Weekly Demo Watch
Weekly Demo Watch
By Liam Martin
Asura’s Wrath
What is it? Featuring a mythological deity stripped of his powers and swearing revenge, Asura’s Wrath bears all of the trademarks of a Capcom classic. A combo-heavy roaming beat-em-up with quick time events, screen-filling bosses and shooting sections, Asura’s Wrath certainly doesn’t lack variety!
What’s in the demo? The demo features two episodes (almost in their entirety) from the game’s main campaign. Episode five – titled ‘Hollow Victory’ – pits Asura against a gargantuan god, while episode 11 – titled ‘The Final Lesson’ – sees an increasingly angry Asura face an old mentor in one-on-one combat.
How is it shaping up? The first battle combines Asura’s shooting abilities with numerous quick-time events. In a similar vein to many on-rails shooters, players can use lock-on attacks to damage multiple targets, or hold the X button to perform a rapid fire attack. Although not as difficult as we imagined (hopefully there are multiple difficulty settings), concentration is essential to successfully conquer the quick-time sections.
The second episode is much more combo-heavy, requiring Asura to dodge horizontal and vertical long-range attacks, before unleashing a flurry of fists. Again, the battle is littered with quick-time events, which while enjoyable, can prove a little jarring, occasionally ruining the momentum.
Both boss battles do a fine job of showcasing the various gameplay elements contained within Asura’s Wrath. Reminding us of oddball titles such as God Hand and mainstream releases such as God Of War, Asura’s Wrath is fast, flashy, a little quirky, and most importantly of all, fun. The wide variety of gameplay styles, the powerful musical score and excellent presentation have done enough to pique our interest ahead of its final release.
When is it released? Asura’s Wrath will be available to buy on February 24.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
What is it? Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII (obviously), taking place three years after the events of its predecessor. Starring the returning Serah Farron and newbie Noel Kreiss, the hunt is on to find missing person Lightning.
What’s in the demo? The demo takes place in the Bresha ruins after the fall of Cocoon and features a combination of battles and exploration. Presumably Square Enix has picked this section because it doesn’t contain too many spoilers, but showcases a wide variety of new and improved features.
How is it shaping up? There’s a certain familiarity to the battle system, in particular, the menus, though the addition of quick-time events in boss encounters gives them a heightened sense of importance, especially with bonuses available for successfully conquering each event.
While it’s too early to judge the mission structure and how the Mass Effect-style choices will impact the final product, it’s nice to see that the developers have at least attempted to rectify the tedious nature of the side missions and exploration by adding a little variety. Using your Mog companion to discover items could prove irritating, however.
One of the most intriguing additions is the ability to randomly capture monsters and use them in battle. Again, it’s too early to judge the impact this will have on the final release, but we hope it adds an extra layer of strategy and depth, and isn’t just another throwaway feature.
All in all, Final Fantasy XIII-2 looks like an improvement on its predecessor, but we’re still not fully convinced of its credentials. We’d have to see how the story plays out to get a true sense of where it stands in the classic RPG series.
When is it released? Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be available to buy on February 3.
EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis 2
What is it? The sequel to 2009 Wii title Grand Slam Tennis and the first game in Electronic Arts’s tennis series to go multiformat, Grand Slam Tennis 2 may well be the only chance for gamers to take to the court this year. With no new Top Spin or Virtua Tennis games on the immediate horizon, this fully licensed tennis sim has a great opportunity to gain a following.
What’s in the demo? The demo includes a single set exhibition match (at Wimbledon, no less) between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, as well as a practice mode pitting man against ball machine.
How is it shaping up? In typical EA fashion, the game utilises an analogue-based control scheme, enabling players to unleash multiple shots with a combination of the right stick and trigger buttons. The analogue-based controls make the game a little more difficult to pick up and play – especially when compared to the arcade offerings of Virtua Tennis – although the face buttons can be used as an alternative.
The opponent AI is impressive even on the easiest setting, while the action is smooth and satisfying. There appears to be plenty of in-game modes and options, including authentic tournaments and online play. We also enjoyed the commentary provided by Pat Cash and John McEnroe, although it remains to be seen whether or not it will grate.
When is it released? Grand Slam Tennis 2 will be available to buy on February 10.
Recent Comments