The PS3 general game topic.

[Cuddly Knife]

You know the drill.

To start us off, I present Tekken Online:
Tekken Online
Namco updates Dark Resurrection with online play.
by IGN Staff

June 13, 2007 - Bandai Namco will be re-releasing an updated version of Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection for download via the PlayStation Store, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals. The game will add support for online combat and will be renamed Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection Online.

In addition to the online play, the game will add new practice and survival modes of play. Players will be able to show off their skills in an online ranking mode as well.

The update won't be free. Those who purchased the original offline game will be able to upgrade for 1,000 yen. Everyone else will be charged 2,800 yen for the download. After that initial fee, online play will be free.

A final release date for this update has yet to be announced.
Time to start saving my pennies... and re-upping my Tekken skillz. With this announcement comes pretty much the confirmation that Tekken 6 will be online.

I have a question about Tekken Dark. Is it like Tekken 4? I didn't like Tekken 4 one bit for some reason. IMO, Tag is the best, followed by 3. If Dark is like 4, then I won't care for it as much.

[Cuddly Knife]

Here's one that hasn't gotten away:Time Crisis 4 Preview
Lock and load your orange guns, it's shootin' time again.
by Chris Roper

June 14, 2007 - Light gun games have been around for some time, and easily one of the most successful and popular franchises in the genre is Time Crisis. Well Namco Bandai Games isn't leaving its latest title in the arcade as it's headed exclusively to the PlayStation 3 this fall. And of course, you can't have a new Time Crisis on a new platform without a new GunCon to play it with...

One of the biggest technical features that long-time fans of the series will love to hear is that Time Crisis 4 will be compatible with any display type. Be it a hefty CRT, a flat-panel LCD or plasma set, a rear-projection display or even a projector, Time Crisis 4 will work thanks to its new set up. Rather than having the GunCon take a snapshot of the screen, the GunCon 3 setup utilizes two sensors that you place atop your display and the gun then reads them to know where it's pointing. The sensors are small squares, maybe an inch or two in length on each side, that simply need to be aligned at the top of the set but not necessarily at the corners. So those of you with 120" projection screens need not worry.

The GunCon 3 itself has a bevy of new features, including the ability to sense forward and backward movement, along with a small amount of tilting. These movements will play a part in the some of the weapons, though specifics here are being kept under wraps as it sounds like some of the secret unlockable weapons will make the most use of it.

Aside from that, the GunCon 3 also features two analog sticks that you can use in Time Crisis 4's new FPS mode. Working like a real-deal first-person shooter, one stick will control your movement while the other will control the camera. You can then use the gun to shoot anything on-screen. Namco Bandai said that it hopes other developers will make use of this ability and implement it into their own shooters.

The analog sticks will also play a role in the main arcade-esque mode of the game where you'll use them to choose a path or even focus point from time to time. For instance, one section we saw had the player on his back and having to take out a massive amount of swarming beetle-like bugs. The player could swap between looking forward, left and right on the fly, and swapping between views was required to keep the thousands of bugs at bay.

It's getting wet in here.
It's getting wet in here.
This main mode looks to be very similar to what we've seen in past Time Crisis titles. Any of the buttons on the GunCon can be used to peek from behind your cover, and you simply move from spot to spot as you take out enemies. There are a couple new things to be seen here, such as the flashlight that you'll have attached to your gun during some levels. Using the gun's sensors, it points on the screen wherever you point your gun, allowing you to see in darker areas like the cave scenario we saw.

Aside from part of the game taking place in a cave and another being in an office building of some sort, Namco Bandai is being rather tight-lipped on story or setting details. We were told it had something to do with the government and bugs, but that's all we got out of the representative.

Time Crisis 4 is slated to hit store shelves this fall exclusively for the PlayStation 3. I was going to say in another thread that the Wii needs some Light-gun shooter, but this'll do just fine. I always did want to get the otehr Time Crisis games on the PS2, and still can, if someone recommends them well enough. Maybe I'll just go search out some previews...


...can Nintendo sue?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

A light gun game? I haven't played one of those since the Sega Master System/Nintendo days.

[Cuddly Knife]

I remember Virtua Cop kicking ass in the arcades, but I don't have fond memories of playing that game on the Dc with the controller. Other than that, I think the other gun game I remember is The Adventures of Bayou Billy for the NES.

[slade]

You know the drill.

To start us off, I present Tekken Online:

Time to start saving my pennies... and re-upping my Tekken skillz. With this announcement comes pretty much the confirmation that Tekken 6 will be online.

I have a question about Tekken Dark. Is it like Tekken 4? I didn't like Tekken 4 one bit for some reason. IMO, Tag is the best, followed by 3. If Dark is like 4, then I won't care for it as much.

Tekken 5 is like a much smoother Tekken 3. Everything they did in Tekken 4 was scrapped.

[Fivespot]

House of the Dead 3 is the last light gun game I played and it was on the XBOX. Dreamcast had HOD2 and a couple others (Virtua Cop via the Sega Smash Hits collection).

[slade]

The official site for Folksoul/Folklore has had a pretty substantial update. All worlds are introduced. More creatures revealed. All protagonists' different forms are shown.
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/folks/

They've also introduced two online features. 'Quest Download' allows paid download of side-stories/quests. 'Dungeon Trial' allows users to create their own maps and upload them for other players to try out.

[Glockstar]

Here's one that hasn't gotten away:I was going to say in another thread that the Wii needs some Light-gun shooter, but this'll do just fine. I always did want to get the otehr Time Crisis games on the PS2, and still can, if someone recommends them well enough. Maybe I'll just go search out some previews...


...can Nintendo sue?

Dude, that's big news. Much to big to just confine here in the PS3 Forum, you need to get the word out proper... post that article in General D... or maybe even in SW.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I have a question. Is the PSN sucking so bad because Sony is holding stuff back for the release of Home, or does PSN suck because Sony doesn't know what they are doing?

[Fivespot]

I suspect they're holding back until the release of home.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

That sucks. I already find Home uninteresting, so unless I see something specific that I want to download, I don't see myself using PSN a lot. I already check what's at the store online instead of wasting time doing it through the PS3.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

What games do you guys have for your PS3?

Current Collection:

Motorstorm
NHL 2K7
Spider-Man 3
MLB 07: The Show

Past Collection included:

Resistance - Online was overrated. Same as any other FPS. It wasn't bad, but not anything groundbreaking. I prefer real weapons over alien technology, anyway.
Madden 07 - Possibly last Madden game for a good while.
Genji - Three of the four characters sucked, and it hurt the overall value of the game for me.
Untold Legends - A created character option would have made this game better.

[Cuddly Knife]

Heavenly Sword demo!!

Heavenly Sword Demo This Week
Ninja Theory goes public with its PSN downloadable demo this Thursday, July 26.
by Rob Burman, IGN UK

UK, July 23, 2007 - Get ready to make a date with blade-wielding, red-headed warrior Nariko this week as Ninja Theory's long-awaited Heavenly Sword demo is set to arrive for download via PlayStation Network on Thursday, July 26.

According to Sony, the demo is the same as that shown during Sony's Gamer Day earlier this year. So, expect to guide Nariko across some dangerously high ropes in a QTE-style manner before diving into a series of vicious scraps atop a crumbling precipice and elsewhere. The demo should give you a taste of Heavenly Sword's genuinely stunning visuals, as well as some hands-on time with the game's impressive combat system.

This bite-sized chunk of Heavenly Sword should hit other territories around the same time as Europe, according to Sony. Nice. I'm thinking I should have me a PS3 by the end of this week, if all goes well. It would be hella-cool if I can score one and then DL this demo to make it my first true PS3 game impression(other than Motorstorm which was solid, and Dark Kingdom which blew nad), like I did when Ninja Gaiden was released for the Xbox.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure which game to start off with. Is there still a decent online community for Motorstorm? Does RFoM have offline multi-player?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I always felt Dark Kingdom wasn't (isn't a bad game). So far, the PS3 has no RPGs besides Oblivion, and I've dogged that on the 360. DK isn't the best, but I think it's more enjoyable than the Champs of Norath and Baldur's Gate games that were on the PS2.

As far as the Heavenly Sword demo, it's about freaking time. I always say I'll try not to play too much of a demo, but if I put in a lot of work on this one, I'll still get the full version in September. This is one of my top 5 games that I'm looking forward to.

It sucks that PSN only gets updates on Thursdays.

Not sure if the Motorstorm community is still big. It seems like it should be. I haven't played online with it in a long time, but with the growing number of PS3 owners here at VGR, I may be interested in a few laps one weekend.

I can't answer the RFoM question. I only played it online, and it wasn't bad. Nothing special, though, but not bad.

[Mochan]

I remember Virtua Cop kicking ass in the arcades, but I don't have fond memories of playing that game on the Dc with the controller. Other than that, I think the other gun game I remember is The Adventures of Bayou Billy for the NES.

Bayou Billy wasn't a gungame, maybe you were thinking of something else? Like Operation Wolf or something. Me believe it or not I still play Vampire Night on PS2 with my Desert Eagle.

BTW, Tekken Dark isn't like Tekken 4, it's Tekken 5. Tekken 5 is basically like Tekken 3 but with more characters (along with the new Dark characters)

[folken001]

Saw the trailer for White Knight Story's last night and it is going to be a exciting title, imo.

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/07/24/white-knight-story-trailer-is-full-of-jrpg-goodness/

Has anyone tried Sigma yet? Is it me or this game is a bit easier now? I am on chapter 8. I do think DMC is a little better and putting demons and ninjas together just make me laugh.....

[folken001]

Heavenly Sword demo!!

Nice. I'm thinking I should have me a PS3 by the end of this week, if all goes well. It would be hella-cool if I can score one and then DL this demo to make it my first true PS3 game impression(other than Motorstorm which was solid, and Dark Kingdom which blew nad), like I did when Ninja Gaiden was released for the Xbox.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure which game to start off with. Is there still a decent online community for Motorstorm? Does RFoM have offline multi-player?

RFoM has offline co-ops. It's not bad. The only problem is though when you play co-ops on higher difficulties, the game throws so many enemies at you, you'd experience more than enough slow downs. That's kinda lame imo.

[Cuddly Knife]

Does the PS3 HDD come pre-loaded with anything? A movie, demos, or game vids?

[Fivespot]

No, it doesn't.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I saw an earlier trailer of White Knight Story, and it doesn't interest me. There's just somethings about JRPGs that makes me not want to play them.

Sony would have been good to have some game videos on the PS3's HDD, but it's absolutely bare.

[Cuddly Knife]

So when Sony gets rid of the PS2 chip, does that mean the PS3 will go the way of the 360 and use up some of the hdd space to hold emulation for the PS2 and PS1 games? WIll PS1 games still be able to work on the PS3 when this happens?

[Fivespot]

Not really sure but I think it might be emulation through storage on the HDD. The current consoles obviously have the full b/c chipsets so you can run the old games with no hassle. And a couple system updates ago Sony fixed the previously horrible video upconversion and now the old games have new life as the resolutions are sharper and look damn good in HD. GOW2 looks markedly better than on the PS2 for example.

[Cuddly Knife]

Ah, so maybe Gadfly wasn't just being fanboyed out when he said a comment the PS2 games on the PS3 looked better than 360 launch games.

But if that is the case, Gad, then they also look better than PS3 launch games, because Dark Kingdom looked like a PS2 game to the max.

[PapaSmurf]

Thank god for being able to download demos. The last couple PC games I've bought I definitely tried out on demo and just fell in love. Demo's allow me to play games I normally wouldn't have bought. For instance the Amored Core 4 demo is where it's at. I'm definitely planning on making that purchase. I'm about to try out the Ninja Gaiden demo and see how that runs.

Motorstorm is actually quite a bit of fun and it looks amazing but I don't know if I can force myself to let out 60$ on a game that appears not to have too much depth. I've tried RFoM at my friends and I don't know if that's worth 60 bones either. The story seems interesting, but it seems like an average shooter. That might be a rental. Dynasty Warriors Gundam looks interesting, but I'm not a big fan of those type of action games, though I do love mecha!

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I picked up Armored Core 4 earlier this year, and it was one of the worst buys I made this year. I think I'm done with that franchise.

I'm sure Motorstorm, as well as AC4, should either drop in price soon or show up on sale (again) at some point.

[Gadfly2317]

Ah, so maybe Gadfly wasn't just being fanboyed out when he said a comment the PS2 games on the PS3 looked better than 360 launch games.

But if that is the case, Gad, then they also look better than PS3 launch games, because Dark Kingdom looked like a PS2 game to the max.

I was just reporting what my eyes saw.

I'm prone to enthusiasm sometimes, especially when its a new toy, but I really don't see where Waco got off calling me a fanboy spewing "non-specific" statements. The upscaling of Ps2 games was just one of many SPECIFIC things I cited as to why I'm so happy with the Ps3. It's a great system, and I just can't even comprehend a gamer and a fan of technology cheering for it to fail.

TMG seems to be the main one actually seeming to wish failure on the Ps3, but he's kind of a warmongering red-neck more than a gamer anyway. He doesn't game, he just lives out his war fantasies on the 360.

[Gadfly2317]

Thank god for being able to download demos. The last couple PC games I've bought I definitely tried out on demo and just fell in love. Demo's allow me to play games I normally wouldn't have bought. For instance the Amored Core 4 demo is where it's at. I'm definitely planning on making that purchase. I'm about to try out the Ninja Gaiden demo and see how that runs.

Motorstorm is actually quite a bit of fun and it looks amazing but I don't know if I can force myself to let out 60$ on a game that appears not to have too much depth. I've tried RFoM at my friends and I don't know if that's worth 60 bones either. The story seems interesting, but it seems like an average shooter. That might be a rental. Dynasty Warriors Gundam looks interesting, but I'm not a big fan of those type of action games, though I do love mecha!

The demo's a cool, and I'm really enjoying the smaller games too. Nintendo is missing a huge opportunity the longer it continues to delay these features so it can keep selling its old stuff.

Motorstorm is worth $60 to me. Amazing looking, and the kind of fun that for me means replay. It's the kind of game I can return to and it will be fun again. The tracks are not many, but they are incredibly long and varied in their paths. A "Time Attack Mode" was just made available for download, for free. And a new track or tracks are on the way.

[Cuddly Knife]

Loco Roco PS3. Here's a link to some in-game off-creen footage:

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/07/27/locoroco-cocoreccho-first-footage-found/

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Congrats on your PS3, Cuddly.

Know what games you're looking forward to between now and the end of the year for the system?

[Cuddly Knife]

Yeah, the usual. Heavenly Sword, Lair if it reviews well, and a few PS Store games. I also will end up buying RFoM next, and then we'll see where Lair takes us to determine what's after.

I also will dab in Home, and if all things work like they promise, then I might reconsider getting multi-plat games for my PS3 for the Video achieves. Right now, it's about the 360 achievements.

[Cuddly Knife]

"Folklore(Review)

by Dave McCarthy
Game Info:

Publisher:
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Developer:
Game Republic

Japanese Import

My mum was once the Rose of Cork. My dad taught Donal Lenihan how to play rugby. That's apropos of nothing other than to establish my credentials for reviewing a game set in Ireland (or Oirland as it's more commonly known in the videogame voice-acting community, with Folklore no exception).

But since we're talking about my mum, when she was a little girl, she used to play in the fairy rings around her grandmother's house - and Irish fairy rings aren't patches of mushrooms like they are in this country, but ancient burial mounds that are also the homes of faeries and the entrance to their magical realms.

And it's this world - the world of Celtic folklore and make-believe - that forms the starting point for Folklore. Except, since it's been developed under the guidance of Yoshiki Okamoto (of Onimusha, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil fame), it's got a vividly Japanese twist. One thing that is authentically Irish, though, is that it starts, as so many good Irish adventures do, down the pub. Taking on the role of either Keats, a writer for an occult magazine, or Ellen, a girl in search of her mother, you'll find yourself in the village of Lemrick, where the living meet the dead.

Which is a rather grandiose way of saying that you'll find yourself engaged in a pretty conventional adventure game: go round the village, talk to people, discover clues and so on and so forth. It's pretty boring, even when you discover that by night the pub is peopled with an amiable assortment of banshees and spirits and monsters listening to Danny Boy on the radio. But eventually your investigations lead you to the Fairy World, which is where the action really starts.

That action consists of proceeding along a fairly linear path, punctuated occasionally by safe areas where you can talk to the fairies if you so choose, or save the game, or go through a portal that returns you to places you've previously explored. Outside those safe areas, you'll spend your time fighting with fairies and spirits. The catch is that you use your Sixaxis to catch the souls of those spirits, and then you'll use those souls to fight other spirits.

The combat system allows you to map each newly acquired soul to one of the four face buttons, which you then press to use those souls to attack other folk. When they're reeling from your attacks you reel them in by holding R1 and shaking the Sixaxis. Then you're free to map your newly acquired soul to one of the face buttons and so on.

Clearly, then, there's also a gotta-catch-'em all sort of thing going on here, as well as the bland adventuring and pretty standard dungeon crawling. But like those two parts of the game, the Pokémon-lite mechanic doesn't quite work. That's because all of the attacks enabled by captured folk souls are pretty similar. One or two allow you to block, or provide ranged/aerial attacks, but the vast majority are simply variations on the standard attack. If it weren't for the fact that some folk are only vulnerable to certain other folk, you'd never really need to swap them over - and the fact that some folk are only vulnerable to certain other folk feels a bit like a contrived way of providing an incentive to catch 'em all.

Certainly you wouldn't want to swap them over otherwise, because when you do, it gets confusing trying to remember which folk you've got mapped to which face button. But the real drawback with the controls is the whole Sixaxis thing. Indeed, with Sony publishing the game itself, it's difficult not to see Folklore as little more than a contrived attempt to build a game mechanic around the controller, which is a shame because the Sixaxis dynamic is frequently annoying, occasionally imprecise, and utterly tedious when you get to some of the tougher folk, because they require even more shaking than usual.

And so Folklore turns out to be one part boring adventure game, one part underdeveloped collect-em up, and one part standard dungeon crawl. The only aspect of the game that rises above the mundane is its technical polish and the vibrant creativity with which its imaginary worlds have been created - the vivid luminescence of the Fairy World, or the scratchy, Ian Miller-esque authenticity of the War World for example. Apart from that, it's totally average (and in case you're thinking of importing: if you don't read kanji you'll need a translator or to wait for the US/UK version, because the occasional - impressive - cut-scenes are the only bits in English).

5/10"

[PapaSmurf]

This game was the first and only trailers I've deleted from my PS3. I mean just from the trailers the game looked horrible boring.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I saw the trailer from PSN. Not as good as the one I got from gametrailers.com (I'm starting to pimp them accidentally nowadays), and it was longer and show way more gameplay. It pretty much got me interested in the title. If I can find it, I'll post the direct link.

As far as the review, I don't trust Eurogamer. Basically, they suck. They can give every game I'm looking forward to a 5/10 or lower, and I still wouldn't care for their opinions.

[Cuddly Knife]

Yeah, I knew someone here didn't like Eurogamer, but I wasn't sure who. Maybe I was just getting it mixed up with how much TLW likes them.

The Six-Axis motion controls are still making me hate on the system more than it should, because for almost all of the functions that are used for it, they can be mapped to a regular button, and it would be more effective. Kind of bugs me.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I don't think devs have really put a lot of effort into making good use of the Sixaxis so far. Most of the 3rd party devs will probably continue to use gimmicky stuff, so it will be up to the 1st party devs and exclusive game devs to do something with it.

I do like the fact that in most (if not all) games, you can turn the motion sensing off. Nascar, NCAA, Motorstorm are just a few that I've turned it off completely. College Hoops 2K7 (which was at Circuit City for $16.99) uses the Sixaxis for shooting freethrows, which actually feels pretty good after bricking the first three I tried.

One of the most surprising thing I've found about Folklore is the fact that you can choose which of the two characters you want to play as. That's rare in a Japanese-developed game. They usually give you some lame main character, while some of the NPC (or sidekick in JRPGS) are better designed characters. I hope there's a demo of Folklore coming to US PSN soon. I believe there's already one for the Japanese PSN.

[Cuddly Knife]

Why do I have to install everything after I DL it? What's the purpose?

[PapaSmurf]

Why do I have to install everything after I DL it? What's the purpose?

So you can play it?

[Cuddly Knife]

Hell no. Nothing needs installing on the 360 or Wii. You DL it, then you play it.

[PapaSmurf]

Maybe the 360 and Wii include the installation process as part of the DL. Being a PC gamer and all I know any demo downloaded has to be installed so in dealing with the PS3 I just figured the same thing. I'm not shocked by this by any means. I don't know how the 360 and Wii processes work because I don't own them, but I can't imagine dling a file and not having to install it before actually playing it. How exactly does that work? I'll guess I'll go on and read about it.

[Cuddly Knife]

Yeah, I don't know sh!t about any of that stuff. I just play the games and leave it at that.

In other PS3 news:

PS3 Snags Rockstar Exclusive
New franchise from acclaimed developer making its debut on PlayStation 3.
by Rob Burman, IGN UK

UK, July 30, 2007 - A brand new Rockstar franchise is set to make its debut exclusively on PlayStation 3, with Sony claiming that the GTA developer wants to "make a game that you can truly only do on PS3, harnessing the power of CELL and Blu-ray disc".

Michael Shorrock, director of third party relations at SCEA, made the announcement on the the official PlayStation blog over the weekend. While details are scant right now, Shorrock did confirm that the news relates to a franchise different to the previously revealed interactive detective story L.A. Noire.

Shorrock continued, "We are announcing that a new franchise from Rockstar Games will be exclusive to PS3. As part of our long standing relationship with Rockstar, and the incredible success for both companies with the cultural icon that is Grand Theft Auto, we've agreed to the PlayStation exclusive rights of the next great franchise from the Rockstar studios."

While Shorrock was keen to note that GTA will continue its presence on Sony consoles, he added that he was "even more excited about what's to come from the current and future relationship between our companies".

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I always thought the operating systems had something to do with the PS3 (Unix/Linux or something) downloads needing to be installed, while the 360 (Windows) doesn't. It does suck when you get something downloaded, and still have to install it to play. Like you, Cud, I'm used to downloading stuff on the 360 and playing it immediately. I will say this, though. As long as the downloads don't take as long as it did for me to get NG Sigma, then I can put up with it. I believe it took over 2 hrs to get Sigma, for some reason. I still didn't get it, had to cancel it, wake up before work and try again.

-

I wonder what kind of game this exclusive will be. I hope it isn't something along the lines of Manhunt or Bully. I didn't care for either of those games.

[folken001]

Those are the games Rockstar usually makes though. I am not a fan of them so this news hardly excites me.

Installation doesn't take long so it never really bothers me. One thing I don't like is that everytime In between switching games, my PS3 keeps on log me in and out. It's kinda stupid. Why can't I just stay logged in until I turn it off? Or is it something I am not doing right?

[Cuddly Knife]

Might be your internet disconnecting, because that happens to me also. The thing i love about the PS3 over the 360 is when you're DLing something and your internet disconnects, the PS3 will notice and restart the DL whenever your net connects again. If your net disconnects on the 360 when DLing, you have to sign back in to restart your DL.

[Fivespot]

Happens to me too. I don't think it has anything to do with internet but rather is how the PS3 operates.

[Gadfly2317]

Happens to me too. I don't think it has anything to do with internet but rather is how the PS3 operates.

The Wii and Ps3 both seem to give an error and disconnect occasionally; I think it happens when the your connection, or their server, times out.

I don't know if my experience is because I use wi-fi rather than wires.

[Fivespot]

I get those as well. This is different however. It just says that you're logged back in and give no errors.

[Cuddly Knife]

Heavenly Sword Date Set
Nariko slicing her way to the PS3 very soon.
by Chris Roper

August 3, 2007 - Get your blades sharpened as Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that Heavenly Sword will hit shelves on September 12th. Developed by Ninja Theory and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 3, the game is Sony's attempt at creating the equivalent of a summer blockbuster with extremely detailed cutscenes and action sequences that borrow style from martial arts films. Coolies.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Cool. Good to see a solid release date for Heavenly Sword.

[Cuddly Knife]

SLightly off-topic, but I didn't want to make a new thread for one Q.

Where do I go to check and see how much memory I have left on my HDD?

[Cuddly Knife]

Never mind, I found it. It's in system info. Duh!

[folken001]

Do you think Heavenly Sword is very stereotypical when it comes to Asian? My friends and I had a discussion and this came up. Most of them say you can so tell it's a group of white men who are making this game. lol

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I don't think so. Then again, I've only played the demo, seen videos of what ends up being in the demo, and the boss fight vs serpent lady.

Funny you mention that you can tell that the game is made by a group of white men. I was playing NG Sigma, and got to chapter 14, Rachel's level. Everytime she moves (and even when she doesn't), I can tell that a group of Japanese guys developed the game.

[Cuddly Knife]

Unreal Tournament to support PS3 mouse, keyboard
Aug 7, 2007 @ 12:59pm
Summary:
Epic president Mark Rein confirmed on Monday via a post on his company's website that Unreal Tournament 3 for PS3 would support mouse and keyboard controls in addition to Sixaxis.

Full Text:
Now you're playing with power!

"Yes we will have PS3 keyboard and mouse support in Unreal Tournament 3," Rein told inquiring gamers.

"We are doing it in a way that will be balanced without feeling 'gimped' for either side," he added, calming fears that much faster mouse and keyboard controls would cause an unfair advantage to those using slower, dual-anlog sticks.

"We'll also allow people to choose whether or not they want to allow mixed controller vs. keyboard/mouse games or not," Rein said before adding that Unreal Tournament 3 would not be coming to Xbox 360 until sometime next year.

Epic announced at E3 in early July that Unreal Tournament 3 would support online multiplayer and mod creation/play between both PS3 and PC owners. Damn. I might have to finally give the old mouse-and-keyboard combo a try and see what all the hubbub is about. *looks at Mochan and Ilnadmy*

[Mochan]

I don't know about Heavenly Sword, but remember Jade Empire? That game was sooo made by a group of white men. I think that's one of the reasons why I hated the game.

I've known for a long time that UT3 PS3 would have m/kb support, so I knew that if I got a PS3 and got this game, I would be ready to rumble. Cuddly, it will not be a skill you'll feel comfortable with overnight but if you work at it and keep at it I am confident you won't be able to go back to analog sticks for this game at least, unless they manage to finely balance the input types with some sort of aim assist. Unreal Tourney is one game where speed, precision and twitch skills are of paramount importance.

Man, it would be awesome if I lived in the same rough geographic area as you guys. Even if I got a PS3 to play UT3 you guys would hate me for bringing the ping latency up to 500.

[Ba Ba Blue]

Where abouts are you based Mochan?

Im guessing Asia some place?


Ba Ba.

[Mochan]

Yup in Asia. South East Asia to be exact. The Republic of the Philippines to be specific. I know if you tried gaming with the blokes here too you'd be getting pings in excess of 300 as well. Moya used to hit similar pings as I would on Bane's American servers.

[Cuddly Knife]

Ping?

[Mochan]

Sorry for the PC Geekspeak. Basically it's a tool that gauges the amount of time it takes for a data packet to travel from one point to another and back, in milliseconds. It's used in networking and that includes online gaming. For people playing on Live you probably never had to worry about it, and if you are an American playing on American servers only it will usually never be a problem.

In gaming terms it measures your latency, I think you guys are familiar with that term on Live? Or something to that effect. High latency/Ping rates means lag.

[Cuddly Knife]

Heavenly Sword audio takes up 10 gigs of space: http://www.developmag.com/tutorials/28/Heard-About-Heavenly-Sword
For Ninja Theory: Tom Colvin (lead audio); Nitin Sawhney (original music score); Dave Sullivan (senior sound designer); Play It By Ear (fole***y and cut scene sound design); Harvey Cotton (audio programming)

For SCEE Cambridge: Garry Taylor (audio management and cut scene mixing); Lee Banyard, Jeremy Taylor, Andrew Riley (additional sound design); Ed Colyer, Shepperton Studios (additional foley); Dan Bardino, John Broomhall, Kenneth Young, Dave Ranyard (additional audio production); Chip Bell (audio programming)

The Numbers:
10GB of sound FX, approximately three and a half hours of music, 4,500 lines of dialogue

With an epic story, epic game and an epic audio production, Heavenly Sword oozes high production values. Even before audio lead Tom Colvin’s personal two and a half year labour of love began, a belief in the power of sound had already been demonstrated by the team’s calling for potential signature sound designers to pitch – a practice more commonly associated with composers.

Colvin explains: “Al Zaleski’s demo work (at audio team Play It By Ear) stood head and shoulders above the others and his movie pedigree speaks for itself. To top that, he was great to work with. I’m really happy with the foley and combat sounds – all vitally important for a game so focused on graceful, agile, martial arts-style sword fighting.

“For me, sound is very ‘immediate’ to the player. Music has a well-established cultural language; sound is much less clearly delineated – but you can get straight to someone’s emotional responses with it – there’s little time for the brain to analyse. Sound is key in making this awesome weapon – the Heavenly Sword – come to life so you can sense its brooding power and almost hear it feeding off each kill.”

The game features a strong narrative exploring the interplay between heroine Nariko, her father, their clan subjugated by an evil king, and their guardianship of the Heavenly Sword, an historical weapon with the power to change their fate. Cut scenes play a vital role but with visual finessing continuing late into the project, the sheer scope of work was a challenge.

SCEE’s Garry Taylor elaborates: “There’s an hour and a half’s worth of cut scenes in eleven languages, so mixing alone was a massive undertaking. That’s why we ‘in-sourced’ all the dialogue mixing to our colleagues in Foster City, USA whilst I focused on the music and effects mix at our new Cambridge-based recording studio. I kept a close eye on continuity issues to avoid any jarring between in-game and cut scene sound – whether ambiences or relative levels or even matching FMOD’s surround positioning. Some cut scenes are very small segments replayed within complex branching structures so we ended up using three-frame audio overhangs at the top and tail to cross-fade on – it works a treat.”

According to Colvin respected music artist Nitin Sawhney was a clear choice as composer: “We wanted someone with a genuine grounding in Eastern culture who was equally at home with contemporary or classical forms, as well as being completely comfortable with the project’s technological setting. With his eclectic talents, Nitin was perfect and enjoyed the opportunity to create for a wide-ranging and diverse set of requirements.

“In-game, we work a lot with his mix stems (e.g. perc, strings, woodwind) bringing them together in response to game events and status. Several factors (e.g. threat level) are weighted and combined to determine the exact music replay – but it isn’t just a universal ‘cross-fade, catch-all’ approach. We make the engine observe the music forms to allow (say) long emotionally-charged vocal phrases to play out properly, rather than being faded out just because the game state’s changed. This allows the music flow to be maintained – it keeps the connection to the action, without compromising musical sense.”

Taylor and Colvin undertook an overall mixing phase during the development’s final stages, again deploying SCEE’s studio as the objective listening environment and using Ninja’s powerful run-time mixing tools. Explains Colvin: “We have the virtual equivalent of a ‘flying faders’ film mixing console with extensive hierarchical grouping and scene snapshots. ‘Live’ editing of audio at this stage is absolutely essential – not just volumes, but proximities, frequency fall-off – even the listener position…”

Taylor continues: “…and also not being afraid to strip things back if necessary. Sometimes when you stand back and take in the overall sound picture, you think - does that really need to be there? Never distract the player’s focus! The machine’s so powerful now – capable of handling so much audio, which is great – but as we all know when you’re mixing, sometimes ‘less is more’.”

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I tried out b/c (again) on the PS3, this time with The Punisher. I can tell this game was upscaled, and it looks pretty good. I didn't even have any problems with the game freezing on me when I "Quit Game". I need to put GoW 2 in and see how that looks, though I doubt I'll really get into it until I finish NG Sigma this month and play through Heavenly Sword in September.

[Cuddly Knife]

Ever since I got my shmancy new TV, I haven't even wanted to pop in a PS2 game on the PS3 to see how it looks. I'm gussing games will vary in looks, depending on the graphical style they are using. I bet Twisted Metal Black looks sweet.

[Cuddly Knife]

So I played a few PS2 games. The enhanced graphics don't impress me, and I think that's because PS2 graphics were already so limited in how they look that they can't be upped enough to make them look better. Maybe it's the shiny that's lacking that makes the games not as impressive, because my Xbox games on a high-def screen look great. About the only thing HD does for PS2 games is get rid of a number of jaggies, and still, it doesn't get rid of them of all. I was right though, Twisted Metal Black looks damn good, and so does Tekken Tag and Maximo.

Slade, have you seen the new trailer for DMC4? It shows cut-scenes of Nero kicking the crap out of Dante for a while. Looks painful.

[ilnadmy]

Yeah the DMC4 trailer looks pretty sweet. It seems there's a new lady on the scene whose shirt can barely contain her, but she seems like a baddy so chances are low that our boy Nero is going to score. He's not badass like Dante.

[Cuddly Knife]

Bah, Dante never scored with any of the other chicks in his games. Too busy playing with his sword.:D

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Dirt is now out for PS3. I forgot all about this game.

[Cuddly Knife]

Sorry, Papa, but I took your post from PSStore thread and am responing to it here, since it seems fitting.

NBA Live 08 Demo is sorry. Graphics are choppy and don't even look better than 2k7. The NBA game to beat this year will be NBA2k8 unless Sony themselves can match with their own NBA08 which should be better than Live 08, because Live 08 is just pathetic. EA, I'm not impressed with the next gen from youI like 2K7 more than Live 08, although it seems like hoop games haven't changed one bit since playing them on the PS2 early on. Except for the motion control for free-throws, which I enjoy.

In other words. Tried out the Folklore demo and I must say I was impressed because I came in with below par expecatations. I might actually buy it because it looks above par. I kind of liked it, too. More reminded me of a mystical Castlevania, but I've only played about ten minutes of it so far.

Stranglehold, is fun. Don't know if it will have enough content to make it worthy of a purchase, but them damn running up and sliding down strair rails blasting people away, that's definitely new.I thought the game was smooth, and will definitely buy it at some point, but right now, there are too many games. Too many games... I still can play the demo about 20 more times, and that after already playing it about 20+ times.

Warhawk, when I look at all you on my friends list playing games this seems to be the most popular one. Online only is really the only thing keeping me from buying this, but some good reviews from you guys and some guranteed play time with VGR guys would probably tide me over.IT's not just online, as you can play four players splitscreen offline, or you can LAN up for however many players, I think. I also posted some stuffs on Warhawk in the Warhawk thread.

Lair, I'm still very intrigued by this game. It's been years since I've rented a game. I hope to a heaven a demo comes out because I at least want to try this one out. From what I hear it's hit or miss depending on the gamers style.Yeah, unless a demo comes out for this one that convinces me to buy it day of play, it will most likely get overlooked because of the tidalwave of games that is hitting throughout the rest of the year.

Heavenly Sword, well the demo hooked me, likely purchase or rent. Again it's been years since I've rented a game because I don't like time constraints. Same here. Like I said in another thread, this game will probably be my first rental game.

Tony Hawk Demo - new demo just came out. Not much to it unless you're down for some old school kick flips. At least from what I saw.I played the demo of skate., then I played the demo of Hawk, and I was amazed at how skate. has evolved the genre, even more impressive is how they did it on their first attempt. This game has probably the sickest level design I've seen in any free-roam game. If you're even the slightest skateboarding fan, or if you just didn't like the style of skating presented from the Tony Hawk series, then I recommend you give this game a shot. It's worthy of your cash. And Papa, it's an EA game! This game so far is my GotY. Yep, sure is.

DiRt. From the demo I didn't find it as enjoyable as the Motorstorm demo. Of course I wasn't expecting a realistic sim. I'm all for realism, but for a game devoted to off road racing, when I buy a sim racer i need more than just off roading. I still stand by my statements that DiRT looks better than Motorstorm(it was me, Gad). It even plays better, IMO. For some reason, I really liked that game, and I think it's because it reminds me of the roads in my area. I feel like I'm cruising around in the Gila Wilderness in almost every track(just the ones where it's you vs the clock) I raced on DiRT. Mmmmmm.

[Gadfly2317]

I still stand by my statements that DiRT looks better than Motorstorm(it was me, Gad). It even plays better, IMO. For some reason, I really liked that game, and I think it's because it reminds me of the roads in my area. I feel like I'm cruising around in the Gila Wilderness in almost every track(just the ones where it's you vs the clock) I raced on DiRT. Mmmmmm.

Motorstorm looked better to me graphically, and I prefer the artistic style. The textures are just so freaking detailed in MS, and there are so many cool effects. DiRT looks more realistic; I'm a little overspent on gaming, and am playing so much right now I can't pick it up, and I'm wanting to see how the Sega Rally game turns out.

Regardless, DiRT looks gorgeous, and playing the demo left me wanting to play more. Its a really different type of racing experience than Motorstorm. Colin McCrae was one of the Xbox racers I liked a lot (along with Mercedez Benz World Racing and Project Gotham 2.)

I'm also just considering holding off and getting these games for 360; the Sony controller and lack of rumble and custom soundtrack just blows these games for me.

[ilnadmy]

Gad, you have a 360? Am I missing something here?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I disagree about the NBA Live 08 demo. I thought it was a huge improvement over Live 07, which sucked. Gameplay feels good, solid controls, good graphics, improved presentation. My main concern with the game is whether the franchise mode will allow for less than 82 game seasons. I don't care for simming/playing all of those games. I prefer 29 game seasons like in the last gen versions.

I can't play the NBA 2K/College Hoops 2K games anymore. They just feel outdated, IMO. Graphics look last gen, the game engine feels like the same one used in NBA 2K for the dreamcast, and with the shot stick taking the place of crossover/freestyle moves, I don't think the games controls very well anymore. The only thing good about the series is the presentation, which has always been good.

[Cuddly Knife]

GOWIII
God of War III officially PS3-bound
Confirming Cory Barlog's exit from its Santa Monica studio, SCEA announces Kratos is indeed coming to its next-gen console.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Nov 6, 2007 6:29 pm PT

In March, Sony Computer Entertainment America held a lavish launch party in San Francisco for God of War II. In the course of the celebrations, Cory Barlog, the game's outspoken director, dropped some none-too-subtle hints that the series would be coming to the PlayStation 3 along with force feedback.

"If we were to do a God of War III on the PS3," Barlog told the enthusiastic crowd. "We're excited about the potential--maybe, no commitment, no announcement or anything like that--to maybe have [God of War hero] Kratos in 1080p with the Sixaxis and vibration. Vibration is coming back to the PS3, that's pretty cool, huh?"

At the time of Barlog's outburst, SCEA reps would comment on neither a rumble-enabled Sixaxis nor God of War III coming to the PS3. Now, less than two months after the Dual Shock 3 was unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, Sony has officially confirmed that God of War III is indeed in development exclusively for the PS3 at SCEA's Santa Monica studio. It provided no further details on the game.

Unfortunately, the God of War III announcement was tempered by some bittersweet news. SCEA has confirmed Barlog himself no longer works at the company's Santa Monica studio. "We are grateful for his work and creative vision for the critically acclaimed God of War franchise," the company said in a brief statement in which it expressed faith in the remaining members of the GOWIII and God of War: Chains of Olympus teams.

Barlog's departure remains shrouded in mystery. So far, he has shared no information about his future plans on his personal blog, where he last posted in mid-October. His exit comes just under four months after God of War series creative director, David Jaffe announced he was leaving SCEA's employ after 14 years. Jaffe maintains close ties with Sony, and his indie studio Eat Sleep Play's first project is a PS2 port of the PSP game Twisted Metal: Head On.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Cool. It will be nice to get a next-gen GOW game. I have yet to beat GOW II. It's kind of hard to look at the game on my tv while running it on my PS2 (I'm spoiled on 720p/1080i).

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I notice a Gran Turismo V1.2 available. It appears to be just an update, but for some reason, it feels fun. I wrote Gran Turismo off (after playing Forza 2, I was pretty much done with sim racing), but now I may have to reconsider. I just hope it's easier to unlock cars in the new GT.

I must get a hold of a Lotus Elise early in the game.

[Fivespot]

Call of Duty 4 online has been a frustrating experience when played on the PS3. Apparently the developer didn't anticipate as many sales and as much online multiplayer activity and therefore didn't prepare for it at least with respect to the PS3 version.

It's actually worse than Shadowrun with respect to wait times trying to connect to a match. There are no lobbies either so you're at the mercy of whomever the game/server decides to match you with. You simply choose the type of match and then wait. And wait. And wait.

I really want to invest more time in the online multiplayer but it's starting to become a drag just trying to find a match. There was an apparent fix made this morning but I've yet to try and see if there is any improvement (not a patch to the software, a server side upgrade).

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I didn't enjoy Call of Duty 4 (360) online. I wasn't expecting much, since I really got it for the single player campaign. I played a couple of matches with some experts, and was nothing but target practice for a while. I did get my skills up and was handling myself, but it wasn't something I was going to go back to, unless I get the urge to start gamerpoint hunting or something.

[folken001]

I had the same problem as Fivespot. Takes forever to get a match.

But, like RBH, I don't really care for online. I bought the game for single player. I haven't touched the game ever since I beat it the 2nd time.

[Fivespot]

I'm also experiencing lots of drops when playing or in trying to find a match. About to test with a hard connection hoping it improves things. I wonder if I need to change something in the PS3's network settings or something to prevent drops.

[Fivespot]

In follow up to my latest posts re: COD4.

I decided to hard wire my PS3 via ethernet cable ditching my former usage of it's wifi capabilities. I have experienced too many drops lately and couldn't seem to find any better way to resolve the situation.

In addition Infinity Ward released server fixes this week to COD4 which apparently fixed the waiting for matches issue and so far so good. Played the most matches ever last night and all ran smoothly.

The combination of both my hardwiring the PS3 and their fixing the COD4 servers seems to be the magical combination I needed. Just in time for the weekend too.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Five, are you getting a (hopefully 'roid free) baseball game this year?

If I get one, it will be MLB 2K8. I like The Show, but I really want 2K8 to be good. The only thing really missing was the pitcher's view for batting and pitching. If this year's version has it, then I'll pick it up.

The Show's batting cursor and the inability to play/sim less than 162 games in a Franchise were disappointing, and I have a feeling those will be in the '08 version.

There will be a demo of 2K8 for PS3 and 360 in February.

[Glockstar]

I decided to hard wire my PS3 via ethernet cable ditching my former usage of it's wifi capabilities. I have experienced too many drops lately and couldn't seem to find any better way to resolve the situation.

What'd I tell ya about that Wifi.

[Fivespot]

What'd I tell ya about that Wifi.

You were right. Not sure why but the 360 never had these types of problems via wifi. A few drops here and there but nothing like I've experienced lately on the PS3. Oh well, it is what it is.

And RBH, I've lately developed a bond with The Show 07. I'll read more as we get closer about each version and which is better but to be honest I'm already leaning towards the Show 08.

[Glockstar]

You were right. Not sure why but the 360 never had these types of problems via wifi. A few drops here and there but nothing like I've experienced lately on the PS3. Oh well, it is what it is.

To me, it wasn't so much about the drops as it was the strength of my signal. When you play a game that shows what each player's ping status is in the lobby, and it's a game where teamwork and setting up balanced teams (even if only in number) is crucial, and you're looking to actually play the game online and not search for lobbies to get booted out of, you're going to do everything you can to get the best connection to the internet as possible. Because 360 gamers seem to be of the opinion that one red dot will cause the whole match to lag for everybody in it.

I don't know the whats or whys but I swear my connection and ping times got better after I disconnected the wifi adapter and reconnected it via the (ethernet) cable. And I've heard and read others say the same. And not just 360 gamers.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

And RBH, I've lately developed a bond with The Show 07. I'll read more as we get closer about each version and which is better but to be honest I'm already leaning towards the Show 08.

There was one thing in the IGN interview about The Show 08 that I just remembered: Saving in game. That's a feature that's really missing in this gen's sports games.

I wouldn't be surprised if I end up sticking with The Show '07. If there's enough improvement in '08, then I may consider it, but I really would like to have a 50 game or less franchise season.

[folken001]

In follow up to my latest posts re: COD4.

I decided to hard wire my PS3 via ethernet cable ditching my former usage of it's wifi capabilities. I have experienced too many drops lately and couldn't seem to find any better way to resolve the situation.

In addition Infinity Ward released server fixes this week to COD4 which apparently fixed the waiting for matches issue and so far so good. Played the most matches ever last night and all ran smoothly.

The combination of both my hardwiring the PS3 and their fixing the COD4 servers seems to be the magical combination I needed. Just in time for the weekend too.
I had that problem before when the media server was turned on. Did you try to turn it off? My wifi is working perfectly with my PS3.

[Fivespot]

No, I didn't try that Folken. I did however disable the media capabilities later but only after I hard wired it.

[sreeja]

News hit us this week that Sony has halved the price of the software development kit that designers use to make games for its PlayStation 3.
If you, like the rest of the game industry thought Sony had no cards left, you were wrong! They certainly saved this one up their sleeve and a few

[Cuddly Knife]

The Club demo is fun. One of the funnest shooters I've played, but it's total arcade-style. Get a Europe account, and DL it. It's hefty at 1.7GB. Has a coupla single-player challenges and some splitscreen action that I haven't tried out yet.

Also, how's the Turok demo, fellas? I will DL it soon, but I barely hooked up a Japan and Europe acct. and have a number of things going before Turok.

Slade, Folken? What's the deal with the wierd cat critters trhat are avaliable for DL on the Japan store? Are those games?

[Fivespot]

Still having issues with COD4. Visited their official forums the other day and read a bunch on nat types and how a nat type 3 is bad for COD4. I changed my router configurations to enable upnp and now have a nat type 2 yet connection issues still exist.

I'm concluding that IW wasn't ready to release COD4 on the PS3 and rushed into it. They claim that they didn't expect it to do so well but that seems like a load of BS to me. MS and XBOX said the same thing in response to their recent downtime; it's our biggest day ever is the slant they took.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Turok isn't bad. It's dark, that's for sure. Honestly, I think the game should have a 3rd person view option. They show the whole Turok character when he goes for a knife kill, and most of him when he climbs ladders.

I'm going to skip it. After last year's surprising handful of worthwhile FPS, I decided to get less of them in '08. I'll probably do better by replaying the ones I have (H3, CoD4), the one I just got (MP3), and the one I need to play that I got for cheap (PDZ) instead of getting another one.

[Cuddly Knife]

Turok isn't bad. It's dark, that's for sure. Honestly, I think the game should have a 3rd person view option. They show the whole Turok character when he goes for a knife kill, and most of him when he climbs ladders.

I was kind of turned off on how the setting for Turok is re-imagined from what the original vision was. I enjoyed the original hard-as-nails Turok on the N64(which I just realised that that is my first FPS. Makes me wonder if that's the reason that I don't dig on standard FPS and enjoy the ones that are hybrid-ish.) and think this game should've stayed true to it's roots(at least they still have the bow.).

I'm going to skip it. After last year's surprising handful of worthwhile FPS, I decided to get less of them in '08. I'll probably do better by replaying the ones I have (H3, CoD4), the one I just got (MP3), and the one I need to play that I got for cheap (PDZ) instead of getting another one.

I'm in the same boat. Too many FPS played in '07 for me to be stoked about all the ones coming out in '08. It's even dampened my stokiness for the 3PS genre a little bit. The Club though is really fun. I finally played some vs with my nephew, and that was funner than the single-player.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I'm still looking forward to some 3rd person shooters, like Army of Two and Mercs 2.

[ilnadmy]

I didn't like the Turok demo actually. The FPS mechanics feel very loose, it's like half the time the dinosaurs are running in circles around you really fast and you're just messing with the right analog stick trying to find them. Kind of annoying really.

[Cuddly Knife]

The Club.

I could be wrong, but I think this game will be coming to PSN next week. I saw an ad on Live that said the demo would be coming there next week sometime, so I would assume the same for PSN. I would still recommend getting it in the UK Store, just to have that extra account. They also have NBA08.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I wouldn't be surprised if The Club shows up on PSN next week. For some reason, I don't have a strong urge to create a UK or Japanese PSN account.

Capcom should have the DMC4 coming soon, since the game is to be released on Feb 5.

I could probably enjoy Turok if it was during the slow part of the year, and the price has dropped on it a bit. Unfortunately for Turok, it doesn't look like there will be a slow part of the year (not for me anyway), unless more games get delayed from Q2 til Holidays 08.

[Cuddly Knife]

I'm so pissed off right now at this game. I played through SOS mode and kicked its ass, and because of it, I unlocked DMD and Heaven and Hell mode. Seeing how I had just run through the game, i wasn't really in the mood to take on a harder difficulty, so I went to the one-hit death action of HaH and slapped it up in a few hours, easiest mode in the game. So anyways, it unlocked some more art and stuff, and for some reason, I wanted to check to see if there was anything new on the title screen(there was). Being slightly satisfied, I decided to try DMD mode to test my skills, but since I had returned to the title screen, I had to load up my game. Only thing, I forgot to save after I beat HaH mode(I didn't save all game long), so I actually deleted the orbs(I had over 90,000) and Psouls(50,000) and other stuffs that i had earned. D'OH!!!!!!! WTF do we get the HDD warning at the beginning of the game when it doesn't even do anything in this game? I've just been spoiled by insta-saves, I guess.

Other than that, I got 0 complaints about this game. It's actually the first game since NGB that I've wanted to keep playing through until I beat it all(modes & challenges). Although I never did beat Master Ninja difficulty, but i think I can hang with Dante Must Die. After I tear this one up, I might go back and give Dante's Awakening a few more spins, since I never took it past Very Hard.

Slade, couple of question.

Do you much exceed? I've been trying to get the timing down for instant exceed, but can usually only fill one bar at any time, occasionally getting lucky and maxing it out. One thing I haven't done is instant-exceed after I've used an exceed.

WTF is up with Berial in the Bloody Palace? He isn't that hard in any difficulty do far. He must be on DMD difficulty.

**************Possible plot spoilers*************
-
-
-
I know most of the focus was on Nero needing to save Kyrie, but I was kind of tripping on how it was Dante and the girls who kind of manipulated the whole situation. Very cool. unless I'm wrong in thinking that?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I just finished DMC4, the 360 version.

[Fivespot]

Follow up on COD4. Finally got it working last night. Learned the hard way that the modem/wireless router I was using sucks (Netgear CG814WG v2) and have decided to bypass it all together and instead are direct connecting to a cable modem. Voila, fixed.

Played 2 hours last night without a single hiccup and no lag whatsoever. Now I got some catching up to do as my friends are days (literally) ahead of me in their online multiplayer time.

[slade]

I'm up to DMD mode on DMC4. The game is finally a little more challenging but after all the techniques I've learned, even now it's not as satisfying difficulty wise as DMC3 was. Hopefully, further into the difficulty it'll finally bring the pain. My opinion of the game is up and down all the time so I've held off on making a thread on it thus far. I was going to make one after finishing SoS but now I'll wait till finishing DMD. SoS was dissapointingly easy.


Slade, couple of question.

Do you much exceed? I've been trying to get the timing down for instant exceed, but can usually only fill one bar at any time, occasionally getting lucky and maxing it out. One thing I haven't done is instant-exceed after I've used an exceed.

I sort of adjusted Nero's control scheme to pull off easier charged shots with his gun. I mapped the gun to L1 and started using my middle finger for L2 whereas before I used my index finger. Funnily enough, I was pulling off Max Acts nearly 80 percent of the time during the latter half of Nero's quest in SoS mode. Even in DMD mode I'm doing a lot better in terms of Exceed then I ever did before. The new button configuration works wonders for me.

WTF is up with Berial in the Bloody Palace? He isn't that hard in any difficulty do far. He must be on DMD difficulty.

Yeah, I've read he's SoS vitality with DMD AI. I got up to him in Bloody Palace my second time but he took me out because the Blitz the stage before managed to grab me. Although when I faced him on DMD mode itself, I managed to do much better and beat him despite his Devil Trigger.

I know most of the focus was on Nero needing to save Kyrie, but I was kind of tripping on how it was Dante and the girls who kind of manipulated the whole situation. Very cool. unless I'm wrong in thinking that?

No, you're right for the most part. I doubt whether their project with the Savior would have been as far along if Trish had not just handed them Sparda.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I finally finished Assassin's Creed. I'm not sure how long it took me as far as hours, but I got it in November, and played it on and off for a while until I got into a good groove right after finishing DMC4. Overall, it's a pretty good game, though I would have changed some stuff about it.

Cuddly, did you mention in another thread that Assassin's Creed was better than Heavenly Sword?

[slade]

I got to floor 42 of Bloody Palace yesterday. It was just one of those runs where everything was clicking but since they pretty much start throwing a Blitz at you nearly every floor after 28, my time ran out. Hopefully, they get rid of that annoying feature in the Special Edition.

[Cuddly Knife]

Cuddly, did you mention in another thread that Assassin's Creed was better than Heavenly Sword?
Hmm, I don't think I said that. If I said anything, it was probably along the lines of me liking the game more than Heavenly Sword, overall. The only thing I enjoyed about HS were the cut-scenes. Ironically, the main thing that I liked about AC were the cut-scenes. Well, that and the free-running. Like Motorstorm, there's just something about HS that makes me find it lower than average.

What would you have changed in AC? I would've made the combat more dynamic, and maybe a little more variety in the buildings that you have to climb for your Eagle eye views, or whatever they're called.

I got to floor 42 of Bloody Palace yesterday. It was just one of those runs where everything was clicking but since they pretty much start throwing a Blitz at you nearly every floor after 28, my time ran out. Hopefully, they get rid of that annoying feature in the Special Edition. Good job! And damn Blitz. That dude just don't fit with the rest of the game, IMO.

SE, huh? I wonder what they could add. Maybe a playable Lady or Gloria?

ALso, I remember in other DMC games that if you beat certain modes/difficulties, that you unlock costumes/super characters. Is there nothing like that in DMC4?

[slade]

Yeah, after DMD or Hell and Hell (don't know which one) you unlock Super Nero and Super Dante.

[Cuddly Knife]

I hope it's after DMD, because I don't think I can stomach having to kill a bunch of goons while I only get one hit. It's fine in Heaven and Hell where they die in one also, but only me? Sheeeiit.

Have you seen any combo vids yet? I've seen some sick sh!t on YouTube, especially some killer ones on using Dante to rape the Blitzes. Mad sKills from a person named Brea.

OMG, look at the jump cancelling done at 3:00!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE3-2E5bcZ0

[slade]

Yeah, I've watched that Blitz vs. Dante video where Brea takes it out in 30 seconds. I'm nowhere near her skill level though. Doing a chain of Royal Guards like that is way out of my league.

Also watched a couple of videos where the players pretty much murder the bosses on DMD mode. Those videos are cool if you want to explore alternate strategies or want to go for an S rank run but as I play through DMD now, I'm finding it much easier then DMC3's or DMC1's DMD modes. They haven't even played around with the enemy placements from SoS mode. Basically, all DMD does is upgrade the enemey AI and strength and allows enemies to Devil Trigger after a while. They've played around a bit with the Dice game though. I don't remember quite so many purple spots in SoS and the last bit of it is just a cruel vicious trap. It has been the sole highlight of my DMD run thus far.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Hmm, I don't think I said that. If I said anything, it was probably along the lines of me liking the game more than Heavenly Sword, overall. The only thing I enjoyed about HS were the cut-scenes. Ironically, the main thing that I liked about AC were the cut-scenes. Well, that and the free-running. Like Motorstorm, there's just something about HS that makes me find it lower than average.

What would you have changed in AC? I would've made the combat more dynamic, and maybe a little more variety in the buildings that you have to climb for your Eagle eye views, or whatever they're called.

I would have cut out any of the story that doesn't have you controlling Altair. It was a complete waste of time and didn't make any sense. The Kingdom part of the map? I would have cut that out as well. There's nothing significant there, and when you have to go from city to city in the beginning, it takes too much time.

Those two things pretty much brought the game down for me. If I would have finished it in '07, it wouldn't have been a GOTY Contender.

[Cuddly Knife]

I agree that the Altair parts of the game should've been their own deal, without the crappy modern/future parts. Same goes for the manual city travelling. Maybe if there was more to do between cities, it would've been better. Oh well, I'm sure there will be a sequal. I bet if there wouldn't have been the futuristic part added to the game, people wouldn't have hated on it as much. It was just too jarring a change, especially since we didn't really get to experience anything with Desmond. Some futuristic Parkour would be sweet, though.

BTW, did you play it on PS3 or 360?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Parker? Was that the girl who was operating the Animus machine? If so, I think Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) did the voice for the character. She should definitely be in a sequel, maybe even playable. Desmond was a loser.

Early on, I was hoping some of the flag collecting or Templar assassinating would lead to even better equipment early on, like the crossbow that's shown in the opening cutscene of the game but is never in the actual game. Not sure if flag collecting would have lead to some achievement points on the 360, but after the very first city (where you can train and talk to the head Creed guy), I stopped looking for them.

I played Creed on the PS3. The only technical problem I had was when the game froze on me once when I was going to Damascus for the first time. I had no problems afterwards, even before I installed the update.

[Cuddly Knife]

Parker? WTF are you talking about? If it's in reference to my Parkour comment, then I was talking about the art of free-running, a la Parkour. The girls name is Lucy.

Yeah, the flag collecting was pretty weak-sauced. I collected a few before realising that it was gonna be more of a hassle than anything else, so I gave that up and focused on the main quest. Did you get all the flags in the first area? I got all but one. I thought I'd try it out to see if I unlocked any extra scenes, because the Animus shows some empty spaces in your memory bank. I couldn't find the lasty, so I said fuggit.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

What in the world were you talking about, then, in reference to futuristic Parkour?

I got all but one flag in the first section. The other flags I got simply by coming across them.

There won't be a 2nd playthrough, though. I parted ways with Assassin's Creed for $36 in credit. Without the futuristic crap and the empty Kingdom to ride through to each city, I would have easily kept the game for multiple playthroughs.

[Cuddly Knife]

Futuristic Parkour = free-running on skyscrapers = funzo.

I wonder if we couldn't find the same flag. Man, I swear I searched every inch of the level.

I doubt I will be playing AC for the story again any time soon, but I do occasionally pop it in to run around and check out areas I didn't really get to explore during my first run, because I always focus on main missions first. Like the docks.

They've played around a bit with the Dice game though. I don't remember quite so many purple spots in SoS and the last bit of it is just a cruel vicious trap. It has been the sole highlight of my DMD run thus far. Dude, the dice game on DMD was an extreme low for me, getting my ass handed to me a ton(because I refuse to win a level using more than one or two green stars for health). That is, until I found out a cool trick with the dice, then I never fought anyone at all in the area. You know how the dice rotates as it waits for you to hit it? Well, if you buster it instead of slash or shooting, the dice will land on the number that was on top when you hit it. Then, you just have to wait for the correct number to appear on top, and you could get through in a hurry. The numbers run almost randomly when the dice is spinning/waiting, but it always recycles every six spins. I'm pretty sure this only works with buster, because every other hit I tried gave me randoms. If I had known this earlier, it would've saved me a couple of hours grief in this area. Plus, landing on nothing but blue is a quick way to up your red orbs.

[Cuddly Knife]

Echochrome - It's on PSN, Japan only. I Dled it, and it's sickness. The voice is in english, with Japanese subtitles.

[Fivespot]

Can you play it on the PS3 or did you d/l it to a PSP?

[Cuddly Knife]

PS3 only, I think.

[slade]

Dude, the dice game on DMD was an extreme low for me, getting my ass handed to me a ton(because I refuse to win a level using more than one or two green stars for health). That is, until I found out a cool trick with the dice, then I never fought anyone at all in the area. You know how the dice rotates as it waits for you to hit it? Well, if you buster it instead of slash or shooting, the dice will land on the number that was on top when you hit it. Then, you just have to wait for the correct number to appear on top, and you could get through in a hurry. The numbers run almost randomly when the dice is spinning/waiting, but it always recycles every six spins. I'm pretty sure this only works with buster, because every other hit I tried gave me randoms. If I had known this earlier, it would've saved me a couple of hours grief in this area. Plus, landing on nothing but blue is a quick way to up your red orbs.

Oh, you didn't know the dice trick? Yeah, it only works with buster. Also, the dice always rotates in the same order of numbers, for example: 4,2,6,3,5,1, so if you're waiting for six, wait for two to come up and then get ready to buster when six comes up.

I'm still in the middle of my DMD run. I haven't picked it back up for a week or so since I got my PSP.

[T.Tashi]

I DLed and wasn't expecting much. I thought the title was funny considering the history of this forum, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the art, I liked that they tried to give a story and I actually liked the gameplay. It reminded me of Robotron 2084 but in 3D. I really didn't think I would like it. I said "oh god another shooter" But I just may dl the full version.

[crysis_killer]

battlefield heroes comin out for PSPs too?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Just finished Army of Two. A good game overall. I thought the back to back thing was overhyped a bit. Not as good as advertised. Actually, I would rather it have been a cinematic thing instead of playing it, especially if I could use it after so many kills or powering up the Aggro so much. I didn't hop online with it, and probably won't either. I rather enjoyed having a teammate staying in the background if needed so I can do most of the work, something I couldn't do in CoD 4, Halo 3 and Kane & Lynch. In those games, the teammates took away a lot of the fun.

So far, this is my favorite shooter in '08.

[Cuddly Knife]

Where you been, dude? No one's posted in the PS3 board for like a week.

So, you played it alone? Did you have to use your teamate much for the whole Aggro thing? The reviews I've read have all mentioned something about that. Playing by yourself, can you switch characters? How long is the game, for the average shooter fan like me?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Between Army of Two, Super Smash Bros, MLB 2K8 vs MLB 08 The Show (which one is better?), and God of War, I haven't had much entertainment time to check out the VGR boards, at least during the work week.

I actually got Ao2 with the intention of playing it solo. I wanted to go at my own pace, and if I had to play with a random person on PSN, I would just get frustrated. Besides the co-op, I wished EA would have dropped the other online stuff and focused on the campaign mode (I feel that way for about 95% of games with online modes).

Once you select a character at the beginning, you can't change them. There's really no difference between Rios and Salem. I picked Salem, thinking that he was the smaller of the two, in case I need to do any stealthy stuff while Rios was in full Aggro. With the armor the characters wear, both are pretty bulky. The orders worked pretty well. My teammate stayed when I told him to, followed (most of the time) when I needed him, and would go into Aggro when I asked him to. The Aggro worked pretty well. There are enemies that I needed my teammate to get their attention, and there's also Overkill Aggro, which either makes everything slow down (if you have excess Aggro) or you are invisible for a brief time (if your partner has excess Aggro). Once you get more powerful weapons, using Aggro to get an enemies attention may not be as important.

Overall, I want to say the game was less than 10 hours, but I cannot give a definite time length. I was fine with how long it was, and was actually happy the game didn't drag on longer than needed. The devs cut out a lot of the vehicle stuff (the hovercraft is still there which is pretty cool), so I know that cut down on the game length. I probably added more time by searching for a couple of hidden things per level as well.

I'm surprised there isn't a demo available yet.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Is anyone getting the GTA IV Collector's Edition?

[Cuddly Knife]

I thought about getting the collector's ed., but I'm still unsure. I felt kind of burned by the 79$ Halo 3 pack, and don't really see anything in the GTA4 pack that says I need to have it.
This Take 2 Interactive press release announces that their Rockstar brand will release a special collector's edition of their PS3-Xbox 360 open world action game Grand Theft Auto IV. The collector's edition will cost $89.99 and will include these items inside a customized Grand Theft Auto metal safety deposit box:

# Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system or the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, both with special packaging
# The Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book, featuring never-before-seen production artwork from Grand Theft Auto IV
# Selected soundtrack CD from Grand Theft Auto IV, featuring new material from top artists, only available on this release
# An exclusive Rockstar keychain for the safety deposit box keys
# Completing the collection is a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag. Yeah, I think I'll pass.

[Fivespot]

I'll probably pick up the plain edition as well. Haven't been much of a fan of special editions and think the extras typically offered aren't worth the extra ching (with rare exception).

[ilnadmy]

Speaking of collectors' editions, is there some special MGS4 collector's edition? Or pre-order special? I'm considering getting it if they have something good.

[Cuddly Knife]

Now the MGS pre-order is something I will do. Illest, if you do a pre-order, you get Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2, which tells the history of the MGS games, I think. The first MGS Saga was about the older games before Solid. I"m guessing they will think of something for some kind of Collector's Edition for MGS4.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

The GTA 4 collector's edition got my interest until I saw the price. Too much for a bunch of non-gaming stuff. That extra $30 can go towards GT 5: Prologue or Mario Kart.

As far as a MGS4 pre-order, it will depend on what they are offering. It's more of a possibility for me with this one, since this is supposed to be Kojima's last Metal Gear.

[Gadfly2317]

Anyone know what the 128mb update/patch for the Ps3 Orange Box was for? I put the Orange Box in today to finish Portal, and I had to update for the game (not a system update.)

Portal, btw, is sublime. What an incredible game.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I almost made a big mistake. I almost got rid of MLB 08: The Show in favor of MLB 2K8. Good thing I got lazy last weekend and decided not to go near my game trading store. The Show is great, and 2K8 isn't bad, but it just feels sloppy in places. Plus, I can't hit worth a lick on the batter's only view they have in the game. Pitching is fun, though, but fielding is annoying.

[Fivespot]

I'm loving the Show. I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun with a video baseball game. Graphics are unbelievable, animations are spot on, players look for the most part like their real life counterparts, the announcing team is the best in all of videogame sports, and the game itself is lifelike. For example, the other night I was playing and a streaker ran out on the field. They of course didn't show anything but the announcers made some funny remarks about it. Another example, when playing the Brewers, my fave team, at home the fans actually sing real life cheers. "Here we go Brewers, Here we go." I could go on and on but I won't.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I've seen a few beachballs flying around in the stands, even in the pitcher's view. The homerun celebration camera is great as well. I haven't come across any streakers, luckily.

One thing I will say that 2K8 has over The Show is that their player models (except for faces) look better. During my second game, I thought the players on The Show look blocky as hell, mainly their shoulders.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Has anyone played Dark Sector or Viking?

[Cuddly Knife]

Neither. I probably won't play them at all, ever. Viking just don't seem my groove, and I'm totally sicked out on shooters right now to want to play anything with a gun attached to an arm.

[Gadfly2317]

Download Pixel Junk Monsters, Cuddly. It sounds like the cure to shooter overdose. I'm absolutely loving this game, one of the best things yet to come across PSN.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

So far, Viking is better than I thought it would be. The guys who made Spartan: Total Warrior made this one. The problem with that game was that the objectives took away from the fun of the slaughter, but so far that isn't the case in Viking. I haven't had the need to do much stealth (hopefully I won't have to), which doesn't make much sense in a game of this type anyway.

Dark Sector is pretty good. I like the view when you are shooting or using the glaive, but they use a similar view for regular running around, and it kind of makes the main character look like he's not a part of the game.

I got sicked out on shooters last Holiday, after playing Uncharted, Kane & Lynch, and Call of Duty 4. As long as I keep a good variety, I should be ok.

[Cuddly Knife]

Motorstorm 2 images. In game, looks like some replay action going on.

http://www.psu.com/media/articles/ms21.jpg
http://www.psu.com/media/articles/ms22.jpg
http://www.psu.com/media/articles/ms23.jpg
http://www.psu.com/media/articles/ms24.jpg
http://www.psu.com/media/articles/ms26.jpg

Very impressive. Love the setting, by the time it comes out we should have custom soundtracks, monster trucks, better racing physics than MX/ATV games(and refined from the floaty that was MS1), splitscreen or online vs, and customizable characters Yup, this game could very well make me a believer again, like Takedown did on the XBOX.

[Cuddly Knife]

Oops, I forgot to post the article.

In the latest issue of NEO+, a Polish console magazine, new MotorStorm 2 details have emerged about specific game content and customization available to the user. We've included scans below for you to enjoy and from what we can gather, they are from the in-game replay system.

According to the magazine you will be able to customize your driver to personalize your experience and to further that, you will now be able to customize your vehicles as well with paint and adding new parts. On top of this you'll be given the ability to listen to custom music tracks within races as well as enjoy better camera angles for crashes and better vehicle damage.

Though a lot of you are hoping for a cockpit view of the road, you'll be disappointed, as that does not seem to be an option within the game. However, you will get to race across tracks that feature locations within the jungle, caves, mountain hillsides and volcano craters which include lava.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Cool. I definitely want to be able to customize my driver and ride. I hope there's some type of championship mode or something. Unlocking races in Motorstorm 1 was cool (since it was the first one), but I want to see more modes in the sequel.

-

In other news.........Mercenaries 2 aka my early vote for GOTY, or at least shooter of the year, is coming August 31st (or September 1st, depending on which is the actual shipping date). I'm definitely getting this for the PS3. My LIVE subscription will probably be done, and just in case I do want to play this one online, I would like to be able to w/o paying extra.

[Cuddly Knife]

Hey, where'd my pics go?

I also will be getting Mercs 2 on the PS3. That's one shooter I just can't miss out on. Fun stuffs, even when I play part one still.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

The pics are still there.

[Cuddly Knife]

Wierd. They were only not there for a little bit.

Anyone buy Unreal 3 for the PS3? It doesn't have split-screen, right?
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/Maxime764/ScreenShot00076.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/Maxime764/ScreenShot00168.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n144/Maxime764/ScreenShot00068.jpg

DAMN. ALso, it's not possible to create levels on the PS3 version, right?

[Fivespot]

The editor is exclusive to the PC version.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Now I really want a 3rd person Metroid. The closest thing to it on the current systems is whatever part Samus has in the adventure mode in SSBB.

I had Unreal Tournament 3, but it ended up being something I wasn't going to enjoy. The single player sucked, and the online was truly nothing more than mindless fragfests. Also, it made me want to play Gears of War instead.

[slade]

DAMN. ALso, it's not possible to create levels on the PS3 version, right?

It's possible to do it but I think the level editor only comes with the PC version and you will need to create the levels on the PC and then bring them over to the PS3. Anyway, from what I've read, there's user mods galore on the PS3 version now.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/865/865676p1.html

Analog Controls Coming to Lair
Will this push the score past 5?
by John Tanaka

April 10, 2008 - One of the biggest complaints about Factor 5's PlayStation 3 debut title appears to have been addressed. Sony Japan provided first details today on a free update for Lair, and included in the bullet points is the option for analog controls!

The update will also offer the ability to show a targeting icon, and Dual Shock 3 rumble support.

Sony is making a few additional downloads available for the game as well. Lair owners will be able to download the Wind Dragon and Poison Dragon for use in all stages. All PS3 owners will have access to a couple of themes which can be used to spice up the system's main interface. These downloads will also be free.

The new downloads will arrive in Japan on the 17th, and presumably throughout the world at around the same time

Will anybody change their mind on the game after the new download?

[Fivespot]

Maybe if they drop the price.

[Cuddly Knife]

Like Five, I will pick it up when it's greatest hits price, and no more. Maybe sooner, if I read that the analog control is spot-on.

[ilnadmy]

I played Lair, the sixaxis controls didn't bother me much, but the gameplay was bland. I wouldn't pick this up even with analog controls.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

If this were a slow period for new games, I would consider it.

I do want to play it again, eventually.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Preview of Lair and the new controls

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/866/866161p1.html

Lair Patch Impressions
Eight months later and the game is playable.
by Greg Miller

April 11, 2008 - As a reporter, readers have left me lots of comments that I'll carry with me forever. I once wrote a harrowing story of a Marine who was shot in the head by a sniper, survived and was coming home without any major handicaps -- a reader wrote in to blast me for calling the Marine a soldier. One time, the newspaper I worked for ran an article about a man who was found not guilty of raping a co-ed -- a reader wrote in to rant about our decision to name the girl who accused him.

And one time, I reviewed Lair.

"You are a jackass and that pretty much sums up your non-existent journalistic skills...or lack thereof," an IGN fan wrote. "Now excuse me while I go wipe my ass with your sh**** excuse of a review."





Yes, I'm the guy who gave Lair a 4.9. Yes, I stand by the review. No, I will not re-review the game now that the "Dragons and Control Pack" is upon us, but I am happy to give you my impressions right here. Set to debut with the new PlayStation Store this week, the pack will bring two new dragons (wind and poison), pack in DualShock 3 support, allow folks to play Lair on the PSP via reworked Remote Play, and -- most importantly -- add analog flight control.

One of my main sticking points with Lair was the sloppy implementation of Sixaxis controls. To pilot your flame-breathing behemoth, you had to tilt and lift the controller in whatever way you wanted the beast to fly. In wide-open areas with limited objectives, the controls were easy enough, but once you added limited areas such as bridges and a ton of enemies, the scheme resulted in an imprecise mess that left you screaming at the TV.

In short, it was a Sixaxis suckfest.

The Dragons and Control Pack addresses the loose feel of the game -- the left stick controls turning, ascending and descending while the right stick swivels the camera -- but it doesn't eliminate the Sixaxis controls overall. See, when this patch was first rumored and then announced, lots of folks read it as the death of Sixaxis in Lair, but in reality, the patch only removes the motion control from the basics of flying and leaves it in for the other tidbits. While you can no longer turn with tilt, you can yank the controller up or press the D-pad left for the 180-degree turn and jerk the controller down or press right to dash.

ANALLLLLLLLLOG!Both moves are still unresponsive when it comes to the motion, and the D-pad option is left out of the analog stick tutorial. Odd.

Still, the analog stick option is a nice addition. It's a late addition -- as is the pack's option to turn on crosshairs -- but it's here nonetheless and makes flying a lot easier and more fun. You can corner better, you feel like you're in command of the dragon, and you can fight without looking like an idiot.

Way back in August, I complained about how the loose controls and crappy lock-on system made Lair's fifth mission, "Crossing at Dawn," nearly impossible. With the pack installed, I booted up the mission and found myself stalking rhinos and swooping towards toros with a lot more ease -- mind you, you still can't corner precisely, dragon fights still have you running into walls, and the lock-on system still has the computer choose an opponent and lots of times it's the wrong one, but the flying was a bit easier.

Now, videos of Lair playing on the PSP popped up months ago, but this patch appears to add on-screen aids that show what button on the portable you should be pressing. The D-pad controls your direction; the analog nub pulls off the dash and 180; and X flaps the dragon's wings. The visuals are muddied, but after some adjustment time, the play mode is alright -- but not preferred over the big screen version.

The pack doesn't fix the cornucopia of other problems I have with Lair -- a worthless directional arrow, terrible lock-on system, lame dragon fights, etc. -- that Greg Miller haters always seem to ignore, but it definitely enhances the experience and should be picked up by folks who have held onto the title. The patch goes live on Thursday, April 17 and can be downloaded through the PSN or through a Lair update when you put the disc in -- although the in-game update doesn't come with the dragons.

[eltonjohn24]

Is the updated version of Tekken 5 is already available?
I have now Tekken 6

[Fivespot]

The COD4 maps come out today for the PS3 version. Thank goodness. It seems like forever ago when 360 owners received their maps.

Re: MLB 08 The Show. I'm in a league and I stink at batting. Any pointers RBH? I struggle with swinging at balls that are way out of the strike zone and have a hard time determining where the pitch will end up and when to swing. There's some lag online further complicating matters however my opponents are hitting just fine. We're playing on veteran difficulty.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I read somewhere that the XP is supposed to be doubled since the PS3 version of the COD4 maps took longer.

As far as MLB 08 The Show, what view do you have the game on? Do you think by changing views, you will be able to hit better? I'm usually a free swinger, but on some days I seem more patient and can put more balls in play.

Two things I have done to make the game more enjoyable: 1) Turn the pitch speed down. The balls going too fast for me in my favorite pitcher's view to tell where and when it goes across the plate, and 2) Since I couldn't turn off the batting cursor (I hate those things), I put the game down to rookie and adjusted my batting stuff and the cpus pitching stuff (they'll hit hrs against me regardless of what level). Since you're in a league on veteran, you will not be able to do #2 :(

Even with those two things, I still have a tendency to swing at high heat or sinkers and curveballs that sometimes hit the dirt.

[Fivespot]

I have it on the default view (batter's view; third person). Maybe I should tinker with the other views. I wonder if I can do that in an online, league game? Thanks for the tips.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Hopefully it helps.

-

The Iron Man demo is now available for PS3. I downloaded it to see how it will play with the PS3 controls.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Five, I finally tried out the Road to the Show on MLB 08 The Show. It was kind of a last ditch effort to enjoy the game. I like baseball, and technically the game is solid, but it takes sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to get through a game. It's even tougher to play/sim an entire 162 game franchise.

So far, it's pretty fun. I created an outfielder/1B/3B. The game goes by very fast when I only have to do 5 things in it (strike out with men on base, hit into a double play, get a meaningless single, and catch two flyballs). I think I'll be able to enjoy the game after all.

[Fivespot]

I haven't tried the Road to the Show mode. That sounds excellent and I'll have to give it a go, eventually. I'm still doing the league thing and have gotten better with batting. Won my last game 11-1. The whole online league set-up is really sweet as it has schedules, division standings, stat tracking on almost every stat imaginable, a league lobby, etc..

MLB 08 The Show is the finest baseball game I've played in years. Games do take a long time, no disagreement there, but I still love this game.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

MLB 08 is definitely hard to get rid of, simply because of the gameplay and presentation. Before I really got into it, I thought about trading it in, but I felt like I would miss when Justin Morneau would hit a towering shot, and what camera angle would the game show the HR Celebration. Johan Santana (still with Twins in the game) makes pitching fun. Using other pitchers may not be as fun, since they wouldn't have the same control and K ability, except Brandon Webb of Zona and Jake Peavy of the Padres.

I wonder if NBA 08 has the same thing like The Road to the Show, where you mainly take care of one player instead of the entire team. I picked that one up for only $29 at Target (they discount some pretty good games). March Madness 08 was for $24, but I pass on it since I already played a season of it on the 360.

[Fivespot]

I didn't like NBA 08 and wouldn't recommend it. I thought NBA Live was better and that game is just OK.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I downloaded the demo of NBA 08 to remember how the game played. It was alright, though with the 2 minute quarter I got beat 29-9. I kind of want something that plays different. I tried out College Hoops 2k8, I won't touch NBA 2k8, and Live is good but for some reason I can't play more than a couple of games on it. I can play March Madness 08, but I'm not sure if I want to pick up that game again just yet.

Overall, I haven't been too happy with the basketball games this gen. Whether I keep NBA 08 or return it for March Madness 08, I think it will be my last basketball game. And if that is the case, the Road to the Show - Basketball version (if there is one in this game) - is probably the reason why I snatched up Sony's b-ball game.

I may get greedy and pick up MM 08 anyway, since it was pretty cheap, only a couple of copies left and brand new.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Update on:

NBA 08 - No franchise, no Road to the Show like option, NO THANKS. I took that game back asap. I returned it for March Madness 08, just before I checked out "Iron Man".

MLB 08 The Show - I Predict my created player will be seeing some minor league time.

[Gadfly2317]

Anyone got Echochrome yet? This is a MUST buy title, imo. I think anyone who liked Portal is going to really get into Echochrome.

There isn't really that much similarity between the two games, but what they share is a highly defined aesthic sense, and warped-dimensional puzzle solving.

This game also is hard as hell, has a LOT of puzzles, and also has a level creation mode with the ability to upload and download more levels.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I parted ways with MLB 08: The Show.

[Fivespot]

I read that NBA 09 is going to add a mode similar to Road to the Show. I mention this for your benefit RBH as you were asking about it a few weeks back.

Sorry to hear you parted ways with the Show. Would have been nice to have played a game with you. Maybe Madden if you pick up the PS3 version. That's the one I'll be getting.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I had a feeling that I was going to part with The Show if I couldn't enjoy the franchise mode. As fun as the Road to the Show mode was (for a while, anyway), the meat and potatoes of any sports game for me is the franchise/dynasty mode.

Instead of trying MLB 2K8 (again), I decided to go old school, or last gen, with MVP 07 NCAA Baseball. Very solid game. I hope EA is working on a current-gen version of this game.

I think a NBA 09 Road the the Show would work better than it does in MLB 08 The Show. With MLB 08, you only get 4 at bats with your character and a couple of fielding plays, and that leads me feeling disconnected with the rest of the game. If done right, NBA 09 should have the player in for the entire game, or at least for the minutes he's in there. If the created player is a scrub and is only getting garbage time, then it won't be as interesting.

I'm going to keep an eye on Madden 09. I know John & Al are going to be back in the booth for the game, and hopefully there's some access to the classic (2006) San Diego Chargers jerseys. Unfortunately, my August is tapped out with 3 games on the menu, and I'll probably already have NCAA Football 09.

[Fivespot]

With Favre on the cover this year there is no way I can hold off on Madden. I may even buy one and leave it in the plastic. Yes, I'm a huge Favre/Packers fan.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

What's with the Packers drafting all of those QBs? They have Aaron Rodgers, who played well during the half that Favre was hurt. I understand drafting Brian Brohm, hopefully to push Rodgers in training camp, but Matt Flynn as well?

[Cuddly Knife]

So have t