· Visits since 09-04-2008 ·
· Info & Contacts ·

Introduction

Usage guide

Get in touch
· Topics ·
· Recent posts ·
· Recent comments ·
· Archives ·
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- June 2011
- May 2011
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
· Feeds & Accounts ·

Videogames highlights - May 2012

June 14, 2012 · Filed Under In Depth, Videogaming

This entry is part of the series Videogames Highlights

The most important gaming event of the past month surely was the launch of Diablo III, a title that will be remembered as a turning point for the industry because of its permanent Internet connection needed to play - even in single player mode. RPS says that the problem isn’t Diablo III but the subsequent branch of “always-on” games and suggests to stay angry about the issue, conversely I am angry for Diablo III above all and I’m more and more persuaded of the fact that the measly compulsory multiplayer experience isn’t for me. Will I be forced to change hobby because of Activision-Blizzard?

Deadlight

What I was saying about the mandatory connection misfortune? There: another troublesome issue is the unavailability of a PC version for Deadlight: this promising cinematic platformer with survival horror elements will be unfortunately released on Xbox 360 only (third quarter of 2012), and the following trailer shows how developer Tequila Works has been, say, very inspired by a certain graphic novel/TV series featuring the overabused living dead.

Diablo III

So, we were talking about Diablo III: the game’s release was an event celebrated by thousands of “launch parties” on midnight organized in every part of the world, while exclusive video contents like the Wrath cartoon and a variegated showcase of bosses, levels and weapons escorted the new advent of the “messiah” of PC action RPG. And then, just after the midnight, on the first attempts to connect to Blizzard’s servers players experienced the nefarious Error 37: no login possible, inaccessible game even in single-player mode.

Everything went as expected: millions purchased Diablo III, million tried to play straightaway and an unknown but certainly very high number of players had to deal with the insane requirement of the permanent connection that let you access the game not when you want it but when the stars, the ADSL and the Blizzard’s servers decide to have mercy of you. A pathetic result, for a game already finished two years ago and that during the last weeks had conversely to deal with serious code bugs, disappeared achievements, delays in the launch of the real money-based “auction house” for in-game items commerce, hacks, police raids and again access errors to the damn Battle.net on-line account.

Save the countless issues that plagued and still plague the last Blizzard mega-release, what remains of Diablo III is a “pure” action RPG refined in the original formula with zero innovation and many defects (true), a game that’s fun anyway for fans of the genre (true) and a secret level full of unicorns to slaughter or blow up. Blizzard promised to put an end to hacks and yet the hacks are always there to ban, just in time for the super-secure (suuuure!) auction house for in-game items. And for who were in search of a demo to try out before the purchase, in these days the Starter Edition should become accessible to anyone: I paid some euros on eBay (Guest Pass) to be able to test it early and I’ll see to put a preview together when I will find the time.

Grim Dawn

Developed by some ex-members of that Iron Lore (now Crate Entertainment) of Titan Quest fame, Grim Dawn promises to be everything Diablo III will never be: this dark-fantasy action-RPG funded with the users’ money is designed to be difficult and even hostile to the casual-gamer passing by, and above all it will be absolutely free of whatever DRM technology. No permanent connection for single-player mode, to be clear. Grim Dawn will be released on PC Windows on August 2013: at that time I will still be playing Diablo II, I can bet a Nutella-filled croissant on that.

Resonance

Published by the independent studio Wadjet Eye, Resonance is a 2D point&click adventure featuring 4 different playable characters, each with his/her own daily life but entangled within the common, sci-fi thriller-themed plot. An umpteenth revival of the pluri-deceased genre of old-school adventure games, Resonance will be out on PC on June 19 as physical box (with a Steam key) or digital download on GOG.com. And there’s a demo to taste too, if you like. Indie developers will save the world.

The Cave

After long-time debates and speculations, on May the veil was finally lifted on the new game that Ron “Monkey Island” Gilbert is making with the aid of Double Fine Productions: The Cave is an adventure game, hence it witnesses the return of Gilbert to the genre that turned him into a legend in the industry (earning him the everlasting gratitude of who is writing) after the action-rpg-adventure digression of DeathSpank. The designer says that The Cave carries ideas he had in his mind for years, since before the creation of Monkey Island: the main character of the game is a talking cave but the player will choose two playable characters among the seven ones available to face the adventure. Supposedly the focus of the events will be more the story itself that the puzzles to solve. To be released on PC and consoles (Xbox 360 & PS3) at the beginning of 2013.

The Last of Us

Not pleased with the commercial success of Uncharted 3, at the end of the past year developer Naughty Dog revealed that a new exclusive title for PlayStation 3 was in the work: set in a post-apocalyptic North America where nature regained ground over cities, The Last of Us can be described as a “survival” variation of the aforementioned third-person action-adventure (ie. Uncharted). The game’s main thrust is the relationship between the two protagonists, the bearded Joel (controlled by the player) and the 14 years old girl Ellie (AI) in search for safety. Naughty Dog promises an evolved graphic engine capable of effectively rendering the rich urban jungle-like sceneries featured in the game. To be released on PS3 in 2013.