Preview- James Bond 007: Blood Stone

Released: Holiday 2010

Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Developer: Bizarre Creations

Publisher: Activision

It might have a ridiculous and over-long title, but James Bond 007: Blood Stone is an entirely intriguing IP. Announced today, the press release surmounts that the new title will be “an original Bond experience, [capturing] the cinematic intensity of a Bond film. Strangely, this 007 espionage adventure is being developed by Bizarre Creations- the studio behind the PGR and Blur racing series.

Joss Stone is touted as stepping in as an all-new Bond girl, whilst she also contributes original music for the game. The polygonal Joss can be seen in the picture to the right, although the likenesses of Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench also imbue the videogame with characters from its filmic counterpart and ought to raise its profile within the mainstream. What's being promised at this stage is an adrenaline filled, explosive action game that spans the globe, similar to the Bond films and every other spy game you wish to mention. The third-person cover mechanics, hand-to-hand combat and driving sequences may have all been seen before, but the original story (being written by acclaimed screenwriter Bruce Feirstein) ought to bring this game over others of its ilk.

I particularly enjoyed the Quantum of Solace game that used the engine at the heart of Modern Warfare for its extremely polished and refined shooting mechanics. For all its generic trappings however, the experience was little to set itself apart from the crowd. Maybe, just maybe, Bizarre can do the 007 license justice in interactive form. 

Preview- Mafia II

Released: 27^th August 2010

Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Developer: 2K Czech

Publisher: 2K Games

Another one of my hugely anticipated titles of the year is 2K Czech's Mafia II. Reams of game play footage has been shown to date of the game and every time another developer diary turns up, I get more and more excited to see what I believe has the potential to be game of the year. Now I know that without playing the game, it's incredibly hard to tell the impact such release will have, but the very fact that the developer is confident enough to provide hands-on time with the game months in advance of actual release date ought to be congratulated- this comes at a time when secrecy and the 'behind closed doors' approach is often the norm.

What has me most excited by the game is its setting- influenced by American cities of the time (mainly New York City and San Francisco), Mafia II is set in the fictional 'Empire Bay' of 1940s-50s era. Screen shots and footage show incredible periodic artistic designs and a frankly tremendous effort in capturing every tiny detail no matter how seemingly insignificant, from its soundtrack to shop fronts. The graphics look superb, both in terms of the look of the city, the ominous locations and facial animation that is captured perfectly in the trailer here.

The game centres on the Sicilian Vito Scaletta, returning home from his duties to the army during World War II. What follows is a spiral towards the life of crime and gangster undertakings. In an interview with 'GamesRadar', writer and director of the game- Daniel Vavra, explains his intent on “delivering a polished, story-driven experience, that makes gamers feel as though they are living a day in the life of a mobster”. Comparisons are obviously easy to draw with such crime epics as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Scorsese's Goodfellas (which is in fact referenced in the announcement trailer for the game). A sweeping epic narrative is likely to be delivered succinctly and efficiently, with over two hours of cut-scenes (all rendered in-engine and real-time) featured within the game and what is said to be over 500 pages of screenplay! The cast of characters also look to be shaping up well, with a philosophy to characterisation that seems to be taken from the very best games of its type, ensuring characters are established well and with personality throughout the plot.

2K Czech have revealed their intent on delivering a truly living and breathing city which feels alive to the player. Game play videos are keen to show off the city in all its glory- a brief drive through the streets in period vehicles (that are said to feel heavy without being too overbearing), sees people going about their daily lives in exacting detail that can be seen in every aspect of Mafia II's implementation. It's really brilliant to see the game in action, and I urge you to search for some of the videos available because I haven't seen anything as stunning in the look and feel of a city in any other game, not even GTA IV's Liberty City. Couple that with the fact that the area is 10 square miles large (twice the area of the first game), featuring over 20 unique neighbourhoods and 50 intricately designed period vehicles filling its streets and the sheer scope of 2K Czech's daunting workload is still nigh on possible to comprehend.

Guns from the first game, such as the 'Thompson M1928', the 'Colt 1911' and the pump-action shotgun all return, along with WW II-era inspired weapons. Melee combat is a simple two-button affair, with 'finishing moves' a combination of the two, resulting in context sensitive finishes. For example, if you're stood in front of a car, Vito might smash his head into the hood to end the fight. Cover mechanics are used for gun-play with any environmental items available to hide behind, although making sure you're still protected as the physics engine does its work is key. Yes, cover is destructible and will no doubt force wary players straight into the heat of battle. The check point system from the first game is also said to be completely overhauled.

All in all, I simply can not wait for the game. The triple-A polish that seems to be shining from the every surface of the game is really great to see at such an early stage, and I expect a deep and thoroughly entertaining ride once I get hands-on with the game, 27^th August 2010. You'd do well to keep an eye on this, too. It's going to be special!

Preview- LittleBigPlanet 2

Released: Winter 2010

Format: PS3

Developer: Media Molecule

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

With over 2 million user-generated levels created and shared by the community, there is little doubt that Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet was a triumphant, unreserved success. Spawning a new mascot for the Playstation brand and, with it, a new genre of games- that of 'Play, Create, Share' (with ModNation Racers looking to expand the brand this May).

Many harshly criticised its “floaty” platform mechanics which were frustrating and confusing at times but genius at others. The level of creativity that thrived through the veins of the community flourished through the game, with some absolutely fantastic examples of game design that, at first glance at the simple 'Popit' tool, seemed near possible to create. I was a massive fan of the first game- it was the reason I bought a PS3! Now, with the announcement of LittleBigPlanet 2, it's time to look ahead to what may be possible with the new generation of Sackboy. Here's a quick glimpse of what is in store for LBP2...

Great things have been detailed about the game so far, due out Winter 2010. First off, the create tool is now bigger and much, much improved. No longer limited to simple platform 'levels'- the second game allows creation of what the official website boasts as “full games”. This time, the creation tool will give the ability to create the usual platforming styled game, along with racers and even shooters! And if all this sounds too good to be true, take a look at the official announcement trailer here for game play footage. 'Sackbots' are perhaps one of the most important additions to the sequel- AI characters that replace the simplistic enemy bots from the original. Here, anything from size, shape, style, costume and behaviour can all be adjusted to suit your level design by either recording a custom behaviour style or choosing one of the existing available. The 'Direct Control Seat' is another new addition to the create tool- which by placing in your level, brings up a controller shaped circuit board and thus, making it possible to attach parts of the controller to items within the world, such as switches. This will allow custom controls to be mapped onto objects (such as R2 for 'accelerate' on a created car, for example). And now for my favourite tool- the ever reliable 'microchip'. Remember the calculator level from the first game? All those pistons working in sync? Well imagine that condensed into a tiny chip and placed anywhere into a level. Yes, LBP2's 'microchip' makes the design of complex systems be condensed onto the tiny surface area of a chip. This makes it possible for incredibly complex set-ups to be integrated easily within levels. And if all this wasn't enough, full cut-scenes can now be made for use within levels. With camera angles, panning, zooming, fades etc. all available for any budding movie-maker to create a masterpiece of their own.

The new title will also have an overhauled graphics engine for that little bit extra sheen to what is already a beautiful game, a full adventure/story mode which should prove from the outset what is possible with the tools at your disposable and an overhauled search function which also acts as a portal to seeing what your favourite creators and mates are up to. Sackboy is also free to explore new boundaries with the announcement of several power-up tools, such as the grappling hook- no doubt adding a new found depth to the roots of the game.

The game will not feature 'Move' support upon initial release of the game, although Media Molecule have stated that this will be integrated further down the line with DLC additions. Keyboard and mouse support has been granted however, which means level creation will now be even easier to get to grips with. Expect much more coverage of the game in the Sony press conference at E3, this June 15-17. Have a look at my E3 preview for more predictions of the event.

Preview- Split/Second

Released: 21^st May 2010

Format(s): PS3, Xbox 360

Developer: Black Rock Studio

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

What do you get if you put Burnout, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 into a creative blender? That's right, Split/ Second- an arcade-style racer intent on delivering the thrills, competition, and insane speed of the racer of the norm and injecting it with style, destruction and chaos. Much in the same style as the Burnout series before the Paradise open-world departure, Split/Second by Black Rock Studios (who made Pure) is a circuit based racing game where the key to taking the chequered flag in first place is wanton destruction of opponent's vehicles in a bid for survival of your own.

Playing off the game-show backdrop, the racer seems like the video game equivalent of Death Race, where the whole level is literally rigged to blow. From buildings falling atop speeding cars, and air planes landing within a whisker of your rear bumper, this is unlike anything really witnessed from the racing genre as yet. All this chaos is of course limited, however, and this is where the meter system is implemented. The “powerplay” meter itself is split into 3 sections, slowly filling through such driving manoeuvres as drafting an opponent, drifting, and jumping. A fill of the first part of the meter results in the ability to trigger small explosions through the track, perhaps a single car, or a few barrels on the side of the track. Nothing major- the most destructible events are saved when all three sections of the meter have been filled, levelling buildings on top of any incoming racers, felling satellite towers and more edge of your seat carnage. Certain events also occur only once in a single race, such as opening short-cuts which will alter the shape of the track.

The demo, available now on Xbox Live and PSN, takes place at an airport, where you'd do well to avoid one of many explosive set pieces. From what I've seen of the game so far, it looks absolutely brilliant, very similar to Burnout- as mentioned before. Where it improves on that particular game is the way in which the HUD is placed beneath the car's rear bumper meaning the full impact of the surrounding action can be taken in without any obstruction, which I think is a nice touch. Upon running through several races, it's refreshing to tell you that my experience was somewhat different on every play-through through the use of the game's mechanics making it possible for the track to change into one of several routes. The way in which each race progressed was also thoroughly entertaining to say the least. Whilst I enjoy racing-sims wholeheartedly, the way in which Split/Second's approach and originality sets itself apart from basic racers is great. I just hope that re-playability can still be had after extended sessions of play with the full game with only a limited number of sights to see. But with the demo anything to go by and 8-player online multi player and 2-player split screen, Black Rock should certainly deliver the first big racing hit of 2010.