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PSN: Most Innovative Titles Of This Generation?

When I first laid eyes on the PlayStation Store, I saw the potential…but not much else. Granted, it was launch day for the PlayStation 3, but I had still wanted a bit more, and I never really expected it to produce games I'd be tempted to purchase. Like most gamers, I just wanted the best of the best, which typically took the form of $60 blockbuster releases. I figured the little downloadable titles on the Network just wouldn't appeal to me, and I hadn't anticipated a change of heart. Now, several years later, I find myself anxiously awaiting the next set of games. How strange is this ?

Yes, LittleBigPlanet is immensely innovative and other titles so far, like Mirror's Edge , have taken great strides in terms of creativity and originality. But if you want to play something entirely different, you really gotta head onto the PSN. It all started with flOw and in my mind, has recently hit yet another plateau with this past week's release of Flower . thatgamecompany is a team that demands your attention, even if they don't generate the kind of hype reserved for games like Killzone 2 and Resident Evil 5 . They rely entirely on ingenuity, and if we're being honest with ourselves, that's extraordinarily difficult to do. There's a certain level of artistic accomplishment, somehow fused with a fluid, unique gameplay experience that separates their games from the rest of the pack.

But the "rest of the pack" on the PSN ain't too shabby. Wipeout HD , while not necessarily "innovative," remains one of the best games out there – downloadable or otherwise – and really, there has always been a semblance of originality to that franchise. Then there's echochrome , which nearly warped the mind with its amazingly awesome concept. Who didn't first see that game and say something along the lines of, "holy SH**, this is fantastic!" That exclamation may have switched to, "er…fantastically difficult" in a few minutes time, but you can't argue against the premise. We've also had the likes of Cuboid (just a solid, engaging puzzler) and Magic Ball (simple, yet highly entertaining and even addictive), and despite its flaws, there isn't a human soul amongst us who didn't get a twisted laugh out of PAIN . And what about downloadable games based on full productions; Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty , for example, was excellent, just like all other entries in that series.

We haven't yet had the chance to take a look at Linger in Shadows , but we imagine it emphasizes the greatness of artistic interactivity in much the same way Flower does. And yes, I'm well aware of other games on the Xbox Live Marketplace, but you may not have noticed, we cover the PlayStation platform here. The point is, you can hop online and find a surprising number of great games, and perhaps even more shocking is the fact that many of them are wonderfully unique. Maybe developers need a smaller canvas to flex their creative muscle, if that makes any sense at all. Maybe they're given more license to try new things; I don't know exactly the reason, but it seems as if every major PSN update delivers something fresh and new. Therefore, for everyone whining about a lack of innovation, they have clearly never bothered to peruse the Store. Seriously, this is being written by someone who never once believed he'd take any significant interest in any PSN-oriented title.

I've definitely had a change of heart. How about you?

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NightHawk17
NightHawk17
15 years ago

Definitely more innovative, i mean have you seen Fat Princess?

I want that game sooo bad

ps92117
ps92117
15 years ago

yet nobody gives credit. its ok though we have it is all that matters

Aftab
Aftab
15 years ago

I know, really? Before, most sites use to complain about the scarcity of content. Now that there is content, and wonderfully so, they've been silenced and that's it. Nothing to say.

MirrorSoul
MirrorSoul
15 years ago

The PSN has given gamers a good well deserved break from all the gore and violence with games such as Echocrome, Flower, Flow, Cuboid ,and the wide Collection of PixelJunk Games. While LIVE dose off more in quantity it plays ripoff (Uno) in a way without originality which it needs.

PSN is a more player endowed experience to play games of a new kind and wide array. as for me I am buying Savage Moon and Flower tonigt lol.
**BTW** What Genre would Flower be in???


Last edited by MirrorSoul on 2/13/2009 11:02:35 PM

SHADOW
SHADOW
15 years ago

Flower doesn't fit into genres. Genres fit into flower.

Aftab
Aftab
15 years ago

Hey Shadow, where've you been, my esoteric friend?

SHADOW
SHADOW
15 years ago

I've ben busy. I usually haven't had time to make a bunch of comments. I've been on the forums occasionally though.

SHADOW
SHADOW
15 years ago

Please don't ever include Cuboid in a list of "innovative titles" it's a straight rip-off of the flash game bloxorz. Unique to consoles? sure. Innovative? not even a snowball's chance in hell. http://www.bloxorzgame.com/

Im The Man
Im The Man
15 years ago

innovative already has a definition. you cant make one up

MirrorSoul
MirrorSoul
15 years ago

Sorry didn't know Shadow lol

SHADOW
SHADOW
15 years ago

FF: please explain to me how the hell you can define "innovative" and and not come to the conclusion that Cuboid can't be described as such. Innovation means doing something new. Cuboid is almost the SAME game as bloxorz. The similarities are actually eery.

End of line
End of line
15 years ago

Gotta love Eden, i know i do.

KevinCairo
KevinCairo
15 years ago

Is it me or is PixelJunk Eden highly underrated?

Cpt_Geez
Cpt_Geez
15 years ago

Magic ball and SFHD are my favorites right now but II can't wait for kung fu rag dolls and fat princess by the way is there a demo for flower II want to try it out before II buy it.

fundando
fundando
15 years ago

There is lots of good stuff on psn. Most innovative of this gen.. meh

Schmitty
Schmitty
15 years ago

Ben, its a shame that now u have to explan the site is for sony every time u give an opinon so that people dont mininterpret u talking about ps3 as dissing xbox


Last edited by Schmitty on 2/14/2009 1:11:54 AM

Norman D
Norman D
15 years ago

it's so great! I love the fact that Sony being the big huge company it is, is supporting all these innovative, artistic and amazing games 😀
I wasn't sure for a long time but I went ahead and downloaded Everyday Shooter, flOw (+expansion), echochrome, Linger in Shadows and a couple others as well as Flower today 🙂
they're all so unique and amazing that I've been playing just downloaded games for the past couple weeks, which is surprising because I've been anticipating Killzone 2 so much that I play the demo three times a day. I can't wait for more, and thatgamecompany is definitely an innovator and an artistic one at that

Zorigo
Zorigo
15 years ago

they are supporting a lot of indie small time devs, aka bedroom devs. there was a huge feature in Play about the indie scene on the psn. had a look at some new games coming out. looking good.

Zorigo
Zorigo
15 years ago

well in my opinion, yes it is the most innovative. how many blurays, let alone multiplats can compete with the innovation of the indie scene the psn has. mirror's edge and lbp and that's about it really, the psn has flower flow echochrome pixeljunk series and a whole host of others. all cheap and cheerful. whilst they don't hold the interest of A* titles like KZ2, MGS4 or LBP, they are very well made, all highly rated and all worth their low price tag.

Silk
Silk
15 years ago

What about those PS3Eye games?

Random_Steve
Random_Steve
15 years ago

i'm just buying flower at this very minute.

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
15 years ago

XBL is all past Arcade or Japanese niche indie games.

PSN is is pure new games/experiences.


Last edited by Scarecrow on 2/14/2009 2:43:05 PM

Lemon_Saint
Lemon_Saint
15 years ago

PAIN induced mental vomiting. It's still the only full game I downloaded that I removed from my hard drive after three weeks. Parasitic Mb goblin.

Echochrome, Linger in Shadows, and Flower are amazing titles. Even Cash Guns Chaos, (while not in the slightest bit innovative as it is a direct, shoddy rip-off), is a decent, no-brainer twitch fest.

dveisalive
dveisalive
15 years ago

FLOWER RULES!

GuernicaReborn
GuernicaReborn
15 years ago

SuperStardust is still my favorite PSN game. I know there are others out there who feel the same.

Wolfmaster
Wolfmaster
15 years ago

even though there are several games on the psn that you might want to buy, you really need to be carefull when you do.
Because if it does not down load. you are screwed,because the people at the psn don't give a crap if you get what you paid for or not , just as long as they get your money.
Been there done that not again. So you guys be carefull when you buy.

hart_attack
hart_attack
15 years ago

can't you go to recent downloads and just download it again?

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
15 years ago

Yeah, once you buy it, it's in the recent download list if your connection screws up or something. Don't worry about it.

Lemon_Saint
Lemon_Saint
15 years ago

I have had problems with only one game in the past, (Hot Shots Golf for PSOne). The power up bar doesn't register correctly at all, (usually hitting 25% before or after where I hit it). I contacted PSN to see about a refund …

yeah, right …..

They informed me of their "no refund" clause, which is understandable given it is a digital download and should have the same refund properties as a regular game … but still, it doesn't work! How can this be justified?

Deadman
Deadman
15 years ago

Like someone else said PJ's Eden is another inovative title also Lumines was out long ago on the PSP but the one on PSN is pretty cool its how I undwind after a hard battle in SOCOM, and I'm also digging PJ's Monsters even though the tower defense games are old the stlye is really cool But not sure about Flower inovative yeah but looks like an over priced Linger In Shadows

Wolfmaster
Wolfmaster
15 years ago

hay ben I tried that, infact I was on the phone with their tech people for almost two hours, and we still could not get it to down load. And I have bought other games on psn with no problem, but this time there was a problem. And now I am out 9.99 and have no game. However if anyone has an idea on something else I can try, please feel free.

opsdaddy
opsdaddy
15 years ago

Wolfmaster, I feel your pain. When SSHD first came out, I downloaded the demo, and knew I had to have it. So I purchased the game from within the demo, it downloaded fine and I had a ball. That is, until my son logged in to play it. It reverted to a demo for him. So, I deleted his user data, and downloaded it again. Same result.

Long story longer, I spent an hour on Sony's help line, trying everything they suggested until I finally deleted MY user data and re-download the game again. Life was good again.

That is, until the SSHD "team" update was released. Believe it or not, I relived precisely the same nightmare, but at least that time I knew what to do about it. The moral of this story is never to purchase any game from within a demo; go directly to the store instead. It could save you a good deal of heartache.


Last edited by opsdaddy on 2/16/2009 12:37:39 AM

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