Now Playing (19/05/09)
By Steven Perdikis - Tue May 19, 2009 6:30pm
Welcome to the latest instalment of Now Playing, where a bitter newsbot watches every trailer added to the file mirror in the previous week, (So you don't have to!) and then presents some ranting and raving about why game trailers just aren't as good as they used to be (except in a few isolated cases).
This week, we find some treasures in the real world, before going to war with a commando who happens to be Bionic. After that, we travel further into the future, in a bid to fight in-game on rails action sequences from destroying the world. Then, we contest the very sacred definition of "Epic", before meeting a damn villain.
Treasure comes in many shapes and sizes. While some people define treasure as shiny gems, rare LPs, or great caches of gold, other people are a little more easily satisfied. One such treasure that abounds in modern society is unsecured wireless access points (and, "secured" ones too). So - what better way to show off a portable, hand held game that capitalises on exploring the real world to find new treasure, and then using it in game to create musical sound scapes that you can share with your friends.
So, the developers of Treasure World did what all clued in technology lovers do. Take their DS, some form of transportation, and set out exploring their local environment, which in this case, was Downtown Austin, in Texas, to find out just how many treasures they could find.
Download Treasure World Trailer
Who doesn't want to be Bionic? Furthermore, who doesn't want to be a commando of sorts? Is it even better when you can be both at once? With the Capcom's latest due for release soon, the launch trailer shows what their long dormant, much imprisoned Bionic Commando will soon do within the restrictions of the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, when he finally escapes from his imprisonment. The greatest moment in the trailer is when he flies, in the air, and destroys stuff. Even though most of the trailer involves this, byt that very description, it should be a "great trailer", but is it a "great" trailer? Watch it for yourself and judge.
Download Bionic Commando Launch Trailer
The on-rails sequence has been a staple of action games ever since I can remember. Apparently, they're now such a big feature, that every time a game features one, a trailer must be released heralding its arrival. (Until it get de-reailed, at least, or happens to encounter bombs within the vicinity of Madrid.) While on-rails game sequences aren't always something that's magnificent, they're generally fun, except for the parts when the character controlling the vehicle for you crashes, or even worse, decides to drive through the worst possible route to get to your goal instead of taking the "other way". In any case, I like the bit towards the end of the sequence when the heavy machine gun fire is almost, but not quite in time with the music. Pew Pew Pew. Pew Pew. Pew Pew.
Download Terminator Salvation: The Videogame 'Rail Sequences' Trailer
The word "epic" is defined as something which is "very imposing or impressive". So, when a trailer is named 'Epic', I expect to be very, very impressed. This trailer doesn't really impress me all that much, except for the fact that the foes our heroes fight appear to be much more epic than their humble selves. I guess fantasy literature has twisted my expectations of "epic" as a word when it used in other contexts. Fantasy literature, and obscure European heavy metal are to blame, I swear. They're just so much more "epic", combined than this trailer could ever hope to be. While I'm yet to play through the entirety of Sacred II on the PC, I doubt it will let me climb to the top of an ivory tower by using the pile of corpses I've left in my characters wake, as a step ladder but I can only hope. Now that would be an "epic" gameplay experience...
Download Sacred II - Fallen Angel 'Epic' Trailer
Villains are always depicted as completely evil tyrants in games, with no remorse, and no goals other than their own. They always get the coolest voice actors, and they always spend their lives inside the coolest looking clothes and buildings. In the case of Damnation, the villain is PSI industries, and its owner and operator, who constructs steam-powered machines and weapons. His only motives are industrialisation, making money, and oh, you know, becoming a dictator, all that nice stuff. It is all explained in the trailer, which also reveals a little bit more about what exactly the player will do in the game.
Download Damnation 'PSI Villain' Trailer
This week's pick is the Chronicles of Riddick Dark Athena 'Concept' Video which depicts two members of the development team talking about the level design and other things they did during the conceptual stages of the game, and how things changed during the development of the game. Interesting points are squiggly lines on a whiteboard becoming in-game pillars, a puzzle that was deemed "too hard", and the redesign of a certain level over three hundred times.
If that's not to your tastes, you can always check out some of thefinely crafted, hand picked trailers listed below.
This week, we find some treasures in the real world, before going to war with a commando who happens to be Bionic. After that, we travel further into the future, in a bid to fight in-game on rails action sequences from destroying the world. Then, we contest the very sacred definition of "Epic", before meeting a damn villain.
Treasure World
)
)
)
Treasure comes in many shapes and sizes. While some people define treasure as shiny gems, rare LPs, or great caches of gold, other people are a little more easily satisfied. One such treasure that abounds in modern society is unsecured wireless access points (and, "secured" ones too). So - what better way to show off a portable, hand held game that capitalises on exploring the real world to find new treasure, and then using it in game to create musical sound scapes that you can share with your friends.
So, the developers of Treasure World did what all clued in technology lovers do. Take their DS, some form of transportation, and set out exploring their local environment, which in this case, was Downtown Austin, in Texas, to find out just how many treasures they could find.
Bionic Commando
)
)
)
Who doesn't want to be Bionic? Furthermore, who doesn't want to be a commando of sorts? Is it even better when you can be both at once? With the Capcom's latest due for release soon, the launch trailer shows what their long dormant, much imprisoned Bionic Commando will soon do within the restrictions of the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, when he finally escapes from his imprisonment. The greatest moment in the trailer is when he flies, in the air, and destroys stuff. Even though most of the trailer involves this, byt that very description, it should be a "great trailer", but is it a "great" trailer? Watch it for yourself and judge.
Terminator Salvation: The Videogame
)
)
)
The on-rails sequence has been a staple of action games ever since I can remember. Apparently, they're now such a big feature, that every time a game features one, a trailer must be released heralding its arrival. (Until it get de-reailed, at least, or happens to encounter bombs within the vicinity of Madrid.) While on-rails game sequences aren't always something that's magnificent, they're generally fun, except for the parts when the character controlling the vehicle for you crashes, or even worse, decides to drive through the worst possible route to get to your goal instead of taking the "other way". In any case, I like the bit towards the end of the sequence when the heavy machine gun fire is almost, but not quite in time with the music. Pew Pew Pew. Pew Pew. Pew Pew.
Sacred II
)
)
)
The word "epic" is defined as something which is "very imposing or impressive". So, when a trailer is named 'Epic', I expect to be very, very impressed. This trailer doesn't really impress me all that much, except for the fact that the foes our heroes fight appear to be much more epic than their humble selves. I guess fantasy literature has twisted my expectations of "epic" as a word when it used in other contexts. Fantasy literature, and obscure European heavy metal are to blame, I swear. They're just so much more "epic", combined than this trailer could ever hope to be. While I'm yet to play through the entirety of Sacred II on the PC, I doubt it will let me climb to the top of an ivory tower by using the pile of corpses I've left in my characters wake, as a step ladder but I can only hope. Now that would be an "epic" gameplay experience...
Damnation
)
)
)
Villains are always depicted as completely evil tyrants in games, with no remorse, and no goals other than their own. They always get the coolest voice actors, and they always spend their lives inside the coolest looking clothes and buildings. In the case of Damnation, the villain is PSI industries, and its owner and operator, who constructs steam-powered machines and weapons. His only motives are industrialisation, making money, and oh, you know, becoming a dictator, all that nice stuff. It is all explained in the trailer, which also reveals a little bit more about what exactly the player will do in the game.
While there are literally hundreds of trailers released for games each week, some simply don't make the cut, or try so hard to be good, that I like to make it an effort for those who really want to see them.Didn't Make the Cut
This week's pick is the Chronicles of Riddick Dark Athena 'Concept' Video which depicts two members of the development team talking about the level design and other things they did during the conceptual stages of the game, and how things changed during the development of the game. Interesting points are squiggly lines on a whiteboard becoming in-game pillars, a puzzle that was deemed "too hard", and the redesign of a certain level over three hundred times.
If that's not to your tastes, you can always check out some of the
Dead to Rights: Retribution 'Grant City' Trailer
Swords & Soldiers Launch Trailer
Family Trainer: Extreme Challenge Trailer
Sherlock Holmes: Mystery of the Mummy Video
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Viral Trailer
Monster Hunder Freedom Unite 'Hand Over' Trailer
Volv: The Game Trailer
Theatre of War II: Africa 1943 'Smart Pause' Video
MX vs. ATV Reflect Launch Trailer
Ferrari Challenge 'Enzo Ferrari' Trailer
Ferrari Challenge '430 Scuderia' Trailer
NCAA Football 10 'Season Showdown' Tutorial
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans Wii Trailer
Bionic Commando 'Lab Report' Trailer #3
Aion: The Tower of Eternity 'Eltnen Zone Tour' Trailer
Roogoo Attack! Trailer #2
All aspect Warfare 'Man Down' Trailer
Terminator Salvation: The Videogame 'Rail Sequences' Trailer
White Knight Chronicles Gamers Day Trailer
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Teaser Trailer
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