Ever since I bought my EuroGamer Expo tickets in April, I have been shaken and sweating at the exciting prospect of witnessing and playing 2011's most anticipated games. So, as I stepped out of Earl's Court station yesterday, a huge smile spread across my face. This grin wasn't wiped off until I plonked my self down on my sofa at home! EuroGamer 2011 was amazing. The atmosphere was incredible, the people were friendly and the range of stalls went from American sweets to the PS Vita. So, after spending a whole day up in London, I thought it would be nice to recall some key events for those people who couldn't make it :(
As we wandered around gaining our bearings, we stumbled across a little game called Rage. With around 50 TV screens, id Software had one of the largest stalls at EuroGamer this year. The level I played was in an abandoned and destroyed hotel which was crawling with charging orc type enemies. The first thing that struck me was that the much applauded graphics didn't seem to be all they are hyped up to be. Yes it runs smoothly and even in the more chaotic scenes there was not one shudder, but the textures seemed slightly flat and the particle effects average. However, you cant judge a game by its graphics! The gameplay was smooth and the weapons were great fun, likewise, the driving sections fitted in well and vehicles handled realistically. Whilst it was only a short 10 minute experience, Rage, for some reason, didn't impress me. I think it may have been the disappointing visuals, but we can decide the final game when it is released on October 7th.
After Rage we continued to wander where I found a spare seat for Uncharted 3 online but this time in 3D. The 3D worked well as a novelty but I cant really see it working as a main gimmick, especially in multiplayer which requires less admiring and more action. Behind Uncharted (which Sony was pushing extremely hard) was a little indie game by thatgamecompany, the creators of PSN classics like Flower and Flo. It was called Journey and followed a little mysterious figure wandering through a large, shape shifting desert. The experience was pristine and you were taken away from the crowds as you wandered carelessly as a cloud. One to keep an eye on I'm sure.
Whilst we considered whether to queue for Skyrim or Batman which were. by far, the most popular games at EuroGamer (both had a queue over an hour long), we popped into the indie section. If you could fight of the pungent smell of sweat and energy drinks, you could find a couple of real gems within the barrage of little downloadable games. There were a few hit and miss such as a Minecraft copy but with dots to make up the graphics and a tedious puzzle game involving hearts, but overall the quality was outstanding. The inclusion of the front facing camera from an Ipad 2 meant that one game had you tilting your hands to guide sand into a box. These beautiful, intuitive, new ways of playing made the future look bright for indie developers. On a similar note, Hello Games were there with their amazing Joe Danger 2. I don't really know what else I can say about that apart from, its another Joe Danger game!
So, after an hour and a half of chilling and relaxing, we decided to step up ante. Although the queue for the PS Vita was an hour long, we dived in and stood there patiently, drooling at the sight of Sony's new handheld. Compared to the other demo's at EuroGamer, PS Vita gave you a 10 minute session with a helper who guided and explained the device in great depth. They were really friendly and made you feel at ease with the new device. The first thing that struck me was how light the device is. it must have weighed around 20 grams, without the 40 gram battery that is. Much like the iPhone 4 though, it is light but feels sturdy in your hands and sits well, resulting in a natural holding position which, after the arm bending 3DS, is a miracle. I got to play WipeOut which beautifully showcased the 5 inch OLED screen which produced strong and vibrant colours that could stand tall next to Apple's retina display. The back touchpad works really well as your fingers fall there naturally, I hope developers use the touchapd as it really could add some true innovations to handheld gaming. Whilst the Vita blew my mind, the one little niggle i had was its shoulder buttons which felt a bit clunky and didn't really 'click'. I'm sure you can get used to this, but for a console which utilises the shoulder buttons a lot, it was a bit of a shame. Overall, the Vita is a gorgeous bit of kit that is sure to succeed, I know for certain that my pre-order is going down as soon as Sony sniff at Europe!
To help us recover from a melted face we decided to check out some of the other AAA titles, but not the really really busy ones! The first game I spotted was the rock hard Dark Souls, spiritual successor to 2010's monstrous Demon Souls. As you may know, I am not the biggest RPG fan of all time, I struggle to enjoy them and get properly involved. Because of this, I wasn't really expecting anything from Dark Souls, apart from it to be ridiculously hard. The demo lasted fro around 15 minutes but I couldn't defeat the first 'boss', a giant warthog. You may laugh, but then my friend Toran played it and, regarding that he has Platinumed Fallout 3, he couldn't beat the damn warthog either. So, to conclude then, Dark Souls looks really nice, but is so darn hard that I cant say anything else about it! To recover from the post-traumatic experience that was Dark Souls I then jumped into a quick Team Deathmatch on Assassins Creed Revelations which was pleasantly surprising with bold visuals and the most tense online component that I have ever played.
After delving in Dark Souls and Assassins Creed I decided to take the risk and queue for Skyrim, but as I was waiting patiently I spotted a stall with SSX in. I did a cartoony blink at the sight of this, SSX is one of my favourite franchises ever and the latest installment is one of my most anticipated. I used over and got ready for the avalanche on my senses. All I can say is just wow. Gamers feared that SSX would be taking a new sensible route and we all went mental about it, but I can safely say that SSX is returning to its roots and, at the moment, has a classic on its hands. The crazy tricks are still there, the insane sense of speed is even more prevalent, the tracks are over the top and the soundtrack booms away, quickening your pulse. The experience simply made me grin with pure nostalgia and, surprise surprise, adrenaline. With a much deeper character selection which includes ice hooks and squirrel suits, the new SSX is looking to be shaking things up, but keeping it safe at the same time, its a risky move, but one that seems to be working exquisitely. .
With queues dropping and time running out, the whole group decided to take a plunge and dive into Skyrim. Luckily, we only had to wait a mere 15 mins for our glorious turn of the years most anticipated game. Surround sound headphones? Check. 50 Inch TV? Check. Endless world? Check. Not only was the demo for Skyrim the full game world, but it also gave you the chance to customize your character down to his eye depth. You can probably work it out, but Skyrim blew me away. I was expecting it to be huge, but not that huge! Gone are the empty lifeless forests of Oblivion, instead, you have the most lively and pulsating atmosphere in a game that I can remember. The vista's are amazing and the range of settings is huge. A 20 minute demo saw me explore caves, climb a mountain and invade a walled city. The combat is, well, perfect, with a range of weapons and the ability to dual wield spells. Akimbo fire? Check! There are many games people claim need to be played once in a lifetime, and even 2 months before its release date, I am labelling Skyrim as one of these games. The world is so beautiful and it breaths, you an feel it breath. OK, I am lathering the game, but really, it was incredible and well worth the £5 entry fee and train journey alone!
Thats it. These are the highlights that I hope you enjoy. EuroGamer was awesome and, although I tried a trifle of epic games, there were still loads that I didn't. Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Anarchy Reigns, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, I missed out on all these awesome games, but, to be honest, I really couldn't care less. For the price of a McDonald's I got to wander Skyrim, feel the future of handhelds and bask in the best atmosphere ever. Us gamers get a lot of slack through the media, but if they could only see the pure passion and excitement that everyone feels, then they would surely change their mind. Until next year,
James :)
The world would be a very boring place without music. Imagine waking up in the morning to the horrible sound of silence, no birds singing, no wind rustling the trees, no bin men shouting at each other. Everything needs music, fact. No more so than games, surprisingly! Much like movies, games benefit hugely with a impeccably crafted soundtrack as the rhythm sways and beats alongside the experience. What would the Psycho shower scene be without the screeching violins?
Music adds to the experience and without it, it is not the same. So, to celebrate the beauty of sound, here are my favourite game soundtracks of all time......
God of War series - Gerard K Marino
Not only does the God of War franchise bring epic battles and twisting narratives into the mix, it utilises a grand and majestic soundtrack composed by Gerard K Marino. The sweeping orchestra transcends faultlessly from highs to lows as the player effortlessly controls crazy man Kratos as he rips open someone's skull. The pairing of sight and sound combine to create a truly epic piece of gaming bliss. Whether it is making love to a sexaayyy Greek God or constantly punching your dads face, Mr Marino's soundtrack is always there, intensifying the scenes. A wonderful piece of composing.
SSX On Tour - Various Artist's
A 'soundtrack' doesn't have to consist of layered orchestral monsters, instead, some games simply rely on everyday bands and artists with everyday tunes. Whilst the SSX franchise is normally considered to have one of the best soundtracks of all time, I personally feel that the sub par sequel On Tour is by far the best. The range of artists goes from gangster Jurassic Park to rock gods Iron Maiden, but somehow each song fits perfectly alongside each other. One of my defining memories of gaming would be riding down the mountain listening to Banquet by Bloc Party, the many tunes have stuck with me and are still permanently booming out of my headphones! Bar a later entry, SSX On Tour is my favourite soundtrack of all time, OF ALL TIME!
Mario - Various Artists
C'mon, seriously? How could I not do a list without the beautifully iconic Mario theme tune? Ding ding ding dinga ding dinga ding. Thats my attempted impression using text, but not even that can do the various songs justice.There are many arguments regarding which Mario them tune is the best, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Kart? All of them are fantastic, but in my eyes, only one stands victorious, that is of course, Super Mario Bro's. The manic Japanese tinks and tanks just simply make you smile with their cheery tunes. So, to conclude, not only is Mario the pinnacle of pure gameplay, but he also houses the greatest collection of theme songs? Truly an iconic tune.
Legend Of Zelda Ocarina of Time - Koji Kondo
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What is it with Ninetendo and their tunes? Whether its just the catchy style of exquisite execution, the whole Nintendo library seems to have a pile of great sound tracks, but if I had to pick another one, it would no doubt be Ocarina. As many of you know a full orchestrated recreation of the classic songs were performed at Nintendo's E3 conference. As the only good thing about that conference, the performance is going to go down in history as millions of nerds sat at their computers and cried their eyes out. The songs are pure gaming nostalgia, but don't forgret that they are a major component for arguably the greatest game of all time!
Portal - Kelly Bailey and Mike Morasky
The little darling of gaming stands as having one of the greatest soundtracks of all time and dare I say it, the greatest ending sequence ever. I am struggling to choose between the original or the sequel but I have decided to choose the first. What at first seems like a friendly science lab evolves into a seamlessly evil headquarters for a deranged robot, and as we take this journey, so does the music. Starting off electronic and smooth the sounds change into darker themes, utilising reverb and other crazy synth-y terms, resulting in a haunting experience with tunes that will not get out of your head. But, I hear you ask, what about Still Alive? The best song ever? Well, all I can say about Still Alive is just......... nothing, it is too perfect.
GTA IV - Various Artists
It is rare for a game to owe a lot of its success to its soundtrack, yet alone a whole franchise. That is why the whole Grand Theft Auto series is a masterclass in song choice. So you have a rare franchise which is known for its incredible soundtrack, but much like Mario, which one is best? Although Vice City and San Andreas did have lubbly jubbly soundtracks, I personally believe that the latest instalment just tips the others to the line. The reason for this is the pure range of songs, if you like Latino music, you can listen to it, if you like Classic Rock, you are catered for, the list goes on and on. With over 10 radio stations all beaming out music goodness, whatever you preference, the team at Rockstar made sure your ear buds were satisfied.
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
When EA released Skate in 2007, the Tony Hawks franchise sadly diminished into nothing. The once great franchise had turned to kiddy fun, a turn that made gamers skate away. However, the Tony Hawks series holds many legacies, one being the best sports game of all time, another being some of the most intuitive controls ever, but for me, the biggest memory is its amazing soundtrack. A magical mix of thrash metal, heavy rap, heavy rock, every hardcore music genre was included and somehow managed to be coherent and fantastic. The amount of classic songs was ridiculous; the beats of Bring the Noise and the wow wow of Tom Merrelo's guitar for Guerilla Radio all came together in a nirvana of not just music heaven, but gaming heaven. Likewise, THPS 3 and 4 both had rocking soundtracks, but I believe that number 2 holds the title. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2, in my mind, defeats all classical artsy fartsy songs, and rises to the top. Best soundtrack ever.
Honourable Mentions
Before I leave you I would like to say that I understand that this list may not be to your preference and misses out on a few other great soundtracks, here the ones that didn't make the list........
