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Rainier's Articles


PS3/XBLA/PC Preview - 'Trine'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Genre: Puzzle/Platformer
Publisher: Nobilis
Developer: Frozenbyte
Release Date: July 2009

On the surface, Trine is not a difficult game to understand, as it is essentially a puzzle game in which you can switch on the fly between three varied characters. However, the basic puzzle mechanics and characters are mere underpinnings for the meat of the physics-based gameplay and cooperative play. The co-op was not present in our preview build, but the physics most definitely are, along with a surprisingly developed theme and production values for a puzzle title.

The three characters in Trine all have varied roles and

'F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate' - Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under Sierra Gamers' Event - Sierra Gamers' Week 2007

Perseus Mandate is the second standalone storyline expansion to the award winning first person shooter franchise F.E.A.R. Fight fear with F.E.A.R. as you take point in a brand new team experiencing a new incident at Armacham with a story line that runs parallel to F.E.A.R. and Extraction Point revealing a new perspective of the event. Your job in this new adventure is to find out what Perseus is and why the Nightcrawlers have been called in to collect it before you can. Face off against new enemies, new horrors and new weapons in the stand alone expansion pack F.E.A.R. Perseus

PC Preview - 'Sabotage'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2007

Genre: Stealth-Action
Publisher: Gamecock
Developer: Replay Studios
Release Date: 2008

"We're a team based in Germany," the developer said, "and we're making a World War II stealth action game."

An awkward silence followed.

Most of the World War II games that have come out up until now have been riding a bizarre nostalgia wave. WWII has come to occupy an odd niche in American society as the last good fight; after that, it's all downhill and shades of gray.

Sabotage is most notable because it's not being made by Americans or Brits, so it's coming from an obviously different place.

'Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon' (NDS) - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 12th

You awaken to find yourself in an unfamiliar village with no memory of who you are or how you arrived. Mist, a beautiful young woman comes to your aid and helps you start to build a life for yourself…on a farm. Till the land, grow crops, raise animals, catch fish and battle monsters! Battling against fierce beasts is very important for your survival, but making friends with them is essential for your farm life. What mysteries lie ahead…

Features:

  • Befriend monsters to help on your farm!
  • Upgrade your skills as you master swords, spears and farm tools!
  • Communicate and exchange items via

Wii Preview - 'New Super Mario Bros.'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Genre: Platformer
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: Q4 2009

Nintendo came out of E3 2009 much stronger than they did in 2008. They started off our booth tour with their big announcement of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I got to squeeze in some play time with the game.

If you've played the DS version of New Super Mario Bros., most everything is going to be familiar, including major elements of Super Mario Bros. 3 from the NES era, new and entertaining power-ups, and a fair supply of secrets to keep things interesting for a good, long

Wii Preview - 'Wii Sports Resort'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Genre: Sports
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: July 26, 2009

Before you read any further about Wii Sports Resort, go do a bit of bowling in Wii Sports. Notice the subtleties that are there in the simulation, and those that aren't. The Wii Remote, ultimately, is limited, and many of those limits have been removed with the recent introduction of the Wii MotionPlus, which links to Wiimotes to let you do more with them. While it is launching with two EA Sports titles for Wii, the MotionPlus clearly seems custom designed for the upcoming Wii Sports

'River King: Mystic Valley' (NDS) - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 12th

Journey to rivers, swamps, ponds and hidden fishing spots as you look for the mysterious River King to help your younger sister wake from her unexplained slumber. But you are not alone on this adventure, make friends with the magical creatures of Mystic Valley and unlock their special abilities to help you. You are your sister’s last hope and it will take all of your fishing skill to catch the elusive River King!

Features

  • Innovative fishing engine using the Touch Screen!
  • Amass a collection of baits, lures, rods and more!
  • Participate in a variety of mini-games!
  • Have a fishing tournament with your friends

Wii/PS3/X360 Preview - 'The Beatles: Rock Band'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Genre: Rhythm/Music
Publisher: MTV Games
Developer: Harmonix
Release: September 9, 2009

How can a game be both so much more than its predecessors, and yet so much less at the same time? This conundrum defined what I saw of the upcoming Rock Band release, The Beatles: Rock Band. The game floored me as a Beatles release, but its heritage as a Rock Band game seems a bit tenuous.

The basics are all there; this is Rock Band, with one significant evolution and some major interface modifications that I'll get to in a bit. The big new idea

NDS Preview - 'Scribblenauts'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Genre: Puzzle
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: 5TH Cell
Release Date: September 15, 2009

5TH Cell is perhaps the best DS game developer that no one has heard of. They've only developed a few games, but those games have been fun and innovative, making excellent use of the DS' various features to create games that would not be the same anywhere else. Drawn to Life was a platformer designed around creating your own character, while Lock's Quest was a combination tower defense and hack-and-slash game. Their upcoming game, Scribblenauts, is easily their most ambitious to date, and

PS3/X360/PC Preview - 'The Saboteur'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2009

Pandemic Studios' Saboteur will feature an open-ended world. Mixing regular first-person action with stealth, you, as a member of the French La Resistance, have to free Nazi-controlled zones. Reminiscent of Schindler's List, these zones will be displayed in black and white, but once successfully liberated, become colorized.