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[Basch]

Cover Story: Top 10 Games of '08 (I feel like I'm in slavery )

No.1
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Release Date: Spring 2008 [GameStop now has it at 06/24/08: take it as you will.]
MGS4 + Metal Gear Online = One Game

This is it. This is the last Metal Gear of the series. At least, so they say. Right off the bat, MGS4's Associate Producer, Ryan Payton confirmed that Guns of the Patriots would, indeed, answer every last question that the series has ever produced. Even Portable Ops? Yes, even Portable Ops. This can be extremely intimidating for newcomers. But the team promises to present the story in a way that even a virgin to the series can get the general idea. But what about for the vets of the series? Kojima Productions has added a new feature that will allow you to view a flashback from a previous Metal Gear game by holding down a button. These flashbacks, by the sound of it, are directly ripped from the prior games. These scenes will help provide background to the current situation. In reference to just how many cutscenes MGS4 will have, Payton confirmed that "its definitely more than MGS3." The current estimation of running time clcoks in at a full four hours.

Hands-on playtest. Oh. Yes.

For the first time in a Metal Gear game, the current mission objective will be indicated on-screen. With all the skills ane elements the user needs to keep track of, the team thought it best if they help point them in the right direction. Some 300 surface textures will allow great variety and possibilities when trying to adapt to the environment. The team is trying to incorporate the Octocamo so that can be deployed in whatever situation you're facing.

And now, impressions...

During our playtest we faced off against several enemies. They flanked, sought cover, and frankly provided the kind of challenge that gamers may well appreciate for its realism, but required an all-new level of awareness from us to be effective in tight situations. But then the moment occurred that sold us beyond any trailer, PR spiel, or even past familiarity could deliver.

Though hidden behind cover, our position was blown. The grenade that sailed to within a few feet was just additional environmental detritus. So when it exploded, propelling us several feet into a prostate state of being dazed, injured, and mostly dead, the shock factor was sufficient to freeze our movements. Good job. If we'd flicked the analog stick just a smidge we'd have alerted the approaching guards that our feigned death state was more feign than death. Our breath held as tight as our lungs could allow, the guards approached, and spotting our prone body, crouched and swiped a hand over this apparent mass of worm fodder. It was magic. Confirming to their superiors that the threat was neutralized, we could then jump behind cover, and plan some major payback.

Seriously, we dare you to move in that situation. It was intense, stylish, and utterly realistic as animations kicked in that we didn't even imagine existed. With 200 staffers on the project, its absolutely evident where the work of the thirty animators was well utilized.

Ready for launch

Payton has had to take time rerecording lines of dialogue to better direct the player. After the Tokyo Game Show demo, the team realized that the player would need better direction as to not lob grenades at the armored Striker: the tactic, obviously, didn't bode well. This has caused the team to spend some additional type to address these problems so that they can get the final product "readied to perfection." The P:TOM staff had already placed their bets, calling Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots their top choice for "must have" of 2008. With the exciting news of Metal Gear Online being bundled with the game, this title is destined for greatness. Before closing, the P:TOM staff wanted to leave one quick message: Pre-order. Now!

And then the rehash information you have all been waiting for. I'm sorry, if this is a disappointment, but I haven't been keeping up with the news. But it could serve as a refresher...

Huge News!

Metal Gear Solid 4 + Metal Gear Online. Separate entities? Really? It didn't make too much sense, but now we can officially confirm that MGO will be an integral part of MGS4. That's right, the two products are conjoined into one supreme MGS package. The integration of the two games is a major move, but a no-brainer for franchise fans wondering why they were separate entities for so long.

At press time, our understanding was the MGO would support 16 players in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, and Team Sneak. We're expecting five maps in the Starter Pack that will provide the basic setup to get your MGS multiplayer fix moving, and you should be customizing a character with up to three skills from a large selection, including as "Marathon," which aids in sprinting, and "Narc," which reveals the position of the enemy currently targeting you. Skills, along with weapons, will level up the more you play. We understand you'll also have over 100 different weapons to acquire and use. The real gameplay standout, however, should prove to be the nanomachine-based SOP system, which will enable you to sense the location and status of your teammates --- and even share their special skills --- at all times.

Horses for Courses

Its clear that Japanese and Western gamers appreciate different gameplay styles. While Kojima himself is responsible for the controls, difficulty, and balance of the game for the Japanese market, Ryan Payton will be tweaking settings for the U.S. That involves manipulating the aiming system since Japanese gamers can be susceptible to motion sickness, and U.S. gamers like their precision aim. The over-the-shoulder view is currently the default, but you can switch on the fly with the square button.

Reviews

P:TOM incorporates a five star system for their reviews. What follows is a brief explanation of the system by the crew themselves.

* * * * * EXCEPTIONAL
An excellent game that takes its genre to new heights.

* * * * GREAT
Not flawless, but a truly great game and among the best in its genre.

* * * OKAY
An overall positive experience for fans of the genre or subject matter.

* * POOR
Suffers from several major flaws that really damage the experience.

* AWFUL
Not worth your time or money.

Game of the Month: Assasin's Creed * * * * *
"Unique, stylish, open world gameplay - nailed it!"

+ Vast open worlds that are more alive and believable than anything you have ever seen.
+ "Yes you are an assasin, but there's so much more... Let's just say it's compelling, as it the reason that you're out to assasinate nine important figures in the cities of Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre during the Crusades."
+ High replayability. Story takes about 18 hours, but can last three times the length with all the sidequests and exploration.
+ "Replenishing your throwing knives by picking pockets is one of the game's most guily pleasures."
- Loading times.

Reviewed By: Randy Nelson

Editor's Choice: Rock Band * * * * *
"A crazy concept becomes one of the most fun games ever"

+ "Not too long from now, we'll look back at music games and refer to their release dates as B.R.B. and A.R.B. --- 'Before Rock Band' and 'After Rock Band.'"
+ Game encourages a united focus.
+ "Rock Band really pushes every preconception we have of what a music game can be and do."
+ The Drums was the most fun and compelling instrument for the P:TOM staff.
- Process and interface glitches such as the confusing organization of assigning a leader to the band.

Reviewed By: Randy Nelson

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune * * * * (What?!?)
"Familiar territory with sights and sounds that are off the chart"

+ "...one of the first games to truly set the [PS3] apart from its competition..."
+ Adventuring is exhilirating: "The sheer thrill of leaping across massive gaps atop an enormous, thundering waterfall or navigating traps in dense jungle is enough to make your palms sweat and stir butterflies in your stomach."
+ "...Greg Edmondson's score is a perfect fit."
- Adventuring eventually gives way to with never-ending shootouts.
- "Through a mixture of targeting shortcomings (turning the reticule red when it's over an enemy would have been a quick fix), throwaway hand-to-hand combat, and more than its fair share of die-and-try situations, frustration mounts all to easily." (Sounds like someone was mad about the difficulty. )

Reviewed By: Randy Nelson

**** and *****: Dead Men * * * 1/2
"Sometimes it's good to be bad"

+ "IO Interactive, of ****** fame, has done something unexpected with its next-gen debut... made us sympathize with two truly bad dudes..."
+ "...story... is enthralling --- along the lines of Michael Mann's 1995 film, Heat (which was one of the game's inspirations).
- Repetition in the form of the same enemies and taking them down.
- Allies become a hindrance during later levels: having to backtrack to revive them.
? "Yet we found ourselves coming back for more. Maybe it's the cinematic presentation. Maybe its the betrayal-centered multiplayer, Fragile Alliance. Or maybe its because we like being bad guys every once in a while."

Reviewed By: Teresa Dun

Beowulf * * 1/2
"Hardly epic, this one's more of an above average adventure"

+ "...it does an admirable job of trying to leap beyond your typical hack-and-slash fare."
+ The Legendary system puts a nice spin on the player's choice to how they approach the gameplay.
- The allies seem to rely too much on Beowulf: often, becoming a distraction.
- Does not break mediocre licensed games mold.
- "...Thanes are mainly good for opening doors and lowering bridges."

Reviewed By: Teresa Dun

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law * * * *
"No objection to this mind-taking adventure"

+ True to the cartoon's spirit; well reflected through the dialogue and characters.
+ "...spastic humor, and of course, penis jokes."
+ Trying to think like the not-all-that-logical Birdman.
+ "If that sounds like your cup of teabags, er tea, then to paraphrase our favorite lawyer, this is one game you should definitely take.
-? Can be a turnoff for people who do not like the source material.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike * * * *
"Squad-based strategy shines on PSP"

The Golden Compass * *
"All that's golden may not shine"

Stranglehold * * * 1/2
"Not quite hardboiled enough"

MTX vs. ATV Untamed * * * *
"Another great off-road racer graces PS3"

Swashbucklers * *
"Arr, methinks me spies a sinking game"

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII * * *
"Flights of fancy miss second shot"

Time Crisis 4 * * * *
"Arcade shooting in your living room"

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns * * 1/2
"Don't judge by its character sprites"

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am *
"Stupid is as stupid golfs"

PlayStation POV
Drake's Fortune Post Mortem

Looking back over the entire production of Uncharted, there were quite a few ups and downs, and several things that went right and more than a couple of things that went wrong. While this could probably be said about the production of any videogame, we started off with one fairly unique problem that spawned several of the issues that we ran into down the line. However, through the hard work of an incredibly talented team, we were able to turn those issues around and ended up in a position that leaves Naughty Dog in an even stronger position than I could have hoped for.

The initial issue that I'm talking about is that when we moved from the PlayStation 2 to the PlayStation 3, we started with NOTHING! At Naughty Dog we had been programming in our own internally developed programming language called GOAL. It was a Lisp-based language and it was a great environment for game development that allowed for very rapid iteration times. However, when transitioning to the PS3, we knew that we wanted to do a lot more sharing of technology between all of the Sony first party teams, so we had to switch to the industry standard of C++. This meant throwing out all of our old game code and starting every last system from scratch. As you can imagine, it took a lot of time to build up our code base to the point that we could even start prototyping gameplay.

Since we were starting our game code from scratch, I guess we thought it was a good idea to start our tools from scratch as well. This was simply a huge mistake. Anticipating the large increase in size and complexity of next-gen assets, we over-designed our tools and ended up creating a pipeline that was too difficult to use and incredibly unreliable. About ten months into full production, we decided to abandon our new and "improved" pipeline completely, and ended up going back to a system much more similar to the way we were doing things in the past. This ended up being the single biggest improvement we made to production all project long.

Of course, not to over-emphasize the mistakes, we also did a lot of things right. One of the biggest and most important things that we did was to keep our development fluid and flexible. What that means is that we didn't hang onto ideas just because they were in our original design documents. If things weren't working in the game, we would either cut the feature, or stress another area of the game that was working.

Finally, the most important ingredient in the development of Uncharted was the team. We have very rigorous hiring practices at Naughty Dog and we only want the very best talent in the industry. This allows us to keep a relatively small team, since everybody is self motivated and extremely artistic (even the programmers!). Once all the technology was in place and the team was firing on all cylinders, it amazed me week after week how much we could accomplish in a short amount of time.

All in all, Uncharted was one of the most challenging projects that Naughty Dog has ever embarked upon. Now that the game is complete, I can honestly say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences for me personally, and an accomplishment for the team that I couldn't be more proud of.

-------------------------------------

PROGRESS REPORT:

Finally! You happy? I finally finished the MGS feature story synopsis. It probably was a bunch of old news anyways. Well, I hope you guys enjoy. I thought there would be more information, but, as you can see, it is a part of a Top 10 Games of '08 cover story. I just got the magazine a few hours ago and got off work about a half of that. So be patient please. I wasn't even going to add the MGS description in the title, but it was on the cover of the magazine so I thought it would be significant. Hopefully, it fills your fix for now. Now I need to work on the No.2 - 10 spot on that very same cover story. But now, it is time for... Sleep! For me. Once I get back, I will update the reviews. Cheers until then.

 

[NeoUltima]

MGS4? Do want.
edit: nvm :lol (the thing I edited out)

 

[Kosma]

Uncharted stabbed in the back.

Cant see the scores by the way. Just a bunch of "****" :|

Don't be fooled young padawan, those are stars.

 

[Loudninja]

MTX vs. ATV Untamed was not good to me

 

[Stumpokapow]

The big thing people need to remember about any sort of star system (or any low-granularity rating system that assumes that the top rating is not perfect) is that you're going to get an awful lot of top star reviews.

Look at Roger Ebert as an example. It's not that he gives out 4 star reviews like candy, but under the 4 star system you're pretty much going to end up with at least one 4 star review every month or two, if not more during a productive year.

Under a 5 star system, Call of Duty 4, Rock Band, Halo 3, Bioshock, Super Mario Galaxy, Resistance, Metroid Prime 3, Orange Box, Unreal Tournament 3, Oblivion, and dozens more games over the past few years would all probably get 5 stars.

 

[GalacticAE]

Where's MGS4?

 

[itsgreen]

Clearly the PS3 version must be way better than the 360 version cause I thought it sucked donkey balls those beggars and whores pushed me all the time.

 

[Jenga]

Assassin's Creed > Uncharted apparently. in b4 sony defense forces attacks their own mag

 

[SolidSnakex]

So I click this thread expecting something on MGS4 and there's nothing here.

 

[Loudninja]

So I click this thread expecting something on MGS4 and there's nothing here.

This is just the beginning. I will add the rest of the descriptions of the reviews later tonight, along with the, I'm-so-amazing, Metal Gear Solid 4 cover story, and Evan Wells post-mortem on Uncharted. I will continually update this thread with more ane more info: preview, news, interviews, and the such. But, alas, all must wait for now. I have things to do. So enjoy.

;p

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

+ High replayability. Story takes about 18 hours, but can last three times the length with all the sidequests and exploration.

Ugh. There goes that magazines credibility.

 

[Loudninja]

Assassin's Creed > Uncharted apparently. in b4 sony defense forces attacks their own mag

Or before you are banned

 

[nelsonroyale]

can't believe anyone could give AC 5 out 5...I enjoyed the game thoroughly and eagerly anticipate the sequel...but it has many many flaws...hell, the unbelievably repetitive save the citizens missions are inexcusable...same fecking dialogue lines hahah. Also pick pocketing really isnt a big deal... its so easy and plays out the same every time

Also, who cares about the reviews...MGS4 is all that matters

 

[Dragon]

Clearly the PS3 version must be way better than the 360 version cause I thought it sucked donkey balls those beggars and whores pushed me all the time.

Those beggars were bastards.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

What a joke. The celebration of mediocrity through denial continues!

 

[f@luS]

Kan & linche has more star than any other game. GOTY

 

[nelsonroyale]

Those beggars were bastards.

I just slashed them when the got to close...but the number of times those drunks barged me into the water at the docks......bastards indeed

 

[Kittonwy]

Assassin's Creed > Uncharted apparently. in b4 sony defense forces attacks their own mag

It's just PSM, and it was never our own mag.

 

[TTP]

Also, who cares about the reviews...MGS4 is all that matters

I bet it will just be regurgitated old news.

 

[Dragon]

I just slashed them when the got to close...but the number of times those drunks barged me into the water at the docks......bastards indeed

Yeah I purposely went around them and killed the soldiers instead.

There was one mission where I had to steal from someone and this beggar would come out and push me into the guy I was supposed to steal from. So frustrating. Finally I just killed the bastard and then started the mission.

 

[MetatronM]

Under a 5 star system, Call of Duty 4, Rock Band, Halo 3, Bioshock, Super Mario Galaxy, Resistance, Metroid Prime 3, Orange Box, Unreal Tournament 3, Oblivion, and dozens more games over the past few years would all probably get 5 stars.

And? Are they not all "5 star games?"

It's not reviewers' faults that a lot of companies have been releasing very high quality product of late.

 

[Gary Whitta]

I love that they've gone to the effort to explain that five stars means awesome and one star means awful. I would surely have been baffled by their new five-star rating system were it not for this invaluable codex.

 

[Kittonwy]

What a joke. The celebration of mediocrity through denial continues!

The AC reviews feel more and more fishy, free pass total, what did Ubi do to these people? The PSM review reads more like Ubi PR speak. Jeebus.

 

[AranhaHunter]

80% for Uncharted? What a rip

 

[Borys]

Or before you are banned

Come on, it was funny.

 

[TTP]

Through a mixture of targeting shortcomings (turning the reticule red when it's over an enemy would have been a quick fix)

wtf. seriously.

 

[Dragon]

Assassin's Creed > Uncharted apparently. in b4 sony defense forces attacks their own mag

It's one person's opinion.

I've beaten both and think differently. Oh well I guess I'll start attacking my own mag!!

 

[avaya]

What a joke. The celebration of mediocrity through denial continues!

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[mollipen]

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns * * 1/2
"Don't judge by its character sprites"

If they're giving one of the best chapters of one of the two top wrestling gaming lines ever created two and a half stars, I'd really hate to see what every other wrestling game would get.

 

[Loudninja]

Come on, it was funny.

Sure ,but the don't people get banned for that type of stuff?

 

[SolidSnakex]

wtf. seriously.

ND should've took it to the next level and whenever you can hit an enemy big words pop up saying "SHOOT NOW!".

 

[nelsonroyale]

I bet it will just be regurgitated old news.

yeah, thats what I reckon...

even though the game is obviously day one...I would like a little glimpse of the other environments

 

[Dante]

not a fan of the 5 point scale too many things fall in that 3-4 category. A la Gamepro.

 

[Kapsama]

So,

AC > Uncharted = Time Crisis 4
:lol

I want the old OPM back

 

[DieH@rd]

MGS4 is all we need!

But beware no scans or complete transcripts, or you will receave swift banhammer

Spoiler

if you have some jusicy stuff, send it over PM to few users, they will then spread it to others...

 

[methane47]

Reviews
Assasin's Creed * * * * *
+ High replayability. Story takes about 18 hours, but can last three times the length with all the sidequests and exploration.

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol HILARIOUS!

 

[kenta]

Uncharted getting shortchanged is really starting to irritate me

 

[Arkaerial]

Reviews
Reviewed By: Randy Nelson

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune * * * * (What?!?)
"Familiar territory with sights and sounds that are off the chart"

+ "...one of the first games to truly set the [PS3] apart from its competition..."
+ Adventuring is exhilirating: "The sheer thrill of leaping across massive gaps atop an enormous, thundering waterfall or navigating traps in dense jungle is enough to make your palms sweat and stir butterflies in your stomach."
+ "...Greg Edmondson's score is a perfect fit."
- Adventuring eventually gives way to with never-ending shootouts.
- "Through a mixture of targeting shortcomings (turning the reticule red when it's over an enemy would have been a quick fix), throwaway hand-to-hand combat, and more than its fair share of die-and-try situations, frustration mounts all to easily." (Sounds like someone was mad about the difficulty. )

Well if he played it on Crushing he would know how useful the hand to hand actually is.

damn pirates with an ak-47s and I'm trying to kill them with a pistol. Easier just to run up and give them a quick combo to take them down.

 

[Mesijs]

Wow, this magazine can't be something else than a piece of shit.

What's up with reviewers giving AC insane scores?

And what's up with reviewers thinking Uncharted is too difficult? Did they find out that there is a possibility to take cover?

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

Uncharted getting shortchanged is really starting to irritate me

I'm honestly concerned over what message this is sending to developers and publishers. Even if the masses aren't concerned about quality, you'd at least expect critics to be more scrutinizing and to reward quality.

 

[nelsonroyale]

Wow, this magazine can't be something else than a piece of shit.

What's up with reviewers giving AC insane scores?

And what's up with reviewers thinking Uncharted is too difficult? Did they find out that there is a possibility to take cover?

yeah, the AC scores have been very strange

 

[yankeeforever2]

They gave Time Crisis 4 and Uncharted the same score.....they must be drunk.

 

[SolidSnakex]

:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol HILARIOUS!

I don't think i've ever heard AC being described as having high replayability.

 

[I AM JOHN!]

I still have to wonder how pissed the Ziff Game Group is that Sony pulled the plug on OPM, only to give the rights to an official magazine to their biggest competitor a year later. :lol

 

[Greatness Gone]

That Assaain's Creed review is made out of pure shit.

 

[WasabiKing]

Or before you are banned

No, YOU

BTW, don't pull the misleading title thing, cause you will lose new post privys. Put up the news by tonight or it's gone.

 

[Darkman M]

Where's MGS4?

.

 

[Diablohead]

I like the star system, it's much better.

80% for Uncharted? What a rip

Hope you joke, you don't treat stars like that, read what the star value means and work it out from there.

 

[mollipen]

not a fan of the 5 point scale too many things fall in that 3-4 category. A la Gamepro.

So then, we can use a 1-10 scale, and everything can be a 7 or 8.

Bad, Poor, Average, Good, Great. That's all you need. So what if a lot of games either fall into good or great? Does that really tell you less than trying to decipher what the difference between a 6 and a 7, or a 7 and an 8 is?

 

[nelsonroyale]

I don't think i've ever heard AC being described as having high replayability.

I enjoy the game, so I might replay it, but the game has very little replayability...its pretty much the world and graphics that would make me play the game again