Making certain superhero videogames must be difficult. Some guys, like Batman, are just regular people with lots of money and awesome gadgets, and they can still die. But what about nearly immortal characters, like Superman? The Man of Steel has kryptonite to make him a little more "human," but Marvel's undying bundle of anger, Wolverine, can survive almost anything (or at least put himself back together after being torn to shreds). Wolverine's latest adventure X-Men Origins: Wolverine, does a great job of making you feel like the nearly invincible mutant, but it doesn't quite provide a story to match.
Like the title indicates, Origins details Wolverine's beginnings...well more of the origin of his name and adamantium frame. The character's true origin began in the 1800s. Regardless, Origins' five-chapter tale alternates between the present (mostly the Weapon X facility) and three years in the past (in an African jungle), setting up a frame story that slowly but surely drives the narrative forward. After act three, however, things start to get weird; for every question the game answers, it brings up two more. Other popular mutants, like Gambit and the Blob, make brief appearances, but their cameos only confuse the tale of flashbacks further. By the end, the game has set up so many loose plot threads that it leaves no choice but to try and wrap them up in a confusing mishmash of explosions and overlong battles.
But you're playing this game for one reason and it's not for a Dickensian retelling of Logan's history; it's to do what "he does best": tear people in half with reckless, bloody abandon. And that's what Origins gets right. The camera cinematically sweeps around the battlefield, and the game throws the action into slow motion whenever you execute an especially violent decapitation. And almost every enemy can succumb to getting ripped apart at the torso or a messy decapitation. The combos are simple, and button-mashing usually works just as well as any type of strategy. But the game always makes you feel like an effective killing machine.
The guys you're killing, however, get old pretty fast. Both the "past" jungle levels and "present" facility chapters pit you against the exact same enemies, reskinned to fit their surroundings. It's even more off-putting when you start fighting mutants. How many blade-wielding, four-armed dancers exist in Wolverine's world? Apparently several hundred. Boss encounters, while they force you to change up your battle strategy a little, are simple exercises in running around in circles, leaping on your opponent's back, and slowly whittling away at their health bar.
But to ease the grind of fighting the game's endless parade of cloned grunts, Origins incorporates a few adventure-like qualities (leveling up, equipping new powers, choosing which skills to power up). While it adds a sense of purpose to the slaughter, it's also a bit misleading. You can constantly upgrade your strength and stamina, but the enemies always seem to take the same amount of punishment. And it makes the cut-scenes, where Wolverine effortlessly slices through skin, bone, and concrete walls that much more jarring. How do the same enemies take so much more damage when they're in-game? By the end of Origins, I was hoping to have created a Wolverine who could swing a fist and immediately send limbs flying, rather than a character that feels about the same as he did at the beginning of the game.
Origins also occasionally throws in some nonsensical platforming sections to slow things down. Suddenly, the camera feels like less of a thrilling addition, and more like an annoyance whose purpose is to make you die. Leaping precariously between platforms or girders with Wolverine's inexact jumping is one thing, but some scenes force you to run toward the camera, away from some cataclysmic danger, usually while avoiding obstacles at the same time. Screw up: You die, and start over (though invisible walls tend to keep you from taking too many unnecessary leaps to your doom).
The game has unlockable costumes, which is a nice change if you get tired of looking at Logan's A-shirt attire, but neither costumes nor battle damage carry over to most of the game's cut-scenes. One second you're dressed as the classic, yellow-and-blue suited Wolverine, the next you're looking at your character in jeans and a white shirt -- all the more strange since most of the scenes take place in-engine, not as separate, high-rendered cinematics. It's the oversight to little details that ultimately detract from the game the most. Sure, Wolverine takes battle damage, exposing gaping chest wounds, protruding arm bones, and a bare skull. But his pants are always perfectly intact. Maybe Levi's Jeans has a secret deal with the Wolverine game: the pants can get a little bloody, but they can't sustain damage -- like a racing game where none of the cars can show any scratches or dents.
While Origins doesn't seem to have any game-breaking bugs, I still ran into spots that had me walking in mid-air or grabbing onto invisible ledges. Even the final boss encounter forced me to spend part of the battle running around in the sky, just trying to get back to the battlefield. The game never locked up or dropped me through a floor, but it still has some pretty big glitches for a finished product. And, this is a minor detail, but Origins doesn't have subtitles. If you want to turn down the game's constant shouting and battle noises, you'll also miss out on everything the characters are saying.
As a mindless, button-masher that puts you in control of the eternally angry Wolverine, the game provides some simple fun. But it quickly devolves into a mediocre Tomb Raider/God of War mash-up of balancing across precarious ledges, quick time events, and moving crates around to solve "puzzles." Origins isn't bad at what it does, but what it does isn't very ambitious.
Final Fantasy XIII Trailer - NEW!
Final Fantasy XIII is looking to be a showpiece for the PlayStation 3, and Square Enix is confident that it will push the system to its limits. Kotaku reports that, speaking to Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation 3, producer Yoshinori Kitase addressed some questions about the game. "Doesn't the demo use about 50 percent of [the PlayStation 3's] power?" he said. "Of course, I think the retail version will make use of nearly 100 percent."
As a comparison, he commented that this game will be to the PlayStation 3 what Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X were to the PlayStation and PS2, respectively. But, he reassured that the game won't require disc swapping, at least on the PlayStation 3, due to the capacity of Blu-Ray and PS3 harddrive space.
Sony CEO Kaz Hirai recently made waves when he commented that the console was made "hard to program for" in order to pace the flow of taking full advantage of the console. Square Enix has usually been a trendsetter when it comes to packing punch on Sony's systems. If Final Fantasy XIII does take almost full advantage of the hardware, we can bet other developers will take it as an example to follow.
The other elephant in the room, of course, is the Xbox 360 version. Since it will be ported after the PlayStation 3 version is finished, it probably isn't on the minds of the developers. But if the game is really pressing the PS3 that hard, we'll have to see if any compromises are necessary for the 360.
No one could have suspected that the sequel to 2004's Killzone would be this good. Killzone 2 is a tremendous package, offering an exciting campaign and terrific competitive online play, neither of which create new paradigms for first-person shooters, but rather set new standards in subtle but significant ways. From groundbreaking visuals to well-crafted multiplayer maps, most of Killzone 2's individual elements stand out in a crowded genre, making its meager attempts at storytelling easy to ignore. PlayStation 3 owners looking for a shooter to keep them busy for the rest of 2009 and beyond need look no further: The fierce action will keep you glued to your television screen for some time to come.
What makes Killzone 2's single-player campaign so much fun? First and foremost, the weapons are a lot of fun to shoot, even the standard assault rifles that form the core of your loadout. The M82's effective scope makes zooming in on your target a breeze, yet this rifle is effective at close range as well, establishing itself from the beginning as a formidable firearm. The LS13 shotgun is also powerful and rewarding to fire; though you may only shoot off a foe's helmet with other weapons, you'll watch entire heads explode with a single blast from this close-range powerhouse. The bolt gun is another favorite, skewering enemy soldiers onto surfaces and exploding a short moment later. Though you're traversing a sci-fi setting, your weapons are decidedly modern-day, from the sniper rifle to the vicious flamethrower, with one exception: the lightning gun. This mighty instrument showers enemies with overpowering jolts of electricity, and though it's not available for long, it makes short work of robotic and humanoid foes. Each of these weapons feels just right; fantastic spurts of blood, outstanding animations, exquisitely detailed weapon models, and explosive sound effects fuse seamlessly and give a satisfying sense of impact every time you land a shot. 
Although there's a great variety of weaponry, you won't encounter that many different kinds of enemies as you fight your way across the war-torn landscapes of the planet Helghan. As in the original Killzone, your enemies consist largely of Helghast soldiers, yet though this limited selection led to monotony in the past, an assortment of factors in the sequel hold tedium at bay. The action is constantly pushing forward, leading you from one quality scripted event to the next and pitting you against bright AI opponents that have a remarkable grasp of battlefield tactics. These soldiers put up a fight and exhibit authentic behavior as you rain bullets on them. If you set your sights on a soldier peeking from behind cover and fire off a few rounds in that direction, he'll patiently wait until all signs of fire have vanished. Helghast will flank you and shoot blindly from behind cover, and should you toss a grenade in their direction, they'll quickly scatter. You'll normally be fighting alongside a computer-controlled teammate or even entire squads of fellow infantry. Enemy AI is just as concerned with your comrades as it is with you, so you'll never feel as if you have a bull's-eye plastered on your forehead, as is common with many other team-based shooters. As a result, Killzone 2's thrilling large-scale battles unfold dynamically and offer a legitimate challenge while rarely feeling unfair--a frustrating rocket-heavy final battle serving as the only exception.
Some excellent turret sequences and other segments also provide welcome variations on the shooting theme. At one point, you'll climb into a robotic shell and mow down infantry and tanks with machine gun fire and rockets. The way your transparent protective shield exhibits cracks as you take damage and the remarkable fire and smoke effects that light up the screen add to the excitement of the level. In another fun and visually stunning sequence, you'll use an antiaircraft turret to take down squadrons of enemy fighters. Even operating a standard turret is more appealing than you would expect, which is a result of great map design and well-scripted enemy entrances. If you're just using your standard arsenal, missions are diverse and engaging. You'll take aim at tanks (and in one boss fight, a hovering aircraft) using Killzone 2's potent rocket launcher, and you'll fight your way through a besieged air base in which winding corridors and intersecting passages have you battling multiple enemies on multiple levels. 
Most levels take their cue from the usual first-person shooter formulas, and though it takes place in the spacefaring future, Killzone 2 feels more akin to a modern-day day FPS by way of its standard weapons and mostly humanoid enemies. It's an interesting blend of two disparate sensibilities that works far better than in the original, and it's further ripened by gameplay touches that feel authentic within that framework. Movement and turning speeds have a real feeling of weight, which is appropriate considering the heavy armor burdening you. This can make the controls feel somewhat sluggish at first, given that you take a moment to gather momentum. It doesn't take long to get accustomed to this sense of overall bulkiness, though, and it's consistently delivered across multiple mechanics. For example, when you jump, the way that you bend into the leap and cushion the landing with another slight crouch feels surprisingly realistic. That weight also informs movement in and out of cover. Killzone 2's cover system is solid, and it never removes you from a first-person viewpoint. Though some objects can obscure your view if you try to take potshots from behind them, sticking to cover and leaning out from behind walls is generally effective and intuitive.
Whether you go for a pop-and-shoot approach or just gun your way through, the mission design keeps you constantly moving from one objective to the next. The quick pace is one of Killzone 2's finest facets; battles don't wear on too long, and they aren't so brief as to be anticlimactic. Like many other shooters, mission objectives often involve turning a crank or pushing a button. In Killzone 2, this may mean rotating the controller to simulate the onscreen activity. These moments feel unnecessary and ironically disrupt the sense of immersion, but as tacked-on as they are, the actions are too brief to be especially annoying. You'll also use your gamepad's motion sensitivity to stabilize the sniper rifle, though the implementation here is subtle and therefore relatively harmless.
It's a real pity that there is so little context for the exceptional action. If you're familiar with the original Killzone, you'll at least have an idea why the ISA (International Strategic Alliance) is attacking the Helghast homeworld; if not, it's clear that as Thomas Sevchenko, you are on the side of the good guys--just not clear why they are the good guys. The dialogue is rudimentary (a discussion regarding sandwiches jumps immediately to mind), the characters forgettable, and the plot serves purely as a thin framework to move you from one environment to the next. Yet the cutscenes are top-notch, and unlike their counterparts in fellow PS3 shooter Haze, there's nothing intrinsically offensive or wearisome about the fist-pumping grunts at the core of the story. The story isn't deep or involving--it's just there, neither enhancing nor diminishing Killzone 2's action.
That action is enhanced by groundbreaking visuals that elevate Killzone 2 to the head of its class. Both technically and artistically, this is a real stunner. You'll first notice the obvious expressions of its technical prowess: environments jam-packed with objects and textured architectural details, pipes and crumbling rebar jutting from dilapidated buildings, and gorgeous lighting that drenches market squares and sandy battlefields with an incandescent glow. As you peel away the visual layers, your appreciation will only grow. Soldier animations are the best in the genre: Enemies move so fluidly during battle, and shift from cover to firing stance so smoothly, it's clear that meticulous attention was given to making each limb move authentically. Even the smallest details are striking. Raging fires react to the wind as it blows through the level, lightning flashes across the gloomy skies, and billows of smoke so thick you could choke on them cloud your view--but never so much as to be a gameplay annoyance.
These visuals coalesce beautifully to give Killzone 2 a cohesive look that relies as much on its art design as it does on its technology. A subtle grain filter, a good amount of motion blur, and deep color saturation give most levels a dank, overcast ambience, and asymmetrical architecture and other small stylistic touches make Helghan feel more like a grim alternate-universe Earth than a completely foreign world. The sound design offers an equally intense palette. Explosions are obnoxiously loud, and the din of gunfire spreads across the map. The largest battles, such as one that rages across a decrepit bridge, sound intensely chaotic, and the crack of lightning bolts on Blood Gracht may cause you to jump out of your seat. The stormy soundtrack rages at all the right moments but gets a bit overwrought, which befits the hammy voice acting more than it does the layered sound effects. 
Although the campaign is over in eight or nine hours, many levels are eminently replayable thanks to tough enemy AI and multiple difficulty levels, and the game makes it easy to revisit specific sequences within its mission menu. But what gives this shooter legs is its fantastic online play, a fun and competitive extravaganza that issues a constant stream of benefits. Like the most recent Call of Duty games, Killzone 2 rewards you with bonuses as you play, which in this case can mean new weapons, extra grenades awarded upon respawning, and most intriguingly, entire classes. This is done not only via a leveling system that pushes you ever closer to the next reward, but also with ribbons earned by completing specific tasks, such as getting a certain percentage of your team's kills. These bonuses are earned separately from leveling, which makes for two layers of online play enhancements to keep you ever addicted.
These dividends flow in a seemingly endless current, though they aren't the only facet of online play that will keep you gripping your controller; the team-based gameplay itself is outstanding, which serves as reason enough to stick with Killzone 2. The modes themselves offer few surprises, what with variants on Team Deathmatch (Bodycount), Conquest (Capture and Hold), and Capture the Flag (Search and Retrieve), among others. Rather, matches are unique because these modes are strung seamlessly together, forcing teams to move from one objective to the next with barely a breather in-between. Up to five modes mesh into a single game, which keeps teams on their toes and spreads hotbeds of action about the maps. In a single match, you're likely to band with teammates in an exposed courtyard, navigate tight walkways as battles rage in the artificial gulley just beyond, and defend an objective in a claustrophobic alcove. It's unlikely that you'll have trouble finding players online to join you in one of Killzone 2's 32-player engagements, but should you be so inclined, you can fill out the games that you host with up to 15 AI-controlled bots. You can even practice offline in one-off matches with those same bots if you prefer.
The eight maps included are exceptional, largely because they are flexible enough to make every mode feel like a natural fit for the precise layouts. Aspects such as the varying spawn points of the propaganda speaker in Search and Retrieve, and the vulnerable locations of capture points in Capture and Hold, provide focused hot spots and send you to every nook and cranny of the maps. Be prepared to think vertically because the pathways wind up stairwells, through hidden tunnels, and across balconied walkways. The addition of techniques available to each of Killzone 2's seven classes makes the ensuing action even more dynamic. An engineer's turrets can make Pyrrhus Rise's natural chokepoints even more treacherous, whereas a cloaked enemy may pounce on you as you navigate Tharsis Depot's constricted walkways. All the while, visual flourishes such as floating embers on Visari Hammer and distant artillery fire on Salamun Market keep the mood oppressive.
Additional features flesh out the robust online play. You can join other teammates in a squad, a la Battlefield 2 and Enemy Territory, a feature that lets you coordinate attacks with ease. Full support for clans and clan challenges should make Killzone 2 a natural destination for competitive teams, and you can use killzone.com to schedule clan matches and tournaments. But whether you're a lone wolf or a clan enthusiast, you'll be happy to find a mostly smooth online experience, with only rare and short bouts of visual slowdown and online lag. In light of this extraordinary suite of online options, it's a pity that there is no cooperative play, and the single-player campaign seems ripe for such an addition, given that you're usually accompanied by an AI teammate.
You'll have to look to the inevitable Killzone 3 to find out if developer Guerilla can dig any diamonds out of this series' rough narrative. Otherwise, Killzone 2 is an exceptional first-person shooter, not because it does anything particularly new, but because it does everything extraordinarily well. There's certainly no doubting its graphical superiority, but though its moody visuals invite incessant superlatives, it's the tight, electric action that will make this an off- and online haven.
Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation 2. It is the fifth installment in the main Call of Duty series. The game is set in the Pacific theater and Eastern front of World War II. The game shipped in North America on November 11, 2008, and will ship in Australia on November 12, 2008, and in Europe on November 14, 2008.
The story focuses on the final battles of World War II in the Pacific and Eastern Europe involving the United States, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspectives of a Marine Raider and a Red Army soldier, and is based on several historical battles, including the Makin Island raid, the Battle of Peleliu, and the Battle of Berlin. The multiplayer portion of the game contains various game modes, and contains a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons and rewards as they progress, which was originally implemented in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A new feature to the Call of Duty series is the co-op mode, which can support up to four players online and two offline.
Story
One part of a level entitled "Makin Raid" shows an Allied prisoner of war being tortured by the Japanese before having his throat slit by a katana. The player's character witnesses this scene and is later rescued by US Marines who liberate the camp. Two other levels show the player using the machine guns on a PBY Catalina to attack a Japanese naval fleet, and the beginning of the Russian campaign. In that level, the player and a Russian sniper attack German troops under the cover of a bombing raid.
Gameplay
World at War will feature a more mature theme than previous installments in the series. Swimming will be introduced to the series. While in water, the player cannot sprint and will only move at half speed. Flamethrowers, introduced in Call of Duty: United Offensive, will appear alongside flammable environments. Vehicles (i.e. Tanks) will also be reintroduced in this edition of Call of Duty. The game will be more open-ended than previous games in the series, as there will be multiple ways to complete objectives.
Multiplayer
World at War will have cooperative gameplay with up to two players via split screen on consoles, or four players online, for the first time in the franchise. In addition, the Wii version will also feature splitscreen multiplayer. All console versions of the game will use a perk system similar to that in Call of Duty 4. Activision has also confirmed that vehicles will be usable in multiplayer. Six multiplayer modes have been announced including team deathmatch and capture the flag, among others.
A special online co-op mode involving Nazi zombies is unlocked once the player completes the single player campaign. In it, up to four players must attempt to defend themselves from limitless waves of undead Nazi soldiers. With each kill and successful hit, players earn points that can be used to purchase weapons and fortifications to further defend themselves.
Call of Duty: World at War Trailer (HD)
The world of Vana'diel stands at the brink of war. Three powerful nations, united in their plight against the beastmen forces, look to their last hope-brave adventures like you! will the beastmen gin the upper hand, and thrust the once-peaceful Vana'diel into another war? Step into the world of Vana'diel and journey forth on grand adventures with players from all across the globe!
FINAL FANTASY XI is the first online game in the award-winning FINAL FANTASY series. How you play it up to you, with limitless possbilities for adventure. set out on your own to discover the countless secrets of Vana'diel, or form a party with your friends to purge the beastman forces and bring home sensational spoils!
Create Your Own Original Character
The first step in your adventure is to create your character's traits, including race, gender, face, hair color, body size, job, and nationality. This will become your on-screen "alter ego" in the world of FINAL FANTASY XI. The classic Job System of the FINAL FANTASY series returns in FINAL FANTASY XI. You can acquire a wide variety of abilities with various jobs -- and even discover new jobs as you play! Rumor has it that with the proper training, Vana'diel adventurers can become paladins, bards, and rangers. What other jobs will you be able to discover?
Communication
The world of FINAL FANTASY XI consists of an international community that exists without borders. Hook up with your existing friends, or meet and greet new adventurers from around the world.
Communicating with other players is the main feature of FINAL FANTASY XI.
Communication is a snap with user-friendly chat, messaging systems, and easily-managed friend lists.
Teaming up with others is the key to success, so don't go alone!
There's More Than Just Combat
In Vana'diel, your existence is not limited to battling the menagerie of dangerous creatures that lurk outside the city walls.
You can also fish, synthesize items, and spend your time participating in a number of non-combative activities. Crystals, the origin of all energy, are scattered throughout Vana'diel. By collecting them, you can use their powers to create new items and become a famous craftsman in your own right.
Many other activities await. You can spend the day fishing, surrounded by the rich wilderness of Vana'diel. Try creating new recipes for fine dishes for your friends.
Aim for riches by synthesizing fine jewelry. Scour dark mines for precious ores. In FINAL FANTASY XI, combat is just the tip of the iceberg -- if you'd rather enjoy a peaceful life inside the walls of the city, nobody will stop you!
Beyond Platform Boundaries
Both PlayStation 2 and Windows players can coexist in the same worlds.
Vana'diel is looking for citizens -- no matter what hardware they own.
Final Fantasy XI - Opening trailer
Though it was announced a few months ago, it wasn't until recently that we finally got to see Ghostbusters with our very own eyes. At Sierra's press event we got our first look at Ghostbusters for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
We were told from the get go that what we were looking at was a very early build and served more as a tech demo that anything. One of the first things we noticed was that there was absolutely no HUD on the screen. The producer informed us that the Proton Pack would actually work as the in-game HUD with various lights and meters representing health, power etc. The tech demo that was shown took us to the New York City Library where books and chairs as well as tables were being thrown around the room with the beam from the Proton Pack. Everything was rendered exceptionally well and we were shown how breaking down chairs and tables resulted in random destruction – meaning that if you destroy three tables, they will all break apart differently so it becomes very life-like. At one point, extra cars, books and other items were dropped in from the ceiling to show us that the Infernal Engine could handle everything without hiccups. There were no dips in frame rate and the action remained smooth. A slime tether was used to fling cars and bodies around the room while also demonstrating how you could tether various items at once. I must say that this portion of the demo was pretty impressive and graphically, it looked very good.
Towards the end of the tech demo, a monster was created using hundreds of books in the library's basement and you have to use the Proton Pack to break him down piece by piece. After defeating the monster, we were taken outside of the library to the New York City streets. The game showed over 1500 people all at once on the screen, each with their own individual A.I. As people walked down the street, they all had different movements, never bumping into each other but reacting to everyone around them. The producer simulated some action on the screen that caused the crowd to panic. Some of the people ran away while others moved away, giving you room to do your dirty work.
After the tech demo, we were finally shown some real gameplay from various portions of the game. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow was shown roaming the streets while the Ghostbusters blasted away at his arms and chest. Just like a marshmallow, Stay-Puft burned and roasted wherever he was being attacked – cool stuff. We were then shown a demonstration for catching ghosts. The PK emitter will detect ghosts which is when you Proton Pack gets put to good use which includes features like the Dark Energy, Freeze Beam, Shot Blast, Neutron Generator and the Slime Tether. Of course before you can capture ghosts, you have to beat them down and wear them out while making sure they don't take over certain objects which give them powers. In the PS3 version, you can get a hold of a ghost and shake the Sixxaxis controller to shake them about and slam them against the ground or walls. 
You can play with three other A.I. members or you can get some multiplayer going with online co-op which includes specific missions as well as mini-games. Whether with A.I. teammates or real life friends, the other Ghostbusters can help you out by throwing down ghost packs or adding their beams to yours – sometimes necessary to catch certain ghosts.
The game will also feature all of the voices from the original cast though I'm sorry to say that ECTO 1 will not be drivable in the game.
Though the demo was brief, what we got to see from such an early build looked very good and appears to be headed in the right direction. The producers tell us that they're aiming for a Halloween 08 release. We'll have further impressions of the game when we get some hands-on time with it.
This preview original from 411mania.com Posted by Ramon Aranda
Ghostbusters The Video Game Trailer
