Dark Souls II

The Dark Souls II trailer is out now. The game is evidently set in a different world (universe?) at a different time. As far as one can tell, the new game is totally unrelated to Dark Souls. So, really, it's more of a spiritual successor (a la Demon's Souls -> Dark Souls) than a proper sequel. Sort of like Final Fantasy (sans the weird true-sequels like FFX-2).

That said, I'm really excited for a new Souls game. I skipped Demon's Souls and my backlog is so large it's unlikely I'll ever get back around to it. A new game with Dark Souls' focus on dog-eat-dog multiplayer and brutal difficulty is something many players are really looking forward to.

I'm starting to wonder what system(s) Dark Souls II will be released on. PC, hopefully, but if this game is one year or more out in the future, there seems to be a chance it could also ship as a launch title for a next-generation console such as the successor to the Xbox 360.

Planetside 2

Having spent a little bench time behind Planetside 2, I can now report some observations. First, it plays very similarly to the original Planetside. This is a very, very good thing. Controls are snappy, gunplay is satisfying, and the graphics are pleasant. It doesn't look or feel like a typical F2P title.

My first questions when approaching an F2P title are: what can I purchase, what do I need to purchase, and how much does it cost? Well, you can purchase improved equipment and weapons at your leisure. Most of them cost between $2 and $8 or so. Interestingly, you can purchase every item using in-game earned currency. You don't have to spend real money unless you simply want to acquire something more quickly (i.e. without earning it). The single greatest feature of the shop in Planetside 2 is the try-before-you-buy option. That's right, you can rent a purchasable item for 30 minutes before making a decision to purchase.

That said, I haven't yet found the need to purchase anything new. After about 15 minutes of play I caught on to the feel of the game engine enough that most players were little challenge to beat. Of course, Planetside 2 just came out. It's really new to a lot of players. I have a slight advantage in being a Planetside veteran and a heavy FPS gamer. Who knows, maybe I'll take a few weapons for the 30 minute test drive to see if any items are really worth spending money on. I think the game is still too new for the actual, relative value of items in the shop to have really settled out. Players generally spend a month or two exploring all a game has to offer before standing value is solidly established.