Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to see some of Capcom’s bigger titles from this year’s E3. Exciting new games are coming from the studio, but we wanted to remind our readers of the hidden surprises over at Capcom’s booth. Some of these games are serious business, so you better check them out while it’s early.
Street Fighter X Tekken – Capcom has used the last few E3s to flaunt their latest in fighting games, and 2011’s show was no different. The cross-over this time is Street Fighter X Tekken, a 2D fighter starring Capcom’s and Namco’s best. This six-button fighter feels very much like Street Fighter. Nothing is watered down. It’s a six-button fighting game, so players will need to focus on balancing light, heavy, and medium attacks. I checked out Michelle, a new character from Tekken, as well as Marduke, and it’s clear that the Tekken characters are a lot more focused on heavy, timed attacks and assist tags to complete combos. The Street Fighter characters are comfortable in this environment, but the Tekken guys are really the ones to see.
I also played around with a brand new prototype fight stick. It’s different, with more sloped sides and a matte finish, but it feels very nice. Street Fighter X Tekken has a solid line-up of fighters as it stands, and if Capcom can incorporate some of the more obscure Street Fighter and Tekken characters into the roster, I’dll be pleased as punch. I’m looking forward to Elena from Street Fighter 3.
Asura’s Wrath – Announced back at TGS, Asura’s Wrath is a straight beat ‘em up and brawler based on the demigod Asura, who takes on the seven gods that stripped him of his powers and stole his daughter. He’s a powerful guy, and the demo profiled his battle with one of these gods. Starting off against a big ol’ fatty of a god, we began with some standard button smashing and fighting. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before in a typical action game, but it’s good fun.
This is one game that always aims bigger. After we defeated the guy by throwing him off a cliff, the god came back as huge as a building. After fighting against him by charging across a barren landscape, throwing missiles back at him, and racing parallel with him while shooting magical bullets, we faced the baddie again, now planet-sized and poking Asura with his finger. Thankfully, Asura can tap into his anger to summon extra arms, and like Kratos before him, can beat the living hell out of any god. He’s an angry guy, and he’s so powerful that he can punch an asteroid-sized finger tip until its owner explodes. It’s epic and over-the-top.
I’ve been told that the game isn’t always so cinematic. It has a lot more standard fighting taking place in the world of Asura’s Wrath. However, in the demo shown to me, the battles were very cinematic, with players controlling the action within those moments. The game isn’t all quick-time events, but it’s a lot of button-mashing and stick flicks. Asura’s Wrath is a fun game. The graphics could use some work, but Capcom and developer CyberConnect2 have a solid game on their hands.
Dead Rising 2: Off The Record – I can’t help but feel that this was a quick cash-in on a popular franchise. It reinterprets the original story of Dead Rising 2, starring Chuck Greene, by replacing Chuck with Frank West and forcing the story to fit. It’s not a game I would spend another $60 on.
That’s not to say that it isn’t fun. Frank is a likable guy, and the silly antics of the original game somehow work better with him than they did with Chuck. In addition to new story elements, new weapons and items populate Fortune City. My favorite is a cute cartoon rabbit … vehicle thing that Frank can drive around, slowly running over zombies in the process.
The other big, welcome change is the return of the photo system. Kicked out in favor of combo weapons for the original Dead Rising 2, the art of snapping erotic/brutal/funny pictures of zombies is now back. Frank can also earn Prestige Points, just like Chuck could.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record promises to be a good option for those angry about the substantial exclusion of Frank from the main Dead Rising 2 game. Think of it as a version of Metal Gear Solid 2 where all of those Raiden bits have been removed in favor of Snake and you have a pretty good idea of what Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is like.
Resident Evil: Revelations – Ever since the Nintendo 3DS was announced, Resident Evil: Revelations has been hotly anticipated as the next big narrative coming from the franchise. Follow as Jill, Barry, and Chris enter the fold in the latest dark and twisted place of horror created by the Umbrella Corporation. Revelations looks great on the 3DS, and it controls well, too. If Capcom can lock down the scares for this one, we should be in for a fantastic addition to the RE library.
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D – Unlike Revelations, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is a wholly different game on the 3DS. It’s one that I’m a little worried about, as this is a multiplayer-focused shooter on a handheld, a platform that has never lent itself to versus shooting gameplay. If Capcom can make sure this is a compelling enough game to get people to play together, The Mercenaries 3D will be great. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes together.
DmC – While Capcom didn’t have DmC playable at this year’s E3, they did have a fresh new trailer to show off. Check it out here to see some snazzy fighting in this drastic reinterpretation of the white-haired demon hunter. Even better? White hair!
