Before I begin, I’d just like to briefly introduce 4Gamers – a UK based PlayStation Approved accessory brand. 4Gamers have been developing quality console accessories for over 6 years, and have since established themselves as a quality brand whose products can be found in every gaming establishment, supermarkets and online stores within the UK. 4Gamers are an Official PlayStation Approved Accessory developer, so you can have the peace of mind that you are buying a product which has been carefully designed and pieced together, and has met the seal of approval from the big cheeses within the Sony corporation. Their products range from affordable PS3 and the more recent PS Vita cases to headsets and packaged kits which appeal to the more prominent gamer. Currently their products are not available in the US, however this is about to change very soon! I was recently invited to the 4Gamers UKHQ to see their products first hand, and I’m still wondering how I can share with you everything that I saw and had the opportunity to play with. I met with Tony Walton, Product Development Manager for 4Gamers – the genius behind the product design. We sat down in the main board room, where the walls were covered in numerous accessories they’ve developed over the years. After a brief introduction, Tony advised me that I was about to see products which currently are in the public domain, and some which have only just been approved by Sony themselves and haven’t yet been revealed to the outside world. Although I would love to share with you everything that was presented to me, today I’m going to focus on one particular piece of kit which I feel is the must-have kit for any PS3 gamer, new or old. so, without delay – let me present to you, the COMM-PLAY Performance Gaming Kit! What’s Included In The Box Presented in a very sleek box, the package includes the following products: – 4Gamers Stereo Gaming Headset – Dual Charge ‘N’ Stand, with 2 lengthy USB cables – High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet 4Gamers Stereo Gaming Headset The headset looks VERY sleek – it sports a leather strap across the headband, it’s extremely light, comes packed with some nice and tidy cables – and the major plus for me, a noise cancelling microphone. Before I go into specifics I’d like to mention that I currently own a set of Turtle Beach P11′s – and I couldn’t help myself but compare the 4Gamers’ headset to the P11′s – due to both being very similarly priced. The first and most obvious difference I noticed between both headsets were the volume controls. Whilst the P11′s controls aren’t all that bad, the 4Gamers’ headset’s controls just look and feel far superior – with the solid sliders giving you more control over the volume levels. The headset’s controls were very robust, and had a solid feel to them. Whilst playing with the P11′s controls, I felt like I’m 8 years old again, back in the 80′s playing around with the volume control dial on my Sony cassette player/Walkman. We’re in the 21st Century and to be honest, we should be moving away from circular dials regardless of the feature it controls. The other noticeable difference was the shape of the earcups. The P11′s consists of oval/eggshaped earcups, whilst the 4Gamers’ headset consists of round earcups – with both headset’s cups nicely padded, making them very comfortable to wear. Next up was the noise cancelling microphone offered by 4Gamers. This is a mega plus point, whereas my P11s unfortunately do not offer a NC mic. If you’re wondering what noise cancelling is all about, here’s a quickie from the Wiki: “A noise-canceling microphone is a microphone designed to filter out ambient noise from the desired sound, especially useful in noisy environments.” The mics on both headsets are different in length – with the 4Gamers’ mic being shorter. When testing the 4Gamers headset via an online session of Battlefield, although I hadn’t told my friends I was donning a different headset, they had obviously noticed the difference by telling me I actually sound much clearer. Both headsets sport a metal adjustable arm on the mic, making it nice and sturdy and ensure the mic doesn’t drop from it’s adjusted position. How often do you feel that there’s just too much cabling between you, your headset and your PS3? I get this all the time with my P11s. Although the P11s offer a generous 3.7m of cabling, it quite annoys me that I have to interconnect quite a few cables to then connect upto my PS3 – making the floorspace in front of me look like a mess. OK – so sue me, I’m complaining about the wiring in front of me. Let me put it this way, I have my P11 headset, connect the headset to the USB slot in your PS3 and then to the audio splitter cable. You then connect the audio splitter cable to your PS3 A/V cable which is then plugged into the back of the PS3. So, all in all you have to connect multiple cables each time you want to use your headset – it can be a pain when you’re trying to get online quickly. I thought this was one of the better features of the 4Gamers’ headset. No extra cables to interconnect, the headset had one 4m cable, consisting of a USB and A/V plug – which were adequately spaced out and seperated, which. All that was required was to plug the headset into your PS3 and got on with your gaming. Easy peasy! Finally, the most important feature of any headset – the audio quality. I must say my ears have been put through quite a lot over the years and although this is the case I can confidently say they are still in mint condition. Although I tend to tune out of my wife’s nagging – that’s a special skill that doesn’t take long to learn, my ears were picking up all the little sounds you would normally miss when you’re playing your games on your 42″ TV! I noticed very little difference in terms of audio quality. The P11′s had a slightly higher level of bass, but this for me wasn’t the dealbreaker. The 4Gamers’ headset on the other hand, was crystal clear! I was exceptionally happy with the sound quality generated by the 4Gamers headset. Once I was involved in my game, I didn’t really care about the bass levels – I was more bothered about whether I could hear opposition creeping up behind me, or the tank taking me out from my right hand side – and it didn’t let me down in that department. Dual Charge ‘N’ Stand I’ve occasionally found myself with 2 USB cables just dangling out of my PS3 with 2 gamepads lying in the middle of the room, charging whilst my wife gets her daily dose of Come Dine With Me. For folks across the Atlantic, Come Dine With Me is a reality show where 4 or 5 individuals cook for each other over a span of 5 days and they then score each other on how good the food was and how their evening went – it is quite amusing! The winner takes away with them £1000 GBP. However, the 4Gamers Dual Charge ‘N’ Stand doesn’t have any functional features. Although there’s no major added value to it, I love the way it adds a little style to your TV unit/PS3/room. To charge your pads, if not already done so, simply sit your pads onto the stand, plug your USB cables into your pads and let them recharge themselves without worrying about someone tripping over the wires! High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet If you’ve not yet switched over to HDMI, then you’re missing out on a fantastic trick. Once you’ve played your PS3 in HD, you will never go back to A/V! The HDMI cable included in this pack offers the following: – Support for 3D games and movies – 4K resolution – Gold plated connectors – Nickel plated cable heads – High quality triple shielded 2 metre cable The cable itself consists of a robust build. The one feature that stood out for me was the triple shielded covering – it looks solid! When a few of my friends saw the cable, they instantly wanted one as they do look very nice, and like they will last for a loooong time. Overall Verdict I’m VERY impressed with the quality of the goods developed by 4Gamers. It’s no surprise they’re receiving raving reviews for their products. If I need another headset, this package would definitely be on top of my shopping list. The package itself is certainly value for money. The quality and build of each of the products is of a high standard, and as they’re PlayStation Approved – that gives me peace of mind and comfort knowing they will have been through some thorough testing before Sony will have rubber stamped their approval for mass production. For those that reside in the US, although these products are currently not on sale within the States, 4Gamers are working very hard behind the scenes to bring their products to you very soon. The next time you’re in a games store – keep an eye out for some 4Gamers gear – you may just find a 4Gamers COMM-PLAY Performance Gaming Kit sitting on that shelf! Last but not least, keep your eyes on this site – we’re going to be giving one of these packages away to ONE lucky winner! Please note: Dualshock Wireless Controllers are not included in the package. 4Gamers Website: www.4gamers.net Twitter: @4GamersElite

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We Introduce To You, 4Gamers

Taco Bell is currently holding an ongoing contest giving away the new PlayStation Vita “every 15 minutes” as the advertisement boast. The contest barely started two weeks ago and it’s already under scrutiny. A facebook group has been formed regarding this developing story and gaming site Kotaku first reported of the events . An anonymous source by the name of “BuzzLightyear” contacted me via email stating he found a “loop hole” in Taco Bell’s Unlock The Box website a couple of days after the contest started. “When I first visited the site, I noticed it was purely HTML based meaning the URL can just be repeatedly used over and over. So I went out and paid my friend who works at Taco Bell to grab me a couple of codes. It did not take long for me to win one…” He goes on to write in the email.. “I simply saved the URL extension of the winners pages and text messaged it to a friend of mine in a different state to see if it will load.. and guess what.. it did. Filling up the submission form and clicking SUBMIT only gave us errors, but when we entered a used code, it somehow validated the SUBMIT button and it submitted easily.” I asked him why he decided to email me about this information and he simply replied. Taco Bell’s Unlock The Box Promo has Game Boy Level Security and they underestimate the gaming community. I’ve been trying to reach out to Taco Bell and Ventura Associates to get their comments. To add more to the mystery, anything relevant to the Vita or promotion is being deleted off of Taco Bell’s Facebook wall almost immediately also calling the contest hotline yields a full mailbox. Based on my research, upon winning a prize, the contest administrator Ventura Associates takes about 2-3 days to verify your winning. Apparently winners are being left in the dark with no responses from the contest sponsors. The only official word from Taco Bell is this wall post: Have you won anything before through fast food promotions? let us know about your experience in the comments section below. [UPDATE] Just got a phone call from Ventura Associates. They informed me that the discrepancy has been fixed and any attempts to undermine the operation of the website will be investigated. They have a database of the valid winners and will only be contacting those verified winners.

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Taco Bell’s Unlock The Box Promo Loop Hole Fixed

If you are a big fan of rally games, or driving simulators in general, this is a deal you shouldn’t miss. Dirt 3 is considerably one of the best rally games in its genre. With that in mind, Codemasters is celebrating the success with a complete edition of the game due out sometime this March. The complete edition will include every DLC since the game was released on May 26th 2011, that’s over $30 in value. It will include 12 new tracks, 2 new locations and plenty of cars for you to play around with! Here is the full list of DLC included with the complete edition: – The Monte Carlo Rally Pack – eight breathtaking Rally stages featuring dramatic climbs, descents, and hairpins of snowy mountain roads. Race through the Alps and conquer the legendary Col de Turini pass. – The X Games Asia Track Pack – four new routes set across two new tracks in Shibuya, the neon heart of central Tokyo, where spectacular mud-spattered Rallycross circuits weave beneath towering skyscrapers. – The Power and Glory Car Pack – stars five cars including the BMW M3 Rally, Lancia Delta S4, Ford Focus ST Rallycross, Scion tC, and Chevrolet Camaro SSX Concept, each with a range of liveries. – The Mud and Guts Car Pack – features five cars available for single-player, split-screen, and online multiplayer events. Race the Lancia Stratos, Peugeot 205 T16 Evo 2, Citroën C4 Rallycross, Saturn Sky, and Ford Mustang GT, each with a range of liveries. – The Colin McRae Vision Charity Pack – access the Ford Escort Mk II, a 70s rally classic with five liveries. – The Ken Block Special Pack – features a customized and upgraded Ford Escort Mk II, an Open Class Rally car sporting a killer Ken Block livery. – The Mini Gymkhana Special Pack – access the mid-engined Mini Cooper S Gymkhana, customized and tuned to become an outrageously responsive Gymkhana car. This edition of the game will set you back $40 and will be available sometime this March. If you haven’t got a chance to pick Dirt 3 last year, this is the bundle you’ve been waiting for.

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Dirt 3 Complete Edition Arrives In March

Shank 2, by all means, is not a technical breakthrough and it doesn’t bring anything new to the table either. What Shank 2 is: a well animated 2D brawler that exceeds its predecessor in every department. Beginning with the improved game mechanics and the very addictive survival mode, to the bloody awesome animated scenes and the few extra unlockables that keeps you coming back for more. The Story All you need to know is: Shank is back to fight a dictator and save the day , which seems to be the theme lately. Well, the story has no purpose, other than serving big boss battles at the end of each level. The cut scenes are mildly entertaining, but again, I didn’t care much. I was busy shooting and stabbing stuff. Each of the 8 levels offers different enemies and environments, all for the purpose of building your momentum to the final fight. The bosses themselves are not much of a challenge, as each boss will require different strategy, which once you figure out, the fight shouldn’t last more than minutes. I finished the campaign in merely 4 hours on normal difficulty, but you are always welcome to crank the difficulty up a notch and get yourself some good old 2D beating! The Gameplay If ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? Shank 2 formula haven’t changed much since the first game. It is still the same 2D fast based action you love and expect. Klei Entertainment added some minor improvements to the combat system, including a load-out screen that can be accessed at any time and exclamation marks that pops above enemies heads when they are about to launch a vicious attack on your character, which can be countered simply by pressing the L2 button or dodging to side with the right analog stick. I’ve also noticed that Shank responsiveness to switching between weapons during combos have increased, which is very appreciated since the enemy AI are not as forgivable as the first game and they will attack you constantly from both sides. In Shank 2 the environment plays a bigger role in this installment. Weapons that enemies leave behind (spears, axes, shovels, fish .. yeah, you can slam enemies with fish) can be used to your advantage, as each weapon has a different finish move and some have trophies for you to collect. Some levels also offers mounted weapons which can be used for the same purpose of killing more enemies. While there is a variety of left over weapons available for you during the game, the main load-out screen still doesn’t offer much in this department. In Shank 2 you carry a heavy weapon, a throwing weapon and some explosives of your choice, all limited by 3 choices for each category. Shank and Corina are the only playable characters in the campaign and they both have a different arsenal of weapons. You can change your character skin at any given time, but the weapons will remain the same, which was a bit of a letdown. Survival Mode The unlockable skins in Shank 2 This is where you will be spending the majority of your time in Shank 2. The online/offline cooperative Survival mode offers multiple waves of enemies, 30 waves in each map to be precise. Your task is simple, prevent enemies from planting bombs on the supply caches available in each level. Once a bomb is activated, you will have a few seconds to deactivate it by standing next to it and pressing the R1 button. During this process you are vulnerable to enemies’ attacks and you will have to communicate with your partner. You also can revive your partner during the game. If you both die the game will end and all your previous progress will be lost. Killing enemies will grant you cash, which you can spend to purchase in-game items, keeping in mind that not all items will be available for immediate purchase. You will have to work through each wave in order to unlock some of the items, which ranges from a wild bore that knocks enemies down, to a missile strike that wipes the entire map off. Playing through survival mode will unlock more characters and trophies. Each of the 16 different characters in survival mode has different statues and bonuses, unfortunately, they all share the same weapons load-out. Say ‘what’ again, I dare you, I double dare you Final Thoughts Shank 2 is an improvement in every aspect. Despite the lack of a captivating story, the survival mode will keep you and your partner busy for hours and for the price of $9.99, this awesome, well animated, revengeful 2D blood path is a must play for all fans of the genre. Review Pros Cons An improvement over its predecessor Well animated 2D action Survival mode Replay value Weak story Limited load-out menu Rating 84% Price on PSN is $9.99 Disclaimer This review is based on a PS3 edition of Shank 2 developed by Klei Entertainment and published by EA.

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[Review] Shank 2

Did you know that a proper full release for the PS Vita is just around the corner? Those that pre-ordered the first edition package will get theirs this Wednesday, but the rest of the gaming public will have their chance on February 22nd. Therefore, this week marks the first time we’ll be listing Vita releases during the “Releases for the Week” posts! There are a LOT of games that want your money (but not your lunch money), and if you did indeed get a Vita, you’re in for a treat! You can choose from over 16 releases and, in case you never owned a PS3 or a PSP, you’ve got HUNDREDS of games that demand your attention. Full list of games after the break. PS3 Retail Releases You Can Buy Twisted Metal Right Here! You Can Buy UFC Undisputed 3 Right Here! You Can Buy Grand Slam Tennis 2 Right Here! PSN Releases You Can Buy Gran Theft Auto IV Right Here! PS Vita Releases You Can Buy Uncharted: Golden Abyss Right Here! You Can Buy Wipeout 2048 Right Here! You Can Buy Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Right Here! You Can Buy ModNation Racers: Road Trip Right Here! You Can Buy Lumines: Electronic Symphony Right Here! You Can Buy Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Right Here! You Can Buy BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND Right Here! You Can Buy EA Sports FIFA Soccer Right Here! You Can Buy Asphalt: Injection Right Here! You Can Buy Michael Jackson The Experience HD Right Here! You Can Buy Rayman Origins Right Here! PSP Releases You Can Buy Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom Right Here! Or Maybe you Want the Limited Edition!

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Releases for the Week (February 13th-19th)

Things are definitely picking up this week as we’re getting 3 full retail releases, 4 PSN releases, 4 retail games making their way to PSN and THE PS2 classic we’ve all been waiting for: The SpongeBob SquarePants: Movie is finally here! This will probably be the last time we talk about PSN and PSN releases since Sony has decided to change things around a bit, and is re-branding the service as… SEN. This week you can pick between the retail edition of the Jak and Daxter HD Collection, the digital edition (at the exact same price) OR you can pick each of the games by themselves should you not have enough money on your wallet (either physical or digital one), or if you just hate one of the 3 games (my bet is on you hating on J&K 2). Full gallery of releases after the jump: PS3 Retail Releases You Can Buy The Jak & Daxter HD Collection Right Here! You Can Buy Kindoms of Amalur: Reckoning Right Here! You Can Buy The Darkness II Right Here! PSN Releases You Can Buy Catherine Right Here! You Can Buy Top Spin 4 Right Here! You Can Buy Lego Pirates of the Caribbean Right Here! PS2 Classics

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Releases for the Week (February 5th-12th)

The three main characters in Trine 2 are icons in the gaming industry. They represent to us, gamers, the mysterious dungeons, the prized weapon at the end of a painful quest, and above all, the classic old school RPG that we all adore. However, Trine 2 is NOT an RPG. It’s best described as a side-scrolling action adventure/puzzler/platformer/ … OK, so Trine 2 might not have a definitive nature, or a remarkable story, but I’ll tell you what it does have: lots of charm, sharp controls, and some of the most beautiful visuals I’ve seen. Surprisingly, that combination works! The Story Regardless of the weak story, storytelling in Trine 2 is surprisingly satisfying! Trine 2 tells the story of 3 companions’ adventure through an ordinary tale to save a princess. The iconic trio (Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight), return to the magical forests to fight goblins and solve more puzzles, while discovering their path and unveiling the secrets of the Trine 2 universe. You will uncover more of the story through poems found in some of the treasure chests distributed evenly through-out the game. While I found the poems a bet helpful to storytelling, I was a bit disappointed after spending a good amount of time reaching my first chest. You see, the chests in the first Trine were more rewarding, as you can acquire some cool items (armors, weapons …etc) to aid you in your battles. While the story is fairly simple, it has nothing new to offer in general and I found it was merely put for the purpose of transitioning between levels. The Main Characters Despite his ongoing research for finally learning the Fireball spell, the Wizard’s talent is for conjuring peculiar boxes, and occasionally even planks. He can also levitate small inanimate objects. Amadeus is married to a lady by the name of Margaret. They have three children, all of whom know the Fireball spell. . . . The Knight is an eager champion of the kingdom, the protector of the common man with a great sense of justice. Armed with his sword, his shield and the powerful Storm Hammer, he’s a formidable fighter. Pontius’s great weakness is food. This shows around his waist. . . . . The Thief makes her way up to rooftops and over walls with her trusty grappling hook. Zoya is not so concerned about family or duty, but she is content to be a hero of the Trine, for she loves adventure. Zoya’s love for treasure, however, often leads her astray. . . . . The Gameplay Oh look! … a dragon!? While Trine 2 lacks in the story department, it still packs some of the most beautiful visuals and outstanding game mechanics ever created for a platformer. Each of the main characters has a set of unique abilities and you can switch between characters easily during the game by simply pressing the R1 , or R2 buttons on your Dualshock 3 controller. The wizard is the most important character when it comes down to solving puzzles especially if you are running solo. He can create boxes and planks (can be upgraded up to 4 boxes on screen), move certain objects around (including goblins), which was indeed useful and um .. fun, giving the fact that the wizard was proven completely useless during combat in the first game. The knight is the most useful character during combat, as you can use either your sword and shield or hammer to fight enemies, bash certain walls, and deflect incoming projectiles. As for the thief , well .. I found myself using the thief 50% of the time due to her unique ability of grappling onto wooden surfaces, which was proven useful both in combat and in solving puzzles. The thief can also strike with her icy bow (which can be upgraded to fire arrows), simply by using the right analog stick. Each of the characters have their own life meter. If a character runs out of life, he will die and you will be forced to switch to one of the other main characters. Life meters will refill instantly once a checkpoint is reached. Throughout your journey, you will also find magical vials. If you collect 50 of these, you will receive a skill point, which can be used to purchase a single upgrade for one of your characters, keeping in mind that some of the upgrades will require more than 1 skill point. The skill tree in Trine 2 Despite the small improvements made to combat, fighting scenes are barely challenging. The game keeps throwing enemies at you with the intention of slowing your puzzle solving process, which makes it feel a bit forceful, rather boring, and relatively unnecessary. Enemy AI should have been managed differently, with regards to quality over quantity. Although, I have to point out that I’ve enjoyed some of the combat scenery simply based on the smooth responsiveness of the controls. Trine 2 also offers a unique prospective on the way you approach puzzles, as you are given the complete freedom to use all the tools you have to reach treasure chests, get to higher ground, and/or move to the next stage. Each of the three main characters will offer a different approach. Sometimes you will find yourself using a combination of all three. I’ve also found that some areas are inaccessible without the help of a partner, which will force you to either get online, or call in a friend for help. This makes the whole cooperative experience worth checking and adds a bit of a replay value to the campaign. New Features Aside from the upgraded graphics engine, the most distinguished new feature in Trine 2 is the new online cooperative support. You can play with up to 2 other players both locally and/or online. I was able to test this new feature with 3 players online in a quick match. How this works is fairly simple: a player can host a game, keeping in mind that the skill tree (unlockable perks) is based on the hosting player’s progress and only the host can allocate skill points, you assume the role of one of the three main character and if you die, your friends can revive you at the next checkpoint. Having more than one friend helps A LOT in terms of solving some of the inaccessible puzzles in the singleplayer mode and defeating gigantic bosses. I found it rather entertaining to brainstorm some puzzle solving ideas with people I met online. The game will force you to communicate with your partners rather than just running around and killing stuff. As much as I’ve liked the idea of online co-op, I’ve also found it unequally satisfying, merely for the fact that only the host’s characters will gain experience, rather than you all achieve equal progress. Final Thoughts Regardless of the limited story, Trine 2 undeniable charm, soothing soundtrack and outstanding visual design will make for an unforgettable experience through the mind of developer Frozenbyte. The added feature of online co-op brings something extra to the table and defy the way you approach puzzles and fight enemies. If you are looking for a simple entertaining and casual co-op adventure, Trine 2 will deliver. Review Pros Cons Outstanding visual design Online cooperative support Smooth ControlsCharming appeal Limited story Unequally rewarding multiplayer experience Small replay value Rating 89% Trine 2 is developed by Frozenbyte and published by Atlus Price on PSN is $14.99 This review is based on a copy of the PS3 version of Trine 2 provided by Oly (thanks mate). Also, a demo is currently available on the PlayStation Network, so make sure you check that out.

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[Review] Trine 2

Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the podcast. This week we have a special guest from the site joining us, you might know him, a little fella that goes by the name of Isli. Tune in to catch Isli, FooBear, Tosh, and I discuss a few things in the news as well as some more Skyrim talk, and a few other stories about our gaming experiences. If you’d like to be a guest on the podcast feel free to join us! You also get points for being on the podcast, so don’t worry about missing out on the secret word you point fanatics! Just send me a message on the site and I’ll let you know when we start, and I’ll add you on Skype. Also a bit of warning for those of you who didn’t beat Heavy Rain, but we talk about it at the end of the podcast quite a bit. So if you want to stay away from spoilers, you can just stop the podcast there. I made sure to put the secret word before that. We also talk/spoil Uncharted 3 again, as well as a little bit of Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol, but it’s all after I give you the spoiler warning for Heavy Rain. Enter the secret word(s) mentioned in the PS3BlogCast to earn 75 points. The first 10 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 on PSN Nohopeleft.com Infinity Ward Hiring for Next-Gen Games Dead Island DLC ’12 in ’12′ SOPA Secret Word Heavy Rain Discussions

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PS3BlogCast Episode 33

The story takes place in Sumaru City, Japan, population 1,280,000. Its protagonist attends Seven Sisters High School (“Sevens” for short), whose emblem is considered a status symbol even amongst students from other schools. Soon, though, a rumor that Sevens emblem was actually cursed, and that wearing it would disfigure one’s face, had spread around the city. Even worse, the rumor came true… And it was only the beginning of a string of rumors becoming reality, one after another… Before long, the protagonist discover the power to summon another side of them called “Personas”, which they use to investigate the strange incidents around the city, all while facing their own personal demons as well. Time is once again on the march… Personas are the manifestation of power from one’s other selves lurking within them. These Personas with otherworldly abilities and appearances of gods from worldwide mythos are drawn from the unconsciousness of of Persona-users to appear in the real world, lending their power to the wielder. The “you” that others recognize is only one of the countless selves that exist, and of these innumerable selves, there are those with the compassion of gods, the cruelty of demons, and even those with the capacity to wield swords or guns. Personas are no more or less than “another you”. Up until this point the game was a Japan-only release (12 years had to pass for it to see a release outside of that wonderful island). We DID get the second half of Persona 2 (Eternal Punishment), and back in the day we had no idea we were missing out on a huge part of the picture. How has this game aged during all this time? Let’s find out! There’s a lot of great anime cut scenes in all the game, as you’ll immediately notice right after booting up the game. Animated cutscenes are always a nice extra, and you can watch them in original, medium or widescreen format. Isn’t technology wonderful? There’s also an updated and remixed soundtrack you can choose in case you don’t like the original one. All in all, it’s great music that truly brings this experience to life. The remixed music really shines. The original tracks were taken in for a tune-up and all its intricate elements and nuisances really pop (there’s a limited edition available at retail comes with a soundtrack CD so track down that one!). You also have the option of installing a 200 MB+ portion of the game to the memory stick to reduce load times. Since there’s A LOT of random battles (oh, happy days!) and the install time is only 1-5 minutes at most…the install is time well spent. Before getting started, players have the option of picking between easy, normal or hard difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the harder it will be to defeat the many, many, maaaaany demon’s you’ll run into. But Easy isn’t really THAT easy, as it will still require the player to carefully plan their approach to every fight. Unless they want to die a LOT. This isn’t a simple game, but it is just what we needed. Controls are easy to understand. You can use the analog stick or the D pad to move around. L and R are used to move the camera around (very important since most of the time the camera plays tricks on you and blocks NPCs or items on purpose). X confirms choices and O cancels them. Oh, and the triangle button activates the auto-battle feature during fights, which takes into consideration the last set of actions performed by your party and replicates them until you cancel out of it. You can move around a Town Map to select the next location to visit. You can even talk to people (represented by green arrows) in the town map to obtain new info. You can travel between different zones by exiting the world map and selecting another area you’ve already opened up in the new menu that will pop out. Now, with that out of the way, let’s take a moment to meet our party of intrepid youngsters that will save the world this time around: Tatsuya Suou An 18-year-old young man attending Seven Sisters High. He is tall, handsome, and has a mature, cool demeanor which has won him the admiration of female and male classmates alike. He’s a loner who does his best to avoid getting involved with anyone. Initial Persona: Vulcanus Lisa Silverman A 17-year-old girl nicknamed “Ginko” who also attends Seven Sisters High. She has beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes, and a figure that’s the envy of other girls her age. Because she was born to parents who were naturalized as Japanese citizens, she looks Caucasian, but she speaks fluent Japanese. Initial Persona: Eros Yukino Mayuzumi An active twenty-year-old student at vocational school for photography. She’s grown out her hair and settled down a little since her days at St. Hermelin High. Her goal is to become a professional photographer and she’s now working as an apprentice to a freelancer. Initial Persona: Vesta Maya Amano A 23-year-old reporter for a teen magazine. She’s a beautiful, cheerful woman who naturally draws others to her with her considerateness and affable nature. Initial Persona: Maia Eikichi Mishina A 16-year-old and second-year at Kasugayama High, less flatteringly known as Cuss High, who refers to himself as “Michel.” He is the Boss of a gang of delinquents at Cuss High and also front man in his band. He tends to take what people say too personally, is easily swayed, and is often a bit too taken with himself. Initial Persona: Rhadamanthus Jun Kurosu A 17-year old young man with slender, feminine looks. He transfered to Kasugayama High, but hasn’t been seen attending classes for some time. He loves flowers and always wears fresh blossoms such as an iris or iceland poppy. Initial Persona: Hermes As usual, you can change the name of the characters in your party. You can even decide what nickname to give them. Me? I just leave then as is since it’s how the story was written. No need to add my own name to the mix as I’m pretty sure I’ll remember I’m the one that is playing the game. Want to make something become a reality? Spread a rumor about it and see how it goes! First one is free (mmm, where have we heard that before?) but the others will cost you dearly. Also, you must first HEAR a rumor straight from a rumormonger’s mouth before you can pay the Head of the Detective Agency to start the rumor machine. Rumors play a big part in our adventure, even more so when we remember that this whole thing started because of one single rumor. You’ll be able to decide the type of items sold at each store, how awesome a prize you can get from the lottery, open up new areas to progress the story, etc. Rumors are what makes the world go round! Your first shopping experience will be at the Kameya Alley. Each store has an icon next to their name and this can help you identify at first glance what each one of them deals in. A sword means its a weapon store. A jacket identifies an armor store. A fork and knife means its a restaurant or a food store. A little silhouetto of a man (Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?) is there to let you know there’s gossip to be heard, learned or spread. A red cross sign is for places you can heal your wounds at (HP and SP restore and all status ailments dissapear for the whole party). The characters in your party get hungry from time to time. Buying something to eat will give them a temporary boost to one of their stats which will last until they’re hungry again. Gotta try them all! And you must also remember that some armor is gender specific (a hairpin, for example, is female-only) before you go purchase crazy, and start spending all of your hard-earned money. And yes, hard-earned is definitely the way to describe this. Your Personas grow with every use (even more when using fusion spells), increasing their abilities and unlocking new ones. They go up in rank from 1 till 8. Each character has different compatibilities with the various Personas. If their compatibility is bad, it will cost more SP to invoke the Persona, and especially bad compatibility may prevent the Persona from being assumed at all. Conversely, if their compatibility is good, it will cost less SP to invoke, and especially good compatibility may cause the Persona to occasionally demonstrate special powers. After you complete one of the demonic battles you’ll wage against… demons that are demonic, you’ll be rewarded with experience points and money you can use to upgrade your equipment or for items that can help you in battle. The currency is expressed in Yen and, I don’t know about you, but for me, a Japanese game that uses Y as the in game currency is just crazy and completely goes against the atmosphere and feeling of this adventure. A very intersting element in Persona 2 is the Pacts you can make with Demon’s. You start things of by making Contact (talk) with them while in a fight (and, sometimes, the Demon’s are the ones that initiate things) to try and convince them to give you items, info, tarot cards, money or to heal you. They have for attributes (eager, happy, scared and angry) that increase from each action you select once contact has started (Tetsuya can, for example, do impressions), OR from the answer you give a demon to the question they’ve presented to you. Get them to full eager or happy and they might ask you if you want to enter into a pact… and this is how you get better items, money and other extras from them once you find them again in battle AND fill their eager or happy metes during the new encounter. Should you make them angry they will break the pact (if one existed) and attack you. Tarot Cards, demons, and Personas all have an associated Arcana. A Persona’s Arcana indicates which Arcana of Tarot Cards is necessary to summon it. Negotiating with demons can earn you Tarot Cards of the same Arcana that the demon belongs to. The higher a demon’s level, the more Tarot Cards you’ll receive through negotiation with it. More cards are necessary to summon high-level Personas. Negotiate with strong demons to quickly gather enough cards to summon the better Personas. As is always the case with old-school RPGs, grinding is not an option, it IS a requirement. I grew up with random fight, turn-based RPGs back in the day and I’m very happy to finally get a chance to play Innocent Sin. I own Persona 3, P3 FES and 4 on PS2 as well as the first Persona that was also released on PSP. Thus, I was only missing Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment (the second released in the Persona 2 world) to have a complete set. Grinding for money and experience, while also increasing my Personas, is just part of the fun experience you can enjoy in this game. Persona 2 has been a long time coming, and we should be happy about finally having it officially released over here. A solid combat system, the crazy but interesting story, the remixed soundtrack, the great 16:9 cutscenes and overall presentation, all contribute to make this a very welcome addition to the still growing number library of the PSP. Any Persona fan should run to buy this right now to tell Atlus that we want more Persona games! Review Pros Cons The game we’ve been waiting for during the last 12 years It’s an Old School JRPG for our portable needs! It’s an Old School JRPG, which some people really, really, really don’t like, for some reason Rating 92% Published by Atlus Cost – $29.99 Disclaimer Total amount of time played: 30 hours (and counting!). This review is based on a retail copy of the PSP version of Persona 2 – Innocent Sin provided by Atlus.

Originally posted here:
[Review] Persona 2 – Innocent Sin (PSP)

Square Enix is hard at work on what is going to be their next gen engine, moving away from their past titles’ art work and into photo realism. Square is hoping to do what the Unreal Engine did for this generation, with their Luminous Engine Next Gen. I have to admit, the Photo Realism is just what I was hoping for. The studio plans to allow other studious to use the engine which will cut production time in half and lower the cost of game development as a whole. Whether this will allow for cheaper games, we’ll have to wait and see. Take a look at a very early sample of what to expect after the jump. I remember the early days of gaming and what Sega CD was doing with FMV and how amazing it was to feel like you were in a realistic setting in Ground Zero Texas. Here’s hoping Square Enix can pull this off and begin the next Next Gen with Photo Realistic gaming. Source: Edge

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Luminous Engine & Photo Realism Next Gen