During the next few weeks ChAIR entertainment will be giving me access to Infinity Blade II content as we get closer to the game’s release. This week I have new screenshots and a hands-on preview from my visit to ChAIR last week, next week we will have exclusive video to show you, so make sure you stay tuned.
When we met last time there was a lot of buzz around IB, and ChAIR’s Donald Mustard seemed just as excited to show me the game and I was to see it. This time I was expecting things to be more subdued, however the people at ChAIR seemed more excited to show me what they had been working on over the last few months.
While I was able to spend quite a bit of quality time with ChAIR and Infinity Blade II, this article will basically read like a checklist of many of the new features you can expect. I’m doing this because first, I am not able to cover everything I saw at our meeting. And second, you’re not going to be able to appreciate a lot of it until I can deliver some new video to you next week. Hopefully this will help give you a sense of what you can expect to see from this game when it is released in a few weeks.
The first thing you’ll notice when starting IB II is the incredible upgrade to graphics. The first game was no slouch of course, but it’s clear that this game will be the first to push the new dual-core A5. The detailed rendering and buttery smooth frame rate is unparalleled (so far) for a portable device. It was simply amazing.
Donald started the demo pointing out how much the little details made a difference in the new game. Light rays were filtering through helmets of enemies, while cherry blossoms were drifting around in the background. Even the blades of grass had their own shadows. And the enemies character details are incredible. Within the first few seconds of the game you get the sense this world is much more alive than anything seen on an iOS device before.
Now, graphics isn’t everything in a game, so the team at ChAIR were sure to push not just the graphics, but to create a lot more content this time out. They listened to the players when they commented on the “short” gaming experience of the first game, so they have ramped everything up. Overall I would estimate the game is 4-5 times longer than that of the first. The first level in fact, is probably about as big as IB I was in total!
In addition to the larger world and more detailed gameplay, ChAIR also put a lot more emphasis on the story this time. There is a lot more that unfolds while playing the game, making for a more immersive and cinematic experience.
In fact in between IB I and IB II a novelette was released tying the story from the first game to the second. Although you don’t need to read it to enjoy the second game, the game does pickup right where it ends. In addition to adding more story to the experience, Donald mentioned that there are secrets in the novelette that you can use while playing IB II.
One thing Donald made sure to mention was how much more focus the ChAIR team put on making the experience as varied as it was deep. While there I was able to look at many different levels and they all look very different from each other. There are ancient statues, crumbling cathedrals, and asian-styled palaces. From section to section the game has a lot more diversity from scene to scene than IB I.
ChAIR also added many more enemies. IB I launched with 10 enemies, and added a few more through updates. IB II has added 35 new enemies from the outset, so in addition to the enemies from IB I, you will have over 50 enemies in total to face in IB II.
Weapons have also gotten a huge update. I was able to see the crafting system where you can attach items to your weapon to add different attributes. In addition to the normal things you would expect like elemental damage attachments, ChAIR has also added some more creative things like the ability to add spikes to your shield, or getting gold during a scratch hit.
There are new weapons classes to boot. In addition to your normal sword and shield, you are now able to pick a dual sword, or heavy weapon. Each adds new elements to the fight. For example, with dual sword you can pull offmmuch faster attacks, but you have no way to block attacks. You must rely on parrying and dodging. Different weapons also affect your super attack. With the heavy weapon I saw how you were able to do chain hit’s by quickly tapping different targets, really decimating the enemy.
Infinity Blade II is also a lot less linear than the first. Instead of one path (go kill the God King), you will have a lot more options or paths to choose, letting you pick how you play through the game.
Even through IB II has included a lot of new changes some things are still the same. The bloodline game mechanic is still prominent, where you are reborn through your progeny, gaining strength along the way. You also still collect bags of gold along the way and use items to level up like the first.
You will notice a difference in some of the chests, though. Some now require special keys to open, however they will include some choice treasure. Also they changed the purchasing system, so while you can still get gold to upgrade to more powerful items, not everything will be available through the store. Some items you will only be able to get in-game.
Overall I found IB II to be familiar, yet enticingly new. The depth of the experience and story has been greatly expanded, making IB II feel much more like a game of console quality. IB II makes the first game feel like a tech demo in comparison, and that’s saying something considering we gave it a 5.
At the end of our meeting I was given a copy of the IB book, a cool shirt, and an Infinity Blade iPhone 4/4S case. We will be giving away the iPhone case in a future podcast so be sure to listen in as well. So until next week, enjoy the new screenshots!
