All of home’s features are buried beneath a plethora of screens, menus, button clicks, and download wait times. You often cruise past a feature in the XMB on the way to the Home icon, just to use a slightly better version of that same feature in Home. Home would be more appealing to more gamers if you could set it to started loading, hands free, after the initial Sony screen.

2. Separate buttons, sounds and backgrounds

There are a ton of good themes for the XMB both free and for micro payments. Some have really nice buttons, or beautiful backgrounds, or audibly pleasant sounds. Unfortunately most themes don’t have a consistent quality across all three features. The Bioshock theme has some wonderful backgrounds, but the button noise is annoying. The Uncharted theme has some wonderful buttons but crappy backgrounds. Out of all the themes only Pixel Junk Monsters has a button noise that doesn’t grate the nerves after a couple weeks. It would be nice if Sony let us pick and chose what buttons, backgrounds, and sounds we wanted. Sure you can download them to a PC and recombine them if you wanted to but that is more effort than should be needed.

3. The ability to pick one of the backgrounds out of the rotating selection

Much like above, many themes come with rotating background images of varying quality. Take Overlord for example. It has a good 7 images to choose from, too bad only one or two of them are worth looking at for any amount of time. The Bioshock premium theme is another good example. All of the pictures are good, but it has one or two that are simply amazing. If we could just pull the image we like or at least stop the rotation it would take us a lot closer to full user customization.

4. Turn off game/movie backgrounds and music auto load

If we were to be putting these in order of least to most wanted, this one would be number one. What point is it to pay for a premium theme if 3/4 of the buttons on the XMB change the background? What’s worse is the music and/or sound effects. Take the office PS3. It has the following titles installed. Bionic Commando Rearmed, Puzzle Fighter, Warhawk, and Grand Turismo. Nothing makes us want this feature more than the piercing red background of Bionic Commando, the epileptic seizure inducing Puzzle Fighter, or the war cadence for every FPS out there. Grand Turismo wouldn’t be bad if it consisted of more than two notes. They are not all bad. Flow and Flower have very soothing backgrounds and sounds. Too bad we can’t keep them there permanently.

5. More Avatars

There simply isn’t enough images to choose from. Instead of finding that one crazy picture that makes you stand out on someones friends list, you instead have to find the lamest one. The ability to make your own avatar with your images, and not the crappy pictures from the PS Eye would be best. If Sony can’t give us that how bout a couple dozen every update? you would think this moot with the launch of Home, but you only have to read what we think about Home.

Right off the bat you can tell a lot of effort was put into Killzone 2. The start menu is reminiscent of the Fallout 3 slide show load screens and in between level loading you are treated to 3D pictures that you can tilt with the sixaxis. The controller issues that were present in the demo have been address with controller sensitivity sliders in the menu options. There has also has been a patch issued to address some online bugs and exploits. For the most part Killzone 2 is a highly polished title that is worth a gamers hard earned dollars. However it is not a game that will match every gamers tastes.

Physics: 10/10

The physics in this game are amazing. There is simply no other way to put it, you can really tell Guerrilla Games took the time to make sure no physics glitches pulled you out of the immersion. Concrete blasts off of walls and ricochets off of nearby objects. Corpses do not suffer from dancing limb syndrome, and none flew through the air or contorted unrealistically. Of the very very few physics glitch found, none could be repeated constantly.

Graphics: 10/10

This is of really no surprise. For two plus years the most hyped feature of this game was it’s graphics. While it falls short of the spectacular CG shown at E3 oh so many years ago the game is stunning none the less. Textures look good as you approach, and the lighting in the game is nothing short of breath taking. Usually HornyMelon.com gives out a 9 for any title that doesn’t output at 1080p but Killzone 2 simply looks too amazing to penalize for one minor missed detail.

Controls: 9/10

Like most shooters on consoles the button mapping is a little odd. Crouch and Sprint are both mapped to the L3. One is a press the other is a hold, and typical of such a layout a short sprint to cover is registered as a crouch. Thankfully the sight and movement control lag has been mitigated by a sensitivity option in the menu. While the timing is still a little off you won’t be noticing it by the second level in the game.

Sound: 9/10

The sound is in this game is beautiful. From electrical arcs to missiles launching the sound in this game is top notch. The rubble breaks with a convincing crack, and rounds ricochet convincingly. The one issue here is the cliche voice work. The characters blend in with every other “tough as nails” space marine from any other game. Guerrilla Games seems to have chosen the same route as Epic with UT3. To put as many swear words into one conversation as possible. Is it realistic? Probably, but while they are downplaying the gore of war, they could have dropped a few less F-bombs. Another issue that crops up, is the games ability to switch between person to person communication, and over the radio communication. It isn’t exactly smooth and sometimes the conversation will drop completely.

A.I: 10/10

This is the first shooter to come through the office that hasn’t had an AI that was simple to out think. The enemy will scatter when a grenade lands at their feet, they will fall back to a better position should they lose cover or become overwhelmed. The one way we found to defeat the enemy is to use line of sight instead of the cover system. If you simply block enemy fire with a wall they don’t seem to register you the same as if you had actually taken cover by it. They also seem to go to sorts if you flank them. The one thing that will have you cursing the gods is the AI of your team mate. He doesn’t seem to be able to take cover on his own. He will follow behind you like a loyal dog often getting in the way of any back peddling or retreat.

Story: 6/10

This is the one area where Killzone 2 falls apart. It was like they spent millions making sure every piece of rubble reacted in the appropriate manner and looked as realistic as possible, and let the interns sort out the story. Through the first half of the game you are doing the over used objective of protecting the convoy, and the characters are as forgettable as their lines. Then you have the name, Halgast, which is as cringe worthy as the “Necromongers” from Chronicles of Riddick. Whoever origionally thought up the idea that combining two evil sounding names into one uber evil sounding name needs to dragged out into the parking lot and beat. The thing that keeps bothering me about the story is the dress of the troops and the manner of government. It is very Nazish. Not only that, they are on another planet that is mutating them. Mutant Space Nazis…*groan*

Gameplay: 10/10

The enjoyment you get out of playing the game over shadows any short coming in the story. The levels are well made and offer you multiple paths to navigate. The guns are kind of boring in the beginning offering different versions of highly inaccurate assault weapons, but by the middle of the game your options open up to some truly entertaining weaponry. The multiplayer is definitely where this title shines in terms of game play. It’s quick and easy to drop into a match and the levels are well balanced offering you several avenues of play. Most importantly the servers are full of people to match your skills against. Without an install, the game has an annoying hiccup every so often as it loads the next section of the level.

Environment: 8/10

While the game takes place in the future there is very little that makes that obvious. Much of it looks very modern day. From the weapons, to the manner of dress, to the WW2 era enemies. Very little distinguishes Helgan from planet earth, save the occasional lightning spewing spire. This isn’t to say the other worldliness isn’t done well it’s just that there isn’t a whole lot of it. Guerrilla Games has done a good job combining lighting, sound, and action ti make a convincing warzone.

Conclusion:

Killzone 2 looks, sounds, and plays amazing. If you like tactile shooters you simply cannot pass on Killzone 2. However if you like run and gun games, like Resistance, or environment and story driven titles, like Bioshock, then Killzone 2 may not be the game for you. One thing is clear this title shows the true potential of the PS3 platform. If you would like to pick up the game and support HornyMelon.com at the same time click on the box art below to get your copy of Killzone 2 with free shipping.

For a complete write up of all the features of Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena you can head on over to the wiki. butchers Bay is being included with the sequel because the original was not able to be made compatible with the 360. This is also good news for PS3 owners as they never had the joy of playing that stellar title. With the addition of a multiplayer aspect of the title, it is shaping up to be a gaming value on par with Orange Box. Until release you can check out the following game play videos. Be sure to support HornyMelon.com, by clicking on the box art for your chosen platform. This title has free shipping available and will arrive on your door step on launch day.

If you’ve ever played the table topgame you would know that this has been one of the most entertaining games to come out of Gamesworkshop. Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive will be dropping this title into gamers laps sometime in the middle of 2009. For a complete write of Blood Bowl you can head on over to it’s wiki. Until the release you can check out the screens below.

It is hard to believe that this game started out as a Unreal Tournament mod. For a complete write up of the title head on over to the wiki. Until the game drops you can feast your eyes on these screens. Be sure to get your copy on release day by clicking on the box shots at the bottom of the page.

While checking up on the Horny Melon YouTube account down in the suggest videos suggestion appeared this title….”KTF.Flash vs Luxury Proleague June17 (English Commentary)” What the hell is this? Turns out it is a Korean Proleague Starcraft match that had been translated into english. I’ve never been that big of a StarCraft fan. I beat the campaign mode back in the day, but didn’t delve into the online portion too much. With 15 minutes to kill I watched one match, then two, then four. When I looked at the clock two hours had past. What was going on? Why had I just spent so much time watching people play a 11 year old game? Then I realized it was the commentators. They weren’t smack talking, no flamebait topics, and no wild claims. Simply two people clearly enthusiastic about a game/sporting event. The following videos are just a small sample of the wide world of Stracraft commentary.

Not only does this psyche me up for the release of Starcraft 2, but what effect it will have on the Starcraft Proleague.

While many gamers are embroiled in the pointless console flame war, unnoticed in the background is the developer/publishers DLC behavior is getting increasingly ridiculous. It is crystal clear that they are developing DLC while also creating a game. This nullifies the “free will” argument. The price of a game was suppose to cover developing costs and a tidy profit provided the game sold well. Now this initial price is also covering the cost of developing DLC. The latest titles to show this behavior is Street Fighter IV and Skate 2. Screens showing the alternative costumes in SF4 were released weeks before the game. The Skate 2 video editing features were released days after the title. Clearly these features were a part of normal development cycle and then shaved off for DLC. When this happens you do not have a choice to “Not buy” the DLC, you’ve already paid for it. The only option you have is to not pay for it twice.

If you are a Warhawk fan and have downloaded all the expansions the game has now cost you $100. Same can be said for LittleBiGPlanet. With PCs it’s a little different. You have the same DLC as the Xbox on most multiplatform titles and they cost the same, but you get 10 times the value with PC gaming. Mods, skins, new quests, etc, all created by tech savvy PC gaming fans. The best examples of this is Oblivion and Fallout. Oblivion’s mod community has become so well organized that you can literally rebuild it into a whole new game. Change the landscape, change the difficulty, improve the look. The options are virtually endless. Fallout 3 is undergoing the exact same change by many of the same people.

With the DLC fiasco gamers are become increasingly frustrated seeing their dollar value evaporating. This makes the PC platform look increasingly attractive. A decent gaming PC can be had for as low as $800 and remains current for years instead of months, as in the past. Throw in the fact that PC games are $10 cheaper and PC gaming matches the cost of a console over the span of it’s life time. The question remains that as money gets tighter and people can afford less will they spend what little disposable income they have on a closed systems or move into the value of the PC. Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

This March, Sega and Platinum Games will be dropping the most mindblowing and most needed Wii title ever. Madworld is a heavily stylized game in the comic book vein, complete with “POW” and “WHACK” word bubbles. The game is done in black and white with the only color to be had, by the sprays of blood and the occasional environmental element. This is a creative way to get around the limitations of the Wii. This comes as no surprise as Platinum Games talent pool consists of those who worked on Viewtiful Joe, Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. Some of the most critically acclaimed titles ever.

Make no mistakes. Madworld is no family friendly Mario Galaxy. It comes complete with fatalities, an arm mounted chainsaw, and a giant dart board to pin your enemies against. Mayhem Abounds in Madworld.

If this title was released on any other console by any other publisher it would most likely have gotten a shrug, decent sales, and been quietly forgotten. But, this title is needed on so many levels. Sega needs this title to prove it is still has what it takes to make compelling games,. Nintendo needs this title to prove the Wii isn’t just a deposit for shovelware for Grandpa Joe and Little Timmy. Most importantly hardcore gamers need this title. Hardcore gamers the world over were pulled in by the Wii control scheme, but as time wore on the newness wore off. The hardcore gamers want to like the Wii but there hasn’t been any good titles for almost 8 months now. We will be following Madworld closely as launch approaches. Stay tuned for more updates.

Disclaimer: There is not enough note worthy game “news” in a 24/7 to support a fact only “Game Journalism” field. Commentary, VS argument, Rumor, Gossip and other Op-ed style reporting is used to fill in the gaps. Think of “Game Journalism” less like a stock market report, full of facts and figures, and more like sports journalism, 1/3 talking heads. Game news is as much entertainment as it is fact based. It is what you fill up your time with in between the release of Street Fighter IV and Killzone 2.

Today we are going to take a gander at reporting rumors. Not all rumors are “rumors” many are intentional press leaks to get the hype ball rolling. Developers, Publishers, etc will say something off hand like “we plan on doing a lot of this in God of War 3″ when talking about a technology. Then when asked directly they will say they cannot comment. Other types of “leaks” are more direct something will appear in a mailbox, on a forum, or on a twitter account. Only to be deleted 8 hours later after every news source on the planet has reported on it. Few “leaks” are actually leaks. As it is pretty hard to accidentally log on to an account and type out 200 characters you are not suppose to. Other rumors are started through mere speculation. Take for instance the Killzone Super Bowl Ad.

It is obvious now that the Killzone ad was bogus. But you didn’t need to wait for the Super Bowl or a Sony statement to figure this out. You only had to look at the contents of the Ad vs the context of it’s placement. In the past Super Bowl ad spots have cost as much as $1,000,000 a second. Is Sony going to spend 60 million on an ad spot for a game when it hasn’t done anything remotely like that in the two years of the PS3s history? Highly unlikely. Then you have to look at the context of the ad itself. Is people getting shot and grenaded, with blood flying everywhere really going to get okayed during prime time, on a family network, during one of the biggest family events of the season? Hell, no. Look how big a fit they through over Janet Jackson. Why anyone thought this one was real is a mystery.

You can apply this line of thinking to almost any rumor. Don’t wonder if the rumor is true or not, or if you would like it to be true. Ask yourself, “Does this rumor even seam remotely plausible in the context that it is given.” You can use it on Xbox 720, PS4, PSP2, Dreamcast 2 rumors. Is it likely given the current economic condition that any of these will be launched in an environment where many will not be able to afford them? No. That is why Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft has put their release out as far as 2011. You can count on none of the above being released until the economic issue bottoms out and begins to recover. Rumors are fun and all, but c’mon most of them are not hard to see through.