Gamescom 2010

Kevin Kelly might not look it, but he’s a trained killer (Seriously, don’t ask). So who better to spend some hands-on time with Treyarch’s brutal shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops? Kevin went behind enemy lines/PR booths last week during Gamescom to bring you back a detailed report packed to the brim with details, like:

“Remember the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, where soldiers are diving over the edge of the landing boat so they can avoid the German machine gun fire? That's what this scene hearkens back to. You only have a few seconds after the chopper crashes into the water and the Viet Cong approach, then suddenly you're completely underwater trying to escape (and able to really swim!) while bullet trails whiz through the water all around you. Fairly intense!”

Read Kevin’s full Call of Duty: Black Ops preview, or he will find you.

Being a real-life warrior of rock (like our own Frank Meyer) takes years of hard work, dedication, and quite a bit of talent. Fortunately for us, being a virtual warrior of rock requires significantly less effort and only sometimes result in some kind of Satan-appeasing sacrifice taking place in your living room. I can’t confirm or deny if that second part actually happened or not during Jem Alexander’s hands-on session with Neversoft’s Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock during Gamescom last week, but I can confirm that Jem did bring back a preview of the game. See?

“Each of the eight characters has their own little storyline and song list. Each character's track list is built around them, which means you'll find songs in similar genres grouped together here. One character specializes in punk rock, while another focuses on metal and another on classic rock, etc. Once each character has earned enough stars they will transform into a Warrior of Rock.”

Check out Jem’s full Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Gamescom preview to find out more.

The developers at ArenaNet have some mighty big hopes for their ambitious and impressive looking MMORPG sequel Guild Wars 2. I had a chance to sit in on a lengthy demo during Gamescom 2010, and came away mighty impressed with what I saw.

“Another area where Guild Wars 2 is looking to differentiate itself from the MMO pack is in how it gives players the freedom to jump between professions and mix and match abilities to their liking. Want a warrior who can also heal nearby enemies? Just set the appropriate parameters, and you’re done. ArenaNet hopes this kind of versatility will appeal to MMO regulars looking for some variety, as well as first or second time MMO players.”

Find out more about this very promising title in my Guild Wars 2 Gamescom preview.

Hot on the heels at Gamescom 2010 is ArenaNet's Senior Vice President Randy Price showing off what players can expect from Guild Wars 2. Find out what core components have been added or improved as Randy describes the visual and dynamic combat mechanics, a redesign skill system that is easy to learn, and the dynamic event system to enhance the storyline.

We haven't seen a lot about BioShock Infinite yet, but what we have seen has piqued our interest quite a bit. For one, it marks the franchise's return to the hands of creator Ken Levine, but in addition, the game has a look and setting that is incredibly fascinating.

In this interview from Gamescom 2010, Levine and Lead Artist Shawn Robertson from Irrational Games talk about where they draw their inspiration from and also discuss their creative process. Plus, find out how the setting of the game helps weave together elements of the personal story at the heart of the game.

Valve showed off a new gameplay demo for its much hyped sequel Portal 2 during Gamescom 2010 last week (check out my preview for all the details), and today brings with it some new screenshots of some of the new game elements on display in the demo.

Check out our photo gallery for more spectacular shots from Portal 2.

Do you like speculation? Then start your brain cells, because there is going to be some extremely big Diablo 3 news at BlizzCon this year. Speaking at Gamescom, game director Jay Wilson wouldn't give us any hints about a release date, but he did give us this tidbit: "I can say that this Blizzcon, in terms of Diablo news, will be the biggest one that we've ever had."

Read More »

Boy, that Jake "Bootsy" Gaskill sure gets around! Not even a couple minutes ago, we posted his Gamescom 2010 preview of Portal 2, and now he's already back with a hands-on look at LittleBigPlanet 2. It's like his omnipresent gaming thumbs are all over Germany at once! So, what did Jake have to say about Sackboy's exploits in the new game?

"Picking up the controls after not having played LBP for some time I felt instantly at home. The controls are fluid, Sackboy is slightly less floaty than in the previous game, and the grappling hook adds a wonderful bit of variety to the standard platforming. It seems that Media Molecule have done a great job of iterating on every level of the game’s design, while still maintaining that wholly unique LBP feel."

Also, I don't want to ruin the rest of the preview for you, but I have one word...Cakeinator! Trust me, you're going to love it. But you can see for yourself when you read the rest of the preview.

 

Achtung, Feedsters! We sent our intrepid field reporter Jake "The Snake" Gaskill into the wild of Central Europe...or at least to Gamescom 2010 in Cologne, Germany, where he was able to get his beady little eyes on a new preview of Portal 2. What did he find? Lots of goo, apparently, but you're going to have to take Jake's word for it.

"The demo Valve showed off at Gamescom 2010 followed the same formula as the one shown during E3, with a few welcomed exceptions. In the new demo, Chell is once again guided around by the lovably innocent AI bot Wheatley (only now with the proper voice of the brilliant Stephen Merchant)."

What other new stuff did Jake see? Well, you're going to have to read the rest of the preview to find out. We think you'll like it though, and you can trust us...we're scientists.

 

I know! You thought it couldn't be done! That it would never happen! That this game absolutely, positively would not have Master Chief in it at all! Well, that's not entirely true. We've confirmed at Gamescom 2010 that Master Chief will be in Halo: Reach ... just not in the way you're probably expecting. 

Read More »

ThatGameCompany, the creators of meditation-simulators/games Flow and Flower are dropping a new, mysterious game on the gaming world in the form of Journey, a whimsical trip through a ruined civiliation. Jem Alexander played the game at Gamescom this week, and describes it like this:

"Once again it looks as if ThatGameCompany is creating a mysterious, atmospheric world which I can't wait to explore. Journey's stunning visuals, along with its realistic sand effects and simple yet engaging gameplay means that its nebulous 2011 release date is painfully far away. Perhaps once the game is finally available you and I will be taking the Journey together."

Check out the rest of our Journey preview right here.

As a companion piece to our interview with Disney Epic Mickey's Warren Spector, please enjoy the newest, cinematic trailer from the game, fresh from Gamescom 2010.

We spoke to Disney Interactive Studios' Creative Director Warren Spector at Gamescom 2010, and got the inside word on  Mickey's new adventure, Disney Epic Mickey, as well as the general Spector philosophy as it relates to games.

"In all of my games I try to get across the idea that choices have consequences. Every choice has its rewards. Every choice has its consequences. I try really hard not to judge," Spector said. "I want to engage in a dialogue with players. I want to say, 'Here's a situation, how do you feel about this?' Through your play choices, you're going to tell me how you feel about it."

We also asked how close to finished the game is, and Spector said, "The game is complete. We're obviously debugging, but also tuning and polishing." Disney Epic Mickey is scheduled for a 2010 release on the Wii.

At Gamescom 2010 this year, we caught up with Insomniac's studio director Chad Derzern and production director Shaun McCabe and got a little more information on Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One's storyline, cooperative gamplay mechanics, and game design.

From Dust Gamescom 2010 Tech Demo Trailer »

Jake "Killer" Gaskill got his misshapen hands on From Dust, Ubisoft's unique downloadable god game. According to Jake, it's one to watch for, especially if you lust after great power.

From the preview:

"The entire game is one massive simulation and everything from the water to the terrain to the lava to the wildlife is completely dynamic and can be manipulated on the fly. This means that if you want to create a river, all you have to do is pull the left trigger and you’ll gather up a ball of whatever material you are hovering over, in this case rock, and as soon as a section is cut away, the water will flow through the hole, creating a river. Think of it as a much more complex version of the terrain editor in the Sims series."

Click here to read the rest of our From Dust preview.