Up late talking games & writing? You're...

Like I've said before, the game wasn't even on my radar until I got hands-on at PAX, but it only took a minute or two before I was sold. 

In case you're not familiar with the game, it's most easily described as an open world where the main character has mobility options similar to the characters in Assassin’s Creed, and the combat tastes a little bit like the fistwork seen in recent Batman titles. 

However, the real draw to the game and the thing that makes it stand out to me is the ability to mind-control orcs in Sauron's army. The player can go into a menu and see all of the commanders and generals currently under the dark lord’s control. After doing a little intel, these guys can be located and ambushed.

Once controlled, they can be commanded to perform other jobs, like defeating rival orc leaders, attacking the higher-ups in the chain of command, and various other things. It's a neat idea that I haven't really seen before, so taking that level of strategy and putting it on top of solid action game fundamentals makes for a very exciting package.

If my own lack of knowledge prior to playing the demo is any indication, I'm guessing that other people who would really be interested in Mordor probably haven't had it brought to their attention yet, so in order to rectify that, Michael De Plater from Monolith was kind enough to answer a few questions in this brief interview as a way of trying to get a little more info out about the game.

Here are my questions, and here's what he had to say!

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Infinite thanks to Michael De Plater and Monlith for their time. For more information, you can read up on the game at the official website, and it should be available in retail stores and for download (PS3/PS4/360/XBO/PC) on September 30.  

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Games: Lately, I've heard a lot of people saying that they can't wait for 2014 to be over because there haven't been any good games and there’s nothing to look forward to. Personally, I find that to be a strange statement…

Although there haven't been a lot of AAA games that have knocked socks off, the year’s already brought great things like Danganronpa 1 & 2, The Last of Us: Left Behind, Dark Souls II, Luftrausers, 1001 Spikes (both on Vita) and more.

Looking at the remainder of the year, there are still plenty of things I'm excited about… As such, I figured I’d take this opportunity to call out a few titles that I’ll be checking out. Are they on your list too?

I reviewed the previous game, Testament of Sherlock Homes, and the next one promises to be more of the same, but better --  a very good thing. There are very few detective games that I feel really attempt to include the detecting part, but Sherlock's done a great job with it so far, and I can't wait to crack into the next case.

I talked about this one during my PAX coverage, and it's probably my most-wanted of the year – although to be honest, it feels a little strange saying that because it wasn't anywhere my radar before the show, but once I had heard the positive buzz and had a chance to play the demo, I was blown away.

Basically, the player takes control of a ranger who appears to have a wraith inside of him. He can use this spirit to brainwash enemy orcs, and by doing this, he can gain control of enemy generals and soldiers, subverting them to his cause.

With his mechanic, the game is split into two parts: the first is third-person action reminiscent of Assassin's Creed with the combat of Batman as the ranger travels an open world. The second is the strategic layer of selecting orc captains as targets, brainwashing them, and then dispatching them on various missions.  It's a little hard to accurately describe what this game is like, but once I spent a few minutes with it, I was absolutely impressed.

This one is a bit of a wildcard for me. Most of the Alien games have been incredibly disappointing except for a very select few (Aliens: Infestation is probably the last good one that I can recall) and we all know what happened with Colonial Marines. However, seeing as how so many games have failed at pulling it off, there's still a gap to be filled by something that can accurately capture the dread and suspense of the films.

I've heard from people who played the demo that it seems promising, but to be totally frank, I've still got my doubts… I'm not quite sure how the intensity of a two hour film can translate into a full-length game, but most signs point to the fact that it may not be a total disaster. Maybe it’s even good?

This is another one I checked out at PAX. In a nutshell, it's Shinji Mikami re-envisioning his original Resident Evil stuff with a slightly new spin. Rather than biohazards and genetic labs, it seems like he's tapping into insanity and perhaps something a little Cthulhu-flavored. While the demo I played had perhaps a few too many nods to the old formula (Locked doors requiring weird keys!) it's been a while since I got sucked into a RE-type game, so I'm more than willing to give this one a shot.

Freedom Wars (Vita)

Look, I'm going to be honest here… Nothing is ever going to be as good as Monster Hunter, and the next Monster Hunter doesn't come out until next year. Freedom Wars doesn't have a chance in hell of ever replacing it, but I do have room in my play schedule for something that scratches the same itch. What I like about this one is that the monsters are big, there seems to be a good basis for teamwork during rescue missions (one character carries the target back to base, the others defend) and I’m a sucker for any game that has grappling hooks. GRAPPLING HOOKS!!! 

While I think a lot of people have said that they are experiencing complete zombie burnout, I'm still a fan of that genre (if you want to look at it that way) and I'm always up for more games that deal with those themes, as long as they have something fresh to bring to the table.

Escape Dead Island is set in the same world as the previous DI games, but it has a sort of cel-shaded look, it's single-player only, and story plays a much heavier role than it has before…   This tale about a guy coming to the infected island chain seems to deal heavily with surreal elements and insanity in addition to the expected zombie stuff, and I like what I’ve seen so far.

Anybody who knows me knows that I love Persona, and it's no secret that I am a huge fan of the Etrian Odyssey series as well. As such, this one is pretty much a no-brainer. I mean, what else even needs to be said here? Nothing! (Well, nothing except that it's a dungeon-crawler featuring the characters of P3/4, and although it’s apparently a non-canon side story, it looks like a hell of a lot of fun!)

Dragon Age: Inquisition (PC, PS3, PS4, 360, XBO)

Hoping for the best, expecting the worst.

…So there’s a good handful of things I’m excited about in the few months of 2014 we have left, and that’s not even counting the numerous indies or download titles that are on the way.  This year’s a wash? I just don’t see it.

By the way, if there are some titles that you’re looking forward to, I’d love to hear about them. Hit me up on Twitter or drop me a line here!

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Fresh from the Velvet Room, Nintendo of America will release the Persona Q Edition of the Nintendo 3DS™ XL hardware in the U.S. The design evokes the essence of Persona Q with the iconic Grimoire styling on the front—the tome used by the attendants of the Velvet Room and containing information on the many Personas—along with the new character designs on the back. The hardware will be sold exclusively in GameStop for the suggested retail price of $199.99.

For fans who have pre-ordered Persona Q or the Persona Q Premium Edition, the Persona Q 3DS XL will be sold as hardware only. So there’s no need to worry about possibly doubling up on the game or missing out on the bonus goods included in both versions.

Persona Q is the first Persona game for the Nintendo 3DS system. The game takes the beloved characters from Persona 3 and Persona 4, puts them into an all-new adventure. The game is in the style of Etrian Odyssey, where teams of five will navigate dungeons in a first-person view.  New characters, enemies, the presence of Etrian Odyssey’s FOEs will give players all new challenges.

Persona Q will release on Nov. 25 in the Americas in stores and on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS for $49.99. Pre-orders and a limited first-run printing of the game will include Set #2 of the Persona franchise’s iconic Tarot cards and come in special packaging to hold the cards and the game.

The Persona Q 3DS XL will be available in limited quantities, and will be available to pre-order at GameStop.

The Investigation Team from Persona 4 heads to the Yasogami High School Cultural Festival only to find things are...amiss. You'll have to watch it and see what the mystery is! 

We also have new character videos for protein junkie from Persona 3 and the meat junkie from Persona 4, Akihiko Sanda and Chie Satonaka! The two front-line fighters will use the strength in their feet and fists in labyrinths to beat enemy shadows to death, but depending on the sub-Personas you give them, the two can be very versatile. 

YouTube: 

P4 Story Intro 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwTz_EQyxJ0 

Akihiko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Bqvq3-LHI 

Chie 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HOxs3nnKys 

Persona Q's full website is now live as well! http://www.atlus.com/personaq 

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Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, last week confirmed Resident Evil Revelations 2 is in development for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC. Resident Evil Revelations 2 will be available across North America and Europe in Early 2015.

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We're pleased to announce that Activision is working with Torn Banner Studios in collaboration with Mercenary Technology to bring the PC award-winning Chivalry: Medieval Warfare to consoles for the very first time. Now refined for consoles this 12-player online action game will raise its banners and launch on Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for digital download later this year.

Critically praised and battle-tested experience on PC, selling over two million units, Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a fast-paced online multiplayer action game which will have players turning in their guns and grenades for battle axes and swords.  Chivalry: Medieval Warfare combines a sharp melee edge and familiar competitive gameplay along with the genuine look and feel of open-field combat in the Middle Ages. Players can choose between one of four classes – Knight, Vanguard, Man-at-Arms and Archer – each balanced to offer a unique set of strengths and vulnerabilities in any given situation. An extensive armory of more than sixty period-authentic weapons, including swords, shields, daggers, maces, axes, javelins, longbows and crossbows, delivers deadly choices for decimating foes.

Melee combat in Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is more than just hack and slash.  Players will use different attacks, blocks and counters insuring that combat is tactical, responsive and of course chaotic.  Prepare to fight in a variety of inspired medieval environments and scenarios. Raid peasant villages, burn crops, siege castles, defend the royal family, or fight to the last man in a gladiatorial arena. Multiple modes provide opportunities to fight as a team for the greater glory of the realm, or for personal honor in duels to the death.

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare marches toward a digital release on the Xbox Live Games Store for Xbox 360 and the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation®3 system later this year. For more information, visit http://www.tornbanner.com/chivalry/ and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Chivalrythegame).

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Are you ready to fight and frolic with some fairies? Fairy Fencer F is out in both digital and retail formats for PlayStation®3 in North America! It will also be available in Europe on September 19! Developed by COMPILE HEART, Fairy Fencer F is a turn-based RPG that features character art by Tsunako (Hyperdimension Neptunia series), as well as concept art by Yoshitaka Amano and music by Nobuo Uematsu who are both renowned for their work on the classic Final Fantasy series.

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Anomaly 2 is now available in full HD on the PSN store for PlayStation 4 for $14.99/€13.99.

In the years following the invasion of Earth in 2018, the planet has been overrun by alien machines. Humankind is on the verge of extinction. Traveling together in huge convoys, they search the frozen tundra for food and supplies. Since the war, the roles have been reversed: now our species seems to be the Anomaly on a machine-controlled planet. Your convoy, Commander, is called Yukon.

The game is a sequel to critically acclaimed Anomaly Warzone Earth strategy, taking the RTS tower offense concept from AWE to a new level. The core elements of the original – tactical planning and the on-field Commander to support troops in combat – are spiced up by a number of important new features: ability to morph troops into war mechs, multiplayer in tower defense vs. tower offense mode, post-apocalyptic world in a single-player campaign, over million tactical combinations to build your squad and alternative endings dependent upon your approach to enemy machines in the campaign. This is the ultimate tower offense strategy!

Anomaly 2 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB for Language and Mild Violence. 

Find more at http://anomaly2game.com/

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Adventurers rejoice!  Game developer Zojoi announced today that Shadowgate, one of the most revered point-and-click adventures titles, is now available on both PC and Mac on GOG. 

Those who purchase Shadowgate on GOG will enjoy the following special digital downloads:

·  An exclusive Shadowgate classic comic “hint” book

·  Five exclusive classic wallpapers

·  Thirteen download ringtones from the original Shadowgate on Nintendo NES

So what are you waiting for brave champion?  The fate of the world relies on your quick thinking, sharp sense, and keen perception. Grab a torch and traverse into the living castle known as Shadowgate!

Shadowgate is now available on GOG for both PC and Mac for the limited promotional price of $15.99. Shadowgate is also available on Steam for both PC and Mac for $19.99. Longtime fans who bravely adventured through any of the previous iterations, as well as brand new adventurers embarking into this classic realm for the first time will find plenty to love.

For more information about Shadowgate, please visit www.shadowgate.com, follow the development team on Twitter and “Like” Shadowgate on Facebook.

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Crawling through the shadows of Steam today, Doorways: The Underworld is the newest first-person horror game from Argentinian developer, Saibot Studios. Featuring the voice talents of Sam A. Mowry (Alexander in Amnesia) and Oculus Rift support, Doorways: The Underworld is available now for PC, Mac, and Linux.

Watch the launch trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDdRwq04d2s

Although known to the public as a charitable NGO, in truth, the Doorways organization is responsible for hunting down extremely dangerous and elusive criminals. As a Doorways agent, Thomas Foster uses his psychic abilities to connect with these criminals and locate them inside surreal realms of the mind.

In order to survive his newest assignment, Foster will be forced to play a deadly game of cat and mouse with the viciously deranged experiments of The Surgeon, and to question the reality of his own psyche.

Website:
http://www.doorwaysgame.com

Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/311250/

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inXile Entertainment is proud to present a first glimpse video of Torment: Tides of Numenera, the #1 most funded Kickstarter video game of all time and thematic successor to the cult classic Planescape: Torment:http://tormentRPG.com

The video contains 3 minutes of pre-alpha footage from Torment: Tides of Numenera, which is currently wrapping up preproduction as inXile’s Wasteland 2 launches this Friday. A cross-section of Torment gameplay, this first-glimpse shows an example of the narrative and choice-based focus of the upcoming cRPG and a taste of the look and atmosphere inXile is aiming for in the first video game representation of Monte Cook’s Numenera RPG setting (http://montecookgames.com/). Most of the video is set in one of Torment's weirder areas; the Bloom, a city of hardy settlers who live on and inside a giant, transdimensional parasitical creature.

inXile has also launched a new website for Torment: Tides of Numenera. The new-look website offers more options for existing backers, with a full set of options to manage existing pledges. Anyone who missed the Kickstarter can still jump on board, and any money raised this way will continue to bolster Torment's development budget.

The new website is available at http://tormentRPG.com 

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The Portland Retro Gaming Expo (PRGE) will open
its doors to the public on Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, 2014, for a
weekend of classic video games, tournaments and live appearances by game industry
veterans.

Over 4,000 fans attended the convention in 2013, and over 5,000 are expected to fill the
60,000 square feet of Hall A of the Oregon Convention Center this year.

The exhibitor marketplace is expected to be the largest and most popular part of the
convention, with more than 90 vendors selling classic games, consoles, memorabilia and
art spanning 40 years of video game history.

Onethird of the show floor will be set aside for attendees to play an astonishing variety of
games from decades past. The Portland Arcade Collectors, a local video game group, and
Portland's worldfamous Ground Kontrol arcade are teaming up to build Oregon's biggest
public collection of fullsized arcade and pinball machines – all of which will be set to Free
Play at the Expo, with no quarters necessary!

PRGE attendees will also be able to experience over 30 hours of speakers and
programming. The keynote presentation features the former Sega of America executives
that made "Genesis" a household word in the early 1990s: CEO Tom Kalinske and
Marketing Director Al Nilsen. Other speakers include David Crane, cofounder
of Activision and creator of Pitfall!, Howard Scott Warshaw, creator of E.T. and Yars' Revenge for the Atari 2600, and the YouTube celebrity "Peanut Butter Gamer."

Other highlights include a live auction of the rarest video game collectibles, the Tetris World
Championships, and a performance by video game music satirist "brentalfloss."

Passes can be purchased online or at the door. Presale tickets allow attendees to get into
the event one hour early on Saturday, October 18. Visit RetroGamingExpo.com for more
information. http://www.retrogamingexpo.com

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New Hellraid video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f92GtvFh9E

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XSEED Games, the independent-minded console publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., today announced that the outrageous action title, SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS, will launch on October 14, 2014 in North America for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system. Fans seeking a physical copy will be treated to a limited run ‘Let’s Get Physical’ edition of the game, which includes the game card, a soundtrack CD and a 140-page ‘Shinobi Syllabus’ containing artwork and shinobi profiles with winning strategies. Alternatively, a standalone version may be purchased exclusively as a digital download through the PlayStation®Store. SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS will also be published in Europe as a digital PlayStation Store exclusive by Marvelous Europe on October 15, 2014. Additionally, the game’s official website has now been launched and may be viewed at: www.hanzonationalacademy.com/sksv.

 SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS shifts from the side-scrolling action of Burst to full 3D battles, and fans can expect to find more of all of SENRAN KAGURA’s hallmark features – ridiculous mid-air combos, over-the-top humor and revealing Secret Ninja Art techniques. The game features 20 unique shinobi fighters for players to master, each with her own unique weapon, techniques and special moves, while Secret Ninja Arts can be exploited to change costumes and power up mid-battle. On top of the single-player game, up to four players can battle online or via ad-hoc connection to determine which shinobi is the best of them all.

SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS is developed by Tamsoft together with Marvelous Inc. of Japan for the PS Vita. XSEED Games will publish the title in North America, digitally on the PlayStation Store for $39.99 and physically via the limited ‘Let’s Get Physical’ edition with a suggested retail price of $49.99. Marvelous Europe will release the title exclusively on the European PlayStation Store for €29.99. This title has been rated Mature by the ESRB in North America, and 16+ by PEGI, 16+ by USK, and M by ACB.

For more information on XSEED Games products, please visit www.xseedgames.com. Fans can also follow XSEED Games on Facebook at www.facebook.com/XSEEDGames and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/XSEEDGames.

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So, Destiny is out. I picked up my copy and got a fair bit of time in on the first day and a little more this afternoon. Not sure if I’ll be doing a full review, but I figured I’d throw some impressions up in no particular order…

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>Great graphics (duh) tight controls, and getting your own speederbike is pretty rad.

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>Double-jumping is always awesome.

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>As a story-centric player, I'm craving a lot more than what Destiny offers. I don't need 15,000 books of lore or a cutscene every three minutes, but I’m just not getting any good mental hooks for me here… For example, your character is revived from the dead after a long, long time, so… What's up with that? Nobody even blinks at it – including your own character!

And seriously, Light and Darkness? Give me a break, it couldn’t possibly be any more cliché.

There seem to be plenty of ideas here, but Bungie just does not deliver on any of them. In another instance, it seems like there are PVP factions with in-game leaders – a perfect time to introduce a salty character or two, but they’re just flat questgiver types.

It’s almost like Bungie are intentionally keeping everything as bland, broad and inoffensive as possible in order to grab as many players as possible, but it has the opposite effect for me. I want some memorable faces, I want some crazy dialogue.. some personality!

(Side note: the in-game lore is that actually exists is apparently only readable on Bungie's website? WTF?)

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>I really, really don't like Peter Dinklage’s voice here. Even though he’s supposed to be a robot of sorts, he sounds so totally flat and uninteresting. I don't feel any attachment to him at all, and I wish I could customize the voice into something peppier. He’s a major drag.

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>It seems like a lot of people are going Warlock, but I went Titan thinking that it might be a little easier for solo play, I’ve been happy with it so far. Punching enemies feels massively satisfying, and it wasn't long before I got some health and stamina increases. Unfortunately, it seems like the devs are expecting me to be using different kinds of weapons that I am – the buffs installed in some of my fancier armor are for gun types I never use.  Hopefully that will change later.

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Shooting stuff is fun and Destiny feels great in that sense – the moment-to-moment gunplay is fab for sure. That said, I’m not sure how long pure shooting is going to carry me if the story doesn’t pick up. The armor and weapon drops haven’t exactly been awe-inspiring, either… A lot of standard weapon types and incremental upgrades, but nothing really wild or impressive yet.

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As someone who played and completed the campaign in Defiance, I’ve already seen a game that does what Destiny is trying to do. My full review is here, and it’s actually free-to-play on every platform last time I checked – PS3/360/PC.

Of course, Bungie has technical prowess that Defiance’s devs could only dream of… No question there. 

On the other hand, Defiance’s world was always humming, it had plenty of interesting modes and varied quests, exploring the open world offered its own interesting rewards and there was enough story to keep me going until the end of its beefy campaign.

With a $500M investment behind it, I’m sure that Destiny is going to keep growing and evolving (and hey, I’m not even done with the campaign yet, so this isn't a final judgment) but my first impressions are of a slick presentation on top of an empty core, and I admit I'm wondering what lies in store for its future...

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