Ben-DutkaIt seems as if we're moments away from the best games of the year – this month alone sees Warhawk for the PS3 and Bioshock for the Xbox 360 – and Heavenly Sword is out September 12. So expect to see plenty of game talk (as usual) from me…and it starts with a classic.
Wipeout XL NEEDS to be on the Store
I constantly regret getting rid of this game, but I've never really had the motivation or incentive to spend a boatload to get it back. Now, thanks to a recent round of ESRB ratings , it seems Wipeout XL will soon be arriving on the U.S. PlayStation Store. This would make for a fantastic addition; for a PS1 game, it was unbelievably fast and smooth, and both the challenge and fun factor was through the roof. I loved it, many others loved it, and if we can have it again for $7.99 (or maybe $9.99), then that's a win-win situation. Those of you who never had the pleasure of experiencing the greatness of this futuristic racer way back when should take notice, primarily because XL was the best installment in the long-running series. At least, I think it is.
Furthermore, this only gets me more psyched for that Wipeout PS3 project they're working on…I just wish we had more details on it. 🙁
Bioshock…is it, or isn't it?
It has already gone gold for the Xbox 360 and PC, but rumors have been running rampant lately: will Bioshock really come to the PS3 at some point? The latest set of rumors say yes, but it won't arrive until Spring of 2008; which is quite a long time to wait for such a great game. We may find out the truth today , though, as that "surprise announcement" at the end of the new game trailer on Spike TV might just confirm it… Then again, it might be something else entirely. I'll be watching at 9 p.m. to see if it's the announcement PS3 owners have been waiting for, but even if it is, I'm not sure what good that will do.
If it's a great game, people don't want to wait 6-8 months to play it, especially when it's already available on two platforms (360 and PC). This is why I think it's such a big deal for the PS3 to have timed exclusivity with Unreal Tournament 3 and Haze . These are going to be top-notch titles, and while they should eventually make their way to the 360 some time next year, most gamers would want them for this holiday season. And that's why it's great for Sony and the PS3. But if Bioshock is amazing, I'm gonna want to play it this year on the 360, and I imagine many others feel the same way.
A Final Fantasy VII petition is cool, but will it matter?
As it's my favorite RPG of all time (I'm playing it again now, actually), I would adore a remake for the PS3. Don't change a damn thing except the visuals, and I'd be the first to buy it; about a zillion other FF fans would do the same. But Square-Enix has said multiple times that this project would be extraordinarily costly and difficult, and they continually shoot any rumors down. Thus, this petition , which has about 14,000 signatures. But does it really matter? How many signatures would it need to have any impact at all on Square-Enix? And besides, S-E is well aware of the fan clamoring for a FF VII remake; the clamor has risen to a steady roar ever since that PS3 tech demo of the classic RPG. So it's not like they'll see the petition and be like, "wow, they really want this game!" They know we want it, but there are other factors to consider, obviously.
Yeah, a FF VII PS3 remake would make my freakin' year. And it's guaranteed to sell millions if it were made. But I have this sinking feeling that despite all the rumors, it may never happen. But hey, at least we still have the original, and in many ways, that's plenty good enough. 🙂
Personal Gaming Update
As you saw above, I'm replaying Final Fantasy VII for the fifth time, and at about 30 hours, I'm still loving every second of it. But I really want to finish up – not sure if I'll beat the WEAPONs and do all that; I've done it all before – before Warhawk comes out on the 28th of this month. I'll want to get in a couple weeks of that awesome online game before Heavenly Sword hits on September 12, and on top of it all, Biowhock also comes out on August 21. The summer isn't even over, and I'm already approaching the "so-many-games, so-little-time" conundrum. Looks like I'll be hoping for plenty of gift cards for Christmas this year, that's all I gotta say.