Ben’s Week In Review: June 29

Okay, the two biggest games of the year are out, so let's pass on talking about them (we can move on, yes?). There are always plenty of topics to discuss that don't involve GTAIV or MGS4!

Diablo III won't be available on consoles…and I don't really care

At first, when I heard that the long-awaited third installment in the legendary Diablo franchise wouldn't be coming to consoles , I was disappointed. I had a lot of fun with Diablo II (8 damn years ago, but whatever), and I always thought of it as being a gigantic upgrade over the original. It was fantastic fun, especially for multiple players, and I remember being excited about the announcement of a third entry. Of course, that was back in 2000. Now…I honestly couldn't care less. I read the description of Diablo III , and as far as I can tell, it's exactly the same thing as Diablo II . They're adding a character class, providing co-op support, and making the environment somewhat destructible. Yay. Besides that, we all know it's going to feature the exact same gameplay, and once again, PC software proves it can't move into the new millennium. 1998 may have been one of the finest – if not the finest – years for gaming in history, and it was due in large part to the PC lineup. But ever since then, all we've had are identical clones of those games .

You know, it's not really a big mystery why the PC is a dying platform for games. It goes well beyond the fact that consoles have narrowed and basically closed the gap – in no way can it be said that all PC games are "more advanced" than console games, anymore – because it's actually quite simple- the PC has always done FPS, RTS and Western RPG…and that's it. The only "AAA" titles on the PC invariably falls into one of those three categories. And even within those categories, there's no evidence whatsoever of innovation. Diablo III is no exception. I can just as easily boot up Diablo II even on my old PC, thanks.

I wanna know what it is, Team ICO!

You guys have a new project for the PlayStation 3, and I want to know what it is. Like, right now. When the rumor popped up that the August issue of GamePro might include a secret regarding a Shadow of the Colossus sequel , it reminded me once again how great SotC really was. That, and ICO . In a generation already inundated with plenty of standard action/adventure and FPS titles, we could really use news of a truly original game, and I can almost guarantee Team ICO is going to deliver it. Even if it has nothing to do with Shadow of the Colossus 2 , those guys really strive to undertake and deliver unique projects that stand out in a crowd. I still remember working my way through SotC with a sense of awe and wonder, and when I finished, I got that good old-fashioned feeling of combined accomplishment and contentment. Each and every Colossus was different and each and every one were a joy to behold; if they really are working on SotC2, I will be the happiest of the happy.

But like I said, even if they're not, I want to know about it. I have complete faith Team ICO, and whatever they're doing, it's gonna be intriguing.

Personal gaming update

So I've abandoned my quest in the original Metal Gear Solid to work my way through Top Spin 3 , which is all kinds of fun. Once I get my fill of that, I'll keep on in my MGS training (need to play MGS2 as well), and then I'll pick up MGS4 and play. Outside of that, I can't really think of anything I want besides Soul Calibur IV at the end of next month. I hear Battlefield: Bad Company is pretty good, though, and I might like to try it; I haven't played a great FPS since The Orange Box . Then again, I'm sure we'll get the best of the best with Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 in due time, so maybe I should look for something a little different. But I imagine all this MGS stuff is going to take plenty of time, and I might end up spending a lot of time with SCIV. I suppose I might stumble upon something in the next few weeks, but I find it unlikely… Oh well, I'm never without a goodly array of games to play! 🙂