Video Games: February 2006 Archives

Newsarama is covering the New York Comic-Con and they have an interview with Jim Lee about his latest project: designing characters and environments for the DC Comics Online MMORPG. Back in June 2005, I speculated on this, and it seems like my dream is coming true:

JL: Imagine getting to create your own unique superhero, give it a name, choose a physique, a costume, a set of powers and then dive into the DC Universe where you get to meet and ally with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the entire pantheon of heroes. Imagine getting to team up with friends and other players from around the world and take on the likes of the Joker, Lex Luthor and Deathstroke. Imagine getting to use your network of contacts to go on missions and adventures to incredibly diverse environments. Imagine gaining fame and notoriety, forming leagues of superheroes to battle one another or to take down Darkseid himself. It's not hard to see how awesome a game like this would be and it's really the chance to play around and do so many different things in the DCU that is the big draw to gamers and comic book fans alike.

Sony has the good sense to get Jim Lee involved in the design. Many of the current DC writers are gamers as well, so maybe they would also get involved in the storyline. What if current DC events were reflected in such a game? Newsarama asked that question...

NRAMA: So this will be a full functional, albeit "alternate" DCU in cyberspace. Will it in any way impact or reflect the monthly comic continuity?
JL: I can't get into too much detail about this at this moment...

Imagine playing in this world and suddenly you hear a Boom Tube exploding--Darkseid invades Earth. Or look up and see a red sky--Crisis is on the way. Nuff said.

External Link:
Newsarama: Jim Lee on the DCU MMORPG

Official XBox Magazine showed up in my mailbox, with the BLACK demo on the disk. There's a fantastic intro scene of various weapons being fired--very realistic, with recoil and flashes. The game started and I was in a room with a shotgun, some shells, and windows leaking in decayed light. I stood by the windows to look outside. Man, did I get hammered by the enemy fire! I went backward to get out of the way, but I got hammered even more. Fifteen seconds after the game started, I was dead! This is either tells you that I really suck at shooters, or that BLACK has some of the best (and most aggressive) enemy A.I. in any FPS I've ever played. It's a bit of both. It took me a few tries to get used to the enemy. There was a fellow positioned on a catwalk just outside the room I started in. I tried getting him with the shotgun, but it was much better once I got the rifle. I've read in various interviews that you can have a different experience playing the same level in BLACK various times. That was my experience with the demo. I played the level a few different ways and they responded differently. The enemy is very good at hiding, taking cover, and changing tactics. The particle effects are amazing--very Burnout-like. It was fun to stay in that room (after I shot a few guys) and just watch the debris exploding from the wall. The surround sound effects are awesome--my wife is really going to complain.

God, I hope this can run on the 360. My Panasonic plasma only has 2 inputs for composite video: one is taken by the Digital Cable box, the other has to switch between the two XBoxes. But I am going to play the hell out of BLACK. Nuff said.