[PAX Prime 2012] Konami

Lekon · 10-02-2012, 01:02 PM

Fans of the Metal Gear series have seen the series take some odd twists and turns, plot wise and mechanics wise. Camouflage, active camo systems, boxes, weapons from the strange to the non lethal, to soldiers getting brain hacked. Metal Gear Rising looks to take the series in a new direction: action oriented combat, instead of stealth at all times.

Plus: Swords!

At the PAX demo, we were run through the tutorial and a bit of an early level of MGR. So far, the controls are amazing. Platinum games has really brought home an easy to control, fun to play combat system with both the regular attacks, and the focus mode. At anytime you can bring Raiden into focus, slowing the world down to almost a stop, while you aim the sword with the analog sticks. You'll be able to see exactly where the cut will go, and with a quick stick flick, a slash is done. While this can (and often is) used to filet a soldier into several chunks, or to turn a watermelon into small pieces, it becomes more useful by allowing you to accurately hit the weakest parts of soldiers. When you hit an enemy just right, a small box will show up on their body, cut that spot and it's an instant kill, with bonus points given for accuracy.

Not all of the enemies are simple soldiers

The demo also had us fighting cardboard popups of enemies, much like in a shooting gallery. The twist was most of these cutouts were of enemies holding hostages, so your focus moves had to hit just right to kill the enemy without damaging the hostage. In true Metal Gear style, if you cut *just* right, the enemy was vanquished... as was the jacket of the female hostage, leaving a cardboard cutout with a bra. A bit strange, but not exactly out of place in the Metal Gear universe.

Missile spam, always fun to dodge.

The demo ended with a fight against a helicopter, allowing the choice of fighting it by attacking anytime it got close, or more easily by grabbing some handy rocket launchers to fire and bring it down low enough to put on the damage. By the end of the demo, there was a real feeling that I'd just played a sequel of sorts to Vanquish, and that left me with a damn good impression. The controls were smooth, the aiming was easy, and the action was about as crazy as Vanquish was. MGR also had taken a few tips from the Assassin's Creed series, with a ninja-run button that let Raiden go up walls, columns, scale jumps with no trouble at all. Imagine Ezio moving with the speed of the suit in Vanquish, and you have what Raiden is capable of now. Metal Gear Rising is due out on February 19, 2013.

After playing through the Metal Gear Rising station, I spied a few little Playstation Vitas, looking all chipper and bright. One Vita however had a dark aura to it, a rusted seeming paleness. This Vita... had Silent Hill: Book Of Memories on it. Being a giant Silent Hill fan, I had to give it a try, and I'm happy to say that it was impressive.

This is a different sort of Silent Hill

Silent Hill: Book of Memories, is an action RPG set in the Silent Hill Universe. At the start, you create a character from a few archetypes, such as Goth, Bookworm, or Preppy, and do a bit of customizing to make the character specifically yours. Once created, you see the first glimpses of your character's room, before being put into a nightmare scenario involving a magic book. Your goal is to track down the mystery of the book, and find out just why you're stuck inside this hellish landscape.

Every action RPG needs loot!

Once in the hellscape, you'll find yourself searching out keys, puzzle pieces, replacement weapons, and various talismans (loot items for bonus stats). Enemies are of the usual variety for a Silent Hill, dogs, nurses, buthcers, skin flayed ghouls, etc. At any time your character can wield a large weapon, or two one handed weapons, be they guns or melee toys. I found it pretty handy to go around with a knife and gun, using one to weaken the enemy before it got close, then finish it off with a stab to save a few bullets. Weapons degrade fairly quickly in combat, breaking after four or five rooms of use most often. Luckily there's usually a new knife, crowbar, or board to grab, and sometimes if you're lucky enough to solve a puzzle correctly, a large hammer to really beat down some enemies.

Book of Memories took me by surprise. The game is a fun dungeon crawler, with creepy audio keeping the action moving, while the graphics are perfect for a Silent Hill game. The real surprise was in the way the game is handling story. Throughout the hellscapes, there are special rooms where you are faced with a challenge. For example, one room had a young girls ghost begging you to leave her alone. Should you decide to follow and try to help her, you end up with a "good" choice, causing your apartment to shift more towards a good and light-sided looking area. Should you decide to attack her and terrorize her, you swing more towards the darkness, with your apartment taking on a darker, more sinister tone. The choices you make in these rooms will change how your character's story plays out, with several specific endings depending on said choices.

Shovels aren't that effective against giant shrieking monsters

Past the choices, story lines, and strange happenings in your room, there is what every good action RPG needs: Shopping! Memory fragments are dropped during play, which can be used at a strange shop to buy new weapons, ammo, health packs (All of which are quickly usable with either touch screen on the Vita) or new pieces of clothing/gear. By the end of the demo, my Formerly preppy guy was running around with a Silence of the Lambs face mask, a striped shirt, and a newsboy cap. Basically a regular Saturday night's getup for me.

Silent Hill, Book of Memories is due out October 16th. There will be online multiplayer right out of the gate, with both co op and PVP modes for 4 players at a time. While this is not a traditional Silent Hill game by any means, Book of Memories was a fun action RPG, and is taking the franchise into some new areas, hopefully to reinvigorate the series. What I played at PAX made me want to pick up a Vita just to keep going. Silent Hill: Book of Memories is a fun ARPG with the bonus of being set in a universe that isn't more orcs, elves, and angels.

Lekon · 10-02-2012, 01:04 PM

A quick follow up. I had a chance to play a little bit of New Little Kings Story with Konami as well. It's a new version of the Wii game with updated graphics and some new elements for Vita. If you liked the one on Wii, and have a Vita, I'd recommend it. NLKS is on PSN right now, and reviews should be going out soon from several outlets.

Follow up part two! I was able to get in touch with the Tomm Hulett, producer for Book of Memories, and ask a few questions about the upcoming game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomm Hulett

1) How much will the Player's Room change based on Light/Dark/Neutral Choices?

The Player's Room is a way to see how subtly your world is changing based on your gameplay decisions. There are a number of different states the room can go through. It's not just a three-choice "positive" "neutral" "negative" sort of display. It's definitely a continuum, which you'll notice if you're watching how the room evolves. There are some easter eggs in there as well, so keep your eyes peeled.

2) Is there a new game + mode?

There's no need for a new game + mode, given the game's themes. Since you can "rewrite your reality" with the Book, there are steps you can take to choose a different class, or even gender. The story system is a big puzzle that you can solve, and then change to ensure you get different endings. However this takes place with the story you've already collected, so it's not really necessary to start over from the beginning, especially considering the game continues creating new Zones indefinitely which scale up in difficulty so you'll always have a challenge.

3) Are the Dungeons/Quest areas randomized?

Yes, each Zone is randomly generated (except zone 1, which serves as a tutorial space). For the first 21 Zones certain things are set-the elemental property of the Chapter and the Valtiel missions-but starting at 22 they're all completely random.

Many thanks to Mr. Hulett for his time and answers.

Konami's Twitter just posted that the Demo should be up on the N.A. PSN store now. Have a go at it folks!

jpublic · 10-02-2012, 02:52 PM

Damn, that SH game looks interesting. Is it coming to PC?

Lekon · 10-02-2012, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpublic

Damn, that SH game looks interesting. Is it coming to PC?

As far as I know, it's Vita exclusive for the time being.

Spigot · 10-02-2012, 07:38 PM

I've been hesitantly optimistic for Book Of Memories. Glad to hear that it's an interesting take on the series and I've got the demo loading right now.

menage · 10-03-2012, 01:29 AM

Rising looks stupendously awesome. It's my new Bayonetta.

Lekon · 10-03-2012, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menage

Rising looks stupendously awesome. It's my new Bayonetta.

It had a good Bayonetta and Vanquish feel to it, honestly. Had a blast playing the cyber fruit ninja bits.

Spigot · 10-03-2012, 03:13 AM

So I played around with the SH demo tonight. I like what I've seen. I think you nailed it in the impressions, Lekon. It really does a good job of capturing the Silent Hill creepy vibe while also being a fun action RPG. I may wait a bit before I get it, just due to funds, but my fears were definitely allayed.

menage · 10-03-2012, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lekon

It had a good Bayonetta and Vanquish feel to it, honestly. Had a blast playing the cyber fruit ninja bits.

That's what I wanted to hear

MagGnome · 10-06-2012, 03:27 PM

Book of Memories looks pretty neat, and I like the sound of Little King Story as well. Darn, makes me wish I had a Vita!

10-02-2012, 01:02 PM	#1
Lekon Indie Prophet Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 2,622	[PAX Prime 2012] Konami Fans of the Metal Gear series have seen the series take some odd twists and turns, plot wise and mechanics wise. Camouflage, active camo systems, boxes, weapons from the strange to the non lethal, to soldiers getting brain hacked. Metal Gear Rising looks to take the series in a new direction: action oriented combat, instead of stealth at all times. Plus: Swords! At the PAX demo, we were run through the tutorial and a bit of an early level of MGR. So far, the controls are amazing. Platinum games has really brought home an easy to control, fun to play combat system with both the regular attacks, and the focus mode. At anytime you can bring Raiden into focus, slowing the world down to almost a stop, while you aim the sword with the analog sticks. You'll be able to see exactly where the cut will go, and with a quick stick flick, a slash is done. While this can (and often is) used to filet a soldier into several chunks, or to turn a watermelon into small pieces, it becomes more useful by allowing you to accurately hit the weakest parts of soldiers. When you hit an enemy just right, a small box will show up on their body, cut that spot and it's an instant kill, with bonus points given for accuracy. Not all of the enemies are simple soldiers The demo also had us fighting cardboard popups of enemies, much like in a shooting gallery. The twist was most of these cutouts were of enemies holding hostages, so your focus moves had to hit just right to kill the enemy without damaging the hostage. In true Metal Gear style, if you cut just right, the enemy was vanquished... as was the jacket of the female hostage, leaving a cardboard cutout with a bra. A bit strange, but not exactly out of place in the Metal Gear universe. Missile spam, always fun to dodge. The demo ended with a fight against a helicopter, allowing the choice of fighting it by attacking anytime it got close, or more easily by grabbing some handy rocket launchers to fire and bring it down low enough to put on the damage. By the end of the demo, there was a real feeling that I'd just played a sequel of sorts to Vanquish, and that left me with a damn good impression. The controls were smooth, the aiming was easy, and the action was about as crazy as Vanquish was. MGR also had taken a few tips from the Assassin's Creed series, with a ninja-run button that let Raiden go up walls, columns, scale jumps with no trouble at all. Imagine Ezio moving with the speed of the suit in Vanquish, and you have what Raiden is capable of now. Metal Gear Rising is due out on February 19, 2013. After playing through the Metal Gear Rising station, I spied a few little Playstation Vitas, looking all chipper and bright. One Vita however had a dark aura to it, a rusted seeming paleness. This Vita... had Silent Hill: Book Of Memories on it. Being a giant Silent Hill fan, I had to give it a try, and I'm happy to say that it was impressive. This is a different sort of Silent Hill Silent Hill: Book of Memories, is an action RPG set in the Silent Hill Universe. At the start, you create a character from a few archetypes, such as Goth, Bookworm, or Preppy, and do a bit of customizing to make the character specifically yours. Once created, you see the first glimpses of your character's room, before being put into a nightmare scenario involving a magic book. Your goal is to track down the mystery of the book, and find out just why you're stuck inside this hellish landscape. Every action RPG needs loot! Once in the hellscape, you'll find yourself searching out keys, puzzle pieces, replacement weapons, and various talismans (loot items for bonus stats). Enemies are of the usual variety for a Silent Hill, dogs, nurses, buthcers, skin flayed ghouls, etc. At any time your character can wield a large weapon, or two one handed weapons, be they guns or melee toys. I found it pretty handy to go around with a knife and gun, using one to weaken the enemy before it got close, then finish it off with a stab to save a few bullets. Weapons degrade fairly quickly in combat, breaking after four or five rooms of use most often. Luckily there's usually a new knife, crowbar, or board to grab, and sometimes if you're lucky enough to solve a puzzle correctly, a large hammer to really beat down some enemies. Book of Memories took me by surprise. The game is a fun dungeon crawler, with creepy audio keeping the action moving, while the graphics are perfect for a Silent Hill game. The real surprise was in the way the game is handling story. Throughout the hellscapes, there are special rooms where you are faced with a challenge. For example, one room had a young girls ghost begging you to leave her alone. Should you decide to follow and try to help her, you end up with a "good" choice, causing your apartment to shift more towards a good and light-sided looking area. Should you decide to attack her and terrorize her, you swing more towards the darkness, with your apartment taking on a darker, more sinister tone. The choices you make in these rooms will change how your character's story plays out, with several specific endings depending on said choices. Shovels aren't that effective against giant shrieking monsters Past the choices, story lines, and strange happenings in your room, there is what every good action RPG needs: Shopping! Memory fragments are dropped during play, which can be used at a strange shop to buy new weapons, ammo, health packs (All of which are quickly usable with either touch screen on the Vita) or new pieces of clothing/gear. By the end of the demo, my Formerly preppy guy was running around with a Silence of the Lambs face mask, a striped shirt, and a newsboy cap. Basically a regular Saturday night's getup for me. Silent Hill, Book of Memories is due out October 16th. There will be online multiplayer right out of the gate, with both co op and PVP modes for 4 players at a time. While this is not a traditional Silent Hill game by any means, Book of Memories was a fun action RPG, and is taking the franchise into some new areas, hopefully to reinvigorate the series. What I played at PAX made me want to pick up a Vita just to keep going. Silent Hill: Book of Memories is a fun ARPG with the bonus of being set in a universe that isn't more orcs, elves, and angels. __________________ Gamertag Twitter Last edited by Lekon; 10-02-2012 at 01:10 PM.

10-02-2012, 02:52 PM	#3
jpublic I am the Dangan Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Toontown, Canuckia Posts: 7,815 Blog Entries: 21	Damn, that SH game looks interesting. Is it coming to PC? __________________ "We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." --James D. Nicoll "The closest they came [to] Platonic ideas is [using] two paper plates for lunch." --Pale Ale

10-02-2012, 07:38 PM	#5
Spigot Turn Me Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Acton, Ontario Posts: 18,677 Blog Entries: 112	I've been hesitantly optimistic for Book Of Memories. Glad to hear that it's an interesting take on the series and I've got the demo loading right now. __________________ Like obscure games? Check out Turning The Spigot for hidden gems!

10-03-2012, 01:29 AM	#6
menage Praise the sun! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Seritei Posts: 8,802	Rising looks stupendously awesome. It's my new Bayonetta. __________________ Now playing: Borderlands 2/ Skyrim/ XCOM: EU itsanother.me PSN: Menage00 Steam: Menage00

10-03-2012, 03:13 AM	#8
Spigot Turn Me Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Acton, Ontario Posts: 18,677 Blog Entries: 112	So I played around with the SH demo tonight. I like what I've seen. I think you nailed it in the impressions, Lekon. It really does a good job of capturing the Silent Hill creepy vibe while also being a fun action RPG. I may wait a bit before I get it, just due to funds, but my fears were definitely allayed. __________________ Like obscure games? Check out Turning The Spigot for hidden gems!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode