Looks like Armored Core: for Answer will be arriving on our shores fairly soon; Ubisoft has announced that the game will be released on September 16th. GameSpot scored an interview with associate producer Kenan Alpay, who tells us a couple of facts about the game. Here are some highlights:
Online co-op mode: "30 missions and eight-player online melees in 80different arenas."
Story mode: You play as a mercenary who can eventually choose which missions to take from different factions within the game. There are over 40 missions and the decisions you make can lead to multiple endings.
Arms Forts, which are giant battle stations much larger than yourself, will be the featured enemies of the game.
Control scheme: new control scheme for beginners, as well as an option for other players to join in via co-op mode to assist them with difficult missions.
New customization options: 130 new mech parts, including "interesting" parts such as an "auxiliary boost jets that increase your mobility and are ideal for hit-and-run attacks."
Voice chat will be supported, as well as cross-regional (North America, Japan, Europe) play.
EXCLUSIVE: First gameplay videos, new screens, and hands-on impressions!
At this very moment, exhausted game journos are lurching across the globe to converge on Leipzig for a look at the industry’s latest. Tomorrow, when the show opens, this is what Activision will be showing the crowds of Call of Duty: World at War. Why wait for the delirious, hefeweisen-soaked updates to trickle in over slow-ass hotel internets, when we’ve got the gameplay videos and screens right here?
Our first video shows the flamethrower in action. The gushes of flame spewing forth not only look spectacular, but are tactically vital against bunkers teeming with dug-in enemies. It also makes short work of tall grass and trees, helping to fend off ambuscades.
Next, we have the bazooka. This gameplay clip captures the frantic chaos of an unfortunate infantryman caught in the midst of a tank battle. Luckily, some thoughtful person left a bazooka on the edge of the fray to help even the odds.
Finally, we have a segment of general gameplay during which the troop is advancing through enemy fortifications to stage a raid on a battery of anti-aircraft guns.
This marked our first, albeit all-too-brief opportunity to actually play World at War. While PR was keen to point out miniscule bits that weren’t finished yet, we probably wouldn’t have noticed as we were much too busy sprinting for cover and seeking out lines of fire on enemy positions. Because the game is built on the Call of Duty 4 engine, it already looks polished and plays fantastically. But it’s no mere reskin – the enemy’s ambush and suicide tactics force you to think and play differently. The weapons also have a different feel, more authentic to the era. And while the flamethrower is awesome fun, it’s also a giant bomb strapped to your back (which can fast turn into a major liability.)
Two-player co-op played silky smooth, and added another layer of strategic involvement. We played through a bit of the European portion of the game, as the Russians advancing into Berlin. While we definitely preferred the lush Pacific Island settings to the more typical bombed-out European cities, the map we played offered plenty of opportunity to strategize with our teammate as how best to clear a building or advance on fortified positions. There were plenty of rifles, SMGs, and shotguns littered around for us to try, and we were even able to turn an AA gun on some enemy reinforcements. The pace stayed consistently frantic and exciting until we ran out of time and had to end the demo.
If you’re in the camp that worries about Treyarch mucking about with Call of Duty, know that every time we see Call of Duty: World at War we get more excited about how it’s turning out. Treyarch has two years to develop this one, as opposed to the short one year cycle they were stuck with on Call of Duty 3, and they’re really making that extra time count. We’re eagerly anticipating the time when Activision lets us have at the multiplayer (which we saw up and running in May, but were not allowed to actually play.) Until then, enjoy the rest of our coverage here.
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We got our hands on an early copy of NBA 09: The Inside and decided to show you what the Trophies for this upcoming PlayStation exclusive are. Enjoy!
Bronze Trophies
Franchise - Win the NBA FInals: Win the NBA title - any year, any skill setting Quick Play - Defeat 5 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame: Defeat 5 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame skill setting, 5 min + qtrs & no spotting points Mini Games - Rabbit: Win a game - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - Blacktop Golf: Score 70 or less points - Minimum All-Star skill setting Mini Games - 1-on-1: Win by 5 points - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - 2-on-2: Win by 5 points - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - 3-on-3: Win by 5 points - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - Own The Court: Win by 8 points - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - 3-Point Shootout: Win by 5 points - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ Mini Games - PlayStation Skills Challenge: Win by 3 seconds - Minimum All-Star skill setting & opponent overall rating 85+ NBA Replay: The Season - Complete First Half of Mode: Complete 15 Spotlights - Meet the Challenge - Minimum All-Star skill setting Player Progression - Advance 5 to 70+: Advance 5 Progression Players to an Overall Rating of 70+ for each player Online 5 Game Winner - Win 5 online games
Silver Trophies
The Life - Story #1 Completed: Complete Story #1 - Minimum All-Star skill setting The Life - Story #2 Completed: Complete Story #2 - Minimum All-Star skill setting The Life - Story #3 Completed: Complete Story #3 - Minimum All-Star skill setting Franchise - Win 3 NBA Finals: Win 3 NBA titles - any years, any skill setting Quick Play - Defeat 15 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame: Defeat 15 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame skill setting, 5 min + qtrs & no spotting points NBA Replay: The Season - Complete Entire Mode: Complete all 30 Spotlights - Meet the Challenge - Minimum All-Star skill setting Player Progression - Advance 5 to 80+: Advance 5 Progression Players to an Overall Rating of 80+ for each player Online 10 Game Winner - Win 10 online games
Gold Trophies
The Life - All 3 Stories Completed: Complete all 3 stories - Minimum All-Star skill setting Franchise - Complete 20 year Franchise with 5+ NBA Titles: Complete 20 year Franchise with 5+ NBA Titles - any skill setting Quick Play - Defeat 30 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame: Defeat all 30 NBA Teams - Hall of Fame skill setting, 5 min + qtrs & no spotting points NBA Replay: The Season - Complete Entire Mode including all Extra Mile Goals: Complete all 30 Spotlights - Extra Mile - Minimum All-Star skill setting Player Progression - Advance 5 to 90+: Advance 5 Progression Players to an Overall Rating of 90+ for each player Online 25 Game Winner - Win 25 online games
The lid on Heavy Rain will be blown off this week at Leipzig Games Convention. To get you ready, check out this newly released interview from Gamereactor TV, taken after Sony's secret behind-closed-doors showing at E3 earlier this year. The interview doesn't reveal much: it shows the same screenshots that were leaked a few weeks ago, and all video footage is of the game's very early tech demonstration. It's interesting to see how confident Quantic Dream is about their upcoming project, saying games like Uncharted only managed to get "some" things right. Other than that, they promise that Heavy Rain has "no competitors."
Working with Sony Computer Entertainment seems to be very beneficial for the team, especially because Sony has offered them a chance to create "the best game possible." He's definitely getting the hype engine revving ... and it won't be long until we can judge for ourselves whether or not the hype is warranted.
Even tho they are not supposed to "officially" go on sale until the end of August, it seems evident that many retailers are stocking their store shelves with the new 80 GB Core Packs. These systems, that will set you back $399, offer an upgraded version of the previous 40GB system: a larger hard drive and a DualShock 3 controller. It does not provide any backwards compatibility meaning that it will no longer play any PS2 games; lame eh! Various tipsters and sources point out that the new 80GB are already on the store shelves as seen in the picture above.
If the 80GB Core packs are in stock that means that two current PS3 SKUs both feature 80GB hard drives are available. The old one will cost you a bit more money at $499, but comes with the highly acclaimed stealth action game Metal Gear Solid 4 which also comes dualshock controller and has backward compatibility; a better deal overall in my opinion.
Update: Word has reached us from our friends at PS3Fanboy. A SCEA rep de Leon told them that "Shipments of the new 80GB PS3 started this week, and retailers can sell them as they receive the inventory." If your local store has the new 80GB system, they're allowed to sell it immediately.
Take Two has just announced that the upcoming PS3 port of BioShock will hit US store shelves on October 21st. An international release is planned for just three days later: October 24th. This means the game will appear on Sony's home console exactly 14 months after the original PC/Xbox 360 release.
