Blog: Sega titles hands-on

First up, I got to check out Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Now, this game's predecessor sold an absolute truckload despite relatively lukewarm reviews and some valid shortcomings as highlighted by various critics. Well, the good news is that apparently the developers prioritised addressing the issues of the first game this time around. For instance, most of the game types will be playable from the word go where previously they had to be unlocked. Typically, I wouldn't question this approach, but it does seem to fly in the face of the accessibility that a Wii  party game should provide.

And in true Wii style, the game is looking like a party-game winner. It makes use of Wii Fit’s balance board for certain game types; some obvious and some not so obvious. For instance, I tried a quick downhill slalom ski session with Mario. It was a little tricky at first, but with knees bent and inhibitions pushed to the side, it soon became intuitive. I tried it on easy, so I didn’t really need to make use of the Wiimote as a ski-pole, which was just as well because I probably would have had trouble concentrating on that as well.






















As for the not-so-obvious use of the balance board, I also got to try bobsledding, where you actually sit in the middle of the balance board and lean from side to side. I actually found this surprisingly intuitive and satisfying (get your mind out of the gutter!). I’m told that this mode will support up to two racers using balance boards locally, whereas the game will otherwise support up to four players. My hands-on time with this game was brief, but I can definitely see this as being good fun with a group of friends and perhaps a good way to dust off the balance board.

Next I got to try Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing on PS3 (although I understand it will release across Xbox 360 and Wii as well). It looks nice enough and plays well, but it does strike me as typical Mario Kart/Crash Nitro Kart Racing fare, so nothing particularly new. I got to try out one track – Seaside Hill – which takes its theme from the Green Hill Zone and Emerald Hill Zone-type levels from the classic Sonic platformers, complete with green palms and loop-de-loops.
























It played much the same as Mario Kart-esque games, although I’m told its balanced in such a way that the tables can turn in an instant and whoever is in last place can soon find themselves up the front thanks to special power-ups. Racing purists may scoff, but arguably it adds another layer of strategy to what is anything but a purist racer. Overall, it struck me as nothing new, but it does it at least as well as some of the best in the genre.

Then came Bayonetta, one of the hottest properties from this year’s E3. Developed by the dream team that is Platinum Games (featuring key members of Capcom’s Clover Studio), Bayonetta is an action title very much in the vein of Devil May Cry, with some decidedly delicious Quick-Time Event action a la God of War for some of the boss battles.

In what is perhaps the most creative justification for featuring a scantily clad female lead character yet, Bayonetta is a witch whose “clothing” is comprised of her own hair. Conveniently, she also launches many of her attacks using her hair, which subsequently unravels her clothing. Anywho, Bayonetta plays much like Devil May Cry, with its combination of fast-paced gun and melee-weapon combat against multiple enemies – but it’s certainly much more over the top.






















The combat is as deep as you want it to be; you can quite likely button mash your way through a fair chunk of the game, but there are some truly rewarding advanced combos to be learned. And the best part is that you can actually practice them in the loading screens! When the Sega rep was giving me a demo, I saw him pulling off some pretty sweet moves, including one where he booted a foe into an iron maiden, which promptly slammed shut.

Again, my time with this game was brief, but it’s looking beautiful and plays extremely well. It looks like this one will be a lot of fun. The Sega rep then went on to play a CG video of Obsidian Entertainment’s Alpha Protocol. There was no in-game footage, but the video gives a good indication of the direction the game is heading in. It seems that Alpha Protocol – which is being marketed as a “modern espionage RPG” – could well be a case of Splinter Cell meets Mass Effect; that is, the gameplay of a stealth title coupled with the stat-building and multi-pronged storyline approach of a role-playing game. Sounds interesting, although there’s not much to go on at this stage.























Finally, I was treated to a demo of the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator. Now, the Sega rep referred to this one as being “really three games in one” owing to the three distinct campaigns and gameplay experiences when the player chooses between the three factions of Aliens, Predators or Colonial Marines.

It’s a first-person title, but I’m loathe to call it an FPS. I didn’t get to try this one out (although I understand I’ll have a chance tonight!), but it’s looking fantastic. I was shown some demonstration gameplay as a Marine, which seemed to play like a fairly typical FPS with a well-pitched claustrophobic, survival-horror element. There was panic as invading aliens cut the power to the Marines’ base (and subsequently, the lighting) and sneaked their way into the facility, with terrified marines trying to repel the invasion in the dark.






















Secondly, I was shown gameplay from the Predator’s perspective, which takes a rather different tack from that of the Marines. The Predator is all about stealth rather than ballistic warfare, and using their trademark active camouflage and various gadgets seen in the Predator movies in order to sneak up on unsuspecting Marines (and Aliens!) and dispensing with them in gruesome fashion. The Predator can execute “trophy” kills, in which they dismember Marines in one of a variety of brutal ways, retaining the head for later use. In the demo I saw, for instance, the Predator used one poor Marine’s head to gain security access using a retina scan.

And although no one has seen any gameplay from the Aliens’ perspective yet, the multiplayer potential of this game reminds of the revolutionary inter-disciplinary multiplayer style pioneered by the likes of Splinter Cell. A team of Marines against a team of Predators against a team of Aliens – all with very different playing styles – could make for an extremely interesting experience.

So, tonight I’ll be heading along to Monaco’s E3 Night function where these (and many more titles that come under the Monaco umbrella) will be demonstrated, with a few more hands-on opportunities too. On Friday, I have another special hands-on opportunity with the PSPgo, so check back then to find out more about both events!

Now playing:
Halo: Combat Evolved on the original Xbox, thanks to my 360 taking a two-week vacation to Australia on Red Ring of Death leave.

Peggle on iPhone.