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Sorry, I am doing this link thing again. My intentions were to stop these, but I have spent so much time writing for other sites that sometimes I just like to put them up to prove I am (still) alive. With that in mind below is a list of all my recent pieces, with a small taster of the articles that I am most proud of.

My game of 2011 list will still be coming soon later this month, as well as some highlights from the year so far. In the mean time check out the links below, keep an eye on Game People, Play Devil and Games Jobs Japan for my regular content. Also be sure to find me on Twitter (I am DoFuss there too) where I will be posting my exploits in video editing with OXM, CVG and other Future sites.

Warhammer 40:000: Space Marine - Call of Juarez: The Cartel – Scary Girl - and…

My silent character had to murder his way through the world with no relatable motivation. While the landscapes were beautiful and absorbing the fiction seemed unaware of the emotional well it left untouched. It left me only with the choice of continuing the senseless killing or turning off the game. I no longer felt like a champion or hero, I didn’t even feel like villain, just a robotic killing machine and that really frightened me. Do you want to know more?

I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go on alone; I felt that somehow, without my partner, to finish would be empty. Then from the darkness I heard a small cry, my screen illuminated slightly in one corner indicating the direction of the call. Wasting what energy I have left I leap towards the sound and am joyously reunited. Do you want to know more?

Just one on here…

After a number of recent posts from foreigners working in Japan our latest interview has a slightly different face, that of Yutaka Kurahashi, Chief Artist at Q-Games. As a Japanese employee working along side foreigners in Japan he provides a good counter point to the discussion of issues to be tackled in a mixed work place, from basic communication to cultural misunderstandings. Kurahashi is also able to compare Q-Games to more traditional Japanese companies that he has worked at, shedding some light on to the changing face of business in his native country, and how he feels injecting new cultural ideas can be of benefit. Do you want to know more?

Reviews

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2 - Call of Juarez: The Cartel – PX5 Headset – Trouble Witches Neo – Nin2Jump – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Ms. ‘Splosion-man – Xmen: Destiny – Mario Kart 7 – Rayman Origins (Xbox) – Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception – Captain America – Soul Calibur V - Thor: God of Thunder - BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 – Sonic Generations – Rage – Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi - Dark Souls – Batman: Arkham City - Super Mario 3D Land - Zelda: Skyward Sword – Bloodrayne Betrayal – James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes - Trine 2 – Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Wipeout 2048 – Pac-man Party 3D – Uncharted: Golden Abyss – Super Stardust Delta – Rayman Origins (Vita) – Street Fighter X Tekken

Previews

Namco Bandai: An Evening with Ezio – Armored Core V - Inversion – Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations – Ridge Racer Unbounded 

And…

There is a clear respect and seriousness given to the source material by the development team. The few cries that may (will?) be heard of it being in some way sacrilegious will probably find their basis in the fact that such text were used at all (or maybe that they are being regarded as fiction) rather than the handling of it. True some oddities come through, with character design and aesthetic often edging towards the bizarre, but it has gravitas and nothing is treated flippantly. Do you want to know more?

It is a wonderful story with themes that are actually adult, wrapped up in a beautiful anime style, creating an experience rarely seen in a retail console release. As I said it spoke particularly to me and it was interesting as I answered my questions to see just how differently Vincent’s life and my own panned out. Do you want to know more?

Will you look at that, I miscounted (lazy and innumerate always a good combination) and this is the final Gamescom catch up post which has been delayed from sometime in October. After this the plan is some up to date content for the site, and maybe doing some of that audio work that I have been threatening. Thanks for sticking with me, I promise to try and make it all worthwhile. 

It is nice to have a business area. Having a space to sit and write, take notes or just having people with enough time to answer your questions, is not vital to providing prompt coverage but it certainly helps. Experiencing it for the first time, after years of writing on my lap or in a dingy pressroom, I was especially appreciative.

There comes a moment however, when being surrounded by all of the business people and jaded (or at least analytical) press starts to have a negative affect. Sure, being shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other sweaty gamers in a two-hour queue does not sound like fun, but it has an excitement and energy that the business area lacks. Hit the halls and everyone is there to see the game they love. They aren’t waiting for hours because they have to; they do it because they are so excited for their favourite game that they want to.

This was just the corridor between halls, all of which heaved with sweaty bodies of excited gamer.

At my first TGS, when I covered the show just for DoFuss, I was the same. I waited for hours to see Resident Evil 5, and still have the bandana to prove it. There was no schedule and everyone was as excited as me to be in waiting patiently, talking to other fans of the series.

It only takes half a day surrounded by people who have to be at an event for work to forget the intangible excitement and energy that is ever present in the main halls. When everyone you talk to is able to list of the next four games they are going to see (complaining about how they aren’t really interested in three of them), it is easy to forget the passion that got us all in to writing in the first place.

For the right game everyone gets that same gleam back in their eye (as I am sure the Warner Bros. PR rep noticed as I begged to see Lollypop Chainsaw) and the energy that that produces is almost intoxicating. But to really feel that pulsing excitement getting out into the crowds is needed, and that’s what the games below are. Titles I was interested in and went out to find on the show floor, partly because I had no appointment for them, but mainly because they were games I wanted to experience with other series fans rather than annalists.

Dark Souls

Perhaps my disappointment in the short demo of “Dark Souls” is for the best. After all my expectations when I first played the PS3 exclusive Demon’s Souls (one of my favourite games this generation), were low. Maybe my hopes needed to be tempered before the games launch this October. Yet I cant help but feel that some of the changes being made to the format will diminish this new title.

I am now very happy to report that Dark Souls turns out to have been far better than I feared at the time.

Ridge Racer Unbounded

Ridge Racer Unbounded does not feel like a Ridge Racer game, it keeps the speed and excitement but brings element from games like Split/Second to make it something new. Arcade racing is not currently an overcrowded genre, so maybe there is space for it, but in the short time I played I found myself at odds with the handling which seemed an uncomfortable mix of real and arcade, at least with the car I chose.

Ridge Racer's release is now on the horizon so it will be interesting to see if all the changes being made will work.

Resident Evil: Revelations

Resident Evil: Revelations is one of the reasons I was so gung-ho about purchasing my 3DS, and my short time with the demo went along way to reconfirming my faith. Now my fears are squarely focused on story and an overly linear path letting the game down. It certainly looks the part, now all I can do is wait for its release early next year.

FInally the game I bought my 3DS for is out, now I just have to get my hands on it.

Silent Hill: Downpour

“Silent Hill Downpour” seemed intent on pulling me in with one hand while pushing me away with the other. Phrases like ‘this will have no ties to the earlier Silent Hills’ worried me as I got the feeling they were trying to distance themselves from the superb psychological horror series, while ‘we are drawing inspiration from Silent Hill 2′ dragged my attention back fast enough to give me whiplash.

It will be fun to see if the new European developer can capture the vibe of this classic Japanese series.

Skullgirls

One unexpected treat at Gamescom was Skullgirls, an upcoming one-on-one fighter from American developer Reverge Labs. Sat in Konami’s area you could be forgiven for thinking the game originated in Japan, with it loose grip on reality and huge beautifully animated sprites. But on closer inspection reveals a style that draws as much on the silver age of Disney as it does on Dragon Ball Z.

Skullgirls is getting a lot of well deserved attention at the moment, keep an eye out for this exciting downloadable title.

Coming from the comparatively down and dirty TGS, Gamescom’s attitude to press had a great many advantages. There was one disadvantage however, which was that a great many games I DIDN’T get to play, that I was only allowed to watch. Of course Tokyo had its own fair share of ‘game theatres’ for upcoming games still early in development but with no appointments I rarely saw them.

On only one occasion, early on the first day of a TGS did I ever attend one of these demo reels, ushered in by an over enthusiastic Japanese PR member before the lines formed. Yakauza 4 was the title and I realised quickly how little I was going to glean from the experience. Watching someone else play and worse a montage of tightly produced footage, revealed little of what the game would be. None of the intricacies of play could be seen and coverage was reduced to bullet points as bland as a bad press release.

Finally getting around to posting three posts that have been on my desktop for months, this is the first of them.

Of course for me in Japan the ‘theatre’ experience ran in to the double issue of the presentation being in Japanese. Struggling to keep up with (or understand at all) what was being said was an issue. This at least I assumed would be better at the English speaking Gamescom (strange as it was in Germany). To an extent it was more useful; I understood the narration and games were active played in front of me rather than just shown off in a flashy sizzle reel.

Issues only arose at the end of a demo when without fail we were was asked, “Are there any questions?” There were, inevitably, from a room full of press and bloggers eager to report all they could back to their audiences yet with no real feel for how the game was played. The problem was that really each event was a highly practiced exercise in controlled information flow. Nearly all questions were met with a “we aren’t talking about that yet” to the point that part of me wondered why they ever opened the floor up to questions.

I know why of course, because these were rooms filled with enthusiast sites alongside mainstream media. Diehard fans always ask something that can’t be answered but mainstream media may want to clarify larger overarching points for their uninformed (larger) audiences, rather than the minutia of hit detection or balance.

Every side played their role beautifully, but it is hard to please two such different masters. Almost without fail however I found myself in a room filled with enthusiast bloggers. So as questions about armour sets and shots to centre mass filled the room, I was left feeling awkward as the response came back again and again, “no comment”.

Below are (some of) the games that I saw bet never got to ‘touch’. Interesting to a point, and displayed in ways far superior to a simple rolling demo, but still lacking.

I could easily have believed that it was TV coverage.

F1 2011 (Playdevil)

I have to be honest here, I have no real frame of reference for F1 2011. Developed by Codemasters the game is, by all accounts, as close to photo realistic as I have seen. With many years developing racing games under their belt, and now three iterations of the very well received F1 licence, it should come as no surprise that the 2011 release of the franchise is looking good.

I feel I should be excited to get my hands on this, and the demo looked great, but somehow I'm not feeling it.

Metro: Last Light (Playdevil)

Demoed on the PC Metro Last Light looked amazing. Shadows and light played beautifully over the textures and the whole aesthetic remained as confining and evocative as ever. Alterations being made to the stealth also seem to fit well with the experience, but as a fan of the original I find it hard to ignore the possibility that improved combat, and a heavy reliance on it, will rob Metro Last Light of the desperation that I used to feel when fighting the horrifying mutants of future Russia.

Heavy Metal crossed with Zelda, I will be playing this... but I need to finish the first one first.

Darksiders 2 (Playdevil)

With such a short hands off demo it is hard to comment on just how many of the developer’s promises will bear fruit. The series unique style certainly seems to have endured, with the added pleasure of the artists having more freedom in the more fanciful landscapes and customisation of Death. Combat also still looks like it will retain the original’s high standards, with changes simply offering a slightly faster pace to the action.

Darksiders 2 (Gamepeople)

Darksiders 2 appears to be expanding the original in all the right ways. Where a faster pace to the already fluid combat looks like a simple upgrade, the extra freedom given to both the character customisation and story structure will be the real draw.

2K and Bethesda exemplified the contrast between the two sides of my encounters with companies at Gamescom. Both had a good selection of high profile release and were relying (primarily) on hands off demos, but the way I felt inside each of their areas was notable different, especially back-to-back as I experienced them.

Entering 2K’s area there was a sense of relaxation. In fact PR had a very tight handle on me, but before my first demo I was able to chat happily with various representatives and catering staff as I waited for my first appointment. I was even brought a cup of tea to drink as I played The Darkness 2, but more out of a sense of solidarity for also being English. None of that really matters to the games of course, but the feeling of comfort and confidence in the order of proceedings was clear to all around me. For the record, 2K also had the best lollypops.

Great a new Gamescom logo, consistency be damned.

Conversely Bethesda felt slightly austere. This could easily be a result of the buzz surrounding Skyrim, and a distinctly smaller fleet of PR reps, who were clearly carefully picking their battles. I, with three other bloggers, stood around a table waiting for our Prey 2 demo, wondering if we were even in the right place as we waited for it to begin. The strange sense of uncertainty soon dissipated once lead in to the small room to begin the demo, but the were an uncomfortable few moments.

You may be asking why I feel this is important, well there is a psychological theory known as misattribution of emotion. Basically the idea is that a feeling can bleed in to an opinion experienced around the same time without conscious thought or control. Fortunately the quality of the games on show spoke volumes louder than any feelings created before going in. But were an audience member more highly-strung and the game being shown less impactful, such situations could have an affect on their coverage, however much they tried to avoid it. This is of course the reason for PR and the huge events that companies sometimes hold, it is not buying people off but instead a subtle attempt to sway opinion. There is nothing wrong with this per say, but you do have to know you can trust your writers.

Personally I didn’t feel the difference I perceived of each company during my brief time with them was in any way meant to be manipulative. It could have be down to any number of reasons; ethos, focus, recourses or time to name but a few, but the was a window there for manipulation. Both were certainly professional and ran their booths expertly, but to have two such different experiences so close together I admit was fascinating.

Bethesda

Prey 2

If there was a game at Gamescom I wanted more of it was Prey 2. Following the plot of alien abducted US martial, Killian Samuels, the short demo only served to wet my appetite as I watched it played in the dark room before me. Developed by Human Head, this FPS promises a range of organic RPG elements that have me desperate to learn more.

Prey 2 might be the most excited I have been about a game since Resident Evil 4, I just hope it turns out as good.

Dishonored

Still early in production Dishonored shows huge promise, it was just a game hard to get excited about seen back to back with Prey 2. With a good gap between the releases of the two titles however I am sure I have room in my heart for both freeform action adventures. I will certainly keep an eye on Dishonored moving forward and I am excited to see just how it will develop as it nears release.

Dishonored is looking interesting, but suffered from being shown along side Prey 2.

Rage

Rage is a game whose appeal really does lies in its world and visuals, and while the gunplay was satisfying what was on display of the mission structure I saw did little to excite.

Since I wrote my preview I recived Rage for a review, and I can confirm this is what the game looks like all the time.

2K

Borderlands 2

What Gearbox is hoping to do with Borderlands 2 is to create something that feels distinctly different to its predecessor, which is a hard thing to demonstrate in a hands-off demo. As play slowly unfolded however, it became clear that they might have a point, as the snow covered look of the world was clearly more than just a palette change.

More environments and new characters sound like just the start, with enemy AI also undergoing a huge revamp.

The Darkness 2

The Darkness 2 is set to continue the story of Jackie Estacado, a possessed member of the New York mob. With the story and voice acting the most interesting elements or the original, The Darkness 2 looks set to improve on the formula, continuing its dark narrative and introducing quad welding to spice up the combat.

The strong comic art style of the original has been even further refined for The Darkness 2.