New York Comic Con was a huge showcase for the folks at Activision. In addition to the Spider-Man photo booth where people could green screen themselves webslinging through the city, the other side of the Activision booth had part of a full size helicopter people could pose next to. Why a helicopter you ask? Well, remember that question asked about “What is cooler than drop kicking a helicopter?” that was posed for a little game called Prototype? One of the showcase pieces given its first hands on to the public was Prototype 2 on the XBox 360.

During our playthrough we played both a story mission and a challenge mission of the game. Much like the original Prototype, Prototype 2 has impressive visuals and fantastic animation. One thing that quickly stood out though is the change in the field of view.

The player model for James Heller is smaller on the screen which allows players to see furher into the distance, more of what is in front of him and more importantly, more of what is on the side and behind him. This quickly changes up the gameplay as a player can relax a little more without the constant fear from the original of a rocket launcher off screen delivering a killing blow from out of nowhere.

The combat of Prototype 2 seems fairly consistent to the first meaning it is both brutal and fun. This game gives new meaning to collateral damage as players may be aiming at the Blackwatch soldiers but end up tearing through hordes of innocent New Yorkers in the process. Some of the classic powers return as well as updates on the tendrils which in effect turns a target into a magnet for every destructible item close by to come flying at it as seen in the game’s most recent trailer.

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Recently, we got the chance to get hands on with X-Men: Destiny for the first time. In our demo we got to check out the first level of the game where we had the opportunity to choose between the game’s three possible protagonists Aimi, Grant and Adrian. When a massive Purifier attack hits downtown San Francisco, the player must also decide on the spot which of the three power sets they would like to equip their character with.

The early level surprisingly has a lot of conversation within it as players meet members of both the X-Men and Brotherhood who are both fighting against the Purifiers. Because of the noise in the Activision event, we couldn’t really hear the dialogue at the time but the gist we got was that both sides were already actively beginning to recruit this new mutant to their side.

X-Men: Destiny plays much like a standard 3D street brawler with the added bonus of mutant powers. There are your basic light, heavy, special and grab attacks along with blocking and dodging mechanics as expected. The gameplay itself was fun but the story possibilities are definitely the most intriguing part for us.

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At the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles late yesterday I spent some time at the Activision booth to learn more about one of my most anticipated upcoming games: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. After being ushered into a small room in the bowels of the Activision booth, the lights dimmed and it began.

First, we were treated to a look at two of the game’s upcoming levels: “Hunter Killer” and “Mind the Gap.” The first took us underwater with the SEALS for some sabotage of a nuclear submarine and then inside the sub for some awesome mano y mano firefight action.

We also got a chance to take a look at what happens when the firefight inside the sub is over and the action moves outside and into a rubber speedboat. Once in the boat we speed through the mayem with missiles and ships exploding all around us. Do we make it to the chopper in time and escape? I’ll leave that to your imaginaton.

Next up was “Mind the Gap” where we join the SAS to infiltrate a stronghold and go house to house in search of the bad guys. The level progreses and we take out most of the hostiles but at the end they try to escape in London’s underground. Of course, we give chase — in two trucks.

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After years of waiting (and reporting) DC Universe Online has finally made its way to both the PC and PlayStation 3 console. And we are happy to see it has lived up to the hype. While DCUO isn’t a ground breaking experience that will redefine the MMORPG genre, it does provide an addictive and fun super hero world for people to play in.

Taking a few lessons learned from previous super hero titles like City of Heroes and Champions Online, DCUO allows players to experience an MMO world in an iconic universe with well known locations and super hero and villain compatriots at their side. Unlike SOE’s previous iconic MMO with Star Wars Galaxies, players are actually able to fight alongside their favorite heroes and villains instead of just receiving missions from them. The game also has a fully voiced cast, a much notable difference to players of past titles like classics like Everquest or Galaxies.

Gameplay:

DC Universe Online plays similar in many ways to most other successful MMOs. It is to be expected since those formulas have proven successful for the type of game. Players move using the traditional WASD format combined with their mouse for changing directions and looking around and aiming. Different tap and hold button combinations on the mouse (unlocking more as players increase in level) release different attacks on foes. Additional super powers are unlocked and assigned to the 1 through 8 keys that can be used during combat.

Combat itself is fast paced and fun without much down time between. Unlike many MMORPGs, combat is not item-centric where players must worry about equipping tons of healing items to use after each combat instance. As long as players don’t run through like a lunatic kamikaze, they should be able to take a breather between fights to allow their character to quickly heal up before heading into the next encounter.

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At this weekend’s New York Comic Con, I was lucky enough to spend some time with the much-anticipated sequel to Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64. Goldeneye 007 for Wii very much lives up to

Firstly, the new Classic Controller Plus is pretty great to use. While it doesn’t quite replicate the feel of a N64 controller, it feels much easier to manuver than the original Classic Controller, which really helps for Goldeneye 007. Obviously, you won’t want to be fumbling with a controller while you’re trying to come out on top in online multiplayer.

But the control scheme for the game is incredibly intuitive, so if you’re a native of shooting games you’ll pick it up very fast.

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It’s always great when a franchise finally gets a sequel, which is why Donkey Kong Country Returns was one of the most exciting games announced for the Nintendo Wii at this year’s E3. I made my way to Nintendo’s booth at New York Comic Con, where I was able to take DKCR for a spin.

Donkey Kong Country looks great, and it plays great too. Like other Wii games, players can choose to use the Wii-mote and nunchuk, or just hold the Wii-mote sideways as they move Donkey Kong and DK through the side-scrolling levels, collecting bananas and bashing baddies along the way.

I was able to experience the two-player mode of DKCR, which was one of the reasons I was most excited about this game. Multiplayer in DKCR is incredibly fun, especially because either player can contribute as little or as much as they’d like. DK can hop onto Donkey Kong’s back and hurdle bananas at enemies while Donkey Kong runs through the level, or each player can play independently and help eachother complete the level.

This is going to be a great game for kids and adults to play together, because players of all different experience levels can still experience the game fully. Similar to New Super Marios Bros., when players die they are easily brought back to life and can continue

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a fun addition to the Donkey Kong franchise, and a sure hit for both kids and adults alike. The game will be out just in time for the holiday season, since you’ll be able to pick it up on November 21st exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

At the New York Comic Con, we were lucky enough to get a chance to step in to the closed off Rockstar booth and get exclusive hands on time with Rockstar’s Nick Patterson on the upcoming Undead Nightmare DLC pack for Red Dead Redemption. Now a lot of people have been vocal about the fact they didn’t think zombies belonged in the realistic Red Dead Redemption world. Well luckily for those people, it is a DLC pack that they aren’t required to purchase. For those a little more open minded about the plausibility of zombies coming back to unlife in the old west, Undead Nightmare is their golden ticket.

During our hands on, we got to experience one of the graveyard missions. In this instance, a player must go into a graveyard and set five coffins ablaze. In doing so, the undead awaken from the ground and try to take them down. Much like the classic zombie theme, headshots work best and players can be quickly overrun if not careful. One great addition is the use of the blunderbuss as a weapon that players can shoot looted pieces of the fallen undead with literally explosive results.The DLC pack has great visual additions like a constant fog over the land as well as new skins on the animals roaming the desert.

Though we only got a short time to play, it was a great demo that peeked our interest. Take a look at some screens below as well as the trailer. Stick close to the Flickcast for more on Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare as it closes in on its release.

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Ever since E3, Lost in Shadow is one of those games that I just had to try for myself before I made any decisions. Luckily, I was able to fight the crowds at last weekend’s New York Comic Con and secure myself a few minutes with this intriguing side-scrolling adventure, which I surely but quickly became enamored with.

In Lost in Shadow, you play as the shadow of a young boy that has been separated from his body for unknown reasons. By manipulating the physical world using his companion, a sylph, players traverse through the shadow world solving puzzles, collecting “memories” (these basically serve as hit points), and defeating any shadow beasts that may lie in the boy’s path, all in order to climb the tower where the boy’s body lies waiting for his shadow to return.

This game is so impressive because it really shows off the Wii in a variety of ways. With an easy to use control scheme that doesn’t rely too much on motion control and gorgeous art design, this game makes a big impression right away. When I took over the controls and started running around the starting level, I never found myself fumbling over the controls or forgetting which button did what.

Overall, my short time with Lost in Shadow was enough to more than sell me on the game. Be sure to check back here at The Flickcast for updates about Lost in Shadow before its release on January 4th.

After the kid focused Spider-Man: Friend or Foe and the somewhat redundant nature of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Spidey fans have been clamoring for a change in the Spider-Man formula. Since Spider-Man 2, most titles have revolved around a sandbox view of Manhattan where everyone’s favorite webslinger traverses back and forth in the city, sometimes racing against time, to match up against his more fearsome foes and crossing paths with various small time criminals committing minor offenses along the way.

While it has proven a successful formula, it had started to grow stagnant. Influenced by that criticism, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions puts together four versions of the Marvel icon, including two who have never been seen in video game form, in a variety of diverse levels and constantly changing gameplay.

Gameplay:

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions plays differently than most previous Spider-Man titles, and not just because of the change away from open world environments. While button mashing combined with Spider-Sense dodging is the focus of combat, traversing through the levels seemed looser in terms of control.

Slinging through levels doesn’t feel as natural or fun as it did in Manhattan in days of Spider-Man’s past. Possibly because of the level design system, less emphasis was put on traversing areas at fast speeds.

Combat also doesn’t feel as diverse. Because each Spider-Man only has three individual levels, there is not a huge diversity in combat abilities. Previous titles, because of only having one or two versions of Spider-Man, had a larger number of different attacks to work with.

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At this year’s Comic Con during the Sony Press Event, we were given the opportunity to get hands on with two of the biggest titles coming to the PlayStation 3 in 2011. Not only are Killzone 3 and Motorstorm: Apocalypse much anticipated sequels to two of PlayStation 3′s top games, but they both will feature PlayStation 3′s 3D technology.

Killzone 3 first and foremost looks gorgeous. Even over a half year before its release date and still in Pre-Alpha build, the visuals look polished. While the 3D experience helps add to the immersion of the title, there is never a time where it felt intrusive. There are never any over the top “coming at the screen for the sake of 3D” moments. What the 3D effects do however is add a convincing level of depth and distance as players make their way through the environment.

The version we got to play was the same one seen on the E3 show floor where players must execute a raid to save prisoners being held at a Helghast weapons research facility with the team of raiders who survived the end of Killzone 2. Gameplay is crisp and fast paced in line with previous versions of the series.

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With just under a week from the release of the most hyped Spider-Man video game release in years, Activision and Beenox have unveiled the final launch trailer for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.  In it, a majority of the game’s villains are spotlighted as well as the voice actors of all four versions of everyone’s favorite web crawler after the jump.

As we are sure you have seen, we’ve kept a close watch on the upcoming title. We have brought you video of the alternate unlockcable attire, interviews with developers,  and even hands on feedback from our time with the game at San Diego Comic-Con.

But we’re not done yet. Be sure to check back for our review of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions following the game’s September 7th release date. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will be coming out for PlayStation 3, XBox 360, PC and the Nintendo Wii.

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At Comic Con, the Flickcast got our first opportunity to get hands on with Dead Rising 2. Standing next to a replica of the game’s workshop covered with dozens of makeshift weapons, we got to see just what is in store for the game’s new lead, Chuck Greene on the streets of Fortune City.

Right off the bat, Dead Rising 2 feels bigger. Knowing you aren’t confined to the space of just one shopping mall, there is a level of freedom that didn’t exist in the original title. It also appears that there are even more zombies on screen at the same time in this game as well.

The animation is still fluid and it feels like the control, especially in regard to aiming, has been tightened up some. One drastically improved feature of the gameplay is the lifespan of weapons. In the original game, weapons fell apart at an alarming rate. Players were forced to flee more than fight which ultimately lead to Frank West not living up to the potential badass he could have been. Chuck, who already has some badass cred to his name being a motocross rider, feels like he can take the fight to the zombie horde that has engulfed the US rather than just hope to survive like Frank did.

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