It’s finally coming! The long awaited next-generation console offering from Microsoft can be announced via a live stream on Xbox Live and Xbox.com at the 21st May at 6pm. Speculation at the console have been rife formerly months, with rumours of “always online” functionality, and a more controlled environment for second hand games causing controversy for the PlayStation 4 rival.

It’s also expected that an entire roster of games for both the subsequent-generation Xbox and the PlayStation 4 will be announced at E3 in June.

Will Microsoft prove the cynics right or will the subsequent Xbox be an appropriate thing to happen to gaming because the NES Only time will tell.

1. Prototype for brand spanking new Xbox sold on eBay
2. E3: Microsoft Press Conference – minute by minute recap
3. This generation’s most valiant misfire – Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
4. Next generation consoles……..who needs ‘em
5. Alan Wake Lights Up Xbox LIVE
6. The next Xbox LIVE Update launches today
7. FIFA 11 Ultimate Team Sheet – Xbox 360 & PS3
8. Adventure game lands on Xbox Live Arcade
9. Pinball FX 2 to release on October 27, on Xbox LIVE Arcade

I, just like the overwhelming majority of folks who’ve played it, absolutely loved BioShock Infinite. The tale, the area of Columbia, the sense of place, the mechanics, Elizabeth; I loved all of it. The loot though Hmmm, I still can’t choose that one

The gamer in me certainly loved it. That OCD compartment of my gaming personality couldn’t help but gobble up every last shiny coin, search every bin, every nook and cranny – Columbia needed to swept with a great tooth comb. As partial to storytelling though, somebody who loves to be swept up in an adventure, well, that side of me isn’t so sure.

If I see a mysterious dead body within the centre of a room; surely that needs to be my main focal point. Nope, I’m scouring the bins and tables for a couple of measly coins like a lowly crack head. Oh look, the majesty of a floating city bathed in sunlight and ordained with magnificent architecture. Sorry, I’m busy stealing food off the ground. Both concepts simply don’t match up, but the entire same, I can’t stop myself from collecting everything I see. Is it BioShock’s problem No – it’s the industries. Very like the tale vs murder-rate issue that lies on the heart of nearly all of contemporary action games (honestly, how can Nathan Drake be a hero if he kills, nay, massacres, that many folks), with storytelling becoming more prominent and a growing number of realistically portrayed, the industry looks struggling against the concepts and traditions which have largely defined it since its earliest days.

Are we at an odd cross-roads Will the industry feel confident and cozy enough in the course of the next-generation of console development to push forward with more commitment towards gaming worlds which can be primarily built upon storytelling techniques and core-mechanics instead of age old videogame tropes Do we cast collection and upgrades aside looking for a more streamlined, focused approach Can we even want to

Personally, I’m unsure. Up to the split between storytelling and constant collection did grate, with regards to BioShock: Infinite, and the recently released Tomb Raider reboot (a game that suffers with a totally similar identity crisis), i really found the gathering of trinkets a highly enjoyable portion of the experience. Why Well, beyond the normal gamer in me being hardwired to enjoy such frivolities, looting in both games gave me an excuse to experience more of the area.

Yes, neither game implemented their upgrade or collection options all that well, but I for one can be sad to determine them go completely. Removing them isn’t the best way forward; revision in place of revolution is the manner forward in the event you question me. In terms of BioShock Infinite; collection is ok, upgrades all but essential – just rethink the way upgrades and items are obtained. Having money and health items in every bin suggests that, yes, I’ll must search every bin. Put a glittery coin next to a dead body and, guess what, I’m picking up the money before I have a look at the dead body. It’s about placement and pacing.

Have loot associated with additional challenges, keep the core story experience freed from clutter, especially when that story is pretty much as good as Infinite’s. Yes, upgrades and loot are optional, but for gamers along with myself, dangling that virtual carrot in front of our faces essentially makes said option a moot point – i can need to collect. Keep them off to the side though via additional quests and challenges and that i possibly more inclined to benefit from the story and maybe return later.

In fairness, Tomb Raider got it half right. Yes, I wish the full upgrade collectible thing hadn’t been so, y’know, in my face in the course of the main story, but once that tale was done, my God did I enjoy searching Yamatai at my very own pace under after the major story was done. The opportunity to explore the island and pick up all those little bits I had missed or ignored; honestly, that was almost as fun because the main game and gave the title numerous longevity. Throw in a number of additional skill based challenges and it almost might have been a game unto itself.

So, to come again to my original question; to loot or to not loot Me I say loot. It’s a classic gaming mechanic and one I certainly don’t would like to see disappear. I just think we have to imagine advancing and rethinking implementation as often, as with regards to both BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider, story and loot don’t go hand in hand.

1. Brashcast: Episode 25: BioShock Infinite vs. X-Men: Destiny
2. Top 10(ish) Games of the Generation‏
3. Bioshiock Infinite delayed (again)
4. My Week in Gaming – Katamari For All!
5. My First Virtual Crush – Trip (Enslaved)
6. Final Fantasy XIII-2 confirmed – coming this year!
7. Tomb Raider Trilogy Pack Exclusive
8. New Tomb Raider coming – is a reboot at the cards
9. Black Ops puts up outrageous five day numbers.
10. Deus Ex paying the bills for the subsequent decade

The subsequent Generation Cometh…..and Hummus.

There are few things i like more on earth of videogaming than the brilliantly bat-shit crazy, Metal Gear series and the incomparable talents of Osaka based Platinum Games, unquestionably (for my part) the preeminent developer of triple-A action games.

So, as you could imagine, once I heard that Platinum have been brought in to avoid wasting Kojima’s ailing attempts at turning Raiden from blonde haired mincer into super bad-ass cyborg ninja, my heart gently skipped a beat. Development of the sort of title have been rumoured ever since Raiden showed up looking all awesome and shit as an NPC in Metal Gear Solid 4 and, despite some positive early demo footage, it looked, for some time as a minimum, that Kojima and co. had hit something of a virtual brick wall of their attempts to bring their unique ‘slice everything’ variety of gameplay to fruition.

Wisely, as opposed to dropping by the wayside, Konami and Kojima outsourced the sport to Platinum Games and, well, the consequences, as one may think, are really rather special. a great mixture of Metal Gear style storytelling and Platinum’s renowned skills inside the way of fast-paced videogame combat, Rising provides an ideal marriage of 2 top of the range companies seemingly working together in complete harmony. It’s the baby of both its parents with each in their individual qualities and traits shining through without ever overpowering or diluting the opposite. From Metal Gear’s renowned art direction to Platinum’s sly sense of humour and perfectly balanced hack ‘n slash gameplay, the 2 companies have combined to create one among this generation’s finest action games and a fitting vehicle for Raiden to finally prove his worth.

Of course, with such classic action games as Bayonetta and God Hand under their belt, it was always going to take something pretty special to make Rising stand proud of the impressive Platinum crowd – that something special Blade Mode and the accompanying Zandatsu technique. The power to slice up an opponent in slow motion as you align each slice to chop enemies to shreds whatsoever you notice fit simply never gets old and, when combined with the extra challenge of cutting through an enemy’s weak spot to initiate your Zandatsu ability, it proves a mechanic both pleasingly technical and wildly enjoyable.

Manage to hit that sweet spot and Raiden, is a moment of sheer ferocity, tears through his opponents chest and rips out their spinal repair units (all enemies are cyborgs / robots, so no use to fret about excessive blood). This move both replenishes Raiden’s health and increases his electrolyte levels that could then be used to fuel the subsequent bout of Blade Mode carnage. Yes, some parts of the scenery inevitably can’t be cut into, but this never gets within the way of the joy with all major props and enemies along the largely linear journey there to be cut to shreds.

Even without Blade Mode, the core combat is slick and tasty with skilled player’s capable of cut a swathe through a bunch of enemies without taking rather a lot as a lick. As you might expect from Platinum, the combat is instantly engaging but hides a wealth of depth for those willing to master Raiden’s impressive repertoire of attacks. Like such a lot of in their games, finishing Rising (especially at the standard difficulty setting) isn’t an enormous challenge, but to take action with style, or on one of the vital higher difficulty settings will take a chief commitment of both effort and time.

It can only be 5-6 hours long, but Rising, like Vanquish before it, begs to be played repeatedly, demands that scores be bested and talents improved. From the brilliantly nuanced parry system (there’s no block) to the skill required to take the left hand off each opponent within the game in an try to collect all 30 data stores (about as hard because it sounds), playing Rising is straightforward, but to play it well is a special kettle of fish altogether. Heck, in the event you actually need a challenge, you can also, apart from a number of scripted scenes, battle through the whole game without creating a single kill. You’ll leave a number of limbless, worm-like cyborgs to your wake, but hey, their little cyborg hearts will still be beating……actually, on second thought, it’s probably best which you put them out in their misery – killer cyborg soldiers have feeling too ya’ know.

As I said though, this isn’t all Platinum; beyond the visual style screaming Metal Gear (as one would expect), there’s actually, amongst an array of pleasant little nods scattered in the course of the game, a stealth meter for those trying to take a more cautious option to battle. Needless to say, the sport generally favours and positively encourages direct combat, but you’ll get an even little bit of work done sneaking around within the shadows and scaling down enemy numbers before embarking on a more direct approach.

Of course, any Metal Gear game worth its salt has to have a potty, politically driven, melodramatic mess of a narrative and Rising, despite providing an infinitely more streamlined tale than the same old Metal Gear fare, continues to be home to a bunch memorable characters, an array of sprawling codec conversations and a fulfilling narrative link to Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots. This will likely inevitably go over many a head, but for those versed in Metal Gear lore, it’s nice to work out Rising doing its upmost to continue at the series’ fine (read: bonkers) storytelling traditions.

While the boss battles and core enemies never quite match the highs that the series has become famous for, those here provide a gradual challenge, an always unique aesthetic and most pleasingly of all, some genuinely enjoyable banter. Not one of the four members of the Winds of Destruction will go down within the annals of Metal Gear history, however the Brazilian cyborg samurai, Samuel “Jetstream” Rodrigues certainly sticks out from the group, providing a couple of genuinely memorable moments along the manner.

The big draw though is Raiden himself. Scuffling with an internal conflict  – is he here to maintain the peace or is he simply finding an excuse to satiate his own bloodlust – Rising at its best is an ideal marriage of this core internal struggle and his own increasing ferocity at the battlefield. Yes, there’s lots of chat on politics, private security firms and the character of war, but despite a couple of interesting moments, the $64000 narrative highs come from Raiden’s more personal transformation.

It could not be probably the most visually impressive game of the generation, but given the action on screen, it’s a borderline miracle that the frame-rate is as rock steady because it is. Rising, on a purely technical level is amazingly the achievement. In reality, it’s quite the achievement full stop. The camera does get within the way of the action once in a blue moon and can occasionally lose its shit when performing the Zandatsu technique near a wall or prop and, despite the enemy design and animations both being extremely good, the real levels can sometimes be just a little at the bland side. Still, these minor niggles don’t hinder what’s an otherwise top-notch action game and a fitting instalment within the Metal Gear franchise. It usually is a big departure for the series in a technical sense, but Rising still appears like a Metal Gear game at heart, comfortably delivering the entire quality we now have come to expect from this much loved franchise.

Rating: 9/10

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2. Metal Gear Solid HD Screenshot Collection