Friday 19 May 2006
With the long running WWE SmackDown! series about to make the transition to next-gen - SmackDown! vs Raw 2007 will be released on PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year, alongside PS2 and PSP versions - we were recently given a rare opportunity to quiz the masterminds behind the game, the Yokohama-based development team Yuke's.
In part one of our exclusive interview, we quiz them on next-gen difficulties, how they sidestep not being able to motion-capture top WWE stars, and what
Spoilers suck. Not because they give away the endings of popular games, but because they don't do anything else. That's why we're adding a little something special to our Tomb Raider: Legend spoiler video that we know you're going to want to see. Because even if you've finished Lara's latest adventure, you haven't seen it end like this.
Over the course of the game, you'll be able to unlock several costumes for Lara, depending on what objects you collect and how quickly you complete the game.
Wherever the future of gaming takes us, we know there will be wrestling there. WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007 proves it, riding the next-gen wave with fully interactive wrestling arenas, brawling in the stands, more realistic grappling and some of the slickest-looking wrestlers you've ever seen. (For the full scoop, check out our hands-on preview.)
During E3, we sat down to pick the brains of two of the game's developers - Hiromi Furuta, senior vice president of Yuke's, and Taku Chihaya, senior
In part one of our interview with two of the developers of WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007, we learned about wrestler rosters, new opportunities for dirty tricks and their sources of inspiration. In part two, Yuke's Senior Vice President Hiromi Furuta and Senior Director Taku Chihaya (along with translator and project manager Colin Mack) talk about making the leap to next-gen consoles, their thoughts on the Wii and why the PS2 version won't suck despite its current-gen tarnish.
When you first
Wednesday 24 May 2006
In part two of our exclusive interview, SmackDown! developer Yuke's talks PS3 controllers, keeping up with roster changes, elusive legends and Wii. To read the first part of the interview, click here.
Sony recently announced its new PS3 controller will have a motion sensor. Can you see a way of using that in a future SmackDown! game?
Taka Chihaya (Yokohama studio senior director, Yuke's): Well, I only touched one for the first time at E3 so I haven't had much time to
Assassin's Creed
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release Date: Spring 2007
Of all the PS3 games we've seen in action, Assassin's Creed is the only one that really seems to take advantage of what the PS3 is capable of. As a twelfth-century assassin named Altair, you'll roam the crowded streets of Jerusalem, seeking out your marks in an effort to halt the Third Crusade. Aside from stunning graphics, crowds that react realistically and gameplay that combines the best elements of
Super Mario Galaxy
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date:TBA
We knew there was going to be a Mario for Wii, but to get one right away is a treasure indeed. Super Mario Galaxy still plays a lot like the past two 3D adventures, but the constantly changing gravity and Wii-mote features make this one feel both brand new and warm-and-fuzzily
God of War II
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: SCE Santa Monica
Release Date: Feb. 2007
If you need assurance that Sony won't abandon the PS2 after the PS3 launches, look no further than God of War II. The short level cobbled together for E3 hit all the right notes, from the opening where Kratos plummets about 30,000 feet and lands unharmed to his acquisition of the Golden
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Fall 2006
First unveiled at this year's Game Developer's Conference, Phantom Hourglass continues cartoon-Link's adventures in the waterlogged world of The Wind Waker. In an attempt to maximize the DS experience, this one uses nothing but the stylus to guide Link through dungeons, grassy fields and a vast ocean. You'll even get some new multiplayer games for your buds to play
BioShock
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Release Date: 2007
Easily the creepiest thing we've ever seen, the disturbing mood of BioShock is hammered into your skull by the unsettling and leaky underwater environment, as well as by the haunting 1930s melodies warbling from the speakers. The nightmare factor gets ratcheted up once you encounter your enemies, because as BioShock's developer describes, "We weren't scared by the monsters we created, but then we realized that the
