A feature article of mine can be found over at Games Abyss. It details my thoughts on the direction video game narratives are headed and how they can become more effective of their immersion of the player.

Shadow of the Colossus é um jogo do estilo ação-aventura, desenvolvido pela Sony Computer, e conta a história do garoto Wander que precisa lutar/destruir gigantes para recuperar a vida de uma estranha menina morta.

O jogo se passa em um grande território (sem data existente), no qual você precisa explorar com seu cavalo preto este imenso desconhecido, onde habitam as mais monstruosas criaturas já vistas, os colossus. – pronto, você já conheceu todos os personagens do jogo!

A jogabilidade pode parecer ser simples: pular, cavalgar, dar espadadas e flechadas e controlar tudo isso é questão de tempo; no começo sempre há uma dificuldade. Por mais fácil que seja olhando, na hora, um simples pulo errado pode te levar da cabeça do colossus ao chão em segundos. Literalmente!

O jogo ocorre em ciclos: você começa em um ponto central (um grande palácio), percorrendo o vasto território até encontrar o bicho, matá-lo e retornar ao ponto inicial. Sua espada é a chave para você achar os gigantes. Apontando para o sol, ela indica onde está encontra a criatura e você poderá chegar ao seu destino.

Apesar de ter um objetivo direto, a aventura pode causar momentos de tristeza, alegria e raiva ao mesmo tempo (Sim, subir naqueles bichos enormes pode causar certa frustração). Ao longo do jogo, se descobre qual é a história principal e você não se arrependerá das surpresas que vem pela frente.

Só quem joga entende a sensação de quão pequenos e indefesos nós somos.

Texto escrito por: @KellxD

From the japanese guide to the greatest game of all time.

… and a stomach bug brought home from Egypt. All in glorious HD.

So why have I, a stalwart PC gamer (with a PS2 obtained originally for entirely academic purposes, I swear!), got myself one of those newfangled PS3 Slims? Two reasons, really: 1) Blu-rays and 2) The Last Guardian. Obviously I had more reasons than that, but they’re the main ones.

1) When we originally got digital TV, I was told that our connection was fast enough for HD channels. And yes, it was pretty glorious (in a nerdy way) to be able to record and watch both volumes of Kill Bill in high-def. Even boring old football (that’s “soccer” for y’all yanks out there) just popped off the screen in a way that made it watchable. For five minutes. At most. But you could see every blade of grass, and every pore on people’s faces! (Makes you feel all Walt Whitmanesque…)

But then our digital connection was downgraded. Why? They couldn’t tell; in fact, they were pretty mystified why I’d been told to begin with that the connection was fast enough. Guess I imagined all those red pixels in Kill Bill…

In any case, yesterday we watched our first complete Blu-ray disk, Sunshine. To paraphrase another brainy sci-fi flick, “My god, it is full of details.” While I still have problems with the film’s ending, this visually stunning film becomes doubly so in HD. Almost makes you want to dive into the sun yourself… in a good way.

(If you’re interested in seeing a good comparison of DVD vs. Blu-ray, check out this YouTube video. Make sure to watch it in HQ though.)

2) This one is a bit more esoteric, perhaps. Two of my favourite games on the PS2 are called ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, and they may just be the main reasons why I got the PS2 to begin with. I was writing a paper on games as art (Et tu, Roger?), and both of these seemed to fit the bill, combining subtle storytelling, beautiful art direction and gameplay in ways that few other games have managed. The developer’s new project is called The Last Colossus, and the trailers definitely have left me more than curious:

Es curioso que, en ocasiones, alguna obra nos afecte tanto que envidiemos a los que no la han disfrutado todavía. Ellos, a diferencia de nosotros, pueden experimentarla por primera vez.

Pues bien; hoy, poco antes de las 13:00, hace unos 45 minutos, he matado mi primer coloso.

Tiendo a pensar que los videojuegos (así, a secas) no son algo concreto. Diferencio entre juegos narrativos y no narrativos porque me parecen lo suficientemente diferentes; como la novela, la poesía y el teatro. Pues bien, este juego parece no encajar en ninguna (o encajar en las dos a la vez).

Lo que más me maravilla es que cada detalle sea tan perfecto y colabore tan bien con el resto para formar un todo muy anclado en la emoción pura, teniendo una  historia como la que tiene por debajo. Y no, no creo que la sangre haya sido tan bien usada nunca, en ninguna obra.

Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth OST - Kow Otani – 2005

Un videojuego, al igual que una película, debería tener siempre una banda sonora a la altura de su calidad, ya sea ésta mayor o menor. Hay ocasiones en el mundo del cine que una película puede tener una gran calidad y a pesar de ello no contar con una banda sonora a su altura (pensemos por ejemplo en El Nombre de la Rosa, con una discreta partitura de James Horner), o por el contrario que una película mediocre tenga una grandísima banda sonora (pensemos en Hook y la brillantísima partitura que compuso John Williams). Así pues, tendríamos entre las diversas combinaciones posibles obras y partituras de similar calidad, obras de mayor calidad que su partitura y el caso contrario de obras de menor calidad que su partitura.

Por supuesto nos faltarían los extremos para acabar de contemplar todos los casos posibles: y es que desgraciadamente hay obras de ínfima calidad con patéticas bandas sonoras (no cabe aquí la lista de ejemplos que podríamos enumerar a lo largo de toda la historia del cine) y por contra hay auténticas obras maestras que cuentan igualmente con obras maestras como bandas sonoras (véase Blade Runner, El Padrino o La Lista de Schindler, por poner solo unos ejemplos). Afortunadamente para los aficionados a los videojuegos, casos como el último expuesto también se dan en nuestro ámbito, y  Shadow of the Colossus es un perfecto ejemplo de ello.

Describir con palabras la colosal (nunca mejor dicho) calidad que atesora la partitura creada por Kow Otani se nos antoja misión casi imposible. Pocas veces se ha llegado a plasmar de una forma tan increíblemente precisa la belleza presente en un videojuego como la que reside en cada byte de Shadow of the Colossus, con una partitura tan extraordinariamente descriptiva y evocadora.

Los momentos de paz y calma absoluta correspondientes a las fases de exploración del juego se reflejan en la banda sonora alternando con las épicas hazañas del héroe en combate, momentos en los que la partitura alcanza sus momentos más álgidos de dramatismo y fuerza expresiva.

Así, tenemos por un lado bellísimas melodías de una sensibilidad embriagadora como el genial prólogo To The Ancient Land o la pista The Farthest Land, que nos evoca el paisaje misterioso y primitivo donde tiene lugar el videojuego, así como en el otro extremo temas de batalla de un fastuoso vigor musical como Opened Path o Swift Horse.

En ambos casos sobresale por encima de todo una brillante instrumentación (con especial atención al sublime empleo de los instrumentos de cuerda y viento) y el mérito del autor de saber mantener en todo momento un estilo propio que consigue dar la necesaria unidad a toda obra, ya se trate de temas tranquilos como enérgicos.

Si tuviésemos que comparar esta maravillosa partitura con alguna otra obra ya existente para aquel aficionado que no haya tenido ocasión de escucharla y quiera hacerse una remota idea de a qué estilo se asemeja, sin duda sería la banda sonora de la película Willow la que podría servir de más claro referente, con su misma bipartición entre temas de una delicadeza asombrosa y otros de una fuerza vital prodigiosa.

Invitar tan solo a modo de conclusión a todo melómano que lo desee a hacer una sencilla prueba: escuchar la música del final del juego con los ojos cerrados y dejando volar la imaginación. Si no consigue emocionarse al son de los acordes de los violines y los maravillosos coros quizá su cuerpo sea de piedra… como el de un coloso.

Para descargar el disco pulsa sobre el siguiente enlace:
Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth Original Soundtrack

Track List:

01 – Prologue ~To the Ancient Land~
02 – Withdrawn Art
03 – Law
04 – Black Blood
05 – Resurrection
06 – Sign of the Colossus
07 – Monstrous People ~Fight with  Colossus~
08 – Opened Path ~Fight with Colossus~
09 – End of the Battle
10 – Idol Collapse
11 – Green Hill
12 – Violent Encounter ~Fight with  Colossus~
13 – Resurrected Power ~Fight with  Colossus~
14 – Lakeside 15 – Silence ~Fight with  Colossus~
16 – Fear of Power ~Fight with Colossus~
17 – Wander’s Death [Game Over]
18 – The Farthest Land
19 – A Shadow Coming Closer ~Fight with Colossus~
20 – Messenger from Behind ~Fight with Colossus~
21 – Counter-Attack ~Fight with Colossus~
22 – Buried Dragon
23 – Closed City
24 – Released Guardian ~Fight with Colossus~
25 – Separation with Despair ~Fight with Colossus~
26 – Prayer
27 – Swift Horse
28 – Gate Watcher in the Ruins ~Fight with Colossus~
29 – Sanctuary
30 – Demise of the Ceremony ~Fight with Demon Colossus Dormin~
31 – Chaser
32 – First Sign of Revival
33 – Epilogue ~Those Who Remain~
34 – Wish
35 – On the Land of Happiness
36 – Memory
37 – Wilderness
38 – Voice of the Earth
39 – Wetlands
40 – Anger
41 – Last Battle
42 – The Farthest Land (Theme Reprise)
 
Duración total: 75′ 36″

Fuente:
MCANIME

Having played the superb Batman: Arkham Asylum through to completion recently, I couldn’t help but wonder: Why can’t all games be like this? Not in terms of the gameplay specifics, of course, but with regards to the polish and general professionalism of the thing. It’s the slickest game I’ve played in many a year, whether you’re talking technology or interface or design, and inevitably shines a rather harsh light on the productions of other studios.

Why can’t the unusual, fascinating STALKER have the production values and stability of Batman? Why can’t every role-playing game ever made have a melee combat system this satisfying? Is it asking too much for the daring creators of the likes of ArmA2 to craft an interface as immediate and logical as Rocksteady’s efforts? Why can’t Crytek harness the incredible technology witnessed in Crysis to a game this exhilerating and rewarding? Conversely, when are Valve going to combine their unrivalled level design with something this accessible and sexy?

Which got me thinking: What would be the perfect combination of developer talent? If you were to create a Frankenstein’s monster by kidnapping the best and the brightest from the industry and locking them in a room together, who would those lucky few comprise? Without further ado, my suggestions for the developer most likely to create The Perfect Game would be something like this:

Concepts & art design

Team Ico + Doublefine

Visual design is an area in which the gaming medium excels. While it struggles in other arenas such as writing, acting and often even the all-important gameplay, the visuals are usually astounding, improving exponentially every few years as new technologies enable the artists to realise even wilder fantasies. The two developers most consistently pushing boundaries and exploring new territory are the chaps behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus and Tim Schafer’s crew over at Doublefine. Team Ico’s PS2 creations were cult hits and pushed both gameplay and visuals to new heights on that platform, with Shadow of the Colossus easily holding its own against many supposed ‘next gen’ launch titles (why haven’t Sony done a high definition re-release for the PS3?) with its unique, towering behemoths that trod a mysterious line between architecture and organism. Meanwhile, Doublefine’s unique creations in Psychonauts and Brutal Legend dare to move away from the generic Space Marine template to conjur entirely magical settings and characters.

Engine

Crytek + Epic

It’s all too easy to dismiss Crytek as a developer that creates awesome engines but subpar games – easy because it’s largely true. Far Cry and Crysis are by no means bad games, as they are both highly enjoyable in a simple, low-budget, European, action b-movie kind of way. It’s the huge disparity between their truly unrivalled technical prowess and debatable design skills that inevitably highlights their shortcomings in the latter department, perhaps unfairly. Nobody can deny their ability to craft a fine explosion, though, and they’re one of the few developers still willing to push cutting edge computer technology to its limits – even if there’s only a handful of potential customers that can witness it first hand.

Meanwhile, Epic have taken the mid-ground, creating a scaleable engine not quite capable of  the finesse seen in Crytek’s offerings but providing a much more solid gaming foundation, resulting in it powering most of the current generation’s major titles. Unreal Engine 3 has its flaws, such as the bizarrely plasticky characters that seem to be unavoidable, but it’s nevertheless versatile and stable. It also achieves some of the more remarkable loading times, whether on console or PC.

World building

CD Projekt & Rocksteady

Perhaps the obvious candidates for this category would be the likes of Bioware and Bethesda, responsible for the sprawling RPGs  that allow players to roam about in a fictional world, whether it be the future (Mass Effect) or Tamriel (Oblivion). They go to great pains to give each item in the world an explanation, every character a backstory, every location a history. It’s all very detailed and all very encyclopaedic, but it never really feels alive. The worlds in those games feel like databases of vaguely interesting information that has no real relevance on your gameplay experience. By focusing so heavily on inconsequential details, often the bigger picture is missed.

Instead my picks would be CD Projekt and Rocksteady, both of whom have proved particularly adept at understanding the essential nature of licensed IPs – in the former’s case the Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski and with the former DC’s iconic Batman superhero. The trick they both demonstrate is an ability to identify the core elements of a characacter or world: they’re not distracted by irrelevances or the obvious spectacle, instead delving into crucial elements that will only be directly recognised by fans, but which even the casual osberver would feel by their absence.

Bioware and Bethesda can create worlds full of detail. CD Projekt and Rocksteady create worlds full of personality.

Level design

Valve & 2K Czech

All the above is meaningless without a good game beneath all the fictional context. These two developers know how to extrapolate a fictional world into a proper game – or perhaps vice versa. The Half Life games have repeteadly shown a deftness of touch in their general design, with a flowing, naturalistic approach to the game space that has proved increasingly influential, with many games now eschewing the basic Doom-style level structure. Their genius particularly lies in integrating the fictional world and story into the architecture itself – Half Life 2 tells its story through incidental details rather than elaborate cut scenes and is all the more involving because of it.

2k Czech are back on the radar at the moment thanks to the forthcoming Mafia 2. Despite the apparent excitement over the sequel, the original game was confined to a niche group of admirers, at the time being rather ignorantly dismissed as ‘GTA with boring cars’ – a shorthand that many lazy journalists and simple gamers will no doubt recycle once the new game is out. What 2k Czech realised is that the free-roaming sandbox design of GTA absolutely does not work in the context of a largely linear, scripted story. The GTA games are at their best when they let you do silly things; every attempt to force you down a gritty, resonant storyline in GTA IV puts a barrier between you and the emergent gameplay possibilties. With Mafia, 2k Czech (then known as Illusion Softworks) knew the story they wanted to tell and they knew  their city. When you’re sent out into the world, it’s with a purpose, the story constantly driving you onwards to different locations and times of day, rather than leaving it up to random chance and the arbitrary, immature whims of the player. Mafia’s harsh police activity prevents you from behaving like a comedy serial killer and the drama soars because of it, avoiding GTA’s uncomfortable blend of daftness anarchy and supposedly important decisions.

Writing

Doublefine

Paul Dini did a pretty damn good job with the Batman: Arkham Asylum script, aided in no small part by the voice talents of Mark Hamill. For a writer from a different medium he showed a remarkable affinity for adapting to a new environment, albeit with an over-reliance on cut-scenes. But Dini is still no match for Tim Schafer, masterful wordmonger behind The Secret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. They’re not all great games, each with their fair number of flaws, but the writing is unmatched in gaming.

Schafer’s games are fun – Psychonauts is a glorious platform extravaganza – but rarely groundbreaking in their gameplay, while his stories and characters throw more ideas at the player than most games put together. Most of his recent projects have been pursued by tedious studio executives attempting to interfere, with both Psychonauts and Brutal Legend havinv troubled developments. I’d love to see what Schafer could do if he actually had studio support from start to finish, and the kind of budget that World War 2 and Space Marine shooters enjoy.

Interface & QA

Rocksteady & Infinity Ward

Most of the games that attract my attention are ones that try hard but don’t necessarily succeed in all areas. STALKER. Morrowind. Deus Ex. The Path. Darwinia.

Sometimes, though, it’s a pleasure in itself to play something that is so finely tuned, so delicately balance and polished and tested and focus grouped, that it is an entirely effortless experience. Usually this also results in a soulless, dull game, with innovation and production value often seeming mutually exclusive, but sometimes a real gem sneaks through. Batman is one, Call of Duty is another. I’m unaware of Rocksteady’s previous work, but Batman manages to be both blockbuster and sensitive, intelligent comic adpatation at the same time. Call of Duty is a war shooter but one that is always pushing forward with new ideas, often interative but never staying still (as long as you stick to the Infinity Ward ones, that is). Call of Duty 4 introduced a mass of new concepts to the war shooter genre, even managing to create sympathetic, memorable characters and a modicum of satirical elements that dared to highlight the less pleasant aspects of warfare.

Both developers managed to push themselves without sacrificing quality. If only more developers had the time, skill and money to do so.

It’s all a fantasy, of course. Developers will continue to go off in their own isolated directions, specialising in certain areas and ignoring others. I’m fairly sure I’m not the only one that would like to see Half Life 3 using the latest Crytek engine, though.

Review: Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

Nur sehr Selten gelingt es Gamesdesignern den Spieler vollkommen in die von ihnen erschaffenen Welten zu ziehen und nachhaltig zu beeindrucken. Sonys Entwicklern des Ausnahmespiels Shadow of the Colossus ist  dies mit einem puristischen, klaren wie zu gleich mystischen Ansatz genau gelungen. Ein wahres Alpha-Spiel aus der Endzeit der PS2-Ära, von dem viele, viele andere etwas lernen können – finde ich zumindest. Lest, warum…

Die Handlung:

Der junge, wortkarge Krieger Wanda macht sich mit seinem Pferd Agro dazu auf, das ebenfalls junge Mädchen Mono (wahrscheinlich seine Geliebte) nach ihrer Opferung aus dem Reich der Toten zu retten – dazu betritt er mit ihr ein weit entferntes, verwunschenes Königreich. Hier soll  in einem großen Tempel ein mächtiges Wesen über die Kraft verfügen, Verstorbene wieder ins Leben zu führen. Jedoch scheint der Ort seit langem verlassen.

Nachdem Wanda die leblose Maid dann auf einen Schrein gelegt hat, wollen ihn plötzlich mehrere schattenartige Kreaturen behelligen – sie lassen aber von ihm ab, als sie sein Schwert mysteriös aufleuchten sehen. In diesem Moment spricht eine dunkle Stimme zu ihm und gibt sich als das in diesem unbekannten, stillen Lande eingesperrte, aber auch mächtige Wesen Dormin zu erkennen. Es teilt Wanda mit, seine Waffe wäre etwas ganz Besonderes und erklärt: wenn der Jüngling die Kraft, Tote wiederzubeleben zu können, freisetzten möchte, so müsse er 16 Kolosse bezwingen. Diese leben über das ganze Land verstreut und haben jeder ganz spezifische Eigenschaften. Sofort willigt  der junge Held ein und lässt sich von dem undurchschaubaren Geisterwesen den Standort des ersten Kolosses zeigen…

Hier beginnt Shadow of the Colossus, dessen Handlung – trotz Verwendung lauter genretypischer Storyelemente- früh eine andere Richtung nimmt, als man vielleicht vermutet. Vor allem das Ende das Spiels weis durch unerwartete Wendungen zu überraschen.Verraten möchte ich hier nichts, denn genau dies macht einen Großteil des Reizes aus. Es soll nur gesagt sein: die melancholisch-dramatische Geschichte um Wanda und die Kolosse vermag Gänsehaut auszulösen und regt die Fantasie an. Reduktion ist hierbei – wie auch in der Präsentation und Spielmechanik – von entscheidender Bedeutung; in kaum einen anderen Spiel ist Minimalismus je so effektiv und kunstvoll umgesetzt worden.

Die Spielmechanik:

Schwert, Bogen, Pferd – all das erinnert schwer an bekannte Adventure-Titel wie etwa Zelda. Bis auf diese Elemente und vielleicht die Tatsache, dass man Wanda in der 3rd-Person-Perspektive durch eine 3D-Umgebung steuert, war es das aber auch schon mit den Gemeinsamkeiten. Vergeblich sucht man nach Statusanzeigen, Menus, Items etc. Der Blick auf die – für PS2-Verhältnisse – atemberaubende Landschaft wird durch nichts von alle dem getrübt. Nur wenn es zu Kletteraktionen oder zum Kampf kommt, werden einige wenige Anzeigen sichtbar: ein rosa Kreis, dessen Größe Eure Ausdauerkraft beim Klettern zeigt, ein roter Balken für Eure Lebensenergie sowie ein Feld in dem die aktuelle Ausrüstung angezeigt wird.

Letztere ist allerdings auf Schwert und Bogen beschränkt; es gibt keine Items zu finden oder zu kaufen, auch neue Waffen erhaltet Ihr nicht. Es gibt keine Interaktion mit NPCs, denn im verwunschenen Land lebt niemand außer den Kolossen. Keine Dialoge, kein Handel. Keine Subquests oder sonstige Nebengeschichten. Es gibt nicht einmal “normale” Gegner, die in so vielen anderen Spielen massenhaft durch die Gegend streifen. Einsamkeit und Stille herrschen bei Shadow of the Colossus vor. Hört sich langweilig an und macht alles falsch, was man in einem Adventurespiel nur falsch machen kann? Mit Nichten! Durch die gelungene Komposition der vorhandenen Spielelemente vermisst man keines der oben genannten klassischen Adventure-Features.

Dem intendierten Purismus stehen fordernde wie intelligente Kletter- und Springpartien sowie die monumentalen Kämpfe gegen die 16 sehr unterschiedlichen Kolosse gegenüber. Um sie zu finden hebt Ihr das Schwert auf dem Rücken Eures Pferdes gen Himmel und folgt dem Lichtstrahl, der sich auf den Aufenthaltsort der Giganten konzentriert. Die Suche und die Reise sind für sich schon oftmals eine gewisse Herausforderung.

Die teils sehr schweren Duelle sind aber der wahre Kern des Spiels.Für jeden der Riesen – wobei einige wenige von ihnen auch mal etwas kleiner sind – gibt es eine neue Strategie, die zum Sieg führt. Um die mächtigen Kreaturen  bezwingen zu können, müssen ihre Besonderheiten, das Gelände usw. in den taktisch anspruchsvollen Kämpfen berücksichtigt werden. Dabei gibt es spannende Auseinandersetzungen im Wasser, zu Lande und hoch oben in der Luft.

Um die Kolosse schließlich zu Fall zu bringen, müsst Ihr sie mit dem Schwert an verschiedenen Körperstellen durchbohren, bevor ihr den Todesstoß – meist in den Kopf – versetzt. Um soweit zu kommen müsst Ihr nicht selten erst den riesenhaften Körper Eurer Widersacher erklimmen – die setzen alles daran Euch mit voller Wucht abzuschütteln und zu zerstampfen. In diesen Situationen ist dann Eure Geschicklichkeit gefragt: so springt, klettert und klammert Ihr Euch bei heftiger Gegenwehr zu den Schwachstellen der Kolosse. Hier wird das Spiel oft besonders fesselnd: Stück für Stück arbeitet man sich an den riesenhaften Geschöpfen entlang, stets der Gefahr eines tiefen Sturzes oder Schlimmeren ausgesetzt; verschwitzte Hände sind bei der nervenaufreibenden, sehr spannenden Jagd auf die Kolosse garantiert. Einige der 16 Monster können außerdem Feuer speien, “Bomben” spucken oder sind besonders flink. Falls es während der Kämpfe eng wird, könnt ihr jedoch schnell die Flucht antreten und Euch an bestimmten Schreinen regenerieren. Dieses sind über das ganze Land verteilt.

Nach jedem besiegten Gegner absorbiert ihr schwarze “Energie-Fäden”, die aus den toten Kolossen strömen und werdet wieder in den Haupttempel teleportiert. Dort zerberstet für jeden gewonnen Kampf eine von 16 Statuen, die die Kolosse darstellen.

Das Design:

Weniger ist mehr – in diesem Falle viel mehr. In keinem anderen Spiel hat man sich jemals so klein gefühlt. Genau das macht die dichte, surreale Atmosphäre aus. Die riesige, endlose Umgebung vermittelt ein intensives Gefühl von Einsamkeit. Es ist sehr still. Wie ein Gemälde, in kühlen Farben gehalten, wirkt die Landschaft:  man reitet durch weite grüne Ebenen,  durch Wüsten, an Gebirgsketten oder Flüssen vorbei; der Tempel und die Brücke zur Außenwelt sind von imposanter Überdimensionalität; die Fantasie zur Geschichte dieses Landes wird, da  kaum Antworten gegeben werden, nicht zu letzt durch diese beeindruckenden Impressionen angeregt. All dies gehört grafisch zum Besten, was die PS2 zu bieten hat.

Die Designer wissen genau, wann und wie sie die wenige – aber sehr gute – musikalische Untermalung einsetzen müssen. So bricht die Stille beim Zusammentreffen mit den Kolossen geradezu auseinander; dramatische Orchesterstücke geben den raschen Takt der dynamischen Kämpfe wieder. Die spannenden Kamerafahrten sowie die imposant in Szene gesetzten Riesen machen das Spiel endgültig zu einem audio-visuellen Erlebnis.

Die Kolosse selbst werden ihrer Rolle als mystisch-geheimnisvolle Giganten vollkommen gerecht. Sie wirken wie eine Mischung aus organischer Kreatur und lebendigem Monument und treten in vielen verschiedenen Formen auf: als Minotaurus, Ritter,  Bulle, Pferd, Vogel, Krieger, Magier usw. Obwohl sie sich optisch durch verschiedene Stilmittel ähneln, sind alle Modelle doch ganz eigenständige Schöpfungen – flüssig animiert, mit vielen Details und von wahrlich kolossaler Größe. Zudem unterscheiden sich die Wesen auch “charakterlich”: So sind einige besonders aggressiv, andere reagieren dabei erst, wenn sie angegriffen werden.

Fazit:

Shadow of the Colossus ist eines jener Spiele, die beweisen, welch künstlerisches Potential in einem Computer-/Videospiele versteckt sein kann. Durch sein ungewöhnliches, aber letztlich intelligentes und beeindruckendes Design sowie die packende Handlung ist es ein absoluter Geheimtipp für die PS2. Ein Spiel das Fantasie wie Gedanken anregt, motivierend, fordernd (teils sehr schwer) und einfach nur wunderschön ist. Für mich ein Meilenstein des Gamedesigns der letzten Jahre, durch kluge Innovationen – durchaus wegweisend für ein etabliertes, aber auch etwas eingeschlafenes Genre. Wir warten gespannt auf den Nachfolger für die PS3 ( auf der letzten E3 angekündigt). Ich kann das Spiel nur empfehlen, Urteil: Seht gut!

Shadow of the Colossus erschien im Oktober 2005 in den USA und Japan. Seit dem 14. Februar 2006 ist es in Deutschland erhältlich und kostete damals ca. 60 EUR. Die Spielzeit liegt bei ca. 12 Stunden+. Heute ist das Spiel im Einzelhandel kaum noch erhältlich, im Internet finden sich aber noch Anbieter (etwa Amazon) dies es neu für den Vollpreis verkaufen. Ansonsten empfiehlt es sich einen Blick auf Ebay oder in andere Secondhand-Shops zu werfen.

PS: Ebenfalls andere Wege gehend ist der Vorgänger Ico (PS2) au dem Jahr 2001 – wie Shadow of the Colossus ein Geheimtipp unter Kennern.

Why? Because developers think they’re writing films. A big mistake. Current technology simply isn’t sophisticated enough to capture the nuances of a movie script, even if a Hollywood star’s providing the voiceover. Dialogue always ends up sounding stunted and unnatural, acted unconvincingly by 3D models with about four facial expressions (see Fallout 3). Look at the scene in Heat in which Pacino and De Niro meet in the diner. Look at the power and subtlety of their performances. Do you think a video game could ever recreate that? Of course not. Developers have to play to the strengths of the medium.

Take Ico, for example. Its story is as impactful as any film, with absolutely no discernible dialogue. The developers used the environment and your own actions to tell the tale. Same goes for Half-Life 2. Its dialogue is sparse, but tells an incredible story through background detail and set-pieces. The newspaper clipping pinned to Dr. Kleiner’s wall with the headline “EARTH SURRENDERS” has the same impact an expository cut-scene or piece of dialogue would. This is a narrative method unique to games that’s ignored to make way for cut-scenes filled with Hollywood cliché and stilted characterisation. Some games get it right. Uncharted tells a story in a Hollywood style without it feeling trite thanks to the quality script, expressive character models, and the nature of the game itself; a pastiche of Saturday matinee action films.

Still, the best examples of game storytelling are the ones that give the environment a chance to direct to direct the narrative: the cold, oppressive streets of City 17, the ruined depths of BioShock’s Rapture and the barren and isolated Forbidden Land in Shadow Of The Colossus.

Game narrative + cut-scenes + clever storytelling = better stories.

I was watching Sir Charlie Of Brooker’s program a couple of nights ago. The show was a breath of fresh air, having never seen a computer game discussed on screen in such a reasonable and dare I say it – informed way. The end quote from Micro-Live struck a chord particularly.

“So, if you’ve never played a computer game – dont dismiss them. There are games for all mentalities, its just that the good games are hidden behind a mass of crude shoot-em-ups.”

While it is true that the FPS has completely saturated the most interactive media form, when the survivors eventually emerge from the rubble of a piss poor world-war Gears of COD clones – they are all that more important.

Team Ico’s upcoming PlayStation 3 game The Last Guardian is easily one of the most highly-anticipated games on the platform. While Ico’s previous efforts, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus preferred to target a Japanese audience, with specific tastes. Vice President of Japan Studio, Yasuhide Kobayashi, revealed that the new title will aim to appeal to a more ubiquitous consumer, in an ever-expanding market.

It is very interesting to note how big of an impact marketing has, especially on a game possessing such artistic qualities. Apart from voice acting and dubbing issues, I believe the aesthetics alone will move this game off the shelves. Hopefully demonstrating to other developers that you can make profit off of innovation. Now leave the Nazi’s alone, we get it, Hitler bad! America Good!

Expect The Last Guardian sometime next year, now watch this..

Dré

Rachei de rir, principalmente no finzinho.

Por Alexei Barros

Depois da ausência em 2008, ano ocupado pela gravação das trilhas de Diablo III, Soulcalibur IV, Valkyria Chronicles e do álbum Echoes of War, a série de concertos australiana A Night in Fantasia retornou neste ano em Sidnei, no Sydney Entertainment Centre no sábado passado, dia 26 de setembro. A despeito de algumas informações desencontradas (Diablo III, Valkyria Chronicles, o anime de The Tower of Druga e a presença de Hitoshi Sakimoto nem se confirmaram como anunciado de início), aparentemente a récita foi caprichada, mesmo porque foi realizada em um único espetáculo.

Do total de 20 executadas, 13 serão lançadas no CD A Night in Fantasia 2009 no dia 12 de dezembro. Muito melhor do que fazer várias apresentações na Austrália e restringir a eminência sinfônica para o público local. Como disse antes, o set list possui mais jogos ocidentais e, muito possivelmente para evitar problemas de direitos autorais, não há músicas de títulos da Nintendo e Square Enix – os direitos autorais da trilha de Chrono Cross são do próprio Yasunori Mitsuda.

Em relação àquela lista de convidados comentada no post anterior do A Night in Fantasia 2009, nada muito sério a acrescentar, senão pela ausência de Steve Jablonsky (Gears of War 2), que não pode comparecer e deixou uma mensagem em vídeo. De resto, Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross), Masaru Shiina (THE iDOLM@STER), Inon Zur (Dragon Age: Origins e Prince of Persia), Cris Velasco (God of War II), Wataru Hokoyama (Afrika) e Kow Otani (Shadow of the Colossus) estavam lá.

Como os relatos australianos costumam ter o péssimo hábito de não citar nominalmente as faixas tocadas, diferentemente dos blogs e sites japoneses, poderia encerrar por aqui se não fosse por uma gravação da plateia que encontrei de quatro músicas, algumas das que estava mais curioso para ouvir – faltou God of War II, Ace Combat V e Soulcalibur. Não é perfeito, mas audível e permite ter uma ideia dos arranjos – alguns que poderão ser futuramente apreciados no CD em todo o esplendor.

- “Radical Dreamers” (Chrono Cross)
Original: “Radical Dreamers”

Parece até que foi combinado. A faixa selecionada é exatamente uma que não apareceu no antológico “Fantasy III (Chrono Trigger & Cross)” do Symphonic Fantasies, o que demonstra a fartura de músicas de Chrono Cross. Isso que ainda há tantas outras não aproveitadas. A singela canção dos créditos, originalmente apenas voz (da cantora Noriko Mitose) e violão, já havia sido traduzida para violino, violoncelo e piano no evento Destiny Reunion da própria Eminence, e adquiriu maiores proporções no opulento arranjo de Hayato Matsuo. Mais interessante, ele usou o mesmo recurso do Jonne Valtonen ao verter as partes do violão para a harpa. Aos poucos, o tema é repetido e variado, com forte utilização de metais graves e flautas, explodindo até o apogeu, e encerrando de maneira comedida na harpa. Meu veredicto definitivo só poderá ser dado na versão do CD.

- “Shadow of the Colossus”

Verdade seja dita: o A Night in Fantasia é o concerto que mais rende homenagem à trilha do Shadow of the Colossus, não por menos o spalla Hiroaki Yura é amigo pessoal do compositor Kow Otani. Em todos as apresentações feitas pelo mundo, os segmentos reproduziam uma original ou emendavam várias músicas. Esse é o primeiro arranjo de fato, ou seja, uma interpretação alternativa, não literal, do Shadow. Uma ambiciosa suíte com dez minutos de duração, com Otani ao piano.

De início, me causou aflição por saber da participação da cantora Aika Tsuneoka, a mesma do Echoes of War, por não existir nenhum solo de vocal na trilha inteira. O pessimismo me acometeu quando a primeira intervenção dela me lembrou a “Children of the Worldstone”, mas felizmente aqui não parece que ela está cantando direto da garganta como no Echoes of War. O coral também atua, conferindo um clima sagrado.

Contudo, meu reconhecimento de faixas falhou, e só consegui identificar lembranças de “The Sunlith Earth” (3:00), “Prologue to the Ancient Land” (6:30), e acredito até que existam trechos originais, por isso também nem me arrisquei a detalhar por completo. Outra que precisa ser conferida no CD.

- “Tonari ni…” (THE iDOLM@STER)
Original: “Tonari ni…”

Tocar uma canção J-pop de um jogo de karaokê lançado apenas no Japão e para Xbox 360 é o que chamo de uma escolha audaciosa. Como a maioria das composições do Masaru Shiina, a “Tonari ni…”, que está registrada no álbum THE iDOLM@STER Master Artist 07 Azusa Miura, é pontuada por metais jazzísticos e baixo elétrico – que desapareceram na versão de Kazuhiko Sawaguchi. As palmas, o contracanto e outros elementos também foram suprimidos. Apesar da participação da cantora original Chiaki Takahashi e do coral, parece até outra canção. Ficou menos pop e mais erudito. Prefiro a original.

- “Metal Gear Solid 2 / 3 Theme” (Metal Gear Solid 2 e 3)
Originais: “Metal Gear Solid Main Theme MGS 3 Version” ~ “Metal Gear Solid Main Theme” ~ “Metal Gear Solid Main Theme MGS 3 Version”

Esse arranjo não é novo, é o mesmo apresentado no A Night in Fantasia 2007: Symphonic Games Edition que alterna entre os temas principais do Metal Gear Solid 2 e 3. Inclusive havia publicado antes. Só não sabia que era da Natsumi Kameoka. Foi executado no encerramento, com Hiroaki Yura de bandana e tudo. A participação da bateria, reproduzindo as batidas sintetizadas das originais, é a melhor parte, sem esquecer do emocionante solo de violão no final.

Set list, agora com a ordem da apresentação:

Ato I

01 – Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3*
Composição: James Hannigan
Arranjo: Kazuhiko Sawaguchi

02 – Laputa, Castle in the Sky
Composição: Joe Hisaishi
Arranjo: Wataru Hokoyama

03 – My Neighbour Totoro
Composição: Joe Hisaishi
Arranjo: Wataru Hokoyama

04 – Princess Mononoke
Composição: Joe Hisaishi
Arranjo: Wataru Hokoyama

05 – Darksiders*
Composição e arranjo: Cris Velasco

06 – God of War II*
Composição e arranjo: Cris Velasco

07 – Soulcalibur
Composição: Junichi Nakatsuru
Arranjo: Shiro Hamaguchi

08 – Astro Boy
Composição: Tatsuo Takai
Arranjo: Shiro Hamaguchi

09 – Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya*
Composição: Satoru Kousaki
Arranjo: Shiro Hamaguchi

10 – Tsubasa Chronicles
Composição: Yuki Kajiura
Arranjo: Kazuhiko Sawaguchi

11 – Ace Combat V: The Unsung War
Composição: Keiki Kobayashi
Arranjo: Wataru Hokoyama

Ato II

12 – Death Note
Composição: Yuki Kajiura
Arranjo: Kazuhiko Sawaguchi

13 – Afrika
Composição, arranjo e regência: Wataru Hokoyama

14 – Chrono Cross
Composição: Yasunori Mitsuda
Arranjo: Hayato Matsuo

15 – Dragon Age: Origins*
Composição e arranjo: Inon Zur
Vocal: Aubrey Ashburn

16 – Prince of Persia
Composição e arranjo: Inon Zur

17 – Shadow of the Colossus
Composição, arranjo e piano: Kow Otani
Vocal: Aika Tsuneoka

18 – THE iDOLM@STER*
Composição: Masaru Shiina
Arranjo: Kazuhiko Sawaguchi
Vocal: Chiaki Takahashi

19 – Gears of War 2
Composição: Steve Jablonsky
Arranjo: Wataru Hokoyama

Bis

20 – Metal Gear Solid 2 / Metal Gear Solid 3*
Composição: Tappy Iwase e Harry Gregson-Williams
Arranjo: Natsumi Kameoka

* Não estarão registrados no CD.

[via PALGN]

Quedamos maravillados con ICO. Nos asombraron con Shadow Of The Colossus y ahora preparan otro videojuego: The Last Guardian. Durante la celebración del Tokyo Game Show 2009 han proyetado un nuevo trailer y al verlo me vienen a la memória esas escenas, esos escenarios, esos personajes tan carismáticos del mundo ICO…

Se avecina una obra maestra.

Qué poseedor de un PlayStation 3 no ha querido alguna vez que lancen una compilación donde vengan versiones remasterizadas de ICO y Shadow of the Colossus juntos? Para empezar, Fumitu Ueda, creador de estos dos títulos y actualmente trabajando en The Last Guardian, sí ha soñado con la posibilidad, y lo declaró en una entrevista a 1up.

Fue durante el Tokyo Game Show que el líder de Team ICO respondió a preguntas formuladas por los usuarios del sitio de videojuegos, entre las cuales estaba que cuándo veremos una compilación de ICO y Shadow of the Colossus para PS3, como se hará con God of War Collection, a lo que Ueda contestó que le encanta la idea.

“Al principio no quería considerarlo”, admitió. “Siempre pensé que estaban diseñados para PS2 y ahí deberían quedarse. Pero últimamente, he estado pensando que sería bonito llevar los juegos a otras plataformas para llegar a más usuarios”, aseguró, refiriéndose tanto al PS3 como al PSP.

Será cuestión de que Sony se ponga las pilas y remasterice estos dos juegos de culto, para que nuevas generaciones lo puedan jugar, además de aquellos que no alcanzaron su copia del tan exclusivo ICO.

Por lo pronto debo admitir que, aunque al comienzo critiqué bastante Shadow of the Colossus por no tener nada mas que tierra infinita y unos cuantos monstruos, en vez de poder visitar diferentes pueblos pequeños (lo cual sigo pensando que hubiera quedado genial mezclado con ese inmenso mundo), al final terminó convenciéndome, y si saliera una compilación para PlayStation 3, talvez me animaría a comprar la consola en un par de años.

ICO es otro que me gustaría jugar, pues recuerdo haberlo visto en tiendas y videocentros cuando el PS2 acababa de salir a la venta, pero no me decía nada la caja (supongo que fui uno de muchísimos), y ahora que conocemos su calidad, sería muy bueno probarlo.

A ustedes qué les parece?

Fumito Ueda, o criador dos clássicos artísticos Ico e Shadow of The Colossus, revelou durante a Tokyo Game Show que está considerando seriamente a possibilidade de portar os títulos supracitados, que só foram lançados para PlayStation 2, para o terceiro membro da família de consoles de mesa da Sony, da mesma forma que será feito com God of War I & II.

Dada a popularidade alcançada pelo STC, não acho que seria uma má idéia a Sony investir nisso, assim como o Sr. Ueda.

Vamos torcer.

Se bem que eu gostaria disso só pra jogar Ico, que ainda não joguei… não teria saco pra jogar de novo Shadow of The Colossus, afinal não tem graça jogar de novo sabendo como se derrubam os Colossi…

Definitivamente es un juegazo

En una entrevista a Fumito Ueda [creador de Team ICO] desde el Tokyo Game Show han dejado entrever algún port de sus dos obras maestras para el PS2, estas son “ICO” y “Shadow of the Colossus”.

Sinceramente yo no los he jugado [yo soy del PS3 para acá] pero desde hace mucho tiempo le sigo la pista a Shadow of the Colossus y definitivamente es un juegazo en toda la extensión de la palabra, catalogado como uno de los mejores juegos para PS2 [si no es que el mejor...].

Fumito declaro:

“Siempre pensé que [ICO y Shadow of the Colossus] estaban diseñados para PS2 y deberían quedarse ahí. Pero, últimamente, he estado pensando que estaría bien ofrecer los juegos a otras plataformas y llegar a más usuarios.”

En mi caso sería magnifico que se lograra concretar un port para PS3 así como sucedió con GOW I y II, sé que la gran mayoría de los gamers ya han disfrutado de estos megajuegos para el ps2 y dirán “nah esto tan solo es para exprimirnos la lana” y es verdad jajaja pero a cambio obtendrán buenos juegos remasterizados en hd y con algún plus [trophies....]; sin duda estaría dispuesto en comprar esta “Team ICO Collection” y poder disfrutar de tan maravillosos juegos por fin.

Saludos….

Source | ºvidaextra.comº

O enorme entusiasmo gerado pela chegada de God of War Collection em Blu-ray estar se alastrando…

I don’t want Space Marines, I don’t want clichéd JRPG heroes,  I don’t want blank slates, I don’t want American soldiers, I don’t want hot girls with very little clothing (Well maybe I do) but I do want animals. Animals tend to either by the main heroes trusty sidekick or appear in platformer games. Nearly all of them are aimed at kids but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some that are not and that the ones that are don’t appeal to everyone else. Most animals in gaming tend to be quite amusing but they can bring tears to your eye. For the list I am only including characters that are real animals and not animals that have been made up for the game.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog

Now I know that a lot of people who are reading this are thinking that Sonic should be a lot higher than 5^th place. I would have put him higher if it wasn’t for the 3D games though. In the 2D games that everyone loved he had next to no character and was simply a cool, blue hedgehog that could run faster than a jet. Now, in the 3D games, he’s an annoying, cocky hedgehog who can run faster than a jet and has an annoying “surfer” voice. Sonic used to be cool. He still remains as iconic as ever and there is no denying that but he just isn’t what he used to be so that’s why he isn’t as high as he would have been years ago. He is still likeable though, whether it is just because he was in some fantastic games or whether it is just because he is such an iconic character in gaming.

4. Conker

If you’ve ever had the privilege of playing Conker’s Bad Fur Day on the N64 or Conker: Live & Reloaded on the Xbox then you’ll know what to expect from Conker. Now Conker may look like a nice, cuddly squirrel aimed at the kiddies but that definitely isn’t what he’s about. He smokes, he drinks, he likes women, he’s violent, he swears, he fights and is just generally a badass. If you piss him off he won’t let you go because he doesn’t take shit from nobody. He does some pretty badass stuff. He will piss wherever the hell he wants which includes on cavemen; he also stormed the beaches of the teddy homeland with a cigar and a machine gun. And how can I forget that he sung opera with a giant pile of singing poo before finishing it off. You don’t want to piss off Conker because even if he doesn’t look it he will kick your ass.

3. Crash Bandicoot

My childhood years were spent with this guy. I have some great memories with him and back in the day we were best buddies. Of course now we’ve had a big fall out since he left Naughty Dog and got stuck in with a bad crowd. Since then he’s been even more idiotic than before and the quality of his games has shot down quite a bit just like our other pal, Sonic. Back in his day though he was nothing short of amazing. His games were really fun and he was so funny and cool and like I said my childhood icon. What isn’t to like about good old Crash though? He comes with all the typical platformer moves but on top of all them he has a motorbike, a leather jacket, a Bazooka, a tribal mask and a polar bear called Pola. And of course he is one hell of a dancer. He’s wacky, cool and can spin even better than the Tasmanian Devil himself.

2. TimeSplitters Monkey

Ah, the good old TimeSplitters Monkey. TimeSplitters is known for being a great arcade shooter with great multiplayer and some incredibly wacky characters. Quite a few animals are in there too. Duckman Drake is a psychotic duck who loves nothing more than to kill and Robofish is a robot fish who also enjoys killing. Despite these animals the Monkey is the one that we all know and love. Even though he never appearing in the first game he has been became the most iconic character of the series. They are very small, fast and know how to use an assault rifle. Monkeys are always awesome but a Monkey with an assault rifle is even better. Let’s not forget that they are kind creatures too. In TimeSplitters 2 the loser of Monkey Assistant would be aided by an army of Monkeys that would try to make kills for him. However as well as being good with assault rifles, cool and everything that else that makes them so special they also have various other forms. Brains is a zombie monkey, Cyborg Chimp is a robot monkey and Ninja Monkey is a ninja monkey! Now there are some good combinations.

1. Agro

Agro is your trusty horse from Shadow of the Colossus. Unlike the rest of the characters I’ve mentioned here she is supposed to be taken seriously and isn’t supposed to be silly in any way, shape or form. She is loyal to your character throughout the entire game, she will take you where you want to go without any hesitation and when left alone she will patiently wait for you. However you never want to leave her by yourself to go fight a Colossus, it just didn’t seem right. Even in battle she will try and help you as much as possible. You build a connection with Agro through the entire game and she really is the character of the game. I haven’t shared an emotional connection with any of the other characters on this list but I have with Agro. [Shadow of the Colossus Spoilers] I was devastated when she fell of the cliff. I really did feel sad; the connection that had been built up for the entire game seemed to be completely ruined. Even when it turns out she was alive and she came back limping I was still sad. I was overwhelmed with joy that she was alive but she came back for your character who wasn’t exactly there anymore and left her without her faithful companion. [Spoilers End]

Honourable Mentions

Worms (From Worms Series) – Now everyone loves theses little guys who can’t help but blow each other up

Red XIII (From Final Fantasy VII) – I don’t know if he can be counted as an animal but he is a very good character.

Donkey Kong (From Donkey Kong) – What’s not to like about a big gorilla who throws barrels at people?

Monkey (From Ape Escape) – The always crazy monkeys of the Ape Escape series deserve a mention here.

Solid Snake (From Metal Gear Solid) – Not really an animal but I couldn’t resist.

Selected stories picked by moi which include; Level 5 and Ghibli makeouts, FFXIII’s shiny summoned creatures, and new trailers featuring angry Greek God slayers and Japanese ‘mo kids shooting their heads.

Ni no Kuni, the Level 5 and Studio Ghibli RPG, is looking rather beautiful. A turn-based J-RPG with a touch of Studio Ghibli and some of the best DS graphics I’ve ever seen? Not to mention a sweeping musical score that technically sounds like no other on a DS cart? Count me in! I love Studio Ghibli as much as the next fan you see on the malls purchasing a Totoro merchandise. And I’m a fan of Level 5’s works as evidenced by this lil blog of mine. So it’s no surprise that I’m pumped up and excited about this collaboration between those 2 Japanese juggernauts. 1UP’s Alice Liang wrote her impressions and you really should check it out along with the attached trailer. She’s right though, localizing the game could be a bitch. C’mon Hino-san, make it happen!

New cam footages of Final Fantasy XIII are puh-reaty. Stream love courtesy of Gamersyde, it depicts Lightning and Snow showing off their respective summons and some new locales. It really does look pretty and slick with those lovely colors and graphics, all moving on a steady frame rate. Hot. Nomura-gasmic (!? I don’t know, I just had to say it). Clicky here for those 2 videos.

God of War III TGS trailer is a gory awesomesauce. OK granted, it doesn’t seem like a surprise because we all know how good and amazing the game will be anyway, badass trailer or not. In fact — I’d rather see show some new locations and weapons on the next trailer, don’t ya agree? Anyhow here’s the video.

The latest Persona 3 Portable trailer is still, you guessed it, gorgeous looking. Slay those haters believing the toned-down features from its PS2 cousin will hinder the overall P3 experience! It still looks amazing and has a fresh car smell to it, just like when the original was announced nearly 4 years ago. Trailer here.

ICO/Colossus/Last Guardian demi-god developer, Fumito Ueda, wants to see ICO and Shadow of the Colossus on the PS3. Hey, if Jaffe’s and Balrog’s God of War games can do it, why not Ueda’s games too y’know? That would be just epic and legendary. Think about it — ICO and Shadow running at least on 720p with a better frame rate?! Sweet Jesus, I would kiss Ueda’s feet if I have to. Wow… *this is the part where G bounces off from his steamy laptop, looks at the stars and shouts ARGOOO!*

Gamers, anime Lovers…awesome news!

A Night in Fantasia is in Sydney, this show has become known around the world as the most successful ‘anime and video games music’ concert. Now in it’s 7th year, Eminence premieres a new line up of the best music anime and video games have to offer.2009 will be a year that Eminence pulls out all the stops for A Night in Fantasia, in a one show only spectacular in Sydney, Australia!.

With 10 International award winning guests and free of charge meet & greet autograph session with the artists and the guests after the concert

Some of the Guests are Steve Jablonskt (composer of Gears of Wars 2 and Transformers 1, 2 movies), Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono cross), Cris velasco (God of War), Inon Zur (Prince of persia), Kow Otani&Aika (Shadow of Colossus) and much…much more!

The most amazing symphonic experience you’ll ever have!!! When it comes to music from your favourite Video Game or Anime, “A Night in Fantasia” is the place to be. “A Night in Fantasia” is the most viewed and highest rated orchestral concert video on the internet with over 8 million views from all around the world!

A must! for game and anime lovers!

The venue is this September 26, 2009 – Sydney entertainment centre at 6pm

More Tokyo Game Show news this time in the form of a short but cute trailer for The Last Guardian (more awesomely known as Trico, the man-eating erne in Japan)

Not much is known about The Last Guardian other then that it follows a small boy and a giant griffin type creature as they navigate a labyrinth filled with soldiers but with Team Ico behind the game every gamer should be excited for it.

A sequel to critically acclaimed Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus, The Last Guardian is exclusively available for Playstation 3 hopefully sometime next year.