Tag Archives: gaming

PSN Network goes down.

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PSN Network goes down –

Another day – another day without the Playstation Network (PSN) being up and running.
Shut down on the 20th for what many gamers thought might be just a couple of hours, annoyingly hours then turned into days and with bank holiday Monday now well and truly over and the Royal Wedding on the horizon – online gaming on the PS3 has now ground to a complete halt.

If the news reports are to be believed then our worst fears have been confirmed.
“Hackers have seized control of gamers details” “Sony are asking for gamers to check their accounts for ID fraud”

The current situation has got gamers screaming at their screens ‘Just what the hell is going on Sony!’
Sony came clean a few days ago admitting that the service was compromised by hackers. The outside ‘intrusion’ was apparently so severe that it warranted one of the key people in the high level of the food chain within Sony to throw the ‘kill switch’ to prevent further damage. As a result, the company disabled the service Wednesday evening last week to investigate the matter, an official statement indicated.

Spokesperson for Sony Patrick Seybold said “An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services,” Temporary closure to the service was done “to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward”

Regrettably this is not the first time Sony has shut their PSN Network and then blamed the issue on outside ‘intrusion’. Scouring other sites gives clues that point the finger towards hacking group ‘Anonymous’, however they were quick on Thursday to deny any involvement in the matter. The group is reportedly not happy with Sony over its treatment of hacker George Hotz – you know the chap, the one who became infamous over his hacking into Iphones and was filmed having hacked into a PS3 so that it would run an open source version of Linux.

This was like a kick in the teeth for Sony; the PS3 was previously thought of as virtually un-hackable that was until Hotz got his mitts on it, so they promptly took him to court and charged him with copyright infringement. This intrusion is a bit like ripples on a pond because it risks drawing out other hackers who might have an axe to grind with Sony or might see it as an opportunity to gain reputation.

All the while gamers are the ones left suffering and Sony stupidly left its gamers in the dark for quite some time and in doing so risked damaging their reputation.

Understandably they are getting angry. One gamer posts on his site: ‘Thanks to you Sony I had to talk to my wife over Easter – thanks a lot!’ and there are some rumours / propaganda circulating from the XBOX fraternity urging gamers to now switch sides and get an XBOX if they want to be playing online by the next bank holiday.
So why is this situation driving gamers into a frenzy? Well, PS3 users rely on the network to play online content and gain enhanced features from their games. Titles such as the recent release of Mortal Kombat and Crysis 2 are heavily dependant on online play; to put it simply without it games have limited life spans, PSN is also the source for demos, trailers and downloadable content and the main centre for gamers to play together online. Far be it without the network gamers would have no choice but to be social again and we can’t have that can we?
Jokes aside there is a very serious side to this, because if your account details have been compromised, copied or cloned it will be really hard to check for internet or identity fraud until it is too late. So the advice is to go into your bank (rather than online) and check all your statements for anything suspicious. Any questionable withdrawals or payments you should raise directly with the bank’s fraud team. Passwords are equally a big issue because many people use the same passwords for a range of different accounts. It makes sense for all users to change their passwords.

In terms of when the PSN will be back up and running Sony posted this blog yesterday “We have a clear path to have PlayStation Network and Qriocity systems back online, and expect to restore some services within a week.”
For some gamers, a week is way too long to wait. I await with baited breath, Sony have always had a tight grip on their console network and it has always been free to users. Let’s hope this matter gets resolved.

Motorstorm Apocalypse – Gaming Review

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Imagine a post apocalyptic cityscape, perhaps akin to that seen in ‘Fist of the North Star’ or ‘2012’ and as desolate as that seen in ‘I am Legend’. You get the idea – broken glass, skyscrapers leaning vehemently on edge, a feeling of total dread, the lingering question ‘what on earth happened here’ filling your thoughts. Suddenly an earth shattering roar of engines fill the air, first one, then two, then you in your vehicle enter into sight. Hearing the rumble of another earth tremor on the way you hammer home your pedal to the floor and hit the nitrous oxide switch so you can enter onto a ramp that will leap you over a chasm of destruction.

Scenes like this are pretty common in Motorstorm Apocalypse; the newest edition to the Motorstorm franchise. From the moment you get past the somewhat lengthy installation and see the first introduction you realise that developer Evolution Studios wanted to bring something new and dynamic to the table. It is clear that they had had enough of the deserts, mud tracks and palm trees of their first two titles and now just wanted to mix things up a little which basically equates to just ‘destroying things’ because that is exactly what happens, oh and by ‘destroy things’ I mean a little thing by the name of earth…well a city…but can you blame me for capitalising on the dramatic moment?

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the makers of Split Second should be well pleased; after all this is the very style of genre that they created therefore is the only other title that this can be compared to. However as great as Split Second is, it has been out for a quite a while now, players have been round the block a few times with it and are looking for something new. Thank the heavens Motorstorm is still a PS3 exclusive franchise. As the saying goes – Ha-ha-hee-hee Xbox owners.

Whereas Split Second allowed players to initiate the explosions that tear apart rivals, Motorstorm flings you into cataclysmic events where in every track the world is literally pulling itself apart. Hence tracks change from dramatically from lap to lap, buildings fall from the sky, earthquakes will rip open gaping chasms, and in a world where an ever more erratic population create civil unrest, the police are pushed into controlling the crowds with ever more questionable methods. Sounds a tad familiar? Well Sony thought so, enough to push back the release date significantly after the recent world catastrophes of late. Is this game art imitating life or life imitating art? You decide. In reality it is a tragedy and one’s thoughts can only go out to the families affected – some of which were Sony’s own developers.

The story behind Motorstorm is told this time through a series of gritty motion comics. In it we join the ‘Stormers’. These are a group of nutcases who have a lot in common with ‘Storm chasers’ but rather than chasing storms for perhaps scientific purposes this group are have actually heard about the impending disasters and are actually hoping that the unpredictable and inhospitable conditions will create the ultimate racing experience.

Enter then three lunatics…erm…I mean racers taking part in the Motorstorm festival: Mash; a rookie racer who managed to stow away on the festival’s ship. Tyler; a hard edged racer who likes to gamble on his races and is also member of a racing fraternity called the ‘Brotherhood’. Finally there is Big Dog; a veteran racer who just doesn’t give a damn.

In festival mode these three characters represent the game’s three difficulty levels; first you will play as Mash, then Tyler and finally Big Dog. Their cut scenes will show you how their stories intertwine. In festival mode you can’t choose which vehicle to use for each race, which is a shame but what this does mean is that you’re given a great introduction to the various types of vehicles on offer, and the different handling that each provides. Each character too has their own racing style; for example Mash who is an amateur racer has vehicles with a lower top speed but a higher grip, whereas Tyler tends to opt for Muscle cars with a higher power range and a lower grip meaning that you really have to squeeze that break to power-slide around corners in order to make it through.

There are a larger number of vehicles to play with in this title compared to previous offerings ranging from small dirt bikes and ATVs, right through to big rigs and monster trucks. New additions include super bikes, hot hatches, super cars and rally cars all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. Bikes are quick and light and so can reach areas that larger vehicles can’t, but they can’t take much punishment from other opponents and are easily wrecked, while the trucks are slow but resistant to damage. As typical of Motorstorm there are multiple routes to the finish line and which route you take will depend largely on what you are driving and whom you are facing off against.

Sad to say but the handling in this game is nowhere near as good as that seen in Split-Second with the bike being especially twitchy; so twitchy in fact, that at slow speeds you will almost want to throw the joypad at the screen in disgust. However games players shouldn’t be deterred, for this title more than makes up it in terms of pure destructive mayhem.

There are nine different race environments, on which there is a base of 33 tracks featuring different disasters. These all feature a number of critical disaster moments that really do give each race a thrilling adrenaline rush, or will make your jaw drop; one out of the two. The ‘Skyline’ track is especially worthy of note as it sees you racing on top of skyscrapers in the middle of an earthquake and as some buildings fall they actually form or change the layout of track and may I impart a word or two of caution: don’t you dare miss that jump. Nevertheless, for all of its credit it does come at a price in terms of graphical finesse; this title is just a whole lot weaker graphically than that seen in Pacific Rift where there was shadows and realistic convulsive lighting effects.

However, This could be seen as a minor criticism as it does deliver and does so without a hint of slow down or motion blurring in order to achieve its aim of making you say ‘Wow’ and ‘Did you just see that?’

As typical of Motorstorm, this game is about how and when to use your boost. Rather than other titles where you are rewarded with it by driving into oncoming traffic for example, in this game you have it from the start. However, it overheats quite quickly and too much boost in one go will cause your vehicle to explode into a rolling ball of flames. Taking your finger off the boost button allows it to cool down as does driving through water. Boost can also be used to ram opponents off the road, but compared to other takedown systems such as Need for Speed Hot Pursuit this is a rather disappointing effort with little, if any thought gone into creating cut-scenes of your opponents spinning out of control.

I was pleased to see an enhanced game system and improved AI opponents. In previous Motorstorm games they would just be plain unfair and some would say that in a sense the whole franchise has been built on the whole ‘love to hate’ nature of the game. You could be in 1st place one moment, crash and end up in 15th all on the final lap. Those moments are gone, or are at least few and far between and I say that this is a good thing especially as owing to the nature of the game the likelihood is that you will crash and crash often, thus they wisely have made the re-spawn rate very quick and brought the AI level down a notch or two. This doesn’t mean your opponents are stupid, far from it, using shortcuts and boosts to keep you on your toes and the different characters give you a great introduction to the game and its mechanics.

What really provides strength in this title is the wealth of options for both online and offline play. In addition to Festival mode you later unlock Hardcore Festival in Wreakreation mode, which lets you replay the race against super-aggressive opponents. There are also Time Attack modes, with results which appear on global leaderboards; allowing you to compete for the best time with others online. Wreakreation also has the now standard Quick Race mode, letting you race a circuit with the vehicle of your choice. You can also select from three different racing types: standard races; and elimination; where the racer in the last position is periodically destroyed. There is also Chase, where you must maintain a certain distance between yourself and the race leader. Other options include managing the AI difficulty, number of laps, and whether disaster incidents take place. But honestly – would you really want to turn it off?

Quick races can be played locally with up to three other players via split-screen which makes a welcome return in this title and is something I think developers of late have long forgotten. So what if there is slightly less detail when you play split-screen? What I want is to be able to get my mates round crack open a beer and beat them in person rather than arranging to meet them online or having to play against some unknown individual who may even try and get to know me. This brings back the social element to gaming.

Online there is a really nice Perks system that lets you choose from a selection of three power-ups to use in a race. These include Swift Return, which gives you a quicker respawn to the track; Critical, which allows you to hold your boost for longer; and Cheap Shot, which lets you ram people using less of your boost. Each race awards you with chips, a form of experience points, which increases your driver level which in turn unlocks new perks. You can also unlock new player icons, driver avatars, and parts for cars, which you can use to customise your favourite ride for online races. I found that any customisation was purely visual, so no matter what I added, my vehicle performed the same. This is a bit of a let down especially when potentially it could offer the gamer so much and would have brought something new to the table.

If you’re one of those people lucky enough to own a 3D screen, well let me tell you that you’re in for a treat. As many of you may well know, I have had an issue with so called 3D games for quite some time now; and my argument has been that there is nowhere near enough content to warrant buying one. This is one of those games that could very nearly change my mind. I was lucky enough to play this on a 3D screen and although there was a marked drop in the resolution I was totally stunned by what I saw. Driving on the skyline track now literally brings an explosion of rubble down around you, water and mud which before would land on the screen and trickle down now appears to whiz past your face. This all creates a rare experience of fear and dread that I haven’t experienced in quite sometime. To be honest I had to play the game again because I felt sad when I completed it and the roller-coaster ride came to an end.

This is one of those rare instances where I would say 3D really enhances the experience, making each race even more that intense than it already is. Perhaps it is little wonder really, as this game was designed in 3D the same way a 3D movie is made for 3D; not like a 2D movie which has the 3D makeover bits added afterwards. If you check the history books, Sony did this same feat years back when they introduced Gran Turismo to the world at a time when many gamers thought racing games had had their day and thought the PS One was done for. Not so said Sony. I am as awestruck now as I was back then.

My Final Verdict –
Motorstorm Apocalypse is a joy ride of epidemic proportions. It’s fun to play, has jaw-dropping visuals and provides perhaps some of the most intense racing experiences seen on the PlayStation 3 of late. It does have a number of shortcomings that let it down, but these negatives are far outweighed by positives that this title has to offer. With the plethora of content and great multiplayer options Motorstorm Apocalypse is an incredible game that just needs to be played. In short I think it will go down a storm.

9.2 / 10

How does this game compare to others in its genre?

This is really hard as the only other game in its genre is Split Second, so the only other comparable game genre are those with big jumps and big air –

Equal to: Split-second

Better than: Nail’d, Pure, Motorstorm and Motorstorm – Pacific Rift

Nintendo 3DS – The Review

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God bless that in 2011 it still boils down to not what you know, but who you know. I mean my friend is like a gaming addict man. If games were in powdered form he would be stuck in some grotty pub toilet somewhere and he would never come out. Most people would wait for the Nintendo 3DS to reach our shores in its timely but yet extended wait, but not him, he imports the bloody thing. Shame it only arrives a few days beforehand.

God bless the small print…

 

But who am I to complain, especially when I am sitting here now with perhaps one of the most eagerly anticipated blue clams in gaming tech history with perhaps the most enviable task in history of breaking it down to all of you. Thank God it’s Friday.

 

In case you didn’t know, or was hiding out near Jupiter for the last decade or so, Japanese based company Nintendo is responsible for all those iconic household names like Super Mario, SNES, Gameboy and erm…Duck Hunt. In the ‘chicken versus egg’ of gaming history none could argue that Nintendo was the chicken, even if it wasn’t the most powerful system out there it did make it the most accessible, smashing the SEGA Master system into a million pieces and more.

 

The last serious console effort – The Wii, again reinvented ideas of console entertainment, beckoning gamers back into the home like Labour would welcome voters back into the polling station. In a world where solitude online play was fast becoming the norm, the Wii made it a social activity.

I still refuse to see the Nintendo DS as a serious console effort – hand consoles just lack the graphical power or raw intensity of experience that you can get with a console. I just can’t think of a journey long enough where I could become absorbed in a game. However, Nintendo is almost like ‘Apple’ in the way they consistently refine ‘objects of desire’ and I have to admire them for refining the erm…refinements…until now where we have something pretty substantial it looks like they are about to change the gaming world yet again.

 

3D is pretty substantial for any home console but can a handheld have 3D and better yet, one that is achieved without the need for 3D glasses? I was eager to find out what it looked like, what it played like; I had that energetic feeling in my tummy, the one that you get as a kid when you know tomorrow is Christmas.

At first glance it looks exactly like its predecessors, although slightly bulkier and defiantly more robust. Open the lid and you immediately notice it still has the same dual-screen, touch sensitive set up. The most striking addition is the new circle pad, which feels very ergonomic. Slightly less obvious are the three buttons below the touch screen: Start, Select and the new Home button are now flush to the surface in a very Samsung-esque fashion. Pressing the Home button returns you to the 3DS main menu, pausing your game while you’re there and bringing up options for you to use. I have to say this is very reminiscent of the PS3 or Xbox 360 menu which is not altogether a bad thing.

On the right side are the usual Y, X, B and A buttons for gaming, and around the sides there is an SD card slot for saving photos, music and…well…you know…regular stuff, the usual stylus port for the system’s pointer, two small shoulder buttons and a headphones socket. Worth mentioning are the speakers, maybe it has been a while since I used a regular DS but the speakers on this machine seem to have been improved, with greater clarity on the low and upper end of the sound spectrum.

On the right side of the upper screen there’s a slider control, allowing users to adjust the 3D intensity – basically shifting the two virtual cameras in the game further apart or closer together. It is possible to play games in normal 2D if you fancy. Interestingly enough I saw various leaflets regarding stereoscopic sickness, and what Nintendo recommends players should do if start to suffer blurred vision and / or headaches, there are also warnings that children under six should not play 3D titles. Hmmm….

I won’t go into the actual technology in this review as I think that has already been well covered by various other articles, but I will say is that in order to receive the full 3D depth effect you need to hold the device directly in front of your face, perhaps what some would say at a comfortable reading height. Moving it around; perhaps like you might do with a mobile phone game just ruins the effect and makes it go all flat and blurry. Think of it a bit like one of those ‘magic eye pictures’. Once you find your optimum position it is kind of striking how immediate and dramatic the 3D effect is.

As for the 3D effect itself, you quickly realise what the 3DS is, and is not capable of doing. If you think it will be like one of those 3D movie or console type effects where things blast ‘at you’ and whiz ‘past you’ from the screen think again; the screen is just too small to provide that kind of immersion; in fact knowing this has made Nintendo almost remove it from the equation. Instead it plays to its strengths. Imagine peering down a rabbit hole or looking down a well and it will give you a much more of an accurate idea of what the 3D experience is like, in the sense that the viewing pleasure is one of depth and expansion. It’s worth noting too that while the 3D is without doubt exceptionally cool, it adds absolutely nothing to the game play itself, for example you won’t be using it to peek around corners or using it to better judge your shot. In most cases when we talk about the 3D imagery what we are really talking about is no more than cosmetic changes.

The 3DS has not one, not two, but three cameras scattered about its casing so that it can capture stereoscopic pictures. For those of you getting excited right now, one word – don’t – Together all three cameras offer a combined resolution just short of one megapixel. That said, taking 3D photos with it are a lot of fun. I wouldn’t say the 3D photos make your jaw drop – but it is interesting to see. It’s only shortcomings being that you can only share the images by gathering everyone around your handheld or giving them to another 3DS owner on an SD card. This spoils the social element of taking snaps in 3D, after all you are the only one who can see them, at least immediately, and at present there is no online platform to upload them to. Then again, some would say that is exactly what your smart phone and camera are there for.

 

Prior to getting my hands on the 3DS I had heard all manner of complaints about the battery life; this made me even more determined to test this out for myself. Sadly I was disappointed. Whilst certainly not as bad as I feared, with full 3D the battery lasted just short of three hours which is no where good enough. If you turn the WiFi off – let’s face it on most public transportation you are not likely to be using it – you save power and can add about another half-hour to that total. Equally the same goes for playing old DS titles or removing the 3D depth completely; basically the more power you save, the longer you have – but surely doesn’t that just defeat the idea.

 

In terms of games, Nintendo have done themselves proud with no less than 13 titles released on the same day, including:

Pilotwings Resort
Nintendogs + Cats: (Golden Retriever, French Bulldog and Toy Poodle editions)
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
The Sims 3
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Ridge Racer 3D
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
Asphalt 3D
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D
Rayman 3D

 

I can’t speak for other gamers but I am glad that Nintendo seem to be maturing a little with the 3DS, I was worried that the majority of titles would be soft, cuddly and fluffy like their Wii counterparts. Not so, besides Lego, Sims and Nintendogs (personally I would like to see a Snoopdogs) most of the games lie in mature action or puzzle territory which can only be a good thing.

 

I suppose the real question with the 3DS is the price and whether it is actually worth it. 3D and me have had a bit of a troubled history, in my opinion it is a term that is overused and under-attempted in the same way that VR was used back in the 90’s with everyone talking about a Virtual Reality that in no way shape or form came close to the real Virtual Reality, instead in the end it became no more than a label to define something that was different and not to mention costly. We are seeing it now with 3D; cumbersome LCD’s, 3D glasses which are more expensive than your console just to play games with this whole 3D element in them. Sure, Avatar, Tron Legacy, and other films have brought it back into fashion, but 3D has now become a sexy word. Having 3D in the palm of your hand is therefore seen as desirable from the off, the suggested retail price of £229.99, which is more than a Wii but ‘just that little bit less’ that an outright console will no doubt get gamers thinking it is a good buy and in their hype to play as many 3D games as possible will dash out, ignore the cost of the games; some which cost the equivalent of their full console counterparts and foolishly buy up whole shops. All for a hand console which will probably drop in price soon anyway.

 

I can hear the sounds of gamers cooing already at reading this saying to themselves…

’it’s the technology’ ‘you get what you pay for’ ‘how dare you say that, have you ever made a 3D game….’

 

Well…erm no I haven’t but I have done my homework and know that if you ‘must have one’ you’ll find much cheaper prices if you shop around.

 

Most of the big supermarkets are selling it at £200, with special offers chucked in – Tesco, for example, is slinging in one 3DS game for £10 up to today and HMV and Game also have a range of trade-in deals, offering a reduced price 3DS in return for your old DS, PSP or console. Some of these deals are slightly more dubious than others, so look closely and always check the small print.

 

My verdict – the 3DS is here. Boy it looks good, sounds good and delivers the…erm goods. Not quite the 3D some might expect but it is tasty and it does work well. Equally it brings the term ‘special’ to the palm of your hand. The 3D isn’t for everyone, if you haven’t seen the 3D in action it I recommend you go down to a game store and try it before purchase because it is a lot to spend. Having said that though there is no doubt that this will fly off the shelves purely because it brings something different to gaming.

It is good to see Nintendo back in action, the very technology that they have developed here beckons a new future of gaming again. And boy, it is a reason to be happy. If it wasn’t for bad memories of their last 3D effort – the Future Boy I would sleep in pixilated wet dreams…for now though I will keep one eye open…

 

Yoostar 2 – The Review

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Fancy treading the boards and appearing in some of the greatest scenes in Hollywood movie history?

Fancy using reciting immortal lines like ‘I’ll be back!’ and ‘who is your daddy and what do?’

Well Yoostar 2 offers the opportunity to do just that.

Utilising technology very similar to the likes seen in Kung-fu Live; Yoostar 2 promises so much, can it really transport you into the word of a movie, where you recite lines from iconic movies such as Terminator, Beverly Hills Cop, and The Blues Brothers as well as many others? Can it really be a family game where you can share downright embarrassing recorded clips on Facebook?

Well the answer is yes and no. In theory the premise of it all is fantastic, but in reality the game falls short on so many different levels. I am torn between thinking that this is perhaps because the technology is not fully up to scratch, and there not being enough thought gaming options put into play. Either way it never fully comes together, and the player is never truly given imperative reasons for repeat play.

With all fairness, Yoostar 2 can be fun…for a while. Loading it up you are greeted with immaculate presentation that just reeks of the extravagance of Hollywood. The decision by programmers to have optional use of the Playstation Move is something that I will never truly understand, because it is never needed and selecting options with it is more of a hindrance and actually increases the likelihood that your acting days will be over early due to repetitive strain injury.

That said, once you do get round to selecting your movie clip and positioning yourself so the camera can pick you up there is some fun to be had. Yoostar 2 is essentially no more than a movie Karaoke and to a certain degree it works. My girlfriend did this clip on ‘Bubba Gump shrimp’ from Forrest Gump that nearly made me wet myself with laughter and if you go online too you will find a healthy community that have had tons of fun dressing up and adding funny, embarrassing and sometimes bizarre ad-lib performances.
You get rated on your ‘acting ability’ for every scene you do and these ratings open up more clips and more challenges.

One thing that has to be said is that the room must be well lit. Green screen technology this isn’t. In fact it suffers from the same graphical limitations as Kung Fu Live, in the sense that the camera has difficulties picking up the player from the background. This is even worse if there is movement in the background. On the Playstation this led to instances where my friend’s heads became eerily visible on the screen because they had moved them…erm…to drink beer obviously. On the Kinect though, it was even worse with the camera shifting position and identifying a non playing player…if that makes sense.

I think this is going to be a re-occurring issue with the Kinect, and one can only pray that programmers take a serious look at its player detection. As it stands across both platforms I think the social element is hugely lost as for each scene, everyone has to get out of the way…and worse still don’t move…

Finally although there is a fair bit of content on the disc, there are only a few real gems, at least to start with. There is downloadable content online but lets face it; Rock Band or Guitar Hero this is not. Considering that what you are paying for is a clip as opposed to a complete track I doubt that many players will reason that it is money well spent.

Critically the real question that my friends and I kept asking was if anyone actually got anything out of the game besides just a quick laugh. To which the answer was no. this doesn’t bode well for continued play, and there will always be the question of just how many times can you play a scene before it gets boring?

My Final Verdict –
Yoostar 2 is a great idea in principle but a crap idea in practice. There just needs to be more in this title for it to warrant the £38 price tag. My advice is to wait until it plummets…erm…I mean drops in price.

5.0/10

Yoostar 2 is out on PS3 and XBOX 360 now.

Killzone 3 – The Review {Gaming}

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Shoot from behind cover? Check. Enter a battlefield laden with enemies whilst your captain screams orders at you? Check. Shoot from an armoured vehicle? Check. Spectacular set pieces? Check. Guns that look like middle-age cannons? Check.

Must be another First Person Shooter…

 

You can always tell when a fantastic game is about to hit the shelves because all the other games of that genre suddenly drop their prices to entice those players who might have missed on their game playing pleasures the first time round. In the case of Killzone 3, even the mighty Black Ops has reduced its hefty price tag and that has to be saying something.

But in all fairness, in this modern day of gaming First Person Shooters (FPS) are almost two a penny. Arguably, we are sitting in a saturated market full of big guns protruding into the screens facing even bigger enemies. On the very same day that Killzone 3 was released, the equally excellent Bulletstorm also arrived – and these are just two contenders to Halo and Call of Duty’s crowns. But does it have what it takes to last until the third round?

Killzone 3 has a lot going for it. Firstly, it is exclusive to the Playstation 3 and hence, has given game players a reason to cackle in retaliation at Xbox owners. Secondly, it has a strong pedigree, Developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it is the fourth installment of the much enjoyed Killzone series. Finally, it is technically advanced. It is the first game in the series to be presented in 3D and the first to include motion controls using the PlayStation Move. All of this means that in the ring Killzone 3 is no underdog, and the blows that it will rain down upon any opponent are going to hurt like hell.

For those of you uninitiated to the world of Killzone, it is all about a war between two factions of humans. Enter stage left, the IS. All round good guys that will do whatever it takes and destroy whatever it takes to get the job done, and bring the war to an end. Enter stage right, the Helghast. A fascist, humanoid, army race with a passion for vengeance and hardship. They were hell-bent on overpowering the rest of the universe. That is, until the ISA decided to take them down way back in the original Killzone.

Killzone 3 picks up right where the sequel left off, with you continuing in your role as Sev, an ISA soldier with a chequered past, struggling to survive after being effectively cut off and left on the hostile Helghan home world after taking out Emperor Scolar Visari. It’s a predictable storyline you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy – or your worst movie – because like Black Ops, the spectacular set pieces and epic explosions ring ripples of movie blockbuster fantasy. And whilst you fight for survival as the protagonist, the game’s two antagonists, Orlock and Johann – played excellently by Ray Winstone and Malcolm McDowell – fight to step into the vacuum left by the deceased dictator.

As a single-player game I found Killzone 3 to be a largely exciting experience. The moral of modern day FPS is ‘don’t you dare rush in guns blazing thinking you are Rambo, if you do you will die’. This leads to understanding various cover techniques, and moving, outflanking and surprising your enemies in order to subdue them. Like Killzone and Killzone 2, your comrades scream orders at you, can revive you if you’re down and equally shout at you if they are about to die, need help or are pinned down enemy fire. This gives a sense of camaraderie which is nice to see. I also really liked the feeling of momentum in this game, that sense that you have to keep moving. And another key area which I think they got right was in the close up melee and hand to hand combat which is very satisfying.

On a technical level, this title is hugely impressive. The new environments look better and are a lot more colorful than its predecessor. The graphics are on par with the best titles of the genre, the guns, explosions and bosses just get bigger and bigger, and the levels are a lot more diverse than before. Most of the scenes, although linear, are well designed and so is the structure, breaking up standard missions with Call of Duty type breathtaking escapes and huge action set-pieces. There is always a lot happening on screen and a lot to keep your heart racing.

One thing I did like about this game is the fact you are not presented with wave after wave of enemies, and players of the previous two titles will immediately notice that the enemies are now smarter, able to cover more and react better to what you do. However, we all know the name of the game with this genre and that is basically shoot, shoot, shoot, duck and take orders – and that is it unfortunately. Like it or not, it does get repetitive after a while. I hoped that this title would have improved on Black Ops’ short completion time, however, I was wrong, it took me just over seven hours to complete which is abysmal. As for the last boss, well let’s just say it was over before it started.

I was quite concerned too by the number of cut-scenes in this game. Whilst not on the same soap opera level as say Metal Gear Solid, there is an awful lot of talking, and a fair amount of the game where action is taking place and you are left to just watch. Considering how short the game is, it would have been good to have had the hour or so movie part as actual game content.

Online play is what drives the lifespan forward after completion. Here the three modes on offer are all fun to play yet standard fare. You have the standard Death matches and more objective-driven options such as the new Operations Mode, where the highest-rated players get to see themselves in cut scenes between objectives which is all very good. I did notice though, occasional moments of slowdown in larger matches, which ruined my gaming pleasure, but will no doubt be resolved in future patches.

As previously mentioned, Killzone 3 was the first game to be completely made with both 3D and Playstation Move in mind. With regards to the Move, I am pleased report that it works beautifully well. Indeed, some would argue that this is precisely the type of game for which the Move was created for and in this aspect it is true. In play, it is very similar to the aiming mechanism seen in Resident Evil 5 and Time Crisis, manoeuvering with the controller, and aiming and firing using the trigger of the Move. You can also perform some neat actions such as twisting to reload and a stabbing motion to do the melee attack. Very nice indeed.

However, the 3D issue is another matter. Yes, stereoscopic 3D. Yes, it looks great and provides that extra level of immersion. For me, the thing I could not get tired of was using a sniper rifle. It just looks incredible. But on the other hand, I am very aware of this 3D fad and that some people sold their kidney for a decent HDTV, just so they could enjoy high definition gaming. In some ways it is just a tad too ambitious and outrageous to expect some players to go out and buy a 3D TV to experience the gaming delights here. So far for me, there has been insufficient 3D content out there to warrant buying one, but I am quite sure that for some gamers this will be the tipping factor where they will no doubt dash out and fork out over a grand to get one. But my honest advice with this is to just wait. Whilst it is good, it is really not ‘that good’.

So, the final verdict –

Killzone 3 is a contender that enters the ring punching way above its weight. The gameplay is solid, the action is intense and the Move functionality gives this game an extra edge. Though it can be repetitive for those tired of shoot-em-ups, those who enjoyed Killzone 2, Halo Reach and Call of Duty franchises will have a lot to look forward to with this title.

 

9.2/10

 

Killzone 3 is out on PS3 now

 

Marvel Vs Capcom 3

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The mother of all fighting games has arrived. No, seriously…

Street Fighter has been around for almost 30 years and in nearly every incarnation of game console and personal computer going back to the rubber-keyed Spectrum 48k. Yes, there have been clones, lookalikes and contenders for the fighting game crown – King of Fighters, World Heroes, Art of Fighting, even Virtua Fighter, but many gamers all over the world would agree that when it comes to finely tuned perfection, when it comes to vibrant, lovable characters and when it comes to balanced game play, while many may have come close, none have managed to take the crown away from Capcom.

There is just something about the furious technical finesse required to pull off the moves, I remember coming back from school and watching games players pour their money into the machine just so they could gain enough practice to get the characters on the screen to pull off special moves at will. With so much time needed to be invested, one wonders whether they would have been better learning the moves in real life.

After the ‘never-ending story’ of sequels that followed, and just when players started to get bored with the ‘just how many characters can you fit into a game mentality’ up popped X-Men and then Marvel vs Capcom – true indulgences of fighting pleasure.

Now you had an insane mix of the comic book world and the manga type Capcom world with key fighters of each staring each other down, and letting rip with ever more exaggerated moves. Forget fireballs the size of a football, now they were six foot high. Sparks would fly as you pummelled your opponent into submission and the rush was as effervescent as a hypochondriac’s vitamin cocktail. But then came Marvel vs Capcom 2 and many felt that it was a rushed, diluted effort with bland backgrounds, ho-hum special moves and…well, crap music.

And now, after nearly 10 years of waiting for chickens to come home to roost, Capcom have brought back the franchise, but is it worth getting into the ring for?

All that waiting has meant improvements both in a technical sense and in a developmental sense for Capcom. The past number of years has seen an renewed interest in the appeal of Marvel characters – think about the Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men films of late, coupled with the likes of Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and recent Street Fighter games and you realise that not only have there been technical improvements, but a restylization across the genre. Hence the timing of this game could not have been better. But it is more than that. In many ways this game is a ‘love letter’ to the many fans of both worlds.

First thing’s first. And the first thing that grabs your attention is the presentation. We all know that Capcom has a proven track record of high production values in fighting titles and this game is no exception. Graphically there is no denying that it is impressive, based around the pages of a comic book but including the kind of intros and cut scenes we have become accustomed to since the recent Super Street Fighter games. The game is, like Street Fighter, 2D, but has had a 3D visual makeover.

Marvel and Capcom characters have rarely ever needed to have a reason to have a scrap so there is no back story worth mentioning, except that that ‘big bad mother of a bad boy’ Galactus is once again eyeing up Earth as his appetiser, and only the combined might of the two worlds’ finest can hope to stop him from destroying us all. What this means for us is full on three-on-three battles with more add-ons and combos than a bargain bucket meal from KFC.

Gameplay is very similar to its predecessor. Basically, you choose a team of three characters and embark on a tour of destruction. During each bout you can instantly call in one of your two allies to either assist you and attack your enemy, swap places with you or – if you have accumulated enough of one of the many combo bars – join in with you for a super attack. This may sound complicated and that’s because it is meant to be. Fights can change direction and players can change at any second – the action is very frantic and intense. But the game is amazing. The transition smoother than a baby’s bum, fluid to play and thanks to the game’s new ‘simple mode’, newcomers who might never have played the game before can now initiate combos with single button presses.

Unlike Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which featured four attack buttons separated as two pairs of low and high-strength punches and kicks, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 uses a simplified, three-button control scheme of undefined light, medium, and hard attacks showcased in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. Capcom have said that they made this change because they wanted to make fighting games open to everyone. However, my friends and I have had some heated debates over this and whether the older system worked better in comparison. This is something you will have to decide for yourself, because in all fairness, if you are used to the older style, it does take some getting used to.

In a game full of enormous, flashy firework-like attacks and loads of characters, things could easily get boring and repetitive. But for me, it was the little details that consistently gave me the feeling that it was money well spent. A lot of attention has been put into character details. You would not be able to separate Chris Redfield from his likeness in this game and the likeness in Resident Evil 5 for example, and, typical of Capcom fighting games, they have that trash talk, stare-down before the fight which is very hard not to enjoy.

The backgrounds too are worth a mention with little touches to previous games such as Final Fight and X-Men realities with really nice details and this is so much better than its predecessor.

While the game isn’t quite as finely balanced as, say, Street Fighter VI, and not all characters are equal, it’s always enjoyable. Even if some fighters are blatantly overpowered, there is something about having a three-character tag team that just adds a dynamic to gameplay that is rare to see. There are so many intricacies of various combinations and it is rare to see them all. It will be interesting to see what online players come up with in the months ahead.

Talking of online play, I found this to be a little lacking. There’s ranked matches, player matches and, unfortunately that’s it. No tournament mode, no online play with a tag team consisting of different players, so individual fights are all you get and that is a real shame. Mind you, fights go on for a fair bit of time and I am sure there will be no shortage of people vying to get their hands on this game. Capcom have also said that they will be bringing out loads of downloadable content for this game which means that it might have an increased lifespan.

So my final verdict?

This is an incredible game to play, enjoy and return to. It’s only real fault lies in the fact that it might not be for everyone. While not perfect, it certainly provides some light-hearted relief, if not a button mashing one and for me it will certainly bide the time until the ‘father of all fighting games’ Streetfighter vs.Tekken comes out next year.

9/10

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is out now for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360

PlayStation Phone Confirmed – Xperia PLAY {Gadgets}

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Sony has confirmed the worst kept secret in tech, the PlayStation licensed smart phone.  The Xperia PLAY will be the latest model in Sony Ericsson’s Xperia range of Android based smart phones.

Said to deliver the smartphone functionality that the most serious power users could need, teamed with the immersive gaming experience that any gamer would want. The features will also include a 5 megapixel camera, a 4” multi-touch screen and social networking features, so it rivals most existing smart phones in the usual areas.


Slide out the gaming control and users enter a new world of immersive mobile gaming. The slide out game pad reveals a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor deliver 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing with minimal power consumption so Xperia PLAY users can enjoy long hours of battery life and game time. How long? Up to 5hrs 35mins of game play time.


Xperia PLAY will run on Gingerbread (version 2.3) and as the first PlayStation Certified device it will have access to PlayStation game content provided through the PlayStation Suite initiative, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment and due to launch later this calendar year. There’s only a hint as to the games to be available so far but they include The Sims 3, FIFA 10, Guitar Hero, Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell.



The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY will be available globally in selected markets from March 2011.
Here’s some specifications (and by ‘some’ I mean lots):

Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY

Camera

  • 5.1 megapixel camera
  • Auto focus
  • Flash / Photo light
  • Geo tagging
  • Image stabiliser
  • Send to web
  • Touch focus
  • Video light
  • Video recording
  • Video blogging

Music

  • Album art
  • Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
  • Google™ Music Player
  • Music tones (MP3/AAC)
  • PlayNow™ service*
  • Sony Ericsson Music player
  • Stereo speakers
  • TrackID™ music recognition application

Internet

  • Android Market™*
  • Bookmarks
  • Google™ search*
  • Google™ Voice Search*
  • Pan & zoom
  • Web browser (Webkit)

Communication

  • Call list
  • Conference calls
  • Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)
  • Google™ Talk*
  • Noise Shield
  • Polyphonic ringtones
  • Speakerphone
  • Sony Ericsson Timescape™***
  • Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)
  • Vibrating alert

Messaging

  • Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
  • Conversations
  • Email
  • Google Mail™*
  • Instant messaging
  • Picture messaging (MMS)
  • Predictive text input
  • Sound recorder
  • Text messaging (SMS)

Design

  • Auto rotate
  • Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
  • Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
  • Picture wallpaper
  • Touchscreen
  • Wallpaper animation

Entertainment

  • 3D games
  • Dedicated gaming keys
  • Flash Lite™
  • Gesture gaming
  • Motion gaming
  • Video streaming
  • YouTube™

Organiser

  • Alarm clock
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Document editors
  • Document readers
  • E-Manual
  • Flight mode
  • Google Calendar™
  • Google Gallery 3D™
  • Infinite button
  • Phone book
  • Set-up Wizard
  • Widget manager

Connectivity

  • 3.5 mm audio jack
  • aGPS
  • Bluetooth™ technology
  • DLNA Certified
  • Google Latitude™
  • Google Location Service
  • Google Maps™ with Street View
  • Media Transfer Protocol support
  • Micro USB Connector
  • Modem
  • Synchronisation via Facebook™**
  • Synchronisation via Google Sync™
  • Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
  • Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
  • USB 2.0 high speed support
  • Wi-Fi™
  • Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality

* The service is not available in all markets.
** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.

Google™ services*

* These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client

  • Gmail™
  • Google Calendar™
  • Google Gallery 3D™
  • Google Latitude™
  • Google Maps™ with Street View
  • Google Media Uploader
  • Google Music Player™
  • Google Phone-top Search
  • Google Search widget
  • Google Sync™
  • Google Talk™
  • Google Voice Search
  • Set-up Wizard
  • YouTube™

Screen

  • 16,777,216 colour TFT
  • Capacitive multi-touch
  • 4 inches
  • 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)

In-Box:

  • Xperia™ PLAY
  • Battery
  • Stereo portable handsfree
  • 8GB microSD™ memory card
  • Charger
  • Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
  • User documentation

Facts

  • Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
  • Weight: 175 grams
  • Phone memory: up to 400 MB
  • Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB
  • Memory card included: 8GB microSD™
  • Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
  • Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7

Talk time and networks Networks

  • Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
  • Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
  • Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
  • Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
  • Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
  • Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
  • Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
  • MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*

Networks

  • UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100
  • GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
  • UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
  • GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
  • CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO

Colour

  • Black
  • White

Nail’d Review by Junior Smart

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A jack of all trades but a master of none?

Racing games have come a long way haven’t they? I mean, does anyone out there remember Pole Position? The classic of its time, where all you needed to do was come first and avoid other cars on the road. I remember Super Hang On where the scenery changed for the first time.  I even remember Out Run which was the first game to change the flat landscape into an environment of hills, valleys and introduce multiple racing routes into the genre  – and where the sit down cabinet would try and give some kind of feeling of inertia to the whole sentiment of racing. Heck, you could even pick your favourite track off the radio and drive to it. Then there was Lotus Esprit Challenge which encouraged the actual need for braking and changing lanes and on completion of the game you could send off for a licence style certificate.

All of that changed. In no time at all we had Ridge Racer, Road Rash, Destruction Derby, the grand daddy of racing – Gran Turismo – and a whole host of other racing games which changed forever the nature of the genre. Unless you were driving round in the largest rims, customising your ride, maxing out your turbo, driving to the most bangin’ tracks, having the most spectacular crashes or catching the most amount of air in the biggest leaps – even if you were in a tank – you weren’t nothing but Pee-wee Herman in the racing stakes.

Nail’d hails from the ‘more you have is the more you need’ variety of extreme racing. The sort of experience where you can never get enough of a dangerous thing, and the type of game play which is akin to a funfair ride where you scream if you want to go faster and the little kid next to you either cries for mummy or throws up.

In Nail’d you get to race either an ATV or a motorbike and travel all over the world competing in extreme racing events. It takes great joy in providing hills, leaps, jumps, an insane rollercoaster type track and, oh yeah – obstacles – and throws these at you as fast as your retinas can possibly take it. In the background, unhinged verbaholic rock music is barely audible above the crackly and poorly sampled sound of your engine while you hit the boost button as much as you can and do all you can to stay on your vehicle long enough to come first. From the start you learn to forget about the common definition of a jump – this game provides some Evel Knievel thousand-foot leaps over chasms that will literally leave your heart in your mouth.

On the surface of it, this all sounds fun, and to start with Nail’d is exactly that – a thrilling, vivid experience. In truth, I have to commend software developers Techland for cramming in so many jaw-dropping leaps and incredible speed into this game. The action is incredibly fast, and the track design is ambitious, and at times excellent. Racing through valleys and leaping onto dams is impressively executed, utterly thrilling and disorientating, and like an amusement park ride of your wildest hallucination.

The biggest problem with this game though is that after a short time, cracks start to show in its presentation and in the game mechanics. It tries to be too much of everything without ever allowing itself to be committed to any real type of game play. As a result, it tragically falls flat and lacks any motivating factors to even play more than a couple of stages let alone a full tournament.

Most gamers know that motion blur – while being an effective way to emphasise speed – can also hide a multitude of sins. Once you see past it, the first thing you notice is the graphics. They are poorly rendered, dressed up with motion blur – ‘mutton dressed as lamb’.  Just like the colleague you regret snogging at that Christmas party. At a distance and with so much going on, it actually looked quite good, but up close and personal – and in this case after a crash – you can see it instantly for what it is.

Another area where this game comes short is with the physics engine. For some reason, gravity doesn’t exist here. Not only can you change direction in mid-air but you can also extend your jump by a few miles. I reckon that in the world of Nail’d you could literally take a jump in England and glide over to France and not break a sweat, just by pulling back on the analogue stick. The first couple of times you feel like it is actually a nice touch, but if I am honest, it isn’t actually the hardest thing to do. When every corner brings a new jump, repetitiveness sets in remarkably quickly and that’s when you feel that there isn’t enough of a challenge and you are just going through the motions.

Although there is a ‘boost’ function typical of racing games of this genre, it was appalling to find that it isn’t actually linked to anything. Unlike Pure for example you have no abilities to do stunts in mid-air, there is no drift, no oncoming traffic, no punch or kick buttons to knock other riders off their vehicles, so there are no redeemable ways to reward your racing skills other than when you land correctly after a jump. Boost increments are painfully limited to driving or flying through gates at key positions on the tracks. I kept thinking: “Is this all?’ Are you serious?” It is mind-boggling just how much of a wasted opportunity this is, and the simple inclusion of something, anything extra would have boosted this game’s playability no end.

My final gripe comes with the collision detection. It leaves so much to be desired. For example, it is possible to keep driving after a head-on collision with a train, only to clip the top of a branch on the next landing. It is incidents like these that make coming first more a matter of luck than of actual skill, and in some places, to my horror, I found it was more than adequate to race around the track without ever taking my finger off the gas at all – relegating the brake to no more than reverse. I ended up wondering whether the game was play tested at all.

So my final verdict? As if you really need to hear this. Well, Nail’d is one of those games that sounds great in principle, but falls on its face because it tries to do too much while failing to get the basics right. At its heart, there is a fun arcade racer in there somewhere, waiting to be let out, but it is a delusion of grandeur. Against the likes of other well known titles such as Pure, Motorstorm, and Split Second, this doesn’t even stand a chance of coming third across the line. There is so much more that they could have done with this. It is such a real shame that at the end of the day, it deserves to be left on the grid.

3/10