PS3

Lair

September 17, 2007

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

Filled with religious zealotry and political intrigue, Lair places you in the role of a dragon rider named Rohan who must protect his native Asylia from the invading Mokai. From navigating a sky full of enemy dragons and other bizarre monsters to plowing through opposing armies on the ground, an epic battle rests squarely on your shoulders as you fight past the secrets and blood to find peace for your homeland.

It is hard to review Lair without comparing it to Factor 5’s earlier masterpiece Rogue Squadron; both games share the same inspiration and depth of design while making it accessible to the common gamer. Mission objectives and medal rewards help focus you in each area and level replay constantly challenges you to come back and do better. Add to Rogue a grander feel and stunning graphics, and you have Lair.

Graphics easily set this game apart with stunning detail-laden areas that breathe life in beautiful High-Definition 1080p. Attention to shading and environmental effects abound, whether your eye is drawn to the whipping of the waves or the way the setting sun colors the city, Lair just begs to be visually adored as a work of art. Even the subtle transition from flying above the armies to landing in their midst provokes a sort of awe at the intricacies successfully created.

Levels are separate instances of zones with specific missions and objectives, whether it is protecting a fleet of barges, attacking an enemy outpost or turning the tide of a battle, your score is based on the carnage you inflict; the greater the damage, the greater the rewards which are unlocked. Everything from combos to making-of production movies can be acquired this way, but the real drive is completing a sub-set of tasks to get medals for bragging rights. While it doesn’t sound like much, it earns a lot of replay points in my book as I constantly go back to enjoyable levels to best myself and perfect my score.

The layering doesn’t stop there. In battlegrounds your actions control the morale of your army; the more objectives you complete the more you tilt the scales of war, and there is nothing more addictive than landing a dragon amongst a vulnerable squadron of enemies as you literally plow, swipe and burn your way through their ranks ensuring victory. Dragon to dragon fighting in the sky brings several fighting options as you can ram, shoot fire balls or occasionally get locked in a claw-to-claw match with the enemy as you both plummet towards the ground. Unfortunately, it sounds a lot cooler than it is to actually control.

Ultimately, the game almost falls apart with the mechanics utilized, never capturing the excitement of flight, but rather being bogged down in frustratingly lethargic responses. The use of the SIXAXIS takes the controller beyond anything currently available to the PS3 using the motion sensing technology to control so many aspects of your dragons flight and combat. I purposely held off on updating my Firmware to test the difference the 1.92 update would make, and while there was an increased temperance of sensitivity of motion, the overall mechanics remained slow to reaction. Steering proved the best use of the controller as you accurately move to your target, but other maneuvers seem silly as you slide the controller to the side only to have a pause before your dragon responds by ramming the dragon next to them. Banking in particular was slow and annoying as you constantly find yourself in constricted areas banking around a target you just can’t reach. There were brilliant times that I was caught in the fray and I felt a part of this epic battle, and others where I seemed to be miles away from the action and my slow flying mount would take forever to get back in to the thick of it as my allies were being brutally massacred. Faster flying would have improved a lot of the lethargy and maneuvering issues I experienced.

The targeting flip-flops from being unfair to your enemies to being unfair to you. In the air and on the ground it became an easy kill cheat for some enemies or on the other end of the spectrum a pain in the ass to lock on to a specific object. Much of the time I spent fighting the targeting system, I was missing vital objectives, making it a constant source of agony. The God Of War-inspired timed button mashing sequences were welcome diversions from the rote fighting, but even these became a little tired after some time, especially the dragon versus dragon death drops which almost felt like a high budget paper-rock-scissors match.

While this game may not have lived up to the months of hype it received before its release, it still shows a lot of the potential the PS3 system has to offer. Because of this and multiple other factors, the redeeming qualities out-weigh the negative detractors so it will be a game I keep and play for some time. As enjoyable as it is though, it unfortunately doesn’t perfect all the elements necessary in order to be the next A

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

August 17, 2007

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

Harry is back again, and this time he is ready to use his defense against the dark arts training to really take Voldemort down a notch (and to clean up Hogwarts.)

Based on the fifth movie and book of the same name, Harry Potter has returned from his fateful encounter with Voldemort only to find that no one believes him. Even worse, his only hope of learning protection has been snuffed by his newest defense against the dark arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge. So what is a boy-wizard to do? Teach himself with the help of his friends. Thus forms Dumbeldore’s Army who bands together with the Order of the Phoenix to face the big baddie and his Deatheaters once more.

As Harry, your main objective for the game is to navigate the many levels of Hogwarts, finding people and going to classes. The exploration of the campus provides small deviations from the near linear storyline that feels suffocatingly confined. Even when it benefits you to poke around, you are constantly and annoyingly nagged by Ron and Hermione that you should probably get to class to further the plot. I could imagine you get side tracked and need to ask them where to go, but with magic footprints leading you to your goal the goading by friends was unnecessary and really made me want to zap them with the cruciatus curse. Leveling is accomplished by finding/earning orbs which are literally everywhere; from completing teacher requests to fixing broken statues there are plenty of opportunities to enhance your spells. A more refined leveling system with fewer opportunities to gain orbs would have made me feel like I wasn’t the janitor for the entire school.

Graphically this game does not feel like a multiplatform release; it holds its own nicely within the PS3 catalog. Hogwarts never looked better; a strong feel of the movie pervades everywhere you goA

Transformers The Game

August 15, 2007

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

A great war has decimated the proud Transformers race, and the relic containing their essence, the A

Ninja Gaiden: Sigma

July 24, 2007

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

Rarely will I say this so pay attention: You need to go out and get this game. Now. Finally there is a game worthy of the Playstation 3 console, a game that is destined to become a legend for its style and grace of execution.

Ryu Hayabusa, ninja, wields the Dragon Blade as he searches for the blade’s dark twin, cutting a swath of destruction through enemies bent on keeping him from his prize. Along the way he meets a fiend-hunter named Rachel, who will play her own part in the coming chaos. In a world somewhere between the birth of computer technology and feudal Japan, magic and demons abound as the forces of darkness gather their strength for the final assault. Do you have what it takes to stop them?

Hell yes, and many times over. Right from the opening scene, this game grabs your attention and keeps you locked in. You will build your ninja arsenal of skills and weapons, and hack through countless opponents. More than an upgrade from the Xbox versions, this game is redefined, taking the strengths of the PS3 to its upper limit. Fantastic lighting, texturing and environments coupled with the already fluid fast-paced action have set this title in the upper echelons of PS3 lore.

Ninja Gaiden: Sigma takes the best aspects of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, God of War, and Onimusha, and blends them into an all-that-and-more action/adventure mix. Exploration and minor puzzle-solving are the foundation of the game as you have to figure out the best route to your objective. Some of these roads are easy to ken, but many require the use of your advanced ninja abilities, like wall-running. The environments are so detailed and laden with nooks and crannies that they beg to be explored for secret treasure.

But the real bread and butter of the game is the combat system. The game offers a multitude of combos, including some truly awe-inspiring ones that are difficult to master but incredibly powerful. And with the sheer numbers of baddies around, you will really need to bone up on your fighting techniques. Simple button-mashing will not suffice. You don’t stand a chance if you don’t plan ahead, but you must also be able to make split second decisions using your melee and ranged attacks. All of this lends itself to a required higher level of gaming ability that may daunt casual players, but rewards those willing to dedicate the time.

In addition to your standard ninja swords and throwing stars, you gain many more melee and ranged weapons as the game progresses, adding variety to keep the game interesting. On top of all of that, you can use ninpo magic to heighten your fighting abilities and completely wipe out hordes of enemies. The Sixaxis controller plays a part, allowing you to shake the controller to enhance the magic. Doesn’t sound impressive, but it pumps up the excitement factor considerably. Your jaw will drop the first time you pull out all the stops and decimate everything in your path.

Beyond the almost cinematic quality of the fighting system, the graphics are just amazing, pushing the Playstation 3 to a beautiful movie-like experience. Cut-scenes and in-game resolution are so close in quality and design that the transitions are barely perceptible. The world is so meticulous in its feel such that each area takes on a life of its own; you can almost feel the wind in the trees and smell the dirt in the streets. The depth to which the graphics achieve say a lot of the effort Team Ninja put into developing this remake.

I found the high difficulty invigorating, others may find it annoying. This is by far one of the hardest games I have played to date, which to me is a credit to the game and a sign that its content is not meant for too young a crowd. The enemy has no mercy and if there is an opening for an attack you’d better believe they’ll take it. And don’t think you can block your way through a match either– the AI will take advantage of your hesitation and will grapple you for equally damaging attacks. It gets to the point that you might easily be overcome by as few as three low-level baddies if you don’t position yourself correctly. Many times, you will walk into a room where it seems the waves of bad guys will never cease. Some people will throw the controller down and curse, but me, I love it. Yes, yes, I die just like everyone else, but I love the absolute challenge this gives. I much prefer it this way over having the game handed to me on a platter. NGS requires mastery to advance, and I applaud Team Ninja for not watering down the material.

The only complaint I could broach with this game is an imperfect camera: in large rooms I often can’t see enemies shooting at me, and I have trouble focusing attacks while in the center of the group. In that same vein, I found it frustrating to walk through a door into an unseen ambush. An over-the-shoulder camera when moving through doors would have gone a long way. But really, this game shouldn’t be judged by these few small problems, it should be remembered for the unabashed action.

NGS boasts new enemies, expanded environments and some slight modifications to combos and animations compared to its Xbox predecessor Ninja Gaiden: Black. If all of that isn’t enough for you, the game also gives you the ability to play as the femme fatale Rachel. She is strong in her own right, and offers a completely different play-style from Ryu, keeping you on your toes. I found ample difference between the two to make swapping between them a pleasure. On top of that, if you can beat the game (or kill a nearly impossible boss in the beginning) you can unlock Mission Mode, where storyline events are replaced with singular timed objectives. All of these added features are just an extra sugar coating on an otherwise perfect cake. While this might not be enough justification for someone to upgrade from the Xbox version it should give them some things to consider.

This game has a strong shot at being game of the year with its seamless balance between story, action, and exploration. Moreover, anyone who owns a PS3 and doesn’t buy this game needs to just quit pretending they play good video games, buy a Wii, make a Mii and then punch that Mii repeatedly in the face. You deserve to be beaten one way or the other.

The Godfather: The Don’s Edition

June 29, 2007

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

I’m not really a fan of The Godfather. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a good movie, just not one I care to watch over and over again. But when it comes to the reissued Godfather: Don’s Edition for the Playstation 3, I really start to understand what I’m missing.

Based on the classic Coppola movie, Don’s Edition takes a Grand Theft Auto base and adds an authentic mob look and feel to really create something special. The initial scenes paint the troubled life you belong to; when your father is ruthlessly gunned down by a rival gang in front of your eyes, Don Corleone lets you know your revenge will come in time. Now, as an adult, that time has come. But first you must prove yourself to the family and to the outside world.

Usually movie games are limited organisms that add minor levels between major movie plot points, but with The Godfather you really get the best of the movie in a solid game. The depth of the movie is all here, subplots are expanded and minor characters play major roles within the game. On top of that, beautifully executed voice talent and music really puts you at center stage of the drama; when the family has problems, you care. Unfortunately, it is pretty noticeable that Al Pacino is missing from the context, and anyone slightly familiar with the films, this may be a sore point throughout the game. As much of a bummer that is, it still doesn’t dampen the transition of action from the silver screen to the small screen. The game deserves kudos simply for not ruining a franchise, so the game lives up to its title and then some.

Game mechanics are very stylized. In trying to capture the brutal nature of the material, the game controls break from the norm to offer multiple ways of dealing with your environments, as well as your enemies. Standard fare is the control of guns: you can take someone down quick by showing them the business end of a shotgun, but if you need to be more subtle, there are a plethora of alternatives available to you. You can pistol whip someone, or attempt to shoot someone’s gun arm just to get them to back down or release a hostage. Many times I got too excited and just over-killed somebody (literally) when I should have been interrogating them, but thankfully the game has discreet checkpoints that I can use to try again.

If you really want to get someone’s attention, you can go hand-to-hand, or baseball bat-to-face. The controls get a little bit more complicated but the results are completely worth it; once you begin grappling with someone you have a variety of methods to knock them around. With the R3 knob you can wind up punches and jabs, or you could use the SIXAXIS controller to pick your opponent up, slam them against a wall, bash their head onto a desk or just throw them across the room. The last one is my favorite, just for the strategically placed electric boxes that prove to be awesome ways of quickly dispatching your enemies. Some of these animatics were reminiscent of God of War – fluid breaks from the norm that accentuate the larger game.

Playing in New York in the 1930’s, you are given the entire city to roam through, giving you plenty of opportunity to raise your respect, and persuade businesses that they need your protection. All of these sidequests are worthy distractions from the main line, but just don’t get too far ahead of yourself, as you are very vulnerable without a posse in the beginning. Because the world is so big, you do have to deal with a significant load time before you head out. As sucky as it was sitting through that, it was worth it to just be able to roam with out additional load screens as I delved into businesses and found their illicit goings on in the backrooms.

As solid as the game is, I still can’t help but look at it as a next-gen port. While the SIXAXIS controls and the additional missions are a bonus the graphics are sub-par for the PS3. Even the slight bump up from the PS2 graphics causes it to be heads below other PS3 titles. But like I said before, what is lacking in visual appeal is more than made up with ambiance in the form of music and voice acting.

If this game didn’t already exist on the last-gen consoles it would definitely be a purchase, but because it does and there isn’t a significant overhaul to design, The Godfather is really just a rental. Bottom line: if you already own the older version, you may want to think seriously about whether it is worth it to upgrade; for me the answer is no. But, if you already don’t own this game then you probably want to pick it up to enhance your PS3 collection as this genre is pretty absent on this console until GTA IV comes out later.

Whether you add it to your collection or not, The Godfather: Don’s Edition is worthy of respect as a worthwhile licensed game that scratches a specific itch with satisfaction, albeit with a lot of blood. Welcome to the family.

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