Category Archives: PlayStation 3

Action, Beat 'em up, PlayStation 3, Reviews, RPG

Yakuza 3 (Review)

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How to describe Yakuza 3? Well it’s an RPG beat ‘em up stuffed with a huge variety of mini-games to distract you from the games story that involve multiple Yakuza gangs and government conspiracies in Tokyo and Okinawa. Oh and you look after an orphanage too.

Players new to the series are welcomed by detailed compilations of cutscenes from the first two games that make a decent effort of bringing you up to speed. Long story short, Kazuma (that’s you) climbed the ranks to become the 4th Chairman of the Tojo Clan of the Yakuza, didn’t fancy it and went to start an orphanage on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Continue reading Yakuza 3 (Review) →

Action, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Way of the Samurai 3 (Review)

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Set in Feudal Japan you star as an injured Samurai, regaining consciousness on a battlefield surrounded by corpses of other warriors after a bloody battle. From here on in you get to decide how to shape the story in this sedately paced Samurai-sim.

The series, which started on PS2, has always prided itself on the amount of choice it provided to gamers with multiple endings being a key selling point. This time there are over twenty of them.  Players are allowed a degree of freedom in shaping their adventure by selecting from multiple dialogue options, usually based around being nice or nasty. Continue reading Way of the Samurai 3 (Review) →

PlayStation 3, Previews, Regular previews, Xbox 360

Super Street Fighter IV (Preview)

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Yes the original game is barely a year old, but countless editions of Street Fighter games are something we’ve come to expect from Capcom over the years. Some offer minor tweaks of gameplay and other subtle changes that only the hardcore or most avid completist may care for while others may throw some extra content into the mix.

This first addition to the Street Fighter IV universe may well be worth a look to all types of fan though. Almost definitely an essential purchase if you haven’t got around to picking up the first one yet. Continue reading Super Street Fighter IV (Preview) →

PC, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Puzzle, Reviews, XBLA, Xbox 360

Peggle (Review)

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Old news for PC and 360 gamers, but Peggle has finally made its way to PS3 via the PSN service. If you enjoyed PopCap’s other games like Bejeweled 2 and Zuma then there’s every chance you’ll love this too.

The aim is to rid the screen of all the orange Pegs. You do this by shooting a ball at an angle from the top the screen, then simply sitting back and letting gravity take care of the rest as the ball bounces of walls and blue and orange Pegs. Pegs light up when touched and disappear a few seconds later, longer if the ball is still pinging around lots.  Eventually the ball falls to the bottom of the screen, either into a hole or into a moving bucket which lets you use the ball again. You get ten balls to clear all the orange Pegs out, but more balls can be earned by saving them at the bottom or racking up a large combo by bouncing off lots of pegs. Once the last orange Peg has been hit the ball lands in one of five pits for an extra score bonus. Continue reading Peggle (Review) →

PlayStation 3, Racers, Reviews, Xbox 360

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Review)

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Considering kart racers are supposed to be a heavily populated genre, it’s surprising that there aren’t really any on the PS3 and Xbox 360. There’s a few film spin-offs like Pixar’s Cars and PSN titles like Gripshift and Smash Cars but it’s almost like nobody’s got the guts to take on Nintendo and Mario Kart.

No longer though. Sonic’s star may have fallen in all manner of horrific ways over the years, with him even having to hop into bed with the porky plumber to pay the bills, but make no mistake Sonic and pals are back in contention with this top racing title. Continue reading Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Review) →

PlayStation 3, Reviews, RPG

White Knight Chronicles (Review)

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I don’t want to say JRPGs are like buses but come on! In little over a month around now starved console gamers are getting Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Final Fantasy XIII and now the very late in translation PS3 exclusive, White Knight Chronicles. The Wii even got a Final Fantasy game too!

Well enough complaining just book the whole of March off and get stuck-in. RPG fans may be interested to know that this game is from Level 5, the well respected developers of the critically acclaimed Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy. Continue reading White Knight Chronicles (Review) →

First Person Shooters, PC, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Bioshock 2 (Multiplayer Review)

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Bioshock multiplayer probably wasn’t too high up on the list of things we wanted to see included in Bioshock 2 given that it was everything apart from the guns that really made the game (and its sequel) really stand out. Turns out that maybe we should have wanted it all along as it’s turned out very well indeed.

If you’ve heard that the multiplayer takes place before the events of the first game, then you heard correct. However, don’t expect to gain any more particular insight into the fall of Rapture as all it really means is you’ll revisit some familiar locations that have less rubble and destruction than you’ve previously seen. This time though you’re one of the psychotic Splicers. Continue reading Bioshock 2 (Multiplayer Review) →

First Person Shooters, PC, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Aliens Vs Predator (Review)

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Cinema’s favourite monsters haven’t exactly flourished on consoles. The Alien franchise hasn’t had a good game since Alien Trilogy on the PS1 and Predator is still waiting. PC gamers have enjoyed the clash of these mighty beasts for many a year though, and finally, so can the rest of us.

The plot is pretty basic and shares a few small similarities to the first AVP movie; thankfully the awful Dawson’s Creek-esque sequel has largely been ignored. The Marine plot is filled in better if you pick up audio diaries, similar in nature to those in Bioshock. Just as all three stories begin to get interesting though, they finish, leaving you disappointed but tellingly, wanting more. Continue reading Aliens Vs Predator (Review) →

First Person Shooters, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Bioshock 2 (Review)

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First off all we’ll just say you can read this review without worrying about plot spoilers for this game and its predecessor because we’re not cruel / stupid and can’t encourage you enough to go and play through the first classic game to fully enjoy this one. So there’s no need to read with one eye open from behind the sofa.

All you really need to know is that in the first game the player found themselves at the hidden underwater city of Rapture after a plane crash. Unfortunately everything had gone completely mental as all the citizens had been busy messing around with Plasmids that altered them genetically, giving them superhuman abilities.

After taking it overboard, the Utopia fell before coming into fruition leaving its citizens wrecked of body and mind as they became known as the Splicers. Horrifically the city’s little girls, later dubbed the Little Sisters, were put into a trance and forced to collect Adam (Plasmid currency) from corpses. Players could choose to liberate them from this haunting nightmare or murder them to get extra Adam supplies. Well, after you disposed of their guardian first, the ominous Big Daddies. Continue reading Bioshock 2 (Review) →

Arcade Shooter, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Retro, Reviews

Gravity Crash (Review)

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This is another retro-style 2D shooter for the PSN and probably the harshest one yet. Your space-ship handles similarly to games of yesteryear like Thrust and Gravitar. If this means nothing to you, it’s like a hockey puck slowly sliding across the ice, with little thrusts to control changes in direction. The game’s enjoyable to look at in a minimalist way, with its simple yet striking visualstyle of solid lines making up the maps and lighting them up with a neon glow. Continue reading Gravity Crash (Review) →

Interactive Drama, PlayStation 3, Reviews

Heavy Rain (Review)

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This PS3 exclusive is the long-awaited ‘interactive drama’ from Quantic Dream. For months we’ve been wowed by the stunning character models and promises of a unique experience. Of course we’ve also been worried that the whole thing may descend into a never-ending line of Quick-Time-Events (QTEs). Read on for the full verdict. Continue reading Heavy Rain (Review) →

Hands-on previews, PlayStation 3, Previews

ModNation Racers (Hands-On Preview)

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Coming up fast behind Mario Kart is ModNation Racers from Sony and United Front Games. Rather than just another kart-racer you’ll have your chance to create your own tracks and characters. It’s the next game in Sony’s ‘Play, Create, Share’ push started by Little Big Planet. Continue reading ModNation Racers (Hands-On Preview) →

First Person Shooters, PlayStation 3, Reviews

MAG (Review)

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256 players online. What was the biggest before that? Resistance 2 with 60? That’s one hell of a step up. We’d have been impressed with a 100. It’s perhaps fitting then that MAG stands for Massive Action Game. So how does it measure up against the likes of Modern Warfare 2 and developer Zipper Interactive’s Socom games? You might want to upgrade your broadband for this one. Continue reading MAG (Review) →

PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Puzzle, Retro, Reviews

PixelJunk Shooter (Review)

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There are already a large number of 2D shooters on the PSN Store, but the genre hopping PixelJunk series from Q-Games has beaten them all with their first shot at the title. PixelJunk Shooter is a compelling game designed with a distinctive, simple, full-coloured style and perfectly balanced gameplay.

Continue reading PixelJunk Shooter (Review) →

News, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store)

ModNation Racers Limited Beta On Euro PSN Store Now

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There are 100,000 public Betas for ModNation Racers available on the European PSN Store now. It’s a first come, first served limited download for European users to get an early taste of Sony’s Mario Kart-style racer where players can build their own tracks then share them online.

The download is just over 2GB and includes the track editor for Alpine levels. You’re going to have to be fast to snap up a code, so do it now!

PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Puzzle, Reviews

Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle Episodes 1 & 2 (PSN Review)

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Episode 1: Little Riddle’s Deadly Dilemma
Episode 2: The Mystery of Riddle Manor

It’s about time PSN got some murder mystery puzzles games going. Professor Layton on the DS has had his own way for much too long now. So the creators of the Buzz! quiz games whisk us off to the “Quintessentially quaint” countryside village of Little Riddle. Continue reading Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle Episodes 1 & 2 (PSN Review) →

Features, News, PC, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

The Winners of the Game Hub Games of the Year Awards 2009

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All your votes are in and counted. So who were the winners of the Game Hub Games of the Year Awards 2009? There are a few surprises amongst the obvious ones.  Fortunately for all the nominees, nobody got zero votes (somebody got one though). So here are the Top 3 for each of the 13 categories:*

*I wrote this article for game-hub.co.uk after I arranged the voting categories a few weeks earlier.

Follow this link to be taken to the article at Game Hub.

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Action, Beat 'em up, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Bayonetta (Review)

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With no new Devil May Cry anytime soon, Kratos and God of War III probably thought they’d own 2010. Yet he’s having to face off a triple offensive of Darksiders, Bayonetta and Dante’s Inferno, one after another. Out of the three, original Devil May Cry director Hideki Kamiya has changed tactics the most by sending the sassy temptress Bayonetta in instead of yet another angry man. Hoping to charm her way in, before going berserk in a way we forgot Japanese games used to do. Continue reading Bayonetta (Review) →

Action, Beat 'em up, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Darksiders (Review)

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The hack n’ slash genre is back in force this year with the first quarter playing host to Bayonetta, Dante’s Inferno and God of War III. Amidst the hype of these three big names Vigil Games have been pretty quiet promoting their effort Darksiders. Turns out keeping their heads down and getting on with it has paid off as we have our first surprise of the year. Continue reading Darksiders (Review) →

Features, News, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), PSP, Reviews

Testing the PSN VideoStore on PS3

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Ok, so the new Video Delivery Service has been online in the UK for a couple of weeks now and the collection of titles is fattening up nicely so it’s about time we got stuck in.

First up I tested an SD version of Escape from LA (101 mins) starring Kurt Russell. The file size was 1570MB and my ‘20 Mbps’ broadband was running at its typically poor Friday night rate of around 10 Mbps. Wanting to test how good the film would play while it was downloading, I gave it a few minutes head-start, during which time it got up to 5%. Continue reading Testing the PSN VideoStore on PS3 →