PSP GAMES COMING UP

HAMMERIN HERO

As a title for a game in which you can unlock a variety of new occupations, Hammerin' Hero isn't entirely accurate. Yes, you'll begin this action-heavy side-scroller as a hammer-wielding carpenter on a quest to literally smash corporate greed, but the game's main draw is that you'll soon be crushing evil industrialists under such guises as a sushi chef, a professional baseball player, and a deep-sea diver. If that all sounds a little strange, it's because Hammerin' Hero is precisely that. But fear not: We've been spending some time with Hammerin' Hero in an effort to clear things up a bit before this PSP game's April 7 release.

The eccentric storyline goes like this: You play as a carpenter named Gen, a young man whose trade allows him to craft buildings with a ludicrously huge hammer. But when an evil corporation led by a man named Kuromoku comes rolling into town threatening to smash Gen's residential neighborhood in order to build more profitable structures, Gen takes justice into his own hands--by running and jumping from left to right smashing every bad guy he can. The Japanese neighborhoods that make up the game's environments are filled with all manner of evil construction workers, evil bulldozers, evil corporate helicopters, and so on. And your job is to smash them using a simple control scheme that allows you to jump, light attack, and heavy attack.

Every few levels, you'll unlock a new occupation that lets you do that job in a slightly different way. As a deep-sea diver, you can take out enemies from afar using an anchor on a chain, for example, while a DJ can toss records at people. More up-close-and-personal options include taking a full home-run swing with a baseball bat as a ballplayer or slapping enemies with a giant fish as a sushi chef. You commit to one occupation before the level starts, but you can visit your girlfriend and have her make you a magical bento box that gives you the ability to transform into another occupation midlevel, but only if you've picked up the necessary ingredients (for example, a tuna or a salmon) throughout previous levels.

The action in Hammerin' Hero is quick and challenging. The levels are short but are packed with a number of bosses for you to take on. And the environments are delightfully absurd, too. They start out ordinary enough, with levels taking place in Japanese residential neighborhoods and amusement parks, but eventually you'll get to a place like a live baseball game that requires you to fight your way through a demonic pitching machine and a spike-covered catcher who shoots missiles from his chest. Making things even more hectic is that you'll almost always see frantic civilians attempting to run from harm's way. The overall look of the game is chaotic, quirky, and thoroughly Japanese.

Hammerin' Hero is being brought to North America by Atlus. It may not fall into the strategic role-playing genre most people know the publisher for, but it's every bit as eccentric as their previous work. You can expect to see Hammerin' Hero released for the PSP on April 7.



DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION

Namco had its upcoming PSP fighter based on the new Dragonball movie, Dragonball Evolution playable in its booth at New York Comic-Con. The game is being developed by Dimps, the studio that's been cranking on the DBZ fighters since the PlayStation 2, and feels a lot like those fighters. The unsettling aspect of the game is that the roster of fighters is patterned after the movie cast, so fans should prepare themselves for Goku to look more Canadian than he ever has. But once you get over the shock of Canadian Goku and Chow Yun-Fat (who plays Goku's mentor, Master Roshi) fighting, the game's got a solid feel to it. Dimps has changed the fighting system up a bit and scaled back the over the top attacks and flying. You'll still be able to do fast combos with punches and kicks, but some ki powered attacks, like Goku's kamehameha, will be more like the super moves in Street Fighter. You'll still be able to add some extra kick to your combos by hitting the ki button but you'll just trigger special melee attacks. This may sound a little straightforward but there's still some craziness to be had in battle with ki attacks. For example, Bulma drops motorcycles on you. While that's not quite the same as flying up in the air and unleashing a globe shattering fireball, at least it's something.

The work in progress game in the booth let us poke around menus and see the different game modes set to be included which should offer a decent amount of stuff to do. The arcade mode is a straightforward run through the roster with some light story sequences peppered through it. The story mode mirrors the movie's story and has you playing as different characters in each fight. The mission mode lays out character specific challenges for the members of the roster. The training mode will let you practice combos against a customizable computer opponent. Finally the game is set to feature an online battle mode, although it sounds like its local ad hoc and not proper online via infrastructure mode on the PSP but we'll doublecheck that next week.

If you can gloss over the movie tie-in Dragonball Evolution feels like another solid DBZ fighter from Dimps. The action is responsive, the fighting system is solid, and there's a decent helping of modes to try. The graphics don't look as sharp since the fighters are modeled after actual people and the stages are based on locations in the film. We reckon this one's going to be a tough sell even to die hard fans considering the reaction the movie's been getting, but at least the combat's solid. Have a look at the game in motion to see for yourself.

PS 3 GAMES COMING UP

KILLZONE 2

Killzone 2's multiplayer maps are some of the best on which I have ever fought. Most of them feature winding paths, various chokepoints, and clever placement of capture points, so even on the larger maps, there is no reason why you wouldn't be right in the thick of the action. You know how some shooter maps are great for, say, capture the flag, or deathmatch, but not for other modes? Killzone 2's maps may excel in some modes more than others, but possess no intrinsic weaknesses. And that's for the best, because matches string multiple modes seamlessly together, keeping you constantly on your toes and forcing you to switch gears several times in a single game.

And yes, the review is coming this week! In the meanwhile, I thought I'd fill you in on all eight maps that ship with Killzone 2, so I can give you further reasons to salivate.

The dust blows past and rocky mesas rise from the desert sand. The derelict base in the center of this dusty purgatory is the perfect place for a skirmish, due to the three bridges that link the Helghast headquarters with that of the ISA. These overpasses create chokepoints where plenty of nail-biting firefights occur. However, a good squad will take advantage of an unoccupied bridge and bring the fight to the enemy. At the end of one bridge is a nice, tiny hiding spot where you can lie in wait for an unsuspecting foe, though there is no real camping in this game. Possibly my favorite map in Killzone 2.

Explosions and flaming artillery fire light the skies in this moody marketplace. The crumbling buildings above ensure that battles occur on multiple levels, particularly in modes like Search and Retrieve, a variation on capture the flag. In cases like this, you may have to collect a propaganda speaker from a cramped room and return it to a more vulnerable position near the market stalls. By keeping the action hotspots moving, Killzone 2's multilevel maps succeed extremely well.

The Helghan and ISA bases on this map are parallel to each other, but a large multistory complex separates them. A mode like Search and Destroy forces teams to cross wider areas and meet head to head inside the claustrophobic stairwells, where I've found the shotgun to be eminently handy. Across the way, ramps lead you into an edifice that gives you a bit more room to maneuver. This is also an incredibly atmospheric map where loose pages fly in the wind and lightning flashes across the dark, ominous sky.

This cliffside base hovers over the planet below, and if you look towards the nearby city, note the towering mushroom cloud and reddish hue swathing the land. The map itself is somewhat of a U shape, but a central complex keeps teams constantly engaged. Capture and Hold is particularly fun on this map, as the control points on either side are exposed not just because they are in the open, but raised on a platform accessible by a stairway on either side.


The way shafts of light flood into the interior environs of this map is stunning, though the action is the real star here. Overhead walkways keep battles raging above and below, and Bodycount (team deathmatch) is especially enjoyable, since the tight, blocky design means you have to be constantly on the move.

This map competes with Pyrrhus Rise as my favorite battleground in the game. Winding stairways and underground tunnels provide plenty of chokepoints, and a gulley above which power lines shake in the wind offers plenty of team vs. team showdowns. As if there wasn't enough tension, bolts of lightning flash across the sky and even strike the surrounding buildings. Crank up the sound when playing on this one--you might actually jump out of your chair.

This dockside map is also great in Capture and Hold, thanks to exposed capture points stranded at the end of the walkways that hover over the water, and a center
control node on a platform above. Talk about intense action--the ensuing firefights are amongst the best in the game here, though a gaping hole in the central platform can help make for a quick getaway. Don't gaze at the pretty water for too long, or you'll be toast.

XBOX 360 GAMES COMING UP

TOMB RAIDER UNDERWORLD: BENEATH THE ASHES

With new expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV, Fable II and Fallout 3 , the GameSpot Reviews Blog has been awfully busy with downloadable content of late. Tomb Raider Underworld is the latest game to be given the DLC treatment, with 'Beneath the Ashes' adding a new level, a new enemy and six new outfits. The result is an expansion that offers some memorable set-pieces, but it's short at around two hours and does very little to fix the existing problems from Underworld.

Beneath the Ashes takes place under Croft Manor, which is now a burnt wreckage after the events of Underworld. Lara is following a lead from her father's journal, who buried a sacred artifact deep under the country estate to stop it getting into the wrong hands. This isn't just some dusty old monument either--it holds the power to control the Thralls, an ancient supernatural army of warriors. Lara being Lara, she decides to investigate, and this mini-adventure takes her from the basement of her home right down to the ancient monuments underneath.

Beneath the Ashes does a good job of maintaining the same balance of adventuring, puzzle-solving and combat from Underworld. The action takes place completely underground, but the new level isn't short on huge expanses to cover. This is where the game is at its best--gradually figuring out your way through an environment, and then being rewarded with some spectacular views along the way. The expansion also has some great puzzles, including the best use of Lara's grapple rope yet. Where it all falls down is on the combat--frequent encounters with Thralls and giant spiders are unwelcome distractions from the business of tomb raiding. The combat is fiddly, the enemies are weak, while Lara's ability to fit a shotgun, rifle and uzis into her tiny backpack mean that it's all incredibly easy.

Lara Croft fans who also have a Princess Leia fetish have their prayers answered by this DLC, as it adds six new costumes including a gold bikini. Putting aside the impracticality of spelunking in a swimsuit for a moment, the bikinis are nicely designed, and show off the work that's been put into designing the character. They also demonstrate the great dirt effects that gradually build up on her body, while the confined spaces allow you to 'appreciate' the subtle breast physics.

I had plenty of gripes with the core mechanics of Underworld, so I'm sad to report that they're still present in Beneath the Ashes. The camera is as unruly as ever, refusing to move around solid objects to offer a better view of the world, while it's even worse in confined spaces, of which there are many. You have to wrestle with the camera as it makes simple mistakes, moving underwater as you're doing something above, and there are even bugs, such as an underwater corridor where Lara never needs to come up for air.

Story and characters have never been Tomb Raider's strong point, but if you are into the lore of the series, you'll get something out of Beneath the Ashes. The level features Lara's Shadow character from Underworld, plus an interesting plot twist towards the end. You also get to read Lara's father's journal, which not only helps figure out the puzzles, but also fills in some of the Croft family history. And if you're not into any of the exposition but are lured by the possibility of achievements, then there are 125 points offer for completing the level and finding all the treasures.

Another problem with Beneath the Ashes is that it's a victim of bad timing, releasing just after The Lost & Damned has set a new benchmark for downloadable content. True, Tomb Raider's content is half the price of GTA's, but it also offers a lot less than half the value and entertainment. For what it is, Beneath the Ashes offers a good Tomb Raider level and some revealing outfits, but I'd certainly rather have seen new gameplay mechanics or environments. If you're a die-hard fan of Tomb Raider then you've probably already added this to your download queue, but everyone else is likely to feel a little short-changed.

50 CENT: BLOOD ON THE SAND

It should come as no surprise to anyone that they made another 50 Cent game. Despite its chilly critical reception, 2005's 50 Cent: Bulletproof sold remarkably well. What is likely to surprise many people is that the new game, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, is actually quite good. The fast-paced gameplay, tight controls, and arcade-style scoring system form a solid base for the simplistic yet fun action. Layered on top of this foundation is a heaping helping of 50 Cent and G-Unit flavor; vulgar dialogue, ridiculous one-liners, and a whole lot of licensed music give Blood on the Sand the bravado it needs to stay entertaining when the action begins to wear thin. Neither the action nor the attitude are particularly inspired, but together they are enough to make this an enjoyable ride.

The premise and story serve as little more than a backdrop here, but that's just fine. 50 Cent and G-Unit play a concert and get stiffed by the promoter. Hoping to avoid Fiddy's wrath, the promoter offers them a BeDazzled skull. Everyone's happy until the crew is ambushed and the skull is stolen. It is then that you commence shooting anything that moves. 50 and his chosen G-Unit companion (Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, or DJ Whoo Kid) traverse a war-torn urban Middle Eastern landscape, slaying countless goons while pursuing one criminal figure after another. Though there are a few vehicle segments to vary things up, most of the locales kind of blur together in a blend of gunfire and earth tones. Regardless, they are impressively detailed and do a solid job of setting the stage for the explosive action.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a third-person shooter, so you'll be running and gunning with your overly muscled character in full view. The only differences between characters are aesthetic; both 50 Cent and his G-Unit sidekick run at a good clip and can dive in any direction. They can also snap into cover with the press of a button, but this mechanic is a bit too sticky to be convenient. Fortunately, you'll rarely have to use it. Your character is very durable, and when things do get hairy, you can take advantage of the gangsta fire mode (read: bullet time) that makes it easy to lay out a squad of enemies in seconds.

The action is smooth and the controls are responsive, but it begins to feel repetitive after a while. There are a few bells and whistles to spice things up, such as counterkills, which are brutal quick-time melee attacks in which your character pummels, perforates, or otherwise brutalizes an enemy. However, the big incentive to keep playing is the scoring system. Every enemy that you kill earns you points, and killing them in quick succession will get a multiplier going. Additionally, you earn bonuses for the manner in which you dispatch your foes; scoring a headshot or taunting your enemies after you kill them will further boost your score. Even if you're not the kind of gamer who normally strives for high scores, Blood on the Sand's scoring system has a way of sucking you in. Your multiplier and kill bonuses are displayed prominently onscreen, and this visual reinforcement spurs you onward, motivating you to kill your enemies harder, better, faster, stronger.

To further quicken the pace, timed scenarios appear on the screen occasionally and challenge you to accomplish certain objectives within a certain time period. Target enemies are outlined in red, so you'll always know who they are, and completing scenarios will earn you souped-up rounds for your pistol and extra grenades. Red danger arrows also appear to steer you toward the action by indicating where your enemies are about to come from. When there is a lull in the action, you can busy yourself with hunting down collectibles that will boost your score significantly (five posters and five targets in each mission). There are also loot crates that earn you cash to spend on new guns, counterkills, and taunts. Between your score, timed scenario announcements, your health meter, the gangsta fire bar, danger arrows, your cash total, and your kill multiplier, the heads-up display can get very crowded. It manages not to intrude on the action overmuch, but it can be distracting, especially in this day and age when the minimalist HUD reigns supreme.

Nevertheless, this bustling HUD somehow fits well into the blustering swagger of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. The game is saturated with overblown gangster bravado, and it matches the over-the-top action perfectly. From the cutscenes in which 50 Cent vows to kill almost everyone he meets to the vulgar (and often amusing) banter between characters, it just doesn't quit. The only place vulgarity is omitted is in the unlockable music videos, which are incongruously censored. Fortunately, the music tracks are not. As you progress and unlock new songs, you can tweak your playlist in the pause menu. 50 Cent and G-Unit songs make a great backdrop for the action and really tie the whole package together.

Blood on the Sand is better enjoyed with a friend, and the well-implemented drop-in/drop-out Cooperative mode is a solid addition. It's easy to let people join your game, and just as easy to keep them out or boot them should they become a nuisance. Whether you play solo or cooperative, you'll get a solid 10+ hours out of the campaign, in addition to any high-score runs that you attempt for the sake of making the online leaderboards. The run-and-gun gameplay isn't particularly inspired, but the scoring system adds enough to keep you engaged. The pervasive attitude is so excessive that it borders on parody, but when underlaid with a robust offering of authentic songs, it works surprisingly well. This isn't the best action game you'll play this year, but that doesn't mean you won't have a damn fun time playing it.

STAR OCEAN: THE LAST HOPE

If you're a fan of Japanese role-playing games, then today's your lucky day as you should be able to find Star Ocean: The Last Hope, the fourth game in the spacefaring series by developers Tri-Ace, on store shelves everywhere. Though we try to have reviews ready on or before release, this time it simply wasn't possible and I've only recently been able to start on it.

In case you're wondering if The Last Hope is for you, know that it continues many Star Ocean traditions like having a strong and fun real-time combat system and providing a richly detailed universe that is meticulously explained via an in-menu dictionary. Fans will further enjoy the fact that this is a prequel rather than a sequel (for reasons obvious to those who have completed Star Ocean: Till the End of Time), and as it takes place at the very beginning of space exploration for the planet Earth, the entire game is steeped in a sense of discovery.

As Edge Maverick, it's your job to assist the Space Reconnaissance Force in their quest for a new home for mankind, as global nuclear war sort of made Earth not the most happening place to be. Because it takes place so early in the Space Date Calendar, you'll literally be going where no man has gone before as you explore the galaxy, so there's no need to worry about pesky rules like the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation pact since they don't exist yet! Throughout your journey, you'll be making history as you make those critical first impressions with the other sentient races out there too, so try not to mess things up.

The Last Hope starts out with an in-depth tutorial of the new combat system, and covers basics like movement, attacks, skills, and more. From there, I was eased into the story and explored a new planet called Aeos that is similar to Earth in most ways, save for the presence of gigantic and really mean insects that are immune to railgun fire, but not swords or arrows for some reason. After taking out the first big boss on what may or may not be valuable beachfront property someday, Edge and his childhood-friend-slash-possible-love-interest Reimi made the acquaintance of Faize Sheifa Beleth, an Eldarian (read: space elf) skilled in the arts of Symbology and the Rapier. After this, it was off to yet another planet where the group was joined by Lymle Lemuri Phi, a powerful little girl that keeps a hellhound as pet.

Though it's way too early to say anything definitive about The Last Hope, the combat system--which just about has to be the strongest aspect of any JRPG because of the amount time you spend in battle--is fun, engaging, and nuanced. The addition of the blindside system to dodge and counter attacks adds a strategic element that is further enhanced by the bonus board, which lets you tailor post-battle rewards however you wish. Technically, the game is solid, though there are a few things to complain about: the camera system has some problems anytime there's an object between your character and it, the framerate suffers (just a bit) when you're performing flashy attacks on several enemies simultaneously, and for some reason enemies are only really visible on the field if they're within 10 yards or so. These issues are for the most part pretty minor though.

As mentioned previously, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is in stores as of today for the Xbox 360. If you're still unsure about it, be sure to watch Sophia's video preview below and check out our final word in the review that will be up soon.

PC GAMES COMING UP

DIRT 2

The original Dirt--a rally racing game carrying on the legacy of the Colin McRae series--won over fans and critics with its combination of gorgeous visuals, varied events, and an impressive damage modeling system. In other words, it was a hit across the board, which naturally means that Codemasters is hard at work on a sequel. Known quite simply as Dirt 2, this follow-up was unveiled by the English publisher at a press event last night in San Francisco.

During the presentation, the big theme that Codemasters was hammering on for this sequel was the idea of off-road racing with an extreme sports attitude. What does that mean, exactly? The first game featured voice-over work by motocross legend Travis Pastrana, but this time around Codemasters is looking to go full tilt with the game's presentation. A teaser video revealed a scene from the player's RV, the hub where you control all your career mode exploits, and it was a raucous collection of grime, half-naked women, and general insanity. That should serve as a good hint of what the overall attitude will be.

But of course, this is still a racing game, and gussying up the user interface will take you only so far. Thankfully, Codemasters revealed some intriguing information about the type of racing you'll be doing this time around. The biggest chunk of information they let out is the inclusion of stadium rally events. They showed a gameplay video of a fictional stadium built around London's Battersea Power Station, with all manner of twisty dirt roads, puddles, and smoke stacks making up a very gritty and industrial-looking setting. Another similarly fictional stadium they mentioned is one set in Los Angeles for an event they're calling the Stadium King Shootout. Apparently, they've done work to the engine to make these stadium events feel quite massive, with crowd sizes going from 40,000 in Grid (a Codemasters racing game using the same engine released last year) to 120,000 in Dirt 2.

However, it's not just the number of fans watching you peel out and smash your front end that has been tweaked. A tech video shown during the presentation revealed some other enhancements to the game's engine. The biggie is probably advanced water physics: the game will be going beyond the rain-slick roads in the first game to include puddles that appear to be at least a foot deep. This new type of hazard ought to severely impact your driving ability and add a new dimension to the way you'll be racing around the course, because no longer will the optimal line around a corner always be the best one to take if it happens to bring you through a miniature lake.

In terms of locations, you can expect to see races held in London and Los Angeles, as previously mentioned, but also in some less expected spots, including Croatia, China, and Malaysia. Those Asian locales should come as quite a departure from the European-heavy settings in the first game. Another welcome departure is in multiplayer mode: you will now be able to take part in online matches against other drivers in real time. If that doesn't get you excited, you're probably not familiar with the first game's solitary, time-trial multiplayer, which felt like little more than a mean prank in the context of the great game built around it.



Fuel

It's fair to say that the sandbox racing genre hasn't taken off as quickly as action games set in a similarly open environment. But Burnout Paradise proved it could be done quite well, so now we're beginning to see more open-world racers come join the fray. One of the more intriguing examples is Fuel, a sandbox racer being developed in France by Asobo Studio and set to be released by racing megapublisher Codemasters. In it you pilot a variety of vehicles through a massive map depicting a variety of Western United States natural landmarks in the nasty, climate-changed future. We took an extensive look at the game last month during a visit to the developer's studio, though recently an updated build was shown off here in San Francisco at a Codemasters press event.

You can get the full rundown on Fuel in our most recent hands-on preview. Essentially, the game takes place in a giant map that covers 5,000 square miles of terrain. It's a diverse environment that encompasses all manner of settings, from dense forests to barren beaches with the rusted skeletons of cargo ships washed ashore. It's a big grab bag of natural landmarks plucked from the Western US, including Oregon's Crater Lake, Washington's Mt. Rainier, Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats, and Arizona's Grand Canyon. The scope is hard to put into words, but with a 40-kilometer draw distance, it's definitely a sight to behold.

So while the gameworld is a huge mash-up of rolling outdoor terrain that you can explore however you like in a free roaming mode, the career races take on a more traditional approach. The bulk of the races seem to be point-to-point checkpoint events where you'll be navigating from one glowing red column to the next, while some of the others we saw are circuit events that have you running several laps around the same area. In the case of checkpoint events, these points are usually spread pretty far apart, so you've got a good deal of room to navigate how you'd like to get to the next one. This usually involves a combination of sticking to the road or trail while, in the back of your head, weighing the pros and cons of darting through shortcuts that always seem to be taunting you. We had a lot of fun barreling down steep cliffs with a checkpoint at the bottom when the in-game GPS advised taking a series of cautious switchback trails, or cutting through a dense forest when told to stick to the asphalt road veering around it.

One of the neat things about that GPS system--a series of red arrows floating overhead--is how it adapts depending on what sort of car you're driving. It doesn't just have an ideal line for each race; it has an ideal line for which type of vehicle you're driving and how you're driving it. For example, because motorcycles can scale hills much easier than a sedan, you'll be instructed to take the occasional uphill cut between tracks while on a bike that you wouldn't get in another vehicle. And with 70-plus vehicles spanning different classes, like motorcycles, dune buggies, quads, muscle cars, and monster trucks, you'll have lots of vehicles to choose from.

At this point, the big question you might be asking is why place the game in an open-world setting if all the races are fixed events. That's where user-created races come into play. You can create your own events by dropping checkpoints anywhere on the map, so if you want to do an uphill endurance race straight up Mt. Rainier or a lap around Crater Lake, that's well within your means. These can then be shared online with others, and you can take part in 16-player online matches. But, as mentioned before, you're also given the ability to explore around at will.

So far, we like what we've seen of Fuel. Its artistic design is especially impressive, though one big flaw we've noticed is that the frame rate really chugs during big events. Still, it's a unique take on the off-road racing genre, and we're excited to get the chance to explore the entire gameworld. It's due for release on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 this May.