PS3

MX vs. ATV Untamed

February 8, 2008

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Trying to capitalize on vehicles that you wouldn’t normally play in a racing game, MX vs. ATV: Untamed takes dirt bikes, ATVs, and Monster Trucks and pits them against each other to create an arcade racer that strives to be more.

The game’s biggest perk is the sheer amount of vehicles and play modes available. ATVs handle differently than dune buggies and indoor arena tracks are a world apart from the outdoor rally. Perks end there, though. The game quickly devolves into an average experience as the thrill of taking a jump leads to the inevitable crashing down to earth because you didn’t hit the lip of the ramp correctly. Moreover, the developers attempted to walk a specific line with physics and controls that lands somewhere between technical simulation racing and arcade; what they end up with is an unbalanced feel to the game. They should have chosen physics or arcade only, and stuck with it.

You can tell the developers were trying to get the best of both worlds and they mostly succeed with a lot of quick action and forgiving turns that make the game easy to pick up but occasionally the developers threw in some technical details that may frustrate players on both ends of the spectrums. Jumps are especially tricky and unforgiving; if you have any momentum approaching a ramp you need to steer the L3 control before and during the actual jump to land correctly, or suffer the ensuing crash. Add to that the random hazards such as water or snow on the course and winning a race is really a tricky endeavor. Ultimately, the gameplay proves to be too weak for the hardcore racer looking for Motorstorm action and too frustrating for the casual gamer looking for a beefed up Mario Kart.

The PS3 version of the game has decent graphics considering it is a multi-platform entry. The riders and terrain are slightly blocky but the frame rate forgives a lot of the lack of detail as you go zooming past. The PS3 also allows for customization to your vehicles as you progress, giving you options for more power and control. Multiplayer handles two players on the game or races of up to 8 players online, but beyond that there isn’t much to online functionality.

If you are looking for a no-brainer racer that gives you fast action and even faster crashes you have come to the right place. If you are looking for a technical racer and tricks then you might find some of that here, but probably not in the form you are going to enjoy.

Assassin’s Creed

February 8, 2008

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Disgraced for failing to live up to the assassin’s creed, Altair must climb his way back to the top, sticking to the shadows and taking out his targets. Using brute strength, reflexes and stealth, you must navigate the streets of Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem, gathering information and help as you take out nine historical figures during the Crusades.

Essentially Assassin’s Creed is a glorified open world map game such as Grand Theft Auto, just placed in the middle ages. Where it doesn’t match the variety in the GTA series it more than makes up for with gameplay, ambiance and story. You will totally immerse yourself in three cities, packed with citizens going about their daily business. Beggars harangue you, people in trouble call for help and preachers proselytize as you navigate the streets in this richly detailed game. Beautifully intricate, the cities breathe with life to the point where you can almost smell the dirt and filth in the gutters. The story only solidifies this world as you overhear conversations and gather information about your intended targets, driving the point home that this is more than just a simple game.

The only thing better than walking around in this world, is fighting in it. As a demoted assassin, your tools of the trade are stripped from you in the beginning, but as you complete more and more missions, you regain access to these weapons and abilities. In the beginning this may be daunting to the casual player, as a single enemy proves to be a difficult fight. But with more of your arsenal at hand, you will take out groups with ease. The fluidity of the controls and combat only enhance the immersion, making this more than a passive movie-like experience. Two buttons let you attack and block, but combine these two with good timing and you can do so much more. Simple controls prove to be anything but in the hands of a master, and though that may sound daunting, it won’t take long for you to get comfortable. Once you do, you will be actively looking to take on more and more just to welcome the challenging odds.

You must scout out the city and report information to your local contact before actually attempting the assassination. By climbing towers to fill out your map you gain locations of informants and save-the-citizen type side-quests. Completing these will increase your health bar, and also encourage the occasional vigilante group to back you up; they help slow down pursuing guards and can mean the difference between life and death. Beyond that, you can gather flags strewn around each area. This doesn’t give you any more than bragging rights, but adds something else to do. A little more effort in side-quests might have greatly enhanced the game experience past its basically linear story progression.

Graphically the game is stunning on both systems. Some 360 users’ claim the PS3 version is washed out, but with a few changes of the display settings they appear indistinguishable. The animations are also extremely impressive, such as Altair’s gentle pushes while navigating through crowds, or his seamless climbing. Overall, the graphics and sound help further the cinematic quality of the game, with only minor nits on an otherwise perfect mesh of form and function.

In the end, Assassin’s Creed will be remembered as a high-quality endeavor that beautifully blended action, control and intrigue into a completely immersive gameplay experience.

Ratatouille

January 16, 2008

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop Make a comment! / Tweet it!

What’s a young culinary rat to do when he is forced from his country home into the streets of Paris? Go invade a famous kitchen to learn how to cook of course! Based off of the Pixar movie of the same name, you take control of Remy the rat in his conquest to create the perfect meal while dodging the occasional cat and health inspector.

Compared to the fact the story was pulled from a decent movie, it lacks that storytelling feel as you are just randomly thrown into different areas where missions must be accomplished to move on to the next area. Really, the plot is just secondary to having you use the mechanics to navigate the area; many times little to no explanation is even given to you as to why you are even there. If it weren’t for the smell cheat, which guides you in the right direction at the push of a shoulder button, you’d be lost.

Each open map is essentially a puzzle to navigate with climbs and timed jumps as you gather tokens to proceed. As Remy, your controls are limited to a few available options which include whipping your tail for an attack, running, jumping and picking up the occasional item to move elsewhere. The game makes use of these mechanics nicely using a jump platform mechanic to land on a series of hooks or a broomstick handle to get to your objective. In addition, the PS3 game features motion sensing SIXAXIS control by allowing you to balance across a tight wire; this feature feels like it was put in at the last minute just to exploit SIXAXIS, but at least it succeeds in breaking up the gaming monotony.

The difficulty is a matter of debate; for a game aimed at kids it is truly unforgiving. It is very easy to die in this game. If the fire doesn’t get you then the fall will, and many times that means repeating a long section just to get back to same place you fell. On top of that, many jumps require a certain amount of precision that I had a difficult time landing, so for kids I could see this being particularly frustrating. Particularly brutal are occasional chase sequences which have you running towards the screen; you don’t have any time to avoid the hidden obstacles just out of view until you are on top of them. A lot of fun sections become the opposite due to slightly flawed execution choices.

Graphics are pretty good on the PS3 as the game does a good job emulating the cartoon nature of the movie. If anything this is the selling point for the movie fans out there looking to get more Remy action. The game also features mini-games which extend the shelf life of the title as you gather the necessary tokens to unlock them.

Historically, movie games tend to be the bane of the average gamer, never living up to the potential the movie set forth, and Ratatouille is no different. While it isn’t a horrible game, it just isn’t as fun as it could be.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

January 14, 2008

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop Make a comment! / Tweet it!

What’s the last Lombax in the universe to do when a pint-size tyrant wants to eradicate your species? Grab your wacky guns and wrench to battle the hoards of robots, while hopping from planet to planet. Along the way you stumble across the long lost Lombax secret, but will it help you in your quest or will it hurt the universe instead?

Picking up on the wildly popular Ratchet and Clank series, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction successfully jumps the next generation console gap adding more fun and destruction, while fully utilizing the enhanced SIXAXIS control scheme of the PS3. Everything looks and plays better on the PS3 and even though the plot isn’t the most engaging the cast of characters and situations help elevate this to one of the best games available on the system. Right from the get-go you are introduced to the action and level of humor used as a basis for RACF: TOD that will undoubtedly make this game a classic.

The Ratchet and Clank series has always been about the guns and this entry is no different; from the tornado gun to the energy whip to the penguinator there is no lacking of a wacky arsenal to choose from. Add to that the version increases from V1 to V5 as you use the weapons and the buyable upgrades and you have a plethora of killing options available to you. Devices also return as you buy or find them, including the wildly popular disco ball which causes all of your enemies to burst in to dance. This is worth it just to randomly throw it out there to see how different enemies react including your major bosses. Even the Clank solo missions use a new Zoni interface to manipulate puzzles and slow down time to accomplish the areas Ratchet can’t go to.

Using the SIXAXIS was a high point of RACF: TOD. Whether it was used to steer thrown obstacles as you drop through the sky, flying through the level or guiding your tornado from your tornado gun, the uses seem intuitive and natural opposed to other PS3 games which attempted to use them just because they have to. Flying even seemed to be improved over Lair, which suffered from sensitivity issues. And while the ship levels don’t use the SIXAXIS they still remain fun separately aiming and flying at the same time.

Another thing that RACF: TOD excels at is the extra content and achievables that are rewarded from faithful exploration. Harder to find golden bolts make their return where you must search every corner to pick them up, and turn them in for different skins. By completing certain objectives in the game such as collect every device or land on the head of every dinosaur you can acquire skill points which go towards even crazier extras like having a super-sized head on your character. Overall these add to the replaying of levels and are a welcome diversion from the standard plot line path.

Graphics and sound are beautifully rendered on the PS3. The cartoony environments look plush and full of color, and different levels achieve contrasting feels superbly. Voice work is top notch with awesome details being placed in the background as secondary characters are given great lines during arena matches or over the security system. The production quality was not spared during the development forming a nice well-balanced package.

Overall RACF: TOD is a well-crafted and highly entertaining experience that fully utilizes everything the PS3 has to offer. Some might say that the additional mechanics detract from the core gaming presented, but I say it helps break up any sort of monotony the game veers towards. Ratchet and Clank Future is bound to be a classic and it is only a matter of time as to when you play it.

Timeshift

January 11, 2008

PS3 / Reviews / by Paul Bishop Make a comment! / Tweet it!

When a deranged scientist takes the Alpha prototype time suit to change the world, you are left with seconds to chase after him with the Beta version. Landing in an alternate past where your world is controlled by his fascist regime, you must help the resistance turn the tide and track down the other suit to help heal the time rift. Armed with powers to slow, stop and reverse time you must fight your way past hordes of enemies and traps where no mere human could go.

For the majority of the game you get this feeling like the potential was lost to really take the game further and explore different opportunities. The story is no exception to this rule, as there is this really great setup which literally goes nowhere. Beyond the initial and closing scenes, reasons are barely given for going to a new zone and even at the end there is little to no new information about the protagonist, he just stays the A

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