GameSpot has a new detailed preview for Resistance 2, and it provides more particulars on the game’s class-based gameplay and competitive multiplayer. Indeed, this year’s holiday season is shaping up to be a tough period for gamers’ wallets because of the sheer number of outstanding games available.

If Resistance 2 were released on any other period of the year, it would surely get a lot of attention because it’s a marquee game. Since Resistance 2 is sandwiched between the release of major titles like Fallout 3, Dead Space, Gears of War 2, Mirror’s Edge, and Far Cry 2, it’s awfully hard to stay focused on just one game.

Watch the Resistance 2 preview after the jump.

Like any class-based multiplayer game, Resistance 2 looks promising because the classes complement and are dependent on each other. Each class’ weapon also seems to be balanced so there won’t be one favorite class for everyone. This bit about randomized missions is rather intriguing but no details were offered.

This journalist’s built-in shit detector was ringing off the hook when the Insomniac Games’ lead co-op designer Jake Biegel started explaining Resistance 2’s “unique” story arc for the co-op mode, then spouted loads of jargon that, when translated into simpler terms, means: our co-op mode’s story complements the single player story.

PR BS aside, Resistance 2 is looking really good, particularly its seemingly-deep multiplayer component that promises almost-unlimited replay value. Last year’s Call of Duty 4 may have pushed the competitive multiplayer envelope, but Resistance 2 might go even further—especially with its promising eight-player cooperative mode. Watch out for Resistance 2 this November.

Image for Resistance 2 is courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Post from: EveryJoe

Resistance 2 video preview details multiplayer component

How unlucky can one get? TimeShift, a sci-fi FPS, is a veritable ghost town when one tries to play online multiplayer over at PlayStation Network. Interestingly, I’ve had the same experience while playing The Darkness. That’s right, no one is around for anyone to play with.

I took a picture as proof (see image), but it’s a bit blurry. From what can be seen, there is one game available but it can’t seem to be accessed no matter what.

Is this the price that PlayStation 3 owners pay for choosing free multiplayer? Does Xbox Live weave a different tale when it comes to TimeShift’s online multiplayer?

I sure hope not, especially since Xbox Live players pay a premium. If the Xbox Live premium is the price that gamers must pay just to get some online multiplayer action for TimeShift or The Darkness, then I just might make that change, provided that Microsoft can produce a RRoD-free Xbox 360.

Image: FPS Rantings
TimeShift is developed by Saber Interactive and published by Vivendi Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

TimeShift is another PSN ghost town

The toughest part about Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy for the PS3 isn’t the game itself, but the problems in running the game. If the opening screen loads without a hitch, then it’s your lucky day. When loading levels, there’s always the danger of stalling that even a 30 million dollar agent can’t fix.

The game itself is rather entertaining in a big-budget, brainless, summer-Hollywood-flick kind of way. Aside from higher difficulty settings, don’t expect anything beyond your first romp through Jason Bourne’s amnesia adventure.

Shooting in The Bourne Conspiracy brings to mind your standard third-person shooter with cover mechanics, only with more destructible environments. The gun fodder isn’t exactly that brainless either since they’ll attempt to dodge the bullets that you send flying at them.

The melee combat isn’t too shabby either. It’s simple, easy-to-learn, effective, and looks really painful. Depth in hand-to-hand combat is something to be desired, however. Some fights might devolve into button mashing basic three-hit combos, since opponents are quite skillful in blocking and there are not enough moves to execute.

Another gripe: It’s a bit of a shame that the game is a bit inflexible in allowing players to switch between using fisticuffs and guns. Once you’re fighting mano a mano, there’s no option to pull out a gun even if one of the enemies surrounding Bourne is trying to shoot his head off.

I was able to reach Bourne Conspiracy’s last level in one sitting—showing us just how short this game is. Expect my verdict when I finish the game this week.

Image for Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy is courtesy of Vivendi Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

Now Playing: The Bourne Conspiracy

There’s a new Resistance 2 trailer available on YouTube, but what makes this one special is that it might not be available really soon. According to PS3 Fanboy, the video was originally found on Eurogamer TV but wasn’t meant to be leaked online. Thus, you should enjoy the clip while it’s still there.

I’ve recently finished Resistance: Fall of Man and was quite dissatisfied with its ending. If you’ve finished the first game, you’ll be intrigued as to what this new video means. Yes, I have no idea as to what the video’s speaker is talking about.

“I was once just like you, and just like them.”

Is he Nathan Hale? Is the Chimeran part of him taking over? My guess is that the speaker is a new character that would be introduced in the sequel. When the speaker mentioned that he has “been here for an eternity,” then there’s no chance that he is Hale. And what’s this bit about a reunion?

Let the speculations begin.

Post from: EveryJoe

Watch the new Resistance 2 trailer while you still can

War may have changed in Snake’s tired eyes, but the trademark Metal Gear gameplay is still very much intact in stealth action game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. For the uninitiated, this involves getting from point A to point B without attracting any attention.

Moving between points isn’t so simple, however. The armed goons that dot the landscape no longer have tunnel vision, which made sneaking in earlier installments quite easy. There’s no telling if an enemy is waiting just around the corner for an unwanted surprise encounter.

Thankfully, the first act is quite forgiving when it comes to encounters. Like all first stages, Liquid Sun serves as a tutorial for beginners and a refresher for veterans. This first stage may look familiar to those who’ve downloaded various MGS4 trailers. It’s the Middle-Eastern area that was always shown off these past few years.

Snake may be better armed this time around with more guns and slightly-improved controls, but a full-on shootout is hazardous even in the early stages of the game. Never mind that there’s an option to play MGS4 like a first-person shooter. Acting like a maniacal space marine in Mars would only get Snake killed before reaching the “interesting” parts.

Hint: This “interesting” part rhymes with ‘mocelot.’

Image for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is courtesy of Konami.

Post from: EveryJoe

MGS4 playthrough: Liquid Sun is as hot as it gets

Let’s face it: the previous Grand Theft Auto games were absolutely pathetic in the shooting department. Press a button to automatically aim, and then press another to shoot. Was it fun? Nope. The only reason past GTAs sell well is the sandbox-style gameplay that lets you do anything (i.e. run over pedestrians, shoot people, steal cars, etc.) you want, anytime.

When Rockstar introduced the concept of shooting individual body parts in GTA IV, it completely changed gameplay. Not only does it add new mechanics for players to toy with—the gunfights are also shortened to a great degree. If you can make headshots, at least.

To aim at a certain part, all you need to do is press the right analog stick towards the body part while locked. You have to maintain the angle of the right analog stick to keep the crosshair on target. This makes the shootouts more engaging.

However, this concept isn’t new because The Godfather, a GTA clone another sandbox-style game, has implemented it as well. I can’t really say which is better though. In The Godfather, the crosshair stays on the body part as long as the enemy is locked on. There’s no need to maintain the right analog stick angle so all you have to do is press fire when a foe steps out of cover.

In any case, the GTA IV shooting mechanics have changed from “abysmal” to “somewhat fun,” but it’s not quite Gears of War yet in caliber. I now look forward to taking on small armies of thugs using a variety of firearms because GTA IV now feels like a lightweight third-person shooter.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

The joys of GTA IV #2: GTA IV is Shooting People in the Face^TM Lite

My main reason for reluctance is the view itself. The third-person camera gives the player wider peripheral vision that FPSes could never provide. As a result, hiding in cover becomes feasible because you, the player, would be able to see if your character is hidden well or if a body part is sticking out for your enemies to shoot.

Killzone 2’s “lean and peek” gameplay thrills me because I’ve never seen an FPS utilize cover mechanics. However, since the game is still under development and won’t be released until next year, we can only speculate if “lean and peek” works or not. Would the Killzone 2 gameplay be affected greatly by this mechanic, or is this just a gimmick?

For Sony’s sake, I hope it does work since Killzone 2 is a PS3-exclusive game. If it doesn’t, then Killzone is just overhyped freebie material that’s destined to be placed in a bargain shelf next to Haze.

Post from: EveryJoe

Killzone 2 video shows cover mechanics

I’ve always hated the tradeoff of using motorcycles versus cars in Grand Theft Auto games primarily because I can’t shoot from inside a car, and that chasing someone in high speeds while riding motorcycles is bad for your health. It was a vicious circle that made GTA more difficult than enjoyable.

GTA IV seems to have solved that problem now that shooting is allowed inside cars. All one has to do is press L1 (or perhaps a shoulder button on the Xbox 360) and Niko would start shooting. If the glass window is intact, our protagonist would proceed to break it. No, the windshield stays in one piece.

Niko can also shoot from inside taxis, but don’t expect your cab driver to stick around.

I originally intended to write this entry as a rave about shooting from inside cars but after some thinking, I remembered that there’s a problem: aiming the blasted cursor at your target is exasperating because the cursor is fixed at the middle of the screen. To move the cursor, you have to move the camera using the right analog stick, which brings us to another problem—the direction of the camera determines where the vehicle will steer.

This becomes a huge problem when you’re driving in breakneck speed since like real automobiles, sudden turns in your virtual car would cause you to careen wildly (i.e. lose control). Thing is—you need to make these sudden turns to keep a bead on your target. The result? An overwhelming urge to hurl the controller from the roof of a 72-storey building with the GTA IV disk right after.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV annoyances #2: Shooting from cars not as cracked up as it should be

We finally had our “told-you-so” moment when Bioshock was confirmed for the PlayStation 3. Now that it’s out of the way, we’ll tell you when it’s coming out. According to a 2K Games press release, Bioshock for the PS3 will be available in October 2008.

The press release also mentioned that there will be new content included in the PS3 release. However, there were no other details revealed. I guess it’s safe to say that the DLC that 2K Games released sometime last December ’07 would be included. Question is—would there be more?

Image of Bioshock is courtesy of 2K Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

Bioshock PS3 release date revealed

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Penny Arcade looks at PS3 Bioshock “hate”