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Obscure: The Aftermath (PSP; UMD and download))
• Publisher: Playlogic
• Developer: Hydravision
• Release Date: September 2009
• What We Saw:

We were shown a developer led demo of the portable version of last year's sequel to Obscure. We saw the return of the various characters from the first game as they went about their lives trying to figure out just what in the sam hill is going on at the university Shannon and Kenny are attending. Players will constantly have two characters at their disposal, with the ability to switch between them as needed to make use of each character's unique skills. The two player mode extends to drop-in, drop-out co-op over the PSP's ad-hoc networking feature.

• What We Think:

Brandon: The game looks pretty darn creepy and has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek in regards to the writing however it's a real question whether or not players will be able to distinguish intentionally bad writing from just plain old bad writing. Seeing how the game was already released on other platforms earlier this year, at a higher price point no less, I'm unsure if portability is enough to justify the extra cost, but at the same time, there aren't a lot of survival horror games on the PSP right now, much less two player networked survival horror games.

Order of War (PC)
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Developer: Wargaming.net
• Release Date: 2009
• What We Saw:

I saw this one alone. Well, actually the G4 guys crashed my meeting and did an 8 minute interview with the lead designer while I sat there twiddling my thumbs daydreaming about how I needed to get more sleep that night. I have no idea if we were both scheduled to be there but regardless, come on people I have places to be too you know. My old buddy Gerald from GameSpy then showed up and the meeting started.

Anyway, I did get a good long look at the game so it wasn’t like the time was wasted. We didn’t get a chance to play but we saw a lot of developer driven gameplay and not just a rolling demo.

The game looks like a Total War game but in World War II. I’m sometimes leery of making such comparisons but the game’s lead designer made it for us. Total War and World in Conflict were two games mentioned more than once.

Order of War is set at the divisional level so you’re going to be controlling a good number of units – in fact the engine supports hundreds of units on screen at a time. The two campaigns, United States on Germany (East Front) span several missions with varying scenarios such as paratrooper drops, massive tank battles (Kursk), to assaults such as D-Day.

There are a slew of historically accurate units from fighters, bombers, tanks, artillery, various infantry types, and so on.

• What We Think:

Bill: The game looked pretty darn polished and ready for consumption. The folks at Wargaming.net are eager to show that they can deliver a big budget strategy game to the masses – their enthusiasm I have to admit is a bit infectious. They are a company that’s pretty easy to root for even for a jaded old grognard like myself.

This is an RTS, make no mistake, but on the harder levels of difficulty you are going to want to make use of the game’s pause button, which allows you to stop the action, study the battlefield, and issue orders. Old timers are sure to appreciate that.

Controls are pretty straight forward; there’s no base building or anything like that. It’s a wargame – you have your units but can also spend money to buy reinforcements during a battle. But this is a game that is more about maneuvering more than it is just amassing a large army and throwing them at the enemy.

What I thought was the most significant part of the demo was the Cinematic Camera. The idea is that you should feel like you are watching a classic World War II movie (Patton was referenced many times) but one where you are in control of what happens. After giving orders during a battle you can press the C button to activate the camera, which shows you important parts of the battlefield and you can simply sit back and watch your troops carry out orders as if you were a general watching the battlefield with his binoculars. You get close ups, panning shots, zooms, etc. The internal AI handles things while in this mode so you don’t need to keep telling your units to fire on the enemy, but at any time if you don’t like how things are going you can get back to the command level and issue orders again. It’s a pretty cool idea – but one where the AI will need to be razor sharp in order for it to work.

Order of War is a meaty, detailed and serious World War II wargame (with a really weak name, I might add) and the fact that Square-Enix is publishing it leaves me a bit speechless. Heavy on tactics but light on micro management, it’s a game that’s definitely on my radar.

Our House Party (Wii)
• Publisher: Majesco
• Developer: Budcat Creations
• Release Date: Fall 2009
• Screenshots
• What We Saw:

Combining a party/minigame collection with the world of home renovation (yes, really), Our House Party is aimed squarely at folks who watch HGTV and own Nintendo’s console. Everyone begins the game with a dash around Home Depot (for the best parts and materials) and the mayhem goes from there. I saw a few of the minigames – including a tile-lying matching game and a mallet-wielding destruction section. Each “project” (game session) consists of a collection of 4-6 minigames arranged around one theme – like smashing up and rebuilding a dream bathroom. You can upgrade your house through frequent play – and compare your digs with friend’s houses over WiiConnect24.

• What We Think:

Danielle: Since the Wii market is insanely oversaturated with minigame collections, it’s come time for developers to create new hooks – and hey, home improvement is as smart as anything. It looked fun, and it’ll totally appeal to budding Bob Villa’s, though I’m not expecting a very deep experience from this one. If nothing else, it could be fun to show off your house Animal Crossing style and making fun of other people’s dumpy shacks.

Overlord: Dark Legend (Wii)
• Publisher: Codemasters
• Developer: Climax Studios
• Release Date: June 23, 2009
• What We Saw:

This Wii-based prequel to the original Overlord game lets you take on the role of a fledging (and malevolent) ruler bent on bending the world to his will by roaming the countryside with a horde of goblin followers delighted to wreak havoc on the surrounding landscape. That description might leave the impression this is a dark game, but as any fan of the original is sure to know, it’s anything but. This game is all about having goofy fun with your destruction. For example, goblins, of which there are four types (each a different color), loot various hats that can make them happier (and more effective). As the Overlord you can use both your sword or your magic to take on and defeat various fairy tale celebs like Little Red Riding Hood (who turns into a wolf). All in all, it’s designed to provide 20-25 hours of light-hearted destruction.

• What We Think:

Todd: Overlord is a novel concept that hasn’t been explored nearly enough since the days of Dungeon Keeper. However, if you’re looking for a darker game (like DK) in which you get to be really evil, this Teen-rated title really isn’t going to do it for you.