Never be alone in the incoming darkness

On the 21st February 2008 which was a Thursday I was politely invited to the London Atari offices. The reason for this was to get a chance at playing a new game in the company’s cherished Alone in the Dark series. As someone who found the games quite late when A New Nightmare came out and played it on his Dreamcast I was quite curious.

In all honesty my interested on the game was already beyond even doubting a purchase of the game. However, in this preview of the game by two of the members involved in the production of the game I was deeply surprised. When I stepped through the doors I was expecting a game that focused on shooting as most xbox 360 games tend to nowadays. It all started off by the staff members letting us mingle a bit by getting to know everyone involved. There was this huge table filled with all kinds of food and drinks too which was super nice of them. But it seems all we cared most about was seeing the game in action.

At around two in the afternoon we were all guided to a room with the most comfortable chairs in the whole world. The demonstration started off by showing us some of the controls that Carnby could use. I did not know exactly how the item scheme worked but seeing it in action answered many of my questions. The way it works is very effective as you open up your coat and all items are visible. With this in mind any of them can be combined in the right way and easily equipped. The best part was seeing how it does not pause the game as it makes it seem more real. The next part was showing us how some of the puzzles and such worked. In this case it was quite simple and revolved around blowing up fuse boxes and such. The reason for this was that in real life people don’t go looking for keys and such when their lives are in real danger. I really like this approach as it made the whole experience much more enjoyable throughout.

The next part after this was to demonstrate how Carnby could interact with items around him. In a surprising twist just about anything can be picked up and manipulated in the most incredible manners. I watched in awe as the Atari staff member picked up a chair and put it near a fire. It is also worth mentioning that depending on the item’s position Carnby will pick it up just like anyone would in real life. The chair caught on fire and then the fire started spreading out until it turned it to charcoal! In further demonstrations another item was put on fire too and then it was used to spread that fire to many other objects! It is worth mentioning that these fire effects took about a year alone to get accomplished and it showed in this preview.

In other item usage demonstration it was made clear that everything could be used in many effective ways. For example a simple first aid bottle put together with a lighter could be used as a flamethrower! At this point it was also mentioned how the health system worked. In practise you will get physical wounds with every attack from enemies. In order to not die such health items as bandages and first aid alcohol bottles must be found and used on each wound. This was a true breath of fresh air and a true step forward to just the normal health kits found in other games.

There are so many tiny details put into the game that we were shown which truly makes for a marvellous experience. For the sake of making the game enjoyable for all I leave that to imagination and just want to add it all works really well. In the next section of the demonstration it involved the section of the game where Carnby was riding a car. Once again I was amazed by the innovative ideas that the developers put into this game. Rather than just get Carnby into the car it lets the players explore inside such as looking inside the glove compartment for items. At this point as the car started to be driven around I started to see the massive scope of the game. The whole of Central park and the areas around it used by the game were accurately designed from satellite images. As the car was driving I could see many locations and some familiar from movies made in New York.

Before this driving lesson we were presented with a section where Carnby was surprisingly not alone in the dark. At this point we started to see some of the more powerful enemies. The AI was not fully integrated but it was promised that the enemies would be a lot more deadly in the finished build. The whole idea is that enemies will be able to not only see but smell and hear where Carnby is located. For example if the player starts making a whole lot of noise and the enemy hears him not even a door can keep it out, if it is powerful enough to knock it down. The game brings a whole lot of strategies to playing it such as using dead corpses to lure enemies. It was very surprising to see that in possibility each player could solve a situation in a different way. This was shown throughout the whole demonstration in the way of progressing through the parts shown.

Just before going off for a walk in the Park with Carnby it was time to get the fantastic chance of asking our questions to the producer of the game. I did not think of writing down some of the fantastic answers given out but will try to describe a few of them here. The questions asked were mainly on the game physics and how the story progressed. The story questions were politely answered with a vague answer but then again that is what makes the game so interesting. In terms of the physics it was discussed that the game was fully planned in advance which made it easier to see what could be realistically achieved. Other answers included the fact that the game would have virtually no noticeable loading times and how its soundtrack was produced.

I found the soundtrack answer very detailed and it explained a lot about how it worked. The team wanted to make the music more interactive so that it would become a part of the game. To this effect sounds were recorded by an artist that was into gaming along with a full orchestra. The idea is that each move Carnby made such as getting a gun would produce a new music effect. With this in mind it means that no moment will ever have the same music due to the fact that each action triggers something new! I also found it impressive and a bold move to release the full soundtrack as part of the limited edition. After giving us some very valuable information and time the producer Nour Polloni had to go. It was most appreciated a unique chance to get some of my questions answered from the producer of such a high quality game.

The last part of this demonstration revolved around going around the park as mentioned before. With this in mind it was not a long stroll but enough to see how open spaced it was and it was very detailed. After this we were briefly shown a bit of the introduction which I will not go into detail. All I can say is that it just surprised me so much and that was just 5 minutes of it! As the demonstration came to an end I found myself seeing that three months was indeed a very long wait. I already wanted the game a lot but after this demonstration I cannot recommend it enough to friends,family,etc. Your probably wondering why I did not mention the graphical side of the game and how it held up visually. This was because of the fact that even though this was an early build the game already showed impressive results.

When the xbox 360 was turned on and as Carnby came on screen every detail was just beyond most of what I seen in most games. I truly could not believe how it all looked so detailed and yet it would be improved on a lot in the next three months. It was a pleasure seeing the flames spreading through some wood chairs and tables while it lighted the room and then plunged it into darkness as the fire went down. I cannot describe every detail as not to spoil the game but let me tell that a lot of effort was put into this game. It just feels like a whole new experience that clearly sets the game apart from anything else on the current systems. It incorporates so many concepts and even caters to just about any gamer. A feature that lets gamers skip the hardest part might not make sense but will make those new to videogames interested in it. The most hardcore gamers can simply avoid this function and get on in the action. To sum it up it exceeded my expectations in many ways to a point that all I can say is to that it deserves a lot of success.

As the event finished and we were pleasantly surprised with these nice bags full of Atari items from the kind Atari members I was glad to have come. While looking at videos of game helps I think it is a lot better to have the people that are creating describe it to you. I really enjoyed listening to as the staff member went through the whole event describing it so well and gladly answering questions. It was a pleasure seeing how dedicated the team were on getting this game to its full potential, as it showed through the demonstration. To finish I would like to thank them for giving me and those that attended such a marvellous choice and I am glad to see such fantastic evolution in videogames in person. The above paragraphs are my honest opinion on the game and this is considering it was not even half of the full finished version out in three months. This is a huge gamble that I believe will pay off as the game definitely deserves the success that I am sure it will get.

Thank you for reading this and hope it enlightened you more in how the game works and how it is a true next generation title.

For more information on the game click here

Mario and Sonic DS event

On the Monday 4th January I was a lucky guess at the Mario and Sonic DS community day in the Wii flat. The main premise behind the event was to give everyone coming a DS or just the game for those that brought their own DS to the event. As I got lost and so came about 20 minutes late the event was already in full swing.

As I entered the famous Wii flat and went upstairs I found one of the staff members involved doing a demonstration on a tv screen that had a Ds linked to it with the appropriate kit. What instantly grabbed my attention was how crisp the graphics looked on a DS. This considering the screen was being stretched out on the tv which meant it would look even better on the DS. As the explanation of how the game worked ended we were given the games to play by connecting to each other through the wireless mode.

Mario and Sonic DS event

I started up the game on my Ds and was very impressed by the presentation of the game which was on pair with its Wii brother. I then joined one of the multiplayer groups available and was deeply surprised once again. The reason behind it was that it was very quick and easy to join in a multiplayer session which made it more fun. The way it works is that every player is allowed to have a go at the event without having to wait for the other to finish. In the case of some games where it was in rounds players that lost could also see other matches. The multiplayer allows for every event including the dream events to be played on multiplayer.





While in this multiplayer game I tried out many of the games which involved using mainly the stylus. While most of the games worked fine with the stylus it did require a lot of rubbing back and forth to get the results. The games that I found to be more complicated involved a new event of cycling. This required players to press the R and L triggers in rhythm to move forward while also using the d pad to move left and right. With some practise I am sure that the results would come through but then again that means better replay ability of the game.


While waiting for a tournament to start I decided to try some of the other modes within the game which were exactly what was on the Wii version. I tried out some of the mini games which were different from the Wii version but same concept to get new music when 5 of one type were cleared. I did not venture into any other parts but the menu did mention missions and the circuit mode which the Wii version has. Another feature included was the online lead boards which will keep many hooked for months trying to get into the top.


This game has a few less events than the Wii version which it makes up for in new events exclusive to the DS version. I already mentioned the cycling event but others include a flying dream event that was quite a lot of fun. The fact that so much could be crammed into one tiny DS cart was very impressive. The graphics on the game as mentioned were some of the best on the console. The characters motions were captured in a very lively manner and the stages were re created with much detail. There was no slowdown within the game and the loading was certainly not a problem.







As the competition started on I found myself more interested in keeping on playing the game. But regardless I entered and was quickly beaten in the first round which meant I played quite a bit of the game while it went on. Afterwards the 3 hours allocated for the event were nearly over and it was time to start getting ready to head out. It was a very sad moment when I had to give back my cart as I was already getting attached to the game. In overall it could be seen that this was not a quick replica of the Wii game but something made completely separate from it. With its many different uses of the DS and easy multiplayer access this proves to be one essential purchase for me.


After the event it was time to honour the traditional Sonic community pub visit. It was fantastic to be around all the friends I made from these events again and I hope the feeling was mutual. While there was a quiz with some very tough questions thought out by Kevin went underway. I sadly did not get one question right but it was all great fun. Instead a very drunken old men came up to me asking for a handshake with some rather dirty finger nails, which I politely had to refuse.





As for the event I had an incredible time as always which I will not forget for sure. I would like to thank Kevin and the SEGA staff for making this possible and also all Sonic fans for making me feel so welcome in the event.

Play time at the Wii flat

As for the game it is already out in the rest of the world but it will be out in Europe this Friday the 8th.

Historical memory of my ancestor

Hello everyone!
I hope you all had a very nice Christmas yesterday and here I am yet again to show you one of my last videos related to Assassin's Creed. I had to recreate a historic moment and so I chose Adolf Hitler's death. I made up a theory that he did not commit suicide but indeed was assassinated by my ancestor. I made it in the style found within the game but obviosuly had a very low budget and so dont have any special effects but I did my best with what I had!

Please feel free to show it to everyone you know as it would help me a lot in getting exposure as it took me a while to do. :)



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The olympic gold medal fever

Last week on monday it was a very special day for this SEGA and most importantly Sonic fan in his life. In what seemed like the run up to the best day of my life I was invited to come play Mario and Sonic at the Olympics in the SEGA London offices. I would like to start out by thanking Kevin, Martin and anyone else who got involved in doing such an incredible special day for everyone that attended. As the first person to get there I was impressed by the layout of the reception itself andthe different rooms it lead to. As I offered myself to help with anything I could I noticed the effort being put into making this game a sucess. As seen in the photos below there were banners everywhere within the room and quite a lot of wiis to play on.

Moving on the event started out by having an introduction by the SEGA staff of the game and demonstrating how the controls worked for each game. After this all players were allowed to move around the 3 wiis and play each other in whatever event they wanted! By the end of this session I really liked both table tennis and the trampoline but the ideas behind each event were simply genious. After letting us train it was time to test out the dream events which were tough at first but made for a real riot in multiplayer. At the end there was a competition which I had no chance to win at all, and at the end a MArio fan won! He was quite lucky to get a lot of SEGA's recent released games, as well as soundtracks and a few other bits. Since it seems I had most of the games though it was not all that bad and I knew straight away the competition was tougher as I am not that competitive anyway. :)

At the end I got to take yet another photo with the cool Sonic costume and also Mario costume. I was also impressed by how Kevin organized the whole event as it went so well that it truly was a special day for me. At the end of it he even gave me a Sonic team t shirt which I shall wear proudly no matter how big it is this friday to promote the game. I also got a really nice Sonic tshirt, virtua fighter 4 t shirt and Sonic mug from Martin for beating him at Virtua fighter 5 which was just too kind of him.

As for the game itself I was not expecting it to be the fantastic experience that I had. The controls for each event as mentioned were completely different for each one and worked just fine. Also there is more than the event as I was the only one to try the cool mini games at the event. These also came with history of past olympic events which I though was a neat way to learn facts and have fun. I was also sneaky to check that the game lets you upload the best scores for each event through wifi to compare them with worldwide players. I just cannot praise this game enough and very soon I shall be playing it as I typed this the game was being sent from the GAME site.

As a final note look out for me and my t shirt at my lunch break from Uni on the HMV official launch for this game between 12 pm and 3 pm!I definetly recommned this game for those looking for a multiplayer experience but it also works well in single player thanks to those records having to be broken, and it takes serious practise.

For now here are the promised videos and photos of the event and I urge everyone to at least try it as it is a special game.

For the brotherhood of the assassins!

Hello everyone,

I would just like to share with you some exclusive videos from the fansite for Assassin's Creed. The reason for this is that the more people that watch it not only means more coverage for the game, but also to complete a mission within the website.




Also feel free to check out my entry for another missions and if you can give it a five star rating.

Thanks!

The virtua fighter within me

So today after forgetting my keys, and only coming home after 8 when my mother arrived from work, there was a pleasant surprise for me. A few weeks back I managed to order Virtua fighter 5 from amazon at £25 which must have been a misprice. I thought it would be cancelled but somehow it didn't and after getting a delivery email yesterday, it was here today! I haven't played it yet but the surprise didn't end there.

On another package which was named after my mother I gave to her to open. I forgot that my ebay account still has her name in the delivery address, which meant it had something for me. It was nothing less than 2 SEGA Saturn games that I won, which I thought had been lost after a 2 week wait. Now the best bit was one of them was Virtua Fighter kids, that I used to play a lot when I borrowed it from a friend years ago. As you can see now not only do I have the latest version of the game but also a new addiction in the form of a old spin off. Whenever I get to write those promised review I will make sure to do one for Virtua Fighter 5 too.

For now all I can say is:

"Fight one, ready, go! "

Wii Play on the bus

A short entry about one of the most bizarre experiences that happened to me in a while. I was coming home from University and after I catched the bus, something on the floor in the upper deck caught my attention. For some reason someone seems to have decided to throw away 2 manuals for the Wii remote packagings . I did not really think much as it seems people throw away all kinds of left over in buses. The best part was when I went to the seat down, and there under my seat laid the Wii Play box. At first I started imagining opening it to find a game but everything was there but the actual disk. So, I ended up putting this box in my bag and who knows if there is some way to get a replacement disk from Nintendo?

As any readers can see every day living in London can be a real surprise.