Ben-DutkaOkay, it doesn't seem possible that Christmas is less than two and a half months away, but that only means more games are coming. Lots more games. So let's talk…uh…games!
Do we REALLY need more PS1 remakes on the PSP?
Vagrant Story was a great game – easily one of the best ever – but is a remake for Sony's handheld something I want? Er, no. I understand giving a new generation of fans a chance to play one of the classics from yesteryear, and I also understand it's easier than remaking it for the PS3. But how many of these do we really need? The Ivalice Alliance has produced several memorable titles in the past, but I'm more interested in future games they're working on, not remakes of the past. And I know this is going to annoy PSP owners, but I'm really not interested in handheld gaming, and to see all these great remakes go portable…well, it's just frustrating. This is the reason why, if Square-Enix remade Final Fantasy VII for the PSP instead of the PS3, I'd have some kind of meltdown. Seriously. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near me if that happens, because I'll be breaking everything in sight.
There were a ton of awesome games on the PS1, and I really like the fact they're getting new life in a new generation. But damnit, either go the full way and put a remake on a next-gen console, or just focus on the future.
Stop whining, Gabe
Valve Software's Gabe Newell has been at it again , mercilessly slamming the PS3. This is something we've heard from him before – he hasn't stopped yammering about it all year, in fact – and you know what? We're pretty sick of it. The man has earned the right to speak his mind, of course, but he's just acting like a pouting adolescent. Every time I read his nonsense, it just always seems to translate to, "…waaaaaaah! I can't do it, so it sucks! Waaaaaah!" Clearly, they've had some issues with the PS3's hardware, and they're not the only ones, but it seems other developers are buckling down and working with it. Ninja Theory has been able to provide us with Heavenly Sword – a game with an unbelievable artistic and technical presentation – and first-party devs also seem to be churning out some good ones ( Warhawk , for example). Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction looks fantastic, and Epic has assured everyone that the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament III will be equal in quality to any other version.
Those are people that do their job. They work hard with what they're given, and while there's no doubt the PS3's architecture is complex, they don't stand at a podium and whine about it. So stop whining, Gabe. And if the PS3 is such a "waste of everybody's time," why the hell did you even bother with a PS3 version of The Orange Box ? Hypocritical to the max, if you ask me.
Anybody else psyched for TimeSplitters 4?
Yes indeed, I was plenty happy with Free Radical's TimeSplitters 4 unveiling, because I loved the last two. I never got the original game – it was a PS2 launch title, but I got Unreal Tournament instead – but I played and adored both TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect . They had great single-player campaigns and great multiplayer, but they also had silky smooth gameplay and kooky stories I very much enjoyed. I figured Free Radical would be doing a fourth one, but nothing is ever official until we see the announcement, right? I can't wait to hear more about this one, because it's already one of my most-wanted games…and yeah, it's yet another FPS on my list. The FPSs are all over the damn place, and TS4 is just the latest:
Haze , The Orange Box , Halo 3 , TimeShift , Soldier of Fortune: Payback , Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare , Enemy Territory: Quake Wars ; at this rate, I want 'em all! 🙂 But I'm just really stoked for TimeSplitters 4 , that's all.