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Friday, June 20, 2014
11:07 AM - June 20, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
A lot of people have been excited for the next MMA product, and it's been a long two-year wait as EA has secured the UFC license and drip-fed information to the public. Most of the info about EA Sports UFC has come rushing out in the last few months, so a lot of people didn't really know what to expect when it came to EA's first foray into the world of UFC. All things considered, THQ was a decent steward of the brand, and they managed to implement some decent systems for their UFC games. Still, everything never quite came together in one cohesive package, and the online play in their games wasn't up to snuff.
A lot of the hoopla around this game was centred on the visuals — and those are good, to be sure — but I was actually surprised that the matches allow for a lot of variety and adaptation. This isn't to say there aren't some annoyances with stamina and move-spamming, but the game engine does allow all aspects of MMA (striking, grappling, submissions) to have a use in the game, which is no small feat.
Read More - EA Sports UFC Review (Xbox One/PlayStation 4)
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
10:59 AM - June 18, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
FIFA 15 had a busy booth at E3 2014, with lots of media, exhibitors, retailers and others packing the tiny "EA Sports Room" to see what was new for this year's iteration of EA footy. Personally, I enjoyed FIFA 14 on Xbox One (and PS4) so much that I think it's the franchise with the least distance to cover in terms of gameplay and features, but it's always exciting to see what's new.
Read More - FIFA 15: Hands-On Preview
Friday, June 13, 2014
10:35 AM - June 13, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
I was able to play through some additional matches of the full version of EA Sports UFC on the E3 show floor. By now everyone has had some time with the demo, so most folks have started to make up their mind in terms of where they think the gameplay is (or isn't). The control scheme is equally divisive, with many feeling that it's too complicated or alienating for casuals (a market that EA is clearly targeting). About the only thing almost everyone is agreeing on is the staggeringly good visuals, which continue to impress right before release.
Read More - EA Sports UFC: Hands-On Impressions
Thursday, June 12, 2014
11:36 AM - June 12, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
I played some more NHL 15 today at E3, and here are 20 new observations straight from the show floor...
Read More - NHL 15: Twenty Additional Details
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
10:36 AM - June 11, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
It was clear from playing NHL 15 (on PS4) at E3 today that the team at EA Vancouver still needs to optimize some things, but what was there had me believing in a lot of their new vision for the series. I got to run through several games, and the teams on offer include LA, New York, Montreal and Chicago. Producer Sean Ramjagsingh said that the dev team has “about a month to go” in terms of production. Still, while it was early, there was a lot of great stuff to see in this build.
Read More - NHL 15: Hands-On Impressions
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
11:13 AM - June 4, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
It's been 20 years since the New York Rangers have been to the Stanley Cup Finals (where they beat the Vancouver Canucks in 1994), but they'll get another chance at glory as they face 2012 Stanley Cup winners the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings continue to play a firebrand style of hockey, so that's always welcome, but it will be interesting to see a relative newcomer out of the east, since New York has had the underachiever (read: choker) label for quite some time.
Read More - Stanley Cup Finals Preview: New York vs. Los Angeles
Monday, June 2, 2014
12:36 PM - June 2, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
As we break through the gates of new console hardware, it's always hard to fight the expectations and "wishlisiting" that comes along with such a rare occasion. Players are often waiting five-plus years to get their hands on new gear, and the last generation really pushed people to the limit. With Kinect and Move delaying the onset of this new generation, we had to sit through unnecessary sequels as well as solid but uninspiring yearly releases.
Read Mor e- Managing Next-Gen Expectations
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
12:05 PM - May 21, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
EA has finally released some gameplay video for EA Sports UFC, and it features the (hopefully) upcoming title fight between Anthony "Showtime" Pettis and Jose Aldo. There's a lot to take in with this video, so let's break it down.
Read More - EA Sports UFC: Pettis vs. Aldo Video Analysis
Thursday, May 15, 2014
11:38 AM - May 15, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
How is everyone finding the quick counts in MLB 14: The Show? I've certainly heard several opinions on this new wrinkle to the gameplay for the 2014 version of Sony's baseball franchise, including a spirited discussion on the most recent Press Row Podcast. I can certainly appreciate both sides of the argument, as there is a definite trade-off when activating the feature. The idea of speeding up the game and forcing some realism may end up diminishing the control someone has over the game — and it's certainly not realistic. Then again, it serves an important function: speeding up the game.
Read More - MLB 14 The Show: Debating the Merits of Quick Counts
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
11:40 AM - May 7, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
EA has finally blown the lid (well, slightly loosened the lid is more accurate) off of NHL 15, the first hockey game on the new generation of hardware. They didn't exactly show much, but they sure did a lot of telling. You can see the teaser trailer here, and the game page outlining all of the details is here. There's also a cover vote going on, and you can make your wishes known on this page. GameInformer also wrote up a big piece on the game, so I'd suggest checking that out, too, as I'll be referencing it here.
As I figured, EA played it fairly coy in terms of showing their cards (even though that trailer sparks some good emotion), but they did do a lot of hype-building, specifically as relates to gameplay features and presentation. There are a lot interesting details in what they said, so let's take a look.
Read More - NHL 15: Breaking Down the Initial Information
Friday, May 2, 2014
12:48 PM - May 2, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
After watching Jon Jones utilize his reach on Saturday night against Glover Teixeira, I started to wonder how viable that fight strategy will be in the upcoming EA Sports UFC. Questionable eye pokes and extended fingers notwithstanding, Jones once again used his insane reach to simply keep Teixeira at bay, sometimes resorting to completely palming his head in his hand, much like something you'd see in grade four (the class bully holding back a smaller kid). Teixeira certainly came to bang, and he tried his best to get inside, but Jones deployed that impressive reach and some even more impressive elbows (once he'd comfortably gotten inside) to do heinous damage.
Read More - EA Sports UFC: Will There Be a Reach Advantage?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
11:22 AM - April 22, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
Every four years EA Sports gets to triple-dip and, essentially, sell three soccer games within the span of a year. The World Cup game is usually diminished in some aspects, serving as a side story to the generally substantial offerings in the annual releases. This year is a bit different in some regards, as 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is a full-priced retail product rather than a download or expansion, and the developers at EA have tried to diversity the modes and gameplay offerings enough to satisfy those who might be curious to mix up the usual FIFA action.
Read More - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Review (360/PS3)
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
05:13 PM - April 16, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
I approached this retail release of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil with some apprehension, as I've been having such a good time with the new generation of consoles and FIFA 14. Even with all of the pomp and circumstance added around these World Cup releases, going backwards in tech can seem kind of jarring. I'm happy to report that my initial time with the Xbox 360 version of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil has been positive, and I feel good about where the gameplay is at.
Read More - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Reviewer Impressions
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
11:58 AM - April 15, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
One game that's been on my radar for the last while (thanks to the folks at Giant Bomb and their dedicated community) is Windjammers. This retro future sports game from the Neo Geo arcade system has that intangible element that makes it a competitive gamer's dream, and the gameplay still holds up after all these years. In a time when local co-op games are back in style (and with competitive gaming still being a major force), there could never be a better time to bring back a retro classic like Windjammers.
Read More - Retro Rewind: Windjammers, and Why it Should Come Back
Monday, April 14, 2014
02:28 PM - April 14, 2014. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Glenn Wigmore
While there is Skype, Xbox Fitness, signing in with your face, scanning QR codes or using your voice to navigate, there haven't been any (meaningful) game reasons to use your Kinect 2.0 on the Xbox One. Enter Kinect Sports Rivals, the first substantial foray into motion gaming on the new Xbox. The idea of the game is fairly simple, and it's akin to previous Kinect Sports titles or even Wii Sports Resort. In this entry, you compete in a series of six sports in an island setting, unlocking new chapters of the game's silly story as well as new gear for your character. When you want to take your skills against the world, you do so via the Rivals mode. All of this comes for a $60 asking price, which is too high, but if you can look past that and some other issues, you may have some fun here.
Read More - Kinect Sports Rivals Review (Xbox One)
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