Author Archives: Junior Smart

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

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

Best games of 2010 by Junior Smart. {Games}

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2010 came and went like an absolute storm, and in its wake left gamers with a handful of real gems across all gaming platforms. We’ve had the Kinect, the Move, The final chapter of Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Call of Duty, Dead Rising and seen the end of what seemed like the lifetime of waiting for the mighty Gran Turismo 5 to name just a few.

But just which ones were the best? I am sure each and every gamer will have their faves, and doing a run-down is bound to spark some kind of controversy; luckily I am not one to shy away from telling it how it is. Let me give you my full and final run down.

1.Heavy Rain (PS3)

A controversial first place I know, but if you rate games on their originality, if you rate games on their playability, if you rate games on how they can emotionally affect you, then you will rate Heavy Rain. Part game, part movie, this title has remarkable scenes and a storyline of incredible depth, not to mention the lingering and sometimes stomach churning after effect memories that it leaves you with. The control system is innovative and involving which is even more improved with the Playstation Move and without a doubt this was probably one of the most original titles to hit consoles during 2010.

2.Halo Reach (360)

I am going to place this as my number 2 as lets face it; the game play and storyline is far from original. Bidding a final farewell to the Halo universe was a never going to be easy, but somehow, just somehow software developers Bungie managed to do it. An epic (and occasionally moving) storyline drives a solid single-player campaign, and all this is backed up to the hilt by fantastic multiplayer options. The Halo franchise has always been an almost – but not quite good enough – reason to shell out for a 360 machine.

3.Mass Effect 2 (360, PC, PS3 next year)

Mass Effect 2 is the master class of RPG, an honour usually only reserved for the likes of Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. Mass Effect features a truly memorable cast of characters each with their own unique personality and behaviour. Mass Effect 2 is exactly what many gamers hoped it would be, and with the PS3 version out next year and rumors of a third installment on its way Gamers all over the world may have to go into hibernation in order to counter-act the sleep deprivation they will face when the title hits the shelves.

4.Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

An epic sandbox game in the dessert? Are you serious? Rockstar’s western showpiece is a marvel to play and enjoy, and regurgitates memories of playing Cowboys and Indians in the playground. The story of the main character John Marston is both fascinating and heart-wrenching, and the virtual western world where shoot-outs, train robbing, and fraternising with damsels in distress is beautifully imagined. Little wonder then that many games players woke up having lost 60 hours of their life to this title.

5.Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

A welcome return of the plumber and of the most clichéd and ridiculous plots of all time doesn’t stop Super Mario Galaxy 2 from entering my top ten. Nintendo went out of their way to cram in more content than a student study’s for their exams and it shows. Galaxy 2 is so much bigger, so much more challenging, and finally the long awaited Yoshi makes an entrance to the series. I like this game because it is a title that can be enjoyed by any gamer of any age, and features some of the most intelligent and innovative level designs I’ve seen in many a moon.

6.Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

After endless waiting and waiting and erm, waiting after the Prologue, gaming developers Polyphony showed the world that waiting can, sometimes, just sometimes be a good thing. Despite being a game for racing purists only I just had to include this because of the sheer amount of effort invested into making this title, and indeed it shows. GT5 is something very, very special. Although perfection it is not (see my review in Frost Magazine’s very pages), this title raises the bar as far as driving simulators are concerned.

7.Donkey Kong Country (Wii)

I bet Wii owners rejoiced all over the world when this game came out and it is not difficult to see why. This game gives a solid spanking to games developers who think that graphics alone is what is required to make it in today’s gaming market. Bringing back two of perhaps the most loved characters in Nintendo’s history – who don’t speak Italian – was a mean feat and to surpass the efforts of the SNES required even more. Donkey Kong has beautifully designed levels and is fantastically fun to play.

8.Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, PC)

It would be absolute lunacy not to put this game in this list – yes the graphics are not totally amazing, yes the storyline is about as clichéd as Christmas dinner is to sage and onion stuffing but in all fairness Treyarch delivered on this title, when many people (including myself) thought that they wouldn’t be able to match the game play mechanics of Modern Warfare 2. With some solid online play and some great set pieces this game offers a fantastic experience. If you haven’t answered the call of duty see my review in Frost Magazine’s very pages to find out why you should.

9.Split second Velocity (360, PS3, Wii, PC)

I remember when one of my friends showed me a trailer for this game and I just kept saying wow – but in the back of my mind I kept saying I bet this game is crap. Well how wrong I was. Split second is every bit the insanely fast driving game it was purported to be. Developers Black Rock Studio created a world where every race is dominated by the massive explosions you can set off around the tracks in order to turn your competitors into smouldering wrecks. Immensely fun and infuriating in equal measures this game came 9th on my list because of its original approach to the racing genre.

10.God of War III (PS3)

Arguably the hottest contender for the title of best-looking game on the PlayStation 3 ever, God of War III exploded onto the system earlier this year leaving utter carnage in its wake. Immense boss battles that have to be seen to be believed, visceral blood-thirsty action and some of the finest level designs you’ll ever play await you in this game. God of War III is a graphical and technical achievement, and really shows what the power of the PS3 is capable of.

Battle of the heavy hitters – Top new games of 2011 {Gaming}

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After the clichéd games of 2010 and the somewhat slap-dash approach by developers to get games out in time for Christmas, 2011 is (hopefully) going to bring some big games to consoles and PC’s.

In my erm, crystal ball, I shooters – loads of shooters, I foresee sequels – tons of sequels, I foresee games that will open up the Kinect and Move to new levels and I see re-hashes of older games being brought up to date by the new hardware and increased player involvement.

2011 will be the battle of Heavy Hitters, but which ones should you be getting excited about? Which are the ones you should be placing on pre-order? Let’s take a look.

1.Dead Space 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? February 2011

Dead Space was widely recognised as one of the most scariest experiences to behold a console since the likes of Resident Evil and Fear. Already available for pre-order with numerous collectors’ editions, the sequel promises some truly scary moments and an updated Move compatible version of the Wii’s Dead Space: Extraction thrown into the bargain for free. Nice!

2.Batman – Arkham City (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? August – December 2011

The sequel to Arkham Asylum is coming. Rocksteady Studios have been very tight lipped about releasing any information about this upcoming title, although what I have seen is a snapshot here, a snapshot there and the occasional trailer. What they show is action, gorgeous graphics and a Joker truly gone insane – something tells me that this is going to be a game well worth waiting for.

3.Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? 15th February 2011

Yes indeed, the mother of all fighting games is coming. After over a decade of waiting, the biggest names from the Marvel Universe will clash head on with the combined might of Capcom’s best known characters. This title promises to deliver the best ever match up of legendary fighters in fighting history. Get ready for action, Valentine’s Day will never be the same again.

4.Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
When? December 2011

Hailed as a conclusion to the franchise, Gears of War 3 promises to bring as many ways as possible to kill things back into fashion. A four-player co-op and of course big and even bigger guns ensures that 360 owners have a reason to say ‘size matters’ and of course rejoice after the mourning of Halo Reach.

5.Grand Slam Tennis (PS3/Xbox 360)
When?: January – March 2011

This title was available for Wii since last year and now an updated version reworked for both the PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 Kinect is apparently in development. It remains to be seen if the Kinect control can consistently keep up with rapid movement and this just might be the game that proves its proficiency. If it does it could provide that reason to accidentally slap your granny by mistake.

6.Twisted Metal (PS3)
When? July – September 2011

A rehash of a classic PlayStation title; many remember Twisted Metal for combining hi-octane driving with insane combat action on the freeway. Good news is that Sony is bringing this to the PS3. Twisted Metal will focus heavily on multiplayer motoring tear-ups, with a rumored online play of up to 16 players or a four on one telly split-screen mode. Destruction should be on a truly epic scale – and rage late into the wee early hours – probably.

7.L.A. Noire (PS3/Xbox 360)
When? April – June 2011

Whenever Rockstar start creating a game console owners start getting excited. Billed as their next blockbuster and set in L.A in the 1940’s it’s an action adventure game that sees you behind the badge of Cole Phelps as he attempts to unravel a series of murders. I am not sure what to expect, could it be a sandbox game like Red Dead Redemption or a plot driven story like Grand Theft? One thing is for sure – Rockstar rarely fail to deliver.

8.Max Payne 3 (PC/PS3/Xbox 360)
When? Late 2011

After the crap, crap movie that had me demanding my money back. I am somewhat pleased that we are going to have a return of the game that started it all. Max Payne the police detective that brought matrix style gun-fights to the PC years ago is back – although this time he’s looks more like a mix of Mitch Pileggi and Bruce Willis. I have seen scenes where he is wielding a pair of Mac 10s and taking on enemies from all corners. Guess what? He still looks angry after all these years and guess what? I don’t think those painkillers he was taking in the first game have helped him one bit.

9.Mortal Kombat 9
When? Unknown (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

At first I was very dubious over this title, and then I saw the game play. MK9 promises a return to the original style of Mortal Kombat and a welcome return of the original character list that we knew and loved make this well worth a look. Apparently there is a storyline which involves Rayden going back in time to the original Mortal Kombat tournament to right some wrong that changed history later on. Cue fatalities that will make your eyes water and those immortal words ‘Finish him!’

10.Portal 2
When? April 2011 (PC/Mac/PS3/Xbox 360)

I am really pleased that we will have a puzzler and a decent puzzler at that on the way. Portal was almost universally loved and brilliantly designed. So expect more of the same – creating portals that let you negotiate obstacles and overcome various puzzles. The sequel promises to bring a new co-operative two-player mode that allows two sets of portals to be created simultaneously. How this plays out remains to be seen – but let’s face it, it is bound to be interesting.

Playstation Phone – Truth or Fiction? {Technology}

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I always get a bit worried when too much hype surrounds forthcoming products. However the rumour mill has been churning for some months now around a Playstation Phone and I have to admit it’s getting hard to sit still, especially when, over the past few days, a couple of videos have hit YouTube showing off the gaming phone and its Android interface.

Check out the videos below, and decide for yourself whether they are the real deal ‘happy meal’ or nothing but ‘fan made’ fantasia.

According to sources it will have 512 MB of RAM, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a touchpad designed for gaming. Its biggest feature though is that will run Google’s Android OS, as well as Playstation games.
With all fairness though, as many techno heads know, most phones can run PSP type games albeit at lower resolution through things like emulators etc. Another thing that concerns me is the amount of RAM. Being in mind it will have to run your entire phone’s apps and games, is 512 MB really going to be enough? Sony are going to do something about the size as it looks like a brick and let hope they do something about that control pad too – it looks nasty! One thing is for sure – Sony are keeping it on a ‘real down low’ for now and saying nothing on whether it actually exists. However if it does, a Playstation phone could be one of the most innovative pieces of hardware of 2011 and a real contender to other touch screen phone rivals on the market – you all know who you are!

Gran Turismo 5 by Junior Smart. {Gaming Review}

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Gran Turismo 5

You can call me a bit of a cynic if you want but I always get just a tad bit worried when things are over hyped. Take my friend for instance; there we were both on the tube and he just stands there clutching his copy of Gran Turismo almost like he would a new born baby, looking at it so earnestly with love in his eyes.
“Yes…” he manages to say at last “there is a God! Heaven knows just how long I have waited for this…” In response all I can manage to do is just look at him pitifully, watching as a lonely tear rolls down his cheek before I say slowly “please man, just get a grip before I call in the Shame Squad!”

Mind you, I am sure that his response is fairly typical of many gamers around the world, Gran Turismo 5 is perhaps one of the most eagerly awaited titles since the Playstation 3’s launch almost 5 years ago and yes, gamers have been waiting that long. I remember when the first title came out on the Playstation one way back when I was in my teens. Here was a title that considered itself so good that it wasn’t just a racing game; no, it was a ‘racing simulator’. True to the hype being circulated, playing it provided an unbeatable ‘kid in a car showroom experience’, and indeed such was the sheer quality of graphics that many people rushed out and got their Playstations ‘chipped’ just so they could play the Japanese version of the game; a game I might add that they probably couldn’t even read. And guess what? If you were to ask any of them they would probably say that it was money well spent.

So here lies the critical problem with probably the longest awaited, most eagerly anticipated game of a generation – the issue of expectations. Just imagine going out to eat at a fine restaurant owned by say Gordon Ramsey. Yes you may have had to wait as long as it took to get Wagner booted off X Factor; but my gosh when that food get puts in front of you, you want it so badly and appreciate the hands that have cooked it so much that even if it comes short or doesn’t taste as nice as you expect you just accept it and brush the faults under the carpet and say ‘that was the best rabbit’s testicles I’ve ever tasted!’. Is it little wonder that all over the globe, so many reviewers have scored it 10 out of 10?

Well, no senor, I regret to inform the millions of racing enthusiast out there that it is not a 10 out of 10. I hate to say it but it is true. It is however still exceptional at what it is and that is providing a unique experience, good solid fun and breathtakingly detailed graphics.
From the start it seems that waiting is what this game is all about. After the endless teases that have come in the form of demos, screenshots and the Prologue; Gran Turismo 5 keeps up the trend from the moment you insert the disc. One of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to opt for a full install of the game’s data or get straight to the track and endure some drastically longer load times. I’d definitely recommend the full install as we found out to our peril loading happens for each menu screen you enter. But beware the install takes around 40 minutes. I found this really annoying as basically you are caught between a rock and a hard place. Owners of the older PS3’s will regret the day they bought the cheaper 40 GB machines as it takes a whopping 4GBs of space. Every time Ihad to wait I ended up looking at my PS3 and the more I had to look at it the more I thought it looked like an, erm…steak grill.
Once in the game though it is business as usual; that is race, open more tracks, race open more cars and more events etc. It is pretty formulaic stuff, but hey, if it isn’t broke don’t you dare try and fix it. For creators Polyphony, it is evident that they spent the last 5 years perfecting the detail. Take any one of Gran Turismo’s 1000+ vehicles out for a spin on the Le Man’s track at night and you will see what I mean. My mate ran out of ‘Ooohs’ and ‘Ahhhs’ and I have to admit there is an undeniable feeling of quality about the game. The reflections that glisten, the breathtaking backdrops, even the sounds of the engines come together in a beautiful entourage and are just so obviously meticulously rendered.

The original career structure of the Gran Turismo series is there, for example License tests, A-spec events, and car dealerships. There are some notable new additions as well like the B-spec Events, which give you the chance to create a team of drivers and coach them through a series of races. I thought that this would be an interesting concept but was immediately disappointed. It turns out all you can do is issue commands whilst you view from different angles. One serious question is why this is even in the game. Lets be honest the whole point of buying the game is because you want to be behind the wheel and not a spectator – if you want to watch a race you can just watch it on TV, so this is just worthless.

In contrast the Special Events are a nice touch and presents the opportunity to try out different types of events for example kart racing, which delivers incredible speed and requires different driving techniques compared to racing the regular vehicles. I found this part to be largely entertaining and a thrilling aspect to the franchise.
When it comes to handling I am pleased to report that the Gran Turismo driving experience is back. Tweaked a bit from the original, yet as fine as ever, the feel of the cars on the road is practically faultless, The trick is it knows what it is, it is a racing sim pure and simple, which means unforgiving turns, tight racing lines, acceleration balanced with brakes. The cockpit view has also been refined and whilst not as good as say Need for Speed: Shift’s cockpit view, it is still effective.

A subject of criticism lies in your competitor’s difficulty level. Early on in the game they are just a joke to be honest, however once I had increased substantially to a higher driver level, they weren’t just aggressive they became unpredictable. I understand that this is all to do with the learning curve but I think it gets ramped up too quickly, too high.

Another area of criticism lies in the much-talked-about damage modeling for the cars. I was frustrated to find that this didn’t fully come into play until later in the game and when it did it was laughable at best. When I opened the option I decided I would go all kamikaze and hit a barrier at 160mph, the result; only the bonnet and bumper was slightly damaged, I couldn’t help but think – are they kidding me? Fair enough the car manufacturers or games developers may not want to see their impressive beautiesdamaged in Hi Def but I do, and if you create an option for damage then expect it to be used. It should work and not be a downright con.

My last area of complaint lies in the faults created by the developers. For a game that took so long to complete I didn’t expect so many re-cycled tracks and that’s not the only area that lets this title down. There are some vehicles that seem to come from the GT4 era that just aren’t given the same ‘spit polish’ as the modern ones. On the track, in the heat of a race, admittedly it is difficult to tell, but close up and in replays it is obvious that their polygon count is lower and their shadows are jagged and kind of Playstation 2-esque. They just feel very ‘undeserving’ to be in this game.

So my final verdict – It is great to see the ‘racing game of excellence’ return after so many years. Yes, it is beautiful and also incredibly realised but like it or not, it does have its faults. Compared to other modern day race games I just couldn’t help but think that they could have put more into this, also it is worth noting that besides racing there is very little else to this game, to be completely honest there is only so many times a corner or a bend or another driver can be challenging, so this title is one for the enthusiasts only.