Weekly Trailer Wrap-Up: May 26 - June 1st

Let's try something new here...

Between Red Box Reviews and the revival of Sunday Ramblings, The Trailer Jockey has been a busy boy. In an effort to become more efficient and produce more for your reading/viewing pleasure, I'm happy to present the all new weekly trailer wrap-up. This will be posted every Sunday/Monday, and will be a look back at the best trailers you may have missed from the week before. And don't forget to keep an eye on TTJ's Facebook and Twitter, as I'll be posting trailers on there as they release. Without further ado, let's see what last week had to offer!

Monochroma - Gameplay Trailer

There's something about a noir-style puzzle and platformer with hints of a dystopian future and single color theme that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Self described as a "cinematic puzzle platformer" you received a feast of gameplay from this dystopian future. It gives a certain Limbo vibe in the sense that the story might not say much, but will still be incredibly deep. This one's available now on Steam, so fund out for yourself if this teaser tickled your fancy.

Monochroma
Steam
Release: Out Now
Developer: NoWhere Studios


The Evil Within - Terrified Trailer

I always wonder if trailers like this are successful because as a gigantic sissy, there's a solid chance that I'll never pick this game up. I had a hard enough time watching someone else play through Dead Space. I suppose people do experience the horror genre to get the pants scared off of them, so a preview like this for The Evil Within makes total sense. We see the same kind of trailers for some horror films, after all. As a gamer, I'm wholly invested in this game for the good of the survival horror genre, and I can see this being one of the most hyped games of E3 2014. People do love a good scare... I don't get it. More safe Adam Sandler, please!

The Evil Within
PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release: Oct 21, 2014
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks


World of Speed - McLaren in Moscow Trailer

Gosh darn, this sure looks pretty. It's always a good thing when you actually have to stop and check again after the "real life" footage turns into the gameplay footage. World of Speed enters the ring of racing sims that consider graphics and visuals king, and will be duking it out with the likes of Forza and other racing franchises that have been around for a while. Will the new kid be here to stay? If the visuals alone tell you anything, it's going to put up a hell of a fight. Add that on top of it being a racing RPG (two words I never thought I'd use together) and we have ourselves a dark horse.

World of Speed
PC
Release: 2014
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios

So there you have it! An easier way to take in more trailers that the world has to offer in less time. This was a pleasure, same time next week? See you then!

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Reveal Trailer

"That a journalist ought to be able to disagree with the President!"

Call of Duty, we've done this dance before. You reveal your game with big explosions, epic action, and a powerful speech. We get all excited for... finally... another great CoD, until we're ultimately disappointed. I've seen it before, and damn if you're going to do it to me again.

Enter Frank Underwood Kevin Spacey, and suddenly I'm thinking about giving it a chance again. Is a big name celebrity what the franchise needs to feel new and exciting again? Will his impassioned monologue (who was he talking to, anyhow? So House of Cards) about how "it's so wrong that America pushes democracy on other countries" while super soldiers simultaneously kick ass and take names make people actually care about the story? I haven't had that feeling since the first Modern Warfare came out.

Here's the thing: it's kind of ridiculous to speculate at this point. We only have this trailer. No other gameplay, features, anything like that. People have their feelings about the Call of Duty franchise fully formed and cemented in their brains by now, god knows they've had enough opportunity to do so. So until you see more from this game, just enjoy this short moment of badassery that CoD still seems to have a solid grip on. They make a fun trailer, you have to give them that.

Oh, and if you can't tell... Kevin's gonna be the bad guy. That journalist line was priceless. I'm still afraid of subway trains because of that man.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Release: Nov 4, 2014
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Sledgehammer Games

Destiny - Strike Gameplay: The Devil's Lair

The Devil's in the Details

Bungie's Destiny is in a very interesting spot. Being a studio that's known for a single franchise, the Halo franchise no less, the pressure for this game to be successful is enormous. Thankfully we're starting to get trailers like this one, so we can start forming our own opinions. Let's look at the burning question from this gameplay feature:

Is this just going to be a Halo with a new look?

I want to say no to this question so badly. But after watching all seven minutes of the gameplay, some similarities are unmistakable. The player movement and shooting mechanics look extremely similar. The third person zoom-outs gave me flashbacks of dropping bubble shields in Halo 3 multiplayer. Some enemies even dodge bullets like they just finished the Covenant's "How to Side Step Everything Guide for Elites" training manual. Even this strike mission had that all-too-familiar feeling of going into Firefight Mode, readying yourself for wave after wave of enemies.

Even though the games might look similar, that could simply be the style of the developer. Destiny will separate itself (or fall into obscurity with all of the other shooters) through content and execution. If Bungie can stir up something compelling and original, the gameplay will be an enjoyable compliment. Plus you have to admit those 3rd person special attacks looked freaking awesome. 

Enjoy these seven minutes. This is only a small sliver of what the Destiny experience is supposed to be. There will be more to see, but will that silence the doubters... or give them a megaphone? 

Destiny

PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360

Release: Sept 5, 2014

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Bungie

Call of Duty: Ghosts - Devastation DLC Trailer

"Alright everyone, back to A"

We all get what this trailer is: more COD for us to throw our money at. New maps, guns, and the next chapter of its freshest (and arguably strongest) game mode grace the Devastation DLC Pack from the latest Infinity Ward giant. But while this may seem like a new coat of paint over an old clunker of a car, look deeper and you'll find one of the coolest jobs that I have ever come across.

I was lucky enough to work for the studio that created this trailer for a brief stint. At the time, we had a build for some Black Ops 2 DLC that was set to release around early July of last year. This meant that our gameplay capture artists had to learn the maps, find places to set up shots (with recommendations from the client), and execute them with the help of the assistants (my job) on the controllers.

The capture guys would then take the footage and fly around with a free-flowing camera to catch every possible angle of it. Throw in some slick editing, and viola! You have a non-stop trailer that throws as much action as possible at you, and hopefully convinces you to purchase the content.

That's right, every single shot you see in this trailer is carefully planned out, timed, and practiced until perfection. That includes all of the stuff with the Extinction mode, they most likely had a build that would allow them to control every aspect of the game. I can't imagine how many times they had to do that airstrike shot, I'm willing to wager it was a lot of times.

Of course, sometimes the direction was just to run around and kill everyone you saw, but they were artists: it was all part of their process. These guys played the games until their eyes bled, but damn did the trailers look good.

"Alright everyone, enable GOD mode. Time to shoot some zombies."

Best words I'd hear all day.

Call of Duty: Ghosts
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, WiiU
Out Now
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward

Thief - Launch Trailer

"I've been a ghost all my life"

After a magnificent launch trailer, I do believe Thief is poised to be one of the first great achievements in the next-generation of gaming. Though AC4: Black Flag has already introduced us to some stealth gameplay on the XbOne and PS4, Square Enix's latest is a full fledged first person stealth fest. As a big fan of staying quiet and pulling off clean heists, the smooth stealth of Thief looks like a whole lot of fun.

Don't think you'll be moving in the quiet of the night the entire time, however. We see here that Theif aims to deliver on the loud just as much as they look to focus on the quiet. Hopefully a good balance will be struck between the two; as enticing as stealthily stealing prized possessions sounds, sometimes you just want to make something go boom.

The question here will be whether or not the next-gen port will be worth buying over the 360 and PS3 versions. We're in a very interesting time when one game is coming out for every system, but we expect the next generation to be vastly different than its younger siblings. By different, there seems to be a general thought that the visuals and overall performance of the game will be much better on the XbOne and PS4. Even further, there's the potential opportunity to add extra game content with the improved hardware, a potential that not all developers are opting to go for. And to a degree, the consumer is correct: if the game is basically the same on both systems, then why get the new one?

I'm not sure that gamers are seeing the mind blowing "difference" that they are expecting, but as developers get more time with these new systems, we'll be seeing more impressive products. Plus they do obviously look better, but I sense that people want more. When don't they?

Will Thief be the start of this upwards trend? Will trailer translate to game? I hope so, for someone's sake.

Thief
Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC
Release: Feb 25, 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Eidos Montreal 

Murdered: Soul Suspect - Every Lead Trailer

Points for Originality

In a world that is bogged down by sequels, reboots, and remakes, it's nice to see an original story surface that looks worthy of checking out. Murdered: Soul Suspect is riding that line right now. While the premise of a cop killed in action searching for his killer in the afterlife has the potential for success, I have some questions: If that witness is the only one who can see him, how could he possible apprehend a killer? Is that girl supposed to be his liaison from the dead?

And that makes me want to play to find out, not the other way around. Square Enix has a reputation of either making the best or the strangest story you'll play until the next title they release. But if features include "using your ghostly powers to solve cases" and "combat against demonic creatures", count me in. Mostly because I want to see how in the world that's going to work.

Murdered: Soul Suspect
Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, PC
Release: June 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Airtight Games

Xbox 360 Bucket List - Sleeping Dogs

What Makes a Good Man: Wei Shen and the undercover cop drama

Launch Trailer

"That was very exciting... I like exciting."

Sleeping Dogs from Square Enix is the first game on the bucket to be crossed off. Despite selling more than 1.5 million copies and the announcement that the game had reached profitability, a feat that seems to be a bigger deal with original story titles these days, it feels as if this revival of True Crime: Hong Kong has flown mostly under the radar. However, these numbers were well short of Square's somewhat lofty expectations of moving 2 - 2.5 million copies.

Before I say anything else - I really enjoyed Sleeping Dogs. It was exactly as that quote above states: exciting. There was no shortage of brutal beat downs, simple gunplay, and high speed firefights. The launch trailer (above) actually paints a solid picture of the action and internal struggle you would be encountering as undercover cop Wei Shen.

Story Trailer

You're a very dangerous man, Wei Shen

Upon arriving back in Hong Kong from an extended stay in the United States, Wei Shen gets an opportunity to become muscle for the city's most notorious Triad, the Sun On Yee. But in this case, you aren't some random nobody that appears at their doorstep looking for thug work. Wei Shen has roots in Hong Kong and the Sun On Yee, and they run deep. He grew up with a current member who ends up being his initial in with the bad guys. His sister got mixed up with some of the same gangsters, ultimately leading to her drug abuse and demise. Wei has some serious stakes in this fight, and those motivations both push and haunt him at the same time. 

Wei moves his way up the Sun On Yee very quickly without much resistance. There were a couple of tense moments in the first quarter of the game when he was being vetted, but it was too early in the story to worry about the protagonist being killed. The story up until the last couple missions felt predictable, a lot of time you could see the disaster that you were being set up for during some of the bigger story missions. 

That said, the ending of Sleeping Dogs had a couple of very good surprise twists that saved the story and made the ending more enjoyable. Sometimes I will discuss spoilers in these posts, but the turn the ending took had me in enough shock that it's something I don't want to ruin for anyone looking to reach back into the 360 vault for a solid original story. 

Sleeping Dogs 101 Trailer

Sleeping Dogs included a crisp combat system, shooting mechanics that weren't too difficult to master, and a massive open world littered with collectables. Hand to hand combat was easily the most enjoyable part of the gameplay, and the story missions allowed you to pick up statues that you could exchange at a dojo for new moves. By the end of the game, you could cut through crowds of ten-plus enemies like butter.

Enemies would become more diverse as the game progressed, turning hand to hand combat into a game of chess. Certain moves won't effect certain bad guys, which sometimes results in having to wait for a counter opportunity. Thankfully attacks come fast and often, so there's never much downtime during combat. It adds an element of timing and finesse to the fighting, which was very enjoyable. Not to mention the nasty environmental attacks. Try and get through this whole thing.

Driving is was where gameplay fell short in my experience. The cars were pretty basic apart from pure speed (pretty fast and really fast) and it was a chore getting from one end of Hong Kong to another no matter what you were in. The act of driving itself was a constant experiment in just how much brake is needed to take a corner smoothly. I swear it was never the same one time.

Another gameplay aspect of Sleeping Dogs was a penalty to your "Police" (good guy) score if your reckless driving caused property damage or death. This was especially frustrating when missions called for you to chase a triad fleeing at high speed, yet property damage hurt your score. L.A. Noire used a similar system, as reckless driving would hurt your overall case score. Plus I find no motivation to drive legally when I was literally on my way to break bones. 10 points for that old guy.

Final Thoughts

Year of the Snake DLC Trailer

I'm very glad I took the time to play Sleeping Dogs. It was an enjoyable story-driven experience, but I would not recommend it for everyone. If you enjoy an above average mix of combat and story, can appreciate the use of a foreign language in a game, and want to scratch your completionist itch, then this game is for you. If you want to run and gun and kick and punch without really knowing what you're throwing yourself into, then there are plenty of other games for you out there.

If you want a good laugh, the voice of Jack Black's "father" in the Kung Fu Panda movies (among many more roles) is the voice of the most feared gangster in Hong Kong: the head of the Sun On Yee. It's a little hard to take him seriously when it's the same voice as an animated noodle making duck.

                  James Hong >> Mr. Ping (Kung Fu Panda) >> Uncle Po (Sleeping Dogs)

 
 Man, I want some Ramen now.


Sleeping Dogs
Publisher: Square Enix London Studios/United Front Games
Developer: Square Enix, Namco Bandai

The Xbox 360 Bucket List

The prize at the end of the rope

Microsoft may have a claim here, they do have a long list of impressive looking titles slated to come out for the Xbox One. Hell, some of them aren't even in this little sizzle. But here's the thing: most of them won't be here for a while. While we're inching closer to the drop of Titanfall (March 11), most of the games that will truly want to get my hands on an Xbone still say TBA 2014 under their release date. So this means that I definitely want to get this new console, but it doesn't seem to make sense to get it just yet.

So then I look at old faithful, my Xbox 360 (the same I've had since 2008, with only one red ring in its life) and I decide to squeeze every ounce of life I can out of it. I've decided to put together a bucket list for my 360: all of the games that I should have played by now that I haven't. This will be a year-long endeavor, with posts galore as I try to navigate through this list of games I've yet to experience.

The list, as it currently stands, in no particular order:

Games currently owned but not played/finished are bolded.

Bioshock (plus 2, Infinite)
Assassin’s Creed (Revelations, III, Black Flag)
The Walking Dead (Eps 2-5 + 400 Days)
DMC HD Collection/DMC: Devil May Cry
Metal Gear HD Collection
Lego: Marvel Super Heroes
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Batman: Arkham Origins
GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City
Saints Row (the Third, IV)
Fallout: New Vegas
Hitman Crysis(2, 3)
Metro: Last Light
Tomb Raider
Kingdoms of Amalur
Dark Souls
Spec Ops: The Line
Sleeping Dogs
Epic Mickey: The Power of Two
Alan Wake
Dues Ex: Human Revolution
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

So this is where you all come in! If you think I am missing something from this list, please add your two cents. If I haven't already played it, I'll consider adding it. The same goes for if you've played one of these games and don't think they are worth my time. This is a doozy of a list, and the endgame is to have a collection of the most quality titles the system had to offer. 

Here you have my gaming challenge of 2014. There are worse things.

VGX Awards - Best in Show

A glimpse of what's to come

After getting the opportunity to look over all of the trailers that made their "World Premier" at the VGX Awards, there were three games that seemed to stand above the rest. No matter what you thought of the show itself, you can't hate on having a feast of new trailers to see what the future of gaming looks like.

Best Celebrity Appearance: Broken Age

I love seeing actors taking the leap into the video game world, and Elijah Wood may be my favorite voice for a game yet. Broken Age feels a little creepy; you're stuck inside this smart house that is hellbent on keeping you safe, but safe is boring. Elijah expresses that quiet desire to go out and help others in the universe, growing from a slight frustration to gaining a rebellious passion of his own. He even talks about how cool it is to be in a video game. This is the beginning of a movement, people. 

Broken Age

PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Ouya

Release: Jan 2014 (part I)

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Most Consistent: Titanfall (Ogre and Styder Trailers)

Titanfall simply refuses to look boring. All of these mechs are vastly unique with their own obvious strengths and weaknesses, but they all do have one thing in common: they look incredibly fun to control. Ever since its reveal for the Xbox One, Titanfall has poised itself as the first great hit for the new system, we can only hope that the gameplay will translate as well as it looks in its previews! 

Titanfall

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Release: March 11, 2014

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Respawn Entertainment

Best in Show: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

RPG junkies rejoice, our favorite mutant is back and looking better than ever on the next generation graphic engines. The Wild Hunt is going to be a huge, sprawling open world with plenty of opportunity to explore, and (more importantly) fight. These new bad guys look like the tough to kill type, which means we might see some pretty ridiculous new powers for Geralt in his last chapter. We can only hope that little force push ground strike he did must only be the tip of the ice burg.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: CD Projekt Red

Developer: CD Projekt Red

What did you think of the trailers at the VGX? Leave your opinions below! 

Saints Row IV - Elements of Destruction DLC Trailer

And boom goes the dynamite

Saints Row IV has the distinct pleasure of being a really freaking weird game. There's nothing normal about the President of the United States single handedly saving the nation with the use of his super powers. But that's the charm of SR4, you don't need to be tied to reality to enjoy how much havoc you're wrecking on the bad guys.

Enter Elements of Destruction, a downloadable add on for $2.99 that gives your character all kinds of ridiculous new powers. I would try and describe them all for you, but I definitely think the trailer does them justice. The decision to show the action in the actual game (because why the heck wouldn't you do that) sells the moves for themselves.

Saints Row IV - Elements of Destruction DLC
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release: Out Now! 
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Volition, Inc.

Ultra Street Fighter IV - New Character Combo Trailers

More ways to button mash

Rolento Combo Trailer

In early 2014, we'll be treated to the third (yes, third) update to Street Fighter IV. This comes in the form of Ultra Street Fighter IV, bringing new characters, levels, to the same consoles that Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade was released on. If you already own Arcade, Ultra will be slashed down to $14.99 as an add on. If this is your first time picking up the series, it will cost you a cool $39.99.

Hugo Combo Trailer

In anticipation for the release, Capcom has released combo trailers for all of the new characters that have been revealed for Ultra. Above we get a taste of Rolento, first seen as the fourth stage boss from Final Fight. Joining him is Hugo; Final Fight's homage to Andre the Giant, Poison; Hugo's friend and manager from his wrestling days, and Elena; a playable character from Street Fighter III.

Poison Combo Trailer

All of these trailers feature the character's special and ultra combos, essentially showing what their best and most powerful moves are. This is a great way to reveal the character's look and play-style, but on the whole the presentation felt underwhelming. Beating up on a static Ryu on a white backdrop does not make for a thrilling trailer. A simple game map and an actual fight would have made all of this far more compelling, but at least you get to see the new people you can play with. 

Elena Combo Trailer

It's great that Street Fighter continues to try and stay relevant with updates and new characters, but if it wants to stay afloat it has to sell to the market that doesn't already have the game. These had the potential to be great character reveals, showing the people why they NEED this update for even more button mashing fun, but it all felt a little bland. Even so, 43 playable characters is nothing to gawk at, so keep an eye out for how Ultra this title really becomes.

Ultra Street Fighter IV
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release: Early 2014
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Launch Trailer

Gentlemen, the situation is dire

I am going to play the ever-loving crap out of this game. Lego games have the uncanny ability to suck you in and make you want to find every unlockable there is. And there are a LOT of goodies to reward yourself with in these titles, so imagine the spoils when we dive into the Marvel universe.

As the trailer shows, we're not just looking at the Avengers here. The Fantastic 4, Spiderman, Doc Oc and other familiar Marvel faces will be gracing this LEGO title. That means each and every one of them will be playable (most likely) if you play the game for long enough. I really find their depth in what you can achieve to be the most immersive thing about playing.

But what makes all of the grinding for the treasure worth it is that it never for one moment takes itself too seriously. You use Lego's to create ways past obstacles.  Enemies fly to pieces when you punch them. The characters now even have dialogue, so we're going to get some fresh story as opposed to a retelling of a movie or Batman being silent. It's the kind of game that's really useful when you need to entertain a kid, but want to have fun playing yourself.

And what else you say? The good guys are gonna work with the bad guys! In a fun little twist, we get this picture showing us a slice of the characters you can play as:

Can you name them all?

That's a mark of a good trailer. Give the people what they want!

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes
PS Vita, PS3, PC, 3DS, WiiU, Xbox 360
Release: Oct 22, 2013
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Traveller's Tales

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Debut Trailer

So what am I excited for, really?

I have to start by saying that Spiderman (or Spider-Man in this case, I guess) is my absolute favorite super hero of all time. That's why it's so disappointed that they haven't made a good Spidey game since Spiderman 2 for the PS2. You would think, considering the streak of mediocre to down right atrocious releases, that Activision would want to pull out all of the stops and really get the people buzzing about this next attempt. It falls far short.

This is a short debut trailer, which means you only have so long to reel the player in. But all you want to show us is how this Spider-Man looks with a quick shot of him falling? No combat, no enemies that give any idea to the conflict of the story, and Activision is very adamant about promoting a "new and improved" Manhattan that just frankly doesn't look like a next-gen caliber city.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has big shoes to fill and has already stumbled out of the gate. Granted it only is 60 seconds, but purchases have been decided in far less time. Here are a couple things I didn't learn from the trailer that actually make the game sound kind of cool:

• The ability to play not only as Spidey, but as Peter Parker as well
• A morality system with Hero/Menace points

The Peter Parker thing alone deserved a shot in this debut trailer. It would have been something new that would have piqued some interest from gamers on the fence about another Spider-Man game. A missed opportunity. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, WiiU, Nintendo 3DS
Release: Spring 2014
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Beenox

Theif - Gameplay Trailer

Get your steal on

My goodness does this look fun to play. Stealth free running with fluid combat and weapons? That right there is what we call a big stinking heap of potential. The parallels to Mirror's Edge are obvious in the free running sections, but this new dark city and the implementation of using stealth and shadows to your advantages gives the formula something fresh to grow off of.

We get plenty of great looks at the first person action of Thief, basically being walked through a mission that will most likely be included in the game. It was good to hear a little bit of personality out of our main character Garrett, instead of the usual strong and silent types that come with these games. This is a strong showing for Thief, hopefully the finished product will come out even stronger.

Thief
PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release: Feb 25, 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Eidos Montreal

Dark Souls II - TGS 2013 Aching Bones Trailer

If you cut me down I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine... until the next thing kills me.

You die a lot in Dark Souls. That is, ironically, the game's appeal. Since Dark Souls is tuned to become a bit harder every time you bite the dust, players see it as a challenge to conquer it as best as they can. I see it as a game that I get killed a lot trying to play. To each their own.

The Tokyo Game Show may be spitting out trailer after trailer from our anime favorites, but Dark Souls II is always worth a closer look. Aching Bones treated us to some "beauty shot" gameplay, showing our hero slicing and dicing through demons until he is cut down himself. Seemingly evolving into a more powerful self after resurrecting, he finally goes Gandalf the White and slays the mighty demon wizard.

This transformation through death series gave us a chance to see weapon play, magical spells and weapon enchantments in action. I enjoyed how he was only able to defeat the final enemy by turning to Jesus and using some holy power. It was a good chuckle.

The "charm" to Dark Souls II is that, well, there is no charm. It's a brutal, "cut them up before they send you all the way back to that checkpoint from two hours ago" type of game. And some people freaking love that stuff. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.

Dark Souls II
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release: March 11, 2014
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.
Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.

Grand Theft Auto V - The Official Trailer and First Thoughts

"I need to go meditate... or masterbate... or both"

Months of patiently waiting have finally paid off, and Grand Theft Auto V is mine. After nearly 8 hours in the new San Andreas, I have seen and done more in this one game than most of the titles I've played this year in total.

One of the newest and biggest features of GTA V is the three-protagonist system, giving you control over Michael (a retired-now-not-retired heist artist), Franklin (a South Central Los Santos gang banger looking for a bigger pay day than what the hood has to offer), and Trevor (an absolute psychopath). I haven't quite gotten them all together for a mission yet, but there will be an update at the end of the week explaining how well this system is executed in-game, along with more impressions.

While Trevor has delivered the best lines and action of the game so far, but each character has his own story that makes his stake in the developing narrative a little bit different. So while Trevor may be the most entertaining at this point, I am invested in all of them, which is very important if you're going to say that all three guys are equally important.

Hey! I live there! Wait...

This is the best looking and best playing GTA to date. Cars handle differently depending on the make and model you drive, gun selection is smooth and simple, and switching between characters mid-mission adds an extra layer of strategy to how you approach each situation. The people are more varied and are crazier than ever as well. You never know who will hit you back, or step on the gas to run you down as you try to take their car.

My favorite part of the game so far is the ability to customize and save the weapons and vehicles that you buy, or... come across during your time. Done are the days when you would dump cash into a new car to trick it out, only to have it destroyed and gone forever. Now, you can either leave your rides in a big car lock-up (each character gets their own), or you can pick it up at an impound lot if it's towed or abandoned. The same goes for your guns, which all have parts you can buy and keep on, no matter if you die or get arrested. It's the little things, really.

The GTA V Map

Although GTA V is already looking like a monumental achievement, it is not without its issues. My biggest gripe so far is how difficult it is to shake the police, even with one star. The wanted system works very similarly to GTA IV, where you would have to stay out of range of the cops for a certain amount of time until your wanted level goes away. In V, police will continue to search for you with little "field of vision" cones that will reset the whole process if you get seen. The amount of time it takes to lose said wanted level feels way longer than it used to, but I'll consider it part of the challenge.

There's only been one glitch to deal with so far, where I had to walk into an ally until he became unstuck from the wall and would follow me again. I've had a couple small bugs and clips, which is to be expected with a game this size, but for the most part it's run like a charm.

GTA V is a staggeringly large place to create havoc, and I know I've only scratched the surface of what I can do and see. The views are breathtaking and the world is brimming with life. It's time to continue destroying it!

Be sure to keep a look out for part two of my GTA V impressions on Sunday! Have an opinion of the game so far? Leave it in the comments.

Grand Theft Auto V
Xbox 360, PS3
Release: OUT NOW!
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Grand Theft Auto V - Multiplayer Reveal

It's just like the Sims Online... with guns. 

Okay, maybe the multiplayer for Grand Theft Auto 5 isn't just like an online Sims port with guns. You can, however, do so damn much in the multiplayer, I wouldn't have been to surprised to see hunger and bladder stats in the bottom corner.

But seriously, I was blown away by how deep the multiplayer looks. It seems like there's a combination of cut scenes and open world online play, which is something I think will do nothing but draw people into the experience. My one gripe with the Red Dead Redemption online multiplayer was you were just dumped into the world and were told GO! In GTA V, it seems like those that enjoy floaties before diving into the deep end will hopefully be taken care of.

A vast number of the activities available to the player in the single player mode of GTA V made an appearance in this multiplayer reveal. Golf, bank heists, and full character customization are just some of the features that cross from solo to online. However, players will also be treated to team-style death matches, designable races, squad robberies, and much more!

I honestly wasn't expecting to be so impressed by the multiplayer in GTA V. Rockstar and multiplayer have not always gone hand in hand, as most of their games are so huge that the online often became an after thought. But it looks like all of the big guns are being take out for this title, and this open world experience keeps growing before our eyes.

Grand Theft Auto V
Xbox 360, PS3
Release: Sept. 17, 2013
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Batman: Arkham Origins - Copperhead Reveal Trailer @ SDCC 2013

She's a snake bite in the ass

Look at the treat from this year's San Diego Comic Con! While I'm sure that this will not be the only sweet bit of news we will learn about this weekend, it's good to see the Bat back in action. Well, he kind of gets his tail whipped, but beggars can't be choosers.

Enter Copperhead: The "New 52" of the original Copperhead villain: female, partially snake, and super pissed off at Batman. She's crazy fast and apparently had her fingerclaws doused in some kind of poison. I'd bet it is a copperhead snake poison, but it's a wild guess really.

Seeing WB really get creative and bring in lesser-known villains to appeal the hardcore Batman fan. Trust me, they're out there.

Batman: Arkham Origins
PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3
Release: Oct 25, 2013
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Warner Bros. Games Montreal

Grand Theft Auto V - Gameplay Reveal

So much to do, so little time

I think the internet is going to be overcome with a wave of 'excited like hell' once this gameplay reveal trailer makes the rounds. Rockstar potentially showed us 15% of all of the different things you can do in GTA V, and that's a generous number. What's even better is we got a mix of work and play, all of which look like activities that I'll be spending a preposterous amount of time doing.

These are the kinds of trailers where the content really just shines above anything else, and Rockstar knows this. Where they really made this piece work was in their flow and presentation. They start with the overal game world, and then slowly focus in on characters, activities, and missions. It made me wonder how far "modern Southern California" will spread, something you can apparently explore from minute one in the game.

The shooting looked a whole lot like the way Max Payne 3 worked; you have a quick weapon select menu, the reticle shows an "X" when you hit an enemy, and it's generally pretty simple to use. Short of bullet time, we should have the best shooting mechanics in a GTA yet. The driving looks faster and more polished than ever, which is promising considering I never had a sports car last very long in past games because they're so damn touchy.

And of course you have to mention the decision to go with three protagonists in GTA V. Personally, I love it. I'll be curious to see if I tend to play with one character over others, but from this trailer it looks as though switching between characters will be necessary to complete missions. Look at you Rockstar, adding features and giving them real purpose.

Is it September yet?

Grand Theft Auto V
PS3, Xbox 360
Release: Sep 17, 2013
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Defiance - Launch Trailer

Welcome to the new age

Man, that song just gets in your head and doesn't let go. Let's be honest here for a second: Defiance isn't getting stellar reviews. I wasn't blown away by the gameplay (or much of the game at all) when playing it at E3, but it's amazing how a well cut trailer can make something look playable. What this shows is the promise that Defiance carries; warring factions, huge aliens, special weapons and abilities, a giant MMO world, and the first game to coincide its story with a television show. Something must have gone wrong in the execution, but I'd still be curious to see how this story translates from the silver screen to your home consoles.

Defiance
PC/Xbox 360/PS3
Release: Out now!
Publisher: Trion Worlds Visceral Productions
Developer: Logicware Inc. Trion Worlds