There have been so many rumours flying about the place about Silent Hill Shattered Memories lately. Originally penciled in for a mid-October launch, the game got delayed, and then delayed again, all without a word of confirmation either way from publishers Konami.

The good news is that fans in the states finally have a date: 8 December 2009. The bad news is that this is only for the Wii release; if you were hoping to find the PS2 or PSP version in your Christmas stocking, you’re going to be disappointed as all Konami will confirm is that they’re ‘following shortly’ – suggesting Wii exclusivity until at least early 2010.

Worst of all, if – like me – you’re a massive Silent Hill fan cursed to live on the other side of the Atlantic, we don’t have a release on any platform scheduled yet. My pre-order on Amazon UK now lists the release date as 10 February but at this stage, that’s simply an estimate. Looks like us Europeans are forced to sit and wait it out until Konami put us out of our misery. Or, more accurately and if the game is anything as terrifying as it first appears, into it!

Source: Silenthillheaven.com

It’s hard to believe that this game can be that good. The gaming press have been all over it, wet-dreaming their way through 10/10s and perfect scores, so when I hit the floor at the Eurogamer Expo in London last week (did I mention how great it was, btw? If you live in the UK and didn’t go this year, you missed out. Seriously), I made a beeline for the dark, tall, hair-clad witch we know and love as Bayonetta to put her through her paces myself as we searched to regain her lost memories and powers …

What struck me first and foremost was that Bayonetta hits the ground running. With an intuitive yet simple combat system, beautiful landscapes, great soundtrack and, of course, our not unappealing heroine, anyone can pick up a controller and get stuck right in – and I do mean anyone. Whilst there’s plenty of combos to be recited, learned and memorised – something you can try whilst hanging around in the loading screen – you can still kick-ass with nonsensical, button-mashing frenzy, too. Other reviews will tell you that there seems to be an infinite amount of combos to discover, and I’m not going to tell you anything different – there is no way the combat system is ever going get old. Add in the extra quick and slow time elements, and you know that no one chapter, no matter how often you replay it, is ever going to give you the same battle twice. The magical elements and special attacks are interesting, engaging and varied. Plentiful enemies keep battles entertaining and spontaneous, and the better you fight, the higher the score, and the better your subsequent rewards. Simple, no?

It’s easy to let the pretty backgrounds and colourful butterflies lull you into a false sense of security but trust me – Bayonetta is bad ass. She fights well and truly for the dark side, slaying angels not demons, and she wilfully cashes in on their blood-soaked halos in exchange for new weapons and techniques. The battles are suitably gory and bloody, but while we’re told that her darkness is deliberately at odds with her unashamed femininity, it does occasionally jar and I’m still not convinced of the contradictory aspects of the butterflies and her blood-lust. But as that is possibly explored later in the game, I’ll keep an open mind for now.

Down points? Yes, there are some. I spent half an hour with this game and was still grappling with the unwieldy camera when I left. Slow time doesn’t add much to the gameplay – at least, not from where I was sitting – but admittedly it doesn’t detract from it, either, and I found the patently non-interactive world to be a bit of a let-down. Whilst I didn’t get remotely bored during my time with Bayonetta, I could sense that the battles themselves could get a tad repetitive after awhile, even if the fighting/combos within them did not. But it remains to be seen how the chapters vary further on in the game.

Although my date with Bayonetta was criminally short, the half hour or so I had to sample her wares was enough, quite honestly. And while there’s certainly no such thing as the perfect game, Bayonetta comes pretty freakin’ close – close enough that it’s currently sitting aloft on my 2010 Must Buy list.

Bayonetta is scheduled for release on the XBox 360 and PS3 in early 2010 in both Europe and the US.

November 3
Academy of Champions Soccer – Ubisoft’s arcade soccer + Hogwarts game is finally out. This one made an initial splash for including characters from Ubisoft’s stable like Jade and Mr. Splinter Cell.

LEGO Rock Band – The multiplatform family-focused Rock Band title arrives. I still think it’s odd that the setlist isn’t true kids music from established kids bands, because what you are getting really isn’t appreciably different from a regular Rock Band setlist. 2009 seems to be the year that Harmonix finally squanders all that goodwill they’ve built up since the initial RB release. And speaking of that, Band Hero is also out this week. Both are also on DS.

Rabbids Go Home – The evolution of the Rabbids into a genuine gaming brand is complete as they get their first non-garbage-minigames game. Actually sounds pretty funny, if you can stomach the oh-so-zany Rabbid marketing. (Also on DS)

November 9
Excitebike: World Rally – Nintendo stealth-announced this new WiiWare title on the October 26th Nintendo Week show. Looks like a fair redux of the NES original, with some very familiar track layouts just at a new 3D camera angle. And it still has a level editor!

November 10
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex – Just in time for Modern Warfare 2’s release, an adaptation of the original hits the Wii. Apparently the game does not support the Wii Speak microphone, so we should have none of those problems. (Also on DS, sort of, as Modern Warfare Mobilized.)

November 15
New Super Mario Bros Wii – Nintendo’s big first-party release of the fall. I’ve been wavering on this one for quite some time, but I think I’m going to officially pass. It has the Koopa Kids in it, and I hate the Koopa Kids.

November 17
EA Sports Active – More Workouts – I think that subtitle probably explains it all.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2 – Another multiplat release. The ship has sailed on Indy Jones; did enough people really want this sequel? (Also on DS)

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles – We didn’t seem to land a single decent horror game in time for Halloween, did we? They’ve all been pushed to invade other holidays.

Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! – The Scene It brand escapes 360 exclusivity with two Wii releases; there’s this one and a Twilight-focused edition arriving Nov 24.

November is expected to see Part 5 of Tales of Monkey Island arrive on WiiWare, as well as the tower defender Robocalypse: Beaver Defense.

Now, on the DS:

November 3
C.O.P.: The Recruit – Watch out Chinatown Wars! C.O.P. is trying to out-GTA you with a true 3D world.

Style Savvy – A curious first-party release, Style Savvy has you running a clothing boutique eager to satisfy incoming clients. The human models in the game are extraordinarily creepy: normal-proportioned figures with oversized anime heads. Something about the look makes me think more blow-up doll and less anime design. Every time I see this game in action I think “Well, that’s somebody’s fetish.”

November 10
Phantasy Star 0 – Sega’s RPG hits the DS. This is the one with the in-game chat feature where you can draw your conversations to each other.

November 17
Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery – Nintendo Power mentioned that this one was sort of a surprise. Which kind of fits, don’t you think?

Also, let us take note of another great case mod for the Xbox 360 this month, with the Halo Helm 360 case.  This case has a large window to view in to the case that is styled in the shame of the Master Chief visor.  If you would read more about this mod, head over to Unreality for their top 15 Xbox 360 case mod article.  Also, make sure to check out our other Ones to Watch articles for the PC, PS3/PSP and Nintendo Wii/DS platforms.

Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware is heading back to a genre that is very familiar with them going back to their days with Baldur’s Gate, but with much more violence and brutality this time.  No longer tied into the Dungeons and Dragons license, Bioware is allowed to let loose, with gritty, violent combat, interpersonal relationships with your teammates and of course, some sexual situations.  About the only concern I can see for this and the PS3 versions of this title is the idea that the game was originally slated as a PC only release, so one has to hope for the same spit and polish for this version of Dragon Age.  Dragon Age: Origins will drop on November 3rd.

Lego Rock Band – This is the second breakout expansion for the guys and gals at Harmonix, but it is looking to a more family friendly atmosphere with Lego Rock Band.  With tracks that will sit in the E10 and lower rating category, Lego Rock Band will allow younger children to rock out with their parents.  Also, you will get to make some Lego themed avatars, similar to the way you build little Lego people with their building sets.  Lego Rock Band also has Lego avatars that are based on real live musicians, like Brian May from Queen.  All tracks will be exportable to Rock Band, and any Rock Band music download appropriately rated will be available for Lego Rock Band automatically.  Look for Lego Rock Band on November 3rd.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Easily the biggest release of the holiday season on the Xbox 360, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 looks to up the ante on its 2007 predecessor.  The player will be presented with new locations, characters and situations that will drive a solid narrative.  Multiplayer is also upgraded with new kill streaks, perks and gameplay types, which should keep Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the top of the Xbox 360 Live charts for many months to come.  Some controversy has crept up as of late with the game, including a terrorist mission that will have you gunning down innocent civilians.  The level can be skipped, but it might deter some from purchasing this title.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits shelves on November 10th.

Left 4 Dead 2 – Oh look its another zombie game coming to the Xbox 360, but as most will say, Left 4 Dead 2 is no ordinary zombie game.  Left 4 Dead 2 is all about teamwork, as you and three other people are working to escape a zombie onslaught.  The location has changed to the south, and now we actually have daylight and new melee weapons.  Slamming someone with a baseball bat is so rewarding, including the blood splatter on the screen.  The timing of the sequel, so soon after the first Left 4 Dead title has caused a bit of a furor on the Internet, but once the title is released, I am sure that we will see the clamor die down as people get their hands on the new title.  Look for Left 4 Dead 2 on shelves November 17th.

Assassins Creed 2 – When does a game sell over six million copies, and is yet considered average and dull at time.  Well, this is the issue that dogged the original Assassins Creed, and it is something that Ubisoft is trying to change with the sequel.  Assassins Creed 2 adds some RPG-lite elements, upgrade shops, side missions, evasion moves and so much more, that is does seem to feel like a new title.  A continuation of the first Assassins Creed, find out what happens with lead character Desmond as he relives the memories of another long lost family member, this time in the Renaissance era.  Some might still lament some of the investigation activities, and the simple combat, but it does look like enough has changed in this title to warrant a purchase.  Look for Assassins Creed 2 on November 20th.

And with that, we wrap up another fun filled month of gaming on the Xbox 360 system.  We did skip over a few titles that don’t seem to add much for Xbox 360 gamers like Lego Indiana Jones 2 and Band Hero.  Also, I cannot in good conscience , reommend anyone go out and spend $120 on Tony Hawk: Ride.  I have enjoyed Tony Hawk games in the past, but this title just does not look that good, and there is no idea that the controller will ever catch on with other skating titles, including EA’s much better title, Skate 2 and the soon to release Skate 3.  Do you agree or disagree with these titles?  Sound off in the comments.

Our case mod to the left is a Pentagram case mod that uses a circular case, along with a cut out glowing pentagram stuck to the side of the case.  If you would like to see more of this case modification, head over to Ubergizmo to check it out.  Also, when you read the specs on the unit, you are going to wonder why anyone would build such a beautiful mod that could not play much of anything gaming related.

Make sure to check out our other Ones to Watch articles for the PS3/PSP, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii/DS.

Star Wars: The Force Unleased Ultimate Sith Edition – I remember last year when The Force Unleased hit store shelves everywhere if you were an Xbox 360 or PS3 owner.  However, PC gamers were told that there was no way ever, ever, ever that this title could run acceptably on a PC.  Funny how times change as PC gamers are going to get a shot at a good, if not great Star Wars title.  In this game, you will play as Vader’s secret apprentice, who goes around committing acts of mayhem, until he meets up with some of the rebellion, and decides he is on the wrong side.  The addition of two additional alternate fiction missions are a nice touch, and the story is really well done.  And get ready to find some hard drive space, as early reports show a 14-16GB install footprint.  Look for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition on November 3rd.

Dragon Age: Origins – Bioware returns to its roots this month with Dragon Age: Origins.  Dragon Age looks to stoke the fires that were first brought to life in the Dungeons and Dragons classic title, Baldur’s Gate.  Now free of the sterile TSR/Wizards of the Coast license, Bioware can make the gritty, bloodfest that they have wanted to create for sometime.  Also, there will be complex storylines that will have you balancing out the needs and wants of not only the populace, but your own teammates as well.  All the hype and footage has looked really good with this title, and that could also mean that we might get a letdown if the actual release does not meet those expectations.  Look for Dragon Age: Origins on November 3rd.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Okay, let’s get this out of the way right now.  Even with the idiocy of removing the ability to host private servers, the IWNet and $60 price tag, this game is still going to sell like crazy on the PC.  Easily one of the best selling titles on the PC in 2007, regardless of piracy numbers, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues the path that Infinity Ward started on with Call of Duty 4.  The action is ramped up a few notches with vehicle combat, new rankings for multiplayer and so much more.  It will be interesting to see if all the missteps that Activision has taken with this title will end up hurting it, but I highly doubt it.  There are too many hardcore COD4 fans out there that are going to be looking for a new fix when this sequel comes out and the naysayers will buy this, protests be damned.  Look for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on November 10th.

Left 4 Dead 2 – So here we are about a year after the first Left 4 Dead title, and it feels strange talking about a sequel, but Left 4 Dead 2 is here, and it looks really good.  The action takes us to a new location in the south, and now we get all kinds of new goodies to kill zombies with, like baseball bats, chainsaws, and more.  You also have new zombie types, like the Jockey and the Spitter, which should make Survival mode a lot more interesting.  Even with all of that stuff, it is still just strange to see a Valve title get such a quick turnaround, and it will be telling if the sales fall under the first title in anyway due to backlash.  Don’t get me wrong, I am good with Valve trying to make some profit off of a very successful title, but when pocketbooks are a bit tight, it seems like some might wait for awhile to upgrade to the sequel.  Look for Left 4 Dead 2 on November 17th.

There you have it, a short but fulfilling month of PC titles for you to waste away the month of November with.  There are a few  more titles out there that are decent like Lego Indiana Jones 2, but none of those really hit on the same level as these titles.  Come back next month for another edition of Ones to Watch on the PC.

To celebrate the release of SEGA’s Bayonetta in Japan this week, Tokyo commuters got to see the amazonian heroine laid out in all her glory by way of huuuuuuuge billboard postings spotted at Shinuya and Shinjuku stations. With only fliers posted to protect poor Bayonetta’s modesty, it was simply a waiting-game to see if and when the Japanese public stripped her down.

Unsurprisingly, it took less than 24 hours.

Hit the jump for release dates, import info and Bayonetta in all her kick-ass glory ….

Awww. You’re disappointed now, aren’t you? Pft. Perv.

Anyway, although Bayonetta’s already hit the shelves in Japan, fans elsewhere in the world have to save their holiday gifts/cash and wait it out. But the good news is if you can’t/won’t/don’t want to wait, you don’t have to. As the Japanese game carries English audio and in-game text – and PS3 games are gloriously region-free – you can go ahead and import it right now. Okay, so the manual’s in Japanese … but who reads manuals anyway, right?

Bayonetta is set for release on the PS3 and XBox 360 on 5 January 2010 in the US, and in Europe three days later on the 8th. No, I have no idea why there’s an inexplicable three day gap, either.

Sources: Eurogamer and Destructoid

It took less than twenty-four hours from the launch of Dead Space Extraction for the gaming community to be buzzing with news of Dead Space 2. The source? Recruitment ads by Visceral Games, Electronic Art’s recently rebranded Redwood Shores studio.

The listing for a Lead Combat and Controls Designer was looking for “a highly motivated lead combat designer for the Dead Space franchise on Xbox 360 and PS3.” The ad, posted on networking site LinkedIn, confirmed that the sequel to the highly acclaimed title is currently in “the later stages of pre-production, ready for production in the next few months [...] with many of the navigational and combat mechanics in place.” It went on to add: “We have complete autonomy and creative control over our own decisions. The Games Label at EA is 100% committed to this IP, and has already worked on IP extensions such as comic, animated features, and action figures.”

The listing also confirmed that the same “core team” will be working on the sequel. Great news for those who, like me, thought that Dead Space brought something new and terrifying to the survival horror genre, and would’ve been concerned had Visceral messed around with such a solid formula.

I was also excited to read about the action figures. Although that’s possibly only because I want to remove Isaac Clarke’s clothing.

IGN.com

A big apology for this podcast getting to press so late.  Real life has been getting in the way of things for the last week and a half, but things are getting better.  And believe me, beyond a technical issue for this podcast, it is well worth the wait.  Why is that you say?  Well, we had our writer from the UK, Vikki, making an appearance on the show.  So for once, we have a really good English accent on the show, although a really bad accent shows up as well at one point.

Features in this podcast include shopping for good, not so cutesy DS and DSi games, and the Xbox 360 and PC Ones to Watch titles, so it was not a fanboy oversight that they were not on the site.

Music is provided by Revolution Void, and mixed as always by Stephen Munn.

Download the podcast from here or subscribe to the podcast using one of the services below: Also make sure to review us on iTunes.

October 4
Wii Fit Plus – $20 for the non-bundled version is a steal. Nintendo’s only problem is how they get all the people who bought Wii Fit last year to become aware that this inexpensive pseudo-sequel exists.

October 6
Spore Hero – Anybody still care about Spore? Not even Will Wright cares about Spore. Also on DS, sort of, as Spore Hero Arena.

October 13
A Boy and His Blob – Arguably the month’s biggest Wii game. It looks great, but can it make the leap and appeal to anybody outside of nostalgia freaks?

Mario and Sonic at the Winter Games – Yep, this again. But now focused on even less popular Olympic events. (Also on DS.)

JU-ON: The Grudge – This “haunted house simulator” has not received great reviews, but I suspect that’s largely because the basic concept of a haunted house simulator is fraught with confused expectations.

October 20
Bakugan – Bakugan was Big Stuff last year, with the overpriced magna-balls out of stock everywhere. This year, I’ve kinda seen them all over. In surplus. So maybe the whole Bakugan thing is on the wane. The Collector’s Edition of the DS version will come packed with an exclusive toy.

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade – If you’ve ever wanted circus animals in your pastoral farming sim, now’s your chance.

Marvel Super-Hero Squad – Cute toys, crap cartoon, omnipresent videogame. It will have the LEGO series style of drop-in/drop-out co-op, so if the roster is beefy enough, I’ll bite (although I’ll bite for PS3). This is probably a lot like Ultimate Alliance except with chibi graphics and no DLC. (Also on DS)

October 27
Dance Dance Revolution – Konami dropped the “Hottest Party 3″ subtitle. But this is still Hottest Party 3.

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter – Uh oh. The first one was a DS game where, in the FEW instances where you actually got to draw, you had that nice tactile touchscreen. In this Wii version, you’ll be drawing in thin air. I smell trouble. (Also on DS)

And on DS…

October 8
A Witch’s Tale – An action RPG from your Disgaea pals. Seems like this one has been teased forever.

October 12
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky – Third wheel in the Explorers series. The Mystery Dungeon games seems to be the only Pokemon sub-franchise with any legs.

October 20
Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – You know, at first I was all like “Whuh? How does THAT work?” but then I realized how lame the feedback is on most console exercise games. So a DS version with no physical feedback is probably just as good, and now doesn’t tie up a TV. (Also on Wii.)

Cooking Mama 3: Chop & Shop – Finally, the Cooking Mama / Dead Rising crossover!

So, did I insult your favorite game of the month? Ticked off because I didn’t mention Star Wars: Republic Heroes? Convinced I hate RPGs and/or must be a 360 fanboy? Sound off in comments!

Having been closely following the developments of Heavy Rain: the Origami Killer since we heard about it waaaaaay back in 2006, it would be an understatement to say that up until now, I’d been impatient for this game. Not only does the story touch an intrigued nerve – after all, how far are you prepared to go to save someone you love? – it’s also come packaged with a sleuth of images so stunning they make me positively droolsome.

However, HR’s not without controversy. The game’s been criticised for an over-reliance on quick time events, some are twitchy that a demo is less than forthcoming, and now the late 2009 release has been pushed back into 2010 because, apparently, it ‘needs its own release window’.

Guillaume de Fondaumiere, co-CEO of Quantic Dream, explained to CVG about the reasons behind Heavy Rain’s delay.

“The first and most important reason [for the delay] was the fact that I don’t think that such an innovative game like Heavy Rain and a new franchise should be released at the end of the year in the crowded period when everyone’s releasing there games,” says de Fondaumiere. “A game like Heavy Rain needs space, needs to be explained and shown. At the end of the year, people can’t afford to buy all those games so we wanted to give Heavy Rain the chance to have its own release window, and for us to really talk about it so people really understand it.”

“If Heavy Rain doesn’t succeed it’s going to have important implications for other developers and for ourselves,” he goes on to explain. “Maybe people will think ‘those innovative games don’t work, games cannot really convey realistic emotions.’ And they will continue to do the standard shooters and the like that we have been doing for however many years,” he said.

And he goes on. In addition to that bizarre admission that the game may not even succeed, he also suggests that Heavy Rain is a one-hit playthrough. No, really – read on …

“I would like people to play it once because that’s life. Life you can only play once [and] I would like people to have this experience that way.” He adds, “The right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it’s going to be your story. It’s going to be unique to you. It’s really the story you decided to write … I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it.”

Say again? Okay, so I get the theme – life is a one-off, no rehearsals, yadda yadda ya – but he’s suggesting there’s no replay value here … right?

But there is absolutely no denying that the game looks stunning. When GameInformer got their hands on the demo at GamesCon a few weeks ago, they stressed how immaculate the game looked, with “every single item for sale was rendered individually. Each shelf held different items and different quantities of items. Even more, each set of items had a unique design, magazines had believable covers and items were placed as if they had been picked up, examined and returned in a slightly different position.” Caps released to date only echo this, and the newest images are simply breathtaking.

Which leaves just one question: how pretty does a game have to be for you to buy it when there’s little value in replaying it? Does replay even matter to you? And, perhaps mostly importantly of all, how important is price when it comes to a title such as this?

Source: CVG