NYCC 2011: Orcs Must Die!

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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Microsoft's booth had its fair share of unique game experiences, and one of them was a new twist in the tower defense genre: Robot Entertainment's Orcs Must Die!

The point of the game is to prevent a horde of Orcs from getting into an open rift located at the end of the stage. In order to stop them, players place various traps along the path between the main entrance and the open Rift such as tar pits and arrow-shooting walls. Besides the traps, the player can use a crossbow and a sword to help whittle down any remaining Orcs that have survived the traps. Killing Orcs rewards players with money to set up more traps for the next wave of Orcs. This mix of strategy and all-out combat makes the game stand out from other defense titles. Not to mention the game has a sense of humor and comic art design throughout the adventure.

Orcs vs. Spike-Covered Log. I'm going with the log.

On the show floor, I managed to play through one of the game’s stages. Visually, the games runs smoothly and has a mixed art style between comical and serious. While I am not a huge fan of tower defense titles, I did enjoy placing the traps in places that would help weaken the Orcs so I could finish them from a distance with my crossbow. At times, though, I could mix things up and run in sword-swinging while the Orcs were getting stuck in tar and getting shot with arrows. Thank goodness you cannot die from your own traps.

Well, you have the give the Orcs credit, considering how easily they can die.

However, by the time the stage was completed, I felt the stage had lost its welcome and the hordes seemed very similar with just more Orcs rather than new types of Orcs. Also, I couldn’t find out how to upgrade any of the traps I had set down, which is a staple in tower defense genre. Based on what I played, this game aims to be more like an action based beat-em-up rather than a strategy filled tower defense. I only hope this becomes more balanced in later stages and includes new Orcs and traps. Then again, I did only play a single level early on, so the levels and enemies can only get more devious and innovative!

Orcs Must Die! is available right now on XBLA for 1200 MS Points and on PC platforms.
For more information, check out the game's official site.

NYCC 2011: Trials Evolution

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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This past NYCC, Microsoft had a number of games showcased around its booth, including Kinect titles The Gunstringer and Just Dance 3 and upcoming titles Mass Effect 3 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Inside the main circle, however, there were three XBLA titles available to play, including newly-announced Fusion: Genesis (we have footage of that game to appear in our Miscellaneous Montage), Robot Entertainment's Orcs Must Die, and last but not least, RedLynx's Trials Evolution.

Trials Evolution is the sequel to the Summer of Arcade hit Trials HD, and from the time I had to try out the game, it has the same insanity of the original but with a bit more. Graphically, Trials Evolution is just as good as the original, but instead of the darker and enclosed locales, Evolution breaks free into the fresh and dangerous outdoors. The game ran at a super-smooth framerate, and the camera kept itself situated in such a way so as to accentuate each ramp's depths and every sharp turn within the newest escapade.

New locations, new obstacles, new tricks.

Controls are very smooth and should be very close to that of the original XBLA game, which made running through the obstacle course a constantly active experience. Players control not only the bike's speed but also the position of the rider, shifting forward or back on the crazy motorbike. This shifting of weight is what will determine whether the rider makes the jump or gets acquainted with the ground at many dozens of miles per hour. Of course, making those complicated jumps is altogether satisfying! The pull of Trials HD remains as potent as ever this time around.

I somehow doubt he is going to make it.

I did not get a lot of time to look further than a few levels, but from what I played, it was a delight and will certainly live up to Trials HD's style in some way. To see what I experienced, view the video below.

Trials Evolution has no clear release date, but we should expect it soon for XBLA.

NYCC 2011: Gravity Lab

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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In the small developer world, a lot of games are heading to the App Store, but surprisingly, not too many games for iDevices were shown at this year's New York Comic Con. However, we did find a small developer, Mobile Snap, showing off their first major project which played quite well: Gravity Lab.

This looks like it is going to hurt.

Gravity Lab is a puzzle arcade game in which players trace a path for Steve the Robot in order to knock over blocks to have them collide with stars. What color those blocks are determines their gravitational pull; for example, green blocks fall down, while red blocks fall up. Each of the game's three labs contain their own unique element addition, making the puzzle of collecting stars more complicated quickly. The second lab uses special sectors which change the color, and, therefore, the gravity direction of blocks, and the third lab uses teleporting devices to launch blocks in other directions.

Falling blocks in all directions!

While the game released this summer, developer Mobile Snap is prepping to add another lab (that is, twenty five levels) to the main game for free. Mobile Snap is also prepping for a Gravity Lab release on PC and Android devices in the near future. At NYCC, Mobile Snap showed off the game on PC and iPad, and we were able to get our hands on the game. The game felt smooth, even with the occasional framerate drops. The style and design more than make up for any glitches in the system, and for a game developed by three guys, it comes off as a neat addition to the App Store lineup.

Now we're thinking with portals. Sorry, had to say it.

We got to interview Steve Melanson from Mobile Snap about some details for the game, and you can see it below. Gravity Lab is currently available on the App Store for $0.99.

NYCC 2011: yyrgames

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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Xbox Live Indie Games does not get much of a good wrap; it is filled to the brim with poor graphics, hastily-prepared cash-ins, and all-around inadequate gaming experiences. However, there are a number of developers trying to make the service something respectable. One of those arcade-loving developers, yyrgames, had a booth at New York Comic Con showcasing two of the company's latest endeavors, and we got to try them out.

Yyrgames began its XBLIG lineup a couple years ago with Snake360, a fast-paced arcade title which took the basic snake concept and created hundreds of levels, multiple difficulty options, and a battle mode. However, Aaron Teplitsky, the mind behind yyrgames, thinks he can do so much more with the concept than make a few more modes.

Enter Snake361, a sequel with quite a bit more. On top of having the campaign levels from its predecessor, the game adds a myriad of new levels with new elements. For example, as you complete one level, the world expands, and your snake is as big as it was before; in other levels, which end you control swaps with each piece collected. Teleporters and other obstacles also come into play over time, ensuring a more intense snake experience. There are also leveling elements, replay recording, and a level editor with sharing elements to round out the game's contents.

And expanded level with teleporters to boot!

Another addition to the game is a set of 100 Challenges, which set speeds and certain rules on the player. At the yyrgames booth, Snake361 had a set of challenges to run through, and I found myself in a round of sudden intensity. One challenge, for example, required the level be finished in 17 moves, which promptly ended poorly for me. Another challenge rushed my snake around a level with pathways only one block-width in size. Needless to say, these challenges took me out in rapid force. By the way, for those who worried about using the Xbox 360 control stick, the game can be played with the face buttons or any other control input, including dance pads!

Battle Mode has also been improved, with lots of option to play with.

From the content-heavy to the content-crazy, yyrgames debuted its newest game at the show, also debuting its Mostly Random Games line. The game is simply titled B.F.T., which stands for Bungee Ferret Tossing, and the game involves all three of those words, with the addition of terrorists and explosions. In the game, terrorists have started to make their evil advances, and in order to stop them, one stealth helicopter and one brave soldier fly across enemy lines with but one weapon that truly works: explosive ferrets.

In-game, players control both the helicopter and the soldier on the bungee, but no matter what, the soldier sways back and forth in the air. Pressing any button causes a ferret explosive to be launched following the soldier's direction, hopefully toward the enemy. Over time, other ferrets are available, including proximity ferrets, timed ferrets, and more; unfortunately, the terrorists will only be getting stronger as the missions continue.

Graphically, B.F.T. is very simple, full of programmer art and simply-drawn characters. Teplitsky acknowledged this and made it known that he would be tweaking the graphics as well as he could. As for the game itself, it had a little bit of repetition going for it, but for a short and super-cheap experience, it might not be a bad game to try out when it is fully completed.

We spoke in length with Teplitsky about his current projects and any insights regarding the XBLIG services. In the interview, he also confirmed that his game SharpShooter is in the process of being ported to Windows Phone 7 and eventually Android. He might venture into further developments, but the two XBLIG titles are his big projects for now.

The first yyrgames product to become mobile.

Those interested in trying out his latest products can try out Snake360, CardArcade, Falling, and SharpShooter on XBLIG right now. B.F.T. will be available for 80 points late 2011, and Snake361 will be releasing "when it is ready," though 2012 is assured. Check below for our full interview.

NYCC 2011: Dragon's Dogma

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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Capcom's booth was among the most active of the show, which made recording footage and grabbing any brief interviews hard for us on Friday. Fighting games such as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken were crammed in the middle of the booth, while other adventures, such as Asura's Wrath and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, were available for play around the outside. Asura's Wrath in particular drew crowds due to the Rage Booth, but in the chaos, we decided to take a look at Capcom's next large franchise: Dragon's Dogma.

Dragon's Dogma takes place in old medieval times, and the player's created hero becomes the unfortunate victim of a large dragon. With the hero's heart removed and held by the dragon, the hero should be dead but is instead revived as an "Enlightened One," driven to find the dragon and get vengeance. The game is prepped to be an open-world adventure, full to the brim with massive monsters and large, sprawling lands to travel.

I don't know about you, but I think that adventurer is about to be Hydra food.

The actual demo was located in a small alcove with four demo stations facing each other, and in those demos, I had the choice of a dungeon or field-based scenario. There were not many people at this game, and after playing the demo for a short while, I realized why that may have been the case.

In the field scenario, my hero was with a group of NPCs, including an archer and a wizard, as they approached a number of monsters wrecking a small convoy. Without much hesitation on their part, the group rushed toward them, and I found myself in a bit of a bad situation. I was being thrown into battle with barely any knowledge of how the game played.

While this scenario was loading, I was met with a gargantuan, complex control screen. It seems I had missed out on some pivotal information, as my progress fell flat early into the demo. I tried to find a way to run and could not, and I quickly found my attacks to be less effective compared to those from my entourage. Before I could really get a grasp for my inventory, I was met with a greater foe: a massive griffin who had a taste for adventurers.

Had I been better, this might have been the outcome.

This was when the battle went from cumbersome to chaotic. I could attack the large monstrosity with my short blades easily, but in the air, I was met with difficulty. A wizard informed me that his flames would hurt the griffin greatly, and the archer let me know to attack its wings with my bow and arrow. Without any prompt or hint of how to use my bow, I started to pull it out, only to completely miss or mess up with my attacks. Less than a minute later, I was informed, yet again, from my NPCs. I got some more hits in, but still the others called out to me as if I was failing greatly. Shortly thereafter, convinced I was getting nowhere, I ended my playthrough.

They are helpful, but the others are also quite annoyingly verbal.

Was Dragon's Dogma bad? No, it was probably more the environment and lack of knowledge toward the game's control that threw me off than anything else. However, if this game is coming out early 2012 (which it is), there needs to be some level of polish in how the characters act and how the game flows. The graphics look nice in stills but chugged along way too slowly, and the controls were certainly not more accessible, despite what the director said in the past. Hopefully the final product will deliver better than this demo did.

See below for the video of my experience. Dragon's Dogma is slated for March 2012.