Mongo Nation

We demo the latest in shooting and slicing technology

Red Steel was the first third-party game to find success on the Nintendo Wii, generating massive sales despite generally lukewarm reviews. Red Steel 2 addresses critics’ gripes regarding visuals, controls and aesthetic by setting the game in a retro-futuristic setting similar to 1973’s cult sci-fi classic, “Westworld”. The graphical presentation takes a major leap forward by using a less realistic, cell-shaded look like “No More Heroes”. Lastly, the control has been largely improved by utilizing the new Wii-Motion Plus to give the player true 1:1 control over the game’s weapons.

We shot a video of our friend Duke Ferris from GameRevolution.com demoing the game live at E3. Check it out!

We talk to Game Producer Sebastien Puel

Assassin’s Creed was one of the biggest selling games of 2007. Assassin’s Creed 2 looks to provide many of the same thrills that made the first so great, while making improvements to virtually every aspect of the gameplay and graphic engine. For sheer visual impact and fluidity of control, Assassin’s Creed 2 is nearly unparalleled. We talked to the game producer Sebastian Puel about what to expect from the sequel:

We talk to Splinter Cell Conviction Lead Designer Steven Masters

Splinter Cell has never really been my cup of tea, what with all the outdated, 90s spy flick motif and slow, sneaky gameplay. Creeping around like a churchmouse, re-enacting scenes from Mission Impossible just isn’t my style. Splinter Cell: Conviction seems intent on changing my mind about that. Taking more of a Jack Bauer apporach to stealth action, Sam Fisher is now gifted with the ability to sneak and kick the living shit out of people AT THE SAME TIME! We talked to Lead Designer Steven Masters about the new, improved Sam Fisher, and what to expect from one of this year’s most anticipated and surprisingly fresh titles:

We talk to Game Producer Jesse Abney

This year’s iteration of Need For Speed is a departure from previous games in the gene, in that it takes a more hardcore sim apporach to the racing genre. We talked to producer Jesse Abney about what’s new in Need For Speed: Shift, and how they plan to bring the true driving experience to life:

Check back every day for tons more exclusive interviews with the developers behind this year’s hottest games!

You’ve finished the fight, now go back and start a new one!

By Jeremy Azevedo

Halo 3 ODST is sure to be one of the most anticipated titles to come out of this year’s E3, and for good reason… Halo is the IP that put Microsoft on the gaming map, and remains their most popular exclusive franchise to date (not for lack of trying on the part of Gears of War).

So what are Microsoft and Bungie to do now that Halo 3 has wrapped up the epic three-part story that gamers all over the world fell in love with? Apparently, the answer is to go back to the beginning…

Meet the ODST.

Actually, to say that ODST goes back to the beginning is sort of misleading. That credit would be due to this year’s Halo Wars, of course. Actually, ODST takes place prior to the events of Halo 3, and does not in any way that I am aware of (barring some sort of surprise cameo) feature Master Chief in any way, shape or form. Instead you take on the role of an anonymous ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troop). This character is not as badass as Master Chief, and is slightly more vulnerable, which requires you to err on the side of caution when exploring the city of New Mombassa, which acts as the hub world for the entire game (again, so far as I know). Lucky for you, there is one advantageous piece of equipment at your disposal, in the form of a special visor that provides low-light vision and target acquisition. Also, your pistol and rifle seem slightly upgraded with better zoom and rates of fire.

As the ODST, you are free to wander New Mombassa at will, gathering intel form the supercomputer known as “The Superintendent”, which leads you to your objectives. However, you are free to tackle said objectives in any order that you wish. There is even a full map and waypoint system, which is very similar to that of Fallout 3 (only without teleportation, most likely). The object of the game is to find clues that lead you to your missing teammates, who have all left behind some sort of clue or another. Touching these clues sends you into a flashback in which you play as the character that left the object in question behind. This is where the game becomes less of a sandbox space-opera mystery noir and more of a Halo game.

Bungie concept art for New Mombassa.

Your missing squad mates generally find themselves in some pretty hairy situations, but thankfully with much heavier artillery and vehicles than your main character generally has access to. These “Flashbacks” are sort of the meat of the game, and there is no doubt they were designed to take full advantage of Bungie’s pedigree for providing epic, spanning battle sequences, only without the constraint of fitting into any kind of linear narrative. Although to be honest, I quite enjoyed the exploration aspect and the visual aesthetic of the hub world most of all.

In addition to the single player campaign, There is also a “Firefight” mode in which teams of four compete against waves of enemies, similar to the “Horde Mode” in Gears of War 2. Also, there is a second disc packaged with the game that contains an entire Halo 3 multiplayer map pack, containing many of the best maps and moments from all of the previous games. At the end of the day, what you’re left with is essentially the same Halo game you’ve already played three times, with slightly different dressing. But for most Halo fans, and for any kind of shooter fan in general, they probably wouldn’t have it any other way.