inFamous - Preview

In two weeks time PS3 owners will finally get their hands on Sucker Punch's eagerly anticipated inFamous. In it, players take control of Cole, a bike messenger who's latest delivery changes his future and the fate of Empire City. inFamous promises to bring new meaning to the word "electrifying" by juicing up Cole with electrical superpowers. The path the player chooses, i.e. good vs bad, will ultimately shape the way the character of Cole develops as well as Empire City.

Think Grand Theft Auto + Superpowers! If that doesn't take your fancy the videos below should:

Full Preview:


Superpowers:


Might have to give Prototype a look as well...

~The Damo

Resistance: Retribution - Preview

There's probably only one franchise that would get me to fork out for a PSP, and since that franchise has now made its way to the PS2 & PS3's brother/cousin, I have in fact bought one.

That franchise is of course "Resistance". Those who frequent my blog know how high I hold Resistance in esteem, and this Friday the latest entry entitled Retribution makes it way to the PSP.

Retribution takes place in between its older brothers on the PS3, namely Resistance: Fall of Man, and Resistance 2. The game will take place on continental Europe as the Maquis (or French Resistance) attempt to recapture the continent. What transpires is said to be far more than a typical wiping out of the Chimera, including players finally getting to meet the mysterious Cloven face to face, as well as investigating how the Chimera changed from conversion centres in the first game to the method of conversion in the second. Also up for exploration is the construction of the Chimeran fleet that invaded the United States in Resistance 2.

You will play as James Grayson, a British soldier who becomes somewhat of a folk hero in England (more on his story in the final review). From what we've heard Grayson is a far more dynamic character than Hale, and there is a much stronger emphasis on story and motivation in this installment.

One of the games biggest touted features is the ability to connect it to Resistance 2 on PS3 and "Infect" the game with the Chimeran virus which will alter several things in the game (see final review for details). Also there is the ability to connect the game to your Dualshock 3 and play it like a PS3 game.

Retribution is a 3rd person shooter and from the videos below its easy to see that its one of the best looking PSP games out there. Stay blogged for the full review some time over the next week or two.

Official Trailer:


Infecting your PSP with Resistance 2:


Gameplay Montage:


~The Damo

PS3 2009 Line-Up - Preview

2008 was the PS3's best software line-up yet, with all the big guns such as Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2 garnering top scores, not to mention multiplatform beauties like Fallout 3, Bioshock, Mirror's Edge and Far Cry 2. 2009 looks set to raise the bar even higher....

The following on this list are those games expected to be released by the end of 2009, which I share an interest in. Though some are without an official release date as of yet, they haven't been confirmed to be pushed back to 2010.

Killzone 2
Release date: 27th Feb 2009

Killzone 2 is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best looking console game ever. Period. Four years in the making, the hype train has been gaining momentum ever since the now famous 2005 CGI trailer (below). Guerilla Games look to have learned from their mistakes with the "love-it-or-hate-it" Killzone on PS2, with what looks to be incredibly immersive gameplay and cinematic experience like no other. This February, for PS3 gamers, the wait is finally over, as myself and millions of others across the globe will once more get to enter the killzone.



inFamous
Release date: Spring 2009

From my current understanding of the game, inFamous is GTA style open world gameplay, with free-climbing mechanics, played out in the eyes of a superhero and his experience in learning his new powers and how his new found abilities can influence the future of the city and those around him, as well as the development of his own powers. If IGN's preview (found here: Infamous Preview ) is anything to go by, this is Day 1 must for anyone and everyone....



Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Release date: Sometime in 2009

What can I say about Final Fantasy that people already don't know about?? The next iteration is the first Final Fantasy of this generation of consoles and is also the first to appear on the Xbox 360. However, PS3 owners have the added joy of being able to purchase the exclusive additonal game Versus XIII trailered below. Awesomeness can't even sum it up....



Bioshock 2: Sea of Dreams
Release date: Sometime in 2009

The first Bioshock kicked some serious ass. It managed to re-invigorate the FPS genre which was becoming repetitive and generic. The developers behind the sequel have promised something that is "part sequel, part prequel". It'll be hard to deliver a better experience given the first game, but I know Bioshock 2 is an absolute must for me.



God of War III
Release date: Winter 2009

In the end, there will be only chaos!!! God of War 1 & 2 are two of the best games available for the PS2, and that's quite an accolade to have considering the dozens of top quality games available on the PS3's older sibling. Santa Monica Studios have a lot of pressure on their shoulders to deliver, but when the trailer and test gameplay looks as good as this (below), its hard to imagine how they could get it wrong!





Quantum Theory
Release date: Winter 2009

Think: Gears of War gameplay plus Final Fantasy art style gothicised (is that even a word) plus kick ass developers that are Tecmo and you get Quantum Theory. While little is known about the game except that it combines what I've outlined above, the prospect of a game similar to Gears exclusively PS3 is tantalising.



Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Release date: Winter 2009

The first Uncharted was awesome, and you think to yourself, "How could they make a sequel look any more beautiful than the first?". Well, it seems they have, if the in-game screenshots HERE are anything to go by.....



Heavy Rain
Release date: Sometime in 2009

The greatest movie you'll ever play. At least that's how it's described. Heavy Rain will be unlike anything most people will have played before, you play a film, with the option to interact with characters and locations in the story whatever way you see fit. I'll let you judge by the videos below, it's a strange one alright, but in this case, strange = good!






Other mentions:
Call of Duty 5 (or 6): Modern Warfare 2
Grand Turismo 5 ....just maybe
Guitar Hero: Metallica
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Ultimate Edition (for serious, that's what it's called!)
M.A.G.
Street Fighter IV

Looks like the wallet is gonna get raped real good in 2009...

~The Damo

It's 2009.....

...since a few days ago, but it doesn't matter, 'cause I'm back in action. There'll be blog a plenty over the next week or so when I'm taking time out from the thesis, and I'm kicking off 2009 with the Fallout 3 review.

Also coming up we've got:

• Far Cry 2 Review
• Resistance 2 Post Release Analysis
• 2009 PS3 Preview
• Grinds My Gears: Issue 18
• Postulations Cubed
• My Movies Preview
• Interesting Damien Facts

Did you know: The more stressed I am, the more spots I get on my forehead? - Just a sample of the facts to come....

~The Damo

Resistance 2 - Preview

Are you going to make your last hours count?

Resistance 2, the sequel to 2006's best selling PS3 game Resistance: Fall of Man finally makes it way to Europe on the 28th of November. Why it was released in the US on the 4th is beyond me, nevertheless the wait is almost over, and its time to kick some Chimeran ass again!

Resistance 2 picks up directly after the events of Fall of Man and continues the story of Nathan Hale, the sole survivor of the American led re-invasion of Britain after the Chimera invaded. Hale is resistant (hence the name of the game, clever eh?) to the Chimeran virus and much of why this is the case is set to be revealed throughout the sequel.

The sequel is set this time in the United States, as the Chimera launch a bi-coastal assault on the last free nation on the globe. What adds more to the story is that we learn - from the trailers - that Hale has only 19 hours left to live.

As well as the single player the boys at Insomniac have set about creating a 2-8 player online co-op campaign which is separate from the game's main story and up to 60 player multiplayer mayhem!

I'll be leaving the rest of the talking for the review, but for now here's a host of trailers and gameplay footage.

First Teaser Trailer:


E3 2008, Henry Stillman Trailer:


Last Hours Trailer:


Target Practice Gameplay:


Crash Landing Gameplay:


Reactor Gameplay:


The Chimera are Here:


Oh, and they also promised BIG FUCKING BOSSES!!!!

Rise. Stand. Resist.

~The Damo

P.S. LittleBigPlanet Review soon....

The LittleBigPreview

11 days to go. That's all that's left to the release of one of the most anticipated games this year - LittleBigPlanet. Never before have I seen anyone - and by anyone I mean Media Molecule - look to have gotten it so right.

LBP is unique in the sense that theoretically the game can never end, with the slogan "Play, Create, Share" defining the aspects of the game. LBP puts you in control of Sackboy (or Sackgirl if it takes your fancy) and will allow you to not only customise your Sackcharacter, but also to create your own levels or even modify those that come with the game. This level of creation in a game is something unique to the console experience, it is far more than a map editor which allows you to rearrange predetermined items - here you can make your OWN items and share them with the world.

Combining this incredible experience with lovable cute characters is the driving force behind LBP. Further down in the blog you can see images of how Sony and Media Molecule have exploited this cuteness by re-incarnating Sony's mascots in Sackcharacter style. All the customisations and creations give this title limitless possibilities, which is a dream for an engineering student such as myself.

The genius behind the design is that the tools are simple, easy-to-use, and with practice can be combined into designs that rival those created by the game makers themselves. All the levels and items in the game are made using these tools, further bridging the gap between the limits of the developers and the gamers - something which has yet to be accomplished save for MODS.

All the final details will come in the final review, including my thoughts on the gameplay and full range of creation tools. Until then, here's a host of media from the game, including the Sony mascots I mentioned earlier:

Dream/In Love Trailer:

Sackzilla Trailer:

Pirates & Ninjas:

Making Fun:

And these two are well worth the look - complete with Crocodile Hunter style narration!!!

SackPeople Documentary 1:

SackPeople Documentary 2:

And the Mascots:

Introducing...

Kratos from God of War

Nariko from Heavenly Sword

Helghast Troopers from Killzone and Killzone 2

Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid Series

Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII

With more likely to be announced such as Nathan Drake from Uncharted and Nathan Hale from Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2.

Grinds My Gears returns soon!!!!

~The Damo

Bioshock Preview

Last year's Game of the Year (well at least that's what most people say anyway) is finally coming to Sony's PS3 this month. The developers have stated that it will not exceed the graphics found on the Xbox360 version but the game will feature a new and exclusive difficulty mode entitled "Survivor - Where every bullet counts" and add-on downloadable content which require you to use the skills learned throughout the game's story.

So what is Bioshock???

Bioshock is a shooter, though by no means is it a regular run of the mill shooter. I'm not going to talk too much about why it's different - I'll be saving that for the review. What I can say though is Bioshock stretches the boundaries of freedom of play in a game. The fictional city of Rapture was designed with open world freedom in mind, thus eliminating the fatal flaw of modern shooters where it's all running and gunning down corridors. What's also special about Bioshock is the plasmids, which are special powers that can shock people, set them on fire, lift them up and throw them and so on. The combination of using different plasmids in different situations coupled with the various weapons and customisations means that no two players will experience the game identically.

After downloading the 1.8GB demo from the PS Store and playing through it I can certainly say I'm quite impressed. The visuals are great, the atmosphere is astounding and above all it's fun. The details on everything will come in the review but here is the breakdown of the demo:

The demo begins with you (Jack) sitting in the seat of a plane smoking a cigarette looking at a picture of what I assume is himself and his parents. (This is the 1960's remember). Suddenly, the plane crashes and the screen is mirky from the water, a handbag sinks past your eyes and as you scramble upwards you can see the carnage around you. A wall of fire surrounds the area and directs you towards a lighthouse. Inside is dark and as you go inside the door shuts.

You are then directed to a capsule which leads you down to the city of Rapture, built entirely underwater. A presentation is shown on the way down, telling you about Rapture and why it was built. As your sphere emerges up into the "Welcome Area" (I guess) you are momentarily trapped in the sphere with a splicer (one of the enemies) trying to attack you. It's here you're brought in contact with Atlas, who communicates with you via a radio. He guides you out of the area and towards you're first plasmid "Electro Bolt". As you inject yourself, your hands begin to shake, with bolts of electricity crawling up your vains and arching from one hand to the next, your vision blurs and you fall over the railing to the floor below.

Here, in a sort of dazed state, you see some other splicers who examine your body and are then introduced to the eerie Little Sisters and Big Daddies (more next paragraph). As you awake and leave the room is suddenly very apparent that something is very wrong with Rapture. When you enter the "Kashmir Restaurant" you can see a huge sign saying "Happy New Year 1959" and can hear a couple arguing on the floor below, something about who owns the "Adam" - more on Adam in the final review. Killing the man out front prompts the wife to come out to see why he's not talking. You can also pick up and audio diary from a woman celebrating New Years when there is possibly some sort of explosion. The woman has clearly had too much too drink, prompting "Wait - I'm bleeding...." before the message ends.

Leaving this area you are then properly introduced to the Little Sisters. These little girls - if you could call them that - have some kind of ability which lets them harvest the DNA of the dead. Shortly after entering this room the Sister is attacked by a splicer, wanting to steal her Adam. Here, the Big Daddy comes crashing through, killing the splicer mercilessly. The Big Daddies protect the Sisters, so if you want their Adam you have to kill the Daddy first.

The demo ends with the lockdown confrontation before you enter the Medical Pavillion. The encounter lets you practice with the two plasmids available - Electro Bolt and Incinerate - and the three weapons you pick up - the Wrench, the Revolver and the Machine Gun. The closing part of this piece has you trapped in a room where Andrew Ryan - the creator of Rapture - tries to have you killed - or at least that what it seems like to me anyway.

So there you have the preview, Bioshock is currently set for release in Europe for October 17th, so the final review will be some time after that. Until then, here's a few gameplay videos from the PS3 version of the final product:







~The Damo

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Preview: Gameplay & Features

Here's the last part of my MGS4 preview detailing new gameplay mechanics and features. Being the first Metal Gear game on the PS3, Kojima and his team have the added bonus of being able to rework the Metal Gear engine used in previous games. With greater processing ability and larger disk space on the 50GB Blu-Ray, Kojima has been able to cram MGS4 with enhanced controls, more levels and more features than ever before!

First and foremost, MGS4 is the first 50GB game for the PS3. In fact, that kinda makes it one of the biggest games ever (file size) if not the biggest. This space has allowed Kojima to split the game into 5 episodes/locations. This is a first for a Metal Gear game, as previously they have all revolved in the one part of the world. So far we know MGS4 takes place in the Middle East, South America, Alaska, a city in Eastern Europe (looks like Prague) and a.n. other location. This has meant that the styles of gameplay for each location will likely be different too.

From what I have seen, the controls have been hugely refined, with L1 moving to the over-the-shoulder aim and R1 being the fire button. SIXAXIS control has been implemented to allow the game to be played as an FPS (First Person Shooter) and the right analog stick now controls the full 360 camera. Additionally, the Triangle button now seems to focus on more actions than ever, including moving over objects, pressing against surfaces, playing dead, CQC, first person view amongst other things. Square's only function seems to be toggling auto-aim on or off whilst I imagine Circle will still deal with punches and kicks. The X button has gotten an overhaul as well, where now you have to hold x to lie down rather than the classic 3 taps system.

MGS4 is the first in the series which makes stealth an option rather than a necessity. Whilst I reckon I will still play it as a stealth game as I am accustomed to, the option of playing it in a very different manner - i.e. guns blazing - opens the game up to huge replayability.

New features in the game include:

• Over 70 weapons, all of which are customisable from front grips to laser sites and scopes, to grenade launcher attachments and flashlight additions. That's more weapons than any game to date!
• A new camoflauge system with Snake's Octocamo suit. Pressing up against a surface, the suit will adapt to match its texture, making Snake virtually invisible to the naked eye. With this Snake can also wear an Octocamo mask which will have also have predetermined patterns, one of which is "Young Snake"...
• The Solid Eye is another of Snake's new toys which acts as an advanced sensor for the map, binoculars, thermo vision and night vision.
• The MkII is a little drone built by Otacon to assist Snake. It can be used for reconaissance to stun enemies and gather enemies' weapons.
• The Drum can replaces the old cardboard box, it can deflect bullets and Snake can use it to make rolling attacks.
• The Threat Ring is a new sense for Snake which indicates the location and proximity of nearby enemies.
• The in-game iPod is used to play music tracks which can be found throughout the game.
• The Stress gauge represents the effect the battle is having on Snake. When peaked at 100% he will temporarily hit all targets with absolute accuracy before collapsing.
• The Psyche gauge linked to the Stress gauge influences Snake's ability to heal and relax and aim correctly amongst other things yet to be revealed.
• Interactive cut-scenes when activated following on-screen prompts will trigger flashbacks to previous scenes from the Metal Gear games before it.
• Re-gain energy drinks to boost stamina.
• A hidden costume of Altair from Assassin's Creed for Snake unlocked by doing something "very special".
• A new codec screen which lets you rewind in case you missed any important points.
• Drebin points allows you to buy new weapons and upgrades. The system adds to replayability as we know already that there are certain weapons that won't be available on first or second play throughs.

There's probably a tonne more but that's all I know from what I've read without dipping into any spoilers. And of course there's Metal Gear Online aswell but I don't know enough about that to comment.

That's it for now, tomorrow I'll post up all the review scores and remarks made by credited reviewers.

~The Damo

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Preview: Characters

As the final chapter in the Metal Gear Solid saga, Guns of the Patriots sets out to bring all storylines to a close, rounding off each characters contribution to the series. As such, this Preview, the first of two, will analyse characters that we know will make an appearance, what impact they will have and what they have left to solve.

Old Snake - yes, it's still Solid Snake, only his codename (or at least that's what we think it is) has been changed. His appearance though is of an old man, advanced cellular degeneration caused by the cloning process used to create him has aged him prematurely. Having said that though, Snake has been giving a muscle suit to ensure that his movements in-game resemble those of previous incarnations. This is, more than likely, the last canonical game to feature Solid Snake, as the trailers have revealed that he has 3 months to live. He'll be on a mission to stop Liquid from launching an armed insurrection against the Patriots and the world.

Liquid Ocelot - now the entity comprising of Revolver Ocelot and Liquid Snake. Liquid has gained control of the 5 largest PMC's (Private Military Corporations) and plans to use them to launch an attack on the U.S. and the Patriots. Just how much Liquid or Ocelot is in control of the new entity is unknown, and will certainly be a prominent part of the plot.

Otacon - still Snake's intrepid ally, it's expected that he will have a much more hands-on role in the game this time. He has been taking care of Olga's daughter Sunny - who was mentioned in MGS2. Whether Otacon will be killed or not remains to be seen...

Raiden - the most controversial character in Metal Gear history is back, and by the looks of it he's set to earn the love and respect his creator hoped for afterall. All we know is that Raiden's body is falling apart, likely from the nanomachines placed in his body by the Patriots in MGS2, and now all that remains is his head and spine, encased in a Cyborg Ninja suit.

Colonel Campbell - returns working for a UN Security Council advisory body that monitors PMC activity, hence the interest in Liquid Ocelot and his five PMC's. It's understood that it is he who enlists Snake to carry out the mission to terminate Liquid.

Meryl - now in command of Rat Patrol Team 01, "the new Foxhound" as she calls it in one of the trailers. It's understood that she is there to monitor Liquid's activities and then take him by force.

The Patriots - strictly not a "character" per say, but as the central theme to the game they deserve a place here. Ever since MGS2 fans have wanted to know who and what are the Patriots. Other than the fact that we know they control how everything plays out in the world and that their origins began in MGS3, we know very little else. The closing lines in MGS2 which revealed they had all been dead for a hundred years only upped the expectation for the conclusion of this part of the story. The current theory now is that the Patriots have somehow managed to "digitize" life....

Mei Ling, Rose, Naomi Hunter - all return since their last appearence in MGS1. While Mei Ling and Rose are appearing as (from what we know) minor characters, Naomi is returning as a central character, as she is the only one who knows how FOXDIE and the nanomachine technology works, ie the control Liquid wants to launch his attack. Trailers suggest that she has already been captured by Liquid prior to the game's beginning.

Drebin - a new character who players will use to buy and sell weapons and upgrades. Little is known about him other than the fact that he can unlock ID weapons and make them available to you. His monkey sidekick is also interesting aswell as the nasty scar on the side of his head.

Vamp - "the blood sucking freak" is back. It is believed he is part of Liquid's private army, as he wears similar gear. All we have seen so far is him fighting Raiden and then a brief image of him glaring upwards with a huge bullet wound in the head.

EVA - or better known as "Big Mamma" in this game. Back from MGS3, now an old woman, EVA's role is as yet unknown, but trailers have suggested that she teams up with Snake and is therefore on the good side, fighting Liquid.

By the way, those screenshots above are all in-game. Yes, the game does look that good.

~The Damo