Author - Jerry Paxton

Preview of Take on Helicopters from E3 2011

2011/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, News, Previews

Bohemia Interactive has long been known for their ArmA wargame series. In the fourth quarter of 2011, however, the developer is planning to release a dedicated flight simulation called Take On Helicopters. Take On Helicopters focuses on, if you could not already tell, helicopter aviation.

The game features several difficulty options for virtual pilots of all skill levels and a beautiful graphics engine that is based on the ArmA 2 game engine. Instead of having to focus on handling an entire battlefield of armies, the game engine is free to focus on the terrain, flight dynamics, and story elements with stunning results.

Additionally, Bohemia Interactive is taking some real innovations with Take On Helicopters that most simulations don’t. Biggest of these is the inclusion of a detailed singleplayer campaign which tells the story of a man trying to make his family’s aviation business profitable. Players will also be able to get out and walk around their helicopters at the heliport in order to do visual inspections and pre-flight checks before boarding for takeoff. While on the ground, players will also be able to speak with other characters in order to advanced the story and accept missions.

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYXXYoj0TlBY img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/YXXYoj0TlBY/0.jpg embed=true share=false width=640 height=360 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

When asked about performing military operations in a helicopter, we were told that while not a combat simulation, Take On Helicopters will allow players to fly some military-style operations by way of a flashbacks. The main character’s brother is a veteran chopper pilot for the US Army and when you speak to him, sometimes you get the option to relive one of his missions. The extent of these military operations is still unknown, but it all adds up to a flight simulation that will be a lot more dynamic than your average, run-of-the-mill civil aviation game.

I got a chance to take the controls at the demo kiosk and took command of a light helicopter similar to an MD-500. I am unsure as to the exact model and make. I was also told that the flight model was actually that of a medium helicopter as the light helicopter flight model was not ready to be shown yet. So, I put myself on a course for the Seattle skyline and began circling about the city. Even with auto-rudder on (there were no rudder pedals at the kiosk), the chopper flew beautifully and the occasional turbulence effects added a lot to the realism of virtual flight.

The game will be fully compatible with head-tracking solutions as well as triple monitor displays and is scheduled for release on the Windows PC platform come the end of this year.

Screenshots

Trenched E3 2011 Preview

2011/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, News, Previews


We got a chance to sit down with Double Fine at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo and take an up-close look at their upcoming tower defense/mech shooter, Trenched, which is due out in just a couple weeks on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points.

Demo Part One

Demo Part Two

30 Seconds of Catherine Gameplay

2011/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, News

Here is our new “30 Seconds of Gameplay” segment from this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo. In this installment, we take a look at the upcoming erotic puzzle game, Catherine, from Atlus.

 

ArmA III Preview from E3 2011

2011/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, News

Bohemia Interactive’s Armed Assault, or, “ArmA” series has been a fan favorite since they split from Codemasters’ umbrella after developing the original Operation Flashpoint. The game series has been known for extremely realistic limitations of motion as well as realistic equipment, tactics, and weapons platforms. With the announcement of ArmA III, I made sure to make an appointment with them at this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles and was not disappointed…

Stepping into the small room where BI was demoing the game to media, I was treated to several pages of pictures showing off various equipment and character images. As it turns out, THIS entry into the ArmA series is actually set in the near-future, albeit in a slightly alternate universe which allows them to experiment with new weapons and equipment platforms.

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DFTjlErWz3cc img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/FTjlErWz3cc/0.jpg embed=true share=false width=640 height=360 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

ArmA III features a new incarnation of the graphics engine seen in ArmA II as well as an overhauled campaign system. As the developer began playing through a bit of infantry movement, it was very clear that the restrictive movement of past games has been remedied. While not looking as free-flowing as, say, Battlefield 3 or Modern Warfare 3, the game’s player movement looks much smoother and should allow for new players to take quickly to the basic controls.

Even though I touched on the upgraded visuals a bit earlier, I must reiterate this point. This is the most beautiful ArmA title yet and as the player moved through the scrub for cover and ran across fields, I was very much blown away by just how great the game looked. After showing a bit of the game world from an infantryman’s point-of-view, the developer took to the skies in a Comanche attack helicopter.

Of course, this is not the actual Comanche as, well, that program was canceled. However, this is that alternate timeline I mentioned and, in that timeline, it is in service. This alternate timeline allows BI to create amalgam vehicles and weapons to those found in our own reality, but also it allows them to customize the type and number of these items to make the game more accessible. As opposed to having hundreds of real-world weapons, each with slightly different specifications that many new users would not understand, BI has created fewer, clearly different platforms with much easier to understand roles.

The next sequence of gameplay took to the seas with a patrol boat driving around coastal waters. The waves rippled realistically behind the boat as it cruised and the developer explained that ArmA III was going to feature a brand-new physics modeling system which includes rag-doll physics for the human characters (checkout the grenade video below).

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DTgb24hNSRxQ img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/Tgb24hNSRxQ/0.jpg embed=true share=false width=640 height=360 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

The final sequence the developer showed off was some underwater navigation utilizing a portable underwater propulsion pod. The occlusion of the water and refraction of light was great to look at and should make for yet another navigation vector possibility for both the single-player campaign as well as user-made missions.

Speaking of user-made missions, the developer spoke about the game’s mission editor which, unlike previous installments, will be fully-3D allowing for easier placement of units and other objects. Also included is the game’s legendary scripting system which allows users to get the maximum level of control in creating their own experiences.

ArmA III looks like it will be an incredibly fun tactical wargame with an easier barrier of entry for new players and enough complexity for veteran ones. It is set for release next Summer on the Windows PC platform.

ArmA III E3 2011 Screens

Preview of Aliens: Colonial Marines from E3 2011

2011/06/10
Jerry Paxton
E3, News, Previews

While at this year’s E3 expo, we got a behind closed-doors look at SEGA and Gearbox Software’s upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines. Gearbox Software’s president, Randy Pitchford, gave the presentation which took us through some of the gameplay to be featured

The presentation for Colonial Marines saw the player join a squad of marines from the USS Sephora as they investigate what exactly happened onboard the USS Sulaco, which was the colonial marine troopship from the film Aliens. In the course of their investigation, the ship is somehow crippled and the marines must evacuate down to the surface of LV-426 “Archeron”, the planet also featured in the film. Of course, the area of the colony on-planet is a mess because of the massive explosion created when the atmosphere processor blew-up, so the area is treacherous even without aliens to deal with.

The colonial marines in this game feature some slightly upgraded and enhanced equipment from the marines featured in the film. The M-41A Pulse Rifle, for example, sports new iron sights as well as function modes. Even the players motion trackers have been enhanced, using a blue and red color system to denote between hostile and friendly targets. Throughout the demo, the player picked up and activated sentry turrets which can be deployed to provide support for your fellow marines. One interesting aspect of the gameplay was the lack of a huge reticule or UI elements. The reticule was slight and other player UI elements were very minimalistic so the player’s view was setup as if they were really looking through the eyes of their marine – lifting the motion tracker up with their left hand to check the screen when it began “pinging” targets.

[stream provider=youtube flv=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D8rhq5ke0WGg img=x:/img.youtube.com/vi/8rhq5ke0WGg/0.jpg embed=true share=false width=640 height=360 dock=true controlbar=over bandwidth=high autostart=false /]

Also of interest is where the team at Gearbox is taking the storyline. While on the surface of the planet, it appears as though the Xenomorphs began using a rhino-like creatures as targets for their offspring. This has yielded aliens which run very quickly and can charge through you and your team. Facing this new threat, the marines make a tactical advence in the opposite direction. These reminded me a lot of the Bull/Rhino Aliens from Dark Horse comics extended Aliens comic universe.

The demo showed off some various bits of marine vs. alien combat, even having a grapple system (exact controls unknown) when aliens would jump onto the player in order to impale them through the brain pan with their projectile-like inner-jaws. The visuals were at least on par with Rebellion’s remake of their own Aliens vs. Predator , but the model animations looked much smoother. Aliens would spawn randomly from various directions and openings like grates, windows, etc and there were several scripted sequences inter-mixed with the AI action. The demo even had a soundtrack based on the James Horner score of the film – although it is unknown if the score heard at the demo was indicative of the final product at this time.

Overall, Aliens: Colonial Marines looks like it is going to be a real treat for fans of the IP as well as tactical shooters in general.

Aliens: Colonial Marines features drop-in/drop-out multiplayer gameplay and will be coming out for the Xbox 36o, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC platforms in the Spring of 2012. Pitchford also mentioned in the demonstration room that the game is being used as a prototype for integration with Nintendo’s new Wii U console.

Story-Related Images from Aliens: Colonial Marines at E3 2011