Prince Of Persia - updates

Ok here's the latest dope on Prince Of Persia 2008... I just saw a developer explain the difference between this game and the Sands of Time trilogy in detail; so I'm sharing the latest developments with you now.

Gameplay has undergone several changes, as listed below.
#1 Prince: The most significant among these is the fact that the Prince no longer has a life meter: if ever he gets beaten to death, Elika (secondary charachter) will restore him to the last safe landing that he reached. This forms a kind of running checkpoint system and the Prince never runs out of stamina. Now I found this kinda odd, cos role playing games in which the player could die have a charm of their own. Lets see how this affects the game. I think it should significantly shorten gameplay for people with advanced neurokinetics.

#2: World: The Sands of Time trilogy had only 1 path the player had to follow in order to complete the game. The new POP game has a world with different sectors; kinda like sectors in the NFS world. And the player can choose which area he wants to cleanse Ahriman's corruption (read storyline from previous post). So one is free to choose his own path to finish the game. The areas unlocked are also subject to the magical abilities of Elika.

#3: Elika: For the first time we have a secondary charachter, who works as a life-saver, guardian, guide and secondary attack assist for the Prince. Not only does she help him unravel the world with her magical abilites (she is one of Ohrmazd's chosen warriors: again read the storyline), she is integral to providing a complete background of the game and charachters. Some of her inherent magical abilities include the teleport, the guide and her co-op jump ability; the last allowing her to project herself while the prince is jumping, to allow him to scale larger distances. Her magical abilities are enhanced by collecting a currency of light spheres in the game, and then trading them in at the tree of life for new abilities for Elika. Not to mention that the game now features more enhanced fight combos and sequences... the developer said it was possible to do a 15 hit combo on the new fighting system.. jeepers!

#4: Fighting system: No more unlocking any athletics or secret weapons; the Prince starts out with a full knowledge of all his abilities and the most powerful weapon he can afford. The developers have also removed the concept of an all-powerful combo, which means the player has to figure out what attack combo to use in what scenario. This makes for more interesting gameplay. Also, bosses aren't killed outright in this game; the hunter (Ahriman's bounty hunter) confronts the Prince at numerous points in the game, and each time the Prince has to bat him off the edge of the cliff, cos killing him is notoriously difficult. The Prince uses a sword and a claw in battle, making the game more Devil May Cry:4 like in its combos; however the combos he does while jumping and along with Elika are a new benchmark in this genre of game. Understandable too, if one considers the fact that Elika is as skilled as the Prince in combat, in addition to being a powerfully magical person. Using such a person as a secondary weapon can produce quite a deadly set of combos.

Watch this space for more updates. In the meantime, for those of us who liked the old POP artworks, theres a new developer video in which artwork of the Prince, Elika and the hunter is done. Check them out!

Prince Of Persia - The Journey Begins Anew

Ubisoft is bringing back the Prince Of Persia franchise, which is amazing news for all POP fans reading this post. Now considering date of its release draws ever closer (Dec 4th 2008) I don't expect many to be surprised by this piece of news, but the holidays just became even more fun this time around, with NFS Undercover coming soon as well. So what catastrophic world-threatening quandary must the Prince overcome now? Read on to find out...

Storyline:
Ubisoft seems to like the whole light and darkness concept a bit too much: Prince of Persia revolves around an age old struggle between Ahriman, God of Darkness and Ohrmazd, God of Light. Ahriman corrupts the firmaments and the hearts of humans, until Ohrmazd intervenes and forces Ahriman into the Tree of Life. To ensure Ahriman's incarceration, Ohrmazd appoints the Oora, a race of warriors with special powers to combat Ahriman. Now this is where our Prince steps in. Wandering along in the desert, he gets entangled in a sand storm and finds himself in front of the Tree of Life, where he meets Elika, the last of the Oora. The Tree is destroyed (how will be revealed in the game) somehow and Ahriman escapes, attempting to cover the world in a new darkness... so no prizes for guessing the motive here: The Prince, along with Elika need defeat/kill/capture Ahriman, and prevent him from taking over everything.
Gameplay:
I saw what the finished game looked like, and I've got to say that as far as gameplay is concerned, the game takes off where The Two Thrones left the franchise. The Prince looks different; there's none of that old regal bearing, none of the old "I must regain my honour, undo my mistakes etc." stuff. This Prince appears a lot more casual, while maintaining his wry sense of humour. Also, Elika's role is an evolution of the roles played by Farah in the Sands of Time trilogy; here she's actively involved in showing the Prince around, as well as helping him get around and fight, all the while never letting him out of her sight. The gameplay features some new stunts like sliding down an incline, co-op vaulting and jumping, as well as new fight sequences and moves. The daggers, blades and arrows of the SOT trilogy are now replaced by Ahriman's corruption, which is an all-purpose health-drainer: it can take any shape, looks like globules of goo which make it difficult to know when to move, and can sap energy wherever it appears. Only one enemy was shown, but it looks like the game is missing the bad guy's minions (read:sand creatures) and the opponents are skilled fighters, who like to play hide and seek rather than outright combat. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: there seems to be no significant changes as far as camera angles are concerned, which is good for seasoned POP players, but not so great for rookies to the game.

Graphics:
The game looks like a comic, and a well illustrated one at that. The graphics are a little archaic and look distinctly dated, but I think that was an intentional move on Ubisoft's part, in order to make the game more true to its storyline's roots (no pun intended). The armour seen on the charachters in the SOT trilogy has given way to a more travel worn attire, while the charachter detailing is amazing as usual. Now since the sands are gone, fighting is at normal speeds, so one cant expect to appreciate the detailing of the charachters as much, but its still there. The environment is just as good as the Two Thrones, with the complexity and detailing of Warrior Within. Overall, its not anything new, and it looks like it wont tax existing computers too much. DX 9.0c should do the trick, along with sufficient graphics memory.

Verdict:
I cant wait: The Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time trilogy was incredible, with each game bettering the last by whopping margins. Ubisoft seems to make no mistakes as far as role-playing games are concerned, so expectations are high. Lets hope they dont disappoint.

Videos for gameplay and more can be viewed here
http://prince-of-persia.uk.ubi.com/index.php?page=home

some videos are also available on dc++...

NFS - Undercover - Sneak Peek

EA games' seminal racing franchise, Need For Speed, is returning this November with Undercover, the latest from the EA Blackbox team. After a string of poor games like NFS Carbon and Pro Street, its imperative that EA gets it right this time, or it could mean a further setback to its already dwindling fan base. The trailers are out, and the game is set for a Nov 18th release. Heres a sneak peek into what the game has to offer.

Storyline: EA seems to have realised that NFS fans have grown to really enjoy the concept of a free roam, world racing and a motive to race. Hence Undercover returns to the arcade world, and is set in a new fictional city called Tri-City. (They could have been more imaginative there). Whats better, the game does have a police mode, and you apparently have to reprise the role played by Josie Maran in Most Wanted (that of an undercover cop), although further details arent provided. The game seems to be trying to recreate a Most Wanted feel, which is good for us gamers.

Gameplay: The icing on the cake. EA did get one thing right with ProStreet: the physics. The realism and damage of prostreet have been carried forward into this game, although I suspect it will be difficult to impose the 'totaled' car concept. Other than that, the trailer features the game being played on a gaming console, so graphics are top-notch: a far-evolved version of the ones seen on ProStreet. The game also features a new Highway mode, and if thats what is shown in the trailer, then a person better have the neurokinetics of Neo to play this mode.
Cons: I havent checked, but I think this game requires a 2.6 GHz processor and DX10. In that case, I cant play this game (DX 10 is available only on 8 and 9 series Nvidia chipsets). Also, Most Wanted was fun, but if they are going to end up aping it, then it gives the impression that they are running out of ideas.. which is not good for the franchise either.

Lets see how this works out. Stay tuned for how this works out ( I hope I get to play it... )

Trailers are here:

highway battle trailer

GTA 4-REVIEW PART-3

SOCIALISING:

This feature of GTA is rather intriguing, you will feel like wasting time when spend time with your friends or go on dates but trust me it all counts in the end. Keeping friends and dates happy means spending time with them and doing things that they enjoy.Dates of course maybe little more time consuming. The benefits from each individual depends upon who they are,eg-having a nurse or doctor on your friend list can literally be a lifesaver.


COMMUNICATION:

Communication in the game can be done either through the internet or the cell phone.
The cell phone has been designed to do multitasking rather than just being the phone.You can use for taking photos and uploading them to the police computer during certain missions. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an enemy/pedestrian that is fighting/shooting at him. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station.

The internet can be accessed through the cyber café chain called “TW@”,there are over 100 fictitious websites in the games, primarily spoofs of the real world counterparts. Niko can send and receive email. The game also features in-game television programming, with several viewable channels featuring programs and advertisements.

MULTIPLAYER:

Grand Theft Auto IV is the first console game in the series to include online multiplayer, with 15 modes of play available. The multiplayer supports up to 16 players and allows players to explore the entire city. Players use a customizable character in a majority of the modes, with cash earned during play able to be used to purchase clothing for their character. Hosts of the games can control many variables, such as time of day, police presence, pedestrian presence, traffic, location of game, and weapons. The online games are split into ranked and unranked matches. The reward for the ranked gameplay is cash, which determines players' ranks. The game does not feature any split screen or LAN multiplayer modes.



BOTTOMLINE:

This is a game which has to be played, no one can tell u how good or bad it is.The storyline is best in the series and you’ll never have problems finding people online

The rating – 9.5/10

GTA 4-REVIEW PART-2

The review of GTA 4 continues.....

MISSIONS:

A lot of thought has been put into the type of missions this time around. Some of the more imaginative missions sprinkled throughout the story include a kidnapping, a bank heist, and a job interview. The cinematic cut scenes associated with story missions are superb, not to mention the characters you encounter benefit from great animation, great voice work, and superbly expressive faces. It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc.The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions. For the first time in the series GTA offers morality choices which affects how the game ends(the game has 2 different endings).

COMBAT:
New abilities in Niko's arsenal include scaling fences and walls anywhere he can get a foothold, shimmying along ledges, and, most importantly, taking cover behind objects. The gunfight system has been reworked to a better third-person scheme. The player can slide to cover, blind fire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight colored segments on the target circle. Players can now target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by using an escort service, eating, drinking soda, sleeping, using medical kits, or by calling for paramedics using his phone. Health is generally reduced by physical injuries such as falling from heights and going through the windscreen of a vehicle when crashing. Body armour is gradually damaged by gunshots and stab wounds. When Niko's health level reaches zero, he respawns at the nearest hospital, but loses 10% of his total wealth (up to a maximum of $10,000).

COPS:
Since u cause so much chaos,(wat did u think no one would be bothered). Its inevitable that the cops will chase u at some point of time.The system of cops hunting u down is the exact copy of NFS-MW, except for the fact that cops in NFS-MW are not so DUMB. You get flagged with a wanted level of between one and six stars. they don't drive as quickly when pursuing you, they rarely bother to set up roadblocks and u have to blow the entire city before the FIB shows up. Adding to the cops misery is the GPS system given to you. The GPS shows you the exact locations of patrol cars and cops on foot in your area, and highlights the circular area (centered on your last known whereabouts) where they're concentrating their search. To escape u just have to get out of that radius and remain unseen for some time(just like the cooldown mode in NFS-MW).

VEHICLES:
Most of the vehicles in GTAIV, like those in previous games, have very loose handling that makes it easy for you to perform, U-turns, skids around corners. A neat touch when driving with the default camera view is that the camera, which is positioned a few feet behind the rear bumper of the car, centers on you rather than on the vehicle, effectively offering the vehicular equivalent of an over-the-shoulder view. When you take the control of something sporty, the camera also positions itself much closer to the ground, which adds to the sensation of speed. The vehicle handling is difficult to fault, regardless of whether you're in a sports car, a garbage truck, a motorcycle, a speedboat, or a helicopter.

Photos courtesy of www.gamespot.com(thanks guys....)

GTA 4-Review part 1

Grand Theft Auto IV is an adventure video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the ninth title in the Grand Theft Auto series.
Grand Theft Auto IV was released worldwide (except in Japan) on 29 April 2008 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

This game is much more than the usual chaos u expect from GTA.This version has a much more sophisticated storyline which is compelling and lengthy. It also has awesome multiplayer features.

THE PLOT:

Niko Bellic is an Eastern European immigrant and a veteran of the Bosnian War who comes to Liberty city, at the word of his cousin, but he soon finds out that he has some fatal gambling debts. He starts working as a freelancer and starts carrying out missions for other employers so as to find means to fulfill his own. The revelation of the whole story and the characters would be a spoiler (if u still want to read the whole plot, wiki it, NOT ADVISABLE to those who want to play the game).

GAMEPLAY:

The game is set in Liberty city (which is a copy of New York to be honest).The city is as real as it gets, just for an example-When it rains; people bring out umbrellas or shield themselves with a newspaper and run. And the best part about the gameplay is, u don’t always have 2 do what u r told,u can use something called a brain, u do what u think is right but at d risk of your client finding out d truth. These decisions u make affect u in d later part of d game. Every decision you make has consequences. The majority of the story missions task you with making deliveries and/or killing people. The missions this time around are easier than before coz of Niko being more agile and efficient. The open environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain parts of the map and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure.

When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities.
There r different levels of police FIB (that’s not a typo), and an elite counter-terrorism and law enforcement team, N.O.O.S.E. (National Office of Security Enforcement) replacing the military seen in previous editions of this series.


All this is just d tip of d iceberg, keep waiting there’s more coming………………..

Game Reviews

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