Ghost Of Sparta takes place after the events of the original God Of War game and sees Kratos going in search of his brother Deimos.
Ready At Dawn have already shown themselves to be masters of the PSP with the previous God Of War handheld release, Chains Of Olympus, and they do not disappoint here.
This is a God Of War title so expect the usual mix of hack ‘n’ slash & puzzle solving. Those looking for something new will be left wanting, despite a few additions in terms of weapons and magic Ghost Of Sparta is very much God Of War by numbers. For me personally that isn’t a big issue as I enjoy the gameplay style and light puzzle sections.
Graphically the developers are wringing everything possible from the PSP and some of the set pieces are spectacular. God Of War is also fortunate in that the camera problem that usually arises in 3rd person adventure games on PSP is negated by using a fixed camera view. Less freedom but also a lot less frustration.
While the story had a few twists and turns the fact that it’s set before most of the other titles in the series meant that if you’ve played the later games you had a good idea of who would survive this part. On the other hand it’s always nice to have recognisable characters from the series drop in and cause a bit of havoc.
The combat is good and follows the standard template, with combos and ‘fire’ attacks that help break enemies armour. QTE’s return and are used at a decent enough interval that they don’t feel too stale. They are as gory and violent as ever, really giving you a feel for Kratos’ thirst for bloodshed.
Magic has been given some new varieties and can be a welcome assistance at times, especially when trying to handle multiple enemy types all at once.
Overall then, Ghost Of Sparta is an awesome PSP title and the developer has done a great job of pushing the PSP to it’s limit. If you liked Chains Of Olympus (or are a God Of War fan) then you will enjoy this game – it’s more of the same but when it’s this good that won’t be a problem for most people.
So E3 has been and gone, leaving us to pick through the huge mass of info and game news that it’s left in it’s wake.
Not all of us were lucky enough to go to the actual show but fortunately Gametrailers.com and the like have managed to bring us footage and interviews from the show.
For a more in-depth look at some of the games from someone that was at E3, check out @Zvolen’s website Beyondthedpad.com
Well there’s a hell of a lot of stuff to get through – so let’s get started!
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MEDAL OF HONOR
Looks pretty interesting, especially in single player. On the multiplayer front it seems very similar to Battlefield, which is a good thing in one way but slightly disappointing in another.
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DEAD SPACE 2
More of the same from Issac Clarke and this is one I can’t wait for. Not a fan of jumpy horror stuff but the whole Dead Space universe is so rich I’m in!
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LITTLEBIGPLANET 2
Make your own games? Sounds like a win to me. Hopefully another decent story mode to work through before downloading loads of great user generated content.
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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4
I’m fairly hopeful that this reboot will be decent enough – it looks great but it’s hard to tell without having actually played it. Looking forward to some sort of demo at a later date.
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INFAMOUS 2
Oh Sucker Punch. What have you done to Cole? The brooding, cool badass of the original has been replaced with a boyband reject – not a good look. Hopefully the game itself will live up to the standard of the first.
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TWISTED METAL
Really pleased about this announcement, been waiting for a new Twisted Metal for a long time and the team based mechanics look solid. Could be very cool indeed.
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KILLZONE 3
Looks like the clash between the ISA and the Helghast continues apace, which is great news for us fans of Killzone. 3D has been added as well, though that isn’t of much interest to me.
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MOTORSTORM APOCALYPSE
I was sceptical about shifting the series to a city but am glad to have been proven wrong. With the option to drive under, over and even through buildings Motorstorm Apocalypse is one to watch out for.
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SPEC OPS: THE LINE
Great trailer huh? Initially shown off back in December, Spec Ops: The Line has stepped up to the plate and looks to have some nice tricks up it’s sleeve.
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ASSASSIN’S CREED – BROTHERHOOD
Wasn’t 100% sure how multiplayer would work in Assassin’s Creed but having seen some of the footage from E3 it seems to be pretty well implemented. Story wise we play as Ezio again which is definitely ok with me.
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GRAN TURISMO 5
Gran Turismo 5 – we’ve been waiting for this for about 6 years Hyper realistic driving sim – graphics do look truly amazing.
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BULLETSTORM
Was not sold on this game at all previously but the stuff I’ve seen from E3 looks cool as a single player game. Still not interested in this as a multiplayer experience but I’ll wait and see how it develops before making a decision on whether it’s one I’ll pick up.
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HOMEFRONT
Hadn’t heard much about this but I’m a sucker for alternate timelines so this ‘US-has-been-invaded’ story sits well with me. One to watch.
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KINECT / MOVE
Motion control has obviously played a big part at E3 this year with both Microsoft (Kinect) and Sony (Move) looking to gatecrash Nintendo’s (Wii) party. In my opinion Move is already head and shoulders above Kinect, and probably Wii, with regard to proper games… Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, Heavy Rain (patch), SOCOM 4, Resi Evil 5 and Time Crisis all confirmed. Even if I don’t wanna play them with Move at least the option is there and they are REAL GAMES that don’t involve sports resorts or yoga.
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SOCOM 4
More interested in this than previous instalments, mainly because they have boosted the single player aspect (ie there is one ) and also the fact that via Battlefield: Bad Company 2‘s multiplayer I’ve learnt the value of teamwork. Could be a really good experience.
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DEAD RISING 2
Quite excited to get my hands on this one as the first game was an XBox exclusive and I’ve only heard good things about it. My only concern is will there be enough variation to keep me playing?
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FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
I lost 25 hours of my life to Fallout 3 – I’ve already pencilled in at least another day for New Vegas
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MORTAL KOMBAT
I’m not a huge fan of fighting games but I loved the original Mortal Kombat and this new reboot is taking it back to the franchise’s darker, gory roots. Expect plenty of fatalities upon release.
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GHOST RECON: FUTURE SOLDIER
Like Bulletstorm, I pretty much had no interest in this prior to E3 but the thing that’s hooked me here is the potential for online co-op play. The gadgets look pretty cool as well.
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RAGE
Still not sure on this game – looks like Borderlands? Guess that’s not a bad thing but how many Mad Max type games can you have?
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CRYSIS 2
This looks pretty sweet as a single player experience. Liking the style and the graphics are great.
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PORTAL 2
VALVE even being at the Sony conference was a shock, especially having Gabe himself up there after all his slagging off of PS3 in the past. But Portal is a hugely respected game so I’ll make sure I work my way through that before approaching the sequel.
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METAL GEAR: RISING
NB. This trailer features graphic sword cutting – avoid if easily offended!
Metal Gear: Rising looked brilliant. Looks like a better version of WET‘s sword mechanics. Raiden as a bad ass? Who’d have thought it back in the MGS2 days
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GOD OF WAR: GHOST OF SPARTA (PSP)
Wow. Ready At Dawn look set to continue where they left off. Ghost Of Sparta looks tasty and I suspect will be full of awesomesauce (as DK money shizzle might say )
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Disapointment-wise, I’d say CASTLEVANIA which I thought might be cool but looks like a poor man’s Bayonetta/God Of War
DRIVER, with it’s car jumping mechanic looks a bit too gimmicky.
I was very disappointed there is no sign of a new HITMAN game
Also whilst CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPs looks good graphically I’m not sold – especially as that rappel bit from the trailer was nicked wholesale from RAINBOW SIX (now that’s a game I’d like to see announced! )
Would’ve liked to have seen new information on Last Guardian, Batman 2, Resistance 3 (an announcement that it’s actually coming) or Agent but suspect we’ll have more info on those at the Tokyo game show in August.
Also no PSP2! Though perhaps with hindsight they were wise – if they are gonna do it – not to put it up against the Nintendo 3DS (which I won’t be getting but does look like a great bit of kit).
But you can’t have everything.
So to sum up, in order, my Top 10 MOST WANTED of E3:
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1 Killzone 3
2 Dead Space 2
3 Metal Gear Rising
4 Twisted Metal
5 Crysis 2
6 God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta
7 Medal Of Honor
8 LittleBigPlanet 2
9 Infamous 2
10 Motorstorm Apocalypse
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Let me know what you guys are most looking forward to!
As with so many things, gaming has changed a hell of a lot since the start of the decade.
It’s been a progressive ten years, seeing the arrival of the Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and PSP – as well as rival consoles from Nintendo and Microsoft that helped push Sony to improve.
Games are a much bigger part of life now – more mainstream than ever before. Most houses will have one of the consoles, if not more, as parents and children play (sometimes together ).
METAL GEAR SOLID: One of the original Playstation’s finest moments
There can be no doubt that Sony was the manufacturer of the decade – the continuing success of the PS2 secures them that accolade.
But in the current generation of consoles they sit in last place. XBox 360 started so well and then Nintendo arrived with the Wii to rape and pillage the ‘casual market.’
However as time has gone on the PS3 has made great strides to catch up with the XBox (I just can’t take the Wii seriously as a platform) and seems to finally be getting the games to back up it’s hardware.
GOD OF WAR: The series that showcased just how much was left in the PS2
As this decade comes to a close we’ve seen various companies go bust. From well established ones, like Acclaim or Midway, through to lesser known but good studios such as Pandemic no-one seemed safe from the threat of extinction.
I’ve had some big changes in gaming since 2000 – swinging from FIFA to PES back in 2001 and then back to FIFA again in 2009. Going from casual gamer to setting up my own blog and reviewing games.
The main difference for me now is in online gaming. With XBox Live on the 360 and then the PSN for PS3 gaming became even more social than before – with friends lists and even the inclusion of Twitter updates of your in game progress (Uncharted 2).
KILLZONE 2: The game that has defined online gaming for me this decade
I never thought I would ever play with a headset – but as online games have developed it’s often essential to be able to communicate to the people you’re playing with, not least to be able to dish out some friendly ribbing now and then
Games are so well developed now that people who were just casual gamers are finding themselves completing games and playing online.
It’s a great time to be a gamer and with a slew of great titles confirmed for 2010/2011 it looks like it’ll just keep getting better and better.
UNCHARTED 2: The complete gaming package
For the record here are my Top 10 favourites games of the decade:
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
2. Killzone 2 (PS3)
3. GTA: Vice City (PS2)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (PS2)
5. Metal Gear Solid (PSX)
6. God Of War II (PS2)
7. Dead Space (PS3)
8. Fallout 3 (PS3)
9. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
10. GTA IV (PS3)
And because of “it’s great balance of Final Fantasy and Disney” my wife has submitted her game of the decade: Kingdom Hearts.
I thought, as so many games mean so many different things to me, I should come up with a fair way to judge them.
This is what I came up with:
Time Spent Playing
Storyline
Difficulty
Fun
Ground Breaking?
A few provisos before we hit the next ten games…
Firstly this is my list of my Top 100 games. I certainly don’t expect you guys to agree with it (though hopefully you’ll agree with some of the choices ) and would welcome any comments.
Secondly, I’m not planning on putting the scores or totals up, just listing the games in the order they came out in.
Lastly, I never owned a Nintendo or Microsoft console so my experiences on these games were limited to friend’s houses etc – bite me
So here’s number 20!
20. GOD OF WAR: CHAINS OF OLYMPUS (PSP)
Quite simply the best PSP game out there. This hack n slash is a prequel to the previous two God Of War titles (on PS2) and sees Kratos halfway through his service to the Gods. The thing that impressed most about this title were the graphics – for a PSP game they were brilliant. The development team really squeezed everything they could out of the hardware. As usual with these titles the story was great and it was brilliant to step back into the character of Kratos. It was short, 5 hours or so, but I’d rather play an amazing 5 hour game than a mediocre 8 hour one.
19. GUITAR HERO (Playstation 2)
I remember first playing this and being blown away. This soon became an office favourite and with the arrival of the second game it was cemented as lunchtime fodder. I’m sticking with the first game here though as it was groundbreaking and, despite the fact most of them are cover versions, I prefer the tracklist. Bark At The Moon? Cowboys From Hell? They really found a great mix of tracks and the joy at nailing songs 100% is very satisfying. Activating ‘star power’ by tilting you guitar upwards? Absolute genius!
18. MORTAL KOMBAT (Sega Mega Drive)
I still remember the date clearly: September 13th 1993 – ‘Mortal Monday.’ The day Mortal Kombat was released on the Sega Mega Drive. We arranged to go to a mates after school as he was getting a copy (no idea if his parents knew what they were buying him?). We were only 13 but that didn’t stop us. We played it and played it and played it. With the aid of a move list from a game magazine (this was pre-internet for me folks) we got stuck in. I think we all nearly wet ourselves with joy when the first fatality struck. Scorpion burning someone to death. Never mind video nasties – with this we could beat the hell out of each other and then finish the match in style. Sub Zero pulling someone’s spine out? Ouch. Particularily gruesome but this wasn’t just about the shock value – Mortal Kombat was a well designed beat ‘em up that threatened the crown of Street Fighter II for some time.
17. GOD OF WAR II (Playstation 2)
God Of War II followed the events of the first game, set a while afterwards. It was the sequel we’d all wanted. The first game was epic and the follow up didn’t disappoint with plenty more carnage and lots of new enemies. The battles seemed even bigger than before. The descent into hell is such a great sequence and overall this is a game that is reminiscant of a Hollywood blockbuster but doesn’t suffer for it. With the third installment coming soon, I’d recommend anyone who hasn’t played this to give it a whirl.
16. GOD OF WAR (Playstation 2)
Coincidentally both PS2 God Of War games came in right next to each other, with the original just pipping the follow up. Both these games really pushed the PS2 in terms of graphics and running on the machine. Some of the epic landscapes and battles were like nothing I’d ever seen. And while QTE’s (Quick Time Event) are common now, they weren’t back then and God Of War used them superbly. The beginning of the game set everything up perfectly. Kratos commits suicide by jumping off a cliff. What a way to start a game! The combat was awesome and the use of Greek mythology was well handled – a must play.
15. UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE (Playstation 3)
One of my favourite PS3 games. Forget the dodgy demo and get stuck in from the start. The tale of Nathan Drake hunting the treasure of El Dorado is fantastic. The game uses all the tricks possible and you really feel a part of it. The cover and shooting mechanic work well and the puzzles are just the right side of annoying. The production values are really high and the voice acting is briliant. On the easier difficulty settings this is a perfect game for someone who doesn’t play much to enjoy and on the harder settings it’s a real challenge for the hardcore gamers. Uncharted is like an Indiana Jones film, in my opinion this is the game Tomb Raider wanted to be.
14. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 5 (Playstation 2)
We knew it’d be in here somewhere and I’ve plumped for PES 5 as my favourite in the series. This version had just the right mix – the AI was clever but not too clever, the shooting was excellent and it felt a lot like hard work (for the right reasons) to bag a great goal. The series as a whole has been great for me (PES 2008 on PS3 pushed it’s luck though) and the hours I’ve ploughed into Master Leagues, Become A Legend Mode and playing with friends has to be the majority of my gaming time. Here’s hoping PES 2010 can regain some of the magic they had with those last few games on the PS2.
13. METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER
We wondered where Hideo Kojima would go with the series after Metal Gear Solid 2 and we were pleasantly surprised to find out the third game would be a prequel, set way back in 1964. It follows the exploits of Naked Snake (the man Solid Snake was cloned from – don’t ask ). This setting and the fact the action took place in jungle areas meant that players had to get used to whole new way of playing. Less gadgets more foraging for food and laying basic traps/camoflage. Featuring some legendary boss battles: The End, The Fury and of course The Boss. Not my favourite in the series but a great game nonetheless.
12. DEAD SPACE (Playstation 3)
This is one of my favourite games ever. Check out my full review for an indepth look. The story of Dead Space is so cool that I love discussing it with others who have played it. No spoilers here so I’m not going to talk about the story more than I need to! Graphically the game shone in HD – for some of the bits outside the spaceship I actually stopped what I was doing to take it all in. The makers could’ve gone for the jugular with jumps and shocks (of which there are some) but chose the braver and more impressive route of creating a real sense of tension and unease. There were plenty of times I’ve have preferred a shock than something that completely creeped me out. The dismemberment combat – going against everything you’ve ever been taught in games (ie headshot = kill) – leaves you panicking: “Yes! Headshot!… It’s…. it’s still coming at me WITH NO HEAD.” *crys like a baby* If you can stomach games of this genre this is up there as one of the best. I’m looking forward to the sequel already…
11. METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY
Ah the return of Solid Snake… for about two levels before we switch to whiny ass Raiden. After the success of Metal Gear Solid on the PSOne everyone was clambering for the follow up and while it teased us with Snake what we actually got was a new ‘hero’ that pretty much everyone hated. Raiden was a blonde haired fop compared the Snake’s Kurt Russellesque character. However it says a lot about Metal Gear Solid 2 that even with a badly chosen lead character the game was still excellent. Although the story was somewhat confusing this was the first game to feature Vamp as well as some other great boss battles. It sure felt great to be back in the MGS universe.
I’ve just been reading a disturbing news story from last week in which German game developer Crytek has said that they may be forced to relocate to another country if the German government ban mature games.
And I’m not talking about banning youths from playing them – the German government want to ban mature rated games full stop!
So effectively German citizens won’t even have a choice of whether they’d like to play these games?
Games like God Of War, GTA IV, Manhunt wouldn’t even be released in Germany?
Surely the German people have the right to choose whether they play these games? They are mature games that are rated as such but are no different to an 18 rated film.
I would hate to think any government would restrict the freedom of choice of their people.
Certainly don’t allow kids to play them but grown adults?
It reminds me of the media here in the UK – always banging on about how bad games are for people. If you sit in a dark room for 18 or 20 hours a day playing games of course it’ll have a detrimental effect on you. But the same can be said of any media.
I know the Australian government have been strict on games in the past, particularily the Grand Theft Auto series but this seems to be on a massive scale.
Where will they draw the line? What about titles like Resident Evil? Or Killzone? Call Of Duty? Bioshock? Just seems like insanity to me.
And surely at the end of the day gamers in Germany will just be able to import the games anyway? Driving sales underground isn’t the answer here – better education is.
I remember being in Game browsing the shelves and overhearing a conversation between a woman in her fifties and the sales advisor where he was having to explain to her that the ratings on the games ‘were like film ratings, not like the ratings you’d get on a puzzle.’ This woman actually thought the rating was how difficult the game was, not about the content
That is the kind of thing that should be public knowledge - surely some sort of TV ad campaign could highlight this to the parents that don’t understand games?
Is there no one who could bring the German government up to speed on games?
This is something that could have a knock on effect for the rest of the World’s gaming industry – hopefully German gamers will kick up enough of a fuss to stop this being pushed through by the government.
The brooding, cool badass of the original has been replaced with a boyband reject – not a good look. Hopefully the game itself will live up to the standard of the first.
3D has been added as well, though that isn’t of much interest to me.
Hyper realistic driving sim – graphics do look truly amazing.
) and also the fact that via Battlefield: Bad Company 2‘s multiplayer I’ve learnt the value of teamwork. Could be a really good experience.
METAL GEAR SOLID: One of the original Playstation’s finest moments
