GameHaven

Using a much more unforgiving and cynical review tone in mind, here's my review for Condemned 2: Bloodshot (PS3).


Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Genre: First Person Horror (2-8 Online) Developer: Monolith Publisher: SEGA Release: 3/18/2008

The Fake Sound of Progress

Why so serious? Oh wait, wrong article. Maybe I was confused because like the Joker in The Dark Knight, Condemend 2 is a sick and twisted romp through a dark world, filled with quick frights and fast action.

In Condemned 2, you play as Ethan Thomas- an ex-SCU-agent-turned-violent-alcoholic. The game's story is refreshing from other games on the market, and the sense of character is completely different. However, while the game starts off creepy , with a great story, by the game's end it spirals down into a mess of events dealing with everything from super powers to cult activity to inner demons. Nevertheless, if you can make sense of the story, it's a phenomenal one that I enjoyed thoroughly.

The game is brutal.

SingStar
Genre: Karaoke (1-8 Players) Developer: SCEA London Publisher: SCEA Release: 5/20/2008

Just keep Singing

SingStar for the PS3 delivers more of the same SingStar experience that we've all grown accustomed to. For those who don't know what SingStar is, here's the deal: game comes with two microphones and about 30-ish songs. Boot up and jump into your favorite song, making a fool of yourself, singing along, trying to match the pitch of the singer.

Game screen

SingStore

(Pictures courtesy of IGN. Original pictures/videos coming soon)

After dragging my *** for so long, I guess it's finally time to just get this over with. I present you with the Ridge Racer 7 review.

Ridge Racer 7
Arcade Racing
Full Game
E

I've long been a racing game fan, but I only liked "street racing" games like Midnight Club and Need for Speed. Now, after playing Ridge Racer 7, I can proudly say I'm an arcade racing game fan, too.

RR7 places you in the shoes of *insert PSN username here*, the newest drift racer to visit Ridge State, "the home of drift racing". From there you'll need to complete Manufacturer's races to establish relationships with Manufacturers (enabling you to earn and buy vehicles and upgrades), compete in the Ridge State Gran Prix (essentially a tournament mode), and do UFRA Special Challenges (races with set rules). Along the way you'll earn credits and fame points, opening up new events and races.

Races are immense fun, thanks to the simple controls and outstanding drift. You'll literally "drive sideways" around corners, filling up Nitrous as you drift. The sense of speed is excellent, and you never get tired of using a tank of NoS. I also think it's noteworthy to say that the motion-sensing controls (which are optional) are actually good, and it is possible to win races using them.

Online play is also a ton of fun, with dozens of leaderboards, modes, and settings that can be changed for each race. There are always people online, and many different types of games will appeal to everyone. Whether or not you're looking for a competitive race, one that's just for fun, or a team race, you'll always be delighted.

Graphically, this game fares very well. You can easily tell it's next-gen, with amazingly detailed environments, and the vehicles and lighting are amazing. Reflections and shading make the game seem much nicer and polished. The excellent detail and motion blur just sweeten up the deal.

Soundwise, this game is amazing. Dozens of funky pop-techno songs accompany the usual humming engines and squealing tires. Also, if you're willing to pay an extra buck or so, you can download dozens of more tunes from the PSN. Personally, I haven't bought them, but I'm sure they're worth it. Overall, this game is music to my ears.
The replayability of RR7 is excellent- a great single player, engaging online, and an endless amount of downloadable content makes RR7 a never-ending racer. For racing fans, you must pick this one up. For others, it's recommended to at least rent it. You won't regret it.

CLOSING NOTE
-Excellent Single-Player
-Simple, effective controls
-Great online play
-Outstanding graphics
-Superb sound
-Tons of downloadable content (most of which is free!)

-Recommended-

Well, here it is! After receiving my free copy in the mail (courtesy of Romeo Corsi- thanks!), I eagerly booted up my PS3, popped in the disc, sat back, and prepared to see how the retail version fared. The demo was, to put it plain and simple, total crap. I expected the retail version to be better, and to my delight, it is. It’s not going to win any awards, other than best Gundam game ever made, but it is enjoyable for a little while.

REVIEW
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
Hack and Slash
Retail

Playing the demo, I never planned to play this game. Going into the game, I was curious to see if Namco Bandai go fix what had been a colossal mess. And, in fact, they did. This is a mildly-entertaining game, but is better for casual players. With missions lasting from about 15 to 20 minutes, and a recommended playing time of about a mission or two, the game can last quite a bit, but is horrible for extended play times.

The gameplay is practically unchanged: mash the attack button, use boost to dodge when you need to, and when your meter fills up, use a special attack. Sound fun? If it does, this is the perfect game for you!

Even so, destroying hordes of enemies is actually entertaining for a mission or two. Periodic boss battles and quick cinematic sequences break up the gameplay and it’s nice overall.
There’s three gameplay modes: Original, Official, and Two Player.

Original takes the characters from the G Gundam series and puts them in a new story line following a new planet set to collide with Earth. You can choose from three pilots, each with a different Mobile Suit and different missions. Official follows the original Gundam characters going through events from the TV series. Again, three pilots from the outset.

The pilots are diverse enough to offer different experiences and levels, and its fun to switch between pilots, playing different levels.

Two Player is a nice change of pace, allowing you to do a split screen battle against one another or see who can kill more baddies in single player. It’s fun, but the battles are very hard due to low starting health and I haven’t gotten a chance to try the killing challenge yet.

However, the game does get repetitive and I highly recommend not playing for more than a mission or two at a time. Doing more will quickly get tiresome and you’ll come to hate the game.

Graphically, the game has not changed, and still looks like an early PS2 game. C’mon Namco, how can this even remotely pass for next-gen? While I admit the character models are nice, looking like accurate three dimensional representations of their TV characters, the surrounding environments are bland and ugly. Special attacks look nice, however, but are truly nothing special. The lip-syncing is better now, but if you look realy closely, you’ll notice it’s still a bit off. However, there is one highlight: the character briefings. Whenever you’re being briefed for a mission, all speaking characters are shown as nice, crisp 2D images. But overall, trust me; the visuals of this game do it no good.

Soundwise, the game has improved a bit. The voice acting is better, although it could still be better and some of the dialogue is downright awful. The music is also noting special, and you’ll quickly forget how it sounds. The sound effects are good enough that they work, but I’m not going to mince words- they could use a tune up as well.

Overall, the game is enjoyable when played in portions or with a friend, but will not appeal to the hardcore gamer crowd. For Gundam/Dynasty Warrior fans, this is a dream come true, but for the rest of us, the high repetitiveness and low quality graphics and sound make this game warrant only a rental. Try before you buy, folks.

CLOSING NOTES
-Fun gameplay, but gets repetitive quickly
-Best played a mission or two at a time
-PS2 quality graphics (if that)
-Mediocre voice acting with forgettable music and effects
-Niche title; try before you buy

Well, thanks to some luck, one of my friends on the PSN, Helloskinny, sent me all of his downloaded games, so now I have a plethora of new games to talk about. Woo!

Ports

Rampage: World Tour
Arcade beat-'em-up
Price: $5
ESRB: E
Well, this is the classic Rampage arcade game ported to the PS3, with hi-def support and online play and leaderboards. For those of you not in the know, Rampage is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up, placing you and two friends in the shoes of three monsters: the gorilla-like George, the giant lizard Lizzy, and the blue wolf Ralph. You must cause as much carnage as possible by destroying buildings, throwing cars, eating citizens, and more. In this edition you traverse the globe to destroy famous cities all over the world, such as London, Paris, New York, and more. I haven't had a chance to play online, as there's never anyone online whenever I go. The scoreboards are a nice edition, although it shows me how badly I suck. As for hi-def, I don't have a hi-def TV, so it doesn't benefit me.

Score: 8/10 (Repetitive gameplay and lack of online players mar this title. However, it is a blast with your friends)


Joust
Action
Price: $5
ESRB: E
Again, this is a port of the classic arcade game, Joust, along with hi-def support, leaderboards, and online multiplayer. In Joust you are a knight on an ostrich, and you must stomp on enemy knights and take the ostrich eggs. Warning: this game is incredibly addictive- you may never stop playing. Again, no one was playing online every time I checked, but the leaderboards are nice and hi-def is useless for me. A great game, and one of my most-played games.

Score: 9/10 (If only the online play was more efficient, this port would be perfect)


Q*Bert
Platformer
Price: $5
ESRB: E
Wow, this is getting repetitive. A port of the arcade classic Q*Bert with, you guessed it ,hi-def support and online leaderboards. (Q*bert does not support online multiplayer) This is an incredibly addictive platformer where you must navigate your "noser", Q*Bert, to change all the blocks in the level to a different color. Various enemies try to stop you in this task, and this game really tests your reflexes. Incredibly addictive, and one of my most played downloaded games, if not the most played. However, the leaderboards aren't as good as in the other games because they only reach the 200th player, who has a score hovering around 50,000, while my highest score is barely above 10,000. So unless you are incredible at Q*Bert, don't expect the leaderboards to be of much use other than comparing scores between you and friends.

Score: 9/10 (Small leaderboards and lack of online multiplayer mar this title. Incredibly addictive nonetheless.)


Mortal Kombat II
Fighting
Price: $5
ESRB: M
"Fatality!" Oww. This game offers a serious beatdown to anyone man enough to play it. A port of MKII, with added online multiplayer, leaderboards, and hi-def support. This is simply a fighting game, so there's not much to explain. The controls are nearly spot-on, although fatalities seem unusually difficult to perform. Also, once someone starts to hit you, you're pretty much done for. How I miss counters...Anyway, I actually did play online with this, and got severely pwnd, every time. Even in single-player, this game is incredibly tough, and requires a lot of skill and patience. Nonetheless, it's a lot of fun to revisit this title and every victory seems like a monumental accomplishment.

Score: 8/10 (Incredible difficulty, but everything pretty much works as expected)


Non-Ports

Calling all Cars!
Combat racing
Price: $10
ESRB: E
This is incredible. By mixing cartoony graphics, frantic action, tight controls, and great sound, Dave Jaffe (Yes, the guy responsible for God of War) has created the best downloadable game I have yet seen. You and three other cops, online or off, must race to capture various escaping criminals in small, arena-like levels. Since this is combat racing, various weapons and tools are at your disposal to stay ahead of the competition. The single-player is well rounded, with tournaments as well as single events. The multiplayer is even better: you can play on a singe console, LAN, or online. Here's the catch: people actually play online! And it supports headset chat and quick match-making options. It's a ton of fun, and fully worth the money.

Score: 10/10 (100% worth your money, with incredible fun and replayability, and a really fun online component)


flOw
Err...
Price: $8
ESRB: E
Ok, I guarantee you've never played a game like flOw before. There is no story, there is no HUD, there is no interface, nothing. You select the game, it boots up. Shows the ads in the beginning, and then the screen reads: "go with the flow...tip the controller to move/press any button for a boost/press 'start' to pause/friends can dive in anytime" and it starts. No objective, nothign. You basically make your own game. However, it is very entertaining, especially with a friend. The SIXAXIS controls, while they do take a few minutes to get used to, soon become second nature. The game's visuals are mega trippy, and best played in the dark. Nonetheless, this is a weird little project that provides some fun. Not sure if it's worth $8, but apprently it falsl into a "love it or hate it" category, as my friend could not stop playing, and I was done after ten minutes. Also, it should be noted that the game is short- very short.

Score: 8/10 (This can hardly be called a game, and the simple objective might turn off some players, but it's fun nonetheless, and extra trippy when played in the dark with a friend)


Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Fighting
Price: $20
ESRB: T
If you've played Tekken, you've played this. A fighter in the same vein as Virtua Fighter, with a huge amount of fighters and customization for each fighter. Many ranks to rise, but few modes to play. Also, not many unlockables. The graphics are equal to that of its arcade brethren, which means they are weak for the PS3. The sound is great, although the character voices, like in most fighters, suck. They promised online play, but it's nonexistent- yet. They promise it's coming, so until then, $20 is waay too much for this arcade port. Yes, it's a lot of fun, and the multiplayer (on one console) is a blast, but there's really nothing justifying it's price tag. Skimp out for now. (I like it a lot, since I got it for free, but $20 is way too much)

Score: 7/10 ($20 is too much for this, which offers nothing more than arcade fighting for two players. Once the promised online component comes, I'll be much happier, but until then, this is a disappointment. Stick with MKII, even if it is harder. Yes, this game is fun, but not worth the money.)


Well, there you go!
If you have a PS3 and want to play me, my username is phampok. Or, if you have a question, feel free to email me at raf_gpm@yahoo.com or send me a message via PSN.

Recently, I was browsing throught the PSN store and decided to skim through the PSX Classics section. There I saw one of my favorite games of all time: MediEvil! I loved this game for the PSX, and decided to buy it. Heck, it's only $6, why not? And you know what? I still love it!

MediEvil
Action/Platformer
An action/platformer with a gotchic theme and some cool, trippy visuals, MediEvil places you in the shoes of Sir Daniel Forteqsue, a supposedly great knight. However, history books lie alot. Dan is, in actuality, a fool who died on the first charge against evil sorcerer Zarok. However, Zarok is now back, and is taking over Gallowmere with his undead army. When the dead rise from their graves to serve Zarok, Dan rises from his grave- to get revenge!
Intene action, epic boss battles, and an insane difficulty level makes this a memorable and challenging game.

Totally worth the money- get it.

Well, here it is. It took a while, but I finally decided to stop being lazy and type it up.

MotorStorm
Off-road Racer

I've never been a fan of traditional racing games like Gran Turismo and NASCAR, aways favoring combat racing, like Twisted Metal, or street racing, like Midnight Club. This is why MotorStorm appealed to me: multiple track paths, carnage, and speed, speed, speed. A recipe for success, right? Well, luckyily for PS3 owners, the answer is a resounding "YES!"

GAMEPLAY- 4.5/5
"Oh my god! That's insane!" Pretty much sums up the gameplay experience of MotorStorm. Combining an incredible sense of speed with perfect controls (except for the SIXAXIS- the motion sensing is WAY too sensisitive, making in inpractical to use at all) and excellent enemy AI. Warning: this game is tough. The AI will kick your butt. Which, of course, makes every win an accomplishment. You'lll be jumping up and down in joy every time you win. Also, the difficulty gets much harder as you move on. Sure, you may win a Tier 1 or Tier 2 race, but try a Tier 4! Unfortunately, there is an incredibly slim amount of tracks, which is a disappointment. However, by combing different vehicle classes for each track, the developers made it so each track doesn't get boring. Also, the online play is really fun, although some days there's no one online. (The first day I went online there was a grand total of 12 players...barely enough for one race) Overall, the gameplay is amazing.

GRAPHICS- 5/5
This game is simply beautiful. Incredibly detailed vehicles, detailed, constantly changing environments, and an incredible sense of speed make it one of the best tasting pieces of eye candy you will ever experience. The physics are another high point and it's almost more fun to watch the explosions than race. I have nothing to complain about in the visual department of this game- it is pure insanity.

REPLAY- 4.5/5
The replayability is immense in this game. Not only will the single-player keep you busy due to its increasing challenge, but the online multiplayer is also immense fun. You'll keep on playing, trying to unlock more tickets in single player and raise your rank online. It's hard to put this game down, thanks to how much fun the gameplay provides. The one knock I have against MotorStorm is that the challenge is sometimes too hard, turning you off and frustrating you- resulting in the game being turned off. If you can bear the challenge, the game will last you a long, long time.

SOUND- 5/5
The sound is amazing in this game- pulling you incredibly far into the game. The music fits the theme of the game perfectly. Music I would normally not like fits the game perfectly, and I found myself really liking it. The sound effects are perfect, and every bone-snapping crash sounds so brutal, you'll find yourself smiling in glee. Sheer insanity. Impossible not to love, especially when a competitor explodes in a flaming heap.

OVERALL- 4.5/5
For speed-freaks or racing fanatics, this game is impossible not to love. However, for people who can't stand the difficulty, this game is only worth a rental. Try before you buy, and if you like it, I'd highly recommend buying MotorStorm.

VIRTUA FIGHTER 5
ARCADE FIGHTER

I love fighting games. There's few things better than beating the crap out of a buddy or finally pwning that one guy you couldn't beat. I'd never gotten into Virtua Fighter before, (Soul Calibur and Mortal Kombat FTW) but I found this a great experience nonetheless and thought it was one of the better fighter I've played in a while.

GAMEPLAY- 5/5
This game has it where it counts. Out of the plethora of modes, rings, and fighters, fighting has never been more fun. The controls are silky smooth, and the difficulty, although challenging, is incredibly fun. The standard Arcade and Vs modes are here, and Quest mode (I don't know if it was in previous VF games) is a lot of fun. You basically go to different arcades to fight various people and participate in tournaments to raise your rank and unlock things. Sure, there may not be any online play, and that's a bummer, but I won't grade a game down for something it doesn't have.

GRAPHICS- 4.75/5
Beautiful. These graphics are simply stunning. The characters look amazing with fluid animation, although some of their attacks make them look like morons, and the environments are breathtaking. Clothes sway, sweat forms, and more. Amazing. The one exception is that the characters look really shiny, making it look like they're oil-coated. Not a big problem, and it certainly didn't bother me.

REPLAY- 4.5/5
You'll have this game in your console for a long time, believe you me. With the various modes, the characters, rings, and the deep customization system, you'll be playing for a long time. I continually said "Just another minute" or "One more fight" as I tried to unlock that one new accessory or earn that new rank or beat that tough character. However, if you get really stuck on a fight or have played quite a few fights in a row, there's not much else to do, and I found myself quitting and playing another game.

SOUND- 4/5
I think this is where the game did the worst. No, it certainly didn't fail, but it did suffer the one downfall of all fighters- voice acting. The voices are atrocious; they assault my ears with horrible sound. The music is good, but I didn't really notice it much while playing. The sound effects, however, are great. You hear every bone-snapping punch and spine-crushing kick. Effects: awesome. Voices: crap. What'd you expect from a fighting game?

OVERALL- 4.5/5
A great game, and a must to rent (which I did). For fighting fans, there's not much else on the PS3, so this is an essential. However, online junkies beware- lack of online play may turn you off.