Ben’s Week In Review: July 12

If this is summer, you coulda fooled me. It was down to almost 50 degrees last night…WTF?

The Last Guardian will be SO magical

You know, I've never been a graphics whore. I've never really cared if there was a slight clipping problem during such-and-such stage in my favorite games. However, as the industry advances, we all have to admit that the visual presentation is crucial, and it's required to draw us into a virtual world. I have every confidence that Team ICO will succeed in this endeavor in regards to The Last Guardian ; this past week's story about how they value aesthetic appeal proves their dedication to immersion. It's not just about dazzling pictures; it's about bypassing any technical limitations by providing the player with such an engaging world that he or she won't notice those limitations. This is a group of developers that really know what they're doing, and I refer you all to previous productions like Shadow of the Colossus . Granted, the environment was a little bland but as the game centered entirely on the Colossi, the team put most all their effort into designing those unbelievable mammoths. And to this day, what do we remember? Just how awesome they looked, and we almost forget the bland and lifeless landscape.

Based on what we've seen of The Last Guardian thus far, I have no doubt that it'll once again grab my interest right from the start. It also won't let go until I'm done, and it will likely stick with me for quite some time; that's the mark of a fantastic gaming experience. And it doesn't rely entirely on the cleanest or most technologically advanced graphics…no, it simply relies on a world that we become a part of.

The 360 exclusive that's coming to the PS3 is…

Yeah, sorry, I have no idea. 😉 I just wanted to clarify that whatever it is, it isn't the secret PS3 exclusive we at PSXE know about, and no, we can't talk about it yet. I can tell you it isn't an IP and it's still a ways off, but that's about as far as I go; I made a promise and I intend to keep it. Anyway, I was thinking that the 360 exclusive coming our way might be Left 4 Dead , as Valve has recently told everyone they'd like to hire some "PS3 guys" so they can work with Sony's machine. We've also heard countless rumors of the critically acclaimed shooter coming to the PS3, although none of the evidence has panned out. Perhaps it'll arrive with all new content and special features, thereby enticing PS3 owners to pick up a year-old title in the midst of other promising games. If it isn't L4D, I'd like to think it might be Lost Odyssey for all you RPG fans out there; it's still one of my favorite games of the generation and well worth your time. However, it's too old now and probably not worthy of a port (oh, what I wouldn't give for a sequel, though). Everyone wants to say Mass Effect , but while the sequel might show up, the original probably won't.

I really want Splinter Cell: Conviction to come to the PS3, but Ubisoft has already explained why that won't happen, and the rumor seems to specify a title that's already in existence. If it's "popular," it has to be out already, right? Unless they're referring to a franchise and not one particular title…

Personal gaming update

I'm definitely in a bit of a dry spell, but I've been so busy lately I haven't really noticed. This tends to happen during the summer: a lot more things seem to go on during the warmer months of the year, and a week seldom goes by where I don't have something to do or somewhere to go. They're not always things I want to do, but hey, that's life. I'll be ready to play Resident Evil 5 when I get it and no, I haven't gotten the chance to start Final Fantasy X (an idea I toyed with last weekend). I just keep destroying the competition in Top Spin 3 if I get an hour to sit down and play, and in between, I work and you know…do other things. I'd like to get out and play tennis myself, if the weather would ever cooperate long enough.

I don't have much else to add, besides the fact that my formerly mentioned sensitive romantic situation has kinda evened out…it's not as frightening anymore. It's just unique. I only find it surprising that it has gone so well thus far, which can only lead to the inevitable revealing at some point…and friends and family may be a touch surprised when that happens. The reception oughta be interesting.

…huh, I just re-read that. No, I'm not gay. LOL