Introducing Qore: Taking you behind the curtain with PlayStation– The concept is innovative, it’s hosted by Veronica Belmont, BUT it is not free. What gives? I feel Sony should have offered this free to PS3 users however I guess that all the exclusives that are promised might just about justify this. It’ll be interesting to find out UK pricing and availability.
Tag: PlayStation 3
Exclusive: Info On The New Sony PS3 Controller
Exclusive: Info On The New Sony PS3 Controller– Apparently, secret focus groups have been meeting in the US, giving a select few the chance to give feedback on a proposed ‘PS3mote’. True? Bogus? Who knows these days? Guess we’ll have to wait to find out.
In-game XMB Is Coming
In-game XMB Is Coming- I’ll believe it when I see it. There’s been many rumours over the past few months. Of course I’d like this rumour to be right, because it’d be a much-needed update for the PS3.
Hands-on with Race Driver: GRID
Regular followers of my humble ramblings will have noticed of late that I am obsessed with Race Driver: GRID. I just thought I’d post some of my initial impressions and experiences of the game, along with my reasoning for getting the game in the first place.
Background
Quite simply, it all started with the demo for Race Driver: GRID. The handling of the cars was a bit tricky, but once I had mastered the controls it was good. Real good. I wanted more. I suppose the GRID demo has been one of the rare few demos that I have hammered. Then the reviews started coming in; 9/10 and 10/10 from most magazines and online publications. I was getting good vibes, and so I swiftly placed my order with Play.com and got a bonus Aston Martin DBR9 as well!
Starting out
Initially you race for other teams in order to scrape a bit of cash together to repair your first ride, and to finance your own racing team. You’ll compete in a mixture of varied racing environments from racing muscle cars in the USA, to drifting high performance cars in Japan. There’s so much to do. The game starts to ‘kick up a gear’ (pardon my pun) when you get your own team together; from choosing your team colours and sponsors, to climbing the ranks of world teams and drivers. What’s very refreshing is that your objective isn’t always to come first. A team or sponsor may only want you to come at least 3rd or 5th, and some only want you to finish the race!
The difficulty is adjustable. Keep coming last in a racing style you’re not comfortable with? Kick it down a notch. Conversely if you’re wiping the floor with all the other drivers in one of your best events, then kick it up a notch to spice things up a bit and give yourself a real challenge. For me, what really distinguishes Race Driver: GRID from Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is your other drivers. Here, they are (depending on the difficulty level) just as likely as you to clip a corner, spin out of control or brake too late. The damage is fully realistic and very satisfying when you scream past another driver who clips the side and totals their car.
The atmosphere
Whilst the behaviour of your competitors (mentioned above) certainly adds to the atmosphere, your pit crew communicates important information to you, such as the state your car is in and who you need to beat in order to secure the current objective. The most amazing feeling I have ever experienced in a racing game has been compteting in Le Mans 24 Hour on GRID. It’s just epic. Unlike racing for hours on Gran Turismo (boring, tedious) time is speeded up dramatically, allowing you to experience the full day and night cycle.
Conclusions
So what do I think after my initial hands-on with Race Driver: GRID? It’s racing- as it should be. In a way, it’s all I had hoped for and more. Codemasters really deserve credit for a fantastic job. I’ve not mentioned everything, such as licences, reputation, the art of touge etc., but I never intended to (also I’ve not tried out multiplayer yet, but when I do, I might provide an update further down the line). Hopefully this has just given you a brief overview of my thoughts and experiences on this game, and a taster of what awaits you, should you decide to take the wallet for a walk. Highly recommended for both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners.
Clive Moody on Race Driver: GRID
Clive Moody on Race Driver: GRID– “Codemasters’ latest driving epic drifts sideways and at great speed onto shop shelves today. To celebrate its release we talk to senior producer, Clive Moody, about the design philosophy behind the game, and the team’s passionate love of smoke effects…” An essential read for all gamers; especially petrol heads!
Kaz Hirai: Sony can ‘re-evaluate’ paying for PS3 exclusives
Kaz Hirai: Sony can ‘re-evaluate’ paying for PS3 exclusives– Damn right, as PS3 Fanboy notes; “This strategy has meant a bevy of formerly PS2-exclusive series to become multiplatform successes on Xbox 360 and PC.” Enjoying games such as Burnout, GTA and Assassin’s Creed on your 360, are you? You can thank Sony for not bribing splashing the cash like Microsoft. That may all be about to change.
My driving game of choice: is there a worthy successor?
I’ve been enjoying Collin McRae: DiRT for a while now, but have started looking around for my next driving fix. I’ve totally skipped Burnout Paradise because I don’t like driving games trying to be role-playing games. I don’t want to cruise around a huge city looking for a set of traffic lights which has the event I want. Instead I just want to select the car and the event on a menu and then race. Period. DiRT does this perfectly, as does the entire Gran Turismo series and all previous Burnout games.
Sooo… I have Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Am I enjoying it? Not particularly. Sure, the graphics are impressive but it’s quite tough and doesn’t ‘feel’ fun. It just doesn’t. Heck- it’s even billed as ‘the real driving simulator’. I want a fun racing game, not a simulator. On the PS2 the World Rally Championship series and the Burnout series satisfied my appetite.
So what game will be the worthy successor to my current driving game of choice- DiRT? I feel that it just HAS to be Race Driver: GRID. I’ve played on a demo and it is amazing- I’ll be buying it as soon as it is released. Ok, so why am I hyping this game up? The demo I played borrowed certain menu effects from DiRT (which is no bad thing), and seems to have bags of personality (ala Burnout) that seemed sorely lacking in TOCA. The visual style and handling seems to be the result of putting Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Burnout Paradise and DiRT into a smoothie maker and achieving the perfect blend. What’s surprising is it’s actually the successor to the competent TOCA Touring Car series; a series which I’ve played occasionally on demos, but not actually bothered to buy.
When I get Race Driver: GRID soon, I’m sure I’ll post some more thoughts up here. This game should be on the radar of both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners. Better still, try the demo!
The Metal Gear Retrospective
The Metal Gear Retrospective– A series of videos by Gametrailers detailing and explaining the history of the Metal Gear series. An essential primer for anyone new to the series and thinking of getting MGS4. I’d add that it’s compelling viewing for any gamer.
PSN hits one million accounts in Japan
PSN hits one million accounts in Japan– Whilst nowhere near as high as Xbox Live numbers (obviously) these numbers are encouraging and there’s room for solid growth. What has been noted however, is that these numbers represent half the number of PS3 owners which begs the question- what are the other half doing? A PSN account doesn’t just mean online gaming, but extra game content, game trailers, demos, film trailers, themes, wallpapers etc.
PlayStation 3 has been outselling the Xbox 360 since October
PlayStation 3 has been outselling the Xbox 360 since October– This is in Europe, baby; where our loyalty to Microsoft ends with Windows :p