar riffs?  What’s the point really?  I’d rather play Welcome To The Jungle over and over again on Guitar Hero III before I would pay to play new GNR on Rock Band.  

And finally, Halo and Microsoft had a fairly large announcement?  And that was something to the effect of what we can all expect from the Halo franchise in the future.  Apparently Microsoft is planning on having the next Halo installment encompass the web, Xbox 360, and even the mobile realm.  Meaning we can see something to do with Halo in possibly an MMO form?

Something where you can also take your Halo MMO-ing on the go with you via an iPhone app?  

At least that’s what I’m picturing, and as long as I don’t have to try and compete with keyboard/mouse computer gamers with only by Xbox controller, I’m all for a Halo MMO.  Just don’t integrate the two realms, because I like playing Halo on my Xbox best, but I don’t want to have my ass repeatedly handed to me by PC gamers with an infinitely faster FPS setup.  

While we’ve always known that Saints Row 2 would get some sort of DLC, THQ has finally announced basically what we can expect.  According to THQ, Saints Row 2 is getting it’s first of three expected rounds of DLC on April 16th.  The pack is titled Ultor Exposed and will feature three additional missions starring porn star Tera Patrick, new multiplayer maps, and a few new vehicles.  So basically just enough DLC to keep you entertained for a night, and THQ wants 800 Microsoft Points for the pleasure.  

That’s $10 for three missions and a couple vehicles.  Not really worth it when compared with Saints Row’s ultimate competition Grand Theft Auto, which just released one of the biggest and coolest DLC packs ever with The Lost and Damned.  So I say ignore Saints Row 2’s DLC until THQ gets things together and actually releases a pack that’s worth your cash.  I’m ever so tired of the zillions of DLC packs that litter Xbox Live and Playstation Network that just aren’t at all worth the money.

Also today, Ghostbusters for iPhone and Bond for iPhone have been announced.  Few details have been released, such as that Ghostbusters will take place in New York City and will see players face off against a spectral uprising.  And Bond will feature multiplayer, and a whole slew of familiar Bond villains.  

Both are set to be released in June, and as I’ve always been a fan of the two Ghostbusters films, I can’t wait to have portable Ghostbusters on my iPhone. 

EA is about to make the iPhone a fully realized videogame console by releasing ports of a few of the developers most widely known and revered games.  EA are planning iPhone adaptations of SSX, Red Alert, The Sims, Need for Speed, Spore, NBA Live, American Idol, Madden 2010, FIFA 2010, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour.  All of which of course will feature revamped touch and motion controls, in keeping with the iPhone’s unique capabilities, and all will be released by the end of 2009 via the iTunes app store. 

I’m particularly hyped up about a mobile version of SSX, mostly because the SSX games were always the best snowboarding/skiing games ever made, and because the iPhone is crying out for a great snowboard game, and a real winner still hasn’t arrived.  Sure there are a few options for downhill snow sliding fun, but nothing worthy of the iPhone’s capabilities, mostly because the lot of them are developed by sub par companies.  EA’s money backing a snowboarding mobile game will be absolutely fantastic.

And Spore?  I don’t quite know what to think about that, only because of Spore’s previous iPhone release Spore Origins, which was horrible.  If EA is talking about somehow porting the PC experience of building a society, and space exploration, then I’m completely willing to give Spore another shot.  But please stop with the franchise cash-ins that can barely even be called games.  

Perhaps the greatest mobile game you’ve ever played on your phone, Galaxy On Fire, is being completely revamped for an iPhone release later this month.  Featuring a graphical overhaul, as well as a complete revamping of controls and physics, this is going to be Galaxy on Fire as you’ve never seen it before.  Actually, from a few of the screens the revamped Galaxy on Fire is starting to look a lot like FreeSpace 2, which is probably still the best space flight-sim ever made.   And trust me, if you haven’t played FreeSpace, any comparisons Galaxy on Fire can draw from me is an extremely good thing.

Galaxy on Fire will offer over 20 hours of gameplay throughout the game’s storyline, which is practically unheard of in the mobile realm, which means Galaxy on Fire practically always has something new for you to do.  And the game will also feature an onscreen joystick for flight control, instead of resorting to the iPhone flight-sims of the past which used motion sensing control, and the results were almost never pretty.

Priced at only $4.99 from the iTunes app store, Galaxy on Fire should be a must buy for anybody with an iPhone or iPod Touch.