ArabicGamers: Gamescom top ten
So Gamescom is over for another year. We managed to play plenty of games - both current-gen and next-gen - and get presentations of the latest and greatest upcoming titles. Take a look at our top ten below and let us know your thoughts and if there's anything in particular that you're looking forward to.
Beyond: Two Souls
This is one of the more exciting games we saw this year. Although we didn't get hands on, we were treated to a demonstration and it's fair to say it looks incredible.
Graphically it is what you'd expect. Stunning. The soundtrack is also pretty impressive, nothing short of what you'd expect from Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer.
Voice acting, in the short section we saw, was also impressive and emotive truly bringing a sense of empathy with Jodie, the protagonist, and an uneasy comfort with Aiden, her supernatural entity.
What we were really impressed with was the way the story was, not told, but explored. Not only are there multiple endings, but the way you get to your end game can be completely different to the way another player gets to theirs.
An example showed Jodie in a train being tracked by some officers of the law. Some people may choose to let the cops approach them, while other gamers may opt to run. In both cases we were shown what would happen if either of these paths were taken. The story, cut scenes and consequences of those subconscious decisions made for a very different sequence of events - with the alternative, "Sliding-Doors" story arches never to be seen.
With the news also of a dual play mode and the ability to play the whole game on a smart phone or tablet, the game makes for a very interesting prospect and truly "blurring the lines" of entertainment, David Cage's dream and theme of the presentation.
Dead Rising 3
This game is crazy, wacky and just plain fun. Start off a level in the middle of thousands of zombies, pick up basically anything to use as a weapon and then proceed to build up your kill score to the hundreds as you wreak havoc from every angle.
You can use two weapons to craft a new, even more powerful tool of destruction and the same goes with vehicles. In our behind the scenes presentation we were shown how to make the Rollerhog, a motorbike with a bulldozer at the front. Did we say it's crazy?
Dead Rising 3 uses the full power of the Xbox One to have hundreds of zombies on screen at any time without any noticeable slowdown. The result is a truly impressive sight and we can't wait to see the final version and what else players can do.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
There has been no greater anticipation for a TV series made game than there has been, at least in our camp, for South Park: The Stick of Truth.
It's hard to explain and comprehend at the same time that it genuinely feels as though you're in the TV show directing. The writing is incredible, nothing less would have been accepted and Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done a stellar job here - you can tell it's their writing and not some writers who've been drafted in to complete a job.
I'm not going to bore you with more story details, you've probably read everything there is to read about your character, Douchebag, but I will say that the JRPG combat style works well, and the array of weapons we were shown, as well as magic, were received with much laughter.
In the 10 minute walkthrough we come to the "Giggling Donkey" bar in search of a rhymester for more information - who turns out to be Jimmy. As you battle your way through the defences listing to dialogue only accepted in South Park, you come across a bleeding Cartman - well ketchup blood - before the demo is over.
Still no solid release date, but we're happy to report that this is still looking and playing awesomely. We'll have more as soon as we have it!
FIFA 14
What more can be said about FIFA 14? Every year the guys at EA Sports manage to improve upon an already impressive game, and 2013 is no different. New mechanics are in place to make gameplay even more realistic, including a new Pure Shot system which means shooting takes on a whole new layer of depth and shots swerve and move around in the air just like real life.
Breaking down opposition teams also requires a slower, more thoughtful approach instead of just spamming the sprint button. Now teams are much more intelligent when it comes to pressing so you have to make sure you find a man in space before moving the ball forward.
New animations have been added and as usual there's the slick presentation that we're used to seeing from EA's sports titles. The next-gen version is even more impressive, with crowds that look ten times better than they did in previous games.
The Crew
Finally, a persistent driving world where "all players" will be pitted against each other across the USA.
The game was announced earlier this year for the next generation of consoles and allows you and your friends to explore this massive map which will take an hour and a half to go from coast to coast and around four hours to drive the circumference. The world will be populated with events and games ranging from checkpoint races to speed games, as well as more.
Customisation is also a huge part of this world and Ubisoft has said that there will be a real focus for the community to customise. Presumably, as it's primarily focused on multiplayer gameplay, you'll find and take down other crews. But ArabicGamers was told that you can still play the game with AI only, but you'll need to be connected at all times.
The game looks fantastic, and a great title for the next generation of consoles. As the game will be released on the next gen only, there's no real worry about inconsistencies across generations - unlike other racers in the same space.
Thief
It's been a long time coming, Thief.
You're Garrett, a master thief, living in a Victorian steampunk inspired world which is overcome with suffering and disease.
Narrative director Steven Gallagher presented us with Garrett's history and the foundations for the game, delivered in a true storyteller style.
Without giving too much away, Garrett has a profound relationship with a younger thief who he tries to take under his wing. This relationship breaks down because of differences in morality - Garrett is opposed to unnecessary killing - but in time their paths cross again. This meeting results in the death of the other thief and a loss of time for Garrett, all the while the city is going further into depression and sickness.
This narrative technique, Gallagher tells us, allows you to access Garrett's thoughts and play this first person stealth action game as you would do games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Gallagher tells ArabicGamers that this is a new game and a new world, and not tied to the previous games, so there will be some new ways to play. We're excited to learn more and to play the game, but so far it looks like it's set to content in the stealth action market place.
EA Sports UFC
Arguably one of the best looking titles at Gamescom, EA Sports UFC is set to come with a range of new features to portray the sport of mixed-martial arts as accurately as possible. This includes a whole new submission system that'll see players fight for the best positions on the ground before they're able to go for the finish.
We got hands-on time with a pre-alpha demo that showed off the stand-up portion of fights, and right away you can see how the fighters move and attack much like real life. Fighters will also perform trademark moves, and it was a joy to watch UFC superstar Anthony Pettis attempt the crazy capoeira kicks that he's famous for.
The presentation and slickness of the whole package reminds us very much of Fight Night, and if EA Sports UFC is the MMA equivalent of that then we'll be very happy indeed.
Battlefield 4
DICE has been blowing people away with Battlefield 4 ever since its official unveiling. The 17-minute gameplay showing remains a particular highlight and, while there was nothing as epic shown at Gamescom, we were still impressed with what we saw.
Hands-on time with the multiplayer was promising, although perhaps a tiny bit dissapointing that we didn't get to play on a map with the 'levolution' feature on show, but we did see dynamic weather effects that changed as the match progressed, superb animations and some solid gameplay.
Battlefield 4 will provide even greater competition for Call of Duty this year, and from what we've seen DICE's effort is looking like the better game.
Forza Motorsport 5
You just knew this would be included in our list. Forza Motorsport 5 once again pushes the boundaries of what a racing game can be, improving on several areas such as graphics, multiplayer, physics and driver AI. This includes the Drivatar feature that was much talked about at E3, which copies a player's racing style to an unnerving degree.
This really is a game for car lovers, and those that can't get enough of facts and details about what they're driving will be in their element here. Every car in Forza 5 has its own biography page where you can find out more about your motor, and you can even look inside at the interior and the engine.
Forza 5 will also come with the opportunity to race in great cars and competitions straight away, so you don't need to worry about starting from the bottom, while a new leveling system will see you constantly progressing and earning new rewards.
Titanfall
Hands down our game of the show. Titanfall came with a lot of promise and hype but our first experience with the shooter delivered in spades. Take ultra-fast, 60 frames per second gameplay, add giant mechs that can be jumped into and merge it all with a class system for added depth and we have a winner.
Just adding something as simplistic as the ability to double jump and wall run radically changes the dynamics of a match and influences the way you play. Even hardcore FPS fans will have to forget a lot of what they know and learn a whole new way of doing things to succeed here.
We can't give Titanfall enough praise but we will say that Call of Duty has a real rival here. This is a game that could convince players to buy an Xbox One over a PlayStation 4.
