Tag Archives: ubisoft

E3 Impressions: ZombiU

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well, if you haven’t noticed I’ve kind of taken a break from the blog. It’s summer, and thus, life happens. Life also ends, and sometimes horribly – like in the case of zombie attacks. There was one game this year at E3 that, while I’m not so sold on it yet, definitely intrigued me with the new hardware and interactivity. Ubisoft and Nintendo have teamed up to bring a zombie survival game that tests the boundaries of interactivity and brings a whole new perspective to the experience. The game will infect you and keep you on your toes as you try your best to survive in the upcoming: ZombiU.

The London Olympics – just prep for this?!

I’ve looked over countless interviews, stories, and information trying to compile something wonderful for you all. Consider it your survival inventory as you get ready to tackle the newest adventure from Ubisoft. I’ve looked over previews and interviews and here’s what I’ve learned so far about ZombiU, and what I think about it’s accessibility so far:

  • ZombiU seems to be a survival-horror game set in London in late 2012. I have to admit that I like the new environment vibe for this game.
  • ZombiU seems to require the use of both hands to do many of the actions required for the game. A difficulty for motion-impaired gamers.
  • ZombiU seems to have everything you’ll need to use incorporated within the Wii U controller: inventory, body scanners, etc.
  • The one touch controls of these functions definitely gives the game a plus in this regard. It seems easy, and provides accessible movements.
  • The touch screen seems like it may cause some struggles with colorblind gamers. The scanner is very bright with monotone blue tones.
  • There are moments within the game that the scanner gets disrupted. This will be extremely frustrating for deaf gamers due to loss of radar.
  • Gamers with heart conditions or other medical conditions that may be triggered by unexpected moments of fear may want to avoid this game.
  • The game is very dark and unpredicatable, which may make the game difficult for visually impaired gamers.

The game starts you off playing as a random citizen thrust headlong into surviving in this apocalyptic London environment. You’ll have to keep on your toes, keep your inventory up to date, and prepare for anything! The most innovative function I find that ZombiU carries is that Ubisoft incorporated a twist to gameplay I haven’t seen in past zombie games. If you die within the game there are NO save points. This means that the game is meant to be played through seamlessly, as though you are truly a survivor of the apocalypse. If you die, don’t worry though, you’ll be brought back as a brand new survivor. You WILL lose any inventory or upgrades you earned as your first survivor, but hold on – there’s a catch.
Don’t think that all is lost – [ even if that zombie is eating your brains like a bowl of oatmeal… ]

God Save The Queen – and EVERYONE ELSE!

You may come back as a new survivor, but if you FIND your old survivor body and kill the now-zombified former you, you’ll acquire ALL of the inventory, upgrades, etc. that the former survivor had. The bonus here is that things like doors, or impassable areas you may not have been able to access as a new survivor will already be opened and accessible. This means that each new playthrough will be different and more dynamic than the next. Ubisoft designed the game with surprise of the survival horror genre in mind. These aspects of the game may make the game more difficult for some gamers, but I’m actually excited for this title because of the unexpected design of it.
I want to feel frightened as I play through the London expanse. I want to feel like, no matter what, the gameplay won’t provide a linear similar experience each time. I want to feel that sense of tension around every corner, even if I’ve been around that corner before. I feel like, while the Wii U controller may be cumbersome and challenging, it’s going to aid in providing a brand new sort of survival experience that no one’s ever had before. I may have my concerns in terms of accessibility, but overall this game looks as though it’ll be one of the more adult successes for the Nintendo franchise. I can’t wait to get my hands on this for real and test out my survival skills – but this is shaping up to be a scary good time!
ZombiU is set to release right around the holiday release time of Wii U. So here’s to all of the disembodied fun and hoping we survive our royal induction into the infected world of ZombiU coming late 2012! Thanks Nintendo for giving me a reason to fear your console with an M rated passion!

E3 Impressions: Assassin’s Creed III

Posted by Chad Knick on

The Assassin’s Creed series has been a staple of my gaming library for at least 6 years now. I’ve followed Desmond from his first days in the Animus, and I’ve travelled through time to some of my favorite eras in history: Jerusalem, Renaissance Italy, and the Byzantine Empire. I’ve seen it all and I’ve enjoyed every conspiracy driven minute of the Assassin’s journey, and now Ubisoft is bringing my much loved franchise to an era that I can’t get enough of. Assassin’s Creed III will bring the boats back around, setting sail for a story centered in Colonial America.

“It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.” – George Washington

With a new addition to Assassin’s series comes a brand new assassin to embody. The game will continue following the story of Desmond, but this time his ancestry takes him neck deep within the Revolutionary War. You’ll get the opportunity to strap on the white cowl as you play as Connor, a half-Native American/half-English assassin, who becomes a silent voice for liberty above the tyranny of the British soldiers. Now from what I’ve seen, this game has everything I could ever ask for when considering what I would want out of a 18th century experience.

It would be incredibly easy to go into a in-depth, multi-paragraphed dissertation on all of the ways Ubisoft has altered the newest addition to their Assassin’s series. I, however, will try and remain completely objective and refrain from my fan-boy obsessions with the time period and characters to give you a detailed and unbiased multi-platform examination of the game. Here goes:

  • In past Assassin’s Creed games the game has had some linearity to it, but it felt like an open world experience. In AC III Ubisoft truly revamps the open world experience for the game. I always found that in past iterations of the Assassin’s series that, while the environments looked beautiful, they lacked environmental climate changes. In AC III Ubisoft has seen the need for environmental experiences. Players can now experience the weight of walking through thick tufts of snow, crunching over mounds of dried leaves, and even fighting off generated wildlife that roams the wood.

The most epic game of “Hide and Seek” ever.

  • In AC III there seems to be far more open ended fun to be had. The quest systems seem to be more ‘in the moment’ and even if they’re similar in some fashion [ and by this I’m referring to the fetch quests, assassinations, etc. eventually they felt very similar in scheme after a couple of attempts.] Ubisoft seems to want to change that with letting you feel as though each mini-quest is as important as the main story scheme. Interact with historical figures and feel like a meaningful part of the Revolution Era. I’m sort of loving this, and I can’t wait to see what that means for further gameplay.
  • It seems as though your main enemy in this game is, of course, the Templars. The Templars seem to be mostly associated with the British soldiers, but that’s not saying there probably won’t be some traitors within American ranks either [ I’m actually kind of hoping for that! ] Ubisoft really focused on being authentic though, because if you watch the gameplay scenarios, the soldiers only shoot once before they have to ambush you with bayonets.
  • This is going to give a lot of variation to the new gameplay mechanics, and with some of the new moves that seem to be showing – I think this will be one of the most versatile combat systems we’ve seen out of the Assassin’s series. The movement and dodge mechanics seem to have new animations and provide the player with a brand new experience that makes every combat scenario a unique experience. I can’t wait to kill off Templar goons, string them up, use them as bullet shields, etc. Oh, and let’s not forget that there’s actually going to be naval ship battles too – which blows me away! No pun intended!
  • The game has multiplayer of course, and though I haven’t seen much of it. It looks like they’ve made the system easier to deal with and more accommodating to the user. I was unfortunately disappointed by the Revelations revamp and how difficult the system was to handle. I preferred the interface they incorporated in Brotherhood, but it seems as though the interface for AC III seems far more fitting to the user.
  • The game is going to be released multi platform as always, but what makes AC III so intriguing for me is that it’s going to be coming out for Wii U, PS3, 360 and PC. I’m intrigued by the possibility of AC III on the Wii U. Will you be able to use the second screen function as a far more visible HUD, inventory screen, etc. How will the touch screen be implemented? This also brings to mind the 360 Smart Glass. How will Smart Glass help AC III differ on their system in comparison to if I bought it for PS3?

For Liberty and Justice For All

I’m hoping the new gameplay and environmental elements of AC III will bring Connor’s story to life in the greatest way possible. I’m hoping with new technology and new ways to interact with the AC universe that Assassin’s Creed III will be one of my most loved and cherished games. I will be on pins and needles waiting to see how this game unfolds, but it’s shaping up to be one of the most epic adventures that Ubisoft has ever unveiled.

Thanks guys for giving this designer something to truly swoon over both from a gamer perspective and from a tech junkie’s anticipation! The game’s slated for October 2012 – so get ready folks! The Revolution is coming!

E3 Impressions: Watch Dogs

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well, so I’ve highlighted two PS3 exclusives in a row and so I feel it’s only right to detail a game that’ll be going multi-platform. It’s not often that I get surprised by a third-party conference, but Ubisoft punched me in the face this time. Near the end of their conference they released a brand new IP: Watch Dogs.

Everything is Connected. Connection is Power.

The following trailers contain some language and violence, but I’m so stoked by the conceptual idea that I can look past that, and look forward to the completed product.

This is how they introduced the product:

In a generation that’s littered with conspiracy theories, financial concerns, explosive gas prices, war, and civil unrest in our everyday society, I can’t tell you how chilling this game concept felt for me. The idea that data silos are sitting somewhere out there in an interconnected community and YOU can be in control of it all – makes the hairs on the back of my neck tingle with both fear and excitement. Here’s where it gets fun, so Ubisoft dropped that trailer, and THEN they released a section of initial gameplay for the game:

Are you kidding me?! – The graphics quality is something that I’ve always found special about Ubisoft productions. Their stories, graphics, and characters are some of the most prolific and beautiful that I’ve ever witnessed. I’m still unsettled on whether or not Watch Dogs will feature one protagonist, or if Watch Dogs will be some sort of multiplayer game – via the online services. Either way I’m excited to see what this unsettling game is going to deliver.

Total Control? Yes! Thank you!

The idea that I can go around playing as [ from what’s been presented currently ] a protagonist named Aiden Pierce, in the seedy underbelly of Chicago. The game seems to be about vengeance and justice being retained for Pierce. The game is also reportedly going to be an open world environment, which means I’ll be able to solve problems, accomplish goals, and side missions in more than one way [ Horray for non-linear formats! ].

It seems like Watch Dogs is not only going to test players abilities to solve problems, but also will give them the free will to determine how Pierce will escape capture, seek his vengeance, and so forth. This small detail will give so much more depth to the gameplay, allowing players to either play as a sympathetic, stealthier assassin – or a havoc and chaos type player where casualties aren’t a concern to your primary objective. How awesome!

The game is slated for some time in 2013 and will be fully playable on XBox, PS3, and PC. So – get your thumbs ready for some major conspiracy control folks! This game looks amazing and I love the HUD displays simplicity as well as the gritty, dark gameplay of it all! Watch Dogs – definitely a game to ‘watch‘ out for! I’ll keep folks posted as more comes about!

Thanks Ubisoft for this gaming nugget!

Retrospective: E3 2012

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve gone through all of the E3 conferences, and right now I’m exhausted by the amount of information and gamer love I have to share with all of you. There’s so much content that I have to cover that I won’t even begin to start detailing them all within ONE post. This would be unfair to developers, publishers, and pretty much anyone in the industry if I rushed detailing all of the highs and lows of this year’s biggest event.

I had some definite moments where I was blown out of my seat, and there were also moments where I was begging for more. I’ll have more reports on all of these games in detail, but for now I’ll give you a run down list of the games that were covered via the conferences and I’ll highlight the ones that shocked and awed me so that you’ll see what I’m looking forward to covering most:

Microsoft:

  • Halo 4
  • Gears of War: Judgment
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops II
  • Splinter Cell: Blacklist
  • Nike + 
  • Resident Evil 6
  • Tomb Raider
  • EA Sports [ Madden 13, etc.]
  • XBox Smart Glass

Sony:

  • Beyond
  • Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale
  • God of War: Ascension
  • Last of Us
  • Assassin’s Creed III
  • Assassin’s Creed: Liberation
  • Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified 
  • Far Cry 3
  • Wonderbook
  • and other Tech related improvements

Nintendo:

  • Super Mario Bros. U
  • Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition
  • Paper Mario: Sticker 
  • Scribblenauts: Unlimited
  • Luigi’s Mansion
  • Nintendoland
  • Pikmin 3
  • Zombi U
  • Lego City Undercover
  • Wii Fit U

Ubisoft:

  • Assassin’s Creed III
  • Splinter Cell: Blacklist
  • Rayman: Legends
  • Far Cry 3
  • Just Dance 4
  • Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
  • Zombi U
  • Shootmania
  • Watchdogs

EA:

  • Dead Space 3
  • Madden 13
  • SimCity Social
  • SimCity
  • Medal of Honor: Warfighter
  • FIFA 13
  • Need For Speed: Most Wanted
  • Crysis 3
  • Other game updates, tech, etc.

Note:

I will also be detailing a couple of Tech Talk posts in relation to the new hardware/software properties that some of these companies put out. These posts will be more of my own personal opinion on how I feel these properties will aid/inhibit accessibility, education, etc. within games. They should be taken with a grain of salt seeing as I can currently only judge visually without actually having hands-on experience with them yet.

So – great E3 and I’m excited to talk in depth about a ton of these games and my impressions! Look forward to updates in the coming week. The first game I’ll be talking about is one of Sony’s great new IP’s that blew me out of the water: Beyond, so look forward to that soon!