ps3

All posts tagged ps3

Assassin’s Creed Ezio Trilogy Coming Exclusively to PS3 in November

Posted by Brad vanVugt on September 28, 2012
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Hey PlayStation gamer!  Have you been living under a rock for the past three years?  Yes?  Cool, well there’s this series called Assassin’s Creed which is pretty fun to play.  You play as an Assassin in various time periods in history who does parkour and kills people with a hidden stabby blade in his wrist.  There’s also an extremely convoluted sci-fi story that starts skewing toward crazy Metal Gear territory with every new release.

Anyhow, the first game in the series totally sucked and you shouldn’t play it, but the second game and it’s two sequels (which aren’t Assassin’s Creed III; that releases this year!) were really good and totally worth playing.  Oh, you don’t feel like buying all of them separately?  What if I told you they all came on one Blu-ray disc?  I know, impossible to say no, right?  RIGHT?!

So yeah, Ezio is getting his very own trilogy release, and it’s only happening on PS3.  Why only on PS3?  Probably because it’s stupid easy to squeeze all of those games on one disc than having to put them on three separate ones if they were to put it on Xbox 360.  Ah, the pitfalls of old media formats.  But I digress.

The Assassin’s Creed Ezio Trilogy released November 13, and of course contains Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed Revelations.  Assassin’s Creed II will also include the two downloadable chapters that were cut of out the main game released later to provide players with even more Assassin action.  The best part about this set is probably its price: $39.99.  That means each game essentially costs less than $14 a pop which is a heck of a deal.  Even with the expansion pack-ish feel of Brotherhood and Revelations, all three of these games were terrific, and are well worth playing, even though Assassin’s Creed III will likely be even awesomer and releases 2 weeks prior.

If you somehow have never checked out this series, first of all shame on you, and secondly, do yourself a favor and pick this set up when it releases.

LEAKED IMAGE New PS3 Slim: Slim Harder

Posted by Cheetimus on September 18, 2012
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So the Tokyo Game Show was rumored to show off the newest model of the PS3 with a slimmer body. Tough nuts, TGS, because Polygamia got the scoop on ya! (It’s a Polish site so you may want to Google translate that thing)

All we current know is that Sony filed for a new system SKU number back in July and word on the street is it will com in two HDD sizes, 12GB and 500 GB. Pretty huge discrepancy and I’m sure the prices, as yet announced, will match as well. Either way I’m gonna snag one as my old 80GB sounds like a jet engine.

Keep it tuned to here as we will let you know any and all news regarding this huge leak!

Sony Brings the Value With Two New PlayStation Collections

Posted by Brad vanVugt on August 7, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , , , , . 2 comments

Sony has been arguably the biggest packager of different game bundles during this console generation.  We’ve seen various HD remake packages and dual-game packs to help extend the veracity of some of their most popular franchises.  What we knew is there will be a Ratchet & Clank HD Collection releasing on August 28 which will contain the first 3 PlayStation 2 R&C games (Ratchet: Deadlocked not included) gussied up with pretty HD graphics for the low price of $29.99, a good deal to be sure.  Yesterday, they announced two more collections dropping the same day for the same price, and they aren’t shabby values themselves.

First, the inFAMOUS Collection will contain:

  • inFAMOUS
  • inFAMOUS 2
  • inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood
  • Extra missions and add-on content, like character skins, weapons, etc.

The other collection is the God of War Saga, and holy hell, is this a mac daddy set to be sure:

  • God of War HD
  • God of War II HD
  • God of War III
  • God of War: Chains of Olympus HD
  • God of War: Ghost of Sparta HD
  • Exclusive Bonus Content
  • A one-month PlayStation Plus voucher

Yeah.  Five games awesome games and a free month of Plus for $30.  And considering inFAMOUS 2 is one of the free games being offered currently in the PS Plus Instant Game Collection (assuming it still will be on August 28), you could potentially get that too for nothing extra if you buy the God of War set.

The games will also be available for separate purchase on the PlayStation Store (I believe all but the Ratchet games are anyway as it is).

The God of War collection is the real winner here; that’s an amazing deal, especially if you don’t own any of the games in the series.  I will for sure be picking up the Ratchet & Clank Collection, as I missed the series completely when it was on PS2, but love it to death since I discovered it with the “Future” games in the series on the PS3.

The only thing I’m not a fan of: the box art looks terribly boring and unassuming.  Sony seems to think they will jump off the shelf at you; I think they don’t provide any excitement for what’s in the box.  I don’t know what I would’ve done differently (maybe no white background?), but I have to believe they could have made them look a little snazzier.

The Return of the Game Genie on PS3

Posted by Brad vanVugt on July 17, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

Ah, the Game Genie.  That magical toy from way back when that allowed gamers to cheat their way through their favorite NES (and later, SNES) games with reckless abandon.  Most every child of the 80′s I’ve ever spoken to either owned or used the device once upon a time, and it’s one of the most fondly remembered peripherals from the days of the NES.

Amazingly, today the Game Genie makes its return for the PlayStation 3 console.  Being made by Hyperkin, the creators of the SupaBoy portable SNES, the new Game Genie is essentially a USB stick that allows you to take your PS3 save games files, modify them on PC with any cheats you want, and transfer them back to use, all without cracking or modding your PS3.  Some of the games available right away are Uncharted 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Batman Arkham City.

Hyperkin also alleges the Game Genie won’t include any multiplayer cheats, so no worries about online trolls using the device to ruin everyone else’s good time.

It’s cool one of the most memorable products of my childhood is being resurrected, but is such a device truly needed in this day in age?  The Game Genie was damn near essential for 7-year old me back in the early 90′s because many games of that era were damn near impossible to beat without some kind of a leg up (either that, or I sucked ass at games when I was a kid…no, they were that difficult).  Most games today are much more story driven, and also incredibly forgiving with their checkpoint systems.  As much fun as it may be to go through some games with unlimited ammo or health, I feel like the novelty would wear off in a hurry.  Also, no word on how this would affect the ability to earn in-game achievements; most games with cheat codes built-in usually disable being able to save progress or earn achievements while those cheats are active.  One would think a modded save file would do the same.

The Game Genie is available from Hyperkin for $29.99.  You can get it directly from their website.

Source: Game Trailers

 

The Last of Us is as Brutal a Game as I’ve Seen

Posted by Brad vanVugt on June 5, 2012
Posted in: E3 2012, News. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

I will admit, I was not too high on Naughty Dog’s upcoming action title The Last of Us, even though game critics around the world have been lauding its praises in previews.  The game’s setting didn’t really speak to me, and some of the mutated creatures that have been shown off made the game look like a survival horror title, which is not a genre I am particularly interested in.  After seeing the 5-minute gameplay demo shown off at Sony’s E3 press conference, I might have to change my tune.

Naughty Dog has said The Last of Us is a game that centers on the story of Joel and Ellie, the two main characters that have been seen in every preview of the game so far.  They appear to be two of a small amount of survivors in a metropolitan city that nature appears to be taking back, and anyone that survived is doing whatever they can to stay alive.  The demo has the protagonists making their way through a beaten down hotel.  Along the way, they come across another group of survivors who are holed up in the hotel, and they don’t like a group of folks to be messed with.  As the player, you control Joel as he sneaks in behind one of the thugs and takes him out with a choke hold.  Joel gets spotted while picking up some ammo, and all hell starts breaking loose.  One of the things I noticed throughout the demo is that fact that ammo is extremely limited.  At no point during the presentation did Joel have more than 6 bullets for his revolver, which means as a player, every shot has got to count.  It reminded me of the PSX Resident Evil titles where you were often scraping by with supplies which added as much to the tension as anything else in the game.

You’ll need to use stealth effectively to survive

You really must be smart to survive, and use whatever is at your disposal.  You can use enemies as human shields, whose struggling might lead you to miss a well-aimed shot.  You can use supplies gathered in your backpack to create new weapons, like Molotov Cocktails.  During a tense moment where Joel has run out of ammo, a gunman stalks in to finish him off.  A hidden Ellie throws a brick at the enemy, stunning him, before Joel rushes in and kills him by brutally slamming his head against a table.  Brutal is the word to use for the close quarters combat in this game, as every strike looks disturbingly real.  During another moment, Joel rushes an shotgun-wielding adversary.  After Joel wrestles the gun from him, he strikes the enemy hard in the face with the butt-end of the shotgun.  Immediately after, a new foe rushes in and breaks a 2×4 over Joel’s head.  Ellie stabs the man in the back with a knife, distracting him just enough for Joel to kick him off and discharge the shotgun in the man’s face as he pleads for his life.  It’s not the type of over-the-top violence that is usually glorified in games.  It’s very gritty and real; the kind that makes you squirm in your seat as you watch it.

With the Uncharted series, Naughty Dog brought great gameplay and story to create a gripping thrill ride of a video game with huge action pieces.  The Last of Us looks to be a game that taps into raw emotion and put you in the shoes of two people doing whatever they can to survive in a world as close to post-apocalyptic as any other we’ve seen in a game.  My interest is now significantly more peaked for this title, and am looking to see more information as it becomes available.  Check out the full demo, and confab about it below!

Sony’s E3 2012 Press Conference: From Beyond to…Hogwarts?

Posted by Brad vanVugt on June 4, 2012
Posted in: E3 2012, Feature, News. Tagged: , , , . 8 comments

Microsoft was first to the plate today among the big 3, and they Usher’ed (*dodges rotten tomato*) in a new level of boredom during their press conference.  Sony is up to bat next.  What will see from them?  A price drop for the PlayStation Vita? (maybe).  A new and improved PlayStation Plus? (probably).  A ton of snark and sarcasm from me in this blog post? (definitely).  Stay tuned right here and keep hitting F5 to follow along during the presentation!

8:36 pm ET- About 25 minutes to go until showtime.  Whereas Jack had to deal with Geoff Keighley for his pre-show coverage, I have the pleasure of being entertained by Kevin Pereira (yay!) and Morgan Webb (meh) on G4.  BTW, enjoy Pereira this week, as he is out at G4 after E3.  Always thought he was frickin hilarious.  I’ll always remember the days when G4 had notable personalities like Pereira, Olivia Munn, and Adam Sessler.  Then those guys realized they actually had talent and got the hell out of dodge…Hey, Michael Jordan (wisely) shaved off his Hitler mustache!  Good for him.

8:42- Also, for anyone watching the cup final tonight, I’ve got Kings 3, Devils 1.

8:48- I can’t see that damn Resident Evil 6 logo without picturing that giraffe meme.  Damn you, internet.  And if you don’t know what I’m referring to, google it and hate me later.

9:00- And here…we…go!…or not!  False start, apparently.  Wait, now here…we…go…Sizzle reel time!

9:04- Nothing surprising in the way too long opening video.  Do we need a 5-minute teaser, Sony?  I think not.  Get on with it.

9:05- And now for the most awkward and stiff presenter in E3 history…Jack Tretton, ladies and gentlemen!  Whenever I see him, I feel like he’s missing a gaudy gold chain and a pinky ring.

9:07- Apparently you can watch this conference in PlayStation Home.  The real news here is that Playstation Home is still a thing

9:09- About to show the new Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain) game.  David Cage to the stage.  As was reported earlier, the game is called Beyond: Two Souls.

9:12- Not much to say about the game, but the main character is being played by Ellen Page!  Showing the first scene from the game.  Looks her character has some sort of Telekinetic ability.  She stays silent during an interview with a police officer, before silently sensing the SWAT team that enters the police station.  When they check the office she was stowed in, she had disappeared.  Then a small trailer.  Game looks to be more action packed than Heavy Rain.  Will have to wait to see more later on.

9:20- Time to show off Super PlayStation Smash Bros PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

9:21- As expected, it will be available on the Vita as well as the PS3, with cross compatibility.  For those who haven’t seen it, the game is an unapologetic rip-off of Smash Bros, and I’m totally cool with that, because Nintendo won’t be making another Smash until God-knows-when.  I will say, it appears to play a lot slower than Smash, which I don’t like.  Also, how the hell do you tell who’s winning?  Still, looks fun though.  Looking forward to it.  Oh, and Nathan Drake and the Big Daddy from Bioshock officially announced as playable characters.

9:28- Little Big Planet 2 will be playable on the PS3 with the Vita as the controller through upcoming DLC, which is essentially the same damn thing the Wii U does!  And Sony didn’t even need a new console to do it!  As usual, the moral: I hate Nintendo

9:31- Talking up upcoming indie games coming to PSN.  Now for PlayStation Plus stuff.  This month, Plus members getting InFamous 2, LBP 2, and Saint’s Row 2 for FREE (shut up, Cheets!).  Also offering monthly subscriptions now for $5 per month, which is half the price of Xbox Live (just sayin’).

9:33- PSX games coming to Vita!  Finally!  How wasn’t that a launch feature?  Also, video services like YouTube headed to Vita soon.  Blah, blah, blah…MOAR GAMEZ, SONY!

9:35- Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified coming to Vita presumably alongside Black Ops 2.  No mention of any cross connectivity.

9:37- Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation for Vita, and oooooh, it’s a lady!  Claims to be experience on par with console Assassin’s Creed.  Will have cross features with AC3.  Game will also come bundled with a special edition white Vita w/ 4GB memory card.

9:39- We get our FIRST look at Assassin’s Creed III…y’know, except for the one we saw during the Ubisoft conference like 3 hours ago.  HE’S ON A BOAT!  Where is T-Pain when you truly need him?  Apparently you can steer a ship and junk.  Personally I thought it was way cooler when he was lethal Batman’ing dudes in the earlier trailer.  In keeping with recent tradition, AC3 will come in a PS3 bundle on day 1.

9:45- Sony and Ubisoft are getting all snuggly together!  Far Cry 3 is getting 4-player co-op!  This is completely unrealistic: there’s no way all 4 teammates would be talking to each other if they were playing online on PS3!  It looks very Left 4 Dead-ish.  Will have a level editor too.  Might be fun to play for the two weeks until Borderlands 2 comes out.  Also, that dude’s shirt is mad shiny.

9:50- Hey, PlayStation Move!  Remember when that was popular for about 3 hours?  Maybe that’s why Sony only spent 30 seconds talking about it.

9:52- It’s the PlayStation…Pop-Up book?  WTF?!

9:53- Someone pull the wig and fake goatee off this guy!  He has to be Peter Molyneux in disguise!

9:54- Holy hell, J.K. Rowling is writing (developing?) a book for this thing.  Apparently it will also tie-in with Pottermore?!  Well, at least they didn’t skimp on talent for this thing.

9:56- Remember when I said that Jack Tretton was the most awkward E3 presenter ever?  I was wrong.  It’s the Book of Spells dude.  On a side note, my wife is more enthralled with this part of the presentation than any other.  Kill me.

9:59- An E3 first: the first time I’ve ever seen a disclaimer during an E3 presentation. Like it’s a commercial for some ambulance chasing attorney.  And for those who aren’t paying attention, it’s been 8 minutes, and we’re still on the damn book.

10:01-  My wife as informed me we will be repurchasing a PlayStation Move for this thing.  My only hope is that I’ll be able to use the Wonderbook as a blunt-force object on my own head.

10:06- Now we’re talking Sony mobile.  Apparently a lot of big game devs working on mobile games.  PS Suite also coming to other (probably Android) smartphones, starting with a partnership with HTC.

10:08- God of War: Ascension time.  Kyle Barker from Living Single is sounding as angry as ever.  Im confused: if this is a prequel, how does Kratos have the Blades of Chaos and his ashy skin?  Ah well, no time for pondering when there’s minotaur’s we can stab in the stomach.  Apparently, Kratos also has some Jedi force powers in this one.

10:15- This might be GoW’s shark-jumping moment: Kratos is fighting a walking…elephant.  Not a typo.  There’s a poacher joke in there somewhere.  Releasing March 12, 2013.

10:18- Time for The Last of Us.  Ellie and Joel walking through a broken down urban area overgrown with plants.  Joel sneaks up on a group of squatters and starts going all Nathan-Drake on them.  I take that back; the bullets don’t fly as freely as they do in Uncharted. The audio track consists of a constant, high-pitched beep.  I think the bleep guy is gonna have carpal tunnel by the end of this demo.  In all seriousness, the combat was very up close and visceral.  Very cool.  I wasn’t too jazzed for this from other previews I’ve seen.  Might have to look a little harder.

10:25- And that’s all she wrote!

So another Sony press conference in the books.  Gotta say, whether it was a Vita price drop, or some as of yet un-revealed secret, I was surprised to not get a megaton announcement of any kind.  The presentation was fairly solid and by the numbers until…Wonderbook.  Sony recovered a little bit with God of War and The Last of Us at the end there, but Jesus, all I can remember right now is 10 minutes of Wonderbook.  I’m also surprised that for them dropping hints that significant changes were coming to PlayStation Plus, what we got was the promise of a bunch of free games this month, but nothing else aside from monthly subscriptions.

I’m glad Sony kept the focus primarily on games, but I’d have to label this year’s Sony show as a disappointment.  Outside of Beyond, of which details were scarce, we didn’t get any unannounced titles (unless you count Call of Duty/Assassin’s Creed Vita, which we already knew were coming).  Really didn’t learn much new about already announced titles as well.  I’m giving the nod of the day to Ubisoft’s show, and I would even put Microsoft’s presentation ahead of what Sony brought to the table.  All I know for sure is that the table is set for Nintendo to run away with this thing tomorrow.

What did you like or dislike about what Sony talked about tonight?  Confab below!