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Ben’s Week In Review: February 20

So the big news is obvious; it can be found towards the end of our Killzone 3 review . But moving on…

Gotta get up for inFamous 2

For some reason, I just don't think there's enough hype and excitement for inFamous 2 . The original remains one of my favorite games of the generation – and boy, I didn't expect that – and based on what I've seen of the follow-up effort, Cole's new adventure will be even better. It's fantastic that we now have a release date ; I was starting to think we'd never see it. I noticed that some people around here said they actually wanted this one more than Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception …okay, that's a little bonkers but I can understand the frame of mind. inFamous was one of those games that got into your bloodstream; it was just so entertaining and so addictive, and in a completely different way than Uncharted . In all honesty, I think both inFamous 2 and Drake's new quest will be in the running for Game of the Year. That's hardly an exaggeration.

I think there's something about combining a superhero style with the Grand Theft Auto open-world setting. For some reason, it just works so unbelievably well . And did anyone read up on those Karma details ? It just sounds amazing.

Crytek sure is talking a lot

I don't really have anything against Crytek and I really hope Crysis 2 turns out to be an awesome game. I also have no problem with a studio promoting their product; with being confident about the title they've created. However, it just seems as if these guys are talking a little too much ; know what I mean? Based on the footage I've seen thus far, I can certainly understand that it required a lot of processing power but it doesn't come close to what I've seen of Uncharted 3 . Heck, it doesn't come close to Uncharted 2 , as far as I'm concerned. On that note, is it just me, or is there always a distinct lack of lushness and color in games produced by designers that are mostly PC oriented? They all seem to have these bland, washed out hues, and they all seem to be variations of silver, black or brown.

I've thought this for years. I'm not saying the visual presentations on PC are inferior – they certainly weren't in the '90s – but I'm just talking about the color . I've never seen the richness of an Uncharted in the PC realm, especially when it comes to shooters. That's all I'm saying. Or maybe it's just me.

Personal gaming update

Well, it's all about Killzone 3 right now, which is great. I won't talk much more about it; you can just read the review and wait for my commentary, which we'll record on Sunday. That ought to be more than enough, no? And yes, as you all have noticed by now, we have our PSXE YouTube Channel . Right now we just have a little teaser so we had something to go with the text review today, but more is to come. For the record, these will always be commentary; we're not replacing text reviews with video reviews. Most will also be available in 1080p, if you're so inclined.

But that's hardly the big news. We can't talk about that just yet but hopefully, you'll all know soon enough. It's sort of related to this unveiling but that's all we can tell you. For the future, you can probably expect our next video commentary when Dragon Age II arrives, but you never know…

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Riku994
Riku994
13 years ago

I would just like to say that I am the first subscriber to your Youtube Channel, and it feels damn good!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

A "First" comment you can be proud of 🙂

Oxvial
Oxvial
13 years ago

You tube channel seems like a right addition.

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
13 years ago

Hey, cool. PSXE now has faces to put to the words!

Nyenyway… inFamous was one of the titles that I latched onto as soon as I heard about it. I'm not sure why, but I was amped all along, and when I got it, it was even better than my expectations. Sure, Uncharted 2 is probably the best game that I've yet played, but inFamous was more fun. Sacrilege? Perhaps, but true. I'm sure that Uncharted 3 will blow me away yet again with epic scenes, great humour, greater gameplay and that rare emotional connection that I find with entertainment, but inFamous 2, I'm sure, is going to be my favourite game of the year when all is said and done.

Personal Update:
Ergon is outside my window putting the power line back up, so I hopefully won't have to hear the generator anymore tomorrow :D. Also, a hot shower for the first time in almost three weeks. Bless these people.
In gaming, there's not been a lot happening, just a little bit of VC2 and Dead Space, but nothing noteworthy.
Peace.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

A dragon handles your power? Wait that's Eragon.

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
13 years ago

LOL! Ergon Energy is one of the biggest electricity providers here in Aus.

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

Ergon sounds awfully close to Enron. LMAO

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
13 years ago

:O AWWWW Sh**! Hey, if the power goes out midway through a play session, what are the odds of data corruption, or PS3 destruction? Damnit, that's exactly why I've only played about two hours in the last two weeks.

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

I can't really answer the question, but it's safe to assume that any data (save game) being overwritten when the power goes down has a good chance of getting corrupted. The file would probably still be there but it cannot be read since it probably has incomplete information (or something). But if you are only playing the game and your save file is not being overwritten, then it has better chances of not getting corrupted.

I'd suggest you get yourself a UPS so that you have enough time to save your game in the event of a power outage. That should also protect your PS3/TV when the power fluctuates.


Last edited by ZettaiSeigi on 2/20/2011 12:27:59 AM

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
13 years ago

Thanks for the info and suggestions Zettai. I'll fire it up later tonight and hope for the best.

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

I'm officially your Subscriber #5. I had to change my profile photo though. The one I was using before was showing my entire face… and I'm shy. :-p Hahaha!!!

The news about the release date for inFamous 2 reminded me that I have to finish the first game soon. It's a shame I know, but that's what happens when you have a ton of games sitting there on your shelf waiting to be played. LOL Anyway, I'm definitely buying Infamous 2 and hope that it would be as successful (if not more) that its predecessor.


Last edited by ZettaiSeigi on 2/19/2011 10:13:05 PM

hellish_devil
hellish_devil
13 years ago

I've been playing a lot of Resonance of Fate, and I can say that the battle system is one of the most complex, engaging and rewarding I've come across in a game.

If anyone is interested in an inovative battle system (like what Valkyria Chronicles did) go out and buy this. It's really worth it. The graphics are great, the fighting has some really cool flashy movements, the character detail is high, and if you like challenges, even when figthing mobs 10 levels below you can get killed if you are careless. I'm 25 hours in, have my characters in lv 35-42, on Chapter 6.


Last edited by hellish_devil on 2/19/2011 10:11:26 PM

johnld
johnld
13 years ago

let me warn you now man. the change in difficulty from chapter 6 to chapter 7 is huge. i remember i leveled up my characters so much that i was destroying enemies easily. but right in chapter 7, i get my a$$ handed to me a lot.

unfortunately, i sold off my copy before i beaten it. i just needed money to get a game i really wanted. bad move on my part because i love that game but it was the only game i had that traded in at 20 bucks. I'll buy it again when it gets cheaper though.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

I didn't get very far into Resonance, if it had a more traditional world style maybe I could deal with the crazy battle system but I was hoping it would be something that it was not. Tried to sell my copy but no takers. Maybe I'll wait until it is a rare commodity.

Jawknee
Jawknee
13 years ago

I hope inFamous 2 sees the sales it deserves. I preordered the Hero Edition for Amazon. So I am throwing my support behind the game and Sucker Punch. inFamous remains one of my favorite games this gen and there's no doubt the 2nd game is going to kick ass.

Crytek does talk too much. I'd be more inclined to listen if they'd proven themselves before. Yea they make a nice looking PC game but from what I gather most of the people I know who played it thought the actual game outside the graphics was just "okay". If you listen to Crytek, you'd get the impression they are God's gift to console gamers even though they haven't a single game to prove they know what they are doing on consoles. From the demo Crysis 2 looks decent(aside from the lack luster art design, and as Ben said color) but no way in hell is it going to stand up to PS3 exclusives.

Just started Dead Space 2 last night. Already on chapter 5. Good game though I don't find myself as nervous as I was when I played the first game. Also, it doesn't really feel like a new game. More like Dead Space 1.5. A friend of mine owed me money so he just bought me a copy of Marvel vs Capcom 3(think I would have rather had the money but oh well)so I'll be diving into that soon enough. Played it for a few minutes, so far it's just okay. Like Tatsunoko vs Capcom 2.0. Which I loved but I was expecting A LOT more considering this is a HD console release where as Tatusnoko vs Capcom is on Wii. Capcom really dumbed their Versus series down to please the twitchy casuals. Another nail in Capcom's coffin. Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2 still reign supreme.

Woohoo! Only 2 more days until Killzone 3!


Last edited by Jawknee on 2/19/2011 10:12:06 PM

Oxvial
Oxvial
13 years ago

I also own MvsC3 and kind of feel buyers remorse =p, I just expected more.

Jawknee
Jawknee
13 years ago

That's usually the way it is with Capcom this gen.

The Developer of Buyers Remorse.

EDIT: There also rumblings around the interwebs that hackers found code for additional characters on the disc that Capcom axed at the last minute. Jill, Shuma Gorath(I know Jill and Shuma were apart of the Spec Ed), Frank West, Doctor Octopus etc. Expect to see keys on PSN for $4.99 each to unlock the characters that are already on the disc.


Last edited by Jawknee on 2/19/2011 10:30:12 PM

Oxvial
Oxvial
13 years ago

LOL, well SSF4 may be the best game Capcom gonna release this gen imo , I can see myself still playing that one and Blazblue.

Unlike those two this gonna collect dust in a couple of months, at least I didn't buy the CE like I planned xD.

EDIT: You know whats the worse?…this doesn't surprise me, I expect that of capcom.


Last edited by Oxvial on 2/19/2011 10:34:17 PM

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

I am not that familiar with all the Marvel characters nor with those from Capcom, but I think I'd enjoy this. However, I don't think I'll be getting Marvel vs Capcom 3 right away. Aside from still having a lot of (better) games to catch up on, I am also not discounting the likely possibility of an "upgraded" version of this game. This is from Capcom anyway. I'm sure I'd eventually find this game with all additional stuff and for a cheaper price.

johnld
johnld
13 years ago

i think jill and shuma gorath were preorder bonuses. i think i'm passing on mvc3 until its below 20. i'm really disappointed in the character roster and since the game is a capcom game, i know they'll release the characters i wanted that should be on the disc for a not so fair price.

maybe i'll just wait for super marvel vs capcom 3 where all the "DLC" would be on the disc. ohh and when i mean by "on disc" is that the dlc would be free because we all know the characters are already on disc right now, just locked.

Oxvial
Oxvial
13 years ago

Jill and Suma Gorath aren't a pre order bonus..they are on the 69.99 CE.

20 bucks?!? …the game isn't that bad! ..but again there's a bunch of good games coming so yes better wait.


Last edited by Oxvial on 2/19/2011 11:01:11 PM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

I have to disagree on Dead Space 2, everything is improved and the additions feel very sequelish to me.

Jawknee
Jawknee
13 years ago

I don't know. Maybe its the distraction of the crying baby that's pulling me out of the moment. 🙂

I do love the ability to use the Necromorphs blades against them with the Kinesis tool.

johnld
johnld
13 years ago

yeah, fighting games arent a big must get for me this gen unlike the ps2 generation. i hate playing online because the smallest lag ruins the game for me. and i moved to vegas away from the usual people i played marvel vs capcom 2 with. fighting games are always better when you're playing with people in the same room. the way i see it, i'm not in a rush for fighting games now so i can wait till their real cheap. tekken 6 went down to 20 bucks so fast i feel stupid for buying it for 40 bucks. yeah, i already saved 20 bucks but i couldve saved 40. since i'm running low on cash, my priority shifted to shooters with online (more bang for my buck) which isnt a problem because the ones i buy are great quality anyway. single player experiences, fighting, and rpgs kinda have to take a hit since im in no rush to get them. especially now that i can take a pass on upcoming final fantasy games till theyre cheap.

MyWorstNightmar
MyWorstNightmar
13 years ago

Jawk, if the baby is crying so much, from one dad to another, you should probably not let her watch you play Dead Space 2. She's only a couple months old man. =)

Jawknee
Jawknee
13 years ago

Ha!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

Jawknee you just gave me a flashback to Max Payne, where you're walking this impossibly thin trail of blood and your freakin dead baby keeps crying. GOD I hated that part!

Temjin001
Temjin001
13 years ago

"So I am throwing my support behind the game and Sucker Punch."

And Jawknee if you felt like throwing in even MORE support, I'd be more than happy to receive a copy of the game as well 😉

JDC80
JDC80
13 years ago

Personal Gaming Update: Finally I beat RDR:Undead Nightmare and managed to send the game back in time to gamefly to clear up space for "Killzone 3" so GF will be shipping me Killzone 3 Monday. Beat "Mass Effect 2" Shepard hooked up with Jack and Tali. Going to replay it because I want that no one left behind gold trophy and I need to pick up another team member.

So World if you still haven't hook up your Shepard do whatever Tali tells you to do regarding her father in her loyalty mission and talk to her right after the mission.


Last edited by JDC80 on 2/19/2011 10:38:56 PM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

Thanks for the tip man, I'll be sure to do that. I'll have some ME time tonight and tomorrow. It's too bad I can't put the boots to all the ladies 😉

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

If you don't mind me butting in, what's with that tip with Tali for? My Shepard is not yet "hitched" with any other character, so…

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

My Shepard just pounded Jack, or rather the other way around. Kasumi had some funny things to say about it too. That's entertainment.

Gordo
Gordo
13 years ago

I ended up with Tali. Had to make a choice between her and Miranda (had pissed Jack off previously by siding with Miranda).

I just have to say that I loved the final mission or two! The feelings you have for your characters are intense. Having been that involved in a play session since Heavy Rain.

Will now have to play it again to get with Miranda.

It's definately a two or three play game!

Dreno
Dreno
13 years ago

Sweet deal, psxe on youtube. I'm gonna have to subsribe. Nothing better than the most awesome playstation site in video meow.

@oxvial I've only played the wally-world demo for MvsC3, and never played any of them before unless it was the arcade version, but from what I played I liked it. So did my gal and that's saying something. May have to get it when the price drops fer we have a game to play together.

Anyways, personal gamming update, I'm playing two worlds 2 right now, and its pretty ligit. Kinda reminds me of oblivion if it were to breed with demons souls. But that could be just me. So far its a pretty good rpg, not too far into it and just tried online last night. I digs it. But ill only be doin online til my gal and I get our place and don't have internet… but that's cool with me. Peace all.

Oxvial
Oxvial
13 years ago

Just saying play the demo of MvsC2 on the psn that's a better game, but perhaps the 2D graphs aren't your cup of tea.

MvsC3 isn't a bad game but I didn't like it much.


Last edited by Oxvial on 2/19/2011 10:45:16 PM

Temjin001
Temjin001
13 years ago

Infamous was already great and Infamous 2 looks undoubtedly better. For some reason I'm feeling Infamous 2 will impress me more than Uncharted 3. Mostly because I think the Infamous series is still growing into the shoes it's made for itself, whereas Uncharted already accomplished that feat with it's last outing (shoes, feat, get it? =p).

I'm super stoked for KZ3. The demo has been nothing short of a technical marvel. I'm a sucker for such types. Even my DF friends are singing praises to it. So much so they subtly refuted the meager 8/10 their host CVG gave it.

I still remember years ago the killer E3 2005 trailer for KZ. While some thought KZ2 was on par with it, I couldn't fully admit to it. Artistically, GG managed to make a more interesting looking presentational design, but under closer examination it was pretty apparent that texture work, particle effects, hair, and polygonal complexity were a good notch higher in the E3 video.
Amazingly, this KZ3 demo is remarkably much closer to what I saw those many years ago. So much so, I feel Sony has mostly delivered on that promise. Even closer than I would've thought possible. With 4x the texture resolution of KZ2 a person can easily spot the individual fibers of cloth and see much more intricate detail. Maps appear even larger and fuller than before. There's so many improvements across the board. Granted, the grain filter is gone and so is the unique per-pixel motion blur, but in it's place is a host of other great upgrades. I'm impressed.

PGU: I've been spending a lot of time with T6 and my new joystick. It's good stuff. I've also been spending a little time with GT5.


Last edited by Temjin001 on 2/19/2011 10:35:58 PM

johnld
johnld
13 years ago

infamous 2 and crysis 2, definitely picking them up. but as my wallet is crying out, theyre not day 1 purchase anymore. my day 1s this year is killzone 3, uncharted 3, and yakuza 4(kmart is giving away 10 dollar rewards point plus yakuza 3, i hope its not a digital copy though).

pgu: i finished my entire backlog in the last month, about 7 games. last game was star ocean and i loved it. after ff13, i needed this. i'm kinda pissed that they took out new game+ out of the ps3 version. now i dont have any intention of playing it again, at least for now. enslaved was great but castlevania blew in my opinion. i loved the story in enslaved but nothing about castlevania made me want to keep playing it other than finishing the story. starting play uncharted 2 again with jawknee and ganwars, i dont know why i stopped playing online.

i also started to play sports champions again. i got 3 stars on everything in table tennis except for the last person on gold. i swear that guy is cheating. that guy does crazy spins on the ball, seems to get every ball, and always aimed for the bottom of my paddle and consistently hits it. also those weak serves that for some reason i couldnt hit. it pisses me off but i just cant let it go, i have to beat him now.

PasteNuggs
PasteNuggs
13 years ago

I can't wait for the upcoming video commentaries. Also, Infamous 2 is definitely a d1p for me.

PGU: I finished Castlevania and World you were right about after the credits, a great twist. Since then I've haven't been playing too much. Just a little GT5 here and there when I have had time this week. I did start Dead Space 2 tonight and so far it's pretty awesome.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
13 years ago

You're 100% correct about the use of color. That's one of the things that I've always felt has been the case with games from PC oriented devs who moved to consoles. It's almost as if they think that if the game is supposed to be 'realistic' it has to have a washed out palette of grey, brown and muted tones of green, broken up by the occasional splash of red of course. Whatever, all I can say is that is one of the things I never liked about PC gaming.

Personal gaming update.

Hyperdimension Neptunia arrived today, and as yet I haven't touched it because I'm *this* close (holds fingers close together) to finishing what I want to in WKC and if I stop now, I'll never finish.

As soon as I get into Neptunia, I'll see about doing a review of some kind for the user reviews.

Oh, yeah, YouTube channel, Coolness. I'e sub'd to it too. Gotta keep up with the *only* reliable news source for PlayStation – outside of Sony that is…


Last edited by TheHighlander on 2/19/2011 11:12:27 PM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

I'd like to see that Neptunia review of yours. Looking forward to the Ar Tonelico review here too.

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

Maybe you should do video reviews too, Highlander. LOL

tes37
tes37
13 years ago

I got my copy of Hyperdimension Neptunia also, but I have a couple of games going right now, so I'm waiting until I've finished with them first. I'm leaving it sealed for now and the cards probably won't ever get opened.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
13 years ago

Zettai,

Although I might inflict my voice on some, I'd never inflict my image upon the world, there are some things best left unseen….LOL!

Worlds

Ar Tonelico Qoga is on pre-order with NISA, so it will be here not long after launch. I opted for the premium pack, but not the one with the calendar. Although the Neptunia playing cards are a nice novelty to have, I might have to see whether I can change my order to include the calendar now.

@tes,

LOL! Well, I opened the cards already, I'm a de-boxer, I just can't abide leaving things in the shrink wrap still to be played with.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 2/19/2011 11:29:58 PM

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

@Highlander: I'm in no position to comment, but who cares? Maybe you can do something a little like what Ben did on the teaser above. Just show the hands while you're playing the game while commenting on it at the same time.

Oh wait, I've seen a lot of that in YouTube and most of them are junk. LOL

tes37
tes37
13 years ago

I pre-ordered Ar Tonelico Qoga from NISA too. I like being able to order straight from the publisher, especially games with limited run items included.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
13 years ago

Agreed tes, I much prefer being able to pre-order direct from NISA. I hate the pro-order thing with GameStop and all that, I'd rather that the publisher see the maximum return anyway since they and the developers are the ones that put the work in (especially companies like NISA localizing games too). So by purchasing direct, I feel like I am maximizing the benefit they gain from my business.

ZettaiSeigi
ZettaiSeigi
13 years ago

I did the same thing when I pre-ordered my copy of Sakura Wars: So Long My Love for the PS2. I placed my order through RosenQueen and got the limited edition artbook with it.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
13 years ago

Hmmmm.

Must have offended a few PC gamers….in that case, let's go for broke and really get their goat.

PC gaming is dead, and deserves that death. The constant upgrade cycle is bleeding people dry. At least with my PS3 there's no upgrade cycle, and all that I've had to buy apart from an HDD replacement for more capacity, is a new controller. Other than that, all my gaming money went on games. Not on video cards, RAM upgrades or a new CPU.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
13 years ago

I'm gonna preorder the Hero edition of i2, it will be my first special edition. Must… have… that… pack…

KZ3 is gonna have to be something I get around to despite its assured awesomeness because of all the games I gotta play first and the ever looming time constraints.

Right now I'm playing Dead Space 2 (Thanks entirely to PSXE member BeezleDrop) and Mass Effect 2. The mission to help out Liara has been the best so far, wish the whole game was like that. Oh yeah and I bought Monster Hunter Freedom for PSP, haven't gotten into it yet but looking forward to it. Why is Capcom scared to bring MH to PS3?

I signed up to the PSXE youtube as fast as humanly possible. A great idea that is to have video commentary and not review that way. I have no respect for video reviews. So there's more bigness coming to PSXE huh? Bigger than my presence? We'll see.

And I bought a bowler hat today 🙂 Love my hats.

Temjin001
Temjin001
13 years ago

As for the PC gaming color thing, I dunno. When I think of many of my last fav games on PC, I think of Warcraft 3 (colorful), Far Cry (tropical paradise) Half Life 2 (HL2 does use a lot of neutral tones) and Oblivion (it varied according to the segment of the world you were in. It was sometimes beautiful with lush colorful vegetation and sunsets and other times drab, brown and dark while lurking underground caves).

As for popular games I don't care about: Sims and Spore. Those both seemed colorful.

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