I'm still amazed by the FIFA series. Not in a good way. I've stuck with it and played it all these years just because it's the best of a bad bunch. But if PES, or any other competitor, upped their game, I'd check it out right away. Why? Because FIFA doesn't have playoffs.

There's no way I can fully explain how shocking this is to those unacquainted with 'The Gentleman's Game', but readers who support feisty Championship clubs or enjoy the thrills of the fast-moving League 1 table will understand. This is an official FIFA product, backed by the international governing body of football. And yet it doesn't have end-of-season playoffs; the most joyous, heartbreaking, and frankly, the best part of football.

It was after a good month or so of an (admittedly slow) Manager Season with Preston North End. It was all down to the last in-game match, with the plucky Northerners resting at 7th. I'm pretty sure I dominated the match, but that doesn't matter; we were up to 4th in the Championship, and that meant, once again, we were in the playoffs - the gateway to £60 million and a place in the best football league in the world, the Premiership. Except, FIFA 10 doesn't have playoffs. It literally just ignores them. I'd finished 4th, and then had to play another season in the Championship.

I was livid.

Thus, I never really got back into FIFA 10. Everything felt very awkward afterwards, like when someone walks in on you in the toilet and you then have to chat to them afterwards and pretend nothing happened. Except instead of pretending, FIFA 10 was jeering at me and calling me names. Every game I played seemed more and more deadly: I had to be first place, or it would be no different than coming 17th. FIFA 11, I hoped, would salvage my shattered hopes and dreams, piece them together and finally deliver the true footballing experience I'd longed for.

Did it? Short answer: no. It has mangled my fragile wishes and aspirations faster than Antonio Valencia's leg.

Oh yeah, I went there.

Of course, it didn't push me away to begin with. Oh no, that would be too easy; instead, it ensnared me in its sticky web of lies, building me up before watching me fall. I was greeted by a volley of much faster loading screens - no longer does it ask you to save something every 3 seconds ("Are you sure you'd like to save your save?"). Also, blissfully, the soundtrack has been improved upon; not really a difficult task after FIFA 10's horrible audio abuse, but some inspired Gorillaz and Black Keys make the Arena a much more delightful place. Menus have also been given a visual overhaul, and while it's not major, it's certainly welcome.

Then I got into a match. Chelsea vs. Barca. And I was blown away. I was stunned. I was open mouthed. It was just that disappointing.

Let's run down the quick list of improvements that FIFA 11 brings. The passing is great. The new system is very deft, but allows some wonderful through balls to be played and removes that old "it passed to the wrong player" excuse. Messi and Drogba look a little bit more like Messi and Drogba, and the actual balls seem much more dynamic (never thought I'd say that), with realistic spin and curve. One very nice touch is the AI using tricks; it's implemented well, and adds a great deal of spice to proceedings.

And then there's the bad. And the ugly. And the downright depressing. Old problems still appear in force: there are odd and clumsy mix-ups at the back when the game turns into a mosh pit of players running into each other and the ball bounces round like a pinball. No player seems able to take decent touch, and the keeper doesn't really think to come out and collect it, making these moments as terrifying as they are ridiculous. Another thing not resolved from previous FIFAs is that players still stubbornly refuse to go toward the ball, instead demanding that the ball go to them. It's like watching a very slow car crash, as you just know the opposition will jump in and nab it while Joe Cole stands there, forlorn. The referee still gets in the way a startling number of times - sure, it's interesting the first time, but after a while you just think that he's out to get you and cause as much chaos as possible. On top of these, goalkeepers still prefer to blindly throw a fist at the ball instead of calmly collect it, and the AI remains both infinitely stupid, and incredibly easy. You can go 2-0 up within the first 20 minutes on World Class if you just pass across the goal; and AI attackers, even when one-on-one, prefer to jog straight at the keeper instead of... I don't know, scoring.

But those aren't the largest problems. Because FIFA has one problem it has failed to overcome in over a decade, even with all this modern technology. FIFA is not football. It's almost like a scientist's impression of football: you have all the components, and you have 'things that happen', and all the factors and all the equations, but it's an incredibly sterile environment - there's no love or passion to be found anywhere.

Stadiums are horribly generic, with smaller ones displaying awful backdrops and the bigger ones seemingly detached from the real world, as if Juventus just popped into the Matrix for a quick friendly. It also doesn't help that the game is full of aggressive primary colours, like a 6-year-old's Crayola fantasy. The commentary is, to put it bluntly, a shambles. Little team/player-specific comments that could have been considered 'innovative' a good three years ago sound pathetically shoe-horned and infrequent now. Gray and Tyler lurch from odd, repetitive rambles about days gone by to overexcited screams of "OHH, HE'S DONE A FOOTKICK!". Often, they'll say something completely incorrect, or fail to mention anything important, like a goal being scored, instead deciding to remain silent. But once again, these are overshadowed by the greatest insult - the people.

Frank Lampard takes a free kick from 37 yards away. It clears the wall, flies over the defence, smacks the crossbar and shoots into the air for a goal kick. That, in a real game of football, would be amazing. Frank would be head-in-hands, the commentator would be up-in-arms, the crowd would shriek and scream at a deafening volume. In FIFA, the crowd doesn't react, the commentators say nothing, and Frank jogs backwards calmly. It's unbelievably disheartening. The crowd are all the exact same person with the same colour shirt, and they never react to anything at all; even directly behind the goal when a 90th-minute penalty is scored, they sit stock still or, if you're lucky, stand up in perfect unison and then remain stock still. The crowd doesn't make noise like they should, either - the same tepid half-cheers haunt you for 90 minutes, and even a winning hat-trick in front of the home stand just prompts a meagre murmur. It reminds me a lot of the Sims; y'know, the way your Sim will never do anything unpredictable and will put everything back in the exact same place? FIFA is the most lifeless series I've ever played.

Of course, there's more to the whole game than that. Personality+ vastly improves lower-league games and adds a much needed dash of realism, while leaps and bounds in the Career Mode could finally make it worthy of a prolonged managerial playthrough. And, yes, they fixed play-offs. The Pride Of The North can now get promoted through the 'Promotion Trophy'. But still, is there a whiff of the £60 million pounds a team gets for progressing into the best league on Earth? Nope. In fact, I had £3.5 million in transfers and £7,000 in wages. When teams like Manchester City bought Anelka with their new payments, I doubt it was with seven grand and a polite 'Oh, please!'.

Slowly, but possibly surely, FIFA is making timid steps toward realism. But with so many obvious and glaring errors - administrative inaccuracy far surpassed by Football Manager, and an environment far surpassed by... anything - the leading football game is a sluggish and lethargic fish in a swampy and minuscule pond.

Exercise those fingers! Put your thoughts on the gentleman's game below.

Labels: Chris Hawke, Feature, FIFA, FIFA 11, First impressions

Monster Hunter Tri, a highly successful and highly acclaimed title released in Japan last August, will be hitting U.S. and European store shelves in April. Having earned the illustrious and seldom given 40/40 score from Famitsu magazine, Monster Hunter Tri has revitalised the series from its stagnant PS2 and PSP forbearers. This time around, Wii owners are reaping the benefits of being the least costly platform for game development, as this game was originally designed for the PS3, but budget constraints shifted the game to become exclusive to Nintendo’s current gen. console.

After being announced for localization in Europe and the U.S., Capcom has worked hard to ensure that the game is tailored to its respective audience. The game will boast impressive online capabilities for the Wii, utilising the Wii Speak, an onscreen keyboard, and a USB keyboard for ease of communication between players. The content for Monster Hunter Tri has also been significantly upgraded, offering a vast selection of new monsters to hunt, all visually stunning and insanely large and intimidating. To combat these mammoth beasts, you are given an arsenal of disproportionately large weapons yourself. From the Great Sword to the Switch Axe to the Lance, these giant tools of destruction make Cloud’s Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII look like a toothpick. Veterans of previous Monster Hunter games will quickly remember the “potion-pumping”, as you must tailor your battle tactics to keep yourself alive with items while trying to subdue your foes. Along with potions, you have access to an expansive inventory that can be stocked up with various materials you forage, mine, and harvest off of fallen prey, which are then combined to create all sorts of useful offensive and defensive items.


The demo, available for free through GameStop retailers, features a very nice taste of many elements of the game. You are able to hunt either the Great Jaggi (a large bipedal reptile) or the Qurupeco (a large avian reptile). Capcom must really have wanted to showcase the difficulty that Monster Hunter Tri will bring, since these two rather simple looking enemies (compared to those seen in the trailer) require several attempts and plenty of strategy to take down. Each has their own specific attacks, which although become predictable, does not make them any easier to defeat. You are allowed to try virtually all the different weapon classes to test their various powers. It is nice to see that each weapon is unique and requires its own learning curve to master, and that some are more capable at handling certain foes, adding even more strategic elements. After trying all the weapons on each monster, I found the Hammer to work best on the Great Jaggi, and the Lance to be very proficient at taking down the Qurupeco.

There are several zones which make up the layout of the demo, consisting of mountainous grasslands, caves, misty crags, and oceanfront vistas. Although you have the capability of testing the waters - literally - neither boss is an aquatic creature, therefore the venue is simply provided as a break from the hunt. You can swim around different rock formations, take in some fishing, or even take down some of the tamed creatures and harvest their meat and bones. However, since you must dispatch your main target within 20 minutes, you won’t have much time to stop and smell the roses… or seaweed. Between dodging and attacking, and chasing after the big baddie when it retreats, you better know exactly what you are looking for from the surrounding plants and wildlife to supplement your inventory, or that timer will expire and you will have just wasted 20 minutes of your life. Hopefully the full version of the game will allow you to at least revisit cleared areas without a timer, in order to fully explore and enjoy what the flora and fauna has to offer. Finally, although the various battlefields were visually interesting, I did feel like I was trapped in an arena, and pray that the finished world is much more open and expansive.


After viewing the cinematic trailer, the world just may be. From the brief clips of the different locales, it looks as if your hunts take you from one end of the globe to another, battling in barren deserts, snowy peaks, molten volcanoes, and of course under the sea. The graphics look to be very polished and lag free, which is surprising considering the immensity of the foes. While we can surmise that the PS3 would have offered absolutely pristine colouring and texturing, Capcom seems to have squeezed every graphical bit out of the Wii. It will definitely be interesting to see how the frame rate holds up when the monsters, background effects, and multiple online players are on the same screen. Which takes me to my final point - multiplayer. While it looks like you are completely within your right to attempt a hunt single-handedly (*gulp*), looking at the trailer it would appear that a well balanced group of heroes is the way to go. Some hunts may be very well near impossible to handle alone, and thus we are blessed with the aforementioned communication tools to hook up with friends (or possibly strangers) and head on out into the field of battle. If successful, Capcom will have finally found a way to breach Nintendo’s limited and often frustrating online venue, which would certainly get cheers from this multiplayer hungry Nintendophile.

Monster Hunter Tri will be released in the U.S. and Europe on April 20th and April 23rd respectively, so get you sharpening blades out and your Broadband cleared, because the hunt is about to begin.

Sean

Labels: Demo Impressions, First impressions, Monster Hunter, Nintendo, Wii

The argument that traditional print-based press is dying is a difficult one to bring to a distinct conclusion. Though I know plenty of my friends and professional colleagues who still spend a regular amount on print mags such as Official PlayStation Magazine, EDGE and GamesTM, there’s definitely been a slow and gradual shift away from print media.

The launch of America’s PlayStation-exclusive in June 2008, Qore, seemed to start the revolution, at least from the perspective of the general public. It was the first time which, for many gamers, the term ‘interactive magazine’ had been heard. Then, with the launch of the iPod Touch and other handheld gadgets, magazine publishers began to move into the realms of on-the-fly apps. Steve Jobs’ announcement of the iPad at the beginning of this year further catapulted what was previously a largely print-based media into dynamic interactive media, with the Wall Street Journal announcing their iPad launch app and various other prolific media sources showing interest in following the WSJ’s lead. When FirstPlay – the UK’s PlayStation ‘interactive magazine’, from Future Publishing (the guys behind OPM) – was announced, it seemed like just another to put onto the ever deepening pile.

However, the analogy of ‘throwing it onto the pile’ was quickly dismissed. Originally called ‘OPMHD’, but soon renamed, excitement was building over the UK’s, independent answer to Qore. Whether it was the idea of full, high-definition video previews and reviews; the thought of journalistic independence from the various Sony HQ’s (meaning better rounded and more honest opinions); or even, for many, the notion that the UK would finally be on par with our cultured friends ‘over the pond’, FirstPlay – as the service came to be known – was inspiring all the right kinds of attention.

The very first thing you’ll notice when you load up FirstPlay is the advertising. It isn’t the best first impression, particularly not considering this is a product which is expecting users to pay a subscription charge. The adverts are distinctly un-skip-able, and the amount of advertising throughout is bound to irritate even the most unruffled of users. The adverts aren’t hugely focused, either – though most are advertising video games, they’re games which have already been on store shelves for a while. Okay, so Assassin’s Creed II has jumping across rooftops, stabbing people and running very quick? Already knew that, FirstPlay – I bought the game on release last year.

However, things look incontestably uphill after that. As soon as you’re past the advert, the swish aesthetics of FirstPlay’s clean-cut, pleasing user interface immediately tell the user what they’re dealing with; FirstPlay is something truly groundbreaking. The various categories are acutely and intuitively split up, and the content is easy-to-find and play. There’s no difficulty in using the FirstPlay interface – the entire experience with the menus is a pleasant, simple and good-looking one.

When venturing into the content, there’s a variety to choose from. Each different feature on FirstPlay is narrated by the lovely comedienne, Lucy Porter, in a style which regular viewers of Bravo TV’s former magazine show, Gamer.tv, will find reassuringly familiar. Though the narration is, on the whole, impressive and immersive, some of the jokes fall a little flat. It’s easy to see – or rather, see – that Porter has at least some background knowledge on the gaming industry. Her narration is too fluid; too natural for someone with no ‘previous’ in the industry. Whether that’s through good rehearsal or through a personal interest, I don’t know, but her apparent personal interest certainly appeals to the viewer and puts Porter and the viewer on a level plain: unlike other shows which are similar, the narration is direct to the viewer, friendly and, above all, not patronising.

The features range in traditionalism, but all are enjoyable and polished. They range from the live-blood of games journo, reviews – which are comprehensive and justified in terms of opinion – to more original slots. All of them are filled with one-liners and quick quips, which never fail to get the viewer at least smiling.

However, the real strength of FirstPlay is in its writing. It is absolutely unfaultable. The jokes are funny and seamlessly thrown into the script, and the writing and general vernacular used throughout the features are representative of normal written games journalism, albeit fantastic writing. Per contra, the quality of the writing is unsurprising considering the feature is from the legendary Tim Clark and the Official PlayStation Magazine team, who consistently pump out some of the best journalistic content on the market.

FirstPlay is certainly an impressive venture into the world of interactive magazines. The content is amazingly well done, with almost everything feeling perfect but the large amount of advertising. If the FirstPlay beta is something to go by, the future editions of the magazine are certainly an exciting prospect to look forward to. I think that public support for interactive magazines really is taking a boom at the moment, and FirstPlay is a perfect example of the format done well.

Linford

Labels: First impressions, FirstPlay, Future, Linford Butler, OPM

Having lived in Britain since my birth, I’ve seen almost every possible sort of rain there is to see. I’ve seen rain which falls straight down, and rain which comes down at a slant. I’ve seen rain which looks like someone’s tipped the combined contents of the Lake District on top of the world. I’ve seen light showers, torrential downpours, acid rain. Rain which looks like snow, but isn’t. Rain which you’d be forgiven for thinking was actually hail, as it hurts so much when it hits you. I’m practically a professor on precipitation.

Last Thursday, however, I met my match in the face of a new and never-before-seen foe; a kind of rain which I had never seen before. Obtaining a key to Quantic Dream’s much-anticipated Heavy Rain, I took a step into the gaming unknown, about to experience a new type of game which most consider to be a turning point in the way we experience gaming and storylines.

Actually, to call Heavy Rain merely ‘anticipated’ would be verging on the brink of impertinence. Whether hyped for the game beyond belief, or sceptical of whether it really can pull all of the tricks out of its fantastic-looking sleeve, everyone is waiting, breath sufficiently baited, on Heavy Rain’s release to prove their point right and everyone else’s wrong. From the looks of things, though, the sceptics won’t have a huge amount to go on.

Loading up the demo, the first thing which initially hits you is the extremely dark, almost macabre atmosphere. On immediate bootup, the rain is present, and - as the title suggests - it is heavy and persistent throughout. The environments are creepy, too – the entirety of the demo seems to take place in environments which most would consider sleazy and questionable, and would avoid like a bullet. It’s a system which works well to immediately set the tone and the semblance of the experience; one which keeps the player on the edge of their seat, wondering what happens next, rather than allowing them to become at ease.

Developing realistic characters in games has been notoriously hard for developers over the years, with each different developer’s attempts yielding varying levels of success. Heavy Rain is certainly destined to join the hall of fame concerning character profiles; each character’s dialogue feels realistic and deep, and everything down to the facial expressions and body language seem true-to-life. Heavy Rain’s overall player experience is more like watching a well-acted, well-scripted movie than playing a game – it has the very same feel that you have an idea of what’ll happen at the beginning, but your thoughts can be proven wrong or destroyed through a huge plot twist. It’s very well done.

Heavy Rain is extremely adult – that’s immediately evident as soon as you start the game. The few situations which you play through during the demo are certain to leave concerned parents disputing the suitability of the game for younger players. Between visiting a prostitute and investigating the latest in a series of (apparently mindless) homicides, you’ll have a violent fight with a woman-beating, sex-buying thug; reduce a woman to tears; experience heavy language and look at someone’s cold, dead body. It certainly isn’t Cooking Mama.

Though much of Heavy Rain will shock you – though shock you in a way which makes you think ‘wow, this really is good’ - possibly the most impressive aspect of what you experience from the demo are the visuals. They really are startlingly wonderful. Doing a wonderful job of making the character’s astoundingly realistic, and making the environments immersive and believable, Heavy Rain’s graphical prowess makes up for what it might be slightly lacking in action-packed gameplay.

The gameplay, in fact, is far from action packed. The entire thing seems to be based purely upon quick-time events and multiple-choice sections. However, what the system does, it does extremely well. The different choices you make can have a quite decisive impact on the outcome of the situation you’re in; choosing one option instead of another could make the difference between having someone throw you out and having them offer a cup of tea and a custard cream. Though not entirely choc-a-block full of liveliness and combat-based engagement, the demo does include a little something in the way of action; taking control of private detective Scott Shelby, you visit a Lauren Winters, only to find her unhelpful and off-hand. However, after an aggressive-looking man enters Lauren’s room and screams ring out, you knock down the door, and a fist-fight ensues. This fist-fight takes the form of various button presses and quick-time-events, which if missed can mean a serious injury for Scott and game-over. Though exciting for a moment, Heavy Rain isn’t really an action game – the gist of it lends itself more to a slow-paced, search and investigate style of gameplay, instead of action.

In terms of what Heavy Rain sets out to do – that is, make a game based upon strong game writing and human emotion – it certainly meets the mark. Visually, Heavy Rain has impact and is stunning; and in terms of the way decisions change the outcome of set-pieces, it is impressive. However, whether Heavy Rain’s slow-paced, very different style of gameplay can sway a gaming generation tripping on gunning, bullet-time and ammunition crates is yet to be seen. However, from what I’ve played – I certainly think it has the potential.

Linford

Labels: First impressions, Heavy Rain, Linford Butler, PS3

I really want to be a superhero. I mean, really. If it were fashionable, I would go to work wearing tights and a cape. Part of me is now, and will always be, indignant at the American education system for not supporting Masked Vigilantism as an acceptable college major. So I'm obviously attracted to any games that allow me to live my fantasy, if through the fourth wall.

I've only been playing for two days, but so far Champions Online is the closest I've come to actually being a superhero, even if it is in a game. Once, in real life, I chased a mouse out of my basement with a broadsword. That was as close as I've ever actually come. Champions comes close to that. It's almost mouse worthy.

The game came out on the 1st September here in the States, and hits your European shelves on the 4th September (tomorrow!). If you've played City of Heroes, you'll have a basic idea of the gameplay in Champions. Just consider it City of Heroes, evolved. Powers are clicked or hotkeyed into use, as with most MMORPGs. Some, like the block button, must be held down during combat. It's an interesting system, simple in theory but more difficult in practice than you'd think, especially when compared to games with purely click-and-watch-what-happens systems, like World of Warcraft. The difference is crisp and refreshing.

The aesthetics of the game already have me feeling like my purchase was worthwhile. The moves are zany, the music is sweepingly epic, and the costumes are a case study in the creativity of the human brain. I constantly feel like I took a wrong turn and winded up in some kind of video game superhero-based Narnia.

So it seems amazing - but that's only after two days of play. All is usually not well in paradise. Already, I can see the possibility of repetitiveness and boredom in certain elements of the gameplay and level design. It is, after all, an MMORPG, and that's a genre famous for driving people in circles until the Ragnarok.

That being said, I'm going to wait at least a week before I post a full review on Champions. That'll give me all the time I need to give you readers a confident, well-rounded opinion. It's an MMO - you want a full review.

If you're just dying to hear more from me about the game now, just pester me with comments on this post and I'll respond. Use lots of caps lock to get my attention. It's the internet equivalent of making loud noises or shining bright, flashy lights at my pupils when I'm trying to sleep. It'll get my attention.

Greg

Labels: Champions Online, First impressions, Greg Mengel, MMO, MMORPG

Ever since it was announced at this years E3, Shadow Complex had been high on my list of anticipated games. The promise of a current-gen, Metroid/Castlevania style game by Epic Games, the studio behind Gears of War, had me squirming with excitement. Today, the game launched on the Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points and I wasted no time downloading it and hoping in to the campaign.

Shadow Complex starts you off, not as the main character, but as a fully upgraded government soldier. After teasing you for a few minutes with the overwhelming power, in true Metroid fashion, you are stripped of all the power-ups and begin playing as the games hero, Jason. Out in the woods with his girlfriend, the couple decide to explore a nearby cave. Upon entering the cave - which turns out to be a large, technologically advanced complex (hence the game's title) - Jason's girlfriend is taken hostage by the occupants of the base. Jason does what any good boyfriend would do and infiltrates the base armed with nothing but a flashlight.

The controls are spot on in Shadow Complex, I found myself easily maneuvering the games areas. The only points so far where the controls have been an issue is when pin-point shooting is required, as the aiming sensitivity seems a little touchy. The game helps slightly with this problem by giving all of your firearms unlimited ammo, making missed shots less of a hindrance.

Like the games that its inspired from, a main component of Shadow Complex is finding secrets. I've been in every corner of the complex, searching for hidden power-ups, and from what I've found so far, it seems as though the designers have done a great job of evenly pacing the amount of unlockables for the player to find. From extra grenades, to health extensions, anyone who enjoys exploring in games should have a blast with Shadow Complex.

Graphically, Shadow Complex is fairly good. While not overly impressive in comparison to some disc-based games, Shadow Complex rises to the top of the pack when looking at other downloadable games. Using Epic's own Unreal Engine 3 technology, the visuals in Shadow Complex will surely not disappoint.

I've only played a few hours of Shadow Complex, but it has already given me the impression that it is a quality product. Even while writing this post I am itching to get my hands on the game again and continue to explore the large world that Epic has created. Expect a full review of Shadow Complex on GGTL in the near future.

Tyson

Labels: Epic, First impressions, Shadow Complex, Tyson, Tyson Breen

The long awaited PSN title Fat Princess hit the store today, and like many others I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. The download is a nice little 329MB so it didn't take too long, even on my prehistoric connection. After installation I booted the game up and after a few screens I was in the main menu. The menu screen is cute and not too clustered which goes well with the theme of the game.

After a quick glance at the 'How To Play' section, I hit the hilariously titled 'Play With Yourself' mode. You have three options here: Legend of The Fat Princess, Mess About and Gladiator. Legend of The Fat Princess is presented as a story book, taking you through the "story" of the game. It guides you through the basic game modes and maps in a user friendly fashion. I won't spoil the entire campaign for you though as it includes some very funny moments. Mess About is basically just an offline skirmish mode with AI bots and Gladiator is a constant onslaught of enemies.

The gameplay itself is alot of fun. You spawn in the middle of your team's castle (or pirate ship, respectively) and from there you choose your class by means of obtaining a hat from the various dispensers. There are six classes to choose from:

-Villager: Fastest carrier of the princess, very little health
-Mage: A wizard that can cast fire and ice magic
-Priest: The healer of the game, but can be upgraded to drain enemies
-Warrior: Your standard sword wealing brute
-Worker: The manual labour class that collects resources to upgrade buildings
-Ranger: The archer that fires arrows

The class all have their different strengths and weaknesses, but it is usually up to the entire makeup of your team rather than your individual class choice as to how the battle unfolds. Controls are easy to grasp as only a few buttons are used. However, the online play can become a little too hectic in 32 player games, and the occasional lag spike is irratating. The maps are well designed though and beautifully presented by the cell shaded graphics, as is the high level of gore. Online play seems robust from the short time I played it, however I did have problems using the Jump In option to enter a game, but I'll assume this is just teething problems which every online game goes through. Stats are very detailed and the friends system works a treat.

The humour in Fat Princess is one of the main things that give it its charm. I frequently laughed out loud (see: LOL'ed) during my short time playing it. My highlight so far has to be the first time I used a magic potion in the middle of a battle, turning everyone including myself into chickens. I was a little shocked to see a pentagram appearing under the dark priest as he charges his evil attack, but I guess it is just to create a strong distinction between the standard priest and the dark upgrade. The developers also threw in a little tongue in cheek humour in the customisation menu with the skin colours "Milky" and "Chocolate", alongside other food related names in a light hearted manner.

Many were annoyed to learn that Fat Princess would be costing a steep £11.99, but for a PSN title it is alot of fun and in my opinion well worth the money. The few server issues should be sorted soon and I'm sure people will be playing this online for quite a while.

Conor

Labels: Conor, Fat Princess, First impressions, PSN

It’s been a long time coming, and now it’s here. The new PlayStation 3 firmware, version 2.70. It’s been ages since there’s been a firmware update which can be described as landmark, and Sony know that – so is the latest update going to be enough to satisfy your cravings?

The simple answer: I highly doubt it. However, that isn’t to say it’s a completely pointless update – it’s brought some clever little options and some really nice new features with it; I just doubt it’s enough to class it as a milestone for PS3.

So, new features. There isn’t a huge amount this time, but they’re done relatively okay and integrated well into the existing system. However, they aren’t going to revolutionise the way you use your PS3 – far from it – but they are going to make the experience that bit easier and just a tad high-tech.

The biggest addition to the system is the new ‘text chat’ feature. Allowing up to 16 people to chat using a controller or keyboard, the new text chat feature is, essentialy, the MSN of PlayStation 3. It works in the same way as MSN – you type your message in the input box, hit send and it appears in a reading pane above for you and your friends to read. If you’re in a game, new messages in the chat room appear as message alerts in the top right-hand corner of the screen. You can even participate in up to three chat rooms at once.

However, there is one big weakness to the feature. If you’re halfway through a game and get a message, you have to access the in-game XMB and go into the chat room to type a message. This lengthy and clunky process can be frustrating if you’re in the middle of an attack online, and could cost you precious online XP if you miss something while typing a message. A Home-esque message box and input system would work much better; if you could type a message using a keyboard whilst in-game, the system would be much more fluid to use.

The dynamic normaliser for music is pretty useless, if I’m honest; it prevents sudden volume jumps when you’re listening to music. However, if you’ve bought an album, all the tracks should already be of a similar volume anyway, so really there’s no real scope for the future. However, if you’re someone who uses ‘free’ download websites to get your music, you may find yourself using this feature out of pure necessity.

Use of internet on the PS3 has been improved, giving much more flexibility to the user. By highlighting a game disk and going into the ‘triangle’ options menu, a new feature called ‘Internet Search’ will allow you to immediately search for that game via the PS3’s inbuilt search function. Good if you’re looking for news on that game, bad if you already know or you like playing your games and not researching them. Furthermore, Sony have added language fixes to the browser, meaning that Polish, Greek, Czech, Slovak, and Turkish languages now have the full sets of characters required for reading foreign-language sites on the PS3’s internet browser. You can also copy and paste text now, but it’s slow and taxing on the system. Both features are done well, but seem more like additional features than actual firmware features.

The best of the features has to be the new text-chat function – if you don’t want to talk over camera or headset, or you have friends who don’t own a headset, you’ll find yourself using the text-chat function more and more regularly. Whether it be for organising games, fighting talk or just general chit-chat, this’ll be one feature which will probably be used more than all of the others put together.

Overall, however, you won’t find yourself gaping in awe at the new firmware.

Linford

Labels: First impressions, PS3, Update

Imagine my delight this morning when I woke up to find a coffee next to me, my cat lying on the bed, and a fresh, unwrapped copy of Killzone 2. Following the orders that my still half-asleep brain gave me, I unwrapped the copy and placed it into my PS3. With a 3 or 4 hours before college started (I go in at 2pm and leave at 3pm on Fridays) I decided to get stuck in and give you some first impressions. 

As the game loads into the campaign mode I’m greeted by an impressive, awe-inspiring cutscene. It scares me that I don’t know whether it was pre-rendered or gameplay footage, but either way it was amazing. The general plot seems to be that the ISA (good guys) is pushing back the Helghans (bad guys) from the invasion seen in the first game.

My immediate impressions of the controls were not good. They felt heavily weighted, a problem which apparently was visable in the first game, and the controls didn’t match the standard FPS scheme (CoD4). However, over a short period of time, about 20 minutes, the controls quickly warmed to me, and I found myself really enjoying using the ISA’s default rifle, with it’s ultra accurate dot-sight.

I only had a chance to play one or two matches online. What I played there, was breathtaking. Stunning visuals which matched the single player mode, atmospheric explosions and gun shots all around, NO LAG (J) and a lot of over excited kids that really should have been in colle…I mean school. The way that the multiplayer works is that there aren't any kind of set game modes. You enter a game which should last you about 30-40 minutes, and during that time you’re given multiple objectives. From what I’ve played, the system works really well, and should keep gamers from piling onto one game type (I’m looking at you Search and Destroy on CoD4).

From what I have seen, this game ISN’T a reason to buy a PS3. But this along with Uncharted, Resistance, God of War and Metal Gear Solid, really should get you thinking about buying the black behemoth.

Matt

Labels: First impressions, Killzone 2, Matthew, Matthew Meadows

So I bought the Puzzle Quest game on PSN. I’ve got to say, I am very impressed. The game matches up an awesome, classic RPG storyline with great in-depth puzzle gameplay.

I know what I’ll be playing over the Christmas holiday! (Of course, now that Fallout 3 has trophies, that will get some serious loving too)

I’ll probably do a review of it, along with the LittleBigPlanet one I keep intending to do.

Matt

Labels: First impressions, Matthew, Matthew Meadows, Puzzle Quest

• Graphics look a little better
• Ball seems to stick a little too much to the feet
• Editing improved, but still nothing like the depth found in PES6
• Imported songs from PS3 HDD have saved my ears from horrific J-Pop
• They still haven’t fixed it so you can make a custom master league team
• Master league still pretty much the same as last season
• Liverpool FC are licensed, all is well with the world
• Become a legend mode is pretty much the same as FIFA’s one; takes a while to get used to
• Hull are awful

Matt

Labels: First impressions, Matthew, Matthew Meadows, PES 09

I finished Metal Gear Solid 4. Expect a review within a couple of weeks. Reason for the slightly delayed review; I want complete it again while wearing a suit (in-game, duh). Please do yourself a favour and buy the game. Even though I have never played a Metal Gear game before, I really enjoyed it.

Matt

Labels: First impressions, Matthew, Matthew Meadows, Metal Gear Solid 4

11am. Saturday. There was a chill in the air. An electric feeling pulsed through my veins as I picked up what can only be described as a masterpiece in the field of video games. Then I put GTA 4 down and picked up Dark Sector. Oh yeah. I totally zinged Dark Sector.

As you may know, Dark Sector was released a couple of months back on the PS3 and 360. The game combines environmental puzzles with "the deadly power of the glaive". What little story there seems to be involves a zombie virus outbreak (Reference: Resident Evil), set in an Eastern European country. Innovative, no?

What drives this game away from absolute generic status is the use of a boomerang style weapon with blades attached. This "glaive" is used for many purposes in the game, from solving small puzzles to chopping off dude's heads. Many interesting gameplay mechanics have been created that revolve around this weapon such as the "afterTouch", which allows you to control the path of the Glaive after throwing it. All of this is good, but nothing to propel the game into legendary status.

I'm making my way through the game now, so expect to see a review within a couple of weeks.

Matt

Labels: Dark Sector, First impressions, Matthew Meadows

I have found some time in-between revising for my exams and learning to drive to bring you guys a short review of Haze. Now I'm sure you have all seen the nasty reviews that many sites have given Haze. In many ways these people are right, Haze is not brilliant but still has some good qualities about it.

The first good quality is probably is that of some of the multiplayer scenarios, if you want you can just go for the regular Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch but theres also a different mission based scenario for each map. For instance there is a swamp type map in which the rebels have to burn patches of Nectar farms with flame throwers before the Mantel Troopers can turn on the sprinkler systems on to save their precious Nectar. This provides a good balance of gunplay and tactics.

The second good point is that I'm positive that they can improve on the multiplayer system with more maps, game types and mission variations for the current maps. It's good to know that a game can be improved post release.

The third good point is the Mantel part of the story line, the rebel's story is boring but Mantel is a weird company that has its own private army that took over the real army and powered them by drugs (Nectar). It's pretty cool and provides (in my opinion) a pretty mature, well rounded view about drugs, propaganda and troop morale.

Anyway there will be a full review which should be sometime after monday.

Gr1mmy

Labels: First impressions, Haze

Labels: First impressions, Gran Turismo

I got U:DF at Christmas. WOW, this game is stunning. Me and my mate James (not the co-author) were stunned by the graphical detail. Also, the collectables seem like they could easily increase the game's lifespan two-fold. I will make a review when i have completed the game.

Labels: First impressions, Matthew Meadows

Labels: First impressions

Labels: First impressions