via OSK-studio
Castlevania Coming Back in a Big Way at E3?
According to industry reporter Paul Gale of PGN, Konami fully intends on bringing the Castlevania franchise back by releasing titles on practically every next-gen console and new handheld on the market.
One big familiar name the company is dishing out is a direct sequel to MercurySteam’s sublime Lords of Shadow. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (which it very well may not be called seeing as how the series has thrown numbers out the window around the 300th release or so) will see a return on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but in what is sure to be a surprise announcement at E3’s show floor is that a Wii U version of the game is being crafted, including console-specific features. Oddly enough, PGN also goes on to list a PS Vita edition of the game — making it your only opportunity to take LoS2 on the go.
Another surprise title being tossed around in these speculative days before E3, and allegedly confirmed through PGN, is a completely new 2D entry to the franchise called Castlevania: Mirror of Fate. Built for the Nintendo 3DS, Mirror of Fate hopes to carry on the mantle of quality set forth by its original DS brethren, this time cleverly utilizing the handheld’s 3D cameras to mimic mirror effects, allowing you to complete puzzles and the like with one of two playable vampire killers. While being a “2D” successor, I’m confident the game’s visuals will play host to some form of the third dimension outside of the camera functionality.
According to the same source, Konami and team originally planned for the 3DS title to have a console counterpart on the Wii U that swaps the dual-screen format for the new system’s TV/tablet setup. This notion was scrapped in favor of porting Lords of Shadow 2 (a financially safer bet for the publisher) over to the console instead. However, Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2 will still have some degree of compatibility between one another.
Castlevania seems to be the only fertile ground Konami has left these days, the publisher having actively salted the earth around franchises like Silent Hill and new IPs such as NeverDead (yes, Metal Gear still thrives yet, but I dare you to name a game that wasn’t a re-release so far this year). For whatever reason, Castlevania has been mostly immune to the negative effects of experimentation and somehow continues to both grow new fans and root old ones. I absolutely cannot wait to see what’s next from the series.
Kat concept artwork from DmC: Devil May Cry
Primal Rage by Luis Roberto Ramírez Cruz and JL Diaz
Devil May Cry Also Runs to 2013
Ninja Theory’s prequel-reboot-thing of Capcom’s flagship Devil May Cry series joins the slew of titles heartbreakingly shoved to the first quarter of 2013, now slated for January 15th. Unfortunately, PC fans, that date only applies to the PS3 and 360 releases of the game, with your version still to come later in the year.
So,what the livid hell is going on here? Why do games keep running away from 2012? Publishers must know something we don’t. Hell, maybe GTAV really is coming out in October and video games collectively understand to avoid Rockstar’s blast radius. Whatever the case, the hack n’ slash genre continues to go on unaccounted for with entries like DmC and God of War: Ascension stuck in the future of 2013 instead of where they’re most needed — now, spinning in my consoles, satisfying my virtual bloodlust.
Back to the matter at hand, Capcom revealed the above screens introducing Kat, Dante’s companion and, knowing Ninja Theory, likely his moral compass. Whether you love or hate the direction it’s going, expect to see more DmC between now and the game’s forever-the-hell-away date in January, including more baby-faced Dante at Capcom’s E3 booth next month.
Super Mario’s Villains Rebooted by Mike Puncekar
Aliens: Colonial Marines Has an Official Release Date…For Next Year
One of my most anxiously anticipated games of 2012, originally pegged for the Fall, has gone the way of Bioshock Infinite and has been revealed by Gearbox’s CEO/President Randy Pitchford to be slated for February 12th, 2013. I’ll say it for you: sonuvabitch!
The closest thing to a true sequel to the first three films (since Prometheus is both a prequel and actively distancing itself from anything recognizably xenomorph), Colonial Marines fills in the dots left floating between the cracks in the franchise while delivering a high-octane shooter that encourages cooperation with teammates lest you enjoy having your screaming marine’s body yanked into a ventilation shaft.
I feel like I’ve been waiting damned well forever for this title — I do recall when Sega announced a Gearbox-less version of the game for the PS2 — but Pitchford blames eager marketing and press releases hyping up A:CM well before a proper gestation cycle. In reality, the total amount of development time actually spent on the project more closely mirrors the time expended on the first Borderlands.
“We’ve remained true to our vision. We’ve been committed to it, through and through. We’ve always prioritized the goals we had for the game over any particular launch window,” Pitchford attested to on the Gearboxity blog. It sounds as if production was more stop and go as opposed to a straight race to the finish; I’d imagine Borderlands 2 wouldn’t see its September date if the former were the case (you get a little leeway for that, Gearbox — this time).
Feb. 12 sees the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game unleashed, with a Wii U date still to be announced.
The Red Herb Roundup - May 20th Edition
Welcome back to the roundup, folks. These be the stories The Herb didn’t quite get to because get off my case, you don’t understand the amount of pressure I’m under. On that note, I’d like to send a hearty shout out and welcome to our new followers out in the Tumblrvoid, and a sincere thank you to our veteran followers whose continued support keeps the blog from caving beneath my incredible laziness.
I’d also like to thank the gang from the witty, titty, and fun gaming podcast Smarter Than AI for having me as a guest on their fine program. Some refined discussions were had about gaming at large over more brews than I should’ve been allowed. The results were crammed into Episode V!
And now for some poorly cobbled together news:
- Not only is Univeral’s Battleship adaptation a turd in the water, Double Helix’s first-person shooter tie-in is also dead in the aforementioned turd inhabited water. I’d make a “You’ve sunk my Battleship” pun but that’d be as stupid as spending $220 million goddamn dollars on a movie based on a board game.
- ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company, went ahead and filed for a trademark on the term “Dragonborn.“ This action was a rung down on the priority ladder, though, as ZeniMax filed for “Fus Ro Dah” first because saying you’re Dragonborn means nothing if you can’t shout the words of power.
- Rocksteady scoffed at our secret hunting abilities, revealing that there are at least 3 to 4 hidden Easter Eggs still remaining in Batman: Arkham City. You seriously thought the Batman plays all his cards at once? Fool, this is why you’re unconscious with a batarang lodged in your shoulder.
- June 12th is the official date the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection heads to Sony’s Vita. The package is a little less collection-y than its console counterparts due to the absence of Peacewalker (because Konami already kindly offers the HD-less PSP version on PSN, fully equipped with none of the upgrades featured in the HD edition — you’re welcome). Oh, and I’m obligated to add this: transfarring.
- Apparently Diablo III had some difficulties at launch. There were consequences.
- Bioware wants to hear from you about where you’d like to see the Dragon Age franchise go next. You’ll find no sarcasm in this bullet point; communication between consumer and creator should be applauded.
- What happens when Nintendo’s favorite little outsourced developer, Retro Studios, can’t decide between another Metroid or a new Star Fox? If you’ve ever been painfully afflicted by Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s Collision Course, you already know where this is going: mash-up! Mark it as an extreme rumor for now but whatever the hell they’re working on, E3 may definitely be the platform for a big reveal.
Bully Fine Things
