On the Radar: Report # 1

This is a new series of columns I’m going to be writing – in each installment, I’m going to touch on a handful of games that I’m looking forward to, with a focus on covering titles that haven’t been given much attention. I’ll cover some mainstream titles as well, but only if they have something (a feature, something that caught my eye) that I think merits your attention. I’ll also add some links to existing previews from other game sites to get you up to speed on the game if you haven’t heard of it.

Let’s start off with some RPG goodness from our weird ass pals in Japan.

3D Dot Game Heroes

Level of Anticipation: 10/10 – OFF THE MOTHERFUCKING SCALE, MOTHERFUCKERS!

Preview Links (click to open):
Destructoid (article)
Destructoid (with Zelda homage video)

I’ve never really thought much of From Software before; the King’s Field series (PS1/PS2) never really did it for me, and the company’s non-RPG output ranges from decent (Armored Core series, PS1/PS2/PS3) to absolutely embarrassing (Ninja Blade, X360). All that changed, however, when I played Demon’s Souls. DS is one of the most remarkably hardcore games I have ever played, on any system: the game doesn’t teach you anything (making you learn everything through personal experience) and penalizes every mistake you make with painful, agonizing death. Despite this, Demon’s Souls amazingly finds a way to make failure FUN, and finally getting things right after your nth screw-up just makes the ride all the more exhilarating.

That said, Demon’s Souls quality makes the wait for their next release, 3D Dot Game Heroes, all the more difficult. It’s an action RPG in the vein of the Zelda series with seemingly limitless customizability – you can create your own in-game character with the game’s powerful dot matrix editor. Already enterprising Japanese nerds have made astounding 8-bit replicas of Cloud Strife and Old Snake.

If From Software can bring a reasonable facsimile of the traditional Zelda gameplay to this title (and it appears they will, as the game seems to be a parody of Miyamoto’s classic series), they just might have a shot at becoming my favorite RPG company. (For those that care, my current favorite RPG developer is the legendary Atlus R&D 1, responsible for the Persona series and many other classics) Chalk me up as a ready buyer for this, boys.

Darksiders: Wrath of War

Level of Anticipation: 5/10 – Could be good. Getting curious.

Preview Links (click to open):
IGN PS3
UGO

I've only recently begun tracking Darksiders; games with strong connections to famous comic book artists (in this case the venerable Joe Madureira) don't exactly have the best track record: Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.S and Todd McFarlane's Spawn and Evil Prophecy game tie-ins have all been uniformly terrible. In each of the cases, the result was generally style over substance.

However, after seeing extended previews of the game I'm beginning to think that Joe Mad's maiden effort might actually be worth watching out for - check it out for yourselves at the links above. I think some cautious optimism is in order - could this be some kick ass fusion of Devil May Cry and Soul Reaver? Damn, I miss Soul Reaver.

Bayonetta (JPN import)
Level of Anticipation: 9/10 – Do fucking want.

Preview Links (click to open):
Kotaku (Costume Gallery)
Kotaku (Famitsu Review)

I'm not going to write too much about Bayonetta as I'm quite sure that the hype machine fueling game sites accross the Internet has already rocked your face with plenty of info regarding this. However, one thing that caught my attention while reading about Hideki Kamiya's latest creation is the presence of a play mechanic that intrigues me greatly: the offensive tech roll, which has been given the moniker "Witch Time".

Basically, what this means is if you dodge an opponent's attack at the very last second before it connects, you get a few precious seconds of bullet time (you move at normal speed, everything else slows down) in which to lay waste to your foes. Needless to say, this is a very hardcore-oriented mechanic, and encourages you to always be on the attack. Man, that kind of risk-reward mechanic really makes my day (shades of Parrying in Street Fighter III), and my thumbs are twitching just thinking about it.

Does Bayonetta deserve the perfect/near-perfect scores it recieved from venerable Japanese game magazine Famitsu? Will it dethrone the first Ninja Gaiden Sigma as the premier hardcore action game on the PS3?

Hey, the Japanese import's out now (in full English) so if any of y'all have extra money to burn, pick it up and tell me!