God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review

How does Sony manage to do it all the time? No, allow me to rephrase that. How does this franchise always manage to do it? How does it manage to not change its formula, but always win us over? God of War: Ghost of Sparta plays not much differently than the GOW games before it, and yet, we don't care. Has this franchise stumbled upon something that defies age? I'm not sure just yet, but what I do know is that I wholly enjoy this game. Much like every other God of War title, you're thrown into the eye of the storm immediately, so the game wastes no time in delivering the goods - and that's par for course. Traditionally, GOW games were never about long and tiresome training intros, and that's because the game is so accessible, there was never a need for them. Yes, occasionally you'll get gameplay hints towards the beginning, but they aren't very intrusive and allow the gamer to focus on the action.

And that's what makes God of War so great. Not just this game, but the franchise as a whole. It has never strayed from what's made it a superb series in the first place; it never lost its focus. God of War never tried to be something more than a balls-to-the-wall, super fast, super violent action game, and I respect that. It never decided that it had to become an RPG midway through, or that it needed strategy elements. No. God of War's focus has always been: 'pressing a series of buttons makes the character furiously whip around and spill lots of blood'. Perfect. And those boss battles? Let's face it, the reason we love them so much isn't because of how epic they can be, but it's because of how gruesome the boss' death ends up being. Those are just some of the reasons why we love God of War, and all of the reasons continue to exist with Ghost of Sparta.

The upgrades, the mayhem, the weapons, the boss battles, and even the always engrossing storyline - Ghost of Sparta continues the faithful God of War tradition of being the total package, despite coming in a package that only fits inside the UMD slot of your PSP. Perhaps the only drawback to all of this, and this may be considered a technical limitation, is that Ghost of Sparta is nowhere near as lengthy as other games in the series. The UMD can only store so much, and that impacts the length of the game to about eight hours. Though are a variety of challenge modes for you to partake in once you finish the game, which increase the amount of time you can spend with it considerably.

Bar none, Ghost of Sparta is the best looking PSP game available today. The same way that the franchise has set a bar on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, it has done the same on the PSP. Chances are, considering the age of the PSP, it's unlikely a better looking game will come along and unseat Ghost of Sparta - I simply don't see it happening. So not only is Ghost of Sparta one of the best playing games for Sony's handheld, but it's the best looking one. Ready At Dawn has pushed this little unit to its limits by increasing the texture clarity, smoothing out the edges around game characters, allowing the framerate to run silky smooth, and employing some really spectacular effects. Chains of Olympus already looked great, but Ghost of Sparta simply looks better.

If you're a God of War fan, you know what to expect from the audio. Voice acting courtesy of TC Carson, who continues to deliver some of the best voice acting this industry sees on the regular, in addition to a soundtrack that's made to raise your tension, thanks to its fully orchestrated arrangements. Ghost of Sparta's brilliance knows no bounds, as the audio will leave you in a more than satisfied state. I also found it best to have a pair of nice headphones plugged in while playing, because the audio simply sounds that much more rich when it's streaming directly into your ears, as opposed to the PSP's speakers.

All in all, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is the PSP game you should have no reservations about. It's a well deserved $40 purchase that'll stay in your collection of portable titles for a long time. It's the ultimate example of the full console experience in the palm of your hands. God of War: Ghost of Sparta boasts everything you'd expect out of the franchise: superb visuals, great audio, massive gameplay, epic story, and great controls, all in a package that fits in the palm of your hand.

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3DS getting new 2D Mario

Nintendo fans will soon be getting a new Mario game and a new way to take the company's systems online. Today, Nintendo announced that a new 2D Mario side-scroller is in development for the 3DS and detailed the plans for an online hub called the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and 3DS.

Nintendo shed little light on the new Mario title outside of acknowledging its existence. The company assigned the game a broad release window, saying it will ship during Nintendo's next fiscal year, which runs April 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013.

Nintendo also announced today the Nintendo Network, a new online service for the 3DS and Wii U that will cover "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content." According to the company, the Nintendo Network will run parallel to the current Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

Additionally, the Nintendo Network will introduce a personal account system for the Wii and will allow for multiple accounts to be registered to the console. According to Nintendo, offering this has been "a challenge we needed to tackle."

Further, Nintendo said it is exploring the possibility of offering full-game downloads through the Nintendo Network for the 3DS and Wii U. Nintendo said it already has the required infrastructure to allow for full-game downloads, and the concept was "built into the design" of the 3DS.

Nintendo indicated that full-game downloads for the 3DS and Wii U may still be far off. According to the company, it has not yet finalized partnerships with wholesalers and retailers, and storage capacity on SD memory cards is also an issue needing to be considered.

The last major announcement during Nintendo's investor meeting was word that the Wii U's tablet controller will include Near Field Communication (NFC) support. According to Nintendo, adopting this technology into the Wii U's tablet controller will make it possible to "create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world."

NFC technology was most recently used in Activision's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures. In that game, players use real-world action figures to alter gameplay within the gameworld. According to Nintendo, NFC technology for the Wii U could enable further possibilities including "means for making micropayments."

The Wii U is due for a global launch by the end of 2012. No mention has been made of a price for the forthcoming console. Gamers eager to get a further glimpse at the console can follow the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, where Nintendo will have finalized hardware on hand.

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EA stock tanks on Star Wars: The Old Republic fears

US markets are largely positive today, due in large part to positive earnings-season economic data and strengthening unemployment data, according to a consensus of financial reporters. However, such is not the case for Electronic Arts, which is trading down more than 6 percent after Brean Murray Carret & Co. analyst Todd Mitchell lowered the company's price target from $28 to $22.

As reported by Market Watch, Mitchell's reassessment of EA came about due to what he termed "creeping concerns" over the future of EA's recently launched massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic.

"Specifically, initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation of early play is causing us to rethink our churn assumptions," Mitchell said in a note to investors.

Released to a strong critical reception on December 20, The Old Republic sold more than 1 million units during its first week of availability. That tally proved to be more than what EA could handle, as the game's launch was marred by long wait times to access many servers.

Mitchell's analysis of The Old Republic's situation isn't without its detractors. Speaking with GameSpot, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research's Jesse Divnich emphasized that it is far too early to measure the game's long-term potential.

"Some sell-side analysts have such bad tunnel vision on the market that they fail to understand the mechanics of the MMO vertical," Divnich said. "Whether MMO, console game, mobile, or social, each have a completely different business model. It is erroneous to apply success metrics from other verticals to the MMO market and that is exactly what a lot of analysts are doing."

Divnich also noted that EA still has a number of options to boost player numbers and engagement, should the company deem it necessary.

Baird & Co. analyst Colin Sebastian echoed Divnich's sentiment, telling GameSpot, "The game doesn't appear to be the smash hit that some had [thought], but I think it's way too early to be signing the death warrant."

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Resident Evil 6 dated for November 20

The writing's been on the wall for a new flagship installment in Capcom's Resident Evil franchise for some time now, and today, the publisher pulled the trigger on that announcement. Resident Evil 6 will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on November 20.

Resident Evil 6 will feature a split plotline, though bioterrorism remains the motif. In the US, Leon S. Kennedy joins the president of the United States 10 years after the events that defined Raccoon City, ostensibly to offer the truth on what actually happened there. However, in the midst of this revelation, bioterrorists attack, converting the president into a lurching undead.

On the other side of the world, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield touches down in China, which is in the midst of its own bioterrorism outbreak. Resident Evil 6 will be the first installment in the franchise to feature both Redfield and Kennedy, and Capcom noted that new characters will also be introduced in the game.

Development on Resident Evil 6 is being led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. The developer has previously received producer credits for a number of Capcom's titles, including Resident Evil 4, Killer7, and Dragon's Dogma.

Prior to today's announcement, Capcom had posted to a countdown teaser site for the game, NoHopeLeft.com. That site now directs to a YouTube page featuring Resident Evil 6's first trailer, which can be found below.

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Shippin' Out Jan. 29-Feb. 4: Final Fantasy XIII-2, SoulCalibur V

The past two weeks didn't feature many big ticket items on the new release schedule, but this week makes up for lost time. New titles out this week include Final Fantasy XIII-2, SoulCalibur V, NeverDead, and the Mac version of BioShock 2.

Out in front this week is Final Fantasy XIII-2 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 from Square Enix. The game is a direct sequel to 2010's well-received Final Fantasy XIII. It sees the return of Final Fantasy XIII protagonist Lightning, but focuses much more on her now-liberated sister Serah.

Also out this week on the Xbox 360 and PS3 is Namco Bandai's fighting game SoulCalibur V. The publisher has slated 30 characters for inclusion, and the series' tradition of including guest characters from other games will continue with Ezio from Assassin's Creed confirmed to be joining the mix.

Another major new release out this week is Rebellion's action game NeverDead for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game puts players in the shoes of Bryce Boltzmann, an immortal demon slayer who is prone to dismemberment. Jumping into the fray is encouraged here, as losing limbs can let players roll into previously inaccessible areas, and the severed appendages can be wielded as weapons or reattached to regain full mobility.

Lastly, BioShock 2 comes to the Mac this week. Ported by Feral Interactive, the game takes place 10 years after the events of the first BioShock game. Players return to Rapture, but this time they control a prototype version of the original's lumbering Big Daddy.

For further details, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

Tuesday, January 31:
BioShock 2--Mac--Feral Interactive
Final Fantasy XIII-2--PS3, X360--Square Enix
NeverDead--PS3, X360--Konami
Puddle--PS3--Konami
SoulCalibur V--PS3, X360--Namco Bandai

Wednesday, February 1:
Rhythm Party--X360--Konami

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Infinity Ward crafting next-gen Call of Duty?

In October, a job listing at Call of Duty studio Treyarch indicated that the developer was readying a next-generation entry in the shooter franchise. Now, it appears Infinity Ward is also preparing a next-generation Call of Duty game.

A requisition for a senior animator at Infinity Ward calls for a person with "an interest in working with next-generation technologies."

Unfortunately, the job listing does not offer any additional information about what Infinity Ward may be at work on. As for what next-generation technologies could pertain to, there are numerous possibilities. At the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Activision pledged its support for Nintendo's Wii U, and rumors are swirling that Microsoft and Sony are readying new consoles.

If Infinity Ward is indeed at work on a next-generation Call of Duty title, it won't be the only project the studio is crafting. Last week, Activision announced the Modern Warfare 3 content season, and it named Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Sledgehammer Games as developers for the barrage of game updates planned over the next nine months.

A new Call of Duty game has been confirmed for release in 2012, but Activision has yet to name this title or mention what developer(s) are working on it. That game has no release date yet, but Call of Duty has had new installments debut between late October and mid-November every year since the franchise was launched in 2003.

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