General gaming

General gaming

Assassin's Creed III Speculation: What We Want And Know For Ubisoft's Next Adventure

Posted: 22 Feb 2012 06:05 PM PST

Annual iterations in video games are something that we're just going to have to deal with -- as much as we may complain, there's just too much money to be made in releasing yearly installments of the biggest franchises. While this business model obviously makes sense from a financial point, many lament the fact that this short span in between sequels hurts creativity and quality. If you need proof of this, look no further than the Assassin's Creed series. The two-year gap between AC and ACII allowed the series to come into its own and evolve into one of gaming's most ambitious franchises. Since then, the annualization of the series has brought a bit of stagnation to the formula. And yet, we continue to have faith that the franchise may return to its former greatness. With the recent announcement that Assassin's Creed III will hit shelves on October 30, we remain cautiously optimistic that Ubisoft is prepared to make an ambitious leap forward for the next numbered installment in Desmond's journey. Below are some initial thoughts and theories from the AC players at 1UP: Marty Sliva, Thierry Nguyen, and Jeremy Parish.

The Setting



Marty: A few months back, I received a pro-tip that ACIII was going to place you in the body of a half-Cherokee warrior during the American Revolution. Evidently you're going to be tasked with traveling north along the Atlantic coast to Boston and Philadelphia, engaging in all sorts of wacky hijinks. If this is the setting for ACIII, it would be a great direction for the series to take, as America during the latter half of the 18th century is rife with potential in the video game world. With so many historically significant events occurring throughout New England at the time, Assassin's Creed III could take a Forrest Gump-ian approach to history and have your character be present at all of the major events of the American Revolution. Imagine playing through historical moments like the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, or Washington's crossing of the Delaware.

Lack of Demand Blamed For No UMD Conversion Program

Posted: 22 Feb 2012 12:55 PM PST

PSP UMD

Two weeks after revealing that Vita owners outside of Japan will not be able to convert their PSP UMD game collection into digital versions playable on Sony's new handheld, the company has provided an explanation for why it made that decision. It isn't particularly unreasonable, though it probably won't be of much consolation to those with extensive UMD collections who want access to those games on their shiny new Vita.

Sony's head of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, said he was sorry the United States would not see the program in an interview with Wired. Noting he is not the one who could make the decision one way or the other, he outlined two reasons why Sony is keeping the UMD Passport program Japan-only: demand and price.

Kid Icarus Uprising Multiplayer Pulls From Both Smash Bros. And Halo

Posted: 22 Feb 2012 10:40 AM PST

Maybe I didn't see it coming, but the quality and depth I find in Kid Icarus Uprising's multiplayer mode surprises me. I demoed it yesterday for the first time (if you missed Jeremy's previous single-player impressions, click here, here, or here), but maybe part of my astonishment comes from the fact that I wasn't expecting much. That isn't a catch-all assessment -- just a reflection after seeing a number of great single-player games that get tacked on multiplayer modes. Perhaps that says something about cynicism in the press to you, but I can tell you those sentiments would be misplaced: I'm aware Uprising includes multiplayer, but I've never known what to really think of it until now.

After spending two hours with Uprising's multiplayer, I can say there's a lot here to keep players busy. Multiplayer hinges on the player choosing between a diverse set of nine weapon types -- each one fostering a specific play style. Heavy club-wielding players might move slower, but they have a huge power advantage up close. On the other hand, while cannons fire deadly projectiles, they cause players using them to move slowly and be slightly more susceptible to melee attacks if someone can get in close enough. So what happens when slow-moving melee fighter meets a slow-moving projectile-firer? As is always the case, the answer depends on who reacts quicker and lands the first blow, and there are plenty of other quick weapons if that's more your thing. That balance makes playing Uprising multiplayer so interesting: aside from the frenetic pace of it all, core combat revolves around understanding a basic set of commands.

Posted by Shri Krishna

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