Ben-DutkaWell, a bomb or two was dropped during the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2011. That was interesting.
Naughty Dog is doing it? Okay, I'm in
You know, I just realized: I've said in the past that during the first PlayStation generation, if a game had the Squaresoft label on the box, I bought it. No questions asked. And since that time, I haven't felt that way about any developer. Then along came Naughty Dog and the incomparable Uncharted franchise, and the new announcement of The Last Of Us . In the first ten seconds of watching that trailer, it dawned on me that I almost didn't care about the concept…Naughty Dog is doing it. All I need to know.
Personally, I'm hoping for a story-driven, character-oriented adventure that is a cross between action and survival/horror. I want to feel the stress of constant survival (the girl says it's a "routine" in the trailer), and I want to feel for the characters. Hell, I want Heavy Rain crossed with Uncharted crossed with Silent Hill . …oh be quiet, it's not impossible.
Well, if Platinum can't do it, nobody can
I only needed Bayonetta and Vanquish to convince me that Platinum Games is a top-tier developer. Now, even if they're only great at action extravaganzas, so what? Doesn't Metal Gear Solid: Rising qualify? I don't like the supposed new name – "Revengeance" isn't even a word – but Platinum can make this great. I know they can. I just wonder how Hideo Kojima feels about all this…isn't this the first MGS developed outside Konami? How big of a role does Kojima even have?
I also wonder if he's putting the entire project behind him and focusing on his current projects, like Zone of the Enders 3 (yes, please!) and that mysterious "Project Ogre" game. Oh, and MGS5. Let's not forget that one. I just wonder if Rising or Revengeance (or whatever) will actually appeal to MGS fans. I mean, Raiden is the main character so that's something, but this is hardly vintage MGS gameplay…
Personal gaming update
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is done and it was incredible, although I felt the ending could've been a tad more forceful and emotional. I talk more about this in the new PSXE Show, which should be finished this week. I also gave Catherine another stab and – forgive me – started a new game of Final Fantasy VII . I just want a break from the slew of Oct/Nov reviews, and I'm waiting until Christmas before I start into a few of the games I want to play and finish, like Assassin's Creed: Revelations .
Also, you can blame Jo Garcia for the FFVII thing. She dubbed herself a " Final Fantasy girl" in the first minute of our conversation, and I knew right then and there we could talk about FF all night. I think if I hadn't switched gears at some point, we might've…and so, here I am, playing FFVII again. 'sigh' Well, whatever. Maybe I'll use Tifa this time. 🙂
P.S. Upcoming interviews that are possible but not cemented in stone: Nolan North and Ali Hillis.
