Third party games coming to Wii U at launch face a series of critical tests if they're to be considered viable, particularly considering many of them are being ported to Nintendo's platform weeks if not months after their counterparts. They need to be feature complete, possibly even exceeding what we've seen before. They also need to embrace the dual, touch-screen experiment, attempting to offer a different, potentially better experience than what gamers have seen elsewhere. In many respects Darksiders II for Wii U meets these criteria, but in some ways this port also stands as proof that developers will need some time before they find the proper ways to innovate on Nintendo's unique console.
On the surface, Darksiders II on Wii U is packed with content. There's nothing here that isn't offered in some fashion elsewhere, but it aggregates everything that's been available through a myriad of retail pre-order and community downloads. Effectively there was little way to acquire all of this material save for purchasing several versions of the game - until now.
That means the Angel of Death weaponry (a Best Buy offer) or the Deadly Despair speed boost for your horse (an Amazon offer) will now be available to you on Wii U, free of charge. The Maker's Armor, Shadow of Death Armor, Crucible Mode and a variety of community content will be added as well. Vigil is also building the first wave of downloadable content - Argul's Tomb - into this port, adding another 2-3 hours of content into an already gigantic game. The developer also plans to continue DLC support for the Wii U version down the road.
Visually Darksiders II seems to be on track to meet the bar set by its counterparts. The area of the game we played was still in development, and therefore featured more bugs and frame rate issues than would be typical. Still, on the whole, the Wii U version seemed to match our established expectations - no more, no less. Smaller details, including using the GamePad's set of speakers to isolate some sounds, attempting to create a depth effect, were reasonably effective albeit not overwhelmingly necessary.
So in terms of content and general fidelity, Nintendo fans should rest easy. Darksiders II on Wii U will match up with any other version. The final hurdle that remains, then, is this - does this port, which arrives months after its counterparts, find a way to innovate or create an experience that can't be replicated? Can Nintendo's GamePad change the way we play an action-adventure game full of weapons, loot, vast dungeons and an upgradeable hero? The answer is yes - but it's easy to see how more can be done.
By far the most intriguing element of this Wii U port is what portions of the game are displayed on the GamePad's second screen - and how you can interact with them. By default, the GamePad's screen displays a real-time map that indicates Death's location and movement - no pausing necessary. Objectives can also be called up with a simple touch. For a game that frequently challenges players with twisted labyrinths, this is a huge, huge addition, streamlining an experience that can often start and stop all too often.
Vigil doesn't just stop with an in-game map. By touching an icon on the second screen, players can access inventory and weaponry. In a strange choice, however, players must press a physical button - down on the D-Pad - to access powers and abilities. These commands can be executed on the fly in battle, but all previous button shortcuts (pressing LB and an assigned button, for example) are still applicable. This port of the game doesn't eliminate options, it adds them. Some of the user interface specifics are a little cumbersome (particularly that D-Pad input), but after a bit of time we were used to it.
Not all touch-enabled options are done without pausing. Players will be able to upgrade Death's skills, and access other options through the GamePad, but in-game action will halt so players can focus on more time-intensive operations.
Far less significant, Vigil has also implemented gyroscope-based dodge controls into this Wii U port. They do not replace button commands, and for that we are thankful - attempting to shake a GamePad to evade attacks is probably one of the more clumsy things we've encountered on the new system. Again, it's optional, and here's hoping developers don't think of this new controller as an elaborate Wii remote. It isn't, and shouldn't be treated like one.
By and large what a small, 15-member team in Montreal is doing for the Wii U version of Darksiders II is commendable. Coming a few months after the other iterations of the game, this port not only features every last bit of content available to consumers previously, it also features extremely useful in-game displays that will allow players to seamlessly interact with inventory, skills, abilities and maps, often without pausing anything. These enhancements sounds small, yet they shift the experience in a fairly critical way. Furthermore, the team intends to allow the game to be pulled entirely to the GamePad, though that functionality wasn't available in the build we played.
It's rare to see a game as deep or complex as Darksiders II arrive at a system launch. For those looking for that kind of grand adventure, who haven't touched any of the previous versions, this could be well worth your time. And it's also clear that there is plenty more potential in what a dual-screen console can bring to this genre - even if it's a port.
Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of IGN's Nintendo team. He also watches over all things WWE, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed and much more. Follow him on Twitter, if you dare!
Source : ign[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment