A Second Look @ SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3

(Images are taken from Gamespot.com)

(Please note that I haven't been able to play the multiplayer for this game yet. I did buy my copy new but my home wifi security setup isn't compatible with the PSP.)

Fireteam Bravo is back in a black ops mission that has them running around the fictional country of Koratvia. A military regime has risen to take power and threatens the Russian government, their nuclear arsenal, and the world. The story is extremely weak and awfully cliche, often sounding like a rejected script for a Tom Clancy novel. Its best to be taken with a grain of salt and only to give you reason for shooting up rural areas. As Wraith, you are joined by former-team lead Sandman, team member Raven, and newcomer Toro. While a four-man team might seem to be overkill this time around its much needed as enemies are less forgiving, there are more blind corners, and open areas are just begging for your ambush.

Fireteam Bravo 3 was developed by Slant 6 Games, the ones responsible for the previous SOCOM Tactical Strike on the PSP, leaving Zipper Interactive to make mediocre games such as the Online Only SOCOM Confrontation. Throw in a few surprises such as former-SEAL-turned-merc-leader Lonestar making a major appearance, a nice variation in the environments, as well as a wide selection of weapons and you've got the second best in the FTB series. But with all of the improvements, FTB 3 is still lacking in certain areas that make it hard to appreciate.

 See this enemy in the background? Most of them will do this: stand out in the open.

A small amount of tactics can be used this time around with the four-man team, split between Able and Bravo, but nothing that resembles Tactical Strike's advanced, and initially puzzling, two four-man team tactics. Two people can cover a target or a door better than just one. However that's not really the case here as it rarely presents the opportunity to do so. There is very little need to cover targets, use bounding overwatch, or even split the team to open a door. Its more run-and-gun, less planning, and its so painfully obvious that it seems the developers intended it to be so.

The major flaws of the game are more pointed towards the enemies themselves. While there are a decent amount of them scattered throughout the levels, things such as some never needing to reload, the inability for some to find cover, and the way they can pinpoint your exact location after one misfire makes them less like soldiers and more like robots.

Another problem comes from level design. While they do vary nicely, they're just as linear as they've always been in SOCOM games: narrow ways opening into arenas where you're free to snipe and pick off opfors with ease.

The sound is one of the better aspects of this game, with the environmental effects being surrounding and clear. Rain water hitting the roof of a car in the level Grey Dawn is something unexpected and lends to the thought of just how much attention went into sound details. While guns lack powerful sound they do vary in tones. Explosions, however, do pack a punch. They are better placed and more defined than in the previous games.

The orchestral soundtrack is something that comes with the territory of a SOCOM game. Whatever effort has been put into it can be changed by simply adjusting the sound options. There's no reason to have it on since the only time you might notice it is at a scripted moment.

Voice acting can be described as sterile: its clean and clear at all moments. Very little emotion even after two events happen that split the team. There's no confusion, only determination. Sure, they're hardened military men, but I doubt real people stay as stern as these guys when facing odds like in this game.

BOOM goes the dynamite. While there is no TNT in this game, the explosions are loud and clear.

The graphics are definitely amped up for this title. Its a huge step from the first FTB game and as a latecomer in the PSP lifespan shows that the system was capable of graphics comparable, and maybe even surpassing, those of the PS2.

A gradient has been placed over the foreground to give a cold, dusty feeling on some levels  whereas sunny skies and in-doors are without. Cracks in the ground, rocks protruding, lights giving off rays, and even some water effects show that the PSP still has some beef to it. While most edges are squared, its to be expected. It shouldn't distract from the gameplay.

Cutscenes are in-game rendered and what's most noticeable is the mouth movement on the characters. The engine for this game does what it can and does it very well.

 Class photo: Raven, Wraith, Toro, Sandman, and Lonestar.

If you've played the other two FTB games, then you're sure to navigate through this with very few hangups. Its tuned so that it might be challenging only to newcomers. Veterans only need to learn the new button layout and they're good to go. The initial single-player game clocks in at a humiliating 3-4 hours and while there is a decent replayable factor to it you'll just wish more could have been done. With enough attention, you could sweep through with 100% completion on your first playthrough. The custom missions replace the non-campaign missions from the last game but give you very little reason to play them since some last less than 5 minutes.

There's just NOTHING memorable about this game.

Overall, Fireteam Bravo 3 should see our SEAL team retiring with an honorable discharge. Thanks boys, but I don't think we'll need you on the PS Vita.

Keep Playing.

A Second Look @ Grind Session (PS1)

(Images taken from Moby Games and IGN)

 

When a game refuses to follow the button presses of the player and instead decides what's best for it, it makes for a really terrible game. Playing a game should be fun, not tedious. Its hard NOT to compare this game to the Pro Skater series but it is easy to pick it apart piece by piece and quickly discover what went wrong. I remember being impressed by the demo for this game on a Playstation Underground demo disc years ago. Today, after just one hour of play time, I realize that this game has shattered my good thoughts of it. The game can't even be edgy when it comes to skateboarding, a sport known for having some hardcore people. Amidst the skating craze of the early 00's it should have been easy to tap into the culture.

Grind Session follows its own rules and ends up alienating the player multiple times through inaccurate or incomplete button presses, terrible physics and gravity, broken skating lines, mediocre tricks and skaters, and a meager amount of time to do things in. Remember breaking the objects in the first Pro Skater? Well that happens in pretty much every level here. There's little to no imagination to the entire game.
By advancing through, your chosen professional or created skater earns respect. Although how the words "Grind Session" and "respect" can be said in the same sentence is beyond me. The game physics, possibly 50% of the time, won't allow you to complete a line because you'll fall off a rail or not jump high enough.

Tricks are unlocked by earning enough respect to complete a level. They range from simple combinations to double d-pad presses for the more complicated ones. Something similar to the special tricks in the Pro Skater series. When enough tricks are successfully landed, your skater goes into “Possession” mode, which allows them to spin faster. Grind Session's spinning is done only by left and right on the d-pad, which means you need to press carefully if you're wanting to spin a trick after pressing up or down on the d-pad. Its just convoluted.
You won't be able to count how many times a trick WILL NOT go through. Apparently the game has a hard time processing what should be two flips or grabs in a row. As for the grinding, the best way to describe it would be "broken." Holding down the grind button makes you stay on the rail while releasing it to set up for the next trick causes your skater to jump off. A few times you'll hit a line perfectly, only to come off and bail while landing even with your wheels pointed forward. Why? I don't know.

There's one thing the game almost does right: creating a female skater, something not seen in Pro Skater 2 until 2x. Unfortunately, the create-a-skater options are limited to two variations of a male and female model. Each one looking like someone you'd find pushing mongo around a California boardwalk. One thing that begs to be mentioned is that there are more hidden/unlockable skaters than there are professionals. Personally, aside from Daewon Song, I've never heard of any of the other pros, or have heard anything about them since this game.

The graphics are terrible in the fact that it could have been done better. We've SEEN it done better in the first Pro Skater, and this game came out after Pro Skater 2!
Skating around should be fun, right? Nope, not here. Most of the levels are huddled together and there's very little room to do extravagant things in, much less room to get a good line going. The level designs are terrible and bland. Nothing interesting to see.
More than a few times will the camera screw with you whether on a jump or in general since there's no free-looking. You have to stop the skater either with the circle button (what's wrong with pressing down?) or L2. Holding down L2 to look around in 'Skater's Eye' mode wastes precious time.

The sound is bland: a grunt from the skater, a metallic sound while grinding, a cash registering 'dinging,' it does little to draw you in. There are very few environmental sounds and the cardboard cutout crowd cheering during competitions gives you a feeling of "no one really cares."
The music is varied, at least, and is ALMOST the saving grace for the whole game. Artists like Jurassic 5, Black Flag, and a few others give it a nice diversity, but it repeats so often you get sick of it in the first hour.

An

Its a game that's meant to be taken or leaven as is. I, for one, would rather leave it, in a trash pile. Oddly enough the developer, Shaba Games, went on to develop Pro Skater 3 for the PS1 which wasn't a bad game at all. Grind Session was up against a giant of a game in the arcade skating genre, and when measured beside it its simple manual trick just couldn't compare to the Hawk's 900.

200 Miles of Wasted Time

My friend and I go on a journey through the backroads of Alabama for flea market hunting, only to find... two games. Google maps + GPS = lies! All lies!

*Just realized the outro card got cut off. I don't know why but It says "Next trip, we're staying in Georgia. Athens, baby! Thanks for watching."

A Second Look @ Enthusia Professional Racing.

(All images are from Gamespot.com. YouTube video is not mine either.)

Enthusia Professional Racing, made in-house by Konami, attempts to blend arcade and simulation racing. It does this rather well by keeping the arcade aspect in the menus while the racing is fully simulation (minus vehicular damage).

This wouldn't be such a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that the player may spend the bulk of their time in the menus trying to figure out the probability system in their favor.

As the game is first started, you're treated to a walkthrough of the menus. Skipping this may be a bad idea as it teaches the player about the probability system, which the game seemingly runs on. It's all about whether or not the player's car has a chance of winning the race, and this is explained during the walkthrough. Don't let these words fool you though; you can still win a race at a harder difficulty but only by roughing up the other cars and driving harshly.

It's an ambitious title that strives to show off what it does. Ambition doesn't cut it as the game is littered with problems that are hard to overlook and limit the overall enjoyment.

One problem lies in the fact that each race is only a few laps, you may find yourself participating in the small-fish races that can give you the odds in your favor. There is no limit to this and its a smart way to upgrade your vehicle to tackle the harder races and improve your odds. If you're feeling daring you don't have to stick to the easy stuff, you're welcome to try the harder races in order to acquire better cars.

This presents a few more problems: Before the start of the start race you can place a “bet” on which car you think will win. This has no bearing on the outcome, leveling up, etc. and is generally useless in the game.

At the end of the race a raffle is presented wherein the cars that participated in the race are displayed and a single one is highlighted. The player presses a button and probability takes effect again as to whether or not the player acquires a new car. This is THE ONLY way to get new cars since there is no purchase system. Konami lost the point with this game when more focus was put on the probability system and Enthu points rather than the gameplay.

The Enthu Points present another problem: Enthu Point are points you get for racing; they deplete with each scrape, each time you go off the road, or each time you hit another car (or when another car hits you). Other than that they exist to gauge nothing. The points refill with each successful win or when you take an in-game week off from racing. If the total points reach zero, it will force you to take a week off. Your Driver level determines how many points you regain during this process.

No matter how many Enthu Points you acquire, one bump or slide off the road will take away the same amount of EP, forcing the player to pay more attention to their driving. This is the question that begs to be addressed when concerning the Enthu Points: if the same amount of EP is taken away for each mistake, why have it so the total number of EP raises with each level? To put it another way: if you have 100 Enthu Points, bumping another car might take away 10 points. Meanwhile if you have 1500 points, bumping a car seems like 150 points are taken away. No matter how many Enthu Points the player has garnered, it seems they're penalized for the same percentage for each mistake.

The Free Ride mode is limited to what you have unlocked so far, meaning new tracks and cars are pretty much off limits unless you work to win them.

There is another mode called Driving Revolution which is a take on Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series. The player is given a preselected car and tasked with driving down a three-lane highway, passing through certain marker gates along the way while trying to make the best time. It's a mixture of skill and little bit of luck (bringing in the probability system again).

The racing is, for the most part, straightforward with the physics and speed being as closely accurate to the real world as Konami can muster. Each car handles, accelerates, and brakes differently from each other. The upgrade system has a small but noticeable effect on the cars.

The tracks consist of real world and original designs, each one requiring a different way to master driving through. It's not tough since the course map provides the player with enough warning of which corner is coming up, its up to them to remember when to brake and accelerate.

There is no damage and, seeing as how there is no monetary system involved, this is a good idea. Since the computer AI is anything but intelligent, you'll have to deal with them bumping into you in their attempts to drive the correct line. The AI is lifeless in that it doesn't fight back, its programmed to just go, to never make a mistake, to accelerate and brake perfectly, to recover from when the player cheaply runs it off the road and continue along as though nothing has happened.
There are two camera views: a close chase camera and a bumper cam with a rearview mirror. The bumper cam is the only way to see what's behind you since there is no button to look back.
Also, you may want to make sure you take a drive properly as there is no restart, only retiring. Doing so forfeits any Enthu points recovery and the chance to unlock a new car.

Enthusia shows off its potential in the graphics department by featuring some of the best graphics seen in a racing game on the PS2, potentially rivaling Gran Turismo 4. There are rarely any jagged edges on the environments, which are unique in their own rights, and the cars are smoothly designed. The game feels to run at a steady 30+ fps (I could be very wrong in that description) even with several cars all going full speed. The car models shown in the menus aren't the same during gameplay, however, but its hard to take notice of the other cars when your main focus is directed towards the driving.
Cars gather no dirt on the off-road courses, similarly the dust isn't kicked up behind you. During the wet courses the rain runs down the screen and back up when speeding. The reflections on car windows are dulled down to pixelated blocks but the reflections on the cars themselves are nice. Lighting during the night levels is nice, but nothing to get excited over. The ground reflects the light during wet night levels.

The soundtrack has an interesting mix of songs, the menu music is piano-techno mix, something of the arcade variety. The in-game soundtrack mixes it up quite a bit with songs mixing techno with rock guitars, its tolerable but best taken in small doses.
The car's engines seem to drone, increasing in pitch when accelerating and decreasing when revving down. Sadly, it's just unnoticeable.
What may be noticeable is that there are no crowd noises. The game feels lifeless and because of this you get a sense of loneliness. No one's cheering you on because no one cares.

FINAL LAP:

In the end, Konami took a bold step in an attempt to blend arcade and sim. It was, however, a misstep. In essence it can be seen as a game you would play in an arcade with a sim racing engine, it just can't make up its mind to figure out which side of the fence it wants to reside on.

If a sequel is ever put into production, Konami should learn from they're mistakes and rid the game of the Enthu points, complicated menus, probability system and focus more on the driving.

The game is littered with problems, sure, but it's not a bad game. The roster of cars is a strong one, the racing is accurate and fun, and the probability system is tolerable, even ignorable.

Konami attempted to make a community behind the Enthusia brand name with a website, which is no longer active, that was meant to be a community hub for Enthusia players which held events, contests, leaderboards and other news. It was just mediocre when compared to other racing games of the time (Gran Turismo 4, Forza Motorsport, even R: Racing Evolution) which had more reason and depth to them.

Even with the game being as old as it is, it would make a perfect addition to the Sim Racing Aficionado's collection. All others would be better off sticking with the more AAA titles.

Keep Playing.

My Own E3 Impressions

Its been a year since the last E3, and after my debacle of not posting anything but Microsoft, I've gone a little further this year and typed up something that I've posted around on other sites. Unfortunately not any of it is any good. It's quick, short, and opinionated; something you wouldn't expect from me. That's because I'm not going to write up on each game and how the presentation of each went. I don't have that much time and if I did it would take me over a month to do. So remember that what I have written is opinionated, not fleshed out, and if you want to see things for yourself, go to E3Expo.com, scroll down a little, and take a look at the videos, the links are on the right. I encourage you to form your own opinions on each press conference and, if you want to tell me a thing or two, go ahead and leave a comment.

Microsoft: "Hardcore" fanboys are some of whiniest child-like people I know. Microsoft shows off the Kinect and they go crazy, saying they've forgotten the "hardcore" audience.
Here's a question: Why can't someone be "casual hardcore?" As in, they only play casual games because they're not impressed with the 4-hour long shooters with storyline depth as deep as a kiddie pool.
Microsoft has catered to you long enough. It's time they use the Xbox 360 as something more than a platform for angry, foul-mouthed 12 year olds, potheads and frat boys who want to spend 8 hours yelling at someone who fragged them online.

Nintendo: ANOTHER DS...
Zelda, who didn't see that one coming?
Metroid Other M, yeah...
Wii Party replaces Mario Party....
No Vitality Sensor, thank you, Nintendo...
Just Dance 2 *sigh*.....

Sony: REALLY riding the balls of the 3D thing, aren't you? Give me a GAME, not an EXPERIENCE.
But who cares? They've announced a new Twisted Metal and this will be the game that will make me buy a PS3.
(I've only seen the videos for Twisted Metal. The GameTrailers videos go for 20 seconds and then stop, forcing me to reload the page each time. Once Gamespot has the full press conference video I'll give my reactions. Not like you guys care anyway.)

EA: Congratulations on getting your act together and making a REAL Need For Speed game that doesn't involve Tuners and NOS.
I'm also looking forward to Medal of Honor, although I know that people are already calling it a CoD ripoff. *middle finger to them*

Ubisoft: A Michael Jackson game? Really?
Rayman Origins, never played the first.
Assassins Creed with Ezio. Again.
Whatever.

I generally don't like E3 because it brings out the a-holes, by that I mean "Opinions are like a-holes: everyone has one." So many people's opinions on what's good or what's bad means it taints your knowledge of what's being presented unless you've seen the press conference videos for yourself and formed your own opinions. I'm about to leave one game community because the founder of it trashed Microsoft without even presenting the facts, he just blurted out his own opinion and that makes me think less of him. If he had given just the facts rather than outright saying "It's lame!" I would have more respect for him. He's supposed to be reporting what's going on, not giving his own opinion.

AHA! I can tell what some of you are thinking already: "But you just gave your own opinions, you're stoopit!!!11!!111!!eleven"
I'm not reporting on the things, am I?

Keep Playing.

Control Freak: GT PSP: My own thoughts

With my review of Gran Turismo for the PSP I tried to hold back my own personal input from the game, I wanted to deliver a straightforward review. I did add a few examples from my own personal playthrough when I mentioned the driving line and not being familiar with it, but that however was an example rather a personal injection. This blog is just my passable thoughts on the game, what I liked, what I didn't like.

The reason I try to distinguish the game review from my personal thoughts is this: The reader may not like the same things I do. In addition, the reader doesn't know me in real life, so by adding my own thoughts to the review, I taint the reader's knowledge of the game. But without further adieu, this is what I really think of GT PSP. Be warned, it isn't pretty.

GT PSP holds no new tracks, no old tracks, and no surprises. It's a copy and paste job of previous entries into the Gran Turismo series, stripped down so it's small enough to fit on a UMD.

Polyphony Digital: Do we really need 6 types of one car? (i.e. over 6 types of the Mitsubishi Lancer.) That just takes up disc space for other cars that could be used. (GTO Judge? Hello?)

And speaking of the Judge: why so few American muscle cars? It seems like a bit of a biased towards America when coming from a Japanese game developer. 

60 frames per second? Give me 30 and better track design, no pop-ups in the background, and no breakthroughs on the course. I know the PSP can handle better graphics than that.

I'm not trying to say "make a completely cartoon version of GT," I'm saying it's a release on a handheld, time to do something different. Surprise us. Wow us. Make us want to play the game.

Only 4 manufacturers at a time? Like I said in the review: it forces us to decide whether to buy this new car presented to us, or save up for the one we want. That's understandable. Problem is it's almost a rarity if you want a certain European or American car. 19 times out of 20 one of the manufacturers is either Nissan or Toyota. As I said earlier: biased much? 

I started and ended over a hundred races (without playing them) just to get the day count up to get to the next manufacturer set in hopes of finding Subaru or Chevy. 

The last DLC given to us was a set of the high price cars: Bugatti Veyron, Enzo Ferrari, GT by Citroen, etc. Cars that would take us all a while to save up for (not to mention longer to find because of the manufacturer limit). So now I have no need to save up that money to buy a Veyron. Thanks.

As for DLC: Give us NEW cars, and NEW tracks. Heck, I'd settle for old tracks (Clubman Stage Route 5 plz?) if it meant I could do something more with the game.

Why no tournament races or individual challenge races? Something separate from the Challenge Mode presented in the game. I understand it's a game meant to be played in between time periods, but you've got to make me want to play it.

What's wrong with the control stick? There is no sensitivity. I push it to the left just a little and the car fully steers left. I know it can handle differing degrees of motion because it's possible in the SOCOM games. Regardless, the physics are similar to what you find in GT4, making me think a certain department was too lazy to improve upon things.

As for the rank up system: What am I supposed to do? I've tried over 20 laps on each track, with new cars, or cars that I've never raced with, and single manufacturer races, but still nothing has changed. Are there certain hidden requirements for each track? If so, what are they because I'm lost and, literally, going around in circles trying to figure this out.

After buying a larger memory card, I found out that I was wrong about installing the game to the memory. Sure it's faster, but it eats up a lot of the battery, despite what the game manual says. . And you need at least 1GB of space to do so. Funny how the game says you needs over 200MB and the manual says 700MB. Good job lying to us. You also need to have the disc in the PSP in order to play it, much like the PS3.

Overall, unless you really want a new Gran Turismo game, and you don't want to wait until 2015 for GT5, it's a definite recommendation. Just don't expect to find this game as great as you would initially think.

(Ha, now that I think about it, it's been said that you can transfer your car collection to GT5. So if you buy every car then you're pretty much set for this game.)

Keep Playing.

But don't keep playing GT PSP, because I don't think I am.

Gran Turismo PSP Review + A Note

(All images from Gamespot.com)

Announced a few years ago and released October 1, 2009, "Gran Turismo 4 Mobile" finally sees a release on the PSP this year simply titled "Gran Turismo." (But for clarity's sake, I'll call it GT PSP.) The first thing to remember about this release is an important one: it's not meant to be an 8-hour epic journey through time and space. Many people have complained about the lack of a Career Mode when the bulk of the game is really all you need. It's more a game to be played from Point A to Point B, something to do when waiting for something or someone. It would be frustrating to spend your time completing race after race to upgrade your car as you do in previous versions, thus the upgrade system has been removed also.
GT PSP feels like it's own entry into the series, design-wise the menus make it feel as though it's a whole game on it's own without ever losing touch of the Gran Turismo spirit. With over 800 cars and 35 tracks, you can see why. Excess is always the name of the game. However that excess comes at a cost....

The gameplay is not what you'd expect out of a GT game: the lack of a career mode means you don't have to focus on failure or upgrading your car to a certain level to compete in a race. There is an easy flow to the game. If a player is in the middle of a race and their friend wants to challenge them, they can back out with no penalty, play their friend and retry the race. The player is rewarded with a rank up upon completion of a single player race (however, the requirements for achieving each rank eludes me. I'm not sure whether it has to do with the type of car, number of laps, or both). With a new rank comes a larger amount of money earned. Likewise the more laps you put into each race, the larger the cash income.
Many people have also complained about the game giving them a choice of four random dealerships every other day. It gives you the option to consider whether or not to buy this car you've just found or save your money for the one you want. This will happen often, meanwhile if you can't find the right car you can always race and let the days pass until the dealership is brought up, thus bringing up your rank and allowing you to buy the car you want. Other than the dealership changes, the amount of days have no bearing on the game whatsoever.
The driving style can be changed when selecting a car, from the most realistic of play styles complete with proper drifting, to a style best suited for beginners where the chance of sliding is null.
The car selection screen could have been implemented better. The default view showing your last 100 purchased cars. You can place a favorite marker on up to 30 that you choose and more advanced options are available for those. Make sure that when you buy a car it's one you want, there is no "Sell Car" feature which can be frustrating when you need the extra cash.

The License courses have been replaced with Challenges. Those who are fairly confident in their racing abilities can breeze through most of them while those new to the genre will find that pushing a few limits will complete the task at hand. The reward for completing the Challenges is cash and a new car.
The driving line, an idea taken from Forza (fanboys... read the note below), is helpful in certain aspects. However if a player has perfected a way around a track it can be useless. At times it seems the line can steer you wrong. As an example, I have found my own way of driving around Laguna Seca, GT PSP feels I should take their line, braking when I'm not used to it, turning into a corner at an apex I don't normally use. There is no wrong in pushing the car to it's limits when racing, but pushing the boundaries of the track will run you off-course often. There is no penalty or slowdown for crashing into another car, sliding off the road or running into a patch of sand or grass, something the Gran Turismo series has never done, and for that you can get away with a few things and cheat.
The UMD game can be installed to the memory stick provided you have at least 700 MB free, this improves load times and, seeing as how this game can take what seems to be forever to load, is preferable. (It should be noted that the GT PSP UMD needs to be inside the PSP in order to play unless you've purchased the game via digital download.)

Graphically GT PSP could have used an overhaul. Those 800+ cars means the racing tracks have been dulled down to mostly flat surfaces. Graphical breaks in the track area, pop-ups in the distance, and that annoying effect when you're in front of a wall you can see it but behind it there's nothing can be minor annoyances. Graphics whores will have a tough time with this one.
The car details, however, are sharper than one would expect. The car selection detail is better than the one you will find on a race course.
As far as the racing tracks are concerned, you won't find any new exclusive locales for the PSP. All the tracks from the previous versions of the game are included, which can ultimately be tiresome if you've played the console games already.
The PSP can produce some pretty smooth effects, and at 60 fps, it's one of the smoothest. However there is no real sense of speed: 120 mph feels more like 60. Each track will take the same amount of time as they normally would, but the game feels going in slow motion at some points. Despite all of this, it is never laggy. There are no bugs when inspecting a wall or coming off of a jump. It all feels as familiar as it did in Gran Turismo 4.
The amount of cameras has been increased to 4 this time around. They include a front bumper view, an awkward but steady over-the-car view, an in-car driver viewer, and a chase camera. It's a little "something for everyone" and all depends on what the player feels comfortable with.

The audio is clear and precise, however each car, no matter how powerful or different, will sound just like all the others. A constant thrum of noise increasing and decreasing in volume as you accelerate and decelerate around corners. Unless you love the sound of cars the only sensible thing would be to turn the engine volume down and listen to the music.
The ability to choose either the GT PSP soundtrack, your own music from your memory stick, or a mix of both can be chosen under the options menus.
(As is always my fault, I never listened to the audio presented by the game. I seem to always do this given the option of listening to a game's music or my own. All I can ask is for forgiveness in this area. Although I'm sure some of you will agree that you would also rather hear your own music choices.)

Any fan of the sim racing genre will love this game despite it's flaws. But If you've been a long time fan of the Gran Turismo series and are hesitant to make the purchase, you can do without, stick to the console versions. Those new to the racing genre who want to get their feet wet will find this a good starting point. At the same time those looking for more depth will be disappointed in how shallow it can really be. It's a bit of a struggle between the pros and cons and only your preferences can sway your opinion.

*A Note About My Reviews*
I would like for everyone to notice that I don't do numerical points, and I try not to suggest "Buy It," Rent It," or "F' It." I merely point out the pros and cons, the good and the bad, the major details and the minor annoyances, laid out flat for people to read. I try not to be biased when it comes to reviewing a game. In the past, just like many others, I've let things cloud my judgment. I realized that that is never the way to portray a game. I also try to never compare a game to another. Ideas and features, however, are fair to talk about. In this case the Driving Line from Gran Turismo was an idea taken from Forza, plain as day. This was done to help those who are new to sim racing games, to give them comfort in a world they are unfamiliar with.
Where Gran Turismo lead the way for sim racing, Forza took things in a different direction with customization, car clubs, etc. Meanwhile GT5 looks to push barriers graphically and play-wise by introducing WRC and NASCAR to the lineup.
There is no doubt Gran Turismo is still the king of sim racing, but does that mean Sony fanboys should discredit Forza and Microsoft for making a similar game? No. Where Gran Turismo excels in certain areas Forza surpasses in others. Does that mean Xbox fanboys should discredit Gran Turismo? Again: no. If it weren't for the original Gran Turismo, the sim racing genre would be less than what it is today.
Never think of these two games as competitors, but rather brothers in a sibling rivalry. They are on different consoles but they both have the same purpose which is to entertain us, immerse us in a zone where 100+ mph is the norm, and let us push our barriers by pushing the gas pedal down.

Keep Playing.

Little Big Planet PSP demo impressions

(Since this is just a demo impressions article, don't expect this to be a review of the full game. I'm merely skimming over the basics. If you're more curious about the game, try it out for yourself.)

An infectiously catchy song, physics puzzles that won't stress you out, and the ever-lovable Sackboy come to the PSP. But don't doubt the power of this handheld game: it's equal only to it's big brother console version that has made Game of the Year status.

When you first start the demo it installs a small bit of game data to the memory stick, a profile, etc. Meaning once you purchase the full game, you'll have access to your created costumes, unlocked stickers and items, and (more than likely) one level already complete. After a few playthroughs you should be able to find 100% of the items.

Gift of the Grab is the demo level, featuring an Australian Outback style. The mood is easy-going and with no time limit you're welcome to explore things and try out the mechanics. Very simple pushing/pulling done with the Right shoulder button is something that anyone can get the hang of. Simple, easy to complete physics puzzles are just what LBP fans have been craving and what newcomers will enjoy.

Crisp graphics, fogging effects in the background, and smooth animations tie together a perfect handheld title. The pieces of level construction, again as in the console version, look made of cardboard, stitched fabric, and whatever else someone threw together to make a level. In other words: a classic LBP style.

The audio is never clouded with noise pollution. The song included in the demo will either have you humming along for days or making you wish you never had ears, depending on your outlook of life.

Sackboy (or Sackgirl, if you wish to add the wig), already an iconic video game character, returns with his emotions and actions that only he could pull off. The D-pad is used to control the emotions ranging from happy, sad, angry, and scared, means Sackboy is in full form. The customization is small since this is only a demo. Fabric choices of various types, headgear, glasses, hair, clothing, etc. means a small bit of customization to your Sackboy before you buy the full version.

I've heard the level editor is very powerful but not very forgiving. Unfortunately there is no taste of editing in this demo, and that's fair enough. Levels can be swapped and downloaded through the PSPs wi-fi connection, meaning you can expect thousands upon thousands of ideas original creations.

If you've been looking for a reason to dust off your PSP and breathe new life into it, Little Big Planet will most certainly not disappoint you. Along with other games such as Gran Turismo and SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3, Sony has taken the handheld gloves off by offering players something more than... well... just click this.
Need I say more?

Keep Playing.

Control Freak: DLC and You

(Welcome to the newest part of this blog. The part where I can openly RAGE about something that's bugging me within the gaming world. This is NOT a light-hearted expression of what I think, or a See-It-From-My-Point-of-View blog like the Random Blogs. This is me, yelling at you, yelling at the companies, yelling at the games, yelling at a wall about what's being done wrong.)(Or what's being done right but I still hate it anyway.)

As the inaugural blog for Control Freak, I think it's best I start with a particular topic that strikes many gamers as unfair: DLC, or Downloadable Content for those not in the know.

DLC is what is offered over a console's Internet service as part of the ever-expanding experience. The type of DLC ranges from menu themes, new level maps, new cars, new songs, new costumes, new characters, new game modes, new game chapters, harder difficulties... basically anything that can be added to a game these days to make your life a living hell -- I mean steal your life away from you by making you play the game longer -- I mean... no wait, that is what I mean.

Keep in mind, non-gamer readers, that all DLC is entirely optional. There is no need to download a part of the game in order to keep playing it. You can think of it like a navigation system in a car: It's optional but not necessary.

There are some cases where DLC is offered on release day simply for the fact that there was not enough room on the disc to handle all of it. That can be understandable, but to most gamers it really pushes their buttons (seriously no pun intended) and they continue thinking it was done to make money.

That is the case when content is left out of a game on purpose so it can be sold either on release day or later as DLC. This makes gamers mad in the fact that:
A: It was withheld so the companies can make more money.
B: Some DLC can be seen as outrageously priced ($5 for one costume).
C: Some DLC should be offered as a patch instead.

Take Resident Evil 5's Mercenaries mode for example: on release day the player could connect to Xbox Live or Playstation Network and spend $5 to unlock the mode.
Alternatively they could have JUST PLAYED THROUGH THE GAME TO UNLOCK IT.
So what's the point of charging $5 for a mode that's readily available and only takes BEATING the game to unlock it?

Then there's the case of Capcom and Super/Street Fighter IV. When SF4 was released, gamers rejoiced. It was the newest offering of the Street Fighter franchise in almost 10 years.
A year later Super Street Fighter IV was announced and fans were pissed.
Why?
Because it's essentially the same game, just SUPER in the title and with more characters. All for a lesser price than the original game.
Non-gamers might be thinking: if there's more content, why don't they just charge more for the SUPER iteration? Or offer it as DLC?
Simple: MONEY. $. DOLLARS. MOOLA. GREEN BACKS. DEAD PRESIDENTS.
If they were to offer it as DLC, it might change the programming of the game entirely: new character selection screen, new intro movie, new title, new move sets, etc. It's not like an update where everyone's copy of the game is patched in order to fix something. They would be losing money in allowing everyone with the game to download the DLC. Not to mention the months it would take to get the DLC approved.
Someone with the original game might not be able to play against someone with SUPER because the programming will be different, and Capcom wants fairness all around.

Is the case of Capcom and SF4 cheap? (Some might say) No.
Is the case of RE5 and Mercenaries mode cheap? Yes.

Charging for content that's already on the disc is a traitorous act. We buy the games, we support the companies and yet we get the shaft.

Now let's talk Game of the Year Editions, what can be seen as some as the biggest rip-offs ever. Microsoft and Xbox 360 are especially notorious for this.
Take Forza Motorsport 2 for example: When the game was released the price was $60. Seeing as how most games this generation are released at that price it's reasonable. Then came the DLC: new race tracks and, over the months, about a dozen new cars. The DLC prices ranged from free to $5 (800 Microsoft points). That's not too bad I suppose.
But fast forward to today where you can go to a store and buy Forza 2 with all available DLC (on a second disc) for the low low price of $20
Considering it was originally $60 + cost of DLC does that make it a rip-off? Yes.
I can understand the value of a game decreasing over time but really? Someone who bought the game new would either have to get the DLC or buy the Platinum Hits version only for the second disc. (I'm not sure about content rights and all that, but someone could probably borrow the game from a friend, install the second disc and play everything. Again, though, I'm not sure.)

DLC, in many rights, is just and fair and adds more to the game. But when there are several chapters added on, taking our money, taking our time, taking our very lives from us... it just gets to be too much.
A player can sink so much of themselves into a game for months, maybe a year or so, only for a sequel or a Game of The Year Edition to be released with all the previous DLC offered up as bait.
"Maybe that'll make more people buy the game and there will be new people to play with!"
Or maybe everyone else already has the game and it's no fun to play against a n00b with zero experience?
Then what good is that game?

Now let's talk about Premium Themes and Avatar clothing.
First the themes: users from both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 will know what I'm talking about. You can pay so much money for a...
Oh, the non-gamers don't know.
Well a theme is color and picture scheme for the 360 and PS3 that changes the look of the consoles main menu screen and such. Again, it's not necessary, but it can get a little tiresome looking at the same starter theme for months.
Some themes are free. Others can cost up to $5.
$5.
5 bucks to change the look of your console's menus.
It can be seen as pointless on the 360 since you can import a picture file onto the background and use whatever you want. On the PS3 you can change the color scheme and maybe add a picture. Idk since I don't own one.
But as I was saying: you can pay so much for a theme that can be summed up as "putting a dress on your dog." You're going to spend a lot of time playing games or maybe watching movies with your console, not staring at how pretty your theme is. Do you really need to spend $5 to make it look fancy?

As for Avatar clothing: Avatars are Xbox 360's version of you, or a person you send to represent you. Your Avatar doesn't have to be of the same gender. Is an Avatar optional like the themes?
No.
With the release of the New Xbox Experience, the Avatars were made available to everyone who connected their 360 to the internet and updated their consoles. The console update is optional, but necessary if you want to... oh I don't know... keep playing games, getting content, and so on. You're required to select a pre-made Avatar and then adjust it how you want to, there's no getting around it.
When you get bored of the standard set of clothes available for your Avatar, you can go on Live and buy new clothes. But like I keep saying: it's not necessary. And it's pretty pointless actually. You're not going to make your Avatar cute by spending real world money on a fake shirt. Got it?

(And yes, that's my actual Avatar.)

All in all DLC can be evil if you're broke, an evil necessity if you really want it, and gimmicky if you have enough money. The fact that game companies can charge us for our lives is preposterous. The fact that we buy this stuff is even more so.
Try as we might, the game companies have us whipped. They say jump and we press a button and do it.

So what happens when the game companies don't listen to us: the gamers?
I believe that's for another blog.

Keep Playing.

Control Freak: VIDEO GAMES ARE NOT BABYSITTERS!!

(To my Facebook readers: you can see this actual blog post at bigmercenary.blogspot.com. It's my personal blog about video game reviews, issues, my thoughts, etc. Plus things like Tech News. I have it tied in to Facebook so that's why you're all seeing this. Discussions are ALWAYS welcome whether on the blog or on Facebook.)

Let's say a 13 year old kid walks into a gun store and wants to buy a rifle and some ammo, they're not going to let him. But if that kid walks into Wal-Mart and wants to buys an M-rated game, they probably won't bat an eyelid.

Why is that?

The gun store employees are trained (not to mention have enough common sense I hope) to not sell weapons to minors. But the employee turnout in Wal-Mart is so astronomical that they won't care who they're selling the game to (because they probably won't be there next month). Neither will the head honchos of this place because it's just money to them. I've been carded every time in the past few years when I bought an M-rated game from EBGames or GameStop. (Play N Trade has my info on file, so they don't need to ask.)
K-Mart just recently picked it up last year.
Wal-Mart? No idea.

After a school shooting a few years ago, it was found that the kid had access to guns. Where did he gets the guns from? His mom bought them FOR HIM. She didn't recognize what was going on in her son's life that would lead to that debacle. The finger was also pointed at the video games he had played.
In the same way some kid's parent will buy them M-rated games and not even pay attention to the rating or how it will affect the kid playing the game.
It can also be noted that many parents just don't care what the rating is. In this case the store employees can not refuse to sell the game. It may result in legal action, heavy fines, etc.

Some years ago there was a RollingStone magazine with Britney Spears on the cover in her underwear, being interviewed about her home life. The FCC criticized this but the magazine still sold well. So what about this piece of "objectionable material"? I'm pretty sure lots of 13 year old boys bought that issue. It was never pulled from store shelves or boycotted.

I can bring this point up a million times and it may never get through the thick skulls of some people: It's the parent's responsibility to make sure that they're kids are not playing these games.
It should also be noted that a video game system IS NOT A BABYSITTER. It is NOT OKAY for you to sit your kids down in front of a console and leave for work or a dance club.
Video games are no substitute for reality.Time spent with your children is important.

If you do allow them to be played, you need to make sure they understand the difference between video games and reality. AND you need to be there with them to make sure things don't get out of hand.

It requires a group effort for things of this nature to go right. Game store employees already know to card for M-rated games. The parents need to know about the ratings system and to pay attention to the behavior of their children. Those of us who play games as a hobby and beyond shouldn't point the finger back or ignore this issue. We need to encourage parents to get involved with their kid's lives.

These are the current ESRB ratings for video games, direct from the ESRB website:
(Please note, there are currently only 19 games rated Adults Only.)
EC: Early Childhood: Titles rated EC have content that may be suitable for ages 3 and older. Contains no material that parents would find inappropriate.
E: Everyone: Titles rated E have content that may be suitable for ages 6 and older. Titles in this category may contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.
E 10+: Everyone 10 and Up: Titles rated E10+ have content that may be suitable for ages 10 and older. Titles in this category may contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes.
T: Teen: Titles rated T have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language.
M: Mature: Titles rated M have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
AO: Adults Only: Titles rated AO have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.
RP: Rating Pending: Titles listed as RP have been submitted to the ESRB and are awaiting final rating. (This symbol appears only in advertising prior to a game's release.)