PlayStation 4 reveal tomorrow – What can we expect?

Tomorrow marks a very important day in the world of video games. Sony are hosting a PlayStation meeting, only the third in 10 years. The last two were to announce the PS3 and then in 2011 the NGP (now called the PS Vita). The 20th February 2013 will certainly be the announcement of the next home PlayStation console.

This will almost certainly be called the PlayStation 4, or maybe just PS4. Forget names like Orbis that have been knocking around, Sony aren’t going to drop probably the best known name in games. So what else can we expect?

Controller
There will be a new controller. Prototypes that have been leaked already show a light bar in between the triggers which use PlayStation Move technology, a multi-touch pad (possibly even a screen) in between the PlayStation and direction buttons, a speaker (or microphone) and even a socket at the base most likely for headphones. There also appears to be amended triggers and analogue sticks which should be more comfortable. How much of this actually makes it in to the final version is still a guessing game as Sony did announce the “boomerang” controller for the PS3 which was swiftly dropped after negative feedback. This time Sony themselves may even have aided the leaks in order to get a feel for gamers and press reaction before officially showing it off. What is certain is that the touch pad and Move will feature somewhere.

PlayStation Move
Sony spent a lot of money developing this (and the EyeToy before it) so a evolution of Move will be coming. It’s widely expect that The PlayStation Eye will be upgraded to something closer to Kinects abilities but the Move will still feature as well. This could be in the main controller but I would be surprised if the Move controller was dropped completely, it was probably the most comfortable controller ever made. What I also expect is that you won’t be able to buy a PS4 without some sort of Move accessory being included in the box. Forcing it into the hands of gamers means more games can use it with the vastly bigger pool of potential sales.

Backwards Compatibility
PS1 games and maybe even PS2 games will be backwards compatible. PS3 games are unlikely to be, on disc anyway. I would be keen to see two models released, one with and one without PS3 compatibility. There would be a cost involved in this as essentially the PS3 innards would need to be in the PS4 as well. The most likely outcome is the ability to stream PS3 games straight to the console. This leads us on the what will potentially be ground breaking in the console world

Gaikai
This is the cloud gaming company Sony bought not long ago (the main rival to On Live). This is be included somewhere in the PS4. With PS3 games it is possible that inserting the disc will allow you to play the game through online cloud streaming. The other possibility is that a subscription will allow you access to games streamed to your console. How they manage what games you can play and how much it will cost will be a big question. I can’t see them opening up every PS3 game for a fixed monthly price, but it maybe how you access all your PS3 PlayStation Plus games if they won’t run on the PS4 directly. What would shock everyone if the PS4 was essentially a just streaming box, it would probably back fire. It’s just too soon for that.

PlayStation Plus
This isn’t going anywhere. Gaikai could be a PlayStation Plus Premium service. With the value already offered I can’t see Sony being able to include it for free. Plus really has been a great idea from Sony and something Microsoft and Nintendo haven’t managed to match. This isn’t even something you’re find on Andoird, iOS or Steam. This, with Gaikai, puts a PS4 ahead of the competition early doors.

PS Vita
The Vita has been flagging a little bit, mainly due to third-party support, so any chance to give it a boost should be taken. Firstly this can done by expanding the LBP Vita connectivity into other games and taking a leaf out of the Wii U book. It could also bring Gaikai to the Vita as well. It maybe we see new Vita games and a price cut. I’m hoping there is some truly innovative stuff involving the PS4 and Vita working together. Cross-play could be a big player too.

Games
This is the bit that really matters. You can have the best console ever made but without the games it’s worthless. So these are the games we could see unveiled for the first time, I don’t expect all of them but any game reveal is probably in this list somewhere.

Killzone 4 – this is coming and we made see it for the first time tomorrow. Some sort of link the Mercenaries for the Vita (out in September is also possible)
A new racing game – from the creators of Motorstorm a new racer is in the works. Motorstorm will be given a rest and the the WipEout team now gone Sony need a new racer for launch. Gran Turismo will probably have some small tech demo to download but a full release is unlikely to be in the launch window.
LittleBigPlanet – It’s well-known another game is in the works but not at its original developer Media Molecule. Where do they go from LBP 2? Who knows but the suggestion I read about a LittleBigUniverse game sounds promising and in Sackboy Sony finally have a mascot that can survive a generation change.
Agent – there will be a surprise or two tomorrow. This would be right up there. The GTA creators PlayStation exclusive hasn’t been heard of for years. Tomorrow would really be a good time to show something
The Last Guardian – a game in danger of becoming the vapor ware has been tipped for a while to have been moved to the PS4. Development issues have prevented its PS3 completion. The improved PS4 hardware could help see this game finally finished.
Ratchet & Clank – Insomniac delivered Resistance at launch and Ratchet a few months later on the PS3. As they’ve move on from Resistance a Ratchet game looks likely. Q-Force was surely just a stop-gap so the engine could be upgraded for the PS4
Resistance – it’s not with Insomniac any more but surely Sony has someone at work on it
Destiny – wouldn’t Sony love to show something exclusive for the PS4 from Halo developers Bungie. We know it’s coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 but with code on their website pointing to next-gen and Vita releases something Vita/PS4 specific could be a focal point for an announcement
David Cage game – the man behind Heavy Rain apparently already knows his next few games and with Beyond expected to be released this year on the PS3 Quantic Dream could well be at work on a PS4 game. As they have registered the website for Singularity it maybe in preparation for a reveal
Suckerpunch new IP – the makers of Infamous and Sly Cooper are working on something new and new exciting IP are needed for a new console so they may have something to show
Infamous 3 – did Cole die at the end or is there a new story to tell? Someone somewhere must be working on a follow-up to the popular IP.
Sports Champions 3 – if Move is still important then there must be some Move games. The Sport Champions series has been the best for Move so expect a third installment
Wonderbook – more from wonderbook, probably from Disney. We know they’ve signed up and it looks like Toy Story and the Muppets are on their way
EyePet on the Move – EyePet isn’t on the Vita yet so a Move/Vita PS4 combination would be a family focused opportunity
Ready at Dawn new IP – the team behind the PSP God of War games have something of their own up their sleeves
Uncharted 4 – a Vita launch title and much-loved by everyone. Naughty Dog have two teams now so what is the one not making The Last of Us doing? Uncharted 4 surely.

There are still more I could list; the resurrection of old IP like Syphon Filter, new exclusives like Kingdom Hearts 3, changes of platform from PS3 like FFXIII Verses or even taking exclusives from others like an Alan Wake sequel and more new IP. Don’t forget the usual crowd as well; Call of Duty, Fifa, Assassin’s Creed and already announced new IP in Star Wars 1313 and Watch Dogs. I’m also hoping for those games Sony put on hold a while back, like The Getaway and 8 Days, come back. I may be asking a lot there. What is certain is that Sony have a lot of developers, established IP and new IP that if the PS4 is done right they will be hard to stop no mater how many tablets and phones people buy. Let’s not forget the PS3 isn’t dead yet and God of War Ascension, Beyond, Last of Us, Sly Cooper 4, Diggs Nightcrawler, Rain, puppeteer and Unitl Dawn are all due on out exclusively this year.

2013 Games – What to look out for

Getting hyped up for some games for me is like getting hyped up about a new McDonald’s opening. The building might look slightly different and it might be in a different location but nothing has really changed. You like the odd dip in but really if anything better was on offer you’d go for that. That’s why certain games don’t appear in this list. I’m sure they’ll sell loads but these are also the games killing the industry as more clever and inventive games suffer. Rant over. In no particular order here are my top games expected in 2013.

1. The last of us (PS3)

It’s Naughty Dog, famed for the PS1 Crash Bandicoot games, PS2 Jak and Daxter games and the Uncharted games on the PS3. They don’t really do bad games and this is their first stab at a fully adult title. They do good story telling, voice acting and motion capture and are the reason why Nolan North (Drake) is now a household name to those with any real focus on gaming. The last of us is set in a world torn apart by a deadly outbreak. Visually it looks like the recent TV series Revolution. The action is gritty. You use what you can to survive. This maybe the last swan song for the PS3 and there’s no one better to leave it to.

2. Beyond: Two souls (PS3)

…apart from maybe Quantic Dream. They don’t make games like anyone else; they’ve almost carved out a genre for themselves. The interactive movie. They love emotion and, like Naught Dog, storytelling. Their last game, Heavy Rain, was almost an experiment and though it wasn’t perfect it engaged with people because it was different. This time they’ve got some heavy weight actors involved, in the lead role is Ellen Page (Juno, Inception). The game looks like a supernatural thriller, much of which is a closely guarded secret but if their recent tech demo (Kara) is anything to go by they could be about to pull off something special. At the very least you’ll need to give this a go.

3. Tomb Raider (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

The queen, or now former queen of games is back. Reboots don’t always go well but since Uncharted enter the scene Lara has seen very outdated and the flaws in the games have been drastically exposed. This is Lara before she became the Lara we’ve known for so long. Yes, this has been tried before with Tomb Raider but Crystal Dynamics have gone down a different rough. What appears to be a late teens/early 20’s Lara becomes ship wrecked and survival is very much a key aspect. This really is a new Lara and a new Tomb Raider. The original trailer blew everyone away, partly due to low expectations but even over a year on this looks like a possible game of the year though I’ve already mentioned two strong contenders.

4. Rain (PSN/PS3)

The PlayStation Network has been home to some real gems in recent years. Games that most developers and platforms wouldn’t risk. 2012’s Journey and Unfinished Swan being two perfect examples. This year a trailer was shown for a new game, Rain. An invisible boy who can only be seen through the footprints, splashes and rain. Visually the game will have a look and feel like very few before it. Where this all leads to in the game is unknown at present as little information is about but the general concept makes this look like a game well worth keeping an eye on.

5. Killzone Mercenary (Vita)

Hopefully this will be third time lucky with first person shooters on the Vita. With the control layout the Vita should be the portable console of choice but you hear people talk about a 5 month development period for something like COD: Declassified you can see why the games aren’t up to scratch. This is different though, the developer (one of the best in the business) behind the main trilogy is working on this. The focus seems to be on being pick up and play, you’ll get to play on both sides as well. Imagine Unit 13 in first person mode with Helghast and you’ll have a good idea. The PSP game wasn’t bad so hopefully the Vita one will be as good as the move from the PSP to Vita versions of Assassins Creed. Unfortunately it work so well for Resistance with the PSP game probably the best in the series.

6. Tearaway (Vita)

This isn’t just the only big new IP we know about for the Vita next year but it’s also the new IP from Media Molecule. Their first non-Sackboy game. There are lots of reasons to be hopefully, it appears to have the charm of LBP (though not of Sackboy but how can you match that). LBP focused on fabric and an array of materials, tearaway is all about paper. We still don’t know too much but there are three easy reasons to be interested and excited. New IP, Vita exclusive, Media Molecule.

7. Star Wars 1313 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Star Wars without the force and possible without Jedi. When you say it like that it sounds awful but then there aren’t a great deal of good Star Wars games. In 1313 you play a bounty hunter and play in the dark world in between the Jedi and the Sith. This game won’t be so held back by Star Wars continuity issues and can forge its own saga which can only be a good thing. This game won’t stop us wanting Battlefront 3 to be finished and released though.

8. Remember Me (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Remember Me is a new IP, which seems to a rarity for anyone outside of a Sony exclusive this late in the console cycle. Capcom are behind the action adventure where you play an elite memory hunter who can break into people’s minds and steal or alter memories. You character has her memory wiped and you must rediscover her identity. Sounds good to me.

9. Until Dawn (PS3)

It seems like every year we say that could be the game for Move. We’ll this is one of two in my list. This is basically a teen horror film turned into a game, but a game that very much knows what it is and isn’t taking itself too seriously. This could be your Final Destination sort of horror, jumps and laughs. This game is genuinely intriguing and it’s with a developer that knows their way around a move controller. I would expect this to be a 15+ so this certainly won’t be a kids game, but I doubt it’ll be Dead Space either. The game follows a group of teenagers who plan to stay in a cabin in the woods and then things start to go bump in the night and people end up dead. Simples.

10. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3, Vita)

This really should have been out in 2012. I don’t know if the release window was too packed or there was some last-minute tweaking to be done as they could have (like Ratchet & Clank) released one version pre-Christmas and one post. This is the first new Sly since the PS2 and comes with the Vita version bundled with it. You can even use the Vita as a tool for investigating in the PS3 version. It’s a classic Sly Cooper platform game and a nice break from only having Ratchet & Clank every year (even though they are decent games). The game in games is probably what makes this most interesting, the developer has changed since Suckerpunch have moved onto Infamous but by all accounts the new guys in charge have done a good job.

11. Diggs Nightcrawler (PS3/Wonderbook)

Wonderbook isn’t just a kids toy for Harry Potter fans, there is lots of content around the corner including Disney and Walking with dinosaurs but this is the one that stands out at the moment. It’s a comic noir detective game using Move and Wonderbook. It’s written by Oscar winners Moonbot and is potential the perfect game to play with kids. There seems to be a point click adventure element to the game, in my head I’m picturing Lucas Arts doing Wonderbook Monkey Island (that would be great), it’s not quite that but this could be something quite unique and fun in 2013.

12. Mirrors Edge 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)

We’ve been waiting for the return of Faith for some time. This year there seemed to be some signs of Mirrors Edge 2 actually being in development. With several years passing since the last (back when Dead Space 1 released) hopefully a few lessons have been learned. The first was fresh and the gap may have preserved some of that but we’re hoping for it to reach the next level and develop the story arc. A first person game where you’re encouraged not to use guns is completely against the industry standard and much like the rest of the games in the list manages to stand out from the crowd.

13. Thief 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

I’m really hoping this is out in 2013. I loved the thief games, a great balance of stealth and attack through different ages where you could take out lights with a water arrow and the need to hide dead bodies so not to be detected. I’m don’t think Metal Gear Solid even got close to this level of stealth and with such a long gap since 3 I’m eager to get my hands on a new game.

14. Watch Dogs (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Watch Dogs was the talk of E3 in 2012. It’s a third person open world game where cities are controlled by computers. Think iRobot crossed with GTA and Assassins Creed and you’ve probably got a good idea. There is still a feeling that this is a next gen game and could launch with new consoles in 2013. Of course this may not even make 2013.

15. Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey New N’ Tasty (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

It’s new Oddworld, or possible a reimagined Abe’s Odyssey. Either way it’ll be great to see Abe strutting his stuff again. Oddworld fell away from much of the public by going exclusive to the original Xbox which struggled to capture a big audience compared to the 150 million selling PS2. Abe made his name on the PS1 and by the look of the recent HD upgrades we could be looking at another classic Abe adventure.

10 games that make you want a PlayStation Vita

The Vita is release on 22nd February in the UK, here’s a list of the 10 games that should make you want one. These are the games that separate the Vita from it competitors (3DS, iPhone, Androids), some are exclusive, some just benefit from PS3 controller type controls that other devices don’t offer.

First up the launch games:

Uncharted: Golden Abyss – Uncharted games are the Indiana Jones that never were. Great plot, great characters, great acting and great gameplay. Uncharted 1-3 on the PS3 are some of the best games of all time. Who wouldn’t want a handheld version of that.

Modnation Racers: Road Trip – Forget Mario Kart, Modnation racers brings you all that joy with a stunning track, kart and character creator. This is the Modnation game the PSP wished it had. Playing against PS3 competitors and sharing tracks between the two consoles is the icing on the cake.

Motorstorm RC: Many claim that Gran Turismo was the best racer on the original PlayStation. I disagree, it was Micro Machines V3. Take that, merge it with all three Motorstorm games and you have Motorstorm RC. It’s a top down RC racer with the Motorstorm grunt. Even better is that you can buy one version and play it on bother the PS3 and Vita. We want more of that.

Escape Plan: This is the first of the new IP for the Vita. It has a distinct black and white style. You have two characters (Lil and Laarg) which you can switch between in order to help each other escape. It sounds simple of enough but every report on this games is suggesting this will be the game to own at launch.

Unit 13 – From the makers of SOCOM and MAG comes a new tactical third-person shooter. With their reputation this will be a cracker.

Reality Fighters – This may seem like an odd choice but it is a game that standouts from the crowd. Take pictures of yourself and friends with the on board camera. Dress the up and using the built-in cameras you characters will appear on the surface in front of you. Then you let battle commence. The game can bring in other elements as well for a crazy table top battle.

These games don’t have release dates yet but they should be early release:

Resistance Burning Skies – It’s a shooter on a portable with two analogue sticks. This is the first of many games that will benefit from being of the first handheld with two sticks. The the Resistance feel we already love with the proper controls. There may be slightly fewer enemies on screen but the scale of enemies is still there.

LittleBigPlanet – This is apparently bigger than LBP2 on the PS3. It’s the first version that uses touch controls (from and back) and has the full PS3 feature set that the PSP version missed out on. This isn’t a port either, this is an entirely new game, new levels but same Sackboy mayhem.

OddWorld: Strangers Wrath – If you don’t remember the Odd world games then look them up. This may just be an re-release of an Xbox game but Strangers Wrath should not be ignored. The original Oddworld games have already seen re-releases and have been big sellers. To see a game that hasn’t graced a PlayStation before released is brilliant.

Ruin – It’s a dungeon based game (think Diablo) but can be played on both the Vita and PS3 and share save files between the two. This game has already picked up a cult following and they’ve even announced its official name yet.

It’s worth pointing out that only OddWorld: Strangers Wrath isn’t a Sony game. We still don’t know much about the other games at release, the lineup is truly spectacular. Here are some of the other launch games:
F1
WipEout 2048
Little Deviants
Everybody’s Golf
Hustle Kings
Top Darts
Putty Squad Vita

If that wasn’t enough for you these game are also in development though details are thin on the ground.
Bioshock
Call of Duty
Assassin’s Creed
Fifa
Killzone
Metal Gear Solid Collection
Super Monkey Ball

Don’t forget you can play digital versions of you PSP, PlayStation 1 and PlayStation Mini games on the Vita as well. That means I personally already have over 100 games for a console that hasn’t even launched yet! Bring it on.

PSP highlights in games

This December the PSP will finally be replaced by the PlayStation Vita, well in Japan at least. In the UK this is the last Christmas before the Vita is released so I thought it was fitting to list the top 10 games you should hopefully have found under your tree during the last 6 years of the PSPs life. In no particular order:

Lumines – the standout launch title, its the PSP’s equivalent of Tetris (which the PSP did get eventually). Sadly this never got a PSN release.
Resistance Retribution – take a FPS from the PSP, change it to a third person shooter and drop the main character and surprisingly you get a cracking portable game.
God of War: Chains of Olympus/Ghost of Sparta – it’s God of War on the PSP, it’s just like the PS2 and PS3 games and you still have Kratos. This is when the PSP was most like a portable PS2.
Echochrome – Odd little puzzle game based on optical illusions.
LittleBigPlanet – It’s the ultimate platform game with a decent set of creation tools available. Not quite up to the PS3 version but still the best example of a game creation tool on a portable device.
Patapon 1/2/3 – Weirdly addictive Japanese rhythm game where you command you Patapon by using rhythm.
Locoroco 1/2 – Another weird Japanese game that at its heart is just a platformer but Locoroco is like no other.
Crush – It’s a simple 2D platformer and a simple 3D platformer but the need to switch between the two to progress makes this far from simple.
Motorstorm Arctic Edge – It’s Motorstorm on ice. Great selection of tracks, vehicles and carnage.
Mercury – Another launch title, mixing liquid to create different colours and guide your mercury around the levels. Perfect portable game.

There are some games I left out intentionally (F1, Fifa, Lego) mainly because they tend to be yearly releases and as a result you always want the latest version so I didn’t feel the need to include them. There is also not a great deal of difference between each version. Some games like Final Fantasy Crisis Core, Monster Hunter and Syphon Filter, I haven’t actually played so I couldn’t possibly include them. Other big names like Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, GTA, Killzone and WipEout just didn’t make the list.

Next up, the 10 games that make you want a PlayStation Vita.

GameFest 2011: The Games Part 2

GameFest 2011: The Games Part 2

Here is the second half of my run down of games from Gamesfest. Move features highly and every game is a PS3 exclusive due out before Christmas.

Journey (PS3)

I didn’t even spot Journey was there initially, it was only on my third walk around the PlayStation area that I stumbled upon it. I picked it up already in the middle of the level with no idea what the controls were or what I should be doing. The vast open area seemed a bit daunting without any direction but I soon picked it up. The graphics were some of the best I’ve seen and the way your character glides through the air and sand is amazing. The premise seemed simply enough on the levels I played. The game certainly has the feel of a sequel to Flower.

Shadow of the Colossus HD (PS3)

I missed out on Ico and Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2 so I was quite keen to try at least one of them out with the HD re-release out very soon. The controls are very Japanese, triangle for jump rather than X is an example. Graphically is still looks like a PS2 game rather than a PS3 one but the controls are slick. The 3D was a little disappointing, there appeared to be layers of 3D as though everything was made from cardboard cut outs (the Sony 3D glasses also struggled to fit over the glasses I usually wear). This still looks well worth picking up as the combined release will sell for under £30.

Resistance 3 (PS3)

I already have Resistance 3 at home rented from Lovefilm; it may seem strange I still played some of the single player. My main reason wasn’t the game but the controller. I’ve played a little with the Dual Shock 3 at home but I’ve mainly used the Move controllers. At Gamefest I was able to try out Move using the Sharp Shooter add-on. Having already played the level before I was able to get a good idea of how good it is. It took a little getting used to, working out where some of the buttons were, but once you get the hand of it the Sharp Shooter is brilliant. Letting the gun lean into your body helps with accuracy. The reload buttons are nicely placed for quick re-load (on both side of the control so it will work for right and left hand people). It’s adjustable so you can it get as comfortable as possible. At £35 it is still a little pricey but it may be the only way to play future FPS.

Uncharted 3 (PS3)

I was a little disappointed that only the multiplayer was available. I’m not much of a multiplayer person, especially on shooters. Uncharted 3 played exactly as you’d expect. I couldn’t really fault it but I did keep feeling like this really isn’t the point of Uncharted. It’s the characterisation, plot and puzzles that make it such a great game. The multiplayer has none of this.

DanceStar Party (PS3)

Following on from SingStar Dance, DanceStar Party comes as its own full game with a redesigned menu system and especially designed videos and animations during songs. This feels like a proper game rather than an add-on. It doesn’t try and reinvent the wheel; it’s a solid dance game using the Move controller. How much you’ll enjoy it really depends on whether you like the song list, there wasn’t much for me personally.

Medieval Moves: Deadman’s Quest (PS3)

With the absence of Sorcery we have had to rely on Medieval Moves for our Christmas Move game this year. It’s been created but the team behind Sports Champions; you can quickly see how they’ve brought in the gladiator duelling, frisbee toss and archery in to this game. It’s an on the rails game but don’t let that put you off, the action is fast paced and plays a lot better than the E3 demonstration suggested. It’s not the system seller Move needs but it’s not a bad game and it seems to have a bit of meat to it.

3000 Trophies & Counting (Platinums)

3000 Trophies & Counting (Platinums)

Trophies went live on the PlayStation 3 on 2nd July 2008. It’s taken me just over 3 years but I have just reached the 3000 trophy milestone (about 80 a month or 2 1/2 a day). My first trophy was 3 years ago “First Treasure” on Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Going through all 3000 is taken quite some time so I thought I’d just start with the Platinums to begin with (if you didn’t know, these are the trophies you received for getting every other trophy on the basic version of a full release game – some download games also have them).

1. Ashes Cricket – Simple, enjoyable cricket game
2. Buzz Quiz TV- Buzz has always been a favourite in my house by I ended up with some of these trophies by accident due to a game glitch
3. CSI: Fatal Conspiracy – a christmas present in 2010, not an awful detective game based on the TV show but should have been so much better (merge it with LA Noire and you’ve really got a game)
4. Dante’s Inferno – from the Dead Space developers, based on The Divine Comedy. It’s a God and War style button smasher. Great at the time but not in the same league as God of War III.
5. Fifa 09 – This took many hours. Having an online section disabled by EA almost made this impossible but it was earned in the end
6. Hannah Montana The Movie – one of my first and it only took 4 hours. Not a bad game if you’re 5 and like Hannah Montana, not so great for me
7. Heavy Rain – one of my favourite games. I really enjoyed Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain with it’s great plot and multiple endings was a pleasure to play over and over again.
8. Infamous – one of the first platinum I was really proud to have earned. It required two play throughs but spread over enough time both were enjoyable.
9. Lego Harry Potter: Year 1-4 – I love Lego games. Each one takes about 30 hours to platinum but that makes it great value for money
10. Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – the PS3 Lego game with trophies, not as good as the first Lego Indy
11. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean – a return to Lego form, I had to play this careful so I had enough time to see the fourth film before playing the game.
12. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars – having not seen the TV series the levels meant less to me than other Lego games but the RTS elements were an interesting change
13. Mini Ninjas – silly little platformer but has plenty of charm
14. Prison Break – this didn’t keep to the TV series as much as I would have liked. It had good elements in the game but fell short of capturing what made the series great
15. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time – the third PS3 Ratchet game but the first with trophies. A great excuse to play more Ratchet and Clank
16. Sly Cooper 1 – an HD upgrade of the PS2 classic. I missed out on it on the PS2 but the HD collection was a great christmas present
17. Sly Cooper 2 – A nice upgrade from the first game, very good to see number in the works
18. Terminator Salvation – the game was just ok, a bit of a slog at times and the story telling wasn’t great but neither was the film
19. Toy Story 3 – one of the surprises of this generation. The Toy Box mode was brilliant and the story levels carefully chosen.
20. Trivial Pursuit – just like the board game and a bit disappointing
21. Up – not in the same league as Toy Story 3 but a decent enough game for kids.
22. Cars 2 – Rather the following the movie the game takes many aspects of the film and creates a cross between Mario Kart and Need for Speed. A very enjoyable 3D split screen racer with the added fun of the Cars characters.
23. LA Noire – I wasn’t actually trying to get the platinum for this but I got so close while playing the game I thought I may as well. The detective nature of the game was something I really enjoyed.
24. International Cricket 2010 – The last Platinum, this is the follow-up the Ashes cricket game.

There were a couple of games that glitched on me preventing me getting the platinum. EyePet didn’t store all the costumes when installing the Move add-on and Assassin’s Creed II glitch when I found all the glyphs but the trophy didn’t pop up.  I tried for ages on Batman Arkham Asylum but in the end just couldn’t do the very last challenge,

By the time I actually finished writing this I’ve almost picked up number 25. Phineas and Ferb is a very short game that keeps some of the charm of the TV show, it a very large number of hidden trophies.

GameFest 2011: The Games Part 1

GameFest 2011: The Games Part 1

There were queues of 3 or more hours for games like Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Syrim, Assassin’s Creed etc… which I duly decided to skip. That didn’t stop game getting to play some of the best new games out this year at GameFest 2011 at the NEC in Birmingham. Here are the first 6.

Ratchet & Clank: All for one (PS3)

Despite downloading the beta this was my first trial of All for One. I was playing the game in two player mode (with my Dad who has little R&C experience). Despite adding multiplayer for the first time this was a typical Ratchet & Clank experience. There were a few good uses of co-op swinging action to traverse the course and the controls were as solid as ever. I assume this was an early build as the characters didn’t look quite as sharp as previous titles. The only thing I didn’t like too much was that the characters were a little too small on the screen; this was primarily due to having to accommodate extra players.

Fifa 12 (PS3) – also available on all consoles

The version of Fifa 12 they had available in the PlayStation area was the demo currently available for download on the PSN store. I sat down with one of my brothers for a game. I had the edge having already tried the demo and the new defending moves. Fifa has improved in just about every area but as usually you’ll need to fine tune your ability to some subtle changes. Getting the ball of players is a little harder than before but it is always harder to score one you get near the box. A few weeks of play will probably change that.

Disney Universe (Xbox 360) – also available on PS3 and Wii

We sat down to watch a 30 minute presentation about the game which unveiled a few levels not previously announced (we spotted Aladdin and Hercules). Afterwards we got a chance to go hands on. I actually had two plays (my wife had three; even my Dad had someone to one tuition for the game). Disney Universe is basically a proper 3D platform version of LittleBigPlanet minus Sackboy and only Disney costumes and worlds. That isn’t a bad thing. The levels are a mix of co-op and verses, both at the same time. You need everyone to work together to progress but every level is a competition for top score (scoring points for kills, collecting coins etc…). With it being Disney it has quirky elements, how much you enjoy it may also depend on how much Disney you know. It is certainly a great four player family game.

The Adventures Of Tin tin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (PS3)

I’m not certain whether every level is the same but in my brief time playing Tin tin it was limit to just a side scrolling platformer. The controls were crisp, as were the visuals but the actual game lacked that a spark. I did get to try some combat and some stealth takedowns, both were satisfying. The game shows promise but what I saw didn’t show quite enough.

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Wii)

This was probably my worst experience of the day. They appear to have turned Spyro into a vehicle to sell toys rather than video games but this is unlikely to meet anywhere near Pokemon levels. We played Spyro on the Wii which wasn’t great from a visual or gameplay stand point (Xbox 360 and PS3 both looked better on-screen but we didn’t get a chance to go hands on). In front of the console was a circular stand where you placed Sypro characters. You require one of these to be on the disc to play and I overheard a rep say that using new toys will provide the user with new levels. An interesting take on DLC but the game felt very tired and old. There was a lack of sign posting which we had no idea where to go. The level we were playing seemed to suggest that this won’t be an open world 3D platformer as every route was down a narrow path which limited any real feel of exploration. Spyro hasn’t been same since it left Insomniac and this doesn’t look like a return to form.

Sonic Generation (3DS and PS3) – also available on Xbox 360 and Wii

I first started off playing this on the 3DS (only my 2nd experience with 3DS). This was much better than when I played Ridge Racer. Being a platform meant that I found it easier to keep the console in the right place for the 3D; the 3D was actually pretty decent and it’s the first time I’ve seen the real benefit in a handheld. The downside was that the size of the screen meant the game suffered. The graphics looked great as you go through the various iterations of Sonic but you had to squint to see it all. That’s a fault of the console not the game but Sonic did seem a little small on the screen. The PS3 version has even more impressive graphics and if it gets 3D included (which would be amazing) then it would be the ultimate experience for the game. The only issue with the game is that it does feel like we’ve been here too often before. If you haven’t already bought Sonic then this is a great addition to your collection.

I’ve started but I won’t finish (PS3)

I’ve started but I won’t finish

I play at lot of games and as a result games I want to play more come along when I haven’t already finished the ones I’ve got. Some I know I will go back to at some stage but there are many that will be forever unfinished. Here’s the best of the them.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4

Metal Gear Solid is seen as a great series and I’ve enjoyed most of what I’ve played but MGS4 just has too many cut scenes which are far too long. I seemed to spend more time watching than playing. Once that stops you then end up with boss fight after boss fight. It became boring. MGS is meant to be a stealth game at its heart but that barely appears anywhere in the game.

2. Grand Theft Auto IV

For me GTA stopped being fun after number 2. It’s all got too serious and too generic. The characters are ridiculously unbelievable and the story not interesting enough. The missions are also incredibly repetitive. I seem to spend most of my time driving around, which is boring. I won’t be buying GTA V, like I didn’t buy the GTA IV add-ons, unless there are some serious changes.

3. Haze

The game isn’t as bad as the reviews say and the co-op (4 player over two consoles and two screens) is actually really good fun. The problem is that I’ve had it too long and not finished it and now have too many newer games I’ve not started. A trophy patch may have persuaded me but I can’t see that happening.

4. Bioshock

I liked Bioshock but when I got it I was a gamer that didn’t finish many games. I got half way through and moved on to the next game. Since then I have played and finished Bioshock 2 and tried to go back to Bioshock. The problem is that the controls and options available in Bioshcok 2 are better than the first one. Going back to it makes the game feel like there is something missing. It has made the game feel a little more like a slog than it should.

5. Dark Sector

Not a bad game but it was only really a game I bought as nothing else was out, it was within the first 12 months of the PS3’s release and not much was out. The game has elements that I like but having not played it in over 3 years it has fallen well down the pecking order. The lack of trophies hasn’t helped either.

6. Assassin’s Creed

Another game that lacks trophies but this suffers in other areas too. The premise is good but there is too much walking and the game is very slow and repetitive. AC II and Brotherhood are better (though Brotherhood needs more locations to visit rather than just one city). I’ve finished the other two as well. I can’t see myself going back to the first game as I’m already so far a long with ‘ and the new games are that much better.

7. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2

I’ll be honest, I haven’t even started the single player of Vegas 2. I bought the game to play online against my brother as he enjoyed it a lot. I don’t have much interest in the game so it’ll probably never get played again.

8. Fallout 3

Fallout 3 was a Christmas present, there weren’t that many decent games about at the time so I thought I’d play it even though it’s not my sort of game. I never did. The disc has never been used. Maybe one day I’ll try it but it looks more and more unlikely.

9. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy

I liked the game when I first played it but by the time I got it other games have out done it by a long way. A trophy patch may have talked me into going back to it but I still have Dead Space 2 which I haven’t started. I’d rather play that instead.

10. PSN Games

I don’t know why but I never seem to finish PSN games. When I’m looking for what to play I always seem to go to the discs first. There are over 50 PSN games and other 50 minis on my PS3 and only a hand full (like Sam and Max) have been finished. It’s not like I don’t enjoy them I just don’t play them or I’m short of time. Having Playstation Plus means I’m gaining about 4 new games a month. That’s more PSN games than I finish in a month. The list will forever get longer and longer.

The greatest games I’ve never played

The greatest games I’ve never played (in no particular order)

1. Halo

I have actually played Halo but only for about 10 minutes years ago on a demo Xbox in HMV. My short time playing wasn’t that enjoyable. The world felt a bit sparse and I couldn’t get comfortable with the bulky controller. Not owning an Xbox (or Xbox 360) or really knowing anyone that does has meant I never played any Halo game since. Not being a massive FPS fan I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Now Timesplitters, that’s a real FPS.

2. Resident Evil 4

The Resident Evil franchise is massive. I’ve played some of (but never finished) RE 1 & 2 and I own 3 and even Code Veronica but never got around to RE4. My brother kept pushing it in my direction as he had it on the Wii. I didn’t have a Wii then so I didn’t play it. By the time I did have one I already had Dead Space (which is brilliant) and had tried Re5 which felt archaic compared to Dead Space. That put me off Resident Evil games completely. I still enjoy the films but Re5 isn’t awful but Dead Space has set the bar so high it’ll take a big change for RE6 to bring me back.

3. Gears of War

Of all the games in the list this is probably the one I most want to play. The simple reason why I haven’t is that I don’t have an Xbox and one game (or one series of games) isn’t enough reason to buy a console.

4. Monster Hunter

This series is massive in Japan, especially on the PSP. I love the PSP but Monster Hunter has never appealed to me. I think it may partly be down to the fact that when it became big I had gone off Resident Evil and that had put me off Capcom games a lot. Nothing about it jumped out at me and with more and more PS3 games being release there was no place for Monster Hunter.

5. Zelda

Many people love Nintendo. Many people love RPGs. I’m not either. Zelda is not the right genre to appeal to me and by the time I had a console to play Zelda games on they all seemed a bit old and tired. The constant re-releasing of the same Zelda games on each Nintendo console has also put me off. New IP Nintendo, make some new IP!

6. World of Warcraft

An online only game, subscriptions and micro-transactions. Nothing of this appealed to me. I’m not a big online gamer. DC Universe is really my only adventure in the world of MMO’s but I tended to go off by myself rather than engage with other players. It also only appealed to me because of the DC Characters. Adding to that is the fact I don’t really have a PC capable of playing many games anymore so this is a no go for me.

7. Oddworld Munch’s Odyssee/Stranger’s Wrath

I love the Oddworld games but when they cancelled the PS2 games and went Xbox only there was little chance of my playing them. Luckily they being touched up and released on the Playstation Network soon so these will be two games I can scrub off this list. Woo hoo!

8. Ico / Shadow of the Colossus

I wasn’t too up on the top PS2 games despite buying one at launch, as a result I missed some of top PS2 games like Sly Cooper and God of War (which I’ve got on their HD re-release for the PS3) and two games from the Team Ico developers, ICO and Shadow of the Colossus. I have no idea if these games would even be my sort of game but they are a lot of fans and appear to be very story driven (not your mindless FPS goons). These games are also getting HD re-releases this year so this maybe another that can be crossed off the list sooner rather than later.

9. Mass Effect

Mass Effect follows one of the constant themes of this blog post, games are either Xbox or RPG. This covers both, though games isn’t a Final Fantasy style RPG and is no longer an Xbox exclusive. This game is probably one I’ve got closest to playing, I even got around to downloading the demo and it’s still on my PS3. The problem I’m finding is that there is always something else to play.

10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare / Black Ops

As I’ve already said, I’m not an online gamer and I’m not much of a FPS fan. Call of Duty was never going to be up my street. I have actually played one game of Modern Warfare at Play.com Live on a local network. The map was generic and bland and the Xbox 360 controls didn’t help. On the same day I played Haze which, despite not being as polished or as highly regarded, I enjoyed far more. I rented the follow-up (World at War), the single player was ok but forgettable (not up their with the likes of Killzone or Resistance: Fall of Man). At that point I decided not to play Call of Duty again. Six months later Modern Warfare 2 was released. At the time I was very involved with video games and start writing for a website shortly afterwards. With the big press hype about one particular level I felt I had to play to have an opinion. I picked it up at launch for £25. I wish I hadn’t. It was worse than World at War, the controversial lesson was over hyped and not even good to play. i haven’t gone back to Call of Duty since.

Wii U, Not For Me

The Wii has just turned 4 and a half but we already looking at its successor being released in around 12 months time. We know a fair bit about the console but there area a number of reasons why I won’t and most others should leave it well alone.

If you haven’t seen the Wii U it is basically an Xbox 360 with a (rumoured to be) 50% more “power”. All the big hitters are likely to be release (Assassin’s Creed, Batman, Call of Duty etc…) and all will be in glorious HD (more likely than 1080p rather than the usual 720p (though most won’t spot the difference. That does mean Zelda, Mario and Donkey Kong HD. The main difference with the Wii U is the controller, it is basically a dual shock controller with a touch screen in the center (not that much smaller than an iPad). The Wii U can stream images to the screen and even allow you to play games in the house on your controller without the need for a TV. It’s very much like the remote play feature on the PSP for access PS3 games.

The big downside is that at present only one of these controllers can be used with the Wii U. The idea that you could play Call of Duty and all have a separate screen is out of the window. Your best chance of that is probably the PlayStation Vita. The next downside is that these controllers aren’t “portable”. They need to remain in close proximity to the main console. On the plus side you will be able to use classic and Wii motion plus controllers on the console. It is also backwards compatible.

So why no love for the Wii U?

Well lets look at the multi-platform titles first. Developers (and more importantly publishers) don’t want noticeable difference between formats, if one is superior then the other one doesn’t sell. That will see the Wii U dumbed down. There are the obvious issues with only one of the new controllers being able to be used. Many developers will shoe horn in touch screen tablet controls but it’s more cost-effective to focus on the generic controls that every console has.

The exclusives, personally I’m not a Mario fan, my platforming history is bedded in Rainbow Islands, Jetpack, Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted. RPGs aren’t my genre, so Zelda is out. Mario Kart is great but Modnation Racers offers so much more and adds the PS Vita connectivity. Also, apart from Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort etc… where are the new IP from Nintendo. How many times can you re-release Zelda, Mario, Mario Bros etc… It’s simply not good enough. Without great new IP why should I bother with a new controller with functionality I could get from other combinations.

Then there is the cost. The Wii U will cost at least £50 but more likely £100 more than the PS3 and there maybe be an even bigger gap between it and the 360, with those you get either a blu-ray player or DVD player, multiple media possibilities, TV streaming, Lovefilm, BBC iPlayer or Sky and so much more. None of which is available with the Wii U. It seems like Nintendo want us to pay more for less.

The final issue is the timing. Unless Sony or Microsoft find a need to release a new console all the extra “power” the Wii U has can only be harness by Nintendo, but they’ve not had the games to need it for a long time. The chance ares that the next Xbox and PlayStation won’t be released for another 3 years and by that time the Wii U will seem like very old technology (possibly with a successor only 2 years away).

Simply put, if you have a PS3 or Xbox there is no point in the Wii U. If you only have a Wii U, you’re better off (and will save money) buying a PS3 or 360 which will offer you more. Nintendo have just got it all wrong. If you’re looking for a new console then I would really like to point you to the PlayStation Vita, but that is for another day.