Gaming Malice (Images inside)

[Red]

[b]Malice was originally exclusive to the XBox and was scheduled to be released (in the US) a couple of months after the XBox was launched in the UK, although a long time on now, it's still not completed. However, it has been revealed that Sony's PS2 is getting Malice too, and it's just as good as the XBox version:

[img]http://www.psxextreme.com/screenshots/ps2_malice/ps2_malice_03.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.psxextreme.com/screenshots/ps2_malice/ps2_malice_06.jpg[/img]

She has different types of hammers during the game, such as a kind of plant hammer, which opens up leaves to help Malice glide.
Other hammers act as keys and open up doors, although they are also used for a good old bash when Malice encounters an enemy.

I think it's great to see a fresh new platformer on the PS2 and the XBox.

Anyone as excited as me about Malice?[/b]

[James]

[color=royalblue]I was pretty excited...but now I'm not so sure.

This game started out looking utterly beautiful and such, but those screenshots look a hell of a lot uglier than the original demo version.

So this leads me to believe that the demo was running on an emulator or something...and that it wasn't a "real" game. When development got further ahead, I'm guessing that the team was learning they couldn't fulfill their promises.

So, I suspect that this game might end up like Munch's Oddysee; with lofty promises and gorgeous demos...but with a shoddy, ugly final game release.

I hope I'm wrong though. :)[/color]

[Red]

[b]I see your point, but those are PS2 shots, and the game isn't even a quarter of the way through completion.

I've seen other levels that have been completed on the XBox version that are very lush, green and beautiful, a bit like the starting forest in Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

I hope the PS2 version is the same.[/b]

[James]

[color=royalblue]Well, based on the Xbox shots I've seen, I doubt that the PS2 version will look that good.

And I have doubts that the Xbox version will look as good as the screenshots suggest.

The developer had originally said that Malice was going to come out a lot sooner...and it hasn't.

I don't know, I just forsee this game being a dissappointment in some aspects. I really hope I'm wrong (I'd love to play it), but I don't have a good feeling about it so far.[/color]

[Semjaza]

The reason it's no longer Xbox exclusive is because MS didn't want it anymore. That alone is reason enough for me to worry about what was going on with it in the first place.

The game used to look good technically in the old shots, but I never liked the art style. The main problem with these shots seems to be the awful textures. They look stetched out...and just ugly.

This happened with DOAX shots too. Tecmo keeps sending out images of girls in bikinis that look perfect... but if you look at the actual gameplay shots when you are playing volleyball you can tell the models aren't quite as good as those renders. There are plenty of edges and such on the bodies. Companies do things like this a lot.

From what I understand, all 3 systems will be getting it... we'll see how it turns out.

[Charles]

Hmm, I've seen this game in motion for Xbox and from what the [I]demos[/I] suggest, that version trounces the PS2 incarnation visually. However, as mentioned there could be various reasons for this, such as a doctored up demo or early PS2 completion.

From what I've heard, the developer has acquired the services of Gwen Stefani along with other "No Doubt" talent, to record the theme and provide voices

I also hope that the game turns out well. It seems to be dark, edgy, and features a respectable heroine.