Added: 19.06.2015 2:48 | 9 views | 0 comments

E3 is over; let's review Sony's showing.

With E3 coming to a close it's time to sit back and cast judgement on the big three. Overall, Sony had a great show. Despite the fact that it had very little to get excited about in 2015, the company dropped some serious megatons. Our assessment of its press conference is split up into three sections. The first highlights the most important and exciting moments. For Sony, these happen to be the announcements of a highly-sought after remake, a sequel for one of the most beloved series of all time, and the return of a project thought abandoned. This is followed by some areas we would have liked to see improved which, surprisingly, includes more time on the PlayStation Vita. Finally, we end with games they actually showed.

Highlights: Final Fantasy 7 Remake

It finally happened! At Sony's press conference, Square Enix announced it is remaking one of the most beloved Japanese role-playing games of all time. This is exciting for multiple reasons. Firstly, because everyone can now get on with their lives and stop constantly bringing this up. Secondly, because it seems this is more of a reimagining than a remake. Project director Tetsuya Nomura has indicated that the story is likely to deviate from the original's. Of course, there is one downside to all this: That Aerith scene is back in valid spoiler territory again.

Highlights: The Last Guardian

Good news! That adorable bird, chicken, dog thing from The Last Guardian is alive and well. As is the game, for that matter. After years of no-shows, Team ICO's latest has finally resurfaced, and boy did it win us over. Just one look at the main character skipping down the stone stairs, raising his knees to his chest, and doing his best not to take a tumble, erased all the frustration created by the ambiguity of its release. Better yet, Fumito Ueda, the mastermind behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus also showed up to give the game his approval. It looks like The Last Guardian will be as magical as the studio's previous games.

Highlights: Shenmue 3

Sony's third and final meltdown inducing announcement was the reveal of Shenmue 3. Like Final Fantasy 7, this is one of those projects that fanboys lose sleep over. Well, it's time to rest easy, it's happening. The project is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter and shot past its goal in a matter of hours. Although initially cagey on the business side of it, Sony has confirmed it will be forking up some cash for the project too. Forklifts will return, and look better than ever.

Highlights: Horizon Zero Dawn

After years of creating nothing but Killzone, Guerrilla Games is finally developing something new, and it. Looks. Awesome. Horizon: Zero dawn is a third-person action game in which a lone hunter battles against giant robot dinosaurs. As dude-bro as that sounds, it feels like there's also a lot of heart to it too. We're not quite sure what's happening in terms narrative; we have a lot of questions, and that's definitely a good thing.

Needs Improvement: PlayStation Vita

Hey Sony, not sure if you noticed but people did actually buy the PlayStation Vita. Sure, it's not as many people as you'd like, but we're still out here, and we'd really like it if you show us some cool, unique games you're making for the portable gaming device we spent our hard-earned cash on. Sure hope you have some at GamesCom.

Needs Improvement: Games We Can Play Soon

Sure, Sony basically made dreams come true this year, but we're not so easily fooled. Behind all the grand announcements was a severe lack of games being released in 2015. Sure, there was Call of Duty and Batman, but those are third-party games. Where's the big new 2015 titles from Sony? Oh, there are none. No, HD re-releases don't count. Sorry Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Biggest Games: Uncharted 4

Holy moly! Did you see Uncharted 4? It looks fantastic. Along with the obvious visual improvements (that market got torn to shreds), it looks like Naughty Dog is making big changes to gameplay. At various points it almost looked like areas were going a bit open-world, instead of the usual guided down a set path series fans are used to. Of course, there was also plenty of the crazy over-the-top set pieces we all know and love.

Biggest Games: No Man's Sky

Yes, we're right there with you, we still don't completely understand what No Man's Sky even is. However, Hello Games has got demoing that game down to an art. Every time nervous Sean Murray shows up on stage and shows us just how insanely large the galaxy of No Man's Sky is, our minds begin to run wild with possibilities. More than anything, the idea of finding something cool that no one else is likely to ever see keeps us hanging on to the hype. We still can't wait to get our hands on it.

Biggest Games: Dreams

In typical Media Molecule fashion, the studio's latest game, Dreams, was really weird and also really charming. We're not completely sold on the whole creation element, especially since it relies on the DualShock 4's motion capabilities. Also, were not exactly confident that we'll be able to create anything that won't induce horrible nightmares. However, the idea of exploring a web of interconnected worlds created by other players definitely interests.

Biggest Games: Destiny: The Taken King

Destiny. Yes, Destiny. We will not be ashamed of how much some of us here at GameSpot enjoy Bungie's Destiny. And the upcoming expansion, The Taken King, looks like it will introduce interesting new content. Destiny is finally starting to realise the vision Bungie originally set out with, and The Taken King is a big step towards doing that. We are excited and there's nothing you can do about it.

Added: 18.06.2015 15:52 | 8 views | 0 comments

The Last Guardian's appearance during Sony's press conference meant the world to fans of Fumito Ueda, the iconic Japanese developer who's responsible for , two pillars of the PlayStation 2's library of games. Will The Last Guardian follow in their footsteps? Ueda certainly thinks so. During a presentation by Ueda earlier this week, he made it perfectly clear that The Last Guardian is, in many ways, a combination of the two games' core design principles: "we tried to take the best of both worlds."

"We" is important, because beyond Ueda, there are a number of other developers working on The Last Guardian who've also had a hand in designing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. "This is a collaborative effort between Japan Studio and genDESIGN, where Fumito Ueda is the Creative Director of The Last Guardian," said Ueda's translator. "genDESIGN is a game creation studio that is formed primarily by the original developers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus."

This isn't terribly surprising, as The Last Guardian looks like a distant cousin of Team Ico's previous work, with ancient, man-made architecture set in the midst of lush, desaturated landscapes. Even animation peculiarities of the boy, where he moves fluidly, swaying and stumbling with equal parts grace and imbalance, recall memories of Ueda's former hero characters.

"we tried to take the best of both worlds."

To hear Ueda describe the story for The Last Guardian, which is still largely a mystery, deepens the connection to Ico even further. Ueda pointed out that The Last Guardian is "all about a young boy who's been kidnapped under mysterious circumstances." The pair "take an incredible journey together. They encounter ancient ruins. Their ultimate goal is to escape from this environment somehow, and that's for the player to experience as the story unfolds." Details aside, this is broadly the same tale that was told in Ico, where Ico is locked away and he attempts to escape a fortress with Yorda.

Players are expected to read the environment that they're in, to utilize the strengths and weaknesses of each other characters. The boy is weak, but he has a logical mind--your mind. Trico, the hybrid animal, can't be directly controlled--like Yorda--but it obviously possesses greater physical strength than the boy. Finding a solution to the puzzles in The Last Guardian will require equal parts of the boy's mind, and Trico's physicality.

"Looking back," Ueda said, "Ico was more or less about the cooperation between the boy and Yorda. She was a non-playable character, so we've taken elements from that. Looking back at Shadow of the Colossus, he continued, "it was more about the dynamic interaction with the giant creatures."

Based on the demo at E3, The Last Guardian not only embraces height; it thrives on it to instil emotions into the player that solidify our perception of the symbiotic relationship between the boy and trico. Ueda's translator noted that "Ueda's games always have a sense of height and depth, in Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and in a different way for The Last Guardian. The difference here is that you have Trico there beside you to cling onto as a safety net. It also helps the player overcome the psychological stress when standing on ledges, and to overcome those challenges, therefore leading to a sense of accomplishment." In other words, height is the source of fear and stress, but it's also an opportunity to feel a real sense of relief, something that should be very familiar to fans of Ueda's past work.

Ueda and The Last Guardian have escaped a prison of their own, in a way, resurfacing from the rubble of political strife and years of missteps. To see Ueda appear on stage was the relief that many of his fans were looking for, who for years have feared his absence was a sign that the game was no longer in production. In that sense, perhaps there's a deeper connection to be made. The Last Guardian is, by Ueda's admission, a combination of his past games, but perhaps it's also an allegory for his journey developing the game. Be that true or not, I'm just relieved to see that the game is still alive, and that Ueda is committed to pursuing his vision.

Added: 18.06.2015 15:52 | 1 views | 0 comments

The Last Guardian's appearance during Sony's press conference meant the world to fans of Fumito Ueda, the iconic Japanese developer who's responsible for , two pillars of the PlayStation 2's library of games. Will The Last Guardian follow in their footsteps? Ueda certainly thinks so. During a presentation by Ueda earlier this week, he made it perfectly clear that The Last Guardian is, in many ways, a combination of the two games' core design principles: "we tried to take the best of both worlds."

"We" is important, because beyond Ueda, there are a number of other developers working on The Last Guardian who've also had a hand in designing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. "This is a collaborative effort between Japan Studio and genDESIGN, where Fumito Ueda is the Creative Director of The Last Guardian," said Ueda's translator. "genDESIGN is a game creation studio that is formed primarily by the original developers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus."

This isn't terribly surprising, as The Last Guardian looks like a distant cousin of Team Ico's previous work, with ancient, man-made architecture set in the midst of lush, desaturated landscapes. Even animation peculiarities of the boy, where he moves fluidly, swaying and stumbling with equal parts grace and imbalance, recall memories of Ueda's former hero characters.

"we tried to take the best of both worlds."

To hear Ueda describe the story for The Last Guardian, which is still largely a mystery, deepens the connection to Ico even further. Ueda pointed out that The Last Guardian is "all about a young boy who's been kidnapped under mysterious circumstances." The pair "take an incredible journey together. They encounter ancient ruins. Their ultimate goal is to escape from this environment somehow, and that's for the player to experience as the story unfolds." Details aside, this is broadly the same tale that was told in Ico, where Ico is locked away and he attempts to escape a fortress with Yorda.

Players are expected to read the environment that they're in, to utilize the strengths and weaknesses of each other characters. The boy is weak, but he has a logical mind--your mind. Trico, the hybrid animal, can't be directly controlled--like Yorda--but it obviously possesses greater physical strength than the boy. Finding a solution to the puzzles in The Last Guardian will require equal parts of the boy's mind, and Trico's physicality.

"Looking back," Ueda said, "Ico was more or less about the cooperation between the boy and Yorda. She was a non-playable character, so we've taken elements from that. Looking back at Shadow of the Colossus, he continued, "it was more about the dynamic interaction with the giant creatures."

Based on the demo at E3, The Last Guardian not only embraces height; it thrives on it to instil emotions into the player that solidify our perception of the symbiotic relationship between the boy and trico. Ueda's translator noted that "Ueda's games always have a sense of height and depth, in Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and in a different way for The Last Guardian. The difference here is that you have Trico there beside you to cling onto as a safety net. It also helps the player overcome the psychological stress when standing on ledges, and to overcome those challenges, therefore leading to a sense of accomplishment." In other words, height is the source of fear and stress, but it's also an opportunity to feel a real sense of relief, something that should be very familiar to fans of Ueda's past work.

Ueda and The Last Guardian have escaped a prison of their own, in a way, resurfacing from the rubble of political strife and years of missteps. To see Ueda appear on stage was the relief that many of his fans were looking for, who for years have feared his absence was a sign that the game was no longer in production. In that sense, perhaps there's a deeper connection to be made. The Last Guardian is, by Ueda's admission, a combination of his past games, but perhaps it's also an allegory for his journey developing the game. Be that true or not, I'm just relieved to see that the game is still alive, and that Ueda is committed to pursuing his vision.