Win Assassin’s Creed II for the PC

We have a digital download copy of Assassin’s Creed 2 to give away, and winning couldn’t be simpler! To get into the draw, just do the following:

1. Follow @mideastgamers on Twitter
2. We will post a tweet about the competition which you need to re-tweet exactly as it is in order to enter the draw.
3. On Wednesday 1st September, we will pick one lucky winner from everyone who has re-tweeted us

Official rules:

• Contest is open to anyone, regardless of geographic location
• The winner will receive a code to enter at the Ubisoft US online store to download a copy of the game for free
• Re-tweets should not contain any added text, links, or other mentions (also please do not use sites such as twitlonger.com)
• Only one entry allowed per person – multiple retweets will be ignored

E3 Update: Interview with Nexon

One of the unusual sights at E3 this year were the hundreds of grown men and women walking around wearing a kind of maroon furry cap with ears. While at first I scoffed at this awkward headgear, by day three the fuzzy hats were one of the most prized items from the show, and I was willing to sell my kidney to get my hands on one. The company behind this marketing lure was Nexon, a games studio that has been around for quite some time in the PC world. With titles such as MapleStory, PopTag, Combat Arms, and Mabinogi under its belt, Nexon were at E3 to show off two two new games that were releasing to the market. Amongst all the frenzy at the Nexon booth, we managed to sit down and discuss what the company was up to.

I remember playing MapleStory a while back and marveled at how it kept gameplay simple while still creating a really tight-knit community. Even Dungeon Fighter Online has over 200 million users to date – how do you explain the phenomenal draw of your games?
The catalogue of games that we have at Nexon appeals to various types of gamers with different gameplay styles. Despite this, there are similarities among all our games that appeal to all players. All our games are free-to-play which makes it easy for players to jump into the games. Our producers work hard to provide enjoyable and entertaining content that is constantly updated, keeping all the games fresh and providing something new all the time.

You showed two great games at E3 – Vindictus and Dragon Nest…tell us a bit more about each one.
Vindictus is the first physics-based action multiplayer online action role-playing game. Vindictus uses a modified Source Engine™ to enable interaction with the environment like shattering objects, hurling debris, binding enemies with chains, and piercing defenses with spears. In the game, players will be able to engage in high-speed combat and experience the stunning visuals of the free-to-play game that adds brutal elegance to the PC gaming space. Vindictus is scheduled for release later this year.

Dragon Nest is an online, action role-playing game. Actual gameplay involves adrenaline-pumping, high-speed combat with visually stunning attack combos. At the same time, it also incorporates an epic storyline and role-playing elements of both classic RPGs and MMORPGs alike. It is scheduled for release in 2011.

What kind of feedback did you get from people trying out the games?
The feedback we’ve gotten from users has been overwhelmingly positive. All of the games on display were big hits and people enjoyed playing. Our goal with bringing Dungeon Fighter Online, Vindictus and Dragon Nest to E3 was to showcase the “Future of Free” in the PC gaming space and the reaction was better than what we expected, showing that we are on the right track.

How are you able to offer such stellar games for free?
We believe in bringing quality games for our users to enjoy and want to earn their business. We want them to spend their money if they think it’s worth it. Our microtransaction business model allows us to offer players games that can be played without ever spending a dime, but also have the option to buy items to enrich the gameplay experience.

Can anyone download and play your games or are they only available to certain regions?
Nexon Corp.’s games are published all over the world and are accessible in different regions by different publishers. Nexon America’s games are available to North American players only.

This is the first time you’ve exhibited at E3 – what sort of response did you get and will you be showing again at the next E3?
Our first show was definitely a success.  We had very positive responses and a good amount of traffic to the booth to check out the games. We also had a “Hollywood Beach Party,” fully equipped with fire dancers and live performances, which was also a huge hit. Overall, it was a great event for Nexon and we hope to return.

What other games do you have in the pipeline?
Vindictus is set for release later this year and Dragon Next is scheduled to launch in 2011. We have other exciting titles planned for the future, but we can’t disclose that information just yet.

Do you think that Nexon will be developing anything in the future for the consoles?
Currently, Nexon is focusing on the PC platform and will consider all platforms, but there are no set plans right now.

Naughty Bear Review

As I write this review, I am considering forever leaving the gaming world. Wondering why? Let’s just say that it had a little something to do with the abomination called Naughty Bear. Truly, the ‘naughty’ aspect of the game is the fact that it lures gamers into a false sense of gaming pleasure, and then proceeds to tear apart the very fibres of your sanity. Yup – that about summaries my feelings about this game without resorting to expletives.

Naughty Bear is set in some random fantasy land inhabited by – teddy bears. Apparently these barf-inducing blobs of fluff are throwing a birthday party on the island, and Naughty Bear wasn’t invited. This of course irritates him greatly, so rather than sit down and talk about his feelings to the other bears, you get to instead parade around the island and kill everything in sight. While this might sound like a truly delicious idea, it never really works out. After about 15 minutes of gameplay, I had to put down my controller in the fear that I would shove my hand into my Xbox and rip out this insulting game. But seriously, back to my review.

As Naughty Bear, you have to get to as much mischief as possible around the island. You can break statues, vandalize equipment, destroy items, and break into houses. Doing this will earn you ‘naughty points’, which you can use to unlock other areas of the island, initially blocked by bridges. You can also pickup weapons to maul your fellow bears with, such as sticks, guns, clubs, and plenty more. Each weapon has a unique kill move, so if you pick up a knife you can finish off your victims with a clean stab to the chest. The first time you do this, it’s a riot. The second time, you get a few giggles. The time after that, it’s an absolute snore. What makes the game really frustrating to play is the fact that you can’t lock on to your targets, so as soon as you start whacking away at an enemy, it turns and flees in the other direction with you in hot pursuit. Of course it doesn’t get very far before you pummel it into the ground, but it is seriously annoying to have to play this cat-and-mouse game when all you want to do is bust open their heads and watch the fluff pour out.

I might be able to forgive the mind-numbing repetitive gameplay if it was presented a little bit better. At least the graphics would then distract me from the terrible gameplay. But it seems that even here the game suffers tremendously – the camera pans and zooms around to all kinds of obscure angles, so you’re constantly trying to battle both fleeing bears and a stuttering camera. The visuals themselves are awful again, presented in bright garish colors throughout as if painted by Elton John himself. Not to mention the constant clipping that occurs with bears getting stuck in floors and other objects. The sound here is also enough to make you cringe, with the narration being done by some reject from the Tellytubbies show.

There’s seriously nothing here to even give you a glimmer of hope that Naughty Bear will turn out better as you progress. There appears to be some sort of multiplayer mode available, but only someone with questionable sanity would make someone else endure this torture. Naughty Bear could have been a cute and fun game to play, but instead turned out like an experiment with the Carebears and Tim Burton. Avoid this game at all costs, unless of course you want to be driven insane.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review

Having covered the midnight launch of Starcraft II last night, the only thing left of course was to actually give the game a spin. As tempted as I was to try out the game at 1am, I decided to do the most ungodly thing and wait for the next day to get my fill of Starcraft II. Easily the year’s most anticipated title (yes, that line never gets old), fans of Starcraft have finally got their grubby hands on the sequel to the award-winning game that launched 12 years ago. And believe me, it was well worth the wait.

I popped in the CD to be greeted with the slick install screen – a few clicks through and the 12GB installation began. As the install progresses, you’re taken through screens of the storyline so far, as well as introduced to the main protagonist Jim Raynor, a marshal from the original Starcraft. Without going into too much detail of the story from the original game, Starcraft II is set four years after the events in the original Starcraft, with Raynor and his rogue crew desperately trying to escape from Emperor Mengsk whilst still plotting their revenge on the corrupted government. Of course, the Zerg and the Protoss races are also present, but we’ll get to that later on.

As soon as you begin the first mission, it’s blatantly obvious how far the game has come in all these years, though it still retains the loving look and feel of the original game. You can’t help but feel this ominous and somber undertone as you play the game, and it’s due to the strong focus on narration and storyline this time around. While the original Starcraft had an amazing storyline, Blizzard has seriously outdone themselves this time around. The game is helped along by superb cutscenes rendered in real time before each mission as well as during key moments. The camera pans and zooms to create the perfect framing, adding a much needed depth that was missing in the top-down fixed view of the first game. Coupled with stellar voice acting and music, you’re in for a real treat on each and every mission.

A new feature in Starcraft II is how each mission is laid out. For example playing as Raynor, rather than go through mission after mission, you have the time to go visit certain sections of your ship, each of which fulfills a different purpose. The Armory is a great place to buy upgrades for your infantry, buildings, or vehicles, The Canteena is where you can socialize with other characters on the ship, the Bridge is where you choose your next mission, and the Laboratory is where you can unlock tech trees. Each of these areas is critical to your survival, and it’s a refreshing change from the usual barrage of in-game upgrades that become available once you start a mission. Another unique aspect in Starcraft II is the ability to hire mercenaries to fight with you. Each team of mercenaries can be called upon a select number of times in a mission, and come with their own unique skills and unit upgrades. It’s worth spending some time in the Canteena getting to know the different mercenaries you can hire, as some of them can really turn the tide of battle for you.

In addition to visiting planets that help progress the main storyline, you also have the option to go to other distant worlds to finish side quests. These too can be quite important, as they help you unlock new units and skills, and often provide big boosts to your technology tree. The tech tree is slightly more complicated this time around – in addition to regular upgrades that you can buy through the Armory or research during a mission, the Laboratory offers unique research trees in the field of Protoss and Zerg intelligence. To climb up each tech ladder, you have to complete a series of sub-quests in each mission, which usually pertain to collecting Zerg samples or lost Protoss artifacts. Doing so will let you climb higher up the tech tree, and unlock new abilities to improve your units and buildings etc. It’s a nice change as once you’ve researched something, it is automatically applied to all future missions you play, so you don’t have to re-research it each time you start a new mission.

Starcraft II Midnight Launch Coverage

It’s 2am as I type this, but I seriously don’t care. I’ve just come back from the Starcraft II launch event at Emax at Mirdiff City Centre, and I’m excitedly installing the game in the background. It’s been too long since we’ve heard from the Terrans, Protoss, and the Zerg, and Starcraft II once again brings us back to the bitter wars and endless struggle between the races.

To mark the launch of Starcraft II, Emax and RED teamed up to pull off a rather snazzy launch party for us gamers. Close to 300 gamers registered on our site to reserve their copy of Starcraft II, and sure enough there was a sizeable crowd at Emax tonight. Fuelled by cupcakes courtesy of Sugar Daddy and coffee from Nescafe, there were certainly an audible buzz in the store as gamers queued up to grab their own copy of the game.  There were even PCs set up with the original Starcraft game, so that gamers could take a quick stroll down memory lane and re-live the glory of the original Starcraft.

But once midnight struck, all attention turned to the cashiers, who stood poised with the regular and collector’s edition of Starcraft II. As soon as the first copy of the game was sold, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and the furious transactions begun. One by one gamers waited patiently in line to get their hands on one of the year’s most anticipated titles.

As usual, MEGamers was on hand to catch up on the action, so check out the pictures below and look out for our first impressions article and a full review coming soon!

E3 2010: Little Big Planet 2 Interview

When Little Big Planet was announced for the Playstation 3, some of us looked at the game and wondered what exactly the developers were up to. It was a game that tapped into players’ imaginations and allowed them to experience a level of creativity that had never been seen before. We sat down with Alex Evans, co-founder of Media Molecule, at E3 for a quick demo in the new features coming to Little Big Planet 2:

Little Big Planet was absolute runaway hit, and the amount of user-generated content is just staggering. What are you doing differently this time around with Little Big Planet 2?
Well in LBP2 we wanted to really focus on the creation tools, because ultimately that’s one of the best things about the game. If you’re not the creative type, there is a full story mode that you can play through, but for the real Little Big Planet experience, you have to try your hand at designing your own unique levels.

In the original Little Big Planet, there was only one living character – Sackboy. Now we’ve added in these new characters called Sackbots, which essentially can run around or follow you around, and the creator of the level can determine what their AI is, so they can be hostile or they can completely adore the player. We also have amazing cutscene tools, which allow players to adjust camera angles and focus on key moments during gameplay. I’m looking forward to seeing what people will create cinema-wise; you don’t have to create games, you can even create mini-movies if you like! And because of the new camera angles, you’re no longer restricted to a side scroller game – you can switch to a top down angle or whatever you feel like!

Tell us a little bit more about the Direct Control feature in LBP2
The theme of LBP2 is really ‘make any kind of game’, and the Direct Control is really the centerpiece of the game, and this is really why we don’t really know what people are going to be making this time around. In the original LBP for example, to build a car you take two sets of wheels, a block of wood, connect them with a motor and a switch and away you go – the problem is that you don’t have too much control over the way the object moves. In LBP2, using the Direct Control tool, you can map literally any button on the controller to an action or object in the game. So this time around, I’m able to map the car I’m building to the left analog stick, and can use it to drive the car forward or backwards with more precision. I can also map it to the tilt sensor and tilt the controller instead to drive – the possibilities are infinite here.

In a nutshell, how do even begin to talk about the phenomenon that is Little Big Planet?
We were astounded at what the community created, and that’s why we want to give them even better tools this time around. The first time we were like “Will this work?” and what we discovered is that the players did a really fantastic job with the tools we gave them. What I love the most is that younger games just want to get in and play around in the levels, while more experienced gamers what to have a look around and get their heads around things first.

During the press conference, you showed a game that was developed in about 40 hours – what kind of time do you think players will invest when creating their own levels?
Well what we found is that when we gave the creation tools to our first set of players, they remarked that they could create things in LBP2 in one day which would take them a week in the original LBP. We’ve made it much simpler to work with levels and the various features, so I think because the game makes creation tasks so much easier, players will be making even better levels in half the time.

To what extent can you customize the game? Can you for example add in your own music tracks?
There’s definitely something in the works regarding music as we realize that the original game didn’t have too many tracks available, but look out for some more info about that coming soon.

What do you think about gamers who don’t want to spend that much of time with the creative tools, but just want to jump in and play the game?
If you want to just pick up and play LBP, then I consider the story mode to be your best bet – I actually consider customizing your character to be creative in itself, so you don’t necessarily need to spend hours in the level editor in order to be creative with LBP2.

Do you think Little Big Planet 2 will enjoy the same success as the first one?
The really fun thing about LBP is that it’s becoming a platform, so we’re able to evolve how both the business and the game works. As the community evolves, we’ll be able to change with the community, looking at what people want and delivering it in-game. I’m really looking forward to seeing where LBP2 goes, and what the community does will dictate how we go with it.

How have you integrated Move into LBP2?
On the launch disc there are going to be additional levels available with Move features in them. After launch, we will be releasing DLC that fully taps into the Move’s potential, including allowing you to map actions to any part of the Move controller. We don’t want to constrain what people create with the Move – the few examples you’ve seen so far are just what we’ve created with Move. Once the community gets their hands on it, it will open a whole new world of possibilities.

Sony Move Interview

From what we can see, people are really enjoying playing with the Move. What kind of feedback are you getting from the show floor?
Well the feedback has been amazing so far, people are really impressed with the precision and the different types of games on show. We’re not just repeating what has been done before, we want the Move to take things to the next level, and so far that’s exactly the kind of effect the Move has been having.

What have developers being saying about working with games for Move?
We sent out the development kits quite early on, just because it takes a little bit more time to get your head around things. With a game like Start The Party for example, the first thing we did was put the player on the screen and we wanted to put an object in your hand, and it was amazing when people looked at the screen and saw a paintbrush in their hand, instead of just the controller, and we took it to the next level by letter players actually paint on screen – it was mind blowing to be honest. That just made us think of hundreds of games ideas honestly; it’s just another way to interact with games rather than tagging things to existing genres. We’re creating new games and new ways to play them with the Move.

What are some of the initial games that will be coming out for the Move?
We’re trying to appeal to everyone with the Move, and not just come out with loads of party games. We do have party games such as TV Superstars and Start The Party, but we’re also doing Move support for existing franchises such as Little Big Planet, Killzone, SOCOM, and many more. There’s literally going to be something for everybody.

What would you say to fans of say FPS gamers who are more used to using a standard controller, who now have to change the way they interact with their games via the Move?
Games like SOCOM will of course have multiple control methods available, and the goal really is to give people the choice to play the game. But with games like SOCOM, the combination of the Move and navigation controller makes it much better to play the game than with the regular controller.

You mentioned the navigation controller – can you tell us a little more about it?
The navigation controller is pretty much like the sixaxis controller, except you’ve cut it down the middle. So you’ve got an analog stick, trigger buttons, and some action buttons to navigate around a game, while the Move can be used to interact with your environment.

What will be the flagship game for the Move that will allow people to really get familiar with Move?
We’re going to have a starter disc bundled with the Move that has several games on it – it’s difficult to pinpoint one particular title because we’re doing many of them, just so that we can appeal to everybody.

Out of all the games on show today with the Move, what’s your personal favorite?
That has to be Start the Party – just because it’s the only game currently where you’re on screen and the gameplay is in your hand. It’s really different to anything else that we’ve put out so far.

Blur Review

Having played quite a number of racing games over the years (both in arcades and on consoles), they’ve sort of begun to blur together (pun intended). So naturally when I picked up Blur for the Playstation 3, I expected to find yet another racing game which I could course through in a couple of hours. Funnily enough, I ended up playing till about 2am before I realized that I had spent nearly five hours playing the game for the first time.  Don’t get confused here – Blur is still at its core a very standard racing game, but piled on top of that core are a number of features that really makes this game a quick sell to any racing fan.

The beauty of Blur’s career mode is that you can progress as you please and at your own pace. While there are a lot of things to learn in Blur in terms of racing style and track prowess, the game never overwhelms you, so the invisible learning curve is actually quite comfortable. Simply pick a car and get thrown in with 20 other racers in a mad battle to the finish. You progress through the career mode by acquiring lights and fans – lights are earned by coming in the top three for any race, and fans are rallied by pulling off stunts, attacking enemies, and smooth driving. There are also special ‘fan runs’ on every track which will let you boost up your fan rating by driving through a number of marked checkpoints.

While this does sound like any other racing game, the similarities end here. Blur’s spin on the racing genre is that the game includes weapons, and some deliciously evil ones at that. Choose to shock, blow up, ram, or shoot at your opponents as you careen around the track, while at the same time avoiding projectiles and destructible environments yourself. There are both defensive and offensive weapons available, and picking them up is as simple as driving over them on the track. Your car can initially hold up to three power ups which can be activated at any time, which essentially opens the door for some serious combo hits. However I highly recommend that instead of going absolutely mental and trying to blow up everyone else, you also pick up a shield or repair power up to save your own skin. If (and that’s a big if) you crave for more than the career racing experience, there are two other modes available. You can get through the Checkpoint mode to master your driving skills, or enter Destruction to go through an all out carnage session with the other drivers.

Because the game is so beautifully balanced with the rewards system, you never feel that the game is too easy or too difficult. While the AI can occasionally be a bit too mean to get by, rather than being frustrating it challenges you to change your driving tactics and plan ahead the next time you tackle a track. And unlocking further challenges isn’t just down to coming first in every race – some of the track challenges are quite demanding and it’s this that will truly test your racing mettle. The multiplayer in Blur is also very good, and tries hard to lean on the ‘social’ side of the game. You can challenge friends to events or beat their times in certain tracks, and can also upload photos of your wins and best times to Facebook. It’s a welcome new addition to this genre of games, as it’s more meaningful to beat one of your friends than it is to beat some stranger halfway around the world. There is a split screen option for local play, but this turned out to be more frustrating than enjoyable, so its best you go online for some true multiplayer fun.

The tracks in the game are varied and well designed – each track comes with its own surprises and shortcuts, and you’ll often find yourself having to repeat a race with a different car simply because your nitro-hungry vehicle isn’t suited to the track’s curved mountain ranges. I especially loved the track set near the Hollywood sign, even if I kept skidding into oblivion. With a plethora of tracks of varying location and design, there’s always something to keep you on your feet. Visually, the game is a winner as well – the explosions are certainly well done and the cars register damage as they race around, which is a nice touch. The sound effects are often ear-shattering, as explosions rip apart the track around you. But what’s a racing game without them?

Blur is certainly a game that is easy to get lost in, especially during multiplayer. The social side to the game clearly gets players hooked in and competing against friends, and there’s nothing better in life than bragging rights. Blur is a slick racing game with a mind of its own and an amazing amount of replay value. Pick this game up if you’re looking for a fun and addictive racer with that extra bit of oomph.

Vanquish Hands-on Preview

One of the buzzed about games at E3 this year was SEGA’s Vanquish. Indeed, the queues were long to try this gem out, but thanks to my every powerful media badge, I was able to get some time alone with the game to give it a proper play through. While at first glance this may seem like just another FPS game amongst the hundreds that are being pumped out at E3, Vanquish does have a few differentiating qualities.

Set aboard a US satellite that has been taken over by Russia, Vanquish straps you into a high tech suit and has you going up against swarms of robots and colossal bosses in a bid to win back control of the satellite. While the story preview was cut short to avoid spoilers, it’s not the story that lured me to play the game. At first glance it may seem that Vanquish has far too much happening on screen, and at times it really does look like you’re engulfed in a stream of lasers, bullets, explosions, and exploding robots. But thanks to some intuitive controls, you’re able to make sense of most of the on-screen chaos.

One of your suit’s abilities is a boost function, which has you sliding forward on your knees – this useful action lets you quickly boost out of the way of enemy fire, as well as boosting towards cover and then quickly sliding up against it. You also have the ability to activate a mode on the suit which dramatically increases your perception and slows down everything around you, which I found myself frequently activating. This slowdown effect also automatically kicks in when your health is low, allowing you to make a crucial counterattack before you’re blown into oblivion.

Weapons of course are aplenty, but a cool feature of the game is rather than picking up different guns, your suit is able to transform your currently held gun into any other gun in your inventory. You’re also allowed to use turrets and other enemy firepower to even the odds, so the game strikes a balance between soaring forward with guns blazing and cowering behind walls to avoid getting blown up. And if this doesn’t sound like enough, there’s also hazards in the level that can smack you around a great deal – falling buildings are a particularly nasty one to avoid.

The action in the game is always smooth yet fast-paced. Standing around to admire your surrounding is almost unheard of, as you’re either being assaulted by robots or being crushed by something bigger than you. The levels shown were very well built, and one particular level that was set on a track-and-cart scenario showed extreme details in the distance as we zoomed by.

Vanquish is certainly a game to look out for, and certainly does have a few unique selling points that keep it apart from the various FPS games set to release in the coming months.

Supremacy MMA announced

Press Release:
505 Games, a global videogame publisher, along with Kung Fu Factory, an independent videogame developer specializing in hand-to-hand fighting games, today announced that Supremacy MMA will throwdown at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) from June 15-17.

Headed to Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Supremacy MMA raises the bar in the MMA space by bringing an unprecedented level of fluid combat, intuitive controls and true-to-the-sport brutality under the guidance of the talent behind titles like the original UFC (Dreamcast), The Warriors, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Scarface and most recently UFC Undisputed 2009.

“We’re excited to partner with 505 Games to launch the Supremacy MMA brand,” said Ricci Rukavina, creative director for Kung Fu Factory. “Kung Fu Factory’s vision is to make an MMA game that is as authentic and realistic as possible that will introduce an entirely new type of experience to gamers. The team has an enormous amount of passion for the genre and has been relentlessly researching every aspect of the sport to deliver an MMA game unlike any other. When gamers play Supremacy MMA, we think it will absolutely knock them out.“

“Years of honing our proprietary animation tools and technology have put us in a unique position to create a groundbreaking MMA game,” said Daryl Pitts, executive producer of Kung Fu Factory. “Our vision is to adapt real-life martial arts strategies into fun and intuitive game mechanics. We want players to easily be able to enjoy the deep level of satisfaction that comes from mastering MMA techniques.”

“The team at Kung Fu Factory have proven over the years that they alone have the expertise to bring a fighting game of this caliber to life, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them on this project”, said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games (US).

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