We have finally passed the 1 million point mark on December 28th, 2011 at 5:49 (UTC -7) thanks to Oly’s post on Game of Thrones . The points are all earned by members of PS3Blog.net! The giveaway and betting accounts are not included in this grand total. You can actually see the community grand total & your percentage of all points earned by all members anytime you wish by going to your personal point logs. So I say we celebrate this momentous occasion with a PSN Card / PS3Blog.net T-Shirt / points giveaway! I’ve also changed the values for the giveaway system. You can now get 35 points for sharing the giveaway on Google+, Facebook & Twiter. For following us on Facebook & YouTube you get 10 points. So if you do all the entry methods including the video entry which is now 30 points for a entry you can get 155 points back. If you add us on our Google+ page sometime before the giveaway is over we will post a unique URL which you can use for a bonus entry into the giveaway and earn points points for it as well. More info about the prizes after the jump. 1st place: 3,000 points and a $20 PSN Card 2nd Place: 2,500 Points + PS3Blog.net t-shirt, you can choose between a black or white front design t-shirt. 3rd Place: 2,000 Points 4th Place: 1,500 Points 5th place: 1,000 points [Worth up to 5 Entries] Purchase Lottery Ticket for 150 Points for a entry into the lottery. Here are all the possible ways to earn points . [Worth 1 Entry] Like the giveaway post on the lottery page (not the actual post itself) via Facebook. Then post a comment to your facebook wall from the lottery page. [EARN 35 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Follow @ps3blogdotnet on Twitter. Then there will be a tweet button. You just have to click that & tweet the exact text in the pop-up . Then a notification will pop up saying your entry was successful. [EARN 35 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Use the Google +1 button on the lottery page (not the actual post itself), then share on your Google+ profile to complete your entry. [EARN 35 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] First, be a fan of our our Facebook page . On the left sidebar, there is a [Giveaway] link. Go there and at the bottom there is a “Enter Contest” button you can click for your Facebook PS3Blog.net Fan Page entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the button. [EARN 10 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel . We will post a bulletin. Follow the link & it will count as your YouTube entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the link. [EARN 10 Points] [Bonus 3 Entries] After you have purchased at least one lottery ticket you are eligible for video entries. Make a video saying why you want to win. It can be funny, unique, strange, etc. Have fun with it. Include PS3Blog.net and the name of the item being given away in your video & in the title of the video. Then use the button above to submit your video for review. Also leave a comment below with a link to your YouTube video. [EARN 30 Points] Here are the most recent YouTube video entries for all lotteries on PS3Blog.net with the most recent ones displayed first.

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[Giveaway] PS3Blog.net Has Hit 1 Million Points!

Oh no! The Space Program is in peril now there’s NO MONEY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!! That won’t stop two scientists from taking on the Orbit project, a no-budget exploration of our solar system. Dodge through asteroid fields, and avoid nasty enemies intent on stealing cash, fuel, or just throwing slime in your eyes! By collecting the money mysteriously floating in orbit around the planets, you’ll give the project a cash boost, upgrading shonky systems and gaining new ships to move beyond the Moon – from Mercury to Uranus – as never before! Orbit’s research menu features almost 200 unique upgrades, plus there are hidden relics and blueprints to find, stat tracking, and 12 challenging medals to earn. The launch pad is all set. Are you ready to get into Orbit? Video really helps you understand how Orbit works, huh? You’re asked to hold down and release a single button (X) to go up, down and all around while trying to dodge all the hazards you’ll find during your trips. Sure, you can buy One-shot Boosters as well which would require you to hit the circle button to activate them, but it’s still mainly a one button affair. And for this game, it works. Your main objective is to find new energy deposits that can be used to meet Earth’s requirements for the 21st century and beyond. Ore is turned into gold which is needed to fund your trips as well as for buying upgrades for your “ship”. And oh, let me tell you that upgrades are a MUST for the interesting modes of transportation you’ll be given access to. Your first ride is… wings for your arms! You’ll have to swing those arms as fast as possible or else you’ll crash down… hard. After taking care of the moon, you’ll get a rocket pack to explore which is a nice change. By the 3rd planet you’ll get a flying toilet. You’ll be traveling in style! You have to take into consideration that moving to a new planet means you’ll have to re-buy any upgrades again since you get a new mode of transportation before each trip. You DO get to keep all the upgrades made for traveling on the same planet that you bought them because a hard reset all around after every time you start a new level would just have been cruel. There are 6 categories to upgrade in this game: Engine (increases your flying power as well as your fuel reserve), Rocket boost (increase how many One Shot Boosters you can purchase and how long they last for), Launcher (increase how far AND you’re sent flying at the start of the level as well as make the green area of the launcher power bar be bigger), Ore Collector (loose less ore to enemies and make nearby ore come flying to us), HUD (map and radar) and Wipers (for those times when alien lifeforms decide they should crash into you and block your view with what is left of them). On my first try, I traveled 2758 kms, collected $30 in gold and got an exploration bonus worth $25. Since I landed next to a relic, my first trip was officially over in less than a minute. And a minute is all the time it will take you to understand how fun Orbit truly is. Flying around dodging all the various hazards that populate outer space is just too darn fun to skip! So, how should you spend your money? The first upgrade you should get is the HUD since it will allow you to see where the blueprints and the relics are on each level (blue dots for the first ones, red dots for the second ones, white dot is you!). After that, definitely upgrade your Engine and Launcher. The Rocket boost is not a top priority since it only upgrades the number of boots you can buy and how long they last after being activated. The ore collector isn’t an important upgrade for the first 3 levels… but it makes a huuuuuuuuuuuuge difference from planet 4 and on since, as I’ve mentioned before, upgrading it makes you lose less money to the ore enemies AND it attracts nearby ore which really makes this upgrade pay for itself in no time. In order to progress to the next planet you need to do one full lap (get to the “end” of the map and loop around) to fully “map” the current planet so you’re allowed to move on and on and on and on until there’s nowhere else to travel to. There’s also an in game trophy system (since this is a minis which, for some reason, still aren’t allowed to have a trophy list like their PSN retail cousins. I’m not asking for a full list, just maybe 3-4 trophies per minis) to increase replay value and make you reaaally look for every single blueprint and relic. Here’s some examples of the trophies to get you started: Collector: Collect all four blueprints available on a single level. Pass Go: Complete two laps of a planet Sadist: Hit 1,000 enemies A Winner Is You: Unlock and complete a circumanivation of Hat-P-1B. There’s a lot of blueprints to find on each planet (well, each planet and the moon which is technically not a planet… at all). The exact number is 32 blueprints, and once you find them you’ll unlock one final planet you can enjoy. You can also find relics on each planet and while visiting each one isn’t mandatory doing so will earn you extra money so you can quickly purchase better equipment to make your life easier. Orbit is a great game from Laughing Jackal that keeps their streak going. Easy to play either on your PS3 or your PSP and a fun experience from a game that is hard to stop playing! Really liking the variety we get out of the minis range and I just hope that 2012 brings us many, many more of Laughing Jackal’s quirky games! Review Pros Cons Very fun game that is easy to pick up and play for a couple of minutes Great upgrade system Two crazy in game trophies that are keeping me from obtaining a full set Rating 90% Published and Developed by Laughing Jackal Cost – $3.49 [spoiler intro="Other Information"] Disclaimer – A copy of the game was obtained thanks to my Playstation Plus Subscription – Total amount of time played: 8 hours (and counting!).[/spoiler]

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[Review] Orbit (minis)

What can I possibly do after reviewing such a great game as Fighting Fantasy: Warlock of Firetop Mountain ? How about getting you guys some free copies for the game? That good enough for you? Thanks to our friends over at Laughing Jackal, we have 3 US codes for this great game! You know the drill by now, so get to it! This time to enter the giveaway you only need 75 points for each ticket. Please like & follow Laughing Jackal on Facebook & Twitter. It’s because of them we are having this giveaway! So show them some love. Follow @Laughing_Jackal [Worth up to 5 Entries] Purchase a ticket for 75 Points for a entry into the lottery. Here are all the possible ways to earn points . [Worth 1 Entry] Like the giveaway post on the lottery page (not the actual post itself) via Facebook. Then post a comment to your facebook wall from the lottery page. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Follow @ps3blogdotnet on Twitter. Then there will be a tweet button. You just have to click that & tweet the exact text in the pop-up . Then a notification will pop up saying your entry was successful. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Use the Google +1 button on the lottery page (not the actual post itself), then share on your Google+ profile to complete your entry. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] First, be a fan of our our Facebook page . On the left sidebar, there is a [Giveaway] link. Go there and at the bottom there is a “Enter Contest” button you can click for your Facebook PS3Blog.net Fan Page entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the button. [EARN 5 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel . We will post a bulletin. Follow the link & it will count as your YouTube entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the link. [EARN 5 Points] [Bonus 4 Entries] After you have purchased at least one lottery ticket you are eligible for video entries. Make a video saying why you want to win. It can be funny, unique, strange, etc. Have fun with it. Include PS3Blog.net and the name of the item being given away in your video & in the title of the video. Then use the button above to submit your video for review. Also leave a comment below with a link to your YouTube video. [EARN 20 Points] Here are the most recent YouTube video entries for all lotteries on PS3Blog.net with the most recent ones displayed first.

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[Giveaway] Fighting Fantasy: Warlock of Firetop Mountain

Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain revisits the iconic first entry in Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone’s 16m selling Fighting Fantasy saga. Your quest is to find the Warlock’s treasure, hidden deep within a dungeon populated with a multitude of terrifying monsters. You will need courage, determination and a fair amount of luck if you are to survive all the traps and battles, and reach your goal… This PSN-exclusive version of Fighting Fantasy: Warlock of Firetop Mountain features a Tarot Card character generation system and choice of classic dice-rolling or all-new Battle and Luck systems. With an intuitive Inventory system and Log Book to aid you in your endeavour, this is the perfect way to relive the classic adventure that started it all. May your Stamina never fail! I got to review the first minis release in the Fighting Fantasy series, Talisman of Death , so be sure to follow the link to get an idea of how this game series (we WILL get more, right?) works. Once you’re done, be sure to rush back to THIS review so you can see what Warlock of Firetop Mountain is all about. All done? Great! Fighting Fantasy: Warlock of Firetop Mountain is actually the first book created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone and now we have a chance to enjoy it on our PSP or our PS3. Reading is ALWAYS fun! The wikis of the pedias brings us this information on the series, EXCLUSIVELY tailored for your entertainment: But Will It Blend Genres? The Fighting Fantasy gamebooks were created by British writers Steve Jackson (not to be confused with the US-based game designer of the same name) and Ian Livingstone, co-founders of Games Workshop, and provide an original twist on traditional fiction in that the reader takes control of the story’s protagonist, being required to make choices that will affect the outcome. The text does not progress in a linear fashion but rather is divided into a series of numbered sections (usually between 300-400). Beginning at the first section, the reader chooses a non-sequential option (e.g. Section 1 to Section 180) which in turn provides an outcome for the decision and advances the story. The story continues in this fashion, the player continuing to choose other numbered sections, until their character is either stopped/killed or completes the quest. Fighting Fantasy books typically feature a system whereby the protagonist is randomly assigned scores in three statistics (named Skill, Stamina, and Luck) which, in conjunction with the player rolling a six-sided die, are used to resolve combats and test the protagonist’s success in certain situations. Some titles use additional statistics or additional conflict resolution mechanics. A typical Fighting Fantasy gamebook tasks players with completing a quest, with players then making choices in an attempt to successfully finish the adventure. A successful play of a Fighting Fantasy gamebook usually ends with the player reaching the final numbered section of the book. Many of the titles only featuring one path to the solution, and in some cases this can only be achieved by obtaining various story items. What’s different this time around? Not much really… but not much needed to be changed. The book is blue this time around (it was red for the last book. Trust me, I checked to make sure). My only complaint about Talisman of Death was how the logbook would “reset” every time you went back to the game which meant that if you wanted to check if I you had already visited a particular page or if you’re repeating a previous action you’d have to change the logbook section to that you could browse the pages you’ve already “solved”. Now, the logbook remembers what section you browsed last time which considerably speeds up the whole process. For some reason, the whole game felt faster. Maybe some changes were made to the coding, or maybe I got used to how the game works after playing Talisman of Death for so many hours. But, unlike in the last game in the series which had more of a set path and you didn’t do any backtracking at all, in Warlock of Firetop Mountain you can end up going in circles if you’re not careful. This makes sense since you’re actually working your way through a dungeon and a maze, so maybe it was because of it that I felt a bit of an adrenaline rush every time I found the access to the next section, and that in turn made the game feel faster. Oh well. We might never know! Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a very fun game that brings us another release in the Gamebook series in a tight and well made digital package. There’s still a LOT of Fighting Fantasy games so I hope we get a chance to experience them all in this way. Do hurry and pick up this awesome game today! Review Pros Cons Another Fine Entry in the Gamebooks series available for your PS3 and PSP! Improvements to the Log Book Very Fun and Addictive We want all the other books as well! Rating 92% Developed and Published by Laughing Jackal Cost – $4.99 Available on PSN Other Information Disclaimer – A copy of the game was supplied by the publisher for this review. – Game was completed before writing this review. – Total amount of time played: 8.5 hours.

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[Review] Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (minis)

Okabu centers around the conflict between two tribes – the Yorubo and the Doza. Many generations ago, a ideological rift tore the population into two factions – those that felt a deep affinity with nature and wanted to maintain a simple life in harmony with the environment, and those that felt that their life could be improved by harnessing machinery to exploit the land. While the Yorubo dedicated their lives living harmoniously with nature, the Doza travelled to a far part of the continent, pursuing an industrialised existence and exploiting their environment. As many, many years have passed, the Doza have exhausted all of their resources, and their hunger for raw materials has driven them out of their borders, in a search for fresh lands to devour. Their path of destruction has finally arrived on the doorstep of their distant cousins, the Yorubo, and the Doza have begun to enslave and imprison these peaceful people and tear apart the natural beauty of their homeland. With hope fading amongst the Yorubo, the pollution from the Doza smog stacks has spread far and wide, eventually reaching the habitat of an ancient race of Cloud Whales, high above the ground. The pollution has begun to cause a great sickness, leading the elders to dispatch our heroes, the brothers Kumulo and Nimbe, to investigate the source of the pollution. ● In this brand-new Action-puzzler from the creators of Rolando, guide Kumulo, Nimbe and four cloud-flying heroes as they battle to save their people and their world from the industrialized threat of the Doza. ● Dive into a hyper-tactile toybox world filled with a huge number of puzzles, playthings, adorable creatures and devious machines spread across an epic co-op campaign. Enjoy endless fun with the unique and compelling mini-games and compete with your friends online. ● Designed to be instantly accessible to both seasoned players and those new to PlayStation, Okabu is even more fun when played with a friend. Here’s a look at the heroes you’ll directly control in the game: Kumulo and Nimbe The Cloud Whales Liquids and small objects make great fodder for Kumulo and Nimbe – they are able to suck in water, oil, honey and other liquids, and then spray or rain them to grow plants, put out fires or wake up sleeping Yorubo. They can do the same with smaller objects too, such as acorns and fire nuts, to plant seeds, smash pots or take out Dozabots. In addition, all of the other heroes can catch a ride on their backs. Captain Monkfish The Fisherman Monkfish is our first hero. Using his trusty plunger, he can harpoon all manner of objects in the environment. Allows a huge amount of interaction with the game world, from yanking open gates and catching fish, to pulling down drawbridges and wrenching exploding fruit from trees. Picolo The Pied Piper A master of charming, hypnotic rhythms, Picolo can bring to his aid a huge variety of creatures and friendly Yorubo. Once entranced these creatures can be persuaded to perform all manner of tasks, from operating switches and climbing ropes, to healing trees and making bulls charge and smash though planks of wood . Roki The Doza Mechanic Horrified by the actions of his own people, Roki took a stand against the Doza to join the fight, helping Kumulo and the others to clean up the lands and free the Yorubo. He can take control of many Doza machines and vehicles, from bulldozers and turrets, to giant robotic spiders and wrecking balls. Kat and Toto The Warrior princess & fearsome pet Teamed up with her flying pet, our Yorubo warrior’s swiftness and combat ability are unsurpassed. Don’t let her pet’s appearance decieve you, this can be one vicious little creature thats more than happy to sink its teeth into a Doza. Her pet can be used to get into narrow areas that Kumulo and friends cannot, as well as neutralising Doza foe and rewiring Doza circuits. As you’ve probably realized by now from the trailer an the character pics, Okabu is a colorful, cel-shaded game that brings to life all the characters, environments and enemies you’ll meet in your adventure, bringing diversity to each of the four major areas available for our long, long journey. This is a huuuuge game (even has a Platinum!) and is a brand new IP. We’re thankful of new IPs when they’re done right… and done right Okabu truly is. As soon as you start you’ll notice some very upbeat, tribal infused music (with vocals!) that duly complement the on-screen action. I really liked the music and felt it made it easier to relate to what was going on in this new universe and, in the end, it made the whole experience better. This video showcases the process by which they made it all click: Okabu can be played by yourself (since in single player mode the other Cloud Whale will follow you closely, every step you take, every move you make) or you can decide to take on it in Co-op. In single player you can switch between Cloud Whales by pressing the triangle button which can help you speed things up. Dip one into water and you can then spray it out with circle button (and aim the reticule to where you want to do so). Or you can also use X to let go and make it rain. Both actions can be used to take out wildfires, make young fruit grow or even attack your enemies. Dozabot (robots) can be destroyed by spraying them with water. X can also be pressed near acorns or other specific items that can be used as ammo to destroy objects, start (controlled) fires or sound of alarms when needed. Swapping in single player is useful since you can, for example, have one Cloud Whale carry water while the other one has acorns to be prepared for any obstacle… or have each one carry around one of the heroes so you can use their special abilities! There’s lots of collectibles, objectives, NPCs that never overwhelm you and do bring several objectives that must be completed… along with optional ones that encourage you to search every single spot around the world. For example, there’s a lot of large fruit all over the place and if you bash into them you can collect the smaller cloudberries that pop out. Collect lots of cloudberries to obtain the medal for each level… and lots of trophies as well! Since this has a full retail-like trophy list you’ll hear the “Ding” sound in this magical mystery quest many, many times. You can hold down either the L2 or R2 to boost your speed and dash along which is helpful for flying through strong winds and finishing levels “on time”. Why “on time”? Well, there’s a timer that counts downs to the all mighty zero. This only counts for obtaining the Time medal on each level since you can still complete the level even if time “runs out”, but if it indeed runs out you’ll have yo replay the level for the time medal… which makes it easier to finish within the time limit as long as you’ve already obtained the other 3 medals for the level. Either way, you at least have a choice on how to tackle each level! You can replay levels from a Main Hub (one hub for each world) to pick up any medals you might be missing (eggs, time, dozabots destroyed or cloudberries collected) which is great since it means that no trophy is missable! That’s the way ALL games should be since replaying a game just because you didn’t know you had to hop on top of the goat statue on the entrance to a small shack on the side of the main path that can only be accessed when playing the game at 2 a.m. so the game can use the internal clock to make the full moon shine on said statue… wait, what was I talking about? Anyways, moving on. Eventually the Dozabot (and the Doza as well) start attacking you (and you loose your hero and some cloudberries if hit) AND they also greatly reinforce their armor which forces you to first get rid of the extra armor (by any means necessary) before carrying on as usual with the “wicked witch of the west” tactics. If you loose your heroes (for whatever reason) you can get them back at the sanctuary tree. Just fly around it quickly while touching its fruit. All other allies that are helping you in that level will also be brought here which really helps speed up the process since they sometimes decide it’s a good idea to get stuck behind a tree and a rock and a rolling hard place and going back all the way to the start of the level to tell them to get out there is a bit of a hassle.. There’s a bonus minigame available on each world…as a bonus. First one is Bushybeat Rampage – the objective here is to lure several Bushybeasts to the elder for bonus points. All minigames have a trophy that unlocks once you complete wave 10 so you better get better at being better at it. Practice makes perfect! Leaderboards are in place so you know how well you REALLY did on each level and mini game Brag about your score or hide in shame from your friends thanks to your puny efforts! Nice extra to have on a game with so many things to do and a great way to motivate your friends to try and beat your best effort. Okabu is an awesome game that merges old school platformers with new school mechanics and ideas. I’ve had a blast playing it for this review and I hope you can give it the chance it deserves. We need more new IPs for our hobby of choice… and the more sales Okabu gets, the closer I get to playing a sequel! Buy it NOW! Review Pros Cons Very fun game that has a lot to offer Only $14.99 AND it has a platinum trophy! The AI for your allies can make them get stuck here and there Rating 93% Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Developed by Hand Circus Cost – $14.99 Other Information Disclaimer – A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for this review. – Total amount of time played: 16 hours (and counting!).

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[Review] Okabu

I got to review Max and the Magic Marker: Gold Edition and gave it a 91% rating for being “a very fun game that all PS3 owners (and definitely those that have a PS Move Controller) must add to their collection”. Now, you have an opportunity to win the game! We have 5 US PSN codes for this game, so plenty of winners. Be sure to get all your entries in! Please like & follow them on Facebook & Twitter. It’s because of them we are having this giveaway! So show them some love. Follow @panvision [Worth up to 5 Entries] Purchase Lottery Ticket for 150 Points for a entry into the lottery. Here are all the possible ways to earn points . [Worth 1 Entry] Like the giveaway post on the lottery page (not the actual post itself) via Facebook. Then post a comment to your facebook wall from the lottery page. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Follow @ps3blogdotnet on Twitter. Then there will be a tweet button. You just have to click that & tweet the exact text in the pop-up . Then a notification will pop up saying your entry was successful. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Use the Google +1 button on the lottery page (not the actual post itself), then share on your Google+ profile to complete your entry. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] First, be a fan of our our Facebook page . On the left sidebar, there is a [Giveaway] link. Go there and at the bottom there is a “Enter Contest” button you can click for your Facebook PS3Blog.net Fan Page entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the button. [EARN 5 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel . We will post a bulletin. Follow the link & it will count as your YouTube entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the link. [EARN 5 Points] [Bonus 4 Entries] After you have purchased at least one lottery ticket you are eligible for video entries. Make a video saying why you want to win. It can be funny, unique, strange, etc. Have fun with it. Include PS3Blog.net and the name of the item being given away in your video & in the title of the video. Then use the button above to submit your video for review. Also leave a comment below with a link to your YouTube video. [EARN 20 Points] Here are the most recent YouTube video entries for all lotteries on PS3Blog.net with the most recent ones displayed first.

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[Giveaway] Max and the Magic Marker: Gold Edition

I do apologize for the delay of this review. Many of you know why it’s been delayed, but I was out on ‘medical leave’ and couldn’t even manage to sit and play a game. So, with that out of the way, I gotta get this review out for you. You might notice gratuitous use of the word “intense,” but I don’t have any better words to describe the use in the context of this review. Let me start by saying I’ve been a fan of the Ace Combat franchise since the games first released on the PlayStation. Though I never owned any until the PS2 titles came out, I did spend a bit of time playing them. Ace Combat was the first title I’ve played that introduced me to flight combat games, and they’ve always been very well done. But this addition to the franchise is, more or less, a reboot of the series. Gone are the imaginary worlds you played on. Gone are the boss battles. Gone are the super-fortresses at the end of the game. Does this hurt the game at all? The Important Stuff General Gameplay and Single Player In a word, no. Not at all. Rather than being set in a fantasy-based storyline, the goal of this Ace Combat is more about having a realistic tone. You now play on our Earth rather than an alternate version of it (only the second time in the series, and the first on home consoles), with, of course, countries we should all be familiar with by now. Without going into too much detail, the synopsis of the story is that a Russian crime syndicate, Batnoi, is working with an insurgent group (the SRN), where UN and NATO forces discover the group has a WMD by the name of “Trinity”. Needless to say, they have more than just the one, and wound up invading other areas in the process, from Miami to Dubai. Though you don’t have the aforementioned super-fortresses, you do still have that thorn-in-your-side of a squadron that basically haunts you throughout the game. Typical Ace Combat for ya. This game is loaded with intense moments. One of my favorites is a part where you’re scrambling to get in the air. During a lot of the cutscenes, when you’re sitting inside of your plane, you are able to move the camera around. On this particular mission, I just gotta say, look toward the right as a plane comes in for an emergency landing. It’s freaking insane. Anyway, most people would be familiar with the controls of this game. However, the default settings, for purists, aren’t sufficient enough, so I’d advise switching the control scheme to the classic controls (which allow you to have better pitch, yaw, and roll control; the default is limited to be more user-friendly to newcomers of the series). In this sense, the game plays exactly how you’d expect, select between targets, switching weapons, firing missiles, etc. There are a couple new additions, though. The main one, which you may use more often than you think, is the DFM (Dog Fight Mode). If you get close enough to an aircraft, a circle will come up around the plane. Pressing L2 and R2 enables this mode, which puts your plane on semi-auto flight, allowing you to focus more on shooting down your enemies at close range. This can get pretty hectic. On some missions, these are somewhat scripted, but they’re done in a way to make for a super intense dogfight, with flying close to ground level, explosions on buildings as they collapse, etc. If there aren’t any other immediate enemies nearby, the camera will switch to a cinematic style following your missile/bomb to its target. I can’t fully describe how awesome these dogfights can get. DFM also has a defense mode. Since other enemies can engage in DFM as well, you have to be alert. Though you have full control over your aircraft when they’re engaged, you do have the ability to sweep up behind them in an awesome, albeit unrealistic, way. I’ve sometimes had a hard time with this, but you’ll see the circle around you, and you can either try to outmaneuver it the normal way, or take your chances by letting them get up close behind you. At this point, you’ll have to line up the red and green indicators which let you know that you can now do a quick loop and get behind them, automatically entering you into DFM yourself. It’s a lot of fun, but you have to be at the right angle to pull it off, so it can get frustrating, especially online. Now, there are a couple other additions to the game that really help make it stand out. You have helicopters and bomber missions. The helicopters have a much steeper learning curve than the jets, so it might take a little time, initially, to grasp the controls properly. The nice thing is that it’s pretty lenient as far as running into buildings and stuff goes, as you’ll often be flying low to stay out of enemy radar. The number of missions is pretty limited, though, which kind of sucks, but they’re done very well. These also allow you to dodge enemies by performing barrel rolls to avoid enemy missiles. Of course, doing these in a helicopter is a LOT easier than avoiding missiles in a jet, so, in theory, you’ll have an easier time avoiding fire in the helicopter (jets do have flares as well, though). As for the bombing missions, one requires you to avoid an enemy radar dragnet, which requires careful maneuvering of your large aircraft through a canyon. Ah, just like the old Ace Combats! Except with a larger plane. But the meat and potatoes of these missions is the ability to do carpet bombing. You must enter a bombing path at the right angle, and once engaged (it’s called ASM), you’ll go from the third person view (which can’t be changed during regular flight) to the bomber’s sight, where you’ll essentially paint blast radius circles upon the ground, which is where each individual bomb will land. It makes for an awesome effect if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, this, too, is limited as far as the number of missions go. The nice thing about ASM is that it’s not reserved to the bombing missions. Some missions have you take control of attack planes, like the A-10, and you enter into these, laying ground fire on enemy targets. When in this mode, missiles and bombs reload much faster, so you can better focus your attacks on congested areas to get rid of the bigger threats like AA and SAM sites. Of course, the most limited mission type, with just one, is the AC130 gunner mission. You might be familiar with this type of mission from the likes of Modern Warfare 2, but this one is a lot harder. You can, of course, switch to the different size rounds/guns, but as far as finding targets go, it becomes a lot harder. Enemies don’t stick out nearly as much as in MW2, so you really have to be able to focus your eyes. It can definitely get pretty challenging, as you have to take out enemies before your ground troops are overrun, and with the difficulty in finding enemies, it becomes somewhat frustrating. When you find your targets, however, you’ll see bodies and whatnot fly into the air with the explosions. I liked this mission, even though it took me a few tries, because near the end is pretty intense. In fact, pretty much this whole game is. Multiplayer For me, this is hit or miss. There are a few modes, with Capital Conquest, Domination, Deathmatch, and Mission Co-op. I say hit or miss because Capital Conquest and Deathmatch seem to be the only game types people play. I haven’t, yet, been able to play the other two. Connectivity, though, is pretty quick. You can do a Quick game or search for a Custom game based on your preferences (your best bet is to just include all the parameters). A Custom game will bring up servers meeting your preferences, as well as connection stability, etc, so you can find the best game to connect to. More games need to have server search functionality. Deathmatch is pretty standard. You choose a plane (and select colors and weapons; colors can be made custom, too, but I believe you have to finish the campaign before you’re able to mess around with those; custom colors also work on single player, but they really shine online) and try to shoot down other players. Pretty simple, but can also be pretty hectic, as these fireballs can sometimes result in you getting more deaths than kills quite frequently. My favorite mode, however, is the Capital Conquest mode. It’s basically like conquest modes in other games, where the goal is to take over smaller bases before attacking the big ones. Strewn throughout the battlefield are bases you can capture by blowing them up (sometimes, they can take a few passes of bombings, though). If you have enough bases captured, you can enter into the ASM bombing path of the enemy’s main base. Attackers like the A-10 really do a number here. Of course, you’ll have that guy that has his helicopter protecting the base, and he can be quite the nuisance while you’re doing your bombing runs, so there are multiple roles you can take. I just do best as an attacker myself, but yes, you can choose between helicopter and jet online (assuming the host allows for them). My only gripe with the online portion is the slow progression of stats. After about 8-10 games, for instance, I finally increased from level 1, but it’s not too big of a deal. There are some simple perks (which I haven’t unlocked yet), but nothing too ridiculous (more ammo capacity, faster recharge, etc). Online is a lot of fun. It’s just underused and probably only hardcore fans will play it often. And the maps are a bit smaller than in single player, but they don’t need to be bigger, really. For you team players, you can set up squadrons of up to 4 people, and leaders of squadrons can also set their call signs, of which more unlock as you progress online or perform certain tasks. Winning the MVP for Attack Ace, for instance, unlocks the Falco call sign. Or, if you were the person to deliver the killer blow to a base in Conquest, you’ll unlock the Mobius call sign, etc. Graphics and Sound For a flight simulator/arcade game, and its vast maps, the terrain still looks presentable. It may not be the flash and realism you’d like to expect, but it’s done well enough to be satisfactory. However, the plane and helicopter models? Very well done. It’s got a bit of a grittiness to it that doesn’t make it seem too artsy (unless you’re weird and give your F-22 a pink coat with purple trim). The particle effects are nice, too, though they may not be the best you’ve seen. Explosions are done well enough, and watching as planes blow up in the air and rip apart is quite satisfying. One of the cooler particle effects, however, is oil spray on your screen as you pass through the wreckage of that plane you just took down. As for the cutscenes, it’s a mixture of in-game and CG. What’s nice is, since the game looks good enough, the transition from CG to in-game is pretty seamless. Voice acting is decent, too, but not the best. At least they fit the characters. It’s definitely not going to win any awards, though, but still sufficient. Sound quality is great, too. They might not be all that much different than past titles, but why fix what isn’t broken? The ambiance of explosions in the background and your missiles trailing away from you, to the missile warning tone as an enemy closes in on you, it’s all there. But in slightly more detail. As for the soundtrack, it’s pretty fitting. It has what I like to call Military Rock. You know, heavy riffs like you hear from Battlefield 3 to more intensive instrumental scores like in Metal Gear Solid. In fact, it comes with a soundtrack CD if you’re into that kind of stuff. Conclusion I believe I covered everything I needed to. To recap, I think this is one of the most intense games I’ve played all year, but I’m not sure if that opinion is biased, as I’ve always been a fan of the series. For what it’s worth, though, if you’re even remotely into the Ace Combat games, or even warfare games in general, you might take an interest in this. Sure, there might be a few hiccups here and there like the issue I had trying to avoid enemy missiles in DFM, but it doesn’t ruin the overall experience. Another small issue I have with this game is that it does seem rather short. A few missions shorter than past Ace Combat titles, but that may also just be because the intensity in this game is a lot more than past titles, so it might quite literally seem like time flies when you play this. Review Pros Cons Intense pretty much throughout Lots of gameplay variety compared to previous titles A large variety of planes with the ability to make custom paint schemes Online is fun and relatively addictive Co-op is available on some missions Bombing, helicopter, and AC130 missions could have been more common Not enough people playing online You’ll get the most out of it if you had friends who also own it and play online Rating 90%

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Official Review: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

Hold on to your hats folks, here we go again with another review of a great PSN title. Let me start off by saying that this was a real treat to play. Much like my last review, it seems like lately I’ve had the privilege to review some top notch PSN titles, and this one is no exception. Dungeon Defenders is an interesting mix of tower defense and RPG elements, and it mixes them well. Dungeon Defenders does a great job of balancing these two genres. The story focuses around 4 young kids learning their craft, as wizards, warriors, knights and rangers. One day their parents leave them alone in their castle, and as you know, kids will be kids. Chaos ensues and the children unleash a great evil into the world. They are now forced to clean up the mess before their parents return and are undoubtably grounded. Huh? Kinda sounds like when I was a child. Here’s a quick overview of the gameplay. So the game starts out with a very handy and well scripted tutorial to familiarize new players with the game. It explains the gameplay, character abilities, controls, as well as all the other functions in the game, and there are a lot. Each class has their own variation of towers related to their skill set. For instance the rangers ‘towers’ are traps that have a variety of functions. Some are slowing traps, while others are explosive damaging traps. These traps and towers form up the bulk of your defense, the rest is you running around and vanquishing evil with your character using a variety of weapons and skills. When I say variety, thats pretty much a huge understatement, there is an insane amount of weapons and armor in this game, so much variation and possibilities. When you find weapons and armor that you like you can further improve it by leveling up items using the mana you collect from chests and killing enemies. Battle gets pretty hectic as you progress, requiring you to think on the fly and act fast. I found myself monitoring traps, collecting loot and rebuilding traps that ran out of charges all while still trying not to be trampled to death by hoards of bad guys. The objective other than to not die, is to protect a giant crystal from being destroyed, which is very challenging at best. When I first started playing it was not uncommon for me to attempt to pass a level 5 times, sometimes it takes a few tries to figure out a good strategy for each level. As much fun as this game is playing by yourself its more intense when playing with a few friends or on on-line co-op. Really, in the end this game is more geared for co-op play, and even though you may be playing with three other players, the game is still very challenging, the hoards are larger, tougher and extra badass! But the loot is more rewarding and much more abundant. The graphics in this game are very artsy, very crisp and vibrant, they remind me of a game called Torchlight, it to had a very crisp artsy look to it. All of the animations on the monsters, NPCs, and characters is very smooth. I really enjoyed the attention to detail that was put into this game, the levels are well designed and vibrant and alive when they need to be, and dark and gloomy when you are probing the depths of the castle, everything flows together very well. When the challenges of defending your castle and trying to hide the mess from the parents you can retire to your tavern explore further upgrade possibilities. Look through the item store to purchase even more items and abilities. I said it before but I need to say it again….there is a crazy amount of items and even more customization, so much you could drown in it all, and for just $10 there is a ton of value here. In closing the blending of tower defense and RPG elements, something that was new for me, made for a phenomenal experience. This game took 2 of my favorite genres and melded them together in a perfect mix of gameplay bliss. There is so much content here and with the online gameplay and multiple classes, adds a vast amount of replayability which I find in most PSN titles is hard to come by. But here, there is plenty, and is even further reinforced with the insane amount of customization opening up even more replayability options. This game is a must buy, I could find nothing wrong with this game, as far as glitches or poor gameplay mechanics. This is a well polished game, it’s apparent to me that the team really cared about this game and wanted to give the people nothing but the best, which sometimes, values like that are hard to come by. Review Pros Cons Crisp and rich environments Insane amount of content High value Lots of replayability Perfect price point Difficulty ramps up pretty fast At times the amount of content can be overwhealming Communication in Co-op can be difficult Rating 98%

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[Review] Dungeon Defenders

“Eufloria is a beautiful game,” started Pedro in his review . Make sure you read it all, then get back here and try to win a copy of this surprisingly addicting game! We have 5 codes to giveaway, so your chances are pretty good. All the details are below. [Worth up to 5 Entries] Purchase Lottery Ticket for 150 Points for a entry into the lottery. Here are all the possible ways to earn points . [Worth 1 Entry] Like the giveaway post on the lottery page (not the actual post itself) via Facebook. Then post a comment to your facebook wall from the lottery page. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Follow @ps3blogdotnet on Twitter. Then there will be a tweet button. You just have to click that & tweet the exact text in the pop-up . Then a notification will pop up saying your entry was successful. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Use the Google +1 button on the lottery page (not the actual post itself), then share on your Google+ profile to complete your entry. [EARN 20 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] First, be a fan of our our Facebook page . On the left sidebar, there is a [Giveaway] link. Go there and at the bottom there is a “Enter Contest” button you can click for your Facebook PS3Blog.net Fan Page entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the button. [EARN 5 Points] [Worth 1 Entry] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel . We will post a bulletin. Follow the link & it will count as your YouTube entry. Note: Make sure you’re logged into PS3Blog.net before you click the link. [EARN 5 Points] [Bonus 4 Entries] After you have purchased at least one lottery ticket you are eligible for video entries. Make a video saying why you want to win. It can be funny, unique, strange, etc. Have fun with it. Include PS3Blog.net and the name of the item being given away in your video & in the title of the video. Then use the button above to submit your video for review. Also leave a comment below with a link to your YouTube video. [EARN 20 Points] Here are the most recent YouTube video entries for all lotteries on PS3Blog.net with the most recent ones displayed first. Make sure you get all of your entries in! The giveaway ends at 11:59PM MDT, November 10th, which will be at the time this countdown ends:

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[Giveaway] Eufloria

I’ve been working on this for the past couple weeks & now it’s finally ready! It supports betting on 2 – 5 different things. You can bet any amount you’d like as long as it’s between 50 & 1000 points. The more you bet, they more points you get if your bet wins! After you bet it tells you how many points you would win if your bet won. We can have up to 5 different bets running at once if needed! The betting system will track how many points you have bet and how many points you have won back too. When the winning bet is decided, I just need to select the bet that won and it automatically awards all the points out to the winners and clears the logs so it’s ready for another bet. I can give access to other members to do this if needed. Here is how the new notify area works. It displays the number of lotteries or bets you have not entered, in the top black menu. In this example there are 2 lotteries & 2 bets available. This user has entered 1 lottery & 1 bet. Leaving 2 that they need to complete. The ones you need to enter are always at the top of the list. When you click the menu item it takes you to the lottery or bet for easy reference. So what would you like to bet on first? Let me know in the Point Addicts group . Side note: The PS3Blog.net Community has earned 905,434 points together! We got to do something special once we hit 1 million (pinky up) mark! You can see your percentage of all points earned by members by going to your personal points logs. I’m currently sitting at 8.06% myself.

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PS3Blog.net Point Betting System & New Notify Area