God of War Laufey (PS5) Gameplay Reveal Trailer

God of War Laufey is real, and the tail-end of today's State of Play showcased approximately 20 minutes of pure gameplay for the title. Thankfully, the seemingly never-ending black screen at the beginning of the trailer did not really or overly contribute to the gameplay time total. Either way, the wife of Kratos gets her own adventure, and it looks absolutely stellar so far. 

Microsoft Flight Simulator (XBS) Xbox Series X|S Gameplay Trailer

Get ready to take to the skies, Xbox Series console owners, when Microsoft Flight Simulator soars onto Xbox Series X and S on July 27th. The absolutely jaw-dropping graphics, ability to fly anywhere in the world, and realistic flight gameplay will certainly make for one forgettable gaming experience. 

Shredders (Multi) Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase Trailer

Are you "amped" for a new, exciting snowboarding game? Shredders is aiming to be just that, and it will arrive first on Xbox Series S and X consoles. Check out the latest trailer for the game.

Psychonauts 2 (Multi) Official Gameplay Trailer

As part of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase today, a new trailer and a release date for Double Fine's upcoming platforming adventure Psychonauts 2 were revealed. Get psyched, as Psychonauts 2 launches on August 25.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (NSW) Cinematic World Premiere and Gameplay Sneak Peak Trailers

What a wonderful surprise! Well, technically, Nintendo revealed this themselves the morning before, and a leaker revealed the game name a day prior, as well, but still, it was a pleasure to see the sequel to Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle appear at Ubisoft's E3 showcase. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope didn't just premier with a cinematic trailer. No, no! We got to see some gorgeous gameplay footage as well. Intriguingly enough, the grid-based gameplay of the original's tactical battles seems to be gone this time around, opening up the possibilities of strategy even further! Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will strategize exclusively on the Nintendo Switch sometime next year.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5) Gameplay Trailer

Introducing... Rivet! The mysterious female lombax from another dimension finally has her name revealed with this all-new gameplay trailer for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. There's more to come gameplay-wise as well, as on Thursday a brand-new State of Play featuring and focusing heavily on this newest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series will air! For the time being, marvel at this ultra impressive trailer for Rift Apart, launching on the PlayStation 5 on June 11th!

Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS5, PS4, PC) State of Play Trailer

During today's State of Play presentation from PlayStation, Kena: Bridge of Spirits received a brand-new trailer showcasing a more-than-decent amount of gameplay footage. Further of interest is that developer Ember Labs' game now has a firm release date of August 24th, 2021. Watch the beautiful trailer from the State of Play presentation below.

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas (PS4) Gameplay Videos

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas has been out for iOS and Steam for about a year, but it's just made its console debut today with its release on the PlayStation 4. Now, that the embargo is up, I can share some gameplay footage from this new PS4 build. A review is forthcoming, but I want to beat the game before I write something up, despite having already played through the iOS version.

This first video shows off an early boss that looks like an applicant for a Broadway version of Little Shop of Horrors, Turmos. The boss gets a taste of our hero, nearly ending his life!



This next gameplay video shows the cellar area of the Old Fortress. Its inhabitants don't take too kindly to trespassers, but our hero had to find the ice spell in order to advance to the Cavern of Fire. Some small puzzle elements are shown in this vid, as well as some combat.



Next up is a video that shows off a lot in its less than 15 minute time span. We have ship travel, a trip though multiple areas, all leading up to the puzzling labyrinth of the Cavern of Fire, where the hero's recently acquired ice spell comes in handy!



The lead-up to another dungeon of Oceanhorn starts off this fourth video. After some puzzle solving, we enter the Frozen Palace, an icy dungeon full of danger. This is part one of two.



This final video is part two of our hero's trip through the chilly halls of the Frozen Palace. This includes picking up the dungeon treasure and Master Key. It all concludes with an intense showdown with the dungeon's boss.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) PSX 2015 Trailer

Cloud and friends return in a big way with this trailer of Final Fantasy VII's glorious remake showcasing some gameplay and early Midgar action. This is a lot further along than I was expecting, and I'm thrilled to be surprised by that.

Star Wars Battlefront (PS4, XONE, PC) Multiplayer Gameplay | E3 2015 “Walker Assault” on Hoth

While this footage definitely contains mass amounts of scripted video, this multiplayer gameplay video of Star Wars Battlefront looks absolutely delightful and full of intense aerial and ground action. From piloting an AT-AT to going it on foot, mowing down storm troopers, Star Wars Battlefront's current generation debut seems to be checking off all of the right boxes.

Sonic Runners (iOS, Android) Gameplay Video

After the success of Sonic Dash, Sega and Sonic Team are set to release a new Sonic runner with the appropriately titled Sonic Runners. The game features three playable characters, a host of Sonic's friends as potential unlockables, and speedy gameplay. Just see for yourself with this first gameplay video for Sonic Runners.

Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4, XONE) Gameplay Trailer

My most anticipated new-gen game is without question Batman: Arkham Knight, so you can imagine my delight upon seeing this new trailer for the game, featuring a lot of fantastic footage and action. Batman: Arkham Knight will hit the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 2, 2015!

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS) Gameplay Trailer

No doubt many Nintendo 3DS owners are still knee deep in the addicting Pokemon X and Pokemon Y games. Hopefully many of you playing these games will be finished by the time The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds finally releases next month. This new trailer shows off a lot of gameplay for the game. Perhaps that is why Nintendo called it a gameplay trailer! *gasp*

Wii Party U (Wii U) Gameplay Trailer

What game has knitting, bouncing ninjas, puzzling pirates, sneaky ostriches, and more? Why, it's Wii Party U, an upcoming release this month that will have living rooms jumping. The original Wii Party was recommended by us way back when it launched. We look forward to getting our hands on this packed sequel.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U) Gameplay Trailer

Mario and Sonic are at it again for their fourth Olympic outing. This time the action takes place in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. By far the coolest addition to the franchise (outside of awesome new dream events) is the inclusion of online multiplayer. Face off against friends and foes the world over when Mario & Sonic at the... I'm not writing that all out... releases November 15 in North America.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS) Gameplay Trailer

Off the heels of the Nintendo investor meeting comes a new trailer showing significant amounts of gameplay for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. The game is due out this August for Nintendo 3DS. We'd be lying if we said this title didn't peak our interest!

SPC Soapbox - 10/25/12 Wii U Demo Impressions, Change, and Graphics Over Gameplay!?

The last time I stood on the SPC Soapbox was back in August. It was also the first time as well. If you recall, the long-running SPC Mailbag turned into the SPC Soapbox. Regardless, today I have three more topics I'd like to briefly discuss that ordinarily would not be long enough to make for an appealing article by their lonesome. Today's topics include my first play session with the Wii U, why gamers need to make up their minds about change, and a disturbing debate I heard in my game theory class.

Wii U demo impressions

After an appointment this past Tuesday I drove home a different way just so I could stop by my local Best Buy. I was interested to see if Style Savvy: Trendsetters was in stock, but I had an ulterior motive in my trip. I wanted to see if the Wii U demo station at the store was up. Although it was facing the back of the gaming department, an employee there told me that the station was a popular attraction. Note that Nintendo hasn't really advertised their new console to the general public as of yet. Thankfully, because I was there on an afternoon on a school day, the demo station was wide open for me to try out the system without any sort of wait.

I grabbed the Wii U GamePad and immediately I was surprised at what I held. The GamePad was incredibly lightweight. I had read impressions that the controller was such, but I did not think it would have such little heft to it. The controller fit my hands perfectly, and it was comfortable to use for the duration I spent with the unit. I slid my finger across the various game boxes on the screen and came across Rayman Legends. Conveniently enough the game was the only one with a demo on the Wii U demo station. Odd as the game does not come out until next year, but I wasn't complaining.

I entered the timed demo and selected a castle stage, one that was shown on the E3 2012 stage. I started off as the new character Barbara, and if you have played Rayman Origins, you will feel right at home with the controls. Everything is as tight and as smooth control-wise as that game. However, Legends is all the more gorgeous, much more so than its predecessor. It was just awe-inspiring and something I had to sit back and marvel at for a few moments. No hyperbole here, folks. It's just a darned beautiful game.

I eventually reached an area where Rayman was, and I was forced to switch to Murphy, a character controlled with the Wii U GamePad. While the CPU controlled Rayman, I helped out by slicing ropes with my finger, rubbing enemies to make them ticklish and vulnerable to Rayman's attacks, sliding platforms around, and spinning objects with the GamePad.

Speaking of spinning objects, there was only one problem spot I had and that regarded a bonus area. You have to tilt the GamePad to spin a circular maze around while your AI-controlled Rayman has to get through it. I kept reaching the middle of the maze, but Rayman would just dangle from the chain, not really going anywhere. He kept falling off the chain, leading to his demise, before I could situate the maze correctly. That could have been an error on my part, not knowing what to do, but it was frustrating enough that I just said "forget it" and moved on with the demo.

I finished the first level of the demo, but I did not have the time to try out the second level. It was the running level set to heavy metal music shown in this E3 2012 presentation. Overall, I enjoyed my time with Wii U and Rayman Legends, and I think the game sold me on the system. I'm sort of glad that the game was delayed, solely for the reason that it doesn't have to compete directly with New Super Mario Bros. U this holiday season. I just hope Ubisoft gives the game the same amount of love around release as it is giving the game now.

The hypocrisy of change

Gamers are creatures that just confuse me on a daily basis. I've made fun of them enough and gave my piece on how they can really disgust me (Bayonetta 2, "I'm not a gamer" ads, message board communities like NeoGAF, entitlement issues, etc.), so there's no use going into that.

However, there is this concept of change and innovation that some gamers get hypocritical about. Some gamers say they want change in franchises so they don't get stagnant. Nintendo fans are notorious for this. Don't change much and it's a rehash; change a lot and it sucks now. So it seems like gamers want change, but at the same time they want to play the same games they grew up enjoying. How does a developer satisfy such an insatiable group? Perhaps I'm building strawmen here, so if I seem like I'm blatantly doing so, I apologize. It's just... freaking gamers, man.

The baffling mindset of some Western gamers and studios

If you haven't been a frequenter of SuperPhillip Central, then you don't realize that my site only gets half of my time. The other is devoted to college as I am a university student. One of my classes this semester involves game theory and design. One evening our class had a debate on something DmC Devil May Cry director Hideaki Itsuno said in an interview about how Western developers focus on visuals first and then gameplay. Somehow it got turned into a debate on whether or not graphics are more important than gameplay.

Something inside me was enraged after hearing some of the opinions, and not just opinions -- popular opinions within the class. It had little to do with people agreeing with the opinion that graphics should be the most important part to a game.

Which is a reason why I found someone bringing up Battlefield 3 to be so funny. This is besides the ignorance that is popular with a certain group of gamer that somehow Nintendo is the one that makes the same games over and over again yet many carbon copy FPS games are given a free pass for being basically the same games with a new coat of paint and IP attached to it. (Just how Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Super Mario 3D Land are the same is beyond me when one deals with gravity-based platforming, one is 2D, and the other is a mix of 3D and 2D gameplay. Perhaps we're thinking too shallow and only talking about story?) Regardless, when it concerns Battlefield 3, the argument made was that graphics were more important because all of the aircraft and tanks resemble what they look like in real life, and thank goodness for that! Thank goodness each airplane and aircraft is 100% faithful to the real things, and thank goodness each marine moves just like real-life marines do. Who cares if the gameplay feels to me like the same old derivative first-person shooter stuff we've seen hundreds of times already? Just as long as the visuals create an experience, the gameplay can be an afterthought! That is what I took from the debate. I don't know if this person really believed what he was saying (i.e. graphics are more important than gameplay, mechanics, a game concept. etc.) because he was forced to argue a particular viewpoint, or if that is what he truly believes.

But that wasn't what even angered me. I couldn't care less what some random person has to say. What angered me was the realization that this type of thinking that graphics should be front and center and everything else should come after is shared not only by many Western gamers (and wrongly so), but it is the mindset of so many Western developers. No wonder some of the West's games generally bore me because they are more enthused with creating a pretty package that runs in 1080p and 60 FPS instead of making something fun. How I yawned playing Killzone, Halo, Gears of Bros -- I mean Gears of War -- and other Western games. Don't get me wrong -- the West also does awesome stuff like Batman: Arkham City, LittleBigPlanet, Rayman Origins, Uncharted, and Mirror's Edge, for starters, but sometimes it can be perceived as too few and far in between.

Furthermore, when did some "gamers" make it that having an experience in a game is exclusive to being immersed in it by visuals? Am I messed up because I get immersed in a game by compelling gameplay? That was a rhetorical question if you're playing at home. That isn't to say that only gameplay or graphics can immerse a player or give them an experience. No, both do whether a person realizes it or not.

It's this increasing mindset by the West that video games should be built to be visual powerhouses or artistic delights first and vessels to show off compelling gameplay and design AFTER is what is so maddening to me.

E.X. Troopers (PS3, 3DS) New Screens

E.X. Troopers is a vibrant third-person shooter part of the Lost Planet universe. Unlike the source material, it has loads of lush color, yet it keeps the bug-busting gameplay. You may or may not dig the anime aesthetic, but you'd be hard pressed to deny that this game looks pretty darn cool. Hopefully we see E.X. Troopers outside of Japan. And if your trigger finger has got a serious itch, why not check out some gameplay footage?