Evolving Dragonball: Namco Bandai's Bryant Green Talks Dragonball: Evolution

“There will be some classics familiar to the Dragonball fans, as well a whole mess of new special moves that are not only Dragonball: Evolution-specific, but are exclusive to our particular game!”

The Dragonball series has seen many evolutions. From anime to toys to video games and a ridiculous number of branded merchandise, Dragonball is all but inescapable. Though the long-running Dragonball and DBZ series are no longer leading the airwaves, their characters, stories and unique battles still enthrall millions of fans all over the world.

This spring, Dragonball will have the chance to expand its audience even further with Dragonball: Evolution, a live-action adaptation of the popular franchise. Evolution is also being turned into a fighting game for PSP. "The characters in our game, which follows the film story exclusively, will take on their film personas," said Bryant Green, Assistant Localization Producer. "Dragonball: Evolution was designed from the beginning with the idea of bringing such a classic story to life through film, and in our [Namco Bandai’s] case, this is expressed through a PSP game, based on the Fox theatrical interpretation of the Dragonball story.

"While the characters do not have their classic anime appearance, fans of the series will hopefully be delighted to find that many of the character traits that made them so endearing in the animated series are present in their on-screen (and of course in-game) personas as well."

With Dragonball: Evolution being the first live-action DB movie, the famed franchise is about to enter a new chapter. What does this mean for the DB game series and the way it will evolve?

Bryant Green: I think that the Dragonball game series will continue to evolve in a fashion similar to how we’ve seen it progress thus far. However, with the new film and film-based game coming out, I think that we will see a rise in interest from a larger cross-section of the public that may have not been aware of the series and its popularity. Our new game and certainly the film will provide an opportunity for new fans (and all of our existing fans, of course) to experience the excitement of the Dragonball storyline in a different context, live action, and I think that this sort of ‘evolution’ per se, will find us with a new group of fans around the world who can voice their own preferences, interests, and ideas for the series to help us develop Dragonball further.

Let's get into the gameplay: is this going to be a fast, arcade-style fighter like the Budokai Tenkaichi games?

BG: You bet! In fact, we had a look at previous Namco Bandai-designed Dragonball titles, and brainstormed about how we could make a better fighter. We spent a lot of time looking at the Dragonball PSP series-based games such as Dragonball: Z Shin Budokai and Shin Budokai: Another Road, and decided that we could make an even ‘speedier,’ more action-packed fighter with loads of combos that are quick to learn and easy to execute.

Tell us about some of the special moves you'll be able to perform, and how they'll differ from the other DB games.

BG: Well, I don’t want to spoil all the surprises, but there will be some classics familiar to the Dragonball fans, as well a whole mess of new special moves that are not only Dragonball: Evolution-specific, but are exclusive to our particular game!

Thus far, the game images appear to be locked into a fixed side view. Does mean Evolution is more of a retro-inspired fighting game? Will we be able to sidestep attacks?

BG: I would describe Evolution’s fighting style as somewhere between the classic 2-D Fighter and a more modern 3-D fighter. So, 2.5-D I guess? (Ha!) But really, when fighting, the characters appear mostly in 2-D, but the depth of the levels and how the camera handles the battles adds an element of depth and allows for the player to take in more of the stage and backgrounds. I think Dragonball fans will also find the fighting system to be intuitive and familiar—regardless of their preference for 2-D or 3-D fighters.

With regards to sidestep attacks you’ll be able to avoid an enemy’s attack by side-stepping from their combos.

How will the characters' flying abilities be utilized, if at all?

BG: Since this was a fighting game, we felt that we should focus more on the fighting engine. We would have liked to have added the flying abilities feature, but it would have been hard to even out the characters if some could fly and others could not. However, all Evolution characters have the ability to ‘hover’ in a 360-degree manner around their respective opponents to give an edge for combat and combos.

Does Evolution include a combo system of any kind? If so, talk about it and the different kinds of attacks you can string together.

BG: Dragonball: Evolution does include a variety of combos and a combo-based system; all players will find that there is a great deal of skill involved with mastering the combos. We have some special techniques that appear only in this game. Without saying too much, many of our combos and attacks also tie together with the film. There will be a variety of fun kick-and-punch combos, as well as some that utilize each of the character’s unique talents and skills. No spoilers, but I anticipate our players will have a great deal of fun stringing together deadly combos and ending them with some pretty cool moves!

Ki management is going to be an essential part of every battle. Tell us why.

BG: Since Ki is basically your life force, it would be wise to maintain a standing level of Ki; running out completely leaves you exposed to your enemies. Having to charge your Ki back to a reasonable level will take time and when you are in the heat of battle, there is no time to step out and regain Ki. So it is the player’s responsibility to manage what Ki they have, and to use it effectively and efficiently. I believe a great deal of Ki management is based on timing; the player who knows when to use and hold on to it will become the strongest; not because of the character selected, but because of timing and management of the Ki gauge.

Can you tell us which characters are going to be included in the game?

BG: I can give you a few clues: Goku, Master Roshi, Bulma, Mai... and maybe a few surprise guests will be present.

As a game based on a movie, how will Evolution's story differ from the DB sagas we've already experienced? Will the game feature any scenes from the film?

BG: Dragonball: Evolution follows the original story of Dragonball, the story that started it all. Our game does not go into the details or storylines of other, existing Dragonball-related stories. But our tale does offer some excellent background info for those who might be new to the story. With regard to content from the film, and without giving away too many spoilers, I can say that there are indeed a lot of elements from the film in the game that are certain to please both our old and new fans alike.

Driving Through RACE Pro's Development with SimBin's Diego Sartori

“A SimBin racing game should be 'easy to learn and hard to master' and I really do think RACE Pro offers exactly that gaming experience.”

SimBin is well known for GTR, GT Legends, RACE 07: The WTCC Game and many other simulation racing games. But if you're strictly a console gamer, chances are you haven't played a SimBin racer before. That should change with RACE Pro, the studio's first title for Xbox 360.

"When we first set out to do a racing game for console, we looked at what game engines were available," said Diego Sartori, Creative Director of RACE Pro. "After researching them all, we found that we would be better off creating our own engine – Lizard. We focus on the physics simulation and driving feel more than anything else, and Lizard has been built to support this philosophy.

"When doing a racing game you must compromise, there is no way to make the consoles or a gaming PC run 'full on bling bling' and our type [of] simulation at the same time. Especially on consoles this means that you need to decide on what you want; we wanted the physics controls, sound and AI to get all the 'power,' so we had to compromise a little on the visuals. Others choose to focus on the visuals and do very little with the simulation part of the game."

SimBin has worked on PC racing games for many years, but only now are you making the jump to consoles (for now, it seems, just Xbox 360). What made this the right time to make a console game?

Diego Sartori: The decision to make a console game was taken a long time ago, during the production of our very first PC game (GTR) in fact. It was made due to the small market share of racing games on the PC platform.

It is more or less a requirement to be featured on console and PC if you as a developer want to be able to get your projects published. This fact and the company’s vision of growth led us to pursue a multi-format game engine and of course to develop a SimBin racing game for console.

Console gamers tend to have different expectations than PC players. Has this influenced your development on RACE Pro?

DS: On a personal level, I tend to disagree actually. If you look at how the market is today, you will notice that most games are designed to work on both console and PC without too many design differences. Most shooters are, apart from controls, identical on PC and console and if some of the major racing game titles from console were also featured on PC, I am sure the same would apply to those.

When you analyze how console gamers treat their games and their gaming, I think there is very little to differentiate them from PC gamers. There is the same dedication and surely the same skill level. So in terms of physics simulation, there is very little we feel we have had to do differently for RACE pro if you compare to our latest release on PC. It is this mindset we have used during the development of RACE Pro. We trust that there is market for a pure racing game alongside the more arcade oriented car games on console.

RACE Pro runs on our Lizard game engine and currently our PC titles run on the ISI engine and that in itself creates some differences in feel and handling. But we have not made any console oriented changes to our philosophy of racing games to accommodate the console.

A SimBin racing game should be “easy to learn and hard to master” and I really do think RACE Pro offers exactly that gaming experience.

RACE Pro is going to offer three different race classes. What is the significance of each?

DS: I am not sure if you refer to the car classes or the three levels of difficulty.

RACE Pro features 15+ race classes. There are classes for production cars and classes for race cars. In these classes all the content is matched in order to offer the best possible racing experience.

We have three GT classes where GT Club is the “slowest” of the three and GT Pro is the fastest. There are faster classes of cars and there are slower classes of cars. They do all however, present the player with a different challenge and demand some level of skill before being able to race them at their full potential. WTCC, the official FIA World Touring Car Championship class featured in RACE Pro might not seem much of a challenge with its 280+hp engines. But being fast in these cars is to some extend an even harder challenge than with the GT cars.

RACE Pro also features three different levels of difficulty, each level featuring its own restrictions on driving aids and AI strength.

On the lower difficulty levels where driving aids are at their maximum, even a 1018hp Koenigsegg becomes manageable and relatively easy to drive. Take the driving aids off and it becomes an outright challenge to handle all of that horsepower.

Tell us about the 13 real-life tracks that are planned for the game.

DS: The tracks are from locations all over the world and RACE Pro features some world exclusive tracks. We have a world exclusive track from Macau in Asia, a fantastic city track and only featured in its accurate race layout by RACE Pro. In addition to Macau, we also have the Pau and Porto city tracks, both exclusively featured by RACE Pro and both offering some super intense city racing. We have Laguna Seca and Road America from the US, two wonderful tracks, each offering some quite unique challenges, the Corkscrew of Laguna Seca to name just one. Then we have the Valencia circuit from Spain, Brands Hatch from the UK, Curitiba from Brazil and many more.

Each track is modeled around real world data collected by the SimBin reference team.

Are there any additional courses: fictitious, mirrored, or multiplayer-specific?

DS: There are no fictional race tracks and there are no reverse tracks, nor are there any tracks made exclusive for multiplayer racing.

There are tracks featuring alternate layouts in real life and some of these may or may not be featured through the DLC plan for the game – you’ll have to stay tuned!

With 48 manufacturers represented, there are going to be a lot of vehicles in this game. Go over the process of designing some of these vehicles, ensuring they handle different, that they look and sound like the real thing, etc.

DS: Once a car has been decided upon, the reference team begins collecting the needed data. The physics and sound team begin to investigate the car; this is done by watching videos of the car in motion both from inside the car and track side.

Then as soon as we can, we go to a race track to see the car live and to talk to the team and the drivers. We look at how the car behaves on and beyond its limits and we always try to see the car early during the race weekend and during the race. This gives us some good insight into how the car behaves when the setup is not ideal and how it behaves when it is. During these visits to the track we also try to get our recording gear into the car, as well as record it track side.

When we have collected all the data we need, we begin developing the base of the car and when possible we let a driver try the car in its base form. Based on feedback from the driver and our own internal test team, we begin to tweak all the small details that ultimately end up defining the car. Each car handles differently due to all of them being developed based on real life data, so no need to artificially add tweaks or changes in that aspect.

That was the extremely short version!

What is SimBin's take on body damage? Will we see any in RACE Pro, and if so, what limitations are being applied?

DS: SimBin’s take on damage is that we like it as much as anyone else [smiles].

RACE Pro features both visual and physical damage. The visual damage system supports deformation of the chassis as well as detachable parts and the physics damage system supports amongst other things, bend suspension and steering arms as well as detachable parts. The player can adjust the damage sensitivity to suit their needs, within the limitations of each difficulty level. The game can also be configured to show the visual damage without the physical damage being active.

RACE Pro goes online with 12 players, a first for the series. What else can we expect -- the different modes, play styles, etc.?

DS: Everything featured in RACE Pro is a first for the series, as this is the very first game in the series.

The multiplayer experience in RACE Pro is all about pure racing so we have not added any out of the ordinary game modes as such. As a host, you can choose between hosting a ranked or an unranked game. Once a session type has been chosen, the host can configure the game to the hosts liking, this with the exact same options as during an offline session. When the host launches the session it will appear in a state called “waiting for players” and during this phase players on the server will be able to drive around the track as in practice mode. The host dictates when to change to the race session

Sometimes, players decide never to go into the actual race session and simply stick to online practice instead. There is much to learn from each other and with the communicator in use, players can talk about and test car setup changes as well as driving lines and tips on how to improve lap times. RACE Pro supports races of a few laps to races of 75 laps, the host chooses to have brake and tire wear on or off and what level of driving aids to allow. Weather conditions can be set to wet or dry and damage sensitivity set to off, forgiving, intermediate or realistic. The host can add AI opponents to fill up the grid but an AI opponent will never block a human player from entering the session.

Qualification can be set to on or off, if the session does not have a qualification session the grid will be formed randomly. If, however, the race does feature a qualification session this will be a hot-lap qualification where the players have one flying lap alone on the track. The grid is then formed according to lap times. Online sessions are based on class racing so the host decides what class to race.

Racing games tend to use licensed music and generally lean toward a rock-oriented sound. Which direction will RACE Pro take?

DS: RACE Pro leans towards a symphony of V12’s and grunge of V8’s! We have not added music that the player can have running in the background during gameplay because we believe the sounds from the game is music in itself.

The Legend and Lore of Aion: The Tower of Eternity

The back story involving the principle races of NCsoft’s upcoming MMO continues to evolve in the developers' journals

The land of Atreia is a beautiful and mysterious place, peopled by disparate races with unique perspectives of the shattered lands they call home.

The peoples of this land have no love for the other, a fact that colors their individual histories and the lore about the origins of the world. Harken now as the two races, the Asmodians and the Elyos, tell – as each perceives it – of the origin of the world and peoples of Aion: The Tower of Eternity, the upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game from NCsoft.

The first five chapters of the lore were published in mid-January. Chapter 6 was published at the end of January, and this is chapter 7 in the lore of the land

The Abyss: The Asmodian Perspective

One day a curious thing happened. The shards of the great tower that had plunged into our soft land started emanating light again, and then pulled themselves from the ground and into the air around us. Asphel ordered the Archons, the strongest of our Daevas, and the unit of which I was now a part, to investigate.

We left straight away, and found a portal of some description which took us to a world, somewhere between Asmodae and the lower half of Atreia, where pillars of rock floated in the air. This was a world where the Aether that I relied on for my powers was present in abundance, and I felt a sense of enormous relief upon finding my abilities still intact. I returned to Pandaemonium and told our Shedim Lords what we had seen. Asphel immediately ordered other Archons to guard this portal, and when I asked why, he did not answer, but instead simply gazed up at the sky, towards the lower half of Atreia.

Two days later, while we were planning a second expedition through the portal, we noticed our guards stationed in Morheim had not reported in to us. Zikel, one of the Shedim Lords and our god of destruction, took the remaining Archons, including myself, to investigate.

We hadn't traveled long when we found a group of men, claiming to be from the lower half of Atreia, standing in their stead, their weapons drawn. These beings looked like angels, and though they said little, they cast judgment on us instantly. Imagine - being judged for a crime that they, not we, had committed! It was not us who had been soft-hearted cretins, welcoming the Dragon Lords into our tower during full-scale war - it was them!

Zikel's rage was more than evident, and he threw these "Elyos" to the ground, demanding they curse Nezakan, one of the Empyrean Lords who was weak enough to call for peace with the Balaur. Time, Zikel spat, had proven which side was at fault. Would these Elyos acknowledge their Lords' mistake, and condemn them for their foolishness?

Their leader, a man named Deltras, refused. With the pride that we now know is the taint of all the Elyos, he piously refused to blame his own Lords, cursing Zikel instead. Swords were drawn, and we charged, cutting them down like the cowards that they were. Still, some of their numbers escaped; most fled towards our home city where in their anger they butchered our women and children before we finished them. Two fled back to their homeland, bloodied but not vanquished. Not yet.

The Abyss: The Elyos Perspective

All that remained of our great tower following the Epic Cataclysm were two stumped remains, one on our world, the other still visible on Atreia's upper half. The majority of the tower had been destroyed, its remains left scattered over the two halves of our world.

One day, however, the earth around these shattered remains began to shift, and slowly the fragments levitated themselves into the air. We sent our bravest guardians to investigate the phenomenon, and they discovered portals leading to huge floating chunks of the Aion tower, in a bizarre realm where Aether flowed like water.

We labeled this world the Abyss, and slowly our Daevas ventured forth, exploring this new and volatile environment. They found a world rich in the Aether that Aion had granted to the Empyrean Lords, and which the Daevas had managed to manipulate when we were at war with the Balaur. Many Daevas were lost, though; these portals were unstable, and once closed seemed to stay shut, exiling anyone who had gone through.

One day another portal opened, larger and more stable than the others. A Guardian by the name of Deltras passed through it, and on the other side, he found something astounding. His legion were standing on the upper half of Atreia, and when they looked across the sky, they didn't see the shaded remains of the Aion tower, and the upper half of Atreia, but instead saw their own world of Elysea, bathed in warm sunlight.

Slowly, nervously, they moved on, carefully exploring this strange land which once was part of their home. It was now a dark and foreboding place, full of whispers and fleeting shadows. There they discovered the Asmodians, men and women who were once our brothers, but now had been warped into twisted and foul creatures. Even worse, these nightmares were led by one of the murderous Empyrean Lords, a cruel being named Zikel.

It was dark; our Daevas could not see well, and were soon captured by Zikel and his monsters. This being, who we had once revered alongside the mighty Ariel, threw Deltras to the ground, demanding he curse the Seraphim Lords for their "weakness". Deltras, brave and noble as he always was, kept the pride of the Elyos. He refused to curse the Seraphim Lords, and instead cursed arrogant Zikel to his face.

The Asmodians attacked, and those of us who were waiting on the other side of the portal saw only two of our number return, bloodied and injured.

Resident Evil 5

Publisher: Capcom Entertainment

Developer: Capcom Entertainment

Category: Action

Release Dates

N Amer - 03/13/2009

Official Game Website

Also available on:
• 360

Since it debuted on the PlayStation a decade ago, Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise has been not only the storied publisher’s most popular series, but also one of the most popular amongst all video games. Now, the publisher is almost ready to launch the fifth entry to the series proper, the long-awaited and highly-anticipated Resident Evil 5. GameZone was recently given some hands-on time with the title, and the results are what RE fans would hope for - an action-packed, exciting and often terrifying adventure.

As I’m sure most RE fans would know by now, Resident Evil 5 follows series hero Chris Redfield to the fictional African area of Kijuju as he investigates some strange happenings with a connection to the events that Leon Kennedy experienced in Europe during Resident Evil 4. Early on in his investigation, he meets Sheva Alomar and learned that some of the strangeness can be blamed on a man by the name of Irving. It doesn’t take long before the locals start to exhibit signs of the Las Plagas parasites that infected the Spanish cult in Resident Evil 4, forcing you to put a new spin on your search while fending off the infected inhabitants of Kijuju.

The controls should immediately feel comfortable to anyone who played Resident Evil 4. You control Chris from an over-the-shoulder view, holding down the trigger button in order to aim your weapon and the bumper button to arm your machete for melee combat. One new addition to the game’s interface is the inventory screen, which appears in real-time on the screen, without letting stopping the action, similar to the system employed in Dead Space.

The biggest new feature contributing to the gameplay in Resident Evil 5 is the cooperative element. With Sheva, you’ll go through the game working together, sharing items and ammo and using each other to get to areas that neither of you would be able to access on your own. Unlike many AI-controlled counterparts in video games, Sheva doesn’t require a lot of handholding; she’ll fight competently and collect items when needed. In the preview build, there were some moments that Chris would have to provide cover for Sheva while she ran an objective, and she for him at certain moments. Additionally, you’ll be able to share your inventory with her and vice versa, telling her to pick up new items should you not have room in your inventory, or ammo if she’s in need.

The game also has some pretty large scale boss battles. The chainsaw wielding enemy from RE4 makes a return within the sequel’s context, as do some larger enemies, including a giant mutant bat creature. You’ll have to employ some sense of strategy when fighting the bosses, who often have a specific weakness that needs exploited.

Graphically, Resident Evil 5 is shaping very well. The character models look fantastic and feature some really impressive facial animation, and the environments look great and have some really cool destructible elements. The explosion effects are also great and look pretty realistic. The sound is pretty nicely done, with atmospheric music and good voice acting.

If the preview build is any indication, Resident Evil 5 is turning out to be a great action game and a worthy successor to the franchise. Look for it this March.

Killzone 2 Review

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Guerrilla

Category: Action

Release Dates

N Amer - 02/27/2009

Official Game Website

The past several months have certainly see its share of high-profile first-person shooters for the next-gen console platforms, but one of the titles that high expectations surrounded was the SCEA/Guerrilla release Killzone 2.

Well, the game has released and while Killzone 2 does follow some familiar trends in terms of multiplayer (which is robust settings), this is one of the more visceral titles to release.

For those who have not indulged in the franchise (which includes the original PlayStation 2 title and the PSP release of Liberation), Killzone follows the war between two factions – the ISA and the Helghast. Up until Killzone 2, most of the action has taken place on the ISA world of Vekta. But in a Quake-like move, with Killzone 2, the ISA has decided that enough is enough and have taken the fight to the industrialized world of Emperor Visari and Helghan.

It is into this setting that players are plunked and right from the get-go, you will feel the intensity, be drawn in by the harshness of the environments – which are destructible to some degree – and feel totally immersed in the action of the game.

You start the game as a member of a four-man team, dropped into a hot zone and working along a linear path, from point to point.

There are eight maps, a robust multiplayer element, and customization features that will enable players to define not only the role they play in the conflict, but how that role plays out. There are seven different classes: rifleman, scout (can stealth), medic, engineer (can set up automated turrets), tactician (can set up spawn points in multiplayer), saboteur and assault (ready to get up close with the enemy).

In many regards, Killzone 2 trots the well-tread path of other shooters. You start out with a weapon, are thrust into the heart of the conflict – the opening level takes place in what appears to be a water-side factory complex – with your shooting skill and wits to sustain you. There are objectives, and – in the single-player campaign – NPC teammates that will help ease you along the path you need to take. The NPCs in this game are not dumb. The enemy will use cover, will lean out to shoot, and seem to coordinate attacks.

You start out with a weapon that will run out of ammo. You need to scrounge up new weaponry from the enemies you take out. Yep, pretty standard there, but weapons, and how they are used depend largely on the class of the character you are.

The game begins with the landing on Helghan, and the game sets the tempo right from the cut scene onset. Riding a lander to the planet, you see another lander blown out of the sky. That pops the intensity level and will have you landing and finding cover in a hurry. Helghast troops are on platforms with crossing fire on the invading forces. Particle effects are amazing, and the explosions are very well done. Snipe an enemy from a platform and you will be treated to a rag-doll physics that is not as silly as some games, but treads more toward reality. The body will fall, hit protrusions on the structure, be redirected and land with a sickening thud. As visceral as the graphics are, the audio supplements that with a great sense of urgency. Orders are barked, and the sound pouring out of the system borders on chaos, but really reflects the battle scene well.

The campaign is strictly single player, but you work as part of a team, with an AI that is rather well done. The team you are part of will take cover, give support and generally take up positions that are smart. The enemy will also use cover and not charge at you as though they are bulletproof. Different tactics are used depending on the type of soldier you are facing.

The control scheme for the game is well done. The SIXAXIS motion controls come into play for certain in-game actions and these feel natural rather than a forced usage of the scheme. You can carry a primary weapon, and a secondary weapon. You can snipe, and even melee with your rifle. There are also grenades available. However, your grenades and primary weapon ammunition are finite and you have to replace them or restock.

In addition to the single-player game, there is a Skirmish mode that allows players to enter the multiplayer settings offline against bots. There is a great selection of maps to play on (eight total), though the formats for the multiplayer follow familiar themes – there is a team deathmatch called Body Count, a Search and Retrieve (Capture the Flag) and a game where you grab control points and try to hold them. As you progress through the multiplayer, you can achieve ranks and move up from private status. This is all based on kills and multipliers that come into play if you are on the winning side at the end of the multiplayer session. There are also rewards that can be unlocked and trophies.

Back to the sound for a moment – the top characters are voiced decently, but this does not extend down the road to the lesser characters. Though not a detraction, a better job could have been done. And the menu graphics use a technique that is very irritating in that the lettering (on the review code received) jumps and separates out into staggered red and black letters overlaid with a bit of a blur – almost like 3D but not as well done. This can play havoc with eyesight, especially if your vision is not where it once was.

That aside, though, Killzone 2 is an incredible romp into a franchise that is intense and graphically pleasing. This is a challenging and entertaining game that plays off a decent storyline and presents several degrees of difficulty that will enthrall and challenge players.

Review Scoring Details for Killzone 2

Gameplay:
The game plays off the disk (unlike some PS3 titles that load a lot of data to the hard drive), and so rather than out-and-out load times, you may encounter a few slow-downs. Still this is nothing to fret about. The controls are tight and well realized.

Graphics:
The particle effects are excellent and the animations are well done. This is a game that assaults the eyes with as much enthusiasm as the ISA attacks on the Helghast.

Sound:
Some of the voice work could have been better, but the game uses 7.1 surround sound and if you crank the volume, you will find this as much an aural treat as a visual one.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard

Concept:
The first foray into the PS3 uses a solid storyline, some familiar themes, but inserts an intensity that makes for a solid gaming experience.

Multiplayer:
SCEA set up multiplayer sessions and these were a lot of fun. Challenging? Yes, but not only is this a reflexive exercise in some regards, but the dev team took care to make certain the environment was a factor.

Overall:
This is quite a ride on several fronts – visually, aurally and in intensity. You will be challenged, but more importantly, you should have a lot of fun. Killzone 2 was one of those games that have been highly anticipated and the product that is heading for release lives up to expectations.

Publisher: Capcom Entertainment

Developer: Capcom Entertainment

Category: Action

Release Dates

N Amer - 02/17/2009

Intl - 02/20/2009

Official Game Website

Also available on:
• PC
• PS3

In a world where solitary warriors roam the land looking for worthy opponents, Street Fighter IV is out to set the fighting world on fire again. With a diverse set of fighters to select from (25 characters total), new techniques to pull off, and re-imagined graphics Street Fighter IV may be just the game the fighting genre needed to revitalize it.

If you’re an old school fan of Street Fighter, then you’ll be happy to hear that all of the fighters from Street Fighter II have returned along with two of the “New Challengers” in the form of Cammy and Fei Long. Now if you go back even further than Street Fighter II and actually began playing when the original Street Fighter debuted, then you should be glad to see Gen and his assassinating ways incorporated into the game. Even if you weren’t around for the first two releases, Capcom has also brought forth three fighters from the Street Fighter Alpha series – Rose, Sakura, and Dan – along with six new characters that they are introducing.

Beginning with the veterans on the character roster, many of them have made successful transitions to Street Fighter IV. Sagat is as powerful as ever and has remained a top-tier fighter while Chun Li has her Spinning Bird Kick and Hyakuretsukyaku (a.k.a. Lightning Legs) along with retaining her speed. When you first jump into SFIV with your favorite characters, you should feel right at home with how familiar everything feels. There were a few disappointments that sprung forth such as Sagat’s horrible English voice-acting – they need to redo his “Tiger Shot/Knee” sound effects – and Chun-Li not being able to bounce off the walls with ease anymore.

For the new characters, the majority of them are fresh and interesting additions to the series. C. Viper is elusive and deceptive with her attacks as she can land her Burning Kick without the opponent seeing it coming. El Fuerte is manic and unpredictable making with his lucha libre fighting style. His Habanero Dash is a crazy maneuver, and while risky, is fun to pull off to confuse your opponents. Perhaps the most intriguing addition is Rufus, an overly obese kung fu fighter who has a grudge against Ken Masters. Rufus is light on his feet and has several attention-grabbing moves as he swiftly moves around the screen. Another noteworthy addition is Gouken, Akuma’s thought to be dead brother. Gouken makes his debut and in impressive fashion as his moves are executed with a lot of force and technique.

As for the last two fighters, Abel and Seth are much slower in terms of speed but equally as powerful. Seth is meant as the last boss character through the storyline and he’s probably the weakest addition out of all the fighters in terms of originality as he has obtained maneuvers from other fighters through his yin-yang sphere in the middle of his chest. Copying moves such as Guile’s Sonic Boom or Dhalsim’s Yoga Teleport, Seth isn’t the most interesting character to use or look at, but he’s a powerful character to use nonetheless. As for Abel, he’s a concentrated grappler who likes to get in close and string moves together for high damage. With no real projectile attack, Abel is set to be a fighter that is going to be difficult to master but hard to beat when controlled by an advanced player.

The biggest addition to SFIV’s gameplay is the Focus System. This new combat system allows players to absorb a single attack and charge up an unblockable counterstrike (though you can dodge) against your opponent. First-time players won’t have trouble executing these attacks since their input commands aren’t extremely complicated. There’s also strategy within the focus attacks as many players may try to attempt to use their focus attack simultaneously, so gamers must figure out when and how to use them. Having seen a greater part of the focus attacks, Seth’s had to be the most inspiring to use as he catapults his adversaries high into the air after successful uppercuts and before you know it, you’re at least 30 feet off the ground damaging your opponent.

Lastly, it’s relatively easy to notice the change in graphics for SFIV. The classic 2D fighter has upgraded to 3D models and a 3D environment. Make no mistake though; the fighters still compete within a single plane so there’s no circling one another and rolling to the left or right of an opponent to dodge. From Akuma’s rippled muscles to Rufus’ bouncing belly, the visuals of SFIV are one of the main highlights from Capcom’s upcoming fighter. Releasing on February 17, check back in a few weeks for our full review of Street Fighter IV.