Sitting in a darkened theater room, Q-Games Dylan Cuthbert introduced the latest installment in the PixelJunk series with a curious statement: "It's been a long experimental path," he said. "It's not really a game."
We quickly see what he means. A squirming, vortex swirls in the center of the screen while strange electronic noises roar out of the speakers. A flick of the move controller and red lines fade in and out over the visuals. Soon beats begin dropping in. Music and visuals change in response to various motions. Down-strikes, up swings, side-to-side, twists, buttons. Everything seems to have some effect on the visual and audio experience of PixelJunk Lifelike.
"We've created an audio canvas with the Move controller," Cuthbert explains. Four sets of sounds can be accessed with the four face buttons on the Move wand, with gestures to add sounds into the track and twists to tweak the currently selected sound. Players will be able to play live and have other users watch and listen to their performances over PlayStation Network. Additionally, two wands can be used to expand the experience, offering cooperative possibilities as well as simply broadening the range of control for a single person.
While what we were shown was mostly drum and bass work, there will be a wide variety of instruments supplied with the game along with a range of visualizations. No plans to allow users to upload their own samples, though such a feature may be implemented in future.
Also no confirmation yet on whether players will be able to save their tracks to the PS3 for later enjoyment but that is currently under consideration by Q-Games. Remixes of other player's tracks, are out of the question, as Cuthbert says, "I believe everybody's creation is their own." And to round out the list of things we don't know about it, pricing and release schedule are still being discussed with Sony.
The demonstration was interesting, but I'm not sure what to take away from it. After a few minutes, the audio at points just devolved into this utter cacophony with sounds indistinguishable from one another while the controller flailed about. Still, in a time when creative uses of the Move controller seem few and far between, PixelJunk Lifelike certainly stands apart.
And I second mrandydixon's comment. When they actually REWARDED someone for coming up with the name "PixelJunk Shooter" I knew there was something amiss in that office.
Nintendo recently had a pretty big reveal for Pokemon X and Y, but ultimately, a few creature showcases in the grand scheme of things isn't a whole lot. In fact, up until now we've just gotten bits and pieces of X and Y at bi...
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is making the journey west this winter for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. An enhanced version of Ragnarok Odyssey, which released exclusively for Vita last year, the game includes new features, ...
That's right! Seth Killian is a playable character in Divekick, the unique fighting game slated to hit the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC later this spring. S-Kill, as he's called in the game, is one of the harder ch...
Square Enix will be adding to the huge list of live streaming events timed for E3. Their Square Enix Presents presentation will show the world their E3 line-up during the show, running from June 11-13, straight from the show ...
Here's a quick update on that E3-timed Nintendo Direct we told you about recently. We know it will focus on future Wii U games, and will be streamed live here. And we now have a time: June 11 at 7 a.m. PT. That's pretty damned early.
Okay, take Dead Island's entire concept, subtract the role-playing mechanics, throw in freerunning features akin to Mirror's Edge, and set it all in an open world that features a day-and-night cycle where things become way ha...
Electronic Arts' E3 press briefing will provide viewers with a first look at what the company plans on doing with its multi-year Star Wars deal with Disney, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau announced. The new Star Wars titles...
I have seen the future, and I'm here to tell you that it's a bit different from what you're probably expecting. Actually, I've seen two different futures. One is Infinity Ward's version of our country's future, in which Ameri...
Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel in the Arkham franchise, following a Batman who's more myth than legend at this point in his crime fighting career. This is a younger Bruce Wayne, more agile in combat yet still equipped w...
Just a few weeks ago, we were picking over Gran Turismo 6 rumors, and now here we are with our very first preview. I was surprised to walk into a hands-on opportunity just one day after the title was officially announced. Surprised and pleased.
It may not have been the PlayStation 4 launch game I was hoping for, but it's never really a bad time for more Gran Turismo.
That's right! Seth Killian is a playable character in Divekick, the unique fighting game slated to hit the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC later this spring. S-Kill, as he's called in the game, is one of the harder ch...more
Square Enix will be adding to the huge list of live streaming events timed for E3. Their Square Enix Presents presentation will show the world their E3 line-up during the show, running from June 11-13, straight from the show ...more
Here's a quick update on that E3-timed Nintendo Direct we told you about recently. We know it will focus on future Wii U games, and will be streamed live here. And we now have a time: June 11 at 7 a.m. PT. That's pretty damned early.more
All content is yours to recycle through our
Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing requiring attribution.
Our communities are obsessed with videoGames, movies, anime, and toys.
surf dtoid with 
Rising (10+)
People you follow
follow
