Games - PS3 - XBOX - Wii

Foosball 2012 Dev Diary – Move Controls That Work

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:17:39 +0000

Lots of options to control the action on this soon to be released PSN game. One Move controller, two Move controllers or even the good old Dualshock3 can be used to be as close to the table as possible! Watch the video below to see what I mean:

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Foosball 2012 Dev Diary – Move Controls That Work

PS3BlogCast Episode 48

Thu, 17 May 2012 01:50:45 +0000

Welcome back to another week of the podcast. We apologize for not being on last week, we had some scheduling issues, but we should be back to normal every week now and perhaps early! There wasn’t a bunch of news in our absence but we catch up on what we can recall. We also get some stories in this one, about helping others get video game clarity as well as angry older white women at a hotel. Enjoy! Enter the secret word(s) mentioned in the PS3BlogCast to earn 150 points. The first 5 people to enter it correctly get double points! As always, we want to remind you that the PS3BlogCast is listed on iTunes! So please subscribe and rate/review us there. You can also leave a voicemail for us by calling PS3-888-BLOG or if you want to contact us via email for us you can do so here . We have a dedicated forum for the PS3BlogCast so you can leave your questions and feedback there as well. Here’s a list of some things (or everything) we discussed: New Releases My Sniper Elite Impressions PS+ Free Month Trial Giveaway Top PSN Game of April Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Getting Massive Update Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite Delayed The Last of Us New Trailer Why I Finally Joined Twitter Diablo 3 Secret Word

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PS3BlogCast Episode 48

Official Modern Warfare 3 Patch Notes for 1.14 & 1.15

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:36:49 +0000

Infinity Ward released the official notes for Modern Warfare 3 Patch 1.14 for PlayStation 3 and Patch 1.15 for Xbox 360. Title Update 14 for PS3 – 27MB Change to matchmaking where region searched is determined by party host. Title Update 15 for Xbox 360 – 7MB Change to matchmaking where region searched is determined by party host. Support for Elite Drops 9-12 Support for Face Off game mode + two free maps for all Additional 5 Prestige levels Dead Silence/Sit Rep Pro functionality fix Rapid fire glitch fix

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Official Modern Warfare 3 Patch Notes for 1.14 & 1.15

[PS3 Review] Tales of Graces f

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:44:25 +0000

Namco Bandai’s Tales of Graces f is an HD-port of Tales of Graces , a Wii game that was released back in 2009. It features essentially the same game content with upgraded visuals, plus a complete extension ( f in the game title refers to Future ) called “Lineage and Legacies”. I have to admit that I haven’t played a lot of Tales of games prior to this one; the only other I played is Tales of Symphonia for the Gamecube a few years ago, and I wasn’t really a fan of the series back then. However, after a few hours in this really cool Action-JRPG, I was really impressed by how fun this game is! Tales of Graces f Opening Cinematic Story [Spoiler-free] The story focuses on Asbel, the young heir of the Lhant family, and his friends. The prologue takes place while all the main characters and their friends are children and gives an insight on both their backgrounds and their own motivations. After a few hours, the story fast forwards a few years in the future, when the characters are young adults. This is when the main story takes place. At first, friendship is the story-driving element, but it soon unfolds to a greater scale, where Ephenia — the planet — is at risk. It might sound like a typical Japanese-RPG, but the story is very well-written and will keep you up later than usual! Gameplay Tales of Graces f features a fast-paced Action-RPG battle system that is easily the greatest highlight of the game! Your battle party consists of four characters, one of which you control. Each party member has is own attack pattern, so switching from a character to another completely changes the battle gameplay. Enemies are always visible on the field (no random encounters) and most of them can be avoided if you want to go quickly from point A to point B. As for the battle system itself, your attacks consist of “Attack” and “Burst” Artes, and can be fully customized to your liking by assigning them to buttons on the controller. An awesome feature is how you can change the assignments in real-time right in the heat of the battle when you realize your setup needs adjustments for a specific enemy. Each attack requires a set amount of CC (stamina), and attacks can be chained until your available CC runs out. A chained attacks uses more CC than the previous one, but they also yield more damage. Luckily, it replenishes very quickly in battle while guarding or by moving. This is great because it prevents the battle system from falling into button mashing and requires strategy! Finally, for those of you who like to play with friends, Tales of Graces f offers a much welcomed local multiplayer feature in which each player can control a different party member. Battle difficulty can also be raised if you want more of a challenge, up to 4 levels harder than the default. Rising the difficulty gives more Experience, Skill Points and rare item drops, so there are plenty of good reasons to switch! Content Another big highlight of the game is the sheer amount of content it includes! The world is huge, and when a typical JRPG title would last around 25-35h, this game features a 60h-long campaign, plus a ton of side-quests. It even comes with a 10h in-disc extension called “Lineage & Legacies” that becomes available once the main quest has been completed. There are also a lot of optional and hidden cut-scenes that are often related to the story progression or that appear randomly at the battle victory screen. Some of them are really humorous and actually made me laugh! This game even includes a very easy to use “Dualizing” system, which allows you to mix two items to create a totally new one! Audio / Video In Tales of Graces f , Japanese culture is really prominent. The game features cut-scenes, videos and characters all in anime. The characters are likeable and their voice acting is also usually very good. However, there are no options to switch the voices back into their original version, which was quite a deception. The soundtrack is both good and expansive! For example, each continent has its own field and battle theme. The rendering engine uses cell-shading and is as beautiful as it is polished. Landscapes are gorgeous, frame rate is rock-solid and transitions from field to battle are instantaneous. There are a few loading times when switching from one zone to another, but they’re minimal thanks to the game installation on the PS3. Final thoughts It had been a while since I played a game with such a strong story and with a fun and rewarding battle system. With a gorgeous game engine, a campaign lasting around 70h, local multiplayer and lots of unlockables, everything in Tales of Graces f has been done with the player in mind. Namco Bandai delivered an awesome game, and I can’t wait for more iterations of the Tales of series on the PS3. Review Pros Cons Lots of content on a single disc, 70h+ campaign Extremely pleasant, progressive and rewarding battle system Interesting and well-told story Local multiplayer and adjustable difficulty No Japanese voices available Rating 90% Cost: $59.99 You can purchase Tales of Graces f from Amazon.com here . Disclaimer Total amount of time played: 74 hours. Game was completed before writing this review. This review is based off of a retail copy of the game purchased by reviewer

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[PS3 Review] Tales of Graces f

Ubisoft Massive Sale on PSN Today

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:38:06 +0000

Starting today until May 22 , Ubisoft is launching massive discounts on selected PSN and PS3 titles. There will be a %30 discount on over 30 titles and DLC. PlayStation Plus subscribers will be treated into a %50 discount, some fantastic 2D adventures like: Outland and Scott Pilgrim are going for only $4.89 each ! Here is the full list of discounted Titles and DLC: From Dust – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49 Outland – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49 Beyond Good & Evil HD – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Scott Pilgrim – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Prince of Persia Classic – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – PlayStation Plus price $14.69; Sale price $20.99 Assassin’s Creed 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Assassin’s Creed – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Far Cry 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Call of Juarez 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Prince of Persia (2008) – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99 Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy HD – PlayStation Plus price $19.59; Sale price $27.99 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49 Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49 Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – Da Vinci Disappearance DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Assassin’s Creed 2 – Battle of Forli DLC – PlayStation Plus price $1.95; Sale price $2.79 Assassin’s Creed 2 – Bonfire of Vanities DLC – PlayStation Plus price $3.42; Sale price $4.89 Far Cry 2 – Fortunes Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $2.44; Sale price $3.49 Call of Juarez 2 – Old West Map Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Prince of Persia (2008) – Epilogue DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99 Scott Pilgrim – Knives Chau Add-On Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $0.97; Sale price $1.39 Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP) – PlayStation Plus price $9.79; Sale price $13.99 Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Complete Edition (includes Da Vinci Disappearance, Animus Project Update 1, Animus Project Update 2 and Copernicus Conspiracy Missions) – PlayStation Plus price $14.99; Sale price $24.99 Far Cry 2 Complete Edition (includes Fortune Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99 Prince of Persia (2008) Complete Edition (includes Epilogue) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99 Scott Pilgrim Complete Edition (includes Knives Chau Add-On Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $4.79; Sale price $7.99 Call of Juarez 2 Complete Edition (includes Old West Map Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99 You still here? What you waiting for?

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Ubisoft Massive Sale on PSN Today

Record of Agarest War 2 Gets a Deluxe European Release!

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:07:22 +0000

Last week, we brought you news of the Record of Agarest War 2 LE for the US by Aksys Games . Well, now our EU readers can rejoice, as Ghostlight Games has announced TWO different releases for Record of Agarest War 2! First up is the Deluxe Edition, which includes all of the following: * PS3 blu-ray * The Agarest: Generations of War 2 Soundtrack in a jewel case (only available from the Ghostlight Store) * Double-sided inlay * 6 art cards featuring character artwork from the game * An A3 poster featuring Aina & Victoria * A 48-page Hardback art book * Special Slip Case Plus, if all that wasn’t enough our Deluxe Edition also contains: * Agarest-themed Messenger Bag! * Agarest-themed Baseball Cap! Both only available when buying from the Ghostlight Store. As for the Collector’s Edition? Substract the last two items from the Deluxe Edition, and you’re good to go. You can pre-order the Deluxe Edition by following this link. And you can pre-order the Collector’s Edition by clicking here.

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Record of Agarest War 2 Gets a Deluxe European Release!

Modern Warfare 3 Elite drops 9-12 Live On Xbox 360

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:49:24 +0000

Modern Warfare 3 Elite drops 9-12 are now available to download on Xbox 360. The DLC includes two free Face Off maps, one multiplayer map, two Spec Ops missions, and two Elite Face Off maps. List of DLC content: Free to Public: Face Off Maps – Erosion and Aground – 157.53 MB Elite Drop 9: Multiplayer Map – Oasis – 95.01 MB Elite Drop 10: Spec Ops Mission – Kill Switch – 147.06 MB Elite Drop 11: Spec Ops Mission – Iron Clad – 17.86 MB Elite Drop 12: Face Off Maps – Getaway and Lookout – 138.23 MB Total required space is 555.68 MB

[minis review] Velocity

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:05:10 +0000

Velocity lives up to fond memories of shoot ‘em-up classics, and you can Teleport too! Featuring genre-busting gameplay innovation and music from Joris de Man (Killzone, N+), Velocity plays like a dream and sounds incredible. In 2212 the distant star Vilio exploded into a red giant, sending an electromagnetic pulse surging into our deep space mining ships, colony cruisers and Special Forces fighters, knocking out their primary power. Now the star is beginning to collapse into a black hole, pulling our stranded fleets to their doom. To make things worse, our warring neighbors have seen reward in our misfortune and have deployed scavengers to prey upon our people! Only one craft is capable of a rescue mission, the Quarp Jet – a spacecraft capable of teleportation! Take control of the world’s first quantum teleport craft in this innovative shooter, using a range of teleport controls to outsmart enemies, solve action based puzzles and rescue helpless survivors from their deep space hideaways. You’ll learn everything you need to know during your first missions, and you better pay attention! Rescuing survivors, boosting, destroying all hostiles, avoiding insta-death laser fields, they are all part of the game, and you must learn how, when and why you must do all this in order to succeed. There are three different types of missions in the game: Search and Rescue, Hostile Forces and Urgency. They are different from one another since new elements are added for each one to keep you coming back for more. For example, one Search and Rescue mission will require you to destroy color coded security energy fields in order to reach the survivors. And, eventually, you’re tasked with more than one objective, such as destroying Hostile Forces while rescuing survivors while warping all over the place AND boosting to make it to the end on time! There are checkpoints on each level in case you are destroyed by your enemies or the obstacles and walls of each level press you against the bottom. There is also a timer and, depending on how fast you are at completing each level, you’ll be rewarded with experience points to increase your rank overall rank. You also get an experience bonus depending on your score, a well as the number of survivors you rescue, and you can replay any level to try and increase your experience points, as well as to obtain a gold medal for a perfect level total. For example, during a Seek and Rescue Mission you can focus on completing the level and rescuing all survivors during your first try, and then focus on quickly completing the level during your second run, and the game won’t force you to do it all at the same time thanks to the autosave after completing each level. BUT, if you want that perfect medal, you have to do everything (score, survivors and time requirements) on a single run. And what is all the experience you gain used for? Why, for unlocking new levels! If you don’t succeed, then you can’t make it to the last mission. Two new abilities are introduced later in the game, keeping things interesting until the end. On mission 15 you are given a level map and the ability to drop telepods by hitting the triangle button, and each level has a limit on how many you can drop, bringing a new degree of strategy to the game. By opening your map, you can return to the telepod that you dropped, which means you can use one when the road splits in two (or three!), and then return to the pod to take a new path and rescue more survivors, or take care of the next security switch in the set. There is also a hidden yellow crystal (or two) in some levels, and they are used to unlock even more extra missions on top of the already available 50 main ones! Velocity even provides some extras: a program called Mines on which you search for active explosive mines on a field, in order to deactivate them; a complete profile on each Hostile you will meet during your quest, giving you insight into their defense, their attack power, speed and agility; a huge in-game trophy system that awards you medals for achieving several objectives such as obtaining a perfect score on every zone, reaching the end of the game, or killing a certain number of enemies by flinging side bombs at them; it even has a functional calculator for your math needs! Velocity is a very welcome entry in the Shoot-em-up genre, and it improves over other games by providing fresh elements that make this a release that all fans of the genre should own. The fast paced action, different types of missions, weapons and power ups make this a great digital offering you can take with you on your PS portable of choice, or enjoy at home on the PS3. Review Pros Cons Fun game that evolves the shoot-em-up genre. Great music Messages take some much needed space on the bottom screen Rating 94% Cost – $4.99 Disclaimer The game was completed before writing this review Total amount of time played: 4 hours This review is based on a PS3/PSP copy of Velocity provided by FuturLab.

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[minis review] Velocity

Releases for the Week (May 14th-20th)

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:21:26 +0000

The Payne is back! Max Payne 3 is FINALLY going to retail this week after doing the “release date” shuffle for a while. But this week also has the first Game of Thrones Videogame! Did you pre-order your copy to secure the free HC artbook that will be made available on ebay for $100 later this week? The Playstation Network will play host to Pixeljunk 4am, a game so trippy it made almost all other Pixeljunk games drop to the floor with their prices! Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II is also coming down for the party, and Sonic and Tails are ready to run with the flow for as long as possible. We also get Rock of Ages, a game so crazy that it must be fun as well! Jam Live Music Arcade also seems like an interesting take on the rhythm/music genre since you can actually mix all available songs on the go, creating a unique experience every single time. Want to check the whole list? Then click on! PS3 Releases You Can Buy Max Payne 3 Right Here! You Can Buy Game of Thrones Right here! PSN Releases You Can Buy Prototype 2 Right Here! minis releases PSOne Classics releases PS2 Classics releases

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Releases for the Week (May 14th-20th)

[PSN Review] Datura

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:46:09 +0000

When I first watched the preview behind the concept of Datura, I was very excited. I am a sucker for innovative and artistic games. I crave games that challenge my moralities and keep me guessing until the very end. Datura is like nothing I’ve ever played. It is a psychological thriller inside the twisted mind of a man, that feels more of an interactive experience than an actual game. The bizarre story and rich environment will keep you hooked the entire time. Unfortunately, the time spent in this magical dream is disrupted, on many occasions, by the lack of deep and fluid controls. The Story The plot starts building up from the moment you wake up inside the back of an ambulance. You wonder how you ended up here. The story will take you on a journey inside the mind of the main character. There are different segments you can interact with, and each segment will lead into a new chapter. Completing all segments in an area will grant you access into a new one and so on. At first it worked perfectly for me. There are a few clever puzzles and some challenging, bizarre sequences. I put down the controller at some point and wondered what the heck am doing! It was a fulfilling experience in terms of the presentation, the sound, the beautiful environment and the disturbingly shocking sequences. The only problem is .. It only lasted for 90 minutes! The Gameplay I’d like to point that I’ve played Datura with a DualShock controller. The game offers full support for PlayStation Move and a 3D screen. The controls can easily be described as frustrating. There are many sequences in the game where I had to twist the controller in a 360 degree and shake my entire body till I felt sick. Even the simplest gestures of reaching into objects or walking in the forest were hardly simple. I’ve considered turning off my PS3 and cursed my PlayStation Plus discount, but my anxiousness to finish the game and see how the story ends kept me going the entire 90 minutes, only to be disappointed by the unsatisfying ending. I don’t know if playing with the PS Move would make a huge difference (it might since turning my wrist versus turning the whole Dualshock 3 could improve things overall), but I have to do a review of what I played and how I played, not on how things could have been. I wished the developer had taken more time before releasing the game. It had lots of potential to be among the finest unique gems on the PlayStation Network. It also makes you wonder if this is what the future holds for digitally distributed games: a short campaign and a unique interactive experience with driven motives for exploration. Final Thoughts Datura is not your casual PSN release. It is entirely different from anything you’ve played. The description of Datura on Wiki, a poisonous plant that causes hallucinations and heart attacks, suits this game perfectly. Regardless of the short time I spent in Datura’s world, the ridiculously frustrating controls were always dragging this incredibly unique experience from becoming memorable. Review Pros Cons Unique Experience Beautiful Environments Frustrating Controls Incredibly Short Disappointing Ending Rating 55% Datura is available on the PlayStation Network for $9.99. PlayStation Plus subscribers get a discount at $7.99 Disclaimer This review is based on a PS3 copy of Datura developed by Plastic Studios and Published by SCE.

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[PSN Review] Datura