Talking ‘Bout My (New) Generation (Of Consoles)

It doesn’t seem that long ago to me that I rushed home with a massive, shiny 60GB Playstation 3 and plugged it in for the first time. It was, in fact, almost 12 years ago. Even the excitement of bringing home my Playstation 4 was 6 years ago. It almost feels too soon to be thinking about a new generation of consoles but here we are at the start of 2019 with rumours already swirling.

It’s been widely reported that Sony’s own first party developers, such as Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last Of Us), Sony Santa Monica (God Of War), Insomniac (Infamous, Spiderman) and Guerrilla Games (Killzone, Horizon: Zero Dawn), have already shifted focus to working on the new platform. IGN recently reported that both Bethesda and Square Enix are confirmed to be working on next gen titles so logically it’s likely that Ubisoft, Activision and EA won’t be far behind.

But what does a new console look like as we head into the 2020’s?

For all the talk of the future being completely digital, this next round of consoles will most likely be similar to the current generation – you will have a box under your TV that you pop a disc in/download games to. In the future I can imagine streaming games rather than buying them to download but I think we’re still a little way off that technology running smoothly for people around the world.

An interesting aspect of the new generation of consoles will be the idea of streaming creeping into more widespread use. As services like Spotify and Netflix become the norm will Playstation increase the cost of of its Playstation Plus subscription and offer streaming as part of the package?

Recently a patent was uncovered that seemed to indicate Playstation were exploring a much deeper implementation of emulation. It looks likely you might be able to play your old Playstation 1, 2, 3 and 4 games on the PlayStation 5 – which would be massive. At the very least the PS5 needs to be able to play PS4 games or uptake will be limited. Especially as forthcoming stand out titles like Last Of Us II and Ghost of Tsushima are both scheduled for PS4.

Aside from backwards compatibility there are several other things I’d love to see from a new console. Of course the most visual of aspects would be a boost to graphical capabilities, full 4k at 60 frames per second and HDR for every game would be brilliant but I’m not sure how realistic that will be. As mentioned above I think more options for streaming would be great – perhaps offering a form of Playstation Now as part of the regular monthly subscription would be a good start.

The other big thing for me is how much of the PS5’s power can be used for A.I in games. Nothing ruins a game quicker than amazing looking enemies who proceed to just stand in the open taking fire. I’m hoping for another big leap, similar to the one we got for Killzone 2 on the PS3. I’d love to think improved and challenging enemies will be the standard for next generation… we’ll see.

Of course the main tipping point for most people on whether to jump to a new console is price. While the PS3 weighed in with a whopping price tag of £425, the PS4 was a more respectable £349. I’d expect around the same again if I’m being honest. In a dream world it would be £299 but I’d hazard a guess it’ll be £329. A little more I could stomach but if it tips above £400 again I think PS5 will see sluggish sales beyond the initial die hard fans.

In terms of release date – I expect we’ll hear more about the console at an initial reveal this year with the launch date looking like mid 2020. Pure speculation but this guessing game is sometimes the most fun part of the run up to a new console generation!

Whatever happens it looks set to be an interesting and exciting time in the console space. I definitely feel like the PS4 has a year or two left in it but am really looking forward to seeing what Playstation deliver with their next console.

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SOCOM: Special Forces – Review (PS3)

I’ve never really been a fan of the SOCOM games – I didn’t play the PS2 games and PS3 title ‘Confrontation’ was a bit of a mess by the time I got around to playing it. In fact my best experience with SOCOM has been on the PSP.

Unlike ‘Confrontation’ this title has a full single player campaign as well as a sizeable online offering.

Having had a hands on session at Eurogamer back in October I had high hopes for the game.

With the PSN down I fired SOCOM up to get stuck into the campaign mode, which I was looking forward to.

You take on the role of Cullen Gray, a Spec Ops Commander and leader of a 5-man NATO special forces squad. Your team is dropped into Malaysia to help deal with the rising threat of both local rebels, the Naga, and a mercenary group called Clawhammer.

For the majority of missions you’ll have the entire team with you, split into two squads of two people. You control the movements of these with left and right on the dpad. So you can order your squads into position to flank enemies or even just approach them head on in a firefight.

This lends the game a tactical edge that is sadly lacking in a lot of games these days. It’s not as sophisticated as Rainbow Six but it’s simplicity means it can be used effectively and feels like you have some control over proceedings.

Thrown in for good measure are a few sneaking missions, which I know have been the bane of some reviewers lives. I can see both sides here because they are frustrating in places but for me the change of pace was welcome. I would’ve liked to have maybe seen you have a chance to fight your way through but there is no chance for that here.

While the story is standard Spec Ops fare I found most of the characters likable and it was one of the more enjoyable stories I’ve played through this year.

Once the PSN was back up and running I got involved on the multiplayer front and have to say I was most impressed. Large, well designed levels are the standard here and once you get used to the fact that health is limited compared to a lot of games, you’ll find yourself tearing it up across the maps.

The game has all the usual multiplayer modes and you should have no trouble finding a full lobby. I was a bit concerned SOCOM may struggle to capture players online after the PSN outage but that doesn’t seem to have been a problem.

Overall SOCOM has proved to be better than I thought, both online and offline. It might not be up for many ‘Game Of The Year’ awards but this is a great online shooter with a decent campaign to boot.

Rating: 8/10

Red Dead Redemption – Review (PS3)

 

Rockstar Games have a history of making great, innovative products so my interest is always spiked when I know they’ve been involved in a game.

Red Dead Revolver on the PS2 was a title they inherited when Capcom gave up on it and after adding some finishing touches a very decent western third person game arrived.

So having had a number of years to come up with a next-gen version of the wild west would Rockstar’s pedigree come into question? Or would they deliver the goods?

Undoubtedly they have delivered with Red Dead Redemption. I don’t recall a sandbox game with such a fascinating and well realised world. The way the world around you continues regardless is reminiscent of GTA games but everything here just makes you feel a part of something larger.

Let me start by saying that this isn’t a perfect game (if there ever can be such a thing?). There are glitches here and there, with some people reporting a whole host of problems. Personally I only saw a handful of graphical glitches (someone getting stuck in a wall etc) and only one ‘game-breaker’, where I could not interact with anything in the world at all (reloading my last save thankfully got everything back to normal).

The duelling system, while great fun, is never properly explained in full.

Some of the missions do feel a little samey at times but the variety of AI in your enemies, as well as your colleagues, keeps things different a lot of the time.

The positives are numerous, for one the story, voice acting and characterisation in Red Dead Redemption is fantastic. This is up there with the Uncharted series for me and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

The game is well paced and the final third – I certainly don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t go into detail – is quite a bold move that seemed to upset a few people but was something I thought was superb.

There is so much to do in the world that it is crazy – I’m not a big player of cards but I found myself spending 40/50 minutes at a time playing poker or blackjack. Or horseshoes. Or arm wrestling. The list is huge.

One of the highlights for me was the handling of the side missions. You have a set amount of ‘Stranger’ missions on the map that you can do but alongside them random events will happen as you make your way through the game world. Someone man handles a prostitute out of the saloon into the street in front of you and threatens her with a knife – do you intervene? Or leave them to it? There’s no right or wrong answer. Occasionally these were repeated but I loved the way Rockstar put them in there.

A quick nod as well to the music and soundtrack which is brilliant and really helps to set the mood.

Graphically the game is amazing, with a ridiculously great day/night cycle and some nice weather effects. Some of the views from up high are fantastic and the character models on the whole are impressive.

The multiplayer is split between your usual deathmatch/capture the flag etc and free roam mode – where you and your friends can posse up and take on AI controlled (or other human) gangs, go hunting for rare animals or even just shoot some towns up and get the law after you.

It’s fun online and with 6 free DLC co-op missions you’ll always find something to do.

Red Dead Redemption is a huge game with a lot of extra distractions to get involved in, whether on your own or online. I finished it in around 24 hours of gameplay but that included the odd side mission here and there and plenty of time playing games and ‘relaxing’ in the game world.

It has been a while since a game had me smiling, eyes wide and with goosebumps on my arms at what was unfolding in front of me but Red Dead Redemption managed it. This for me is the best game I have ever played – not an accolade that I use lightly but one that is fully deserved.

Rating 10/10

E3 2010 – The GregHorrorShow Wrap Up

 

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 :lol:) 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 :lol:)

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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! :cool:)

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!

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plat•i•num [plat-n-uhm, plat-nuhm]

“1. Chemistry. a heavy, grayish-white, highly malleable and ductile metallic element, resistant to most chemicals, practically unoxidizable except in the presence of bases, and fusible only at extremely high temperatures.

2. a light, metallic gray with very slight bluish tinge when compared with silver.

3. achievement awarded for 100% trophy completion within a game on the Playstation 3 console system.”

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I’ve spoken many times about Trophies and the lengths some people will go to for a ‘ping’ in the top right hand corner of the screen.

I have a healthy Trophy score, which has occurred mostly naturally – I admit picking up a few trophies having known in advance what is required – but I have no inclination to go over old games for the sake of a few trophies.

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with people going for trophies, it just doesn’t interest me personally.

But recently something has been bugging me. As many of you will know I would class myself as a fairly serious gamer and I noticed a few weeks ago when looking through my trophy collection that my highest trophy percentage for a game is Terminator Salvation. (81% Trophy Completion)

That’s right, the lowest scored game in the history of this site. The most boring PS3 title I’ve ever finished appears to be my most played and completed game 😥

In terms of general playthroughs the closest was Assassin’s Creed II (71%), with most other titles coming in around 40-50%.

As I started my 2nd playthrough of Heavy Rain in an attempt to unlock a certain ending (I’m staying vague in case I give ANYTHING away :lol:) I was using the help of a guide to make sure I did it correctly and suddenly realised something.

Playing through most of the chapters again using the conditions I needed and getting a different result to my original playthrough in most of them was actually gonna inadvertently net me a heap of trophies.

Could this finally be the game to rid me of the shame of Terminator Salvation? I must also add at this point that my ‘haul’ from Terminator was via one 4 hour playthrough on EASY in which you got a gold trophy for finishing each level 😮

After completing the ending I was looking for in Heavy Rain I decided I’d enjoyed it so much that I wanted to see all the possible endings and find out what could’ve happened. Again I grabbed the guide and, checking the way to do it, realised that if it went as planned I would then only be a handful of trophies short of a platinum :wow:

And while I’m not that into Trophies there was no way I’d let myself not get a platinum by that small amount. Especially when even those last trophies would let me see new scenes/outcomes.

And so there it is – my first ever Platinum Trophy (and probably my last).

You see, Heavy Rain’s Trophies were based around content, not skill. This Platinum isn’t for gaming skill (although I did have to ace some of the quick time events) but having the patience to experience all there is within Heavy Rain.

And I’m glad I took the time to have the complete Heavy Rain experience, firstly because the game and all it’s outcomes were very cool and secondly because Quantic Dream’s ambitious project washed away the embarrassment of having one of the worst games I’ve ever played at the top of my list. 🙂

The GregHorrorShow Rating System

I was looking through some of the ratings I have given out over the last few months and thought maybe it would be worth just letting you guys know the meaning behind the numbers.

My rating system works in a similar fashion to most other numerical rating systems 😆 but as well as incorporating how good a game is the rating is also a guide to whether I’d recommend you to play it:

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1

APPALLING – the one point is for the poor people who had to make the game/film.

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2

VERY BAD – do not even try this.

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3

POOR – not worth your time or effort

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4

BELOW AVERAGE – don’t bother unless you need the trophies (btw if you feel you need the trophies please also see Trophyitis to find out if you have the condition :smile:)

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5

AVERAGE – worth a rent if you’re interested in the game/film

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6

ABOVE AVERAGE – worth a rent

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7

GOOD – you should play/watch it

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8

VERY GOOD – definitely worth a playthrough/watch

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9

SUPERB – you should definitely purchase this game/film

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10

THE GREGHORRORSHOW PLATINUM SEAL OF APPROVAL™ – go and buy it now!

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So there you go – the formula behind the system is explained!

LittleBigPlanet – Review (PSP)

When they announced that Sackboy would be coming to the PSP I was pretty pleased. Having really enjoyed the PS3 version, even going so far as creating my own level (Kitchen Kaper – look it up if you fancy a challenge) I was looking forward to some wi-fi multiplayer action.

Only LittleBigPlanet PSP doesn’t have multiplayer 😥

It seems to be a pretty big omission for a game that is so wonderfully social. I suppose looking at it from another direction – I’d rather they left it out if they can’t do it justice.

So you have the single player story modes and a surprisingly deep create mode – after which you can upload/download new user created levels to play.

Technically this means the game may never end – like it’s PS3 counterpart, once you’ve finished the story the vibrant LBP community are almost certainly gonna have some great levels ready and waiting for you.

And the story mode isn’t to be scoffed at – it’s not particularily long (under 5 hours) but it is EXTREMELY good fun.

The fact the game is so basic (run, jump, grab) means that the levels are the stars and they have done a fantastic job brining this world to life on a handheld platform.

The series of Tinsel Town levels, in which you take on the part of an actor in several film productions, are among my favourites from either game. Brilliant stuff 😎

I suspect this is a game that will be worth it’s price as time goes on and more user levels are available.

As a straight story mode it’s definitely worth playing but if you’re not gonna touch on the create/share stuff it might not be worth paying full price for.

Rating: 8/10

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!

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge – Review (PSP)

I really enjoyed the two Motorstorm titles on PS3 (despite online connection issues with Pacific Rift :mad:) and so I was really looking forward to getting some boost action on the small screen.

The game throws you straight into racing and the set up is the same as the PS3 versions. Race different types of events to unlock more vehicles and rank up. The more you rank up the more advanced races you have access to.

The music is great, with a particular nod here to the Prodigy ‘Omen’… in one race as a bike I came hurtling along a high route, off a ramp and just as the Prodigy track kicked in I overtook two trucks below me while I was in the air before landing well and keeping them in my rearview mirror. 😎

The game appeared a little easy at first and I was worried I might have another Dirt on my hands but after 10 or 15 races it started becoming more challenging.

Part of the challenge is working out which of the vehicles to go for: a bike for speed but lack of control on ice? Or a big rig – slow as hell but controllable? With the vehicles on offer it’s certainly a dilemma! 😀

The multiple routes through each race are fantastic, often seeing you grab victory from the jaws of defeat and the inclusion of ice bridges is a neat touch.

Ice bridges are for routes high up and cannot take the weight of heavier vehicles. But obviously if you’re in a big vehicle you can take the route and break the bridge to stop other using it – is it worth the cost of a crash?

Another thing that raises the bar compared to other PSP driving games I’ve played is that you will often find yourself smashed by the other vehicles – resulting in a) some amazing slow motion crashes and b) a real determination to get back up the field as soon as possible.

You can go from near enough last to first in one lap on Motorstorm, which often means you never feel like you’re completely out of the running. It’s quite an achievement for any game to make you feel excited when you’re 8th with half a lap left and you’re still pushing for the win 😆

With options to (cosmetically) customise your vehicles and of course play friends online, Motorstorm PSP is an essential purchase for anyone with a PSP.

Rating: 9/10

GregHorrorShow’s Top 100 Games: The Top 5!

Well, we have finally arrived at the last installment of GregHorrorShow’s Top 100 games and it has been a pleasure (plus a lot of hard work 🙂 ) to compile this list and share it with you.

Usual system applies:

I decided, 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 last few 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 😆

Like some of the rest of the Top 10 each game will also have a video for your viewing pleasure and I’ll recap the Top 100 in full before I reveal No.1.

So let’s get it going on!

 

5. KILLZONE 2 (Playstation 3)

I’m sure a lot of you have read my review of Killzone 2 so this isn’t completely unexpected but I was a touch surprised that a game released in February of this year made the Top 5. The explanation for this is as follows: multi-player. The single player story mode of Killzone 2 is immense and I’m sure the game would easily have made the Top 20 based on that alone (and you can read why in the full review). But for me this is the most fun I’ve ever had playing online.

The sense of achievement in ranking up is unreal and playing with friends is great. I never thought I would get a headset but Killzone 2 made me cross that line – and often the conversation and banter between me and my friends in our own game room is some of the funniest stuff I’ve heard in a gaming environment. Even in multi-player the graphics are superb and the sense of panic created by the fantastically well designed levels is just amazing. If you own a PS3 you need to own this – even if you don’t like first person shooters you should give it a whirl, I know several people who were never into them before that are now dedicated recruits. Mr Veitch I’m looking at you.

 

4. METAL GEAR SOLID (Playstation)

Metal Gear Solid is one of those few games when all the crazy feature ideas and over the top story come together to make an absolute classic. Taking on the role of Solid Snake you had to stealth your way through the levels with an array of gadgets and skills – including the infamous cardboard box disguise.

Metal Gear Solid broke the mould – not only for bringing Stealth as a genre to the forefront but for showing that games could match Hollywood movies for plot and substance. The list of characters was brilliant and the boss battles were legendary – the Pyscho Mantis battle still makes me smile just thinking about it. What other game would have a look at the other saves on your memory card and then use it to taunt you?! It freaked me out completely – then there was the whole control pad thing… anyway he was one of many great boss battles: Revolver Ocelot, Sniper Wolf and of course Liquid Snake, were all highlights. The best Playstation One game, without a shadow of a doubt.

 

3. RESIDENT EVIL 4 (Playstation 2)

Resident Evil 4 marked the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise. Gone were the bumbling, shuffling (but still pretty lethal) oafs of previous Resident Evil games who were replaced by a very more ‘human’ threat: “Los Ganados.” Essentially humans infected with the La Plagas virus as opposed to mindless zombies – these guys can attack you with weapons, run, dodge attacks. It takes everything to a whole new level.

They are fast and usually attack in numbers, often leading to you retreating as they swarm your way. The level design was brilliant and you were shepherded through lots of different environments, with the inital village setting one of the most impressive. Some of the boss battles; the giant fish and El Gigante being two that were particularily memorable. The monk-type dudes in the citadel freaked the hell out of me with their weird chanting… I was too scared to move at first then realised they weren’t going anywhere so I’d better get on with it 😆 Resident Evil 4 really is a great game and everyone should have at least played the opening village level – it really is mind-blowingly good. Maybe less so now but at the time it was simply the best thing I’d ever played.

 

2. GRAND THEFT AUTO III (Playstation 2)

Was this really released almost EIGHT years ago?! Our first trip to the three dimensional Liberty City was something none of us will forget. It was a unique experience on the Playstation 2 – you can steal cars? Buy guns and shoot people? Out run (and out gun) the cops? But it wasn’t about the controversy – this was a solid game with an involving storyline. Sure your character never speaks but there is plenty said by the other characters to keep things ticking over. So many classic characters: Don Salvatore Leone, Donald Love, Phil Cassidy (the One-Armed Bandit), 8-Ball and Toni Cipriani to name but a few.

It was a whole new way to play – you could do whatever you wanted. Fancy ignoring the story and taking on some cops for a bit. Go for it. Wanna make some money? Steal a cab and do some work as a Taxi Driver. There was so much to do it was almost overwhelming. Eventually people just got down to it and did whatever the hell they wanted. As long as you knew the basic controls you didn’t have to touch the story – you could just mess around for hours.

But that would’ve been a mistake because the plot of GTA III was excellent and certainly worth playing through. The comedy was close to the mark but spot on – no-one was safe from a jibe. The game also featured the car radio system for it’s music content, which was great and all the songs were really good, if little known. As the game progressed you certainly found yourself tuning the radio to your favourite station as soon as you got into a car.

GTA III was a groundbreaking title for many reasons but the main one has to be that it completely raised the bar for every other game out there. Us gamers had been given a glimpse of the future – what gaming could be like… a sense of freedom married with a concise, funny and involving storyline. The trip to Liberty City was a great one and the journey got better and better…

 

Which brings us to the finale. Before I reveal my top game, here is a quick run down of the 99 that preceeded it:

 

100 Ghostbusters

99 Splatterhouse 2

98 Ghouls N Ghosts

97 Lethal Enforcers

96 Golden Axe

95 Hard Drivin’

94 WWF Royal Rumble

93 Chase HQ

92 Singstar

91 Resistance 2

90 Destruction Derby

89 Pacman

88 RockBand

87 Syphon Filter

86 Tomb Raider

85 Red Dead Revolver

84 Out Run

83 Resistance

82 Time Crisis

81 Toejam and Earl

80 Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior

79 Donkey Kong

78 Super Punch Out

77 Final Fight

76 Micro Machines

75 Manic Miner

74 Donkey Kong (SNES)

73 WWE Legends Of Wrestlemania

72 Twisted Metal

71 Kane And Lynch

70 Black

69 Resident Evil 5

68 Space Harrier

67 Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

66 Goldeneye (N64)

65 Football Manager

64 Mario Kart (N64)

63 SOS: Final Escape

62 WWF Smackdown 2

61 Track And Field

60 Paperboy

59 Rainbow Six Vegas 2

58 Heavenly Sword

57 Street Fighter IV

56 Desert Strike

55 Captain Commando

54 Mirror’s Edge

53 Robocop

52 Space Invaders

51 GRID

50 inFAMOUS

49 Alien Trilogy

48 Resident Evil 2

47 Alien 3

46 Robocop Vs Terminator

45 Super Monkey Ball

44 Horace Goes Skiing

43 FIFA 95

42 Gauntlet

41 Speedball 2

40 Assassin’s Creed

39 Roadblasters

38 Streets of Rage

37 Sensible Soccer

36 Premier Manager 98

35 Manhunt

34 The Warriors

33 Hitman Blood Money

32 Theme Park

31 Fahrenheit

30 Grand Theft Auto

29 Rainbow Six Vegas

28 Bioshock

27 LittleBigPlanet

26 Road Rash

25 Shadow Of The Colossus

24 Mad Dog McCree

23 Operation Wolf

22 Football Manager

21 GTA San Andreas

20 God Of War: Chains Of Olympus

19 Guitar Hero

18 Mortal Kombat

17 God Of War 2

16 God Of War

15 Uncharted

14 Pro Evolution Soccer 5

13 Metal Gear 3

12 Dead Space

11 Metal Gear 2

10 Sonic The Hedgehog

9 Street Fighter II

8 Resident Evil

7 Metal Gear Solid 4

6 GTA IV

5 Killzone 2

4 Metal Gear Solid

3 Resident Evil 4

2 GTA 3

 

So there you go, I’m sure a few of you have already guessed by it’s absence on the list so far but I can confirm that GregHorrorShow’s Game List No. 1 is…

 

1. GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY (Playstation 2)

We wondered what on earth Rockstar would do to follow up GTA 3 – how could they come back with a new game after that? Well, they went away and raised the bar even further! Setting GTA Vice City in the 80’s was a stroke of genius and including some of the characters from GTA 3 as their younger selves was truly inspired. You see these guys with their hopes and dreams – and you know what they end up like from seeing them in GTA III, truly brilliant.

This setting also meant a chance to do everything bigger and better – fast cars? check. Lots of neon? check. Cheesy music? check!!! The music on this game was amazing and they did such a good job of picking the tunes. There was a radio station for everyone as they upped the content. One of my fondest memories of this game is driving beside the beach at sunset with “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson playing on the radio.

But it wasn’t only the music and setting of course, the storyline was great, borrowing from plenty of great gangster films and the game had plenty of new features – allowing you to buy property as you earnt more money, each one having different side missions attached to it. There were helicopters for you to fly and your character actually spoke and took a bigger role in the plot.

It also featured my favourite ever GTA mission – the bank job. Just amazing. I won’t spoil it with details for people who haven’t played it but my word what a mission! If you’re not worried about SPOILERS then watch the glorious 10 minute clip below and appreciate a work of gaming genius!

I remember having to go to a gig with work a couple of days before GTA: Vice City was released. As we went past HMV they had a sign up saying they were selling it early. I didn’t hesitate. I had the game on me all through the gig and I couldn’t wait to get home. Once I got back at the end of the night I couldn’t resist and stuck it on – it was so good I played it until about 4am before what little perception of reality I had after a night on the beers saw me get some sleep.

 

Even as a big gamer that is something that happens to me very rarely with a single player game and so it’s with a large smile and a lot of happy memories that I confirm Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as Number 1 in GregHorrorShow’s Top 100 Games List! 😎