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  • PS3 News

    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:59
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    Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

    Publisher: Capcom
    Developer: Backbone Entertainment
    Player: 3 (on/offline)
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Platform: XBLA (Reviewed), PSN

    Overview : It is the second sequel to Capcom's Commando arcade game, first released in 1985 and then ported to nearly every system of the time, (including the BCC Micro which I owned, played and sucked at). Lucky for me this game is a lot easier (or I have gotten a lot better, but I doubt that) as its obviously aimed at western audiences with it modern American animé/cartoon stylised graphics.

    Features :

    Only on Xbox LIVE: Players who purchase Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 will be automatically eligible for the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta test: (only until August 20th or sooner)
    • Three playable soldiers with their own unique characteristics.
    • Multiple weapons, including rocket launchers, grenades and shotguns.
    • Controllable co-op vehicles
    • Support for up to three players simultaneously, both online and on a single console.
    • Four difficulty levels, which automatically adjust based on the number of players in the game.
    • Comprehensive scoring system.
    o Score Multipliers allow players to maximize their points tally.
    o Online Leaderboards


    If you played any of the old school shooters back in the 80s / early 90s, you will know what to expect. Not much of a plot, but we all new that it was never going to be like that. The characters basicly a rip of Arne (Commando film) and Rambo, but they have also have a token black girl, to cover both gaming minority's, how PC of them. The presentation is nice and slick, and general well done, personally I like how the jazzed up the pause menu. But as for in game graphics your not going to be blown away, its just simple, nice and bright, cell shaded graphics.

    But this game was never about great story or great graphics, its all about old school gameplay, and thankfully they have gotten this right. There is no strategy involved here, bar shoot exploding barrel and destroy enemy spawn points, This is about making thing go BOOM and mowing down thousand of soldiers (its ok, they are bad guys, you can tell because they are not American). Just like the films the games are inspired by, this is just plain dumb fun.

    Surprisingly, it slows down the very odd time in 3 player + explosions, a game with this graphic level, you would think, should not have this problem.


    The campaign is short (complete all levels in 1 hour) and repetitive (lack of enemy variety) but vehicle sections and a few uninspiring bosses breaks up gameplay. Multiplayer and secrets helps replay, but not enough to keep you playing the game for more than a few hours.

    Old school high scoring could have helped longevity, but because of constantly respawning enemies, high scores can be achieved by slowly playing though rather than using any skill making the highscore leader board pointless. The game is also much harder in solo, than in multiplayer even thought it ups the amount of enemy's for when paling in co-op. You can select which stage you want to play until you complete the whole game, which can be annoying if you died in the last level, but then that just the old school way.


    Conclusion: So, it wants to be an old school game, and it succeeds. But that's the problem, these games were great back in the day, but only if you played them for a few hours. But at 800 MS points ($10.00/£6.80/€9.30), I don't think its good value for money. But if your a fan of the original games, then its worth trying it. Or if you are a huge Street Fighter Fan you have bought it already and have been handing my ass to me via Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta. (I really suck a Street Fighter).

    Pros:
    - Old School gameplay
    - 3 player Co-op fun
    - Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta

    Cons:
    - Short
    - Repetitive

    Overall:
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:58
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    Platform: PS3
    Developer: Polyphony Digital
    Genre: Racing Simulation
    Players: 1-16
    Price -
    PSN - £25
    Blu-ray Price - £20-£25

    Overview :
    You all know this game, a platform for all racing simulations. Ever since the first Gran Turismo on the PlayStation 1, people knew this game was going to go far, and my god it did.

    This game is somewhat classed as a demo, it was intended to be a little taster for whats to come (isnt that what a demo is anyway).

    Right from the greatly respected Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2. This game has quickly gained a vast fanbase, and all the games in the series are a must have for any racing fans.

    Gameplay :
    Right, this game has always been based on attention to detail with how the cars handle, it really shows. The physics are totally amazing, you need to use your racing lines to get good laptimes. You take a corner too fast, your plowed into a tyre wall.

    Each car has there own characteristics (weight, bhp, torque) and you can really tell. The weights of the cars are a big factor in this series, you need a light car to get round suzuka at any speed. The tuned lotus handles like a go-kart!

    When you finish the A Class you unlock a section called the Quick Tune, which is needed for the S Class. The a thing called performance points are thrown into play.

    A quick runthrough of performance points are, the more powerful, the less the weight and the better your tyres are, the more performance points you will have for that car. In the S Class you will come across races that have a MAX performance points limit. So you can't take a F1 into a low end car race.

    The quick tune is very important in the S Class. You need it to sometime downtune your car, or tune it up. While you can tune your car, to your personal prefrences like "toe in and outs" etc.

    There are quite a good selection of cars to say this is a teaser. There are sections for Car Brands and a section for the Gran Turismo tuned concept cars.

    The track selection is low, the well known real tracks avalible to race on are Suzuka, Fuji and daytona raceway. All of the tracks apart from Suzuka and Fuji, and quite boring. They are all very well made though.

    Online play is actually quite well done, while you get the noobs that do not know how to race and knock you off the track at ever given moment. You get the good games with people who can race. One of the recent updates for the game, applys something that makes people flash when they are out of control or about to someone. I dont like this, it takes the realism out of the game. The lack of a ranking/stat system takes all of the fun out of it. But the cash bonuses you recieve for a race makes you forget about it.

    The AI are better and more intellegent than ever. There lines aren't always spot on, they try and get out of the way when your stealing the slipstream. They are great.

    The penalty system SUCKS. You have the AI bump into the back of you, you get a ramming penality (you slow down for a certain number of seconds) while the offender screams past you. This is always happening, and in a important Class S race its the last thing you want.

    Graphics :
    What can I say? Ground breaking. Full 1080p, perfect models, perfect lighting. Perfect perfect perfect.

    The cockpits of the cars are all detailed as they should be in each car. Not a part out of place. Get into the F1 and try not to be amazed by the detail on the steering wheel. I dare you.

    All the tracks are beautifully designed just as they should be. Not a texture out of place, not a sign out of place. Not even a tree out of place. Perfect!

    I would go as far to say this is the most graphicly advanced game on the PS3 so far. (Maybe uncharted close?)

    Once more, PERFECT.

    Sound :
    The sound is alot very good in this game. All the car engines sound very realistic. Yet there is 1 problem....

    The tyre "squeals". Seriously, did they get this off GT1? They are way to high, to matter what car your in they sound the same. Trust me, around the Daytona Raceway its not fun "EEERRRRRRRRRR" round every corner. This needs a big improvement for the real GT5.

    The soundtrack is horrible for my music tasted. Its all plain boring dreery crap. The worst soundtrack out of all of them in my opinion, but it wont be marked down on the overall score because its my music taste.

    Replay Value :
    This game has little replay value, when the races are done, they are done. You get little eurge to get all gold, because you will have raced the oval about 100 times to get the F1 car that costs 2,000,000 credits. The online play ...
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:23
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    I was hoping for something like God of War or ninja Gaiden when I rented Viking. I was hell-a-off....

    Viking: Battle for Asgard
    Publisher: SEGA
    Developer: Creative Assembly
    Players: 1
    Genre: Action Adventure

    You are Skarin, a Viking warrior mortally wounded in battle. On the edge of death, you are visited by Freya, a Norse goddess, who summons you to become her champion. You must defeat the goddess Hel and her undead army before they take over all of the land. To do this you must recruit an army, and use it to liberate the land.

    Viking mythology was never this boring
    The game starts off with a cutscene where you jump straight into the plot. Thats basically it. There is no lead up whatsoever to the general plot, making for an extremely annoying beginning of the game. The story at best is rather shallow, as it never really goes beyond anything except for the classic hero vs. villain mentality that pervaded many a 1970's movie. Thats not unnecessarily a bad thing, though, and could easily be overlooked. However, when you own character is the most static in the game, it becomes amazingly irritating to see no emotion or life from your character whatsoever. At the beginning, you learn of your father's death in the battle that almost claimed yours as well. What does your character say or do to express loss for his father? Nothing. Not a single thing except that you have a new mission. Character development in this game is absolutely gone, and the characters are the most static I've seen in a long time. The game is also uber violent, which may be the single redeeming quality here. I've never really cared much for violence, but when there is so little else to hold this games story and atmosphere up, you have to aim low. Blood and guts will follow you everywhere. This goes beyond God of War and Conan, as you do finishers that could only be replicated in games like Ninja Gaiden 2. However, that barely replaces the messy story and the lost everything else about the presentation. Menus tend to be confusing, and even the achievements are weird (wanna know how I got a gamerscore ending in a 2? This game.)

    Bloody mediocre
    Onto graphics. To its credit, Viking does sport some nice looking character models, and the magic effects look fine and nice. Environments need lots of work though. Enemies look great, especially when your cutting them to shreds. The blood flying every which way and the entrails (starting to get a little queasy here)splat in full texture. Unfortunately, you'll be seeing the same enemies very, very often. Back to environments for a minute anyway. The main lands and grassy plains that you fight on a plain, boring, and uneventful. Castles and forts actually look interesting, though, but thats only from the distance. Up close they get bland and repetitive, showing good artistic direction, but terrible execution. The ocean water looks like waves of white lines, and caverns all look exactly the same. To clean up the point, none of this necessarily looks bad, it just doesn't look good. Mediocrity rules this games graphical direction in almost every which way you can think of.


    It doesn't look bad. It just doesn't look good.

    Have I gone deaf? No wait, This game is just dead.

    Sound. As far as music goes, there is absolutely nothing. There is basically no music whatsoever. The only music there ever is only happens during fights, so your mind basically blocks it out. Even then there is nothing to hear. Sound effects aren't too shabby though. The fierce attacks of enemies and the slashes that your sword makes into their lower sternums are glorious. Unfortunately, these sound effects repeat themselves over and over and over constantly, and once you've heard some of the sound effects, you've hears all of the sound effects. Voice acting is terrible. Mostly the acting consists of fake British and Norse accents (whats a norse accent sound like, anyway?) spewed to a very badly written script. Some of the Viking warriors have some decent lines to say though. Don't must your TV when playing this, but to be honest there isn't much to hear.

    Hack-and-slash is fun, but repetitive
    For those of you willing to forgo storyline and sound, and deal with mediocre graphics, you've still got some interesting gameplay going for you. You may think differently when you first begin, though, as your best attacks include mashing the A button over and over (even more then dynasty warriors). If your patient you'll get a few more combos, and eventually some pretty sweet magic attacks. Gathering your Viking warriors is pretty fun for a good while. Getting gold and doing quests extend the fun you have a good deal. Did I mention, the Vikings you release join your army? They do. These utterly massive armies lead to some really awesome epic scale battles in the game, as you and 1000 Vikings battle thousands of Undead enemies (Really think of this--the game can take thousands of enemies and allies on screen at once. Thats one da** good engine!) The epic battles get even better when you get the ability to summon dragons, who tear the battlefield into pieces (not literally) and rip apart undead like a lawnmower in Dead Rising. Like always though, Newton's law of physics comes into play here, and for every good gameplay action theres a bad one. This time, Newton's a little off--there are bad parts to the gameplay, but the good outweighs the bad by a margin. While combat and battling is fun, after a few hours it will get extremely repetitive, and the very thin level of stealth featured in the game is just annoying. After killing the same enemy type thousands of times, it starts to decline significantly. Also, later in the game when your outnumbered 5 to 1 and your Viking teamates aren't doing too well, things start to get frustrating. Enemies block and counter all you attacks, and magic gets useless. Still, for the most part Viking has some good hack-and-slash fun to be had, if very shallow fun to be had.


    Slash.

    Asgard is a one-trip ticket
    Once your done, your done for good. You can easily do most every task the first play through, and afterwards there is literally nothing to do. exploring the island doesn't work because everything is the same, fighting doesn't work because you've done it so much, and powering up doesn't work because most extra combos never do anything at all. Except for the main storyline which is a good 12-15 hours long, replay Value isn't there.

    Lets get to it then! (Ya got blood onma knife....)

    Presentation: 1.5/5
    Confusing menus, bad story, and lack of character development whatsoever deserves to go to whatever the Norse inferno is.

    Sound: 2/5
    While it has decent sound effects, voice acting is horrific and music isn't there.

    Graphics: 3/5
    They aren't bad, but there aren't good. Despite decent character models, this game screams mediocrity.

    Gameplay: 3/5
    Fighting is great fun, but for only so long. Soon repetition sets in, and it becomes a chore to finish the game.

    Replay Value: 2/5
    Beyond one play through, there is no replay value.

    Overall: 2.5/5

    This game screams mediocrity. While gameplay and combat is interesting, everything else just either falls or isn't interesting in the least. Creative Assembly had an interesting idea, but it just didn't work out quite right.
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:22
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    This stuff:
    Publisher: Rockstar
    Developer: Rockstar
    genre: Action Adventure
    Players: 1
    Online: 1-16
    System: Xbox 360, also on PS3

    Who knew crime could pay so well?

    Yes...so it has arrived. GTA, possibly the single most controversial (no way! Really?) game series to ever exist adds its fourth entry to its amazingly long list of GTA titles. 4 years in development, it has suffered delays, bans, controversy, and annoying 40 year old who can't get a girlfriend so they have to bash videogames (Jackie T.) Enjoy.

    Ahem....

    GTA IV has you follow the anti-hero Niko after being called to America by your cousin Roman. Fresh off the boat, Niko soon learns that his cousin's claims to a life of leisure are all but lies. What does the American dream mean to newcomers now days? For this Russian its a life of crime, deception and drugs. Lots of drugs(warehouses full). Niko's dream of getting a fresh turns sour as he learns that you can't escape your past so easily....

    Lets get to it then. The story is absolutely awesome. As you play it, the story gets deeper and deeper and ends up being almost movie quality. the story is rich, and each character has so much life and story to them that its truly some the greatest character development I've seen since TF2(lol.) The realism is astounding, which is actually my biggest problem with the game. Rest assures, I won't lower the score because of this, I just despise the uber-realistic gameplay issues. Driving a car is harder then in real life, so I really wouldn't call that realistic, so much as simply annoying. Other then that, characters almost never say the same line twice, and never look the same. Animations are spot on realistic (Thanks Euphoria) and the atmosphere feels just like a big city world.
    As for online connections and menus, I have had a bit of trouble joining ranked matches(go figure) and our game rooms are constantly united with other rooms at random points while playing. Frustrating, yes, but just wait till I get to multiplayer...ahem. The cell phone is basically the only menu you use. While innovative, its not exactly cool or fascinating.(Its more boring then Wolfenstein 3Ds menus.) but it works perfectly fine. Which is good....ish.

    Now for the graphics portion of the review. Cough....ahem. GTA IV may not sport some of the best graphics around (a la Gears of War) but it certainly sports some of the most spectacular. Explosions from cars and RPGs are simply stunning to watch, as well and the flame effects from the molotovs. The lighting is brilliant; reflections are perfect and the whole engine runs perfectly smooth with practically no framerate issues whatsoever. Well, almost none. Euphoria seems a little less then expected to my end(my friend told me it was so much more realistic then it is), but its still amazing. When you shoot somebody in whatever body part, they react to it perfectly. The problems I found with it are that animations for getting hit by a car are simply terrible. I did a cartwhell through the air and somehow [gracefully] fell with my neck somewhere by my foot with my arm twisted over my back Peter Griffin style. Then my foot was suddenly where it was supposed to be while getting up. beyond Euphoria glitches, animation is spectacular.

    The sound is...I'll spare you small talk. it works, great. 200 songs on the radio(even if they all suck, come on? Its 200 REAL songs!) talk shows, comedy clubs, and the voice acting is the best I've heard since Mass Effect. Lip syncing isn't perfect, but with this much dialogue, it would be close to impossible. The crunches of cars, the booms of RPGs, the police sirens(annoying as hell--realistic, no?) all sound effects are great. The little quotes your person can say in multiplayer may fall flat (haha, didn't know you could do that eh? You can. Left Bumper.) but thats about all that does. Little Jacob is so perfectly undiscernable that even the characters in the game can't understand him.

    Gameplay. Meh.(kidding, kidding,don't stone me...) Gameplay works very close to how other GTA games before it works. They have autoaim that simply locks on to targets, or a new free look aiming system. (Guess which one sucks?) Glitches are obviously present with the Autoaim, such as it targeting dead enemies instead of living or people 50 yards away rather then 5 feet away. Gunplay itself is great. the western style duels between Niko and thugs or what may come are some of the best moments in the game. Melee combat....hah. Kill me for this, but its extremely unresponsive. (Ok, block when he attacks to dodge...block--WTF?) Maybe thats why Rockstar basically threw that out the window when it comes to multiplayer. For good reason. The environment plays a huge part in most combat, greatly too. In car battles, the cars around you and everything else is absolutely ...
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:22
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    I promised it, so here it is, a 'moderately' in depth review of Condemned 2 (yes, I shelled out the big bucks for you, populace! Be grateful!) I actually haven't played this game on the PS3 as the cover art may imply, but from reliable sources (IGN, Gamespot) they are both supposed to be equal is game. Besides, most reviews I've made have 360 cover art, even though they have PS3 counterparts.

    Saying fps horror has a new face would be inaccurate-- how about no face at all?

    Comdemned 2: Bloodshot
    Publisher: SEGA
    Developer: Monolith Productions
    Players: 1-8
    Genre: Survival horror FPS

    You are Ethan Thomas, once an SCU(special something something forces) investigator. Now, your an alcoholic, and with a real pissy attitude. Your called back to action when your former partner has gone missing. Not only must you find your partner and solve many more murders, but you must battle your own inner demons as well and discover a truth so demented and sick that you will never see it coming...

    The truth is both disturbing and awesome...
    For my part I haven't really seen many a horror game that has an interesting story. Or many a horror game in general to be honest (Jericho and Doom 3 aside). So I was reluctant to try out Condemned 2, but the demo won me over. Aaaaannyway, Bloodshot's storyline is probably the most compelling reason to keep coming back to this game 'til the very end. Without revealing too much, the storyline actually seems less of a horror storyline and more of a mystery movie. Don't worry, its plenty scary for more reasons, but I'll get to that. The story is told in a way that makes the player consciously or unconsciously (thats right, it ****s up your mind, fool!) try and guess what happens next in the story. The best part is that your more then likely gonna be wrong, which serves to make the storyline much more compelling as you try to figure stuff out ahead of time (only to be wrong). The storyline itself is wacky, but takes itself so seriously it becomes like Ninja Gaiden-- crazy, but serious enough that it makes the player serious. For instance, in the first game (which I haven't actually played) you track down a serial killer nicknamed SKX. In Bloodshot, you go from solving a crime and trying to figure out whats happening to you and the city to, well....lets just say it goes from 1980's time periods to that of a sci-fi movie. None of this takes away too badly from the story, but it does make it a bit harder to truly get into. Still, it all is great and leaves a great amount of room for the third game. Oh, and did I mention, your steadily going insane in Bloodshot? Must have missed that... Now the atmosphere of Bloodshot is near flawless. it knows the perfect times throw psycho bandits at you and the perfect time to build crazy levels of suspense. Like when you explore the SCU building, and lights flicker while you simply see inhuman shadows for instance. Even the house levels will make you turn every single corner twice before you enter a room. The atmosphere in Bloodshot is a marvel of the horror genre, and a much needed improvement over those lame horror games where they rely on surprise as the sole factor in making a game scary. As far as menus go, your character sees the menus on his pocket computer, a bit of a nice change from the standard 'press start to see the bland, sideways menu' of most games. They are easy to read and navigate as well. I've had connection issues in multiplayer, but its more because hardly anyone playing it then anything else.


    Ethan Thomas is no longer the shining beacon of joy he was in Condemned 1

    Tar, tar, everywhere...
    Condemned sure looks great sometimes. The splattered walls, the psychotic villains and especially the tar monsters (see? Sega made a tribute to Scooby-Doo-- that means some people DO still like that show!) who tear themselves out of the tar covered walls. The lighting effects are great at most times, and the flashlight is much needed. However, there are a few rooms and hallways, specifically in the beginning and end which are stupidly dark. These rooms are very rare, but getting attacked by 3 creatures in the dark sure can be annoying(very). The bloody and torn textures of flesh and blood in the game is sickeningly spot-on. The weapons and textures are great, and the splatting of enemies heads against your feet (or bludgeon) splat gloriously bloody. The enemies differ from one another, and few enemies look alike. The faceless Oros are great looking enemies, although getting close enough to study one without being beat up may be a challenge. However, a lot of times they just look kind of messy, but for the most part they look just like psychotics would-- scars and blood stains included. Environments are very well done, most noticeably being the run down state of the city. You truly get the feeling that the city is being turned onto an absolute nightmare, a home for the insane and not much else. The houses are ruined and broken, wood is rotting and cracks underfoot, and the amount of junk just makes you think that these guys aren't just psycho, but have a severe case of OCD. Each room is cluttered with trash, TVs, meth (laundry machines) and other things. The lights in these houses either flicker or don't work at all. Some areas where lights don't even exist (thank goodness for the flashlight) look absolutely haunted. The chairs are stacked on the tables, and the dust and fog makes you know they've been that way probably for 100 years. Other rooms just repeat themselves, however. Like in the winter cabin many of the rooms are absolutely symmetrical. The framerate does drop at occasions of intense fighting, often when many people are all trying to beat on you at once. And when it does, its pretty painful. But for the most part, Condemned 2 looks great. It just has a few issues here and there.

    The Sound of fear
    Condemned 2 is a horrific opera. And like all operas, they have the cool parts where the guy is sword fighting the villain, and the bad part where Helga the Viking fatass sings her dues. Condemned 2 is a mixed bag. While it has great effects, its music can sometimes be utterly annoying. Let me explain then...the sound effects are top notch for a horror game. Psychotics scream when you smack them in the face, and gunshots pierce the dead silence of Condemn's freaky atmosphere. Electrical pulses from SKX's torture devices and the lights resonate great, like the, well, resonators in the game. Voice acting is finely done. Ethan specifically-- his new voice serves him sell through the game. Dialogue is hit and miss though, but it all works out well with the story and all its creepiness. Music is a different story. the few times that music is in the background, its more then likely gonna annoy the he** outta you. Especially in the conveyor section of the doll factory. The music is haunting and well placed, but that doesn't stop it from being simply awful. Suggestion: turn music volume to zero when you start. All other sounds are great.

    The perfect hand to hand system in a horror game? Awesome!
    The gameplay in Condemned 2 focuses mainly on hand-to-hand combat like its predecessor. Only this time around, they absolutely nailed the melee system. Monolith took huge care to approach the suggestions of its fans, specifically regarding guarding fist combat. Tons and tons of weapons, including everything from shotguns to foosball sticks, are a major point of enjoyment in the game. Looking at each weapon and uses each one is a fun trait that lesser collectors might not really care for. Each weapon has 4 stats: Power, Reach, condition, and Speed. Power determines the damage a weapon will do, speed is how fast you can swing it, reach is the length at which it reaches, and condition is the, well, condition its in. They do break if you block too often and don't parry enough (which is easy enough to do). As for blocking, they fixed it in Bloodshot perfectly. Rather then simply doing a fast and messy parry like in Condemned 1, you can simply hold LT and RT to continuous block, or tap it to parry. You attack with each side; left being left, right being right.


    Right hook to the face, bi***!

    Also, you get upgrades after each mission depending on how well you did in the mission, which is ranked by bronze, silver, or gold. Upgrades range in anything from new sneakers to a stun gun, so they are very helpful. As for some of the lesser action-y parts of the game, there are CSI-type scenes in the game which actually require you to *gasp* think (If was tough for me, you know? When have I EVER thought prier to this?) the crime scenes are very well done, and careful observation of the scene will indeed reveal the right answer, you just need to look close. After each scene you get a grade on how well you solved the mystery scene. To aid you in these scenes you get some pretty nice equipment as well, such as a UV light and spectrometer. Back to combat. Unlike Condemned 1, guns play a far larger role in Bloodshot, although the game is still dominated by hand-to-hand. most gun battles will take place near the last mission though. Gun play works great when you've got the alchohol to steady your aim (after you get the upgrade, its good then too). In other words, for being a game all about melee combat, guns work great. Ammo is also more abundant then Condemned 1, but it still needs to be rationed. Condemned 2 easily has the best melee combat system in any FPS out there.

    FPS horror multiplayer scores points for originality
    Replay Value. I was a bit reluctant to try out multiplayer, but for RV I needed to for this review. Multiplayer is a mixed feeling--the only really fair mode, team deathmatch, is great fun. 4 on 4, melee combat where you use the shadows to your advantage. In other words, stealth is perfected in this FPS multiplayer mode. Sadly, many of my teamates didn't seem to understand that (which would explain why I was able to best my entire team in my first game...) and so, without strategy its rather boring. I moved onto a mode called crime scene where its SCU vs. Infected. The infected have two boxes, each complete with severed heads inside that they must hide, while the SCU have to search for the boxes. Now heres the downside- SCU gets guns while Infected don't. So to kill an SCU officer, you need to know how to use stealth and be able to dodge bullets, fast. Doesn't always work. More often then not the SCU will win with flying colors (unless they're blind). Then theres bum rush, a great mode to play with friends. There are two SCU with health bars visible to all and 6 Infected. The infected respawn instantly, but die in a single shot from the SCU. So it takes an average of 20 infected to kill SCU officers, rather annoying unless you have friends in the game. other then multiplayer, theres Bloodshot fight club, which is kinda like a series of bloody minigames for the game. I haven't really explored these much. As for the single player story, its fairly short. However, you might want to go back through it another time on hard or FPS mode.

    Lets get to it then! (Right on! Right on!)

    Presentation: 4.5/5
    Brilliant horror atmosphere, and intelligent(mostly) plot tie into one helluva good horror time.

    Graphics: 4/5
    While they are good and effects are well done, they're rather average in general.

    Sound: 4.5/5
    Sound effects are something this game going for it, but music is garbage.

    Gameplay: 5/5
    Great melee combat whose depth is unrivaled by any other FPS out there. Gunplay is great too, but hand-to-hand is exceptional.

    Replay Value: 4/5
    Tons to do if you like it. Multiplayer is good fun on XBL if you can find anyone actually playing. Especially deathmatch (best melee system in multiplayer rocks)

    Overall: 4.5/5

    I've met very little horror games that both thrill and chill. Monolith's new entry into their saga of Ethan Thomas does both. best horror game I've played in a long time.

    PS Screenshots by me.
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 17:21
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    Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
    Publisher: Activision
    Developer: Infinity Ward
    Genre: First Person
    Players: 1

    Well, unlike the other Call of Duty games this one is not set in a world war its set in the more modern times (note the name). This mean you have a selection or more modern guns while still having the classics.

    The game is split up into 4 modes -
    • Requite - Stupidly Easy. This mode is really just the the first time FPS players.
    • Regular - For the average FPS player
    • Hardened - A level to give good FPS players a good challenge!
    • Veteran - No words describe how damn hard this is. You need to be a FPS god and you will still be throwing your PS3 out the window from frustration.
    Right at the start of the game it goes through the story line that you have to get a man (not saying too much). Then it puts you into a training level. Which shows you pretty much what to do. This is before even choosing a difficulty mode. This is good for the first time FPS players but its a drag for the real FPS players.

    Graphics - What can I say? Call of Duty 4 has state of the art graphics. The character models are beautiful. The guns are perfect. The framerate is stupidly smooth doesn't seem to drop at the most hectic times. Even things like the reloading make you go WOW! Explosions are done perfectly, you can see the bullets soar through the sky. It really is a fantastic experience. I am finding it hard to find something bad to say about the graphics. If i am really picky the dead ragdoll models sometimes gets limbs going through walls etc. but thats all to be expected.

    Sound - It really sounds like you are in the game. I know it sounds stupid but it really does. After playing this for a while you really find yourself getting into it little too much because of the mix of great sound and great graphics. The sound could not be more perfect. You can even hear which way the bullets are coming from, and where the voices are coming from. All the guns have there own unique sound, so if you play this game a little too much (me!) you can tell what gun it is. I really don't see how the sound could be much better than this. Nothing bad to say about the sound.

    Gameplay - The main story line is great, all varying from different types of play, stealth, sniper and running around like a idiot shooting everything that moves. Basically in the game you have to find people. Thats all i am saying. For my liking the Main story is a little too short. A longer story would be great, but when you have completed the game you still have the online play to fall back on (I will talk about this later). The story is good, everything works well, the AI is great. The only problem is the length.

    Online - This game is amazing online. I would even say it is one of the bests games online. Even up against the Online Only Game Warhawk. For a game which was designed not just for online thats very good going.

    The scoring works on XP points which go towards Ranks and Ranks go towards more Weapons and Perks. XP points can be achieved by playing games kills etc. and can also be given from Challenges. Challenges do what they say on the tin, you have challenges that you have to do while playing online (150 kills with AK-47 etc.) and when you do them you will be awarded with XP points, and if it was a gun challenge a Add-on to your gun (Scope etc.).

    The ranking system unlocks new guns and perks. Perks are sort of advantages that you unlock. (Things like bigger bullet damage, or more health, or drop a grenade when you die). The higher your rank, the better perks you get. Guns work in a similar way the higher your level the better guns you get.

    Ranks only go upto level 55, then 'prestige mode' is unlocked. Then you get the option to go back to level 1 loose all your guns and perks but have a different rank logo by your name. This is just for bragging rights really.

    Create a Class is where you can make your own class of weapons to use in a game. So when you unlock a new weapon, you can replace it with the old weapon in your custom class. Here you can choose your perks for the classes too.

    The game joining system is the one thing that lets this down. You hit find game, then hit the game you want to play and it takes ages and eventually puts you in a game. A system similar to Warhawk would of been much more effective.

    Lifespan - This game has the ability to last for ever due to the amazing online play. The main story will last a while, and when you have completed it you will get the urge to complete it again on a harder difficulty. Longer main story is a big thing in my eyes though.

    Replay Value 4.5/5
    Sound 5/5
    Graphics 5/5
    Gameplay 5/5
    Score:


    This is my first ever review, please excuse ...
    by Published on January 1st, 2011 16:58
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    XCM Cross Battle Adapter 2.0
    Manufacturer: XCM
    Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from ConsoleSource / Buy from Amazon
    Price: $69.99


    Overview : The famous Cross Battle Adapter now comes in a new version, 2.0, with new functions to swap all your controller's functions!

    The Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 is an adapter to allow you to connect your Xbox 360 wired controller to your PS3 console for use with PS3 games.

    The XCM Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 is built with a new function for swapping the controller’s triggers and bumpers. You can also swap the functions of A, B, X, Y buttons (Example: Set the function of A button to the X button or set the function of B button to the Y button, etc) and swap the functions of 2 analog sticks as well! The PS3 Six Axis mode and rumble function are also supported. The best adapter in the industry just got better!

    Features:
    • Compatible with ALL PlayStation consoles and models.
    • Requires the wired Xbox 360 controller.
    • Built in Rapid Fire / Turbo for each button with independant controls.
    • Easy to Use - Just Plug and Play!

    Quality/Usability : This review is an update to the XCM Cross Battle Adapter. There is also a Cross Battle Adapter PLUS that supported rumble that was released after the original CBA.

    Comparing the two Cross Battle Adapter, there is a big cosmetic change. The Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 comes in a purple casing with a clear purple back. The front has a big backlit LED "XCM" logo with toggle switches. Like the original CBA, the switches are for the TURBO function. Each switch is also labeled to tell you what each buttons are. For instance, the [X] button on the PS3 is the [A] button the 360. The R1 button on the PS3 is the RB on the 360.

    To connect the CBA 2.0, plug the Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 into the PS3 console and the LED "XCM" logo will start flashing blue. After plugging in the Xbox 360 wired controller (yes, you must use a wired controller) and the blue LED will stop flashing and stay lit.

    Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 gives you the ability to use the tilt functionality. But its not what you think. There is no motion or tilt sensitivity. Instead, if you switch the TILT button to "L" on the CBA2.0, the function of the LEFT analog stick of the 360 will now replace the PS3 controller's tilt function instead of its own function. If you switch to "R", it will take the function of the PS3's tilt function. If you dont want the tilt function at all, leave it on "N". So if you have it set on "L" or "R", you lose the original function of the analog stick.

    The CBA 2.0 allows you to swap buttons. You can swap the A, B, X, Y, RB, LB, RT, LT, RC, LC, START, BACK and Directional Pad. An example is to switch the A and B button. Press the "S" button and the LED indicator will light up, then press the B button and the indicator will stop blinking. When you press the A button, the light of the LED indicator will turn off. This means the swapping procedure is complete and the B button now has the function of the A. If you want the A button to have the function of the B, simply repeat the steps above but change buttons.

    To get back the original button settings, simply press the "S" button and the LED indicator will light up. Press the A button and the indicator will start to blink. Press the A button again and the light indicator will turn off.

    To swap analog sticks, press the "S" button and the indicator will light up. Press any direction of the RIGHT analog stick and the indicator will turn off. To get back the original function, just repeat the steps. The easiest way to get back all the original functions is to press and hold the "S" button for 3 seconds. The LED indicator will blink quickly and all functions will be set back to their original function.


    Here is a video of the Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 working on the new PS3 Slim:

    With the lit XCM logo and "S" button indicator, swapping/remapping buttons and confirmation is much easier to notice. Like the Cross Battle Adapter PLUS, rumble is also available on 2.0.

    Conclusion : Overall, the XCM Cross Battle Adapter 2.0 is a big improvement over the original Cross Battle Adapter (we didnt have the chance to review CBA PLUS since the only difference was that it had rumble available). However, I dont know how much of a use the tilt feature will come in handy. I didnt use it much considering I'm use to using the analog stick. For others they may prefer it. The swapping of buttons is a great addition which gives gamers the ability to configure button layouts to their liking. Unfortunately, you still need to use a wired controller. When I mean wired, I dont mean a wireless controller with the USB cable attached to it. This the only drawback to the Cross Battle Adapter 2.0.

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    by Published on January 1st, 2011 16:56
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    PlayStation 3 Wireless QWERTY Keypad
    Manufacturer: Sony
    Site: Buy from GoldenShop
    Price: $49.00


    Overview : The Wireless keypad for the PLAYSTATION®3 system provides the freedom of easy to use texting and mouse input capabilities, all while maintaining full gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. This Bluetooth® device attaches to any DUALSHOCK®3 or SIXAXIS™ wireless controller and enables effortless internet browsing, e-mailing and instant messaging on the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Home. The unique touch pad feature allows for convenient scrolling and mouse input on the PS3™ system on-screen display. Dedicated short cut keys provide instant access to ‘Message Box’ and other online communication applications on the PlayStation®Network.

    By integrating all these features in a sleek and elegant design, Sony Computer Entertainment, plans to further enhance online interactivity on the PLAYSTATION®3 system.

    Features :
    • QWERTY keypad designed for fast, thumbs-only typing.
    • Touch pad mode turns the main key area into a touch pad. When touch pad button is pressed, user can not use the keys for character input but can slide her finger on this area to select something on the screen. On the internet browser, user can see a cursor when this mode is set on.
    • Dedicated short cut keys provide instant access to text-based communication applications on the PLAYSTATION Network.
    • Automatic pairing with the PS3 system via a USB cable.
    • Charges by connecting it directly to the PS3 system using a USB cable.

    Technical Specifications
    • Bluetooth® 2.0
    • Up to 33 feet (10 meters) operating range
    • USB 2.0 full speed (for battery charging and Bluetooth® pairing only)
    • Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer battery (Capacity – 610mAh)

    Quality/Usability : With new generation consoles and online play, theres voice/text chat. But what if you dont have a headset with microphone, let alone wanting to hearing immature people/kids smack talk or their squeaky voice. How about now wanting to suffer selecting each letter with the d-pad or on-screen keyboard? Yes, you can connect a USB keyboard to the PS3 but it so big and requires you to put your controller down. Like the Xbox 360 Chatpad, Sony has released their own QWERTY keypad for the Sony PlayStation 3.

    The keypad is small, lightweight and fits over the Dual Shock or SIXAXIS controller and is held in place with a spring-loaded clap. On the face of the keypad are your typical QWERTY keypads as well as ESC, TAB, CAPS, SPACEBAR, BACK, ENTER, etc. Also on the keypad is SELECT, START and PS button. But some additional buttons that make it easier for gamers is the ability to view messages and friends list with their own dedicated buttons. With these two dedicated buttons, it cuts down on time and hassle of having to navigate through menus after pressing the PS button. Another nice feature is the touch sensitive keypad allowing gamers to swipe across the keypad surface. But the keypads themselves are a bit small and will require some getting use to.

    The keypad has its own battery and does not run off the Dual Shock or SIXAXIS power. So this requires a Mini-USB to charge the battery.

    To use the touchpad, you simply press the button that looks like a pointing finger cursor and the enter keypad becomes a touchpad. The idea is to sweep your finger over the buttons to navigate the XMB or web browser. The concept is nice but fails at what it does due to lack of a smooth surface.

    Conclusion : Overall, the PlayStation 3 Wireless QWERTY Keypad makes typing a lot easier. However, they keypads are a tad bit small and the touch sensitive keypad isn't as responsive as I would like it to be. Another feature I hoped that they had incorporated was taking power from the controller rather than having its own rechargeable battery. This means another item needs to be charged. Is it worth the $50? Depends on if you're a heavy texter. It would look more eye catching if the MSRP was the same as MS Chatpad ($30).

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    by Published on January 1st, 2011 16:56
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    PlayStation 3 Eye USB 2.0 Camera
    Manufacturer: Sony
    Site: Buy from ConsoleSource
    Price: $44.95


    Overview : Revolutionize your interactive gaming and online communication experience with the PLAYSTATION®Eye USB camera. The PLAYSTATION®Eye has the ability to reduce background noise and focus on the spoken word for smoother, more accurate speech recognition and transfer. The fast frame rate allows for improved tracking and responsiveness for pristine video quality. The PLAYSTATION®Eye is also engineered to perform well in low-light conditions and includes a dual action lens for close-up and full body options.

    EyeCreate™ Software

    EyeCreate is the first video editing software for the PLAYSTATION®3. Using EyeCreate™ and the PLAYSTATION®Eye camera, you can capture video, audio and even photos which can then be edited into a movie. An extensive list of special effects such as Color Filters, Distortions, Art Filters and Motion Trails can give your video a professional touch. There are even advanced features such as Time Lapse and Stop Motion to experiment with. Once you're done creating and editing your masterpiece, Export it to watch it on the Video folder of the XMB. EyeCreate™ will let you express yourself and get creative!

    Features :
    • Built-in 4 microphone array
    • Chat with up to 6 people at once
    • Ultra fast frame rate of 120 frames per second ensures pristine video quality
    • Engineered to work well in low light conditions
    • Includes free EyeCreate Software download

    Quality/Usability : The PlayStation 3 Eye USB 2.0 Camera is the successor of Sony's popular EyeToy for the PlayStation 2. The PS3 Eye is not only available by itself, it also comes with The Eye of Judgment collectible card game. This review will be based only on the camera.

    The PlayStation Eye works exactly like its predecessor, EyeToy. Setup is easy. Just plug it into the PS3 via USB. Upon setting up the PlayStation Eye, you can preview what the Eye is looking at by simply going to "Camera Device Settings" than "Accessory Settings". This will show you what the Eye sees and you can change between 50hz or 60hz.

    Above the lens are 4 microphones underneath the mesh grill. These microphones can detect where the voice is coming from. Underneath the microphones are two LEDs. The red LED on the left shows that the Eye is in use. The blue LED on the right shows that it is plugged and powered on.

    What's nice about the Eye is that there is ZOOM as well as an auto-focus. You do not have to manually twist the lens in order to focus on the picture. It does it for you without you touching it. However, there are two settings on the lens where you will have to twist the lens for normal distance and ZOOM.

    Since I no longer own a EyeToy, I can not compare the both side by side but the quality of the image on the Eye is pretty good. Not clear and crisp as you would find on a camera/video camera but better than your cellphone video and webcams.

    The PS Eye comes with a EyeCreate editing software. It allows you to save photos, videos, and audio clips onto your PS3 hard drive. Once you have saved your images, you can add visual effects to it.

    Videos can be recorded as big as 640×480 (up to 60fps) in video-capture mode. It can record as low as 320x240 (up to 120fps). Videos are saved in MPEG4 format.

    Video chatting worked great and looked sharp. Depending on connection, you will notice a image lag but the audio doesnt lag/skip.

    Conclusion : Overall, PlayStation 3 Eye USB 2.0 Camera works great and will come in handy when games and the PS3 finally takes advantage of it. As mentioned The Eye of Judgement takes full advantage of the PS Eye. Burnout Paradise only takes advantage of it for the license pictures. There is a lot of potential for the Eye especially when HOME comes out. Hopefully more games will also take advantage of the Eye as well.

    Too bad there is only one ZOOM. So if you're sitting far away from your TV, the Eye will be capturing a lot of the background as well as your surroundings instead of just majority of you.

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    by Published on January 1st, 2011 16:56
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    PS3 Controller Power Charge Stand
    Manufacturer: Dragonplus
    Site: Buy from Goldenshop
    Price: $7.00


    Overview :

    Features :
    • High quality 3rd party product.
    • Quick charge function with any USB socket - e.g. PSX3, computer, etc...
    • Fully compatible with the PSX3 wireless controller.
    • Easy to fix the controller on to the stand and easy to eject it by pressing the button.
    • 2 Power Charge Stand can be fixed together easily.

    Quality/Usability : The Controller Power Charger Stand charges your PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS controller. Aesthetically, the stand looks bland and plain. So as long it does its job that's all it matter...but does it?

    The charger stand recharges the SIXAXIS by connecting to any USB port whether it be the PS3 or on your computer/laptop. There is no ON/OFF switch but the moment you plug your SIXAXIS into the stand, it starts charging. Right above the USB plug that inserts into the SIXAXIS is a "mirror" This allows you to see the LED light on the controller. On the top of the charger stand is a button. This button helps push the controller off the stand.

    With the SIXAXIS placed into the charger stand, it takes about 2-3 hours for the controller to be fully charged which allows you approximately 30 hours of gameplay on a single charge.

    Conclusion : Overall, the PS3 Controller Power Charge Stand does its job by recharging the Li-ion batteries on the SIXAXIS. The use of the button to help push the SIXAXIS off the USB plug seems pointless to me as you can easily just pull the controller out. The ability to also attach another PS3 Controller Charge Stand back to back is nice but you'll have to plug the second stand into another USB port.

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