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Dungeon Siege III Gameplay Revealed

John-Shepard 14 Comments

In addition to nabbing some new screenshots this past week, we've now located some gameplay.

We didn't get any in the debut teaser but in the full debut trailer – see below – we get lots of good ol' action/RPG gameplay. Now, this was supposed to be one of Square-Enix's bigger 2010 announcements and although the unveiling of DSIII wasn't received with a ton of enthusiasm, avid role-playing followers should be pretty encouraged by what they see here.

No, it isn't the prettiest game in the world, but neither was Dragon Age: Origins . And speaking of the latter, this one appears to be closer to Demon's Souls in terms of real-time combat rather than the D&D-style, go-when-you-get-a-turn-in-real-time mechanic. We're expecting plenty of depth beneath that fast-paced RPG exterior, and hopefully, Dungeon Siege III will be a must for fans of the genre.

Related Game(s): Dungeon Siege III

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Square-Enix: Japanese Devs “Losing Their Passion”

Ben-Dutka 79 Comments

Yeah, we're not going to comment at all. We'll let you guys hash this out amongst yourselves.

A lot of PSXE regulars have often wondered why JRPGs have apparently gone the way of the dodo, and when asked why the sub-genre has taken such a big hit, Square-Enix provided us with a "macro" response of sorts. Square-Enix Executive Producer Akitoshi Kawazu says it's not just about the role-playing category; it's about the growing gap between Japanese and Western games in general. He sort of echoes what Hideo Kojima has said concerning a lack of motivation and passion amongst Japanese designers. Said Kawazu:

"The technology is not on par with Western games, and it also seems like developers are losing their passion to stick with their vision because they are being overwhelmed by costs or market trends. It’s necessary for each individual developer to constantly be up-to-date with the latest computer and game technologies. It is also important for development teams and groups as a whole to support technological advancement. It is impossible for one person to keep up with all the skills necessary for game development on his own. On top of this, developers need to take on a project with the confidence and strength to stick with their vision. Everything I mentioned here applies to me personally, as well, and they are all things I would like to bring to fruition with my next project."

It's interesting to compare these words to the direction of Square-Enix as a company, but like we said earlier…you guys can handle that. For the most part, what he says here isn't necessarily wrong and in many ways, it's even admirable when one admits to a weakness. At the same time, we often wonder about those "visions" of Japanese developers like S-E…sometimes, we're just not sure we understand them.

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FFXIV Director Clarifies Fatigue System

Ben-Dutka 37 Comments

Well, we should know better than to cite a source that needs the "NSFW" disclaimer. And the clarification on Square-Enix's part is so very in-depth – and potentially confusing – it requires an entirely separate article.

The whole uproar over that 8 hour/week limitation in Final Fantasy XIV hit a fever pitch yesterday, which prompted game director Nobuaki Komoto to clarify the developer's position concerning the Fatigue System for their upcoming MMORPG. For the full explanation, feel free to visit FFXIVCore and read up on the complex issue. We'll just sum up- most MMOs, like World of Warcraft , have systems to reward players for taking some time off from playing the game, but none have actually penalized the player for playing too many hours. At first, MMO fans thought the Fatigue System in FFXIV did exactly that. But Komoto addresses this concern:

"First off, the main concept behind FFXIV is allowing those players with little time on their hands to play effectively, and game balance is based off of that. Furthermore, it is being designed to not give those with more time on their hands to play an unfair advantage. Because of that, systems such as Guardian's Favor (a bonus to Guildleves) have been implemented to make leveling in the short-term easier than leveling in the long-term."

Basically, the Fatigue System should be compared to real-world fatigue. "No one could train ad nauseam in the real world with no ill effects," the director says. That may or may not go over well with fans; many play MMOs to get away from real life, but whatever. You should definitely read up on what exactly is meant by an 8-hour limit; it actually relates to the specific class you've chosen, and you can always switch jobs on the fly. They're also still fiddling and tweaking the rate at which you gain experience, and then the rate at which the earned experience falls off after the 8-hour mark.

But really, you need to read the entire post. It's a little complicated but at the very least, it addresses the fan outrage.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy XIV

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Hey Square-Enix: Final Fantasy Versus XIII Is Your Last Chance

Ben-Dutka 136 Comments

I remember it like it was yesterday: perusing the game store shelves and looking for just about anything with "Squaresoft" on the box. If I found one I hadn't played, it was probably coming home with me. One of the big reasons the original PlayStation was the king of RPGs was because a company called Squaresoft continually delivered top-notch titles, time and time again. It was amazing. In retrospect, I don't think we've seen such a stretch of undeniable mastery since…by anyone.

And although I will always love Final Fantasy , and I will even defend FFXIII as being a really, really great game (just not a great FF installment), Square-Enix has given me almost nothing that ranks in the upper stratosphere in the past decade. Sometimes, we just have to face up to facts and accept that the past is never coming back. I still recall thinking, "hey, Squaresoft and Enix coming together…so like, FF and Star Ocean merging…wow!" Yeah, not so much "wow," anymore. And so, this statement is just for you, Square-Enix: you've got one more chance. One. I will remain excited and enthusiastic for Final Fantasy Versus XIII all the way up until its release; I will hold out hope and sit down to play it with high expectations. All those brief updates have been incredibly encouraging – especially that bit about it being "like the old 2D FFs in HD" – and the early footage is impressive. It really looks great.

We still need some actual gameplay but for now, I'm holding tightly to a quickly diminishing faith; a faith that has been eroding away for years; a faith irrationally fueled by frequent reminiscing via FFVII and FFT. I know a third Kingdom Hearts might be on the way, but that's not a deal-cincher for me; the games are cool, but not necessarily my cup of tea. I'd play it (probably) but I want what the old Square was always known for: an epic, memorable, landmark RPG that helps to define a generation. You set the bar years ago; you can't just go and sit in a corner. Therefore, deliver on your last chance or you will be permanently downgraded on my own personal publisher ratings board. You can't continue to keep a top slot simply because of history, you know.

Related Game(s): Final Fantasy Versus XIII

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The 3rd Birthday Trailer Says: “She Is The Gift To Us”

John-Shepard 26 Comments

Parasite Eve will make its return after over a decade of inactivity and this time, it'll be on a portable gaming device.

And although we admit to being more interested in a high-definition PE, The 3rd Birthday for the PSP is shaping up very, very nicely. The latest trailer that debuted at GamesCom this year is the longest, most impressive yet and it shows a tired, bloody Aya Brea facing off against part of "The Hive," which threatens all of humanity. We also learn she was the only individual to qualify for a certain program; a program designed to combat the plague, and sort of involves time…and birth.

The gameplay certainly reminds us of Parasite Eve II , which was more reminiscent of Resident Evil . The original PE was actually part role-playing where one could actually pause the combat, check the range of weapons and the position of Aya and her enemies, etc. The 3rd Birthday is obviously more fast-paced and is all about the third-person shooting. And yeah, it looks pretty darn cool. And there are those ripped jeans of hers…

Related Game(s): The 3rd Birthday

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution Gameplay Video Released

Ben-Dutka 17 Comments

Despite the polish and quality of the first Deus Ex: Human Revolution trailer , it clearly didn't show us any gameplay.

That's why the Internet is abuzz with this freshly released video, which incorporates both cut-scene and gameplay elements. For those who are familiar with the series, this is classic Deus Ex ; the atmosphere and smooth first-person control is a welcome site. However, the cover mechanic, apparently done in third-person (if that one part of the video is indeed gameplay), is new, as are plenty of the skills and abilities. The invisibility option is definitely bad-ass, and punching through a wall to grab a foe is just plain sick. Check it out.

If you are not familiar with this franchise, read our preview . This really is an RPG of sorts, in that you will build and enhance your character as time goes on. It's really all up to the player; if you wish to be more stealthy, that's almost always an option; if you want to enforce your will via sheer power, you can do that, too.  The piont is, you can tackle opponents and obstacles in numerous ways.

And really, the environment of any Deus Ex game is almost second-to-none. We can't wait for this one.

Related Game(s): Deus Ex: Human Revolution

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