LIFE IS JUST A DREAM!™

Making a game about the “The Divine Comedy” would never of been an easy task, yet Visceral Games have done just that, well at least the first part of “The Divine Comedy” with “Dante’s Inferno” even though we can say the game doesn’t quite stick to the Poem this doesn’t mean it’s not good, Far from it  as Visceral Games take on “Dante’s Inferno” is somewhat of an action adventure/hack n Slash game.

You play as Dante, a Knight in the king’s crusade which starts off with you being attacked by the prisoner’s that you have kept locked up, and you are given a brief tutorial of the combat and controls; X= light Attack, Y= heavy attack, Right stick= Dodge, Left trigger= Block B= Beatrice’s Holy Cross [which you don’t get until later] after you get to grips with the controls you are confronted by Death and told you and your loved one’ will suffer for your sin’s.

Well as most people who have actually read the “The Divine Comedy” would know Dante was not a Knight he was a 13th century Italian poet. But then if they had stuck to the Poem then we think we would have some rather confused Gamers’ on our hands as it’s not easy to understand let alone put into a game. Any way this is the direction Visceral Games went and as we said it’s not a bad direction by any means, as we said Death appears and Dante refuses to allow his beloved Beatrice to be punished, and this starts off Dante’s quest for Revenge, Redemption and maybe even Forgiveness as he traverse’s the 9 Circle’s of Hell.

And over the course of the game you keep, meeting up with The Roman poet Virgil who will read parts of the poem and guide you through the Inferno.

“they had their faces twisted toward their haunches
and found it necessary to walk backward,
because they could not see ahead of them.
…and since he wanted so to see ahead,
he looks behind and walks a backward path

The combat in “Dante’s Inferno” is not quite up there with the likes of God Of War or Ninja Gaiden but it’s still satisfying none the less, we never got tired of punishing people ok we did absolve some sinner’s you can upgrade Deaths Scythe or Beatrice’s holy cross these paths are classed as Unholy/Holy. You do this by using the soul’s you have set free, dammed or killed. We went for the unholy path on our first play through, and then finished off the Holy path on our second.

The combat can get quite fast and even on the Normal setting we found the game to be quite a challenge at some points especially at the trial’s later on in the game, there are QTE’s in the game usually during the Boss fights or when you’ve damaged an enemy enough to pull these move’s off Now this is one area where “Dante’s Inferno” lets it slip as some of the enemies don’t have this option they don’t even allow you to do different move’s to them i.e. you can’t grab them then; punch/throw etc as once you damaged them enough you can only either punish/Absolve them which was a shame really.

You can do juggle combo’s which you’ve come to expect from these’s type’s of game’s you even get to ride some of hells beast’s which open’s some good opportunities during combat But again some parts of it felt a bit let down, as you can tell “Dante’s Inferno” could of done with some more move’s or even some Different weapon’s as you go through the whole game with Death’s Scythe/Beatrice’s Holy Cross.

But then as we said this is Visceral Games Vision on the Inferno and on some parts it looks’s amazing and others not so much. after Visceral Games did Dead Space you’d expect quite the high standards from them, well it is here in some area’s but it still does lack polish, especially the platforming sections got to say though there vision of some things is Bizarre as we could never look at another woman’s……. the same again or baby’s too!

Each area of the Inferno is different to the next and is done quite well yet we couldn’t help but feel as though it could have been more to it but then maybe Visceral Games had to be careful and not to go too far, Dante’s Inferno will last around 10hrs+ on the default difficulty but beyond that there is not much to make you go back unless you want to max out both unholy/holy, There is going to be some DLC in the form of Forest pack which really should have been in the game, and a co-op challenge/editor pack. But will people keep the game for these or will the move on to God of War 3 or maybe something else.

Overall Dante’s Inferno is a good game and that’s it yes it’s fun but memorable? No it’s a guilty pleasure, it’s a game you play and enjoy but you won’t think too much of your journey through the Inferno [the 9 circles of hell] once it is over, but we will say it’s is going to be good to see what Visceral Games does for Purgatory/Purgatorio. 

PRO’s:

• Combat System
• Story
• Nice References to Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”
• Boss Battle’s

CON’s:

• Weak Platforming Sections
• Only One Weapon?
• Could Of Been Much More

After playing the Aliens VS Predator demo, I realized how the original Aliens VS Predator [PC/Released 1999] the game was missing so much, as I remember the controls for it; trying to jump on/up to anything as a predator or even try to do the surface run required a lot of precision and effort, the amount of times I would end up missing the jump and falling out of the tree or as an alien slipping off certain surfaces/getting lost or confused due to being upside down etc.

Now we can say this is not really the case anymore, well I still get a little confused as an alien now and then. But how the controls are on a pad work very well they will take some getting used to but after a few games you get the hang of it quite quick!

As before there is three different species; Alien/Predator/Marine! Each play very different than the next;

ALIEN: is very fast can cling to walls/ceilings well just about everything really, when we was playing as the alien it felt like you had to keep moving and not be on the floor for too long. The amount of times a sneaked up on a marine/predator from behind by coming down a wall was pretty cool, even though I did screw it up sometimes!

The controls for the alien are very well done, no more thinking I want to get on to that wall or that ceiling and having to cling all the way round or drop down to get there. Now all you do is look where you want to with the cross heir and press A and bam you jump directly to it. And you don’t automatically now run onto the walls or ceiling as you did in the PC game, nope you now Hold down RT to do that so no more going “No I didn’t want to do that or get on there” And yes this works even if you moving at full speed or stood still which makes for some pretty cool moves, as the amount of times we was like “now you see me, but now you don’t” it was cool watching the marines look for you or where you went! Only to either sneak up on them or drop right down on them. The stealth kills/grab kills are amazing I could only image the view of what it was like from their perspective, actually I can as I’ve seen it but more on that in a bit. You have a heavy attack and a light attack; now holding both allows you to block, now if done right you can counter it an attack back which is handy in certain situation the combat as an alien is like a “Rock, Paper, Scissors” thing.

PREDATOR: Is what you might call a Hunter [O’Really I hear you say], yes he is meant to look at the situation and then make his move but in this demo its only death match so it doesn’t always work. but not to the extent I could see it in modes like “Predator hunt” etc.. As in those modes we can see a good predator really being a pain in the ass, if he uses his skill set properly. Again you have a light/heavy attack and block, but whereas the Alien can cling to walls and pounce off them at you. the Predator can leap up to things or a good distance making the plat forming easy as in the PC version this was quite a bother at times trying to get on to ledges or up on a tree etc..  Yes it can even leap on to people if you focus on them and then hit one of the attack buttons!

Now the Predator has not just got it’s Wrist Blades to attack, it can pick up weapons on the map either up on ledges or on top of things, or just on the floor now you can pick these up as you go be we found doing so got us killed due to being out in the open or caught off guard trying to pick them up, now that’s not to say don’t bother getting these weapons/items as they are cool to use and deadly in the right hands! The Smart disk was a really cool weapon to use on enemy’s as where the Proximity mines, you can also pick up the Combo spear and even the Plasma caster! Now you can just keep spamming these weapons, as you need to recharge some of them at stations around the map.

And using one will leave you wide open for an attack so you must asset the situation first, or you easily going to get gunned down or feel the power of an Alien’s tail coming through your back.

Playing as the predator is fun, but we feel in other modes it will take a skilled player to truly be able to use it, yes the vision modes are present. Oh and the Stealth kills for the predator are like you would expect, gruesome and amazing at the same time!

MARINE: is what you might call ‘the bait’ well in death match it felt like that some times, god knows how many times we could see our Motion Tracker going mental only to be looking on the walls, ceilings etc.. only for both species to jump out of know where. And it all kick off now quite a few times they forgot about us and battled it out between them self’s and we would blast away at the surviving one either killing them or they would just disappear if it was an alien it would get on to a ceiling/wall, a predator would cloak itself. Now we had a few times where we killed the survivor only to get sneaked up on and stealth killed [as we wasn’t paying attention to the motion tracker] and some of the views we got from this where “OMG” moments seeing our spine’s ripped out or an Alien’s face just before its second mouth punch a hole into our skulls!

As a Marine you are not defenseless as you have a M41A/2 Pulse Rifle to start of with and you can pick other weapons up on the map like; M42C Scoped Rifle, ZX-76 Shotgun, M26b Flamethrower, hell even the M59/b Smart gun is there. You know the one where Pvt. Vasquez says ‘LET’S ROCK’ which we did do…. as a marine you’re not exactly short on defending yourself and even a marine can block certain attacks, as countering one only to put a point blank ZX-76 Shotgun blast in their face as I like to keep this handy… for close encounters, I heard *that* see what we did there? but as a marine you have to keep moving and keep an eye out on your Motion Tracker, as hearing a hiss or the 3 red dots off a Predators targeting system is never a good sign usually.

Ok you can shoot down the sight’s of the gun’s well you can zoom on the Rilfe, but the other weapons you can’t do it, and I can see why as you would drop enemies quite fast if you did and this would make an unfair advantage this is where the ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ mechanics comes into play, I can see a pack of marines being a deadly force on certain game modes.

But I can see all 3 species being the same of controlled by the right player, it’s going to be fun to see how this all plays out across certain games modes and which one takes off more than the others on XBL but I can always see ‘Infestation’ being a popular mode for all players, our time with Aliens VS Predator was good. Yes we did get annoyed over some things like going to grab someone only for it not to happen, or being killed a lot from behind but again this was death match. Got to say this was not the best mode/map they could have picked but it did get us wondering what and how the other modes could play out!

Aliens VS Predator is out on the 19^th of February on PC/PS3/XB360!

We didn’t have to wait long for official news to break after yesterday’s rumor mill started turning. Ubisoft officially unveiled Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier early this morning. In development at Ubisoft’s Paris studio, the newest installment of the tactical shooter franchise is slated to release holiday of 2010.

After all the teasing via Twitter, we were hoping for a few tangible details. Sadly, aside from the official logo we’ve got little in the way of concrete information to report. Ubisoft promises that Future Soldier will include “cutting-edge technology, prototype high-tech weaponry, and state-of-the-art single-player and multiplayer modes.”  Ubisoft also pledges a “fresh” gameplay experience, hoping to reignite excitement in longtime fans and introduce newcomers to the franchise. Continuing the conversation on Twitter after the announcement this morning, community developer Kimi Matsuzak addressed console details for curious fans, confirming that PS3 and 360 versions will hit retail simultaneously. She also revealed that details on the PC version will come at a later date.

The last tidbit of information we’ve been afforded is that gamers will have a chance to play Future Soldier via a multiplayer beta this summer. The beta invite will be packaged with customers who nab Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction when it drops in April.

PREDATOR:

MARINE:

ALIEN:

Weapons & abilities detailed:

Marine
Weapons

* VP78 Pistol - The VP78 uses 9mm, squash-head rounds for stopping power. When all else is lost, the VP78s rapid-fire mode is often the last line of defense for a Colonial Marine and has saved many lives.
* ZX-76 Shotgun - Packs one heckuva punch at close range - especially when using both barrels in alternative fire modes. Keep it handy, for intimate counters with alien lifeforms.
* M41A/2 Pulse Rifle - The M41A/2 Pulse Rifle is the standard issue, multi-purpose firearm for all United States Colonial Marines. An underslung, pump-action grenade launcher acts as a secondary weapon.
* M59/B Smartgun - The Smartgun is the Colonial Marines’ primary heavy-fire support weapon. It is carried using a gyroscopic harness, and fires in auto-targeting or free-fire modes.
* M260b Flamethrower - A replacement for the aging M240 flame thrower, the M260b utilizes several improvements. Standard fire remains perfect for neutralising massed or fast-moving targets. Secondary fire allows you to spray fuel for subsequent ignition, allowing the user to create a temporary wall of flame.
* M42C Scoped Rifle - Neutralise the enemy at a distance with M42C. Non-standard USCM issue ordnance, deployed only in special circumstances.
* Melee Combat - Your weapons will serve you well for ranged combat. But they can also prove to be effective melee combat weapons during close encounters. Use them to shield against an incoming Xeno attack, or to knock them away.

Predator
Abilities & Weapons

* Wristblades - Use your wristblades to deal with the enemy at close quarters. Attack rapidly with Light Attacks, hit hard with Heavy Attacks, and eviscerate your opponents with Finishing Moves or Stealth Kills. Block or Counter the enemy to deal with incoming melee attacks.
* Plasma Caster - The Plasma Caster’s firepower is not to be deployed lightly. It can be fired quickly with less accuracy, or aimed and charged to bring almost certain death.
* Combi Stick - The Combi Stick requires a precise aim, but inflicts devastating wounds.
* Proximity Mines - A Mine is a cunning trap, but do not fall foul of your own scheming! A good Hunter knows how to lure the enemy to their doom.
* Smart Disc - In skilled hands, the Disc can be used to attack and dismember multiple targets.
* Cloak – the cloaking device renders the Predator almost completely invisible to its surrounding so a patient Predator stalk its prey with little to worry about.
* Portable Med Kit – With the Predator concentrating on the hunt, it ain’t got time to bleed. So when wounded it can heal itself, but this causes more pain and gives its position away.

Xenomorph
Abilities & Weapons

* Inner Jaw - Although this is possibly the quickest way for the Alien to kill its prey, it’s definitely not the most pleasant way to go.
* Claws - The Aliens hands not only provide a source of momentum, they also contain razor sharp claws that the Alien will use to slash at its victim.
* Agility - The Alien is the fastest out of the three species. Not only does this give the Alien the advantage in covering a lot of ground between it and its prey, but this means it can make a quick getaway so it can regroup before going in for the kill.
* Wall Running - as if speed and jumping wasn’t enough for the Xenomorph the Alien can run on walls and ceilings just as easily as running along the floor, meaning that Marines and Predators need to look in every direction for the inevitable attack.
* Tail - With whip like movements the Alien tail can disembowel men and predators alike. With a sharp spike sat on the end the tail can also skew those who aren’t paying attention to those dark corners.
* Acid Blood - Pumping through the heart of that cold killer is Acid, of the highest concentration. So keep your distance when you open fire on the beast.

A short trailer that ships with the Dante’s Inferno game, captured by my cell phone for Xbox 360. The DLC will be made available on April 29th at a yet-to-be-announced price and will incorporate a custom mission maker and co-operative play.