Dvader said:

Two of those are old games. This is the worst launch window in the history of game systems.

Point taken. Both are significantly upgraded though and Most Wanted isn't that old.

bugsonglass said:

Nobody will buy this, and nobody will buy most wanted.  Gamepad or no gamepad.  

Actually I just ordered NFS most wanted this morning, though I agree with much of what you are saying. Third parties just don't have any sort of commitment to the platform, they half ass it, release old games at full price and balk when people don't buy it. In my case I am curious about the games significantly better graphical performance on wii u, I haven't bought a racing game in years and this comes with free DLC, I have a new system and want to play games on it and I want to be supportive of a developer who approaches a U version with the right attitude (read my latest blog for details). I'll be getting Lego City too.

GAF ON LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER said:


+ Definitely TT's magnum opus - it shows now that they're given a short dev period to make other Lego games. This one is really polished by their standards, and rich in detail.

+ Story is actually well written and more amusing than the trailers made it seem. There's a great understanding of 80s movie cliches here beyond one-liners.

+ Voice acting is really good, brings the characters alive.

+ Gameplay feels a bit more solid than previous Lego games, possibly Nintendo testing at work.

+ The car handling is fine IMO; they are heavier than Lego Batman vehicles, but still handle like toy cars. The way vehicles get damaged in real time is great.

+ The open world is bigger than the map posted online makes it seem. The scale of each region is large for your character and packed with detail.

+ There are a LOT of side activity points that are immediately visible and require future disguises to unlock.

+ 70s soundtrack is not over-used, doesn't play constantly.

+ Gamepad use so far is pretty neat. When characters pop a video window up, their chatter comes out of the pad speakers but Chase's voice and replies stay on the TV, nice interplay.

+ There are jaggies, it's unfortunate. Otherwise, the graphics are better in action than shots may appear, as there is some nice lighting, shadows, and effects like water and shaders on stonework and stuff. In my opinion, it's a bit higher quality than an open world game on PS360 - the landscape retains detail further into the distance, the median texture quality on everything is higher, with a large variety of textures in play.

+ Framerate so far is solid and smooth 90% of the time. It judders just a little in expected places, such as standing at a crossroads where there is heavy traffic, pedestrians, and probably near invisible pre-caching boundaries.


- The primary loading world breaks are where TT's engine falls down. It doesn't perform the big load during every transition. But when the main game environment has to reload, such as after a mission, it's pretty nasty. 35-60 seconds.


- There are actually mission checkpoints now, so it appears sections can be failed, but it's still designed so kids can play as well as adults. It will fail to engage some folks, no way around it.

- Lack of an automatic save on game exit is annoying and an oversight. It's designed to save every time you get a significant item, like a special brick, or even just a large valuable resource item. But you could still do a lot of regular stud collecting and such between saves. I'm really surprised Nintendo didn't tell TT to update their saving convention from previous Lego games.

- The jaggies and image quality are not as bad as some games, like Sonic Racing Transformed (which, to be honest, I thought was quite terrible in that area). But they still harm what is an otherwise surprisingly pretty visual presentation.


Overall, nothing besides the loading issue is disappointing my expectations, and the game exceeds them in a few areas like story, humor, and how packed the game world is with details. I was hoping Nintendo could bring out TT's best, it seems they have.


I think if you can get into the relaxed pace, it is a very meaty game with a ton of stuff to do. Also the kind of game the console needs right now, it'll last a long time if you like it.


If there's enough complaints about the loading, I hope that there's something TT can do with a patch to improve their loading scheme even a little bit. Btw, it seems the reason the game loads before a cut scene is that it's preparing data for the mission following the cut scene - lots of special placement for NPCs, required vehicles, and modifications to the area the mission takes place in.

phantom_leo said:

Dvader said:

Two of those are old games. This is the worst launch window in the history of game systems.

Need for Speed may be "old" but it's the best racer of it's type.

Better than Burnout?

EA Launches Need for Speed Most Wanted U Today PR:

Ready, set, floor it! EA and Criterion Games announced today that Need for Speed™ Most Wanted U, the Nintendo Wii U™ enhanced version of the critically acclaimed Need for Speed Most Wanted, is now available at North American retail stores.
Whether gamers are playing with friends or family in the living room or competing against others in the connected open world through Autolog 2, Need for Speed Most Wanted U makes the race to become Most Wanted more fun, more social and more interactive than ever before.
Rob O’Farrell, Executive Producer, said, “At Criterion Games, we really took the time to learn and understand the Wii U. When creating Need for Speed Most Wanted U, we wanted to maximize the console’s power to deliver an immediately fun and accessible racing experience. We are very proud of the end result.”
Designed specifically for the Wii U, Need for Speed Most Wanted U delivers gameplay mechanics built for the unique features of the Wii U™ GamePad controller. The local co-op mode, called Co-Driver, allows one player to drive using the Wii Remote™ controller or Wii U Pro Controller while another player uses the Wii U GamePad to provide control and navigation assistance on an interactive real-time map. Using just their fingertips, the partner can distract pursuing cops, switch from night to day or activate enhanced performance for any car and even control the amount of traffic on the road.
For another competitive edge, players can switch into their favorite cars, track milestones, uncover the city’s hidden gems and more, all on the fly with the Wii U touch screen, ensuring nothing ever slows them down. Need for Speed Most Wanted U brings the blockbuster action of the open world racer to players’ fingertips. The entire game is playable off-screen using the Wii U GamePad, so gamers never have to put the game down.
Need for Speed Most Wanted U includes the Ultimate Speed Pack expansion, so players can take to the streets with five of the most absurdly fast cars ever made: McLaren’s F1 LM, Lamborghini’s miniimalist artwork, the Aventador J, the track-focused Pagani Zonda R, Bugatti’s reigning world speed champion, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and Hennessey’s savage 275 mile-an-hour ragtop beast, the Venom GT Spyder. Finally with Need for Speed Most Wanted U, gamers are competing against the people they want to defeat most – their friends.
With EA’s innovative online technology Autolog 2, the game automatically tracks and compares best race times, high scores and more. These stats are broadcast throughout the open world, fueling friendly competition and rivalries. Finally with Need for Speed Most Wanted U, gamers are competing against the people they want to defeat most – their friends.
With EA’s innovative online technology Autolog 2, the game automatically tracks and compares best race times, high scores and more. These stats are broadcast throughout the open world, fueling friendly competition and rivalries. Need for Speed Most Wanted’s online multiplayer also ups the ante for social competition.
Gamers pick a car, meet up with their friends and are immersed in a non-stop playlist of action-packed events. Whether it’s competing for the best starting position, the ultimate jump, or finishing first place, if there’s something to do, there’s someone to beat. Any Speed Points earned on Wii U will add to your existing total if you are playing the game on any of the other available platforms through CloudCompete. Need for Speed Most Wanted U is available now in North America for $59.99 and will be in stores March 21 in Europe for €69.99.

It's only 4 months old and they have enhanced it both in graphics, applying PC textures and options, gamepad use and they bundled in a dlc pack. I think it's a pretty decent effort. Famitsu gave this version a 9/9/9/8, ONM a 90%. I haven't bought a car racer in like 8 years.

Trailer

gamingeek said:

It's only 4 months old and they have enhanced it both in graphics, applying PC textures and options, gamepad use and they bundled in a dlc pack. I think it's a pretty decent effort. Famitsu gave this version a 9/9/9/8, ONM a 90%. I haven't bought a car racer in like 8 years.

Trailer

Are you going to get it? If so are you getting it cause you really want a car racer or cause you need games to play on Wii U, or both?

Dvader said:gamingeek said:


It's only 4 months old and they have enhanced it both in graphics, applying PC textures and options, gamepad use and they bundled in a dlc pack. I think it's a pretty decent effort. Famitsu gave this version a 9/9/9/8, ONM a 90%. I haven't bought a car racer in like 8 years.



TrailerAre you going to get it? If so are you getting it cause you really want a car racer or cause you need games to play on Wii U, or both?



To quote my earlier post: Actually I just ordered NFS most wanted this morning. In my case I am curious about the games significantly better graphical performance on wii u, I haven't bought a racing game in years and this comes with free DLC, I have a new system and want to play games on it and I want to be supportive of a developer who approaches a U version with the right attitude (read my latest blog for NFS details). I'll be getting Lego City too.The new screens are great.

This is awesome that they are including both games but seriously, how fucking long does it take to put out an HD update of a few PS2 games?! At this point they should make it for all consoles including Wii U and PS4.

Final Fantasy X HD to include FF X-2 HD on PS3 But the sequel will reportedly be sold separately on Vita

travo said:

Anyone picking up Gears Judgment today?  I certainly want it, but I just started Sleeping Dogs.  I know that if I start Gears, I'll probably never go back to Sleeping Dogs.   The reviews make Gears sound so tempting though.

I bet its great GG, I just will never buy a racer full price unless its GT.