Gamers are in for a tough choice this week: competing NHL titles, a promising action-adventure game for the Playstation 3 and a skateboarding simulator. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
HEAVENLY SWORD
Think God of War’s mythos and scenery meets Tombraider’s hottie heroine. Heavenly Sword, a Playstation 3 exclusive title, features Nariko, a red-haired beauty who embarks on a quest of vengeance and survival. She wields the power of the Heavenly Sword, which once belonged to an otherworldly deity. It sounds like it would be a good thing to have in your corner. But beware. The sword drains the life of whoever holds it.
So Nariko finds herself in a difficult situation. She must defeat the invading king, voiced by Andy Serkis of Lord of the Rings’ Gollum fame, before the sword overtakes her. But while it’s draining her life force, it does really cool things like transforming into three distinct weapons. The combat in the game is unique – scaling from one-on-one fights to epic-style battles. But most impressive is the game’s lush cinematography.
Early buzz: Word is the game is action packed but way too short.
SKATE
This isn’t your Tony Hawk game of old. Skate takes a realistic approach to the sport. Instead of focusing on crazy stunts, never-ending rail grinds, and flying up ramps to collect items, EA Sports’ title focuses on getting it right.
Skate aims to recreate an authentic experience for the gamer and flips up the script with unique controls never seen in previous games. You use both analog sticks to sculpt your tricks while exploring the city of San Vanelona for the perfect skating spot. But what’s skating without style? The game let’s you shape your skater’s look as well as the feel of the ride.
If you’re a bragger, the game lets you capture your sick stunts on camera. Use the games editing tools and add music to create the perfect “look what I did” video. And if you feel yourself missing the Tony Hawk style, getting chased by security guards will make you feel warm and fuzzy.
Skate is available this week for the Xbox 360 and will be available for the PS3 later this month.
Early buzz: Successful as a simulator but controls take time to learn.
NHL 08
Hockey season has begun and there are two contenders in the running for your consumer cash. EA Sports’ NHL 08 and Take 2 Interactive’s NHL 2K8 debut this week, both boasting better control of the action on the ice using the analog stick. However, NHL 08 lets you shoot with the stick while you’ll still need to do some button mashing to shoot and pass with NHL 2K8.
Both games also feature enhanced dynasty modes where you can customize your dream team to make it to the Stanley Cup. If you don’t feel like playing a whole season, NHL 08 lets you go straight to the post-season in playoff mode. Meanwhile, NHL 2K8 features advanced goaltending artificial intelligence where goalies are more aggressive in defending shots and challenging opposing players.
NHL 08 and NHL 2K8 are available for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2. NHL 08 is also available for the PC.
Early buzz: Both titles are promising.
Video | 'NHL 08' trailer