|
|
 |
| Wednesday, March 28, 2007 |
|
| Japanese Ultima Underworld - Dan - 3:40:53 PM EST |
This is one news post I didn't expect to ever be making. Today (well, yesterday actually, details...) I learned that there was a Japanese version of Underworld 1 released for the original playstation years ago. TheOutrider was kind enough to provide some screenshots and information in this thread
the framerate and resolution are very nice
the controls aren't
there's an FMV intro, high-quality music and some nice sound effects, including echoing footsteps in large rooms
the enemies have been replaced with rather ugly polygon renditions
Other than that, the game itself seems to be exactly the same. Except for the fact that everything's in Japanese.
I've brightened some of the shots for your viewing pleasure. You can find the originals as well as some commentary in the thread linked to above. Thanks again, TheOutrider!
|
| Arx Fatalis Art Dump - Dan - 10:09:53 PM EST |
What is posted here tonight is nothing new. People have had access to it all since the game was released. But, I thought it appropriate to also have it here. The cutscene art is available to anyone who owns the game. Though it takes some downloading of utilities and search work to find the files buried in the game's archives, anyone who owns the game could have potentially found these themselves. The concept art comes from the bonus disc that was included in the UK edition of the game. The promotional art only has two pieces, both of which are not new, but are rather rare. It's all included here as a tribute to the artistic talent of Arkane, for nostalgia, and because many people would never have seen these any other way. So, enjoy the Arx Fatalis Art Dump. Oh, if you've not played or won the game yet, beware of spoilers.
|
| Dark Messiah, E3 2006 - Dan - 7:28:34 PM EST |
Gamespot:
Though you could mistake this game for a first-person shooter based on a cursory glance, it quickly becomes clear that Dark Messiah goes to greater-than-average lengths to make you truly feel like you're an extremely skilled fantasy warrior.
Gamespy:
Regardless, the game can't come out soon enough. If half of the things that Ubisoft is promising end up panning out, then this could be one of the best games of this year. It's kind of unseemly to speak about a yet-to-be-released game with such enthusiasm, but if ever a games journalist should be trusted for his earnestness, this is that very case.
IGN:
The video clips we saw previous to the presentation are actually indicative of the game's style, which favors knives over negotiation. What those brief glimpses can't capture quite as well is how smooth and nuanced the combat system is.
Come discuss it!
| Thursday, August 25, 2005 |
|
| Another Preview on Action Trip - Dan - 1:51:26 PM EST |
Another me-too preview of Dark Messiah is up at Action Trip, which along with the same information as usual, features the writer acting like a dork with plenty of off-topic nonsense.
| Wednesday, August 24, 2005 |
|
| Dark Messiah Preview on Jolt - Dan - 1:35:32 PM EST |
The preview on Jolt is more coverage for the game, but if you've read the other previews already, you won't get anything new from this one.
|
| Two Gameplay Videos on IGN - Dan - 10:27:42 AM EST |
IGN has released the gameplay clips that look astonishingly similar to what was described at Gamespy (aren't they the same network now, anyway?) Click here to go check out those videos for a close look at the action in the game.
tell us what you think.
| Saturday, August 20, 2005 |
|
| Dark Messiah in PC Gamer Redux - Dan - 6:51:52 PM EST |
I was able to sneak a look at the Dark Messiah preview in the latest PC Gamer. It's a brief 2-page spread which is mostly images, though nothing we haven't seen on the official site. The article also doesn't offer any new information (the Gamespy Preview still leads the pack) but does briefly talk about body awareness, though they seem to think that it's something new (guess they never played Arx or Thief 3). On the other hand, they do point out that this is one of the rare titles being developed for the PC, which should make some people happy.
|
| 1Up's Preview of Dark Messiah - Dan - 10:30:55 PM EST |
Another article has popped up on 1up and though it doesn't offer the same look at the game that the Gamespy preview did, it's still work a glance.
By using Valve's Source engine to power their game, developer Arkane has the means to offer plenty of interactive objects in the game world. Use a fireball to shoot down a rock pillar and it may collapse onto your enemies. Another nifty feature was the freeze spell. Once enemies are frozen, you can either hack them to pieces, or opt for the more fun option. We were shown a sequence where and enemy was frozen while standing on a rope bridge. The player the proceeded to chop down the bridge supports and watch the frozen enemy fall and then break into a million pieces upon impact with a rocky bottom.
|
| Great Preview on Gamespy - Dan - 10:26:08 PM EST |
Go here right now and read! This is the article I've been waiting for. I want to quote the whole thing... we'll settle for these.
Producer Romain De Waubert De Genlis calls it "working on the immersion of the player," which doesn't sound too exciting on paper until you see it in action. His team at Arkane Studios (creator of the ambitious Arx Fatalis) is creating Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, a spectacular fantasy epic that should wow people with its interactive environments and open-ended gameplay. It's nominally a role-playing game: you create a character and advance your different skills based on how you want to play the game. But it plays like a fantasy first-person shooter, one where anything goes.
....
First, as a warrior, we ran headlong into the fray. We shield-bashed an orc, then kicked him off of the cliff where he plummeted to the rocks below. Next, on the platform, we fought sword-to-sword against another orc, sparks flying. Using a special combat move we ripped away his shield. Then we grabbed his neck, plunged a sword into his gut, and kicked the body off of our sword and over the edge of the platform. By now, more orcs had rushed toward us to investigate the noise. We ran inside the room, which was filled with barrels and a side of beef hanging from the ceiling. As we fought tooth and nail with these guys, barrels fell over and smashed or rolled around the room. At one point we kicked the side of beef and sent it hurtling toward our opponents. It was as vicious of a fight as you could get: the camera even goes to slow motion for spectacular killing blows.
Read it, then come onto our forum to share your thoughts.
|
| Dark Messiah in PC Gamer - Dan - 9:13:31 AM EST |
Dark Messiah will be on the cover of the PC Gamer (US) released within the next few days (if not already) and is included in their feature on 3D Action games. Of course, it lists the game as a "shooter" but we already know this not to be the case. We will not be able to post scans from the article, so please do not send them (though thank you if you had considered doing so).
|
| High-Res Dark Messiah Video - Dan - 9:09:29 AM EST |
A much higher-res version of the video previously released is now available, giving you a better look at the scenes in the game. On the other hand, it's no brighter, in fact maybe darker, than the original, so the hard-to-see parts are still obscured.
| Thursday, August 18, 2005 |
|
| Dark Messiah Coverage - Dan - 1:39:49 PM EST |
Yesterday we were finally given some real information about Arkane’s new game, Dark Messiah. While there is still a great deal to be told (and certainly seen) what we’ve been given is a good start. First off, the screenshots, collected from the official site and high-res versions from IGN.
  
   
Possibly more important was IGN’s interview with Gabe Newell of Valve. Though Gabe is not involved with the development of Dark Messiah, he is good friends with Arkane and definitely responsible for the engine it’s running on. To entice everyone to actually watch the video, I have some screen grabs below. It’s low res because I am not paying money to IGN to see their pretty high res version. :)
And finally, the information. IGN has three previews of the game up. In addition to the fact sheet on VE3D and the brief preview at IGN, a second longer preview has been posted.
As you would expect, the warrior took a more direct approach, bashing and slashing his way through the level. The wizard, on the other hand, used his vast arcane knowledge to burn, freeze and levitate opponents. One of the neatest spells we saw the mage use was a shrink spell. After reducing an orc to the size of a rat, the wizard stepped on the now frightened weakling with a satisfying crunch. The rogue character used stealth and covertness to make his way around the opponents in the level through hidden shafts and walkways, backstabbing the unsuspecting fools with his duel daggers in the process.
To attack enemies, you can either do a fast attack by clicking the mouse button repeatedly or hold the attack button and save the strike for a more powerful hit. In addition to typical health and magic bars, you also have an adrenaline bar which comes into play during combat. If your adrenaline bar is full and you hold down the attack button to store up the hit, you will perform a "fatality" move, and may strike your opponents down in one blow, cutting off limbs with your trusty sword in the process.
Thank you IGN! Also, a little bird told me that we can expect to see a feature in PC gamer in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes on the news stands.
| Wednesday, August 17, 2005 |
|
| Further Information on Dark Messiah - Dan - 10:29:10 PM EST |
Voodoo Extreme has expanded upon IGN's article about Dark Messiah with pile of information on the game.
Players will embody the young hero Sareth, who has been trained in the arts of magic and war in order to battle the prophetic Dark Messiah. Players will have the choice to become expert warriors, mages or assassins, each with their own cache of devastating weapons and spells to use in battling huge and vicious enemies. Through combat, players will unlock new skills and equipment, advancing Sareth's experience and improving his performance, battle combos, hits, spells and techniques and setting his course for his destiny.
|
| Screenshots of Dark Messiah, plus Interview - Dan - 2:18:29 PM EST |
IGN is reporting at the games show in Germany about Dark Messiah, showing the first screenshots and featuring an interview with Gabe Newell that also contains important bits of gameplay. The official website has also opened, though it is mostly empty so far. Hopefully we'll have even more soon to come.
| Thursday, August 11, 2005 |
|
| Dark Messiah of Might & Magic Forum at Ubisoft - Dan - 9:52:35 PM EST |
The title says it all, click here to have a visit. Of particular note though is the graphic at the top of the page, which shows a close-up of one of the creatures from the game, along with some very Arx-like texture background.
|
|
|
