If you’re curious to see what David Jaffe has been up to since the inevitable/appropriate/crushing cancelation of his Heartland PSP project, check out this gameplay footage from his PS3 arcade game Calling All Cars. It’s got a great style to it, and looks as if it could be reasonably fun. Jaffe has taken a simple premise and made addictive gameplay before, with the Twisted Metal series, so I look forward to seeing if the experience of Calling All Cars exceeds this brief glimpse.
It’s a video kind of day, because I’ve also got a link here to the trailer for the new Alone in the Dark game, coming soon for PS3 and Xbox 360. The graphics are stunning, and the action looks intense, but I don’t know about the claims that this game will be a "return to form" for the series. The classic first game was an introduction to both 3D gaming and Lovecraftian horror for a lot of gamers, the latter quality being the one that I remember most fondly. Based on the action editing of the trailer (which, I admit, is kind of like basing a legal argument on what a client is wearing to court) it seems as the foetid horrors and slumbering evils have been replaced with villains less atmospheric. Oh, who am I kidding; I can’t wait for this game.
One more piece of video for you, courtesy of the IndyGamer blog. There’s a Japanese game called Narcissu which got a freeware release in the states thanks to the diligence of good people. It represents the extreme of interactive narrative furthest away from "interactive," but is memorable nonetheless. The translated version is available here. A sequel is forthcoming, with a moody, static trailer available on YouTube here. No, this isn’t a hentai game.
GamesRadar, with their usual snark, have posted a fun little article called "Who’s Buying This Crap?" Writer Brett Elston counts down the top seven franchises that continue based on the merit of sales… but we can’t tell who is buying enough of the games to warrant those sales. Brett, it’s me. I’m sorry.
GTA4.net has a list of twenty-five answers to the questions that the gaming public has been aching to ask about Grand Theft Auto IV, courtesy of Game Informer writer Andrew Reiner. Of course, things start off with one gamer asking: "I heard that you can’t fly in Liberty City anymore. What is up with that?! Flying is one of my favorite parts of this series!" This fellow is damaged. The answer is that, yes, flying will be back, but not in aeroplanes.
Finally, the good people at GameBrink have given us a review of Gyakuten Saiban 4, the fourth game in what we Americans know as the Ace Attorney series. We’re a bit behind in the states, but it doesn’t hurt to have something to look forward to, especially given how awesome the two titles we’ve gotten so far have been. Read, chewer, and feel an ache in your heart. Or just import the title.