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I don't own a Kinect, I don't want to own a Kinect, and I really do think the Kinect is stupid. But over the last few days, I've seen trailers for some upcoming Kinect games that actually have me interested. And no, dancing Storm Troopers isn't what I'm talking about. Below are gameplay trailers for three Japanese developed Kinect games that were announced at Tokyo Game Show a couple of years ago. And while they were easy to dismiss when they were just concepts, seeing actual gameplay has made me sad I will not be able to play them. Or rather, it has made me sad that Microsoft has fooled these talented developers into developing games for a platform where the audience only cares about dancing.

The first trailer below is for the game I was least interested in after its announcement. I was expecting Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor for Kinect to be a simplified rail shooter nowhere near the complexity of the original mech sim. And while this may still be somewhat true, I was surprised to see some genuinely inspired mechanics on display in the trailer. Saluting, shaking hands, giving and taking items, and even punching (and hopefully hugging!) are a few of the ways players can use Kinect to interact with their teammates. These actions may seem corny at first, but if my recent completion of Binary Domain has taught me anything, it's that the little details go a long way in making me care about a game's characters.



In case you were unawares, Yukio Futsasugi was the brilliant mind the criminally underplayed Phantom Dust. And I guess some people know him has the creator of Panzer Dragoon. Well, he is bringing Panzer Dragoon back. Except that is isn't Panzer Dragoon. Except that it totally IS Panzer Dragoon. The formally titled Project Draco is now called Crimson Dragon and, well, it's a Panzer Dragoon game for Kinect. Don't believe me? Watch the trailer below. This is as blatant of a "not really a sequel, but totally a sequel" sequel as Dark Souls was to Demon's Souls.

Aside from dancing games, the only other games have proven to actually work really well on Kinect have been rail shooters. The Gunstringer and Child of Eden were perfect examples of how to develop within the limitation of Kinect's functionality. And while Child of Eden could be played with a controller, it has been confirmed repeatedly that Crimson Dragon game will have no controller support. Yikes, start your petitions now people.



Apparently the trailer for Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture's Diabolical Pitch has been out for awhile; but having just caught up with it, I can confirm that it is appropriately insane. The Dragon Ball Z inspired fusion pitch is what sold me on this one. This trailer is the best ever.

Comments

  • Avatar
    TheUrbanHitman
    12 years ago

    I am still waiting for when Microsoft launches their version of the Move Sharpshooter for the Kinect where you can buy a plastic gun that is a shitty cheap replica of an in game gun and they sell multiple different kinds of these replicas... Kinda like the deal thats going on with Spyro Skylanders toys but with plastic guns that can be recognized by the kinect as a certain model or whatever...

  • Avatar
    Heavens_Blue
    12 years ago

    Yesh, for virtually stabbin' fools and fist bumpin' bros through Kinect. Being able to interact with characters in subtle ways like this makes for a more immersive experience.

    I am of the small minority who felt that holding Yorda's hand in Ico and tugging her around really helped the player to feel grounded in the game world. It's just a small, novel mechanic that really allows you to get involved and break the "fourth wall".

  • Avatar
    Ikgerp
    12 years ago

    Dat Suda 51 and Grasshopper, always being ridiculous with their Dragonball Z references.

  • Avatar
    OlMuttonchops
    12 years ago

    That Steel Battalion game almost makes me want to buy a kinect. The ability to be a dick to people in first person is an opportunity that I can hardly pass up. The character animations and movements remind me of that Breakdown game on the Xbox.

    Crimson Dragon and Diabolical Pitch also look very good. I'm not a huge fan of Panzer Dragoon, so Crimson Dragon isn't a huge deal to me, but I enjoyed it enough that I would definitely play Crimson Dragon if I ever bought a kinect.

    My biggest worry for Diabolical Pitch is monotony. If there isn't enough variation then the game could become tedious and tiring. Other than that worry the game looks great.

  • Avatar
    CrossOutlaw
    12 years ago

    Also check out wreckateer...its a kinect Xbla game coming out in summer? Looks like bloom blocks meets angry birds...giantbomb had a video of it

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR9lgL1N0kw&nomobile=1

    Dont know if like will work im on a mobile device

  • Avatar
    lemith
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the article Brad!

  • Avatar
    Muddy_Donuts
    12 years ago

    I mad that Crimson Dragon is exclusive, but if I had a Kinect, that alone would make it a worthwhile purchase. The suda51 game looks like dumb fun, but I dunno about Steel Battalion. However, fromsoftware usually does well in the mech department, so it shouldn't be that much of a concern...

  • Avatar
    xflop 1.5
    12 years ago

    none of them even worth pirating

  • Avatar
    Shiro2809
    12 years ago

    That Steel Battalion game and Diabolical Pitch actually look really awesome. I'm surprised. Also, Was that Laura Bailey in the Steel Battalion video?

  • Avatar
    TheFlameLurker
    12 years ago

    I would play Diabolical Pitch.