|
The Gathering 07 event report
The Gathering 07 ? 22nd September 2007-09-23
The Xbox Community Network (XCN) is a Microsoft initiative that puts gamers and websites in the places they need to be to get the low-down on various aspects of the gaming journalism. This includes media such as screens and movies to events such as The Gathering. I attended the first event several years ago which was held in central London and now three years down the line we have another event which primarily focuses on allowing us to get some hands on time with up coming titles as well as being able to meet developers, publishers and other XCN members from the UK and across Europe in fact every major European country is represented.
This year?s The Gathering event was held in south London where after an early start we had a full scheduled day ahead. The event was held in someone?s home, yes that?s right but no ordinary home as it was featured on TV several years ago as a masterpiece of design and ingenuity. There was plenty of room here, with space for several rooms featuring various games from a number of publishers such as Atari, Ubisoft and Activision. The proprietors often hired out their beautiful home for various events such as this one.
Lavish homes aside, The day started with an introduction to proceedings from Graham Boyd or as he is more commonly known as, Aceybongos (see image above) the Xbox Community Manager for Europe . After a brief and upbeat introduction we were presented with our first guest speaker of the day. From Lionhead Studios Peter Molyneux, the company?s figurehead and general gaming mogul began with a presentation of Fable 2. This was entertaining and informative and obviously Peter is a great speaker as he really conveys a wealth of ambition, intelligence and a somewhat laid back delivery when he speaks. Sadly, what Peter talked about and demonstrated were concepts that have been shown previously at E3 this year; although he did mention several snippets of new info here and there. It was clear his hands were tied and as always he made the point of being hounded by irate gamers and journalists alike for speaking too soon on features that don?t actually feature in the finished game.
We had a first hand demonstration of the game?s combat system which as you probably are aware has a one button approach but also where the environment plays a big role in how combat plays out. He made another point that the team are aiming for combat that can be simplistic to a degree where anyone can pick up and play and have success and ultimately some fun; yet at the same time veteran gamers (you know people who thrive on titles such as Ninja Gaiden) would also find enough depth there to be suitably challenged. This sounded intriguing especially as the combat in Fable was quite basic as it seems this time round the mastery of combat will be about timing and building up power (to the sound of drums) to unleash more powerful and flamboyant finishing moves.
There was one major reveal that he was obviously dying to tell us which was the game will be a shared experience where you can invite a friend into your world and more importantly play together in co-op. This has been mentioned before in the past but today it seemed Peter was confident to confirm it in a round about manner.
After Peter had demoed the game we were able to ask him more specific questions about the combat but due to time constraints little was gleaned from this. Sadly Peter was unable to stick around afterwards (he was suited and booted in preparation for a christening) so had to leave.
Next up we had the very laid back EMEA (Europe the Middle East and North Africa) Xbox brand manager Michael Newey (see image above) who gave us an overview of how Microsoft views the community aspect and how important it is for Microsoft to be in touch with the gamers and of course us XCN member sites. Michael is a very good speaker and remained distinctly positive throughout his delivery including when I asked about his views on the Red rings of Death situation and Microsoft?s quick response warranty action. Whilst I didn?t agree fully with his answer it was testament to his charisma that he was able to answer the question without breaking a sweat.
After a short break we were divided into groups for some short sessions with several representatives of various publishers/developers and some playtime with the games. My first stop was with Activision where I was able to have a play of Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare. I was very eager to have some hands on time with the single player and I?m very happy to report that the single player game is shaping up to be a stellar combat experience. Whilst not being overly realistic I think they have struck the balance just right in providing an authentic military experience in modern warfare yet keeping it fun. There were two playable levels and I must say the opening level where you are SAS boarding a ship at sea during a storm is simply amazing. This opening level was a great showcase for the graphics and despite the Samsung screens not being calibrated correctly (seems to be paramount at a number of events) I could see that the game has high production values.
There is a strong team element in this level and you basically work as a tight unit ? so it?s quite easy to sit back and follow your point man?s lead. There?s not too much room to deviate due to the nature of the ship but the feeling of being part of a team is captured well. I played on Hard to begin and found it suitably challenging. I also had a stab at Veteran difficulty and found this to be as engaging as you would expect it to be. One thing to note on the ship level is the fact that the craft lists from the waves and this affects your aim, it?s a nice touch and one that shows the team are not afraid to try out new things with regards to the core gameplay.
The other playable level, Bog Rescue was a totally different experience even though the strong team element is featured. The stage this time were war torn streets but with the bonus of it being at nightfall. This meant using the awesome night vision goggles and of course allowing you to skulk around in the shadows and pick distant enemies off. Bog Rescue is quite an open map and you have a bigger team so it?s a lot more hectic, especially on Veteran difficulty. The openness of the level affords you to take multiple paths although naturally they lead to a singular objective ? with more happening on the fly such as having to grab a Javelin Anti Tank launcher and taking out tanks on a nearby flyover.
Call of Duty 4 is going to be an amazing game and I was told that there are going to be a lot of levels for the single player experience. Some of you will be pleased to note that the between level cut scenes are now gone and so whilst the level is loading you are able to view mission parameters and an overhead map.
Other games on the Activision stand were Tony Hawks Proving Ground and the very loud Guitar Hero III complete with the very limited Les Paul replica controllers. The game was showcased on a nice sized projector screen and of course two people could play together. Sadly I did not wish to humiliate myself in public (especially when sober) as I would probably be rubbish at this game and Rock music doesn?t appeal to me. However for those people brave enough to sample the game?s delights they did look like they were enjoying themselves and this is what counts. Guitar Hero is arguably a niche game but at the same time is incredibly loud and an air guitarists wet dream.
Moving on we headed upstairs to Ubisoft?s very cool room as they were showcasing two extremely different and beautiful looking games. Assassins Creed and Naruto Rise of a Ninja. Assassins Creed is looking amazing and every bit as good as the screenshots. It was nice to be able to play but really I felt it?s the kind of game that you need to be able to focus on properly and events like this aren?t the best place to do that. I had trouble getting to grips with the free running element as this was activated when pressing one of the triggers and the A button ? even though this was demonstrated as being easy and intuitive. Luckily I will be visiting Ubisoft later in the week for a more in depth play of the game as I will with Naruto. Sadly not many of the people in my group showed any interest in Naruto which I can understand as it?s more a niche title and therefore I spent a bit more time with that.
Naruto looks great and very fluid. It retains the anime style that makes it so popular across the globe and the gameplay seems very smooth and varied. The story mode starts off with Naruto failing an exam and being disheartened especially as the whole town hates him (indicated by sad face icons above their heads). It's up to Naruto at this stage to explore and perform tasks to make them like him again. My first task was to find a Scroll which was basically an introduction to the platform element in the game. Once I had retrieved the Scroll I then had to race through checkpoints against a timer to get the scroll back to the person who requested it.
I understand that there will be a lot of free exploration as well as various tasks involving the platform element, fighting and such like, so all in all the game will have quite a varied experience. Sadly I didn't get into a combat situation in the story mode but I will assume that it will be initiated by approaching people first.
The VS mode is pretty cool albeit basic from what I could tell. With one punch button, Kick, Block, jump and grab. I think there is also a special moves button ala street fighter when a meter is filled during bouts. I used Kakashi and found it pretty easy to get the gist of the combat. To counter an opponent?s blows you simply block just as the hit connects with the B button. With Kakashi this made him teleport behind his opponent allowing me to set up an attack from behind. Sadly the quick versus match resulted in a 2-1 defeat but I did promise Chris Easton the Ubisoft community manager (and Naruto fan) that I?d be ready and more focused later in the following week to kick his butt at Ubisoft HQ.
Prior to a spot of lunch we had a session with Project Gotham Racing 4| which need I say no more really, is pretty much the same flavour as its predecessor which is a good thing. The inclusion of weather will add some spice into the mix and the motorcycles add a different slant to proceedings. Having raced in cars and bikes I still think the Cars are the stars of the game as it just felt like the bikes were a little underwhelming for my tastes. However my opinion might change with a little more time playing with them. Either way, for racing fans having the option for two wheels is a good one. Obviously you can expect the very high production values from this game and if you are a racing fan then you will buy this game, period.
After a spot of Lunch we had some time with Namco/Atari in probably the hottest room in the house. It was the owners gym on a normal day and today it was home to the rather lovely looking Ace Combat 6 and Eternal Sonata. As you are probably aware from the demo the game is looking amazing with those photo realistic visuals it certainly is a head turner and undoubtedly one of the most visually impressive games showcased at the event. However not everyone is into flying games but with its deep storyline about two wives from opposing sides finding their loved ones amidst a raging war coupled with easy to play arcade gameplay, should mean gamers will be in for a roller coaster ride of an experience, even if they?ve been turned off before. It?s one of those games that just has to be played and the demo merely whets our appetites but at the same time does give us a good indication of how the full game will play. Sadly the demo at the event was the same as the Marketplace demo but an updated build and yes the waves do move in this version (which pleased me at least).
Eternal Sonata is a very Japanese game and again like Assassins Creed is not the kind of game to play at an event such as this. Role Playing games (RPGs) require a lot of attention and time investment due to the story telling and character building the genre is renowned for. Other than looking beautiful, Eternal Sonata looks like a game that will undoubtedly please the JRPG fans and with a morbid story to add to the drama, the game is one I would like to get my hands on. It?s already out in the US but in a time where we have a lot of high action games on the table I can imagine it?s going to be a hard struggle for Atari to push this game into the minds of non RPG fans. From my point of view Eternal Sonata has got some wider appeal despite already being a niche product outside of its home territory. The real-time style combat is a bonus and the fact that random battles do not appear every few steps. This is well worth a try and if perhaps you have been turned off by RPGs of this nature in the past then Eternal Sonata would be a great place to start.
Following on from the sweat room we moved into a more chilled room where two of Bungie?s crew were on hand to present some features of Halo 3. We were shown elements of the Forge in which the more creative gamers can edit the maps by placing items and re-arranging them across the map. I asked about a full blown map editor but was told it was something considered but they found that the Forge allowed gamers to create stuff quickly rather than having to spend hours upon hours messing around with tools. I was also told that the mere changing of spawn points of weapons and vehicles does have a drastic effect on how the multiplayer games pan out especially things like the choke points.
After the short demo we were able to play some co-op single player which without spoiling it for you is going to be a lot of fun despite no one in the room communicating like you would on Xbox Live. I?m not really going to say much more about the game as it?s literally days away from launch and you will be able to decide for yourselves how good the game plays or better yet you can check out our own spoiler free review which will be available prior to the release.
My next stop was the comfy looking red sofas at the entrance where we had a rather productive session with Graham and the other XCN admin. The idea here was to present some feedback to the XCN and without going into details here I think the session was very productive for both parties. It?s great that the guys at Microsoft are keen to hear our views and it?s something both Nintendo and Sony simply do not do. In my opinion I think this approach gives Microsoft a distinct edge and I am surprised that its competitors haven?t followed suit.
The final portion of the day was some more hands on time of which I had to have a more in depth play of Call of Duty 4. I also had a stab at some of the other games such as Need For Speed Pro Street and Virtua Fighter 5 although I suffered a humiliating beat down from Vanessa during the latter stages of the arcade mode. Sadly there is just not enough time at these events to have a proper sit down with all of the games and perhaps this is something that can be addressed in the future. It was a full day and the last portion of the afternoon was spent taking part in a Halo 3 Slayer tournament. The competition was pretty fierce especially as there were some rather cool prizes up for grabs for the winners. Sadly my lack of experience with Halo multiplayer in general meant that I was knocked out during the second round after barely making it there in the first place. However it was fun to take part and it was a nice conclusion for an excellent day.
In closing I had a great time as did everyone else despite the heat in some rooms and the lack of time in general. I must say that for me the star game of the day was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It?s got a huge fan base and for gamers who prefer shooting humans instead of fantastical aliens, it simply offers an unparalleled arcade style shooting experience. My only gripe with the game was the fact that Activision had laid out far more for Guitar Hero III and had the sound so loud that it added a strange flavour to sneaking around killing militia to the sound of pumping rock! Luckily when I do get the full game in the comfort of my own home, it will allow me to turn up the sound and enjoy the distinct aural and visual attack on the senses the game provides minus the screaming lead guitars. Great stuff!
Posted By: Robert Cram
Date: 2007-09-23
|
|
