Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Demo Impressions (PSP)

As far as I know this is currently only available on the Japanese PSN store but fortunately a friend had it downloaded and popped it onto my memory stick.

Sadly my knowledge of Japanese is non existent so I can tell you nothing about the story or, in fact, anything that happened during the demo. 😆

What I can tell you was that the graphics were fantastic – I would say better than PS2 😮 – and that using the face buttons as a sort of ‘right stick’ like Resistance: Retribution is a great move.

It took me ages to get out of the first deserted beach area due to lack of translation – my Codec was going off consistently but I had no idea how to answer it 😆 Eventually I worked out what I was doing and moved on to the next section.

There were soldiers here and it was a case of take down or be taken down. Stealth was the order of the day but unfortunately the waiter must’ve written my order down incorrectly because a misplaced shot alerted everyone and their mother to my location. 😦

After a particularly frantic shoot out in which I knocked out every opponent non lethally with tranquilliser darts 😎

Upon finishing that area we moved to some outbuildings/warehouses in the jungle where, with my new found Snake skills, I managed to take out every guard without an alert 😎 Took me a while though 😆

Next up was a heavily guarded tank that I am still yet to defeat and I suspect it might be a part of the game that you might need to get involved in co-op with someone else.

Nevertheless after playing this Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is a no brainer for me – I’ll definitely be picking up a copy when it arrives on PSP next year.

GregHorrorShow Book Awards 2009

Being completely honest I don’t read as many books as I should, I would guess about 10 this year, so it’s been tough to put together as lengthy an award list as for the other media.

However, I’ve come up with a few categories and despite only having read one book in a couple of them, those books chosen are ones I would recommend.

As per usual this list is from what I’ve READ this year, not from what’s been released in the calendar year.

Links to reviews in the book titles where possible.

So here we go…

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BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WINNER: My Word Is My Bond – Roger Moore

I’m not a James Bond fan but even I enjoyed this roguish journey through Roger Moore’s career. Moore’s easy listening style means it feels like an intimate evening with the great man, sitting round the fireplace as he tells tale after tale.

RUNNERS UP:

Wonderful Tonight – Patti Boyd

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BEST FACTUAL

WINNER: World In Six Songs – Daniel Levitin

No runner up here as I’ve been lax on my factual reading this year but World In Six Songs is worthy of high praise nonetheless.

This book explores the link between music and civilisation – how music helped create the world we live in, dating right back to our earliest ancestors. If you’re interested in music then this is one to check out.

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BEST FICTIONAL UNIVERSE:

WINNER: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith

A really inventive novel that mixes Austen with Zombie mayhem, the universe created by Graeme-Smith (with help from Austen’s original) was fantastic to read through and thoroughly enjoyable.

RUNNERS UP:

World War Z – Max Brooks

The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler

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BEST FICTIONAL CHARACTER:

WINNER: Lizzy Bennet (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith)

It’s another award for Seth Graeme-Smith as his version of ‘Lizzy’ Bennet was a brilliant character to read through. With her underlying Austen personality in place, it was Graeme-Smith’s added ninja skills that brought her further to life.

RUNNERS UP:

Death (The Book Thief – Markus Zakai)

Alice Maxwell (Cell – Stephen King)

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BEST FICTION

WINNER: World War Z – Max Brooks

 

2009 appears to have been the year of the Zombie as far as my reading habits have gone. Nipping a Seth Graeme-Smith clean sweep in the bud is Max Brooks, with his disturbingly realistic portrayal of how events may go down if there really was a Zombie outbreak. Should be read by everyone.

RUNNERS UP:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith

The Book Thief – Markus Zukai

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THE GREGHORRORSHOW ‘COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN’ AWARD FOR GREAT WRITING 2009

WINNER: ‘Cell’ by Stephen King

I read this in three days while on holiday, it completely hooked me. The beginning is one of the most finely crafted openings I’ve ever read. Sadly the latter parts of the book couldn’t maintain the standard, which is why it didn’t get any other nominations.

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So there we go, that’s the first batch of awards handed out. More media (TV/Film and the big one… Games) to follow.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Beta Impressions (PS3)

This is war.

No seriously, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 gives you that feeling that you are fighting for territory.

That every kill counts in the grander scale of things, that while you cautiously push forward or even make a daring renegade dash for the enemies base that you are making difference. 😎

I’d been playing and enjoying the multiplayer on Modern Warfare 2 for a few weeks when I stumbled upon a link to a site offering access to the beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Needless to say I leapt at the chance.

Graphically the game is stunning, despite the level being mainly desert – it has three sections to fight through, each with a slightly different flavour – and the destruction of buildings is something to marvel at (not for too long though or someone will kill you :wink:).

The gameplay is as you’d expect, likewise with the controls – fairly standard.

They seem to have pitched it between Killzone 2’s more realistic heavy handling and Modern Warfare 2’s almost comedic light handling, which is (in my opinion) just about the right balance.

The inclusion of a selection of vehicles (tanks/jeeps/quads etc) is a great touch that adds to the proceedings.

There are a few problems – mainly a seemingly invisible force pushing you back (could be done on purpose if it’s supposed to be desert wind but still a bit annoying) and also the occasional glitch leaving me unable to walk or stuck trying to get in a door (which I was also actually having in the finished product of Modern Warfare 2 :mad:)

However it’s the beta so I’m guessing those will be straightened out by the time of release.

You get a few classes to choose from, all regular stuff (Medic, Engineer etc) – not sure how many different classes there will be in the final product.

However it’s the aforementioned destruction damage that means that nearly every round is different.

You can’t have a regular hiding place, at least not for long, because chances are if there is a hint that you’re there tank shells or grenades will destroy whatever cover you have.

For the record I have to also say that the beta is only one level and one game mode! 😯 Yes, it’s this good and that is all I’ve played.

I honestly haven’t touched Modern Warfare 2 since I played this.

To give this some perspective I offer a further viewpoint as well as my own.

A work colleague who is also on this beta said, having played multiplayer of both games, “I don’t think I’ll bother picking up Modern Warfare 2 now, might as well play this, it’s much better.”

I cannot praise it enough and I just hope it can maintain this level of awesomeness until, and beyond, it’s release in March 2010.

EA – A Serious Return To Form

Electronic Arts was a powerhouse of great gaming during my formative gaming years. Classics such as Road Rash, Desert Strike, FIFA, the Mutant League series, PGA Tour Golf and James Pond to name a few, were always innovative and a delight to play.

But somehow over time EA became the ‘bad guy’ – the heartless corporation who were happy to churn out yearly updates of average games, often with little or no improvement.

Suddenly we had Burnout, Need For Speed, Harry Potter, SSX, the Def Jam fighting games 😡 and a host of annual sports updates. The difference being that these games (possibly excluding a few Burnout titles) were just not that great.

They started buying smaller, rival studios and created big rifts in the industry by often closing the studios down and taking their best talent.

And then all of a sudden things changed a few years ago – as well as the usual updates they announced two games which turned people’s impressions of EA on their head: Dead Space and Mirror’s Edge.

Two games which were highly polished, innovative, produced to an extremely high level… and were original ideas. Not a sequel or prequal – or even a film tie in. Just cleverly made great games.

Now I’m the first to admit that maybe Mirror’s Edge had it’s faults but that isn’t the issue here – what I’m talking about is EA’s willingness to take a shot at launching a new brand, based on something no-one had tried before.

Brutal Legend is another fine example – while the game appears to have tanked at retail, which is a shame, EA backed it all the way with marketing and promo. Not all of their new ideas come off so to speak.

The other shift was that the year updates, sporting especially, got good again. The Fight Night series was a serious return to form, culminating in Round 4’s superb simulation of the sport. Likewise FIFA – which has now overtaken long standing champion PES as the best football game around.

With Rock Band they are looking to take on Activision (the new ‘bad guys’ apparently) and Guitar Hero, a battle which will rage for years to come.

The standard of games forthcoming as well looks really positive with Army Of Two: 40th Day, Dante’s Inferno, Mass Effect 2 (not for us PS3 folks… yet :wink:) and Battlefield Bad Company 2 (the Beta of which is truly stunning) all arriving in the first quarter of 2010!

When I think back to 5 or 6 years ago it seems insane that EA of all people would be pushing the envelope and delivering top quality, fresh and innovative titles – long may it continue!

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Review (PS3)

For the first time in a long while I have not been sucked into the hype for a big triple A game.

I just wasn’t excited about Modern Warfare at all – a mixture of not getting on with the first title and a general disappointment from the multiplayer footage I’d seen.

Upon firing up the single player mode I was struck by how good the graphics were and after a quick run through the training camp I was on my way.

The campaign mode sees you take on the role of several characters and while the story is full of big set pieces, the lack of depth in any of the characters you control leads to a sense of confusion at times.

This is also one of the games biggest weaknesses – without any sort of attachment to any of the characters it was difficult to care about what was going on as I worked my way through set piece after set piece.

The set pieces themselves were great when they worked but on the whole were another weakness in my opinion.

Take the snow mobile ride. Now I know someone who did it in one flowing attempt and thought it was amazing. It took me 3 or 4 goes to nail it – on one occasion failing right on the last jump as I wasn’t going quick enough – and was just a disappointing pain in the ass. 😦

I just feel sections like that should be very hard to mess up, not knocking into one tree kills you (as realistic as that is).

Overall the single player is a bit of an enjoyable mess, with a story that is all over the place.

But no-one is going to be buying Modern Warfare 2 for the campaign mode… it’s all about the multiplayer.

And it’s a pretty good experience.

It’s been patched 4 times in the opening two weeks after release which I think may be a record – and it certainly struggles at times.

I’ve been kicked off because ‘the server is full’, disconnected from lobbies, been unable to party up, got stuck in doorways, had the cpu move for me when I was trying to stay still and had general connection issues.

Having said all that the actual gameplay is polished, and while it took a while to get used to the speed of moving (having been used to the slower Killzone 2), Modern Warfare 2 is fantastic fun online.

They have incorporated some features from other games and improved their own stuff from the previous installment.

The best thing for me are the Deathstreaks, where instead of being rewarded for killing opponents you get a bonus for dying. Very helpful if you’re having a bad round or just starting out. 🙂

Modern Warfare 2 is a vast multiplayer experience, with a ton of unlocks and perks to get over time. It’s a rich and deep set of abilities and weapons, which will keep you busy for a while to come.

As an overall package though Modern Warfare 2 is a lopsided beast.

The single player lacks any depth and would be no great loss to skip and the multiplayer, while fun and engaging, is extremely glitchy and suffers from connection problems.

Better than I thought then but not quite the second coming everyone was raving about.

Rating: 8/10

Dead Man Running – Review (Film)

Dead Man Running tells the story of Nick (Tamer Hassan), his colleague Bing (Danny Dyer) and their desperate struggle to raise £100k to pay back the loan that a gangster, Thigo (50 Cent) has called in.

Nick is taken for a chat with Thigo, who tells him he has 24 hours to come up with the cash or he’ll have him killed. And so starts a fairly madcap adventure that focuses on Nick and Bing’s friendship and the crazy journey they undertake to pay off the money.

I’m not a massive fan of the whole cockney gangster genre – sure I liked ‘Lock, Stock’ and even preferred ‘Snatch’ – but I always find these types of films since then to be fairly poor.

Dead Man Running is easily the best film of this type since Snatch but it doesn’t quite match up to Guy Ritchie’s films lofty status as national treasures.

50 Cent is pretty good in an understated role and Tamer Hassan is believable as Nick. Danny Dyer is his usual on screen persona and Brenda Blethyn is excellent as Nick’s Mum.

The story, of course, isn’t believable for one minute but it is great fun and well paced – clocking in at 90 minutes means it never drags.

I really enjoyed Dead Man Running and with the right marketing campaign it could be a successful film, particularily in the DVD market as a bit of a cult favourite.

Rating: 7/10

To Demo Or Not To Demo? That Is The Question…

I had been meaning to write a piece on demos and then the guys from Epic Battle Axe discussed it on their weekly podcast so I thought I’d better pull my finger out and get on with it!

Infinity Ward’s decision not to release a demo before launch for Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 struck me as odd – I’m usually very suspicious of a game that doesn’t have a demo.

Got something to hide? Just not quite as good as everyone thinks? (Hi Prototype :smile:)

For sure Modern Warfare 2 probably doesn’t need a demo pre-release of the game with the hype it’s had but in most cases a lack of demo is often a sign of a weak game.

PES 2010 Demo: Unfinished

And sometimes even putting out a demo just makes things worse, especially as the demo is usually months old and sometimes not finished properly (hang your head in shame PES 2010).

But there is also a flip side to this argument. There have also been a few games where the demo just hasn’t done the game justice.

Take for example Batman: Arkham Asylum – one of my favourite games this year. The demo wasn’t great.

The makers were obviously trying to show off both the combat and stealth sections but for some reason taken out of the context of the game it didn’t really work.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Too good to fit into a demo?

I think some people were put off by that demo but hopefully the universally high review scores will have made them think again.

My good friend Hollow Snake always says he thought the Infamous demo had it right – give you all the powers and let you run riot.

Show what you could have if you get the game and stick with it. I can certainly see the logic but I’ve often wondered if that would overwhelm more casual gamers, who might be looking to get into a new title?

inFAMOUS: The way a demo should be done?

I know of at least one person that couldn’t be bothered to even finish the demo as there were too many control instructions.

I often prefer games that give you the first level (or some of it) to play through, like Killzone 2 or Brutal Legend. (Having said that I think Brutal Legend’s demo is pretty misleading – making you think it’s a hack ‘n’ slash rather than an RTS game)

Either way I’m glad that we are now given a chance to easily access demos and I am firmly in favour of them. To be honest they have been one of the best things about the PSN for me.

So what do you think? Does a demo often do more harm than good? Should it be a grass roots beginning experience or an all out glorious spree of the game’s potential?

Top 20 PS3 Single Player Games

Looking back through some old articles I came across this list of the best single player games on PS3: Linkage.

This list was only written in April and yet the time since has probably been the best 6 months of my gaming ‘career.’

Not only have some fantastic solo player campaigns been released but I have also caught up on some single player epics I missed when they came out.

I knew the list needed to be extended and improved, as too many great single player games were missing.

So here you go – the top 10 is now a top 20 and any game from the initial list has it’s original chart position in brackets. You can also check out my full reviews (where possible) by clicking the title of each game:

20. PROTOTYPE

In Prototype you take on the role of Alex Mercer as he awakens during his autopsy 😮 ,wondering what the hell is going on. He quickly escapes, realising he now has various superpowers.

Mercer needs to find out what the hell has happened to him and why New York is infected with a virus that has turned half the population into zombies.

Prototype is definitely a game worth playing despite it’s various faults – it was a blast to play through if a little frustrating at times.

 

19. RESISTANCE 2

After saving England in the previous installment Hale is back in business to rescue the U S of A – since his incapacitation the Chimera have launched a full attack on America and Hale, as part of the Sentinal squad (made up of soldiers injected with the Chimera virus but kept under control), have to step in and stop them in their tracks.

A hard hitting but fun first person shooter.

 

18. MIRROR’S EDGE (10)

Mirror’s Edge wowed everyone with it’s crisp, clean graphics and it’s unique first person perspective.

The view takes a while to get used to and it had a few really annoying parts where it was difficult to time jumps etc because of the view but Mirror’s Edge is certainly worth playing through as it offers a style of gameplay that is totally unique in the current games market.

 

17. RAINBOW SIX VEGAS (9)

If you like your first person shooters with a bit of brain behind the brawn then Rainbow Six Vegas may be the game for you.

With a good old fashioned SAS vs Terrorists style plot and lots of fun set pieces Rainbow Six Vegas is definitely worth a shot.

 

16. RESIDENT EVIL 5

For all it’s faults Resident Evil 5, taken as a whole, is a brilliant game and one that I would recommend. Graphically it’s stunning and while it isn’t a hugely difficult game you’ll enjoy playing through and unravelling the story.

It survives the huge expectation of following Resident Evil 4… just. This is a game that everyone should play as Resi comes to the new generation of consoles.

 

15. KANE AND LYNCH (8) 

 

You take control of Adam ‘Kane’ Marcus, a criminal on his way to death row for crimes committed in Venezeula. Kane is busted out of his prison van by a mysterious group called The7 who he worked with previously. They think Kane stole the money from their last job and stashed it somewhere.

If he doesn’t get them the money back in three weeks his wife and daughter will be killed. Kane claims he doesn’t know where it is but he does know who took the cash and will hunt them down. And so begins a thoroughly enjoyable ride into the desperate life of Kane…

 

14. BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY

Chock full of explosions and with some really impressive destruction of buildings etc, Battlefield: Bad Company is like a huge big budget Hollywood blockbuster.

It’s a great, mindless blast of a game. Add some memorable characters into the mix and you’ve got yourself a very enjoyable, and playable, package.

 

13. HEAVENLY SWORD (7)

 

Another game that didn’t garner the respect it deserves, primarily because it didn’t live up to the pre-release hype.

If you like God Of War you will like this game as it’s similar in style but it looks gorgeous in HD and I believe did a few bits (combos/blocking etc) better than the first two God Of War games.

12. ASSASSIN’S CREED (6)

In Assassin’s Creed you play through Desmond Mile’s repressed ancestrial memories as Altair in the Medieval Holy Land (with brief interludes as Desmond struggling to find out what is going on in the present day).

You will need to research targets and carry out assassinations using a variety of options – sword, hidden blade, knife etc.

This game is great fun and I’m looking forward to the sequel which is on it’s way shortly.

 

11. GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME

Ghostbusters: The Video Game’s plot is essentially the third movie – set in 1991 you’re a rookie who’s been drafted in to help with the ever increasing ghost workload. A huge paranormal blast sets off a chain of events that only one group of guys can deal with…

For me Ghostbusters was a short (5 hour) game that had me chuckling and geeking out despite it’s flaws – it won’t be to everyone’s tastes but it has a good single player storyline.

 

10. KILLZONE 2 (5)

Killzone 2’s biggest achievement is, possibly because of the brilliant graphics, sound and AI, that you feel involved and become embedded in the Killzone universal whenever you pick up the pad.

It’s not perfect by any means but it’s easily the best first person shooter I’ve played and I recommend anyone with a remote interest in this genre to check this out immediately!

 

9. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM

With some wonderful voice acting from the cast of the animated series, Batman: Arkham Asylum’s story moves at a good pace and familiar enemies are used to good effect throughout.

With such a vivid setting and a memorable selection of bad guys from Batman’s career it’s no surprise that Arkham Asylum is such a great game.

Despite the odds being stacked against it, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a quality title that has had a lot of care put into making it. I’d recommend this to anyone.

 

8. INFAMOUS

So good it’s the only game this generation I’ve played through twice (seeing it’s rating bumped from 8/10 to 9/10), Infamous is a great game.

You control Cole McGrath, a courier who just happens to be carrying a package containing an electronic bomb when it goes off, devasting the city. Somehow Cole survives and, after coming out of a coma, realises the explosion has given him electrical superpowers.

From there on out the city is your oyster and there is plenty to do as you try to track down the people behind the explosion.

 

7. BIOSHOCK

Bioshock has a great story to tell and it does it well with some interesting objectives and brilliantly designed levels.

There are several twists and turns in the plot, most of which are not obvious and it’s no surprise to me that a film version is in the works (although I believe currently suspended due to budget concerns).

Dark worlds like Rapture aren’t to everyone’s tastes but you really would be missing out on an awesome story if you decided not to book a trip to the underwater city.

 

6. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV  (4)

One the biggest selling games of this generation GTA IV features the fortunes (and lack therof) of Niko Bellic – an immigrant arriving in the US at Liberty City to find empty promises and broken dreams from his cousin Roman.

As you work your way up the criminal ladder you’ll encounter all sort of dodgy characters and befriend even more.

Liberty City is a wonderful, if run down, place and Niko Bellic’s story is one you will enjoy playing through so make sure you pick this game up as soon as possible.

 

5. FALLOUT 3

 

After a tough few hours at the start you will find yourself rewarded greatly for sticking with this awesome FPS / RPG.

The story line sprawls across the world depending on your actions and you’ll find yourself taking a break from main missions to explore the wasteland or help out other characters.

I could go on and on about various things that happened and how cool it was, how great the story was or whatever.

But Fallout 3 is a game that needs to be experienced first hand and your story will no doubt play out differently to mine.

 

4. METAL GEAR SOLID 4  (3)

Hideo Kojima’s tale of Solid Snake’s final mission is a brilliant showcase of the Playstation 3’s power.

This is a game that often gives you three or four different ways of approaching things – whether you realise it or not.

Metal Gear Solid 4 rewards those patient enough to stick with it by giving them a great gaming experience, with some memorable boss battles, that they won’t forget.

 

3. DEAD SPACE (2)

 

Coming on somewhere between Event Horizon and Aliens, Dead Space is a third person survival horror game.

You take on the role of Isaac Clarke, a ship engineer who finds himself trapped onboard a stricken spaceship infested with an alien outbreak which is threatening to take over the ship.

This was one of the best games I played last year, it’s use of sound is immense and the fear of the unexpected they create is awesome.

I am not a big fan of horror movies or being made to jump all the time but Dead Space kept on the right side of all that by being unpredictable enough to be enjoyable as a ‘horror’ experience.

 

2. UNCHARTED: DRAKE’S FORTUNE (1)

Uncharted maps the  journey of Nathan Drake as he tries to find the lost treasure of El Dorado encountering, among other things, rival treasure hunters and mercenaries.

The graphics are unbelievable and the gameplay is well paced and well thought out. The characters and story and really well conceived and Nolan North, who voices Drake, is absolutely spot on with his irreverent humour and wisecracks.

At its heart Uncharted is an action adventure game much in the vein of Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider but, and I say this as a fan of both of these, it is better than either of them.

 

1. UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES

Uncharted 2 is a complete gaming package. There is plenty of taking out bad guys, lots of puzzles and some wonderful dialogue.

Naughty Dog really have done a great job on the voice acting and the expressiveness of the character models. It is easily the best I’ve come across (though Heavenly Sword was a close second).

I won’t spoil the story but for those who don’t know, Nathan Drake gets pulled back into that murky world of treasure hunting for hire. I loved the story of this game – with a few twists I saw coming and a few I didn’t.

If you own a PS3 there is no reason not to own this game – if you only have an XBox 360 or Wii then get yourself a PS3 Slim and enjoy one of the most finely crafted games I’ve ever experienced.

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So it’s a double for Nathan Drake as he takes the top two spots with his exploration adventures.

With 5 new games in the top ten it’s great to see the wide variety of game styles on offer to PS3 owners these days.

Hopefully people out there will find this list helpful – feel free to drop me some comments below on the games or if you’d have put anything else in the list?

Deadfall (1993) – Review (Film)

 

I’ve always been a Nicolas Cage fan and despite a few stinkers over the years I can usually rely on him to at least bring something to the table.

Sadly Deadfall isn’t one of those cases. His role of drug crazed Eddie is seemingly free reign to go mental every few minutes, regardless of whether the plot calls for it.

With all the memebers of his family involved in the film (I counted two Coppolas on the credits) perhaps his involvement was more of a favour? 😕

Fortunately although he features heavily on the cover of the DVD he isn’t actually in much of the film as it concentrates on the story of Joe (Michael Biehen), a con man who whose life is ruined when a con goes wrong.

The situation leads him to look up a relative and eventually get involved in another con – the biggest of his career.

Deadfall was a bit like a poor man’s Matchstick Men, which I thought was a great little film – so that isn’t a major slight on Deadfall.

It was one of those films that really would’ve been more suited as a 60 minute TV movie as opposed to a 90 minute film.

Add in the fact that the twist was so obvious I was doubting whether they would go with it – although having said that they didn’t see it through exactly as I had envisioned.

James Coburn puts in a pretty good performance, and don’t get me wrong the film was certainly watchable, but the story wasn’t very strong and everything felt a little false and unbelievable.

Even the appearance of Charlie Sheen doesn’t lift things and to be honest I’d think the film might’ve worked better with Sheen and Nic Cage switching roles.

Overall I don’t think I could honestly recommend Deadfall, if you fancy watching a con film with Nicolas Cage I’d suggest checking out Matchstick Men instead.

Rating: 3/10

Turtles In Time: Reshelled – Demo Impressions (PS3)

I spent a night recently at a friend’s house where his housemate has made an arcade cabinet that plays whatever MAME/Roms he loads up.

One of the highlights of that evening was blasting through Turtles In Time. Seeing those wonderfully hammy cartoon interludes and then kicking the hell out of Shredder’s foot soldiers was a wonderful blast back to my childhood. 🙂

This experience certainly hasn’t helped the case of the new HD skinned version of the game.

Upon firing it up you are greeted with some nice looking cut scene visuals and then when the game kicks off you’re met with (nicely rendered) new style Turtles animation which just doesn’t cut it for me.

I don’t understand the need to keep redoing graphics on old games. Sure, tidy things up but did this really need a facelift? Are the people downloading this new Turtles fans or old skool Turtles fans? 😕

The gameplay is repetitive and boring to be honest, if they were updating the graphics surely they could’ve upped the gameplay?

When you play something old you often expect it to be limited in a ‘aw, remember when games were like this?’ type of way.

With this game they appear to have spruced the graphics to next gen and left the gameplay in a 1980’s arcade somewhere on Blackpool beach. 😦

Maybe I’m just getting old myself, maybe the ‘kids’ will love it and buy it in their droves.

Not worth downloading unless you REALLY love those Turtles.