Category Archives: playstation 3

Dead Rising 2 Review: Loving the Massacre!

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Dead Rising 2 is just one of those games that never tires even after a repeated playthrough. At writing, I am currently starting into my second run and I am still finding new things to do within the game! There are multiple gameplay choices and even more crazy and whacky ways to cull the gen pop of zombies. Despite taking my time to discover as many weapon combinations as possible in the first run, I realized that I had only barely scratched the surface of possible weapon combinations after checking the web. Furthermore, almost everything you get your hands on can be used to fend off the zombie horde. Obviously guns do better than most weapons, but where’s the fun in that?

I’ve never played the first Dead Rising but the unique aspect of the game would be a timer that counts down for various objectives in game. While the macro objective would be to save your daughter and clearing your name, you do not really need to adhere to the story in order to complete the game. There is no real game over to the game, except succumbing to zombies, just that the ending you receive may be less than ideal. The timed aspect may be a downer for some but as you progress in the game, you realize that the opportunity of explore presents itself from the second time round. So, the fun really gets to start from the second run onwards.

The most quirky feature of Dead Rising 2 would be the weapon crafting system. Ever wondered how well a blade attached at the end of a broom does against zombies? Dead Rising 2 gives you the opportunity to test various weapons out on the poor zombies. While some weapons fare better than other and some are in game just for pure comic entertainment, an element of strategy appears when you have limited inventory space which curbs the urge to stock pile various weapons at the same time. Each weapon has a limited amount of uses as well. So, it is equally important to scavenge for weapon parts along the way before you end up having to melee zombies with your fists. Thankfully, over the course of the game, as you level up more inventory slots open up, giving the player to rain down even more pain to bust zombie brains.

Like many zombie games, the bulk of the enemies would be the grey matter gobbling risen but in most part, the evil masters and the hands at work are devious humans. All the ‘bosses’ that you would meet in game are not some form of zombie brethren but a crazy sapien who took the opportunity of the apocalypse to wreck some havoc on their own. I’ll have to say that while each boss fight is avoidable, they are all unique and have varied attack mechanics. While some are really cheap, it brings an immense amount of satisfaction when you are able to figure out their attack pattern and finally down the boss. No doubt my love for such forms of boss fights hails from Mega Man, where no boss encounter is as simple as it seems and patience wins the day. As far as the generic variety of enemies go, all of the zombies are a push over. If you have played the earlier versions of Resident Evil, you will find it more of a chore to cull the population and would eventually prefer to rush past them as you navigate towards the in-game objectives.

My one and only gripe of this game would be the immense amount of load times to be found. As the game is split up into various zones of casino mall, you would have to encounter load screens in between. While games like Mafia II and GTA are able to preload each section before you come to it, the load screens found within Dead Rising 2 put a damper to gameplay sessions especially if you are unable to invest long stretches of gametime. Despite installing the game, the loads are too much for my liking.

Dead Rising 2 is one game that you have to pick up to try on the next generation console. Unlike the other zombie game (Left 4 Dead) you pretty much can take your own time to do things at your own leisure as compared to running from point A to B in a frenzied fashion, which is a good change. The high replay value and the ability to have a partner hop in and out in game makes an already hilarious session even more fun with an added player to wreck more havoc!

By the way, Chuck Green’s chin reminds me too much of Batman, anyone noticed?

The game is now out in store! Available for both PS3 and Xbox 360.

First game play took roughly 17 hours. Rank S ending achieved. Purchased copy from store for review purposes.

Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com


Front Mission Evolved: First Print, Engrish Edition

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Our eagle eye Fabian spotted this mistake.

Looks pretty normal from the back…

But take a closer look at the bottom!

Check out the language section. Spell check fail.

By the way, this game looks awesome and is already in our store!

Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com

F1 2010 Hits The True Next-Gen Consoles, Singapore Night Race Included!

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Apart from the Need for Speed series that went the ‘realistic’ route for Shift, many console owners have been hungering for a proper racer, Playstation 3 owners especially, and what better license to release on the week of the Singapore GP. No better timing than to be released ahead of the racing juggernaut that is Gran Turismo 5.

Unlike the edition released on the Nintendo Wii, the 2010 edition of F1 has been fully developed by Codemasters, makers of the ever popular Dirt series. And with Codemasters at the helm, every racing genre game that they make seems to turn into pure gold, and early review scores seem to suggest the same.

I’m not a big racing fan myself, I prefer more racing combat affairs ala Mario Kart / Wipeout, but I am blown away graphically by what I have seen for the game thus far.

F1 2010 is not just a pure racing game. Inclement weather plays a big factor on the gameplay and in order to stay ahead of the competition, required tyre changes are essential. Arcade racing takes a back seat and such key features are not only expected with next-gen gaming but compulsory. The strategy does not end on the track as well. As the driver for a team you have to take part in the soap opera of man and machine. Think WWE but with cutting edge racing equipment. But it’s funny that you have to beat your own team mate to get upgrades for your car, why can’t we have the technical espionage option? That would really stir things up!

One thing that appears to be missing from the early reviews would be how an underdog can come up tops, would you be limited by the power of your vehicle or the skill of the driver? Why the answer might be obvious, F1 is more about human skill and control and if the big boys constantly wipe the competition (which I forsee on higher difficulties) just because they possess a more powerful vehicle, where is the fun in that?

Let’s hope that the game is able to cut it’s teeth maneuvering the corners more than simply just delivering on the straightaway. My only gripe? Where’s the crowd? But aside from that, I’m really looking forward to racing in our very own Singapore Formula 1 Night Race!

When is the game released? It’s already in store!

Playstation Move Ad Pokes at Mii

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It does not get more obvious then this advertisement who Sony is trying to diss.

The Move appears to be selling like hotcakes at the moment with many many places going out of stock of bundles, the Sports Champion bundle especially.

Is the shortage genuine or are we, in Singapore, seeing a lack of priority once again, or is it another tool that Sony is trying to drum up the hype for their new hardware ala Apple and their iPad.

Right now, for us, the best deal of the day would be grabbing a Kung Fu Rider bundle together with Start the Party for a combined total of $254 which is a not half bad of a deal.

Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com

Mafia II Review: It Ain’t Easy Being Made

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After blasting my way through Mafia II as if I had a Pitbull on my rear, I’ll have to say that it was a very ‘different’ kind of mob themed game. Being different has many connotations but the good thing is that Mafia II comes out on the right end of the stick and does almost ever Steps To Get Your Ex Back With You ything right.

It’s easy to draw comparisons between this title, GTAIV or even Red Dead Redemption. 2K has a whole stable of 3rd person free roam titles in perhaps every setting imaginable that would work out. That being said, Mafia II does try very hard to stand out from the crowd and stand out it does.

The very first thing that I noticed upon firing up the game was that every character was supported by a top notch voice actor. There is much emphasis on how well a game should look these days but when you are trying to set out to craft the perfect story, you do need to have the powerful backing of a solid voice acting cast, and Mafia II is not skinny on this department. Every character has a distinctive vibe to himself and the cast allows their personality to shine through. Anyone who has watched a mob movie or tv series knows that it takes hard work to create the characters that have made the Italian gangster a compelling character to portray and the benchmark is there to be met. The voice actors behind Vito and gang have easily met the mark and surpassed it. It took me a rather long time to realize that in video games, the voice actors pretty much carry the weight of the entire game other than the gameplay itself. Although a more complete package would ultimately do better, it’s memorable lines that gives players something more to carry on. Remember how the mannerisms of Duke Nukem have done so well to last through the years?

Graphically, I didn’t notice any grass missing as I was too busy zipping around in my car most of the time but apart from the greenery, the game does dusk beautifully. The weird thing is that I noticed the sunset after it’s rays shone out from behind the buildings and made driving during such set pieces a chore. As I was on turbo mode pretty much for most of the game, maybe you could tell me if there are actual night-day cycles within the game. If not, take your foot off the accelerator and take the time to enjoy seeing the sun set. Overall, this game is very pretty and with no noticeable frame rate drops or clipping which plagues many of these games. The attention to detail in Mafia II is top notch as every locale that you visit throughout the game is filled with every imaginable possibility. The streets and stairways have litter giving Empire Bay the semblance of a real functioning city. No wall is just a wall, and for that I guess it’s a hats off to GTA for that.

Other than dialogue and graphics, it all boils down to how easy it is to put a trigger to someone’s head. If GTA was the wild west, I’d say Empire Bay is pretty much the safest city in video games. The whole damn city is crawling with cops and it is as if the city has a sixth sense to know if you are about to commit a crime. In certain set pieces in which you would need to jack a car to get away, there would be a copper lurking around the corner just to catch you in the action to make matters worse. Give me a break already! On the flip side, the law enforcement is also not the brightest AI to be found in the game. They see speeding as a bigger crime and when someone rear ends you, the blame falls on your head; weird! Beating a red light however, is forgivable. All the brains must really have gone to the families than into law enforcement.

Gunplay in Mafia II is the most enjoyable that I’ve ever had in a long time. Weapons and ammo are supremely abundant. If you find yourself running out of bullets, you probably are a terrible shot. The game allows you to focus on gunning wiseguys down rather than holding up stores to fund the ammo that is used during missions. The biggest gripe that I have with combat sequences is that the AI has the uncanny ability to shoot at you despite the player being behind cover. On many occasions, I’ve been shot on while taking cover behind a wall and the enemies are on the same level as I am with no clear line of sight. I’m not expecting Gears of War kind of cover but this is absurd. Overall, not much complaints though as the shotgun is one overpowered weapon in your arsenal with it’s accuracy and power even at very long distances. A minus point for realism purists.

Like many reviews before this, many of you might have noticed that the strong selling point of this game would be it’s powerful narrative. It’s true, this game is one of better ones that I have tried of all the games that have come out this year. In comparison to Heavy Rain, Mafia II is right about there. The only problem is that there is a lack of character development and the amount of time you spend with each cast member is rather short. This aspect could have easily been fleshed out with more side missions but the devs decided that a more linear path would serve the game better, which I have to agree to a certain extent. Many games these days seem to want to add plenty of value to extend the playtime but usually at the expense of the main story. Even GTA IV suffered from this (btw I’ve never completed GTA). With so much to do and so little time, you do get a sensation of aspects of the game being tacked on and long drawn which adds to the fatigue that obstructs you from completion.

For Mafia II, it’s pretty much the same story with other 3rd person free roams – dude asks your PC to do something and you get things done. Sadly, not much change here, but I’d like to see PCs have a bigger decision factor in the main storyline which is why Heavy Rain did very well with it’s multiple paths. Anyway, in Empire Bay it’s very much you getting Vito to do his task in the fastest manner possible to move forward the story which thankfully does not make the player spend too much time commuting from one end of the city to another. A big problem with games of such nature.  I’d have to commend Mafia II for getting the right mix of action, commuting and dialogue  at a perfectly measured amount.

Trust me, the entire storyline is really different from what we have been fed on by the media and it’s a real step apart.

Review copy for the PS3 was provided courtesy of Take2Asia.

Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com

More: Steps To Get Your Ex Back With You

Playstation Move: Bundles Assessed

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Continuing our Playstation Move coverage (sorry no big Wii news, nor do I own a Xbox 360 to check out the Kinect) lets check out what you think would be most suitable for a first day purchase.

All bundles are the same for the core accessories. You have the Playstation Eye, the Move and a Starter Disc (Demos). What differs from bundle to bundle would be the game that comes along with it. And only one bundle has not has it’s price and release date announced, the Time Crisis: Razing Storm bundle. The rest are pretty much SRP SGD$139 across the board.

Kung Fu Rider

I won’t be touching on the Sports Champions package as it pretty much is a turbo charged version of Wii Sports, so if you liked what you see and played on the Wii, it should be the first pick.

My impression from the videos I’ve seen online about Kung Fu Rider is that it is the weakest of the lot. Such games that have you to point left and right to steer gives you very poor overall control. Thankfully, you don’t steer by twisting the wrist.

I can’t say outright it’s bad as I’m basing this purely on the gameplay videos. How it handles in a user’s hand is a totally different matter.

Verdict: Sit on the fence with this one.

Start the Party

Party games are always good. Because they never try to be too serious, they usually get away with poor controls and it’s still fun with the crowd, just that your ultra competitive guest may fling the controller at the screen for performing poorly with his precise movements compared to the wild flailing of everyone else.

More people enjoying a game is better than one or two sulking gamers right?

Notice at the edges of the screen it takes a fair amount of effort to get the motion right. Could be a problem if it is not rectified on launch.

What Nintendo does with it’s simple sensor bar, Sony takes one step ahead with the Eye. Loved the augmented reality, I can see amazing things that can be done with the technology for gaming. Who needs 3D?!

Verdict: Rock Band a staple at your gaming sessions? Look no further with this one to spice up your party!

Winners position themselves in the middle of the screen for the unfair advantage!

Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition

In terms of flat out dollar for dollar value, this would be the winner. Why? If anyone who played Resident Evil 4 for the Wii will know how good the game handles with motion controls. No lemon here, this is the real deal and the benchmark for future games to come. That is if it is able to replicate the wonderful experience that could be found on the Wii.

Oh, and it comes with a USB stick. Yay.

Let’s check out the nerd fest:

No real need to watch the whole thing, it’s pretty much the same in the first minute or so.

Verdict: Motion control with RE5. Match made in Heaven, baby!

Time Crisis: Razing Storm

If you can hold out against the hype and fanfare, get this baby instead!

No price or release date announced officially but I would expect it to cost the same as all the bundles.

Upside is that this pack comes with the gun ‘controller’.

Nostalgia rules the day here and you get 2 other games on top of Razing Storm. But, they are still on rails shooters. Pretty passive stuff in terms of today’s gaming experience. Sitting down and holding out your arm may not actually have aged as well as you hope it to be.

Plenty of pew pew pew but it could tire. Fast.

The trailer is pretty awesome. Do remember it’s an advertisement, it’s meant to look good!

The gun attachment is always good for extended periods of play as it would be more ergonomic, but not essential.

Verdict: If you grew up with your trusty Guncon in the PS1/PS2 era, this is a must buy for you.

Overall thoughts

Things are shaping up quite nicely for the Move. And to think how the console wars would have been if it had come out earlier.

If it were possible, I’d grab a set of the Time Crisis Bundle and an additional Start the Party. I’m more of a social gamer these days.

To be honest, it is pretty hard to put a label on which is ‘The Best’ and while you might hate me for not providing a definite answer. The safest bet would be the Sports Champion pack. Wii Sports, highest selling and most played game. Enough said.

Singapore Playstation Move Prices Detailed – In Pictures!

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Sigh, I hate it when I’m not one of the first few.

Anyway, moving on. Here are the prices for the upcoming Playstation Move releasing in Singapore on 15th September 2010.

Mark you calendars!

How each accessory lines up individually.

This next accessory is the Playstation Navi Controller. Think ala Nunchuck. You can use your existing Dualshock as a Navi as well.

One of the few bundles available. You actually get 4 items: The Eye, the Move, Sports Champions Game Disc and a Playstation Move Starter disc which is actually a demo disc of games. I don’t think it would make a big splash with the hardcore crowd.

You actually can choose two other games as well apart from the Sports Champions. Kung Fu Rider and Start the Party. More on that later.

The starter pack less the full game.

A charging stand for you lazy buggers. Both controllers use the mini-usb to charge actually. So, if you are on a budget I guess you can KIV this for the moment.

Wii Zapper? Sony comes up with a Pistol! Essentially a housing.

All prices are in SRP.

There are a few more bundles as well and a small discount on the controllers if you get them with a console system.

I’ll give you the full lowdown ASAP.

In case you prefer reading a press release, you can check out the official word.

Contact the author of this post, Gerald Chan, at geraldchan@qisahn.com

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Impressions from E3)

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So as you guys might know, I was at E3 last week. I’m surprised to have readers who actually want to hear more about my experience at E3. I guess I should stop procrastinating and start blogging. Like it or not, I’ll be making a post a day for the next 7 days about my experience :/

Let’s start the ball rolling with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

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