Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
Telltale Releases CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, Adventure, PC, Release Dates,
Telltale Games, developer of the episodic Bone games and the (drool) soon-to-be-released 3D Sam and Max game, recently posted that a new sequel in the CSI series, CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder is now available for purchase, along with a download-able demo of a sample case from the game.
The game appears to be receiving some fairly good reviews for its excellent voice acting, good 3D crime scene graphics, and immersive gameplay. For $30, you should be able to squeeze about 8-10 hours of solid gameplay out of this one, which might be a slightly better dollar-per-hour ratio than the similarly episodic Half Life 2: Episode 1 (although who can really say, when it comes to the dollar-per-fun ratio). Check out the demo and the site in the link below.
Read More 
| TelltaleGames.com
Advertisement
New Videos of WarioWare Smooth Moves (Wii) In Action
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, Hardware, Nintendo, Screenshots, Trailers, Wii,
The good folks over at GoNintendo.com have posted some videos from the recent demos over in Spain. Watch someone actually play WarioWare and look like a doofus doing it!! (Which is, of course, half the fun…I’m really looking forward to this game).
Overall, the controls appear to be quite responsive to each of the different actions. Of course, the controller can pick up major shakes and slices, but the part where he twists the key in the door would appear to require a very fine level of resolution. Also, there are some micro-games on display here that use the pointer functionality, and they appear to do quite well also. Really, this just makes me want to get my hands on the controller again. For those of us that couldn’t make it to E3, we can only hope that Nintendo continues bringing this show on the road and spreading the good word of the Wii!
Read More | GoNintendo.com
PSP Power Stone Collection Screenshots
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Fighting, PSP, Screenshots,
Power Stone Portable will be released in Japan on October 12, and Game Watch has some new screenshots from Capcom. The game should also hit US shores in October as Power Stone Collection.
As previously announced, the game includes both the original Power Stone, and Power Stone 2. In addition, players can use the four new characters introduced in the sequel on the original game. The new screenshots show off battle stages from Power Stone and Power Stone 2, but the shots seem to have lost a little detail in translation; textures just don’t seem to be as sharp as the original game. Of course, when the game is in motion and on the smaller screen of the PSP, this may not matter.
Still, it will be good to have a translation of this popular arcade and Dreamcast game on a portable platform.
Latest Gear Live Videos
The Birth Of Grand Theft Auto
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Culture, PC, Retro, Simulation,
The original Grand Theft Auto has been credited for largely defining the “sandbox game.” Edge UK has a retrospective on its development, and it is interesting to note the combination of will and serendipity that enabled the game to come about.
The origins of the game tie to their attempts to build out a living city; originally this was to be represented in a 3D isometric view, similar to the concurrent game Syndicate Wars. However, performance problems would force the developers away from this view. The top-down view, interestingly, would be inspired by the side-scrolling Clockwork Knight from Sega.
Gamers can clearly see the core of the original game in the sequels. However, DMA wanted the original to be much more of a city simulation, with “buses following routes, people getting on and off, traffic lights working properly, a rail network.” While a number of the items made it into the game, others would have to wait for future technology, or would be dropped altogether. One of the dropped ideas was too make the game more horror themed, which would have truly changed the complexion of the series.
Other travails include rebuilding the game tiles for the Playstation version of the game, and convincing publishers to take a chance on its release. The article is an interesting rundown on one of the most influential game series of the past decade.
Read More | Edge Online
Metal Slug Does Well in 3D
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, PlayStation 2, Retro, Reviews, Third Person Shooters,
When SNK / Neo-Geo fans heard that their darling franchise Metal Slug was going 3D, the general consensus was “Nothing good can come of this”. With a game that focused on Contra-esque shoot-anything-that-moves game-play and meticulously drawn, gorgeously animated 2D sprites, a lot of fans thought the announcement of a 3rd-person Metal Slug shooter was the death knell for the series.
Well, there aren’t a ton of reviews in yet, but there’s a hint of good news for fans. Famitsu, the Japanese gaming magazine recently gave the 3D translation straight 7’s (i.e., a total score of 28 out of 40) which is quite respectable for that particular publication. So far, this is the only review of the game posted (and it’s of the Japanese version), but it’s still a glimmer of hope for everyone who couldn’t imagine Metal Slug taking on an extra dimension.
Read More | NeoGeoForLife.com Forums via ArsTechnica Opposable Thumbs
Red Steel Control Scheme Being Overhauled
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, First Person Shooters, Nintendo, Reviews, Wii,
Red Steel is one of those games that Nintendo fans really really want to see succeed. The idea of a first-person game alternately utilizing the Wii to do gun-shootin’ and sword-swingin’ sounded like a dream come true. Unfortunately that dream was shattered (or at least slightly cracked) when E3 rolled around. Red Steel proved to be perhaps the poorest showing in Nintendo’s wildly popular Wii booth, mainly due to a flawed control scheme that made gunplay somewhat jittery and (more importantly) didn’t actually simulate your sword-strokes during onscreen saber battles.
Well blessed be Ubisoft - the company has actually taken the criticism to heart. TheGameFeed.com has reported that Ubisoft recently told the French press they will be making “significant changes” to the game-play before the game hits shelves, presumably sometime around November. Here’s hoping that it will be much closer to the free-form sword swinging we were all hoping for!
Read More | TheGameFeed.com
This coming holiday Microsoft has one big trick up their sleeve for Sony. That trick is Gears of War, the new FPS using the Unreal 3 engine. So far Epic has not released a large amount of info about this upcoming shooter but Planet Xbox 360 has been able to unearth more info about the game, some old, some new. The weapons in Gears of War sound innovative and impressive. Check out a glimpse of your in game armory,
Speaking of weapons, Epic has cooked up quite an exotic list for your destructing pleasure. During a few missions you’ll be able to use the Hammer of Dawn. This is a remote laser strike that is as easy as point and click. The next item on the list is the Torque Bow. This is a crossbow styled weapon that when shot will detonate in anything the arrow has plunged into. Are you tired of the rudimentary grenade throwing found in most games? The Bolo Grenades should answer that. These are sticky grenades on a sling that you twirl above your head until you have your perfect arc. Last but not least, the weapon that Epic says defines the Gears of War brand is the Lancer Rifle. This visceral beast is an assault rifle with a chainsaw as its bayonet. This allows you to shred through your opponents when they get too close.
The rest of the rest of the article contains information on the control scheme and more!
Read More | Planet Xbox 360
Social Networking Pushes Da Vinci Code
Posted by Thea Davis Categories: Action, Corporate News, PlayStation 2,
For its campaign for the Da Vinci code game, ROKKAN, an interactive agency, used social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube to propel word-of-mouth marketing. ROKKAN, in cooperation with 2K Games, created an online treasure hunt in order to promote the release of the Da Vinci Code game. Interactive internet features like chat and forums allowed players to bond while participating in the treasure hunt. Gamers discussed the game on blogs and sought each other for help with clues and hints. The contest awarded an Xbox game console and six game titles (including the Da Vinci Code game) to the winner. The Da Vinci Code Game website also won an FWA Site of the Day Award. The contest ended 31-May-06.
Read More | PRWeb
Not only is the game play of the finally-to-be-released title “Prey” getting good reviews, but its soundtrack is also garnering notice. The orchestral score, written and produced by BAFTA award-winning composers, brothers Jeremy and Julian Soule, is being praised as the first full-on movie-length soundtrack made for a video game. The soundtrack’s runtime is better than three hours, and it will be released as a two-volume album. The soundtrack for “Prey” is expected to adjust the industry bar, propelling projects to a higher realm creatively. The soundtrack double album is available for download (320kbps) exclusively at DirectSong.com. In the world of video game music, the gloves have come off.
Read More | SoundtrackNet
Warhawk Developer Video Documentary Online
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Action, Fighting, PlayStation 3, Simulation,
For those of you looking forward to tilting your next-gen controller sans Wii, Kikizo has posted a video with the developers of Warhawk (for the Playstation 3) in which they discuss how the Cell processor is being used even to help design the only announced PS3 tilt-sensitive game.
Straight from the article:
David Wright, the game’s lead modeller, also makes an appearance to explain that the level of variation in detail across the expansive game world wasn’t possible to be hand-placed by a human designer, and that the team was able to “devise a method to have the Cell processor place this stuff dynamically for us, and it was a very good result. I don’t have to worry about any of that, which is nice!”
Okay, so the Cell isn’t making games from scratch yet, but it certainly sounds like developers are learning some nifty tricks to deal with the levels of detail required in next-gen gaming. Still, some users at ArsTechnica noted the less-than-stellar graphics, comparing the feel to current Xbox 360 offerings and noting “bland” land-based missions in the game. It will be interesting to see how this title fares, as it’s one of the flagship games for demonstrating the utility of the PS3 controller’s motion sensing capabilities.
Read More | Kikizo
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.