Saturday, June 26th, 2010 at
10:04 am
There were many trailers for upcoming games showcased at this year's E3, but none surprised the audience as much as the new Mortal Kombat trailer. The Mortal Kombat franchise has spanned a multitude of consoles and styles, and this upcoming game is recognised as the ninth main addition to the series.
Recent additions to the franchise have been met with criticism, as the Mortal Kombat titles never really stood up to competition posed by games such as Tekken and Street Fighter, but feedback from this latest trailer is quite positive. The 3D arena has been eschewed in favour of the traditional 2D battles, a trend that is becoming increasingly popular in current beat em ups. However, as with Street Fighter 4, the characters remain fully rendered in 3D, and the graphics are already looking amazing.
The new Mortal Kombat is marketed as bringing the franchise back to its controversial roots, and so a high emphasis on blood and gore is taking place. Traditional fatalities are back and more violent than ever judging by those showcased, and the new 'x ray' attacks are particularly gruesome. These involve the camera swinging into close up mode and the action slowing down to reveal the internal damage dealt with various attacks. Bones shatter and muscles tear as the full extent of internal injuries are revealed. It is a shocking yet innovative display.
After years of being stuck labelled as a mediocre franchise, many are whispering (and hoping) that Mortal Kombat might return to its former mastery. The trailers we have seen so far are certainly pointing Mortal Kombat in the right direction.
Friday, March 19th, 2010 at
2:04 pm
At long last, this week sees the release of God of War 3, the Playstation 3 exclusive which has been three years in the making. Continuing the vastly popular franchise from the Playstation 2, this is the first time we'll witness Kratos' adventures on a next gen console. Suffice to say, the wait has been well worth it.
The God of War franchise has always been a byword for action adventure mastery, and this title returns to show the rest how it's done. We join Kratos just where the last game left off, scaling Mount Olympus itself to lay siege to the remaining Gods that betrayed him. This gives rise to a number of new gameplay possibilities.
God of War 3 benefits from a dynamic camera, swinging and looping to follow Kratos in a stark contrast to the fixed camera of previous installments. The ascent of Mount Olympus also allows for some breathtaking gameplay elements, including flying high on wind pockets or battling Titans over sheer drops.
Graphically, God of War 3 is stunning. The character details are highly developed, right down to skin pores. The diverse environments offer a rich display of creativity, from the domain of the Gods to the depths of Hell. The gameplay continues to set the standard, with Kratos gaining access to an impressive array of new weapons, all of which will play a strategic part in your varied battles.
It was almost a forgone conclusion, but God of War 3 is an amazing title. Every possible facet of what makes a game great is rolled into one; epic storyline, amazing graphics and engaging gameplay. The franchise continues to blow all competition out of the water, and if you own a Playstation 3 you simply must check it out!
Friday, February 19th, 2010 at
12:55 pm
The Star Ocean franchise has been around for a long time now, and remains a quietly successful alternative to the bigger JRPGs out there. Last year, the Xbox 360 was treated to the latest installment in the series; Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope. The game was highly regarded, but a Playstation counterpart was nowhere to be seen. Now, at last, gamers can pick up Playstation 3's Star Ocean.
The release of this title is not a straight port, but rather is titled the 'international' edition, and features some minor extras. Firstly, the original Japanese voice track has been added as an option. This is a welcome feature for those who prefer their JRPGs with a little more authenticity. Also, players can toggle the HUD display to reveal the original Japanese artwork for characters. Not a massive extra, but welcome nonetheless.
Onto the game itself, and Playstation 3's Star Ocean will not disappoint. The game builds on the combat system of previous entries in the series, offering a simple yet fun attack approach which is systematically levelled up as time goes on. New features like the Rush gauge add a new spin to the combat, rewarding quick handed players with further benefits.
The storyline that runs throughout Playstation 3's Star Ocean is suitably grand, as one would expect from developers Square Enix. A great feature is the optional Private Actions, which allows players to interact between their characters to gain a deeper sense of character development. This is not integral to the storyline, but is great for those wanting to fully immerse themselves with the characters.
It may have taken a while, but Playstation 3's Star Ocean is definitely worth the wait. The visuals, whilst maybe not up to Final Fantasy standards, are still beautiful and the storyline will reward you the more you put into it. Any fans of the genre should definitely look into this great title.
Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at
12:02 pm
One game that is getting a massive degree of attention currently is Playstation 3's Heavy Rain. Released next month, this title is undeniably unique among its competition in the entertainment industry. While gamers are used to seeing the standard genres dolled up and revisited, Heavy Rain is a game which almost evades conventional genre.
Playstation 3's Heavy Rain is surely not a game in the standard sense. Explained most easily as a kind of 'interactive film', the game plays around a series of events which are changed or impacted by gamer choices or input. Now, we have seen this kind of game before, like in old entries such as Fahrenheit, but never before has it been attempted in such scope.
Participants will control all aspects, from mundane tasks to rip-roaring road chases. One section even tasks gamers with applying a female character's makeup. Everything in Playstation 3's Heavy Rain is interactive down to awesome detail. As such, the game offers massive replay worth and various endings.
The sixaxis pad is also used to great effect in this game, replicating the circumstances onscreen to a great extent. Terrifying scenarios like an unexpected assault will see the controller vibrate and the buttons confuse themselves to reflect genuine panic. Playstation 3's Heavy Rain helps you feel like you're actually in the game, which is what most games aspire to do.
No doubt Heavy Rain will split audiences. The pace is glacial at times and the lack of continual action will grate on players more used to typical games. On the other hand, it is a bold venture into a new world of entertainment and may actually pave the road for more like it in the future. Playstation 3's Heavy Rain will doubtless offer many debating points when it is unleashed!
Saturday, September 12th, 2009 at
10:20 am
Introducing the PlayStation 3, typically called PS3 and created by Sony gaming Entertainment. The PlayStation 3 brings intense competition to Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360 as part of the 7th era of video game consoles. The wireless Sixaxis and DualShock 3 comprise the two PS3 controllers sold currently.
The title 'Sixaxis' is a marriage of 'six axis' which constitutes directional movements. It is also meant to signal motion sensitive functions. These wireless PS3 controllers can function for upto thirty hours by charging them to the full capacity. The battery is absolutely interchangable and Sixaxis are provided with the instructions of the simplest way to go about the process.
The fundamental aspect of Sixaxis PS3 controllers is the ability to read both translational acceleration as well as rotational orientation along 3-D plains.
All Sixaxis PS3 controllers have LED lights on the right. On the top of the controller you'll discover numbered LED outlet indicators which total 4 in number. These recognise and distinguish various wireless PS3 controllers. As you switch on the PS3, you can access the menu displaying the remaining battery of all the PS3 controllers which are in synchronization, by tapping the PS button. And this is just one of the options shown on the menu
Sixaxis PS3 controllers employ finer analog sensitivity than DualShock 2, the immediate predecessor to DualShock 3 mentioned before. They build the 8 bit precision of the DualShock 2 to a 10 bit precision. The frame underneath the L2 and R2 buttons has been dropped and converted into triggers. The scope of travel decides the degree of analog input instead of the range of pressure. There is a jewel like PS button with the PlayStation brand in place of the Analog mode button which can be discovered on previous dual analog releases. This allows these controllers to switch inputs, turn the consoles or the controllers on and off, access the home menu, and so on.
Next, The DualShock 3 is a vibration gamepad by Sony for PS3. The DualShock 3 was initially pioneered as a secondary peripheral for the first PlayStation. An enhanced PlayStation release arrived with the controller initially built into the Sony twin Analog Controller. The DualShock 3 wireless PS3 controllers incorporate all the features of Sixaxis along with vibration effects.
