With an attendee population of 185,030 people in 2009, the Tokyo Game Show is easily the most popular video game convention on this side of the globe. This year I was able to spend a few hours with some of the most anticipated upcoming titles.
At the Tecmo booth there were two demos for the upcoming demon-slaying third-person shooter (and Play Station 3 exclusive), Quantum Theory. One showed off the AI partner features of this mysterious tower-climbing adventure, while the other showcased the constantly shifting landscape of said tower. Aesthetically, Quantum Theory looks like a mixture of Devil May Cry and Gears of War but plays exactly like the latter. Sadly, at this time, climbing the demonic tower is more chore than fun. The AI, both partner and enemy, is nearly non-existent. Getting unstuck from cover is often difficult, and making sure you’re in the right place to pull off the “dodge-roll quick-time” events requires nothing less than clairvoyance. But the worst part is the constant (and nauseating) screen shaking as the tower remakes itself. They have six months till release to address these problems, but as it stands now, this game is not worth buying.
Q-Games’ PixelJunk Shooter, on the other hand, is more than ready to go. While it keeps the unique visual style of other games in the series, this PixelJunk title plays like an updated version of Asteroids. However, Shooter is not, as the title suggests, about killing anything. Rather it's a subterranean rescue mission where you must watch every shot lest you kill the very people you are there to save. Add some physics-filled lava and water puzzles, throw in some 2 player co-op, and Shooter looks to be the best bang for your buck of any downloadable title this year.
Heavy Rain, Sony’s cinematic crime thriller, puts the player in the shoes of seven very different people all trying to solve the case of the Origami Killer. Visually stunning, Heavy Rain can be summed up in one word: immersion. Everything is geared towards that end. The controls constantly remap themselves based on the surrounding environment, while the camera shows only the most dramatic angles. Moreover, the characters are mortal and with no extra lives, there is an ever-present tension shared by both character and player. In an attempt to add to this immersion, the button commands and even conversation choices become shaky and often illegible in stressful situations. Sadly, this has the opposite of the intended effect and draws the player out of the game rather than into it. That said, this looks to be one of the most unique games ever and is a must buy for 2010.
Konami’s newest game in the Metal Gear franchise, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, is set in 1974 Costa Rica, where series protagonist Snake must deal with the invention of the world’s ultimate nuclear deterrent. The game looks amazing in both game play and comic-inspired cut scenes. It plays much like Resistance: Retribution by using the Square, X, O, and triangle buttons to aim in lieu of a second analogue stick. The demo also showcases Peace Walker's co-op play, which is thankfully lag free. But you don't have to take my word for it. Go over to IGN for a direct download and play for yourself.
At the Square-Enix booth, there was a new Final Fantasy XIII demo that showed off the optima change and summoning systems. By performing an optima change, a character's tactics change on the fly to perform a specific role in the party: physical attacker, defense, white mage, black mage and so on. Summoning, on the other hand, involves a character exchanging places with or mounting a summoned beast; thus gaining access to powerful attacks for a set amount of time. Together, these two systems make the game more complex and fun to play.
Overall though, the rest of the Square-Enix TGS line-up was the weakest in recent memory. Besides Final Fantasy XIII and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, both of which are due out in Japan within the next 4 months, only Front Mission and the two recently announced NeiR games will be on the HD systems. Everything else at the booth was a disappointing DS title, cell phone game, or downloadable game. On top of that, there was no mention of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Final Fantasy Agito XIII or The 3rd Birthday. It looks to be a disappointing 2010 for Square-Enix fans.
In the end, this year's TGS was chock full of big name titles with high production values. While there were some noticeable absences and some let downs, with titles like those mentioned above, in addition to games like Mass Effect 2, The Old Republic, StarCraft 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction, Rest assured 2010 looks to be a good year for gaming. For a more in depth review of TGS, please check out my written review.
