Though PlayStation 3 owners will not get to experience the first installment of the Mass Effect series, the 2nd has already been stated as coming to the PS3 in January of 2011. With the reveal of Mass Effect 3 last night showing the newest trailer for the upcoming title, it left many wondering if PS3 owners would get it at the same time as other platforms. A recent tweet from EA executive Patrick Buechner answers that question.

Buechner’s tweet stated the following:

“Mass Effect 3 is coming to Xbox 360, PC and….. PS3!”

There you have it, Mass Effect 3 will be coming to the PlayStation 3 when it is released in 2011. For those that missed the fantastic trailer it is below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Source]

Back in 2005, fans of Highlander were happy to see that there would finally be a game based on their beloved series. The game was slated for a 2009 release initially, then it was pushed back. Worry set in as to if this game by Square Enix and Widescreen Games would ever see the light of day. The latest news proves that those worries were warranted.

According to IGN, they were contacted by a representative from Square Enix stating that the title had in fact been canceled. This may anger many fans of the series, but this title was slowly reaching Duke Nukem: Forever status. How many of you all were actually interested in the release of this title, or are fans of the Highlander movies or TV show?

[Source]

Many PlayStation 3 owners use Amazon to save big bucks on great games. They just so happen to offer some of the best prices available out of all online and brick and mortar retailers combined. Today marks the 13th day of the “17 Days of Deals in Video Games” on Amazon, and there are some great offers to take a look at.

The following deals are available for Day 13 of the event. Today’s theme is “Active Sports”:

• NBA 2K11 – $39.99, regular price $59.99
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 w/ Top Shot Elite – $59.99, regular price $79.99
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 – $41.99, regular price $59.99
• Blur – $29.96, regular price $49.99
• Racquet Sports – $19.99, regular price $29.99
• Rapala Pro Bass Fishing – $19.99, regular price $39.99
• Tony Hawk: Shred (software only) – $34.99, regular price $59.99

Do you plan on picking up any of these titles, if so which? Also be sure to tune in tomorrow for Day 14, which has the theme of Role-Playing Games.

[Source]

The VGAs just dropped another important bit of information for Insomniac Games’ fans. The release date for Resistance 3 was revealed within a “World Premiere” gameplay trailer during the show.

The trailer below shows several gameplay elements, as well as revealing the release date of September 6, 2011.

Earlier this week we covered that Kratos would be in the next Mortal Kombat, the teaser at the VGA’s confirms what we all suspected. The teaser can be found below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Many gamers have been patiently waiting for the crime thriller L.A. Noire, which is set in a 1947 version of Los Angeles. Team Bondi and Rockstar Games have slowly been teasing gamers with small bits of information that is only leaving us in even more anticipation for the release of this title. The premise of the game allows players to solve various crimes around Los Angeles within the game. Well today Rockstar treated fans with some new screenshots of L.A. Noire. Enjoy.

A total of 4 new screens were released today, each showing different elements of the game. These range from inspecting suspects to investigating a crime scene.

Considering that this game is still a ways off on it’s release, which is in 2011, what other things would you like to see implemented within the upcoming game?

[Source]

It’s been a while since we last saw an update for our PlayStation 3s, but it looks as if one is available right now for us to download.

Though minor updates can sometimes contain some new features, the official PlayStation Blog has revealed that it’s just a minor security patch.

It’s out now, so go grab it.

[Source]

Both Assassin’s Creed II and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood came out a year apart from one another. Although AC: Brotherhood just came out in November, the title has been receiving very high scores in the review department. Ubisoft knows that this series is easily one of their most popular series, and is looking to continue the story to the very successful Assassin’s Creed franchise. A recent survey sent out asked what improvements should be made within the series. Could this possibly be an indication of the next Assassin’s Creed title, and if so where will it take place?

The survey that was sent out stated the following:

Would you like to see ____ in the sequel to the ASSASSIN”S CREED: BROTHERHOOD?

1) An upgrade to the assassin’s blade that increases the fluidity and speed of free-running

2) An enhanced Eagle Vision: see the patrol paths of guards, spot clues to complex navigation puzzles, detect when characters are lying during interrogations, etc.

3) An intuitive crafting tool that lets you create custom bombs from dozens of ingredients found throughout the game world

4) Tactical use of a variety of bombs suited to unique contexts and situations (smoke, poison, flash, explosive, etc.)

5) An additional objective where you and your Assassins guild fight against the Templars to gain control of a city, district by district

6) Playing as a new Assassin, in a different historical time period

7) A continuation of Ezio’s story as the leader of the Assassins, set outside of Italy

8 ) Deeper connectivity between all the Assassin’s Creed projects (eg. an action you make on the Facebook game will impact your game experience on the console; events that you read about in the comics will be related to the storyline of the videogames, etc.)

9) Online Cooperative Mode

10) Offline Cooperative Mode

11) The availability of new maps for the Multiplayer

12) A choice of additional Multiplayer characters with new skill-sets

13) Playing new Multiplayer modes

14) A deeper team-based Multiplayer experience (guilds / squads that have common objectives, new tools for clan management, etc.)

15) A customization of the Multiplayer experience (logos, avatars, objects, team names, etc.)

Given some of the things stated within this survey, what would you personally like to see implemented from Ubisoft in the next Assassin’s Creed title?

There is no doubt that Kratos is one of the most iconic gaming characters in the history of video games. Ever since his debut on the PlayStation 2 in the original God of War in 2005, he has been slashing through all opponents placed in front of him. With this given success it has lead to many people choosing to dress up as him for both competitions, as well as while attending gaming conferences. Well it seems as if “cosplay” has been taken to the next level with a recent entry into a costume competition held by Ready At Dawn.

What you see above is obviously Kratos in a robot and cardboard box form. Quite possibly the most epic take on Kratos by a fan.

[Source]

With the success of the Inception movie both critically and financially, many gamers wondered at all if it would see a console iteration of the movie. Christopher Nolan, the director of the film, discussed the possibility of a game in an interview with Variety back in September, and has now confirmed that the game is in the works.

Entertainment Weekly interviewed Nolan, and naturally Inception was discussed. Initially, when asked if there would be a sequel, he simply responded with a maybe, but then began discussing the video game for the blockbuster hit. Here is what he had to say:

“I always imagined Inception to be a world where a lot of other stories could take place. At the moment, the only direction we’re channelling that is by developing a videogame set in the world.”

When asked about a timeline for release of the title Nolan wouldn’t reveal anything other than that it was “a longer-term proposition”.

Given the possibilities available for this title it will definitely be interesting to see which route Nolan chooses to take with the video game. What would you like to see in the game?

Considering that the first two Assassin’s Creed titles offered trips to the “Animus” offering two completely different character experiences, many assumed that the third title in the series would offer a brand new ancestor for players to experience with Desmond Miles. This, however, is not the case with Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood , which instead builds on the story of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who played the role of protagonist in Assassin’s Creed II. Between the direct sequel and the multiplayer that is added to this entry, is this title worthy of  being in the series? Or is it a quick cash in based upon the success of the second title on the PlayStation 3?

Those that played Assassin’s Creed II will feel right at home when they fire up Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. The game picks up right where the second left off, literally. Also for those that have not played Assassin’s Creed II may not want to continue seeing as how the storyline portion of this review may contain spoilers.

Ezio finds himself returning to Monteriggioni, the village of which you rebuilt in the second title, and Ezio reveals all which he learned while in Rome trying to track down Borgia. After revealing this information to his fellow assassins, all seems to be well; Ezio believes that he can finally relax for a bit, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Ezio’s peace is short lived and he quickly finds himself traveling to Rome shortly after the game begins. Throughout the game this isn’t the only place that Ezio will visit. The game will take you throughout Rome, Monteriggioni, Naples, and Spain. Rome will act like a much larger version of Monteriggioni in the game, in the fact that things can be upgraded an purchased to rebuild Rome, but will also contain the bulk of the story and side missions as well.

Just as in the first Assassin’s Creed titles, you will find yourself in the shoes of Desmond Miles, who is a descendent of both the characters: Altair and Ezio. Desmond is once again with Lucy, attempting to successfully synchronize with Ezio through the Animus 2.0 to help with the fight against the Templars. There are two other characters making a return from the second title that assist both Desmond and Lucy in their attempts to fight: Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. Rebecca is the one that created the Animus 2.0, and Shaun is basically the information hub of the crew.

The gameplay mechanics have not changed much since the last title. You will still find yourself climbing, jumping, and running your way through the various locales that Ezio and Desmond find themselves in. The combat seems to be a bit more smooth and allows for some fantastic counters against enemies. You will find yourself feeling like an unstoppable force utilizing Ezio’s newest unlockable weapons and armors — tie that in with the improved combat system and your enemies will be no problem for you.

This time around, controlling the horse is much better. Not only are you able to fully engage your enemies while on horseback, it can be legitimately used for travel within the city itself. Another thing that can be used for travel is the travel tunnels beneath the city itself. These fast transit systems will prevent you from having to journey across the gigantic city of Rome, and will quickly load you at an open tunnel that you have renovated with your earned money. The simplest way to earn money is, of course, to complete missions, but another easy way is to loot either enemies or treasure chests that you find along the way. Also, once properties are purchased they will earn you money as time goes on within the game.

With a name like Brotherhood, you can bet there is a team aspect involved in the game. You actually have control over the assassins that you have taken the time to recruit. It is then your job to give them tasks to complete, which will earn them experience, eventually leveling them up higher. Hopefully, if they are able to survive all of their missions, they will achieve the rank of “Assassin”.

AI is has seen a minor improvement and there’s more variety between enemies. Enemies in the game will work together to bring you down if they suspect you of something. It is up to you to fight or run. If you happen to choose to fight you run the risk of reinforcements arriving during the battle. The enemies in this title are also now better equipped. Should you happen to be traveling by rooftop and an enemy sees you, they most likely have a rifle or gun of some sort, which does a whole lot more damage than some of the enemies that carry crossbows. On foot there are different sizes of enemies as well. The heavier enemies are much larger, carry big weapons, and must be knocked back to successfully land a strike. The average enemies are a lot like ones seen in past titles. Smaller enemies are fast, yes faster than you, carry smaller weapons, and strike very quickly.

The sidequests featured within the title will keep you plenty entertained. Subject 16 makes a return in the game, and you must once again solve the puzzles at hand to discover a truth. Feathers that were featured in Assassin’s Creed II make a return — no worries though, there aren’t 100 of them this time, only 10. But there are 101 flags to track down, though.

On top of the already fantastic single player, Brotherhood marks Ubisoft’s first ever attempt at a multiplayer component for the franchise. Many were immediately worried, myself included, that this mode would be tacked on with absolutely no depth. Being the biggest selling point of the title, we’re glad to say, the multiplayer turned out to be inventive and incredibly addictive.

There are a total of 4 game modes to experience in the multiplayer. These include Wanted, Manhunt, Alliance, and Advanced Wanted. Each of these offers a different take and often requires different playing styles to be fully successful at them. Both Ranked and Private matches are available to choose for most of the game modes. So for those wanting to play with just friends and have a good time, simply choose the Private option, it will not contribute to your ranking, though.

With Wanted the premise is simple, choose a “persona”, and track down your target. The more successful you are, the more people you will have after you. A picture of your target will appear in the upper right corner of the screen, using the available compass on-screen track them down and eliminate the target.  If you happen to be in first place and are on a huge killing streak you can have up to four players after you at once — which is easily one of the most intense experiences in the game. Everything done within the game contributes to the overall score attained. For those that want to blend in and silently take out their target, they will get points for that. Those that want to stick to the rooftops and launch aerial takedowns, will get points here as well. It is essentially up to you how you take down your target, try different things and see which works best for you.

Manhunt is a game mode that is not to be overlooked. For those that want to work together to take down opponents, this is your best bet. In this mode, each side will take turns in trying to take down the opposing team. Using the same tactics in the Wanted mode will lead you to success, the only difference here is you are after an entire team and not an individual. In the beginning a team leader will choose the specific “persona” they would like to use. You will either be the targets or the assassins. If you are the targets it is your job to do your best to blend in, as well as stunning your enemies when necessary, both of which will gain your team points. When a round is over, both teams will switch sides, so targets will become assassins and vice versa. While playing as an assassin, tracking down your targets is a tad more difficult: you must use your observation skills here to fully be effective. They will be hiding in groups and it is essential to observe before attempting to take out your enemy.

Within Alliance mode, players will find themselves on teams of two, with a total of 3 teams. While one team may be out to assassinate your team, you will be assigned to the 3rd team. Many times you will find yourself chasing targets down, all while being chased yourself. Definitely an exciting experience.

For the hardcore that want to truly test their Wanted mode skills, Advanced Wanted is the mode for you. This mode must be earned, though; it will unlock for those that put in the effort to reach level 12 on Wanted. This mode is essentially just an extreme version of Wanted. No longer are you told whether your target is above you or below you, and generally, it is much harder to track your target via the on-screen compass. While not huge changes, it does up the challenge and make it a lot more fun.

Initially there are a total of 10 “personas” for the player to use. The Hellequin “persona” makes 11, and can be unlocked by visiting the Uplay page from within the game itself. There are also 4 other locked “personas” that will be unlocked as you level up within the multiplayer. The selection available is actually quite diverse, and gives the players many options as to how they want to be viewed from within the game. Not only can players choose how they look, but while leveling up many aspects of the “personas” can be customized according to preference. These include the gear that you are outfitted with, as well as the colors that are used on your individual character. There are 4 total gear and color options, all of which are unlocked by leveling up.

For those that want to control all aspects of their character and their abilities will be happy with the “Profile Set” options. Initially you start out with nothing, but by completing various tasks, as well as leveling up, players will unlock different abilities, perks and streaks to be used in-game. When everything is unlocked, there are a total of 2 abilities that can be equipped, 2 perks, a kill streak, and a loss streak. All of these will contribute to making you the ultimate assassin. It’s up to you to mix and match things to your individual style.

There is one final mode, besides the single player and multiplayer, that has not been discussed, and that is the Virtual Training Program. These can be accessed from within the story in the Animus. There are four total modes within the training. These include Free Run, Stealth Assassination, Locate, and Combat. Your performance will be evaluated with a medal system according to either how fast or how much you can can get accomplished within a given time period.

Graphically, the game is impressive for a game of its size. The cities themselves actually feels as if it is a living, breathing world. You will see historic locations as you travel throughout the cities you visit. Rome in itself is the biggest city map featured in any Assassin’s Creed title to date. While visiting cities you will see people shopping, couriers making deliveries, and shady individuals that will even try to rob you. Tie that in with the fantastic views and you have yourself one beautiful environment.

There is no way not to compare this game to Assassin’s Creed II, especially considering that it is a direct sequel. With that said, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood beats its predecessor in every aspect. It has a new team management system, a beautiful environment to explore, fantastic controls that will have you running all over the city, along with an engaging storyline. Throw in one of the most unique multiplayer experiences to date, and you have yourself one of the greatest games of the year. Simply put, do yourself a favor and pick up Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score + Great storyline that engages the player from start to finish. + Environment is huge and incredibly detailed for an open world game. + Multiplayer is incredibly addicting, and a great addition to the franchise.

-

Valve’s Team Fortress 2 has remained one of the most popular first-person shooters this generation. With an unorthodox presentation and playful game mechanics, many consider this fact well-deserved. Usually when a game becomes popular there are two results: mods and artwork. Team Fortress 2 has headed down that same path.

Agent Melon, a UK artist, decided to make some gorgeous artwork based upon the critically acclaimed Team Fortress 2. The pictures feature some cute pin-up girls and can be found below:

So which one is your personal favorite? Mine is the Medic with Pyro coming in close second.

[Source]

While it has been rumored for a while that Sony’s Cambridge Studios are working on a PlayStation 3 game, what that title actually is remains unknown, with some people speculating that the developer is working on a new Move game for the casual market. Now, a job listing has emerged that has revealed that Cambridge Studios are working on “a new game in a high profile, multi-million selling franchise”.

The game is most certainly on the PS3 rather than the PSP, with the job requiring applicants to be “experienced in PS3 programming”. But what game could the BAFTA award winning studio be developing? Many would say that the most likely game is a new addition to the MediEvil series, which the developer is most well known for – something that was rumored by PSM3 magazine a couple months back.

However, while Medievil was a classic title that garnered a cult following, it wasn’t a huge success, so calling it a “high profile, multi-million selling franchise” could be a bit of a stretch. Another game the studio is possible working on is The Getaway, initially developed by Sony’s London Studios, the third game in the high selling series was put on hold mid-way through development on the PS3 – could Cambridge Studios have picked up where they left off?

Other large franchises that have yet to hit the PS3 include Syphon Filter, but that game is heavily rumored to be in development by Sony Bend, or Destruction Derby, a UK franchise which had 3 platinum selling games and so could be considered a “multi-million selling franchise”.

What game do you think Cambridge Studios could be working on? Let us know in the comments below.

There is no doubt that mixed martial arts, also known as MMA, has become one of the most popular sports worldwide. With it’s ever-growing popularity video game companies have begun to capitalize on the sport’s buzz. Given the success of THQ’s UFC Undisputed, EA Sports chose to take a different route when attempting their own try at a MMA game. EA Sports MMA looks to bring in less mainstream (not UFC) fighters you may or may not have heard of, with the inclusion of the Strikeforce brand. But can EA Sports deliver a knock-out punch and compete with UFC Undisputed?

The game itself features over 60 fighters who are separated into different weight classes. These include lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight classes. The game is also slated to receive even more fighters via downloadable content in the future. Each fighter represented in the game does a great job of imitating their real life counterparts with signature submissions, punches and realistic movements.

MMA features three modes that will keep gamers coming back for more: fight now, career, and online. Fight now acts as essentially an exhibition mode. This is the mode you want to turn to when playing with friends in 2 player, or just want a quick match against the computer.

Career mode is easily one of the most enjoyable modes on the game. Players will take their very own created fighter through the ranks until they reach the top of the MMA ladder. The game allows players to make choices as they progress through the ranks of the MMA world. Throughout the career your fighter will have numerous people following his progress, even his own personal web blogger that reports on what is happening with your fighter. Also players must not only fight, but also train to improve their skill sets. The individual performance, which will be analyzed by whether you met specific goals in your training, will result in the amount of experience your fighter will be given in certain areas.

Customization is a huge part of the game, allowing you to control every aspect of your fighter from their looks to their behaviour. The typical height, weight, and appearance are all included when creating the fighter. However, the thing that really gives players a sense of ownership over their character is the ability to control everything from their fighter’s introduction to every detail of their fighting style. Boxing, brawler, generalist, jiu jitsu, judo, kickboxing, muay thai, sambo, and wrestling make up the 9 fighting styles that you can choose when making your character. Depending on the moves and stances you want your character to have, the fighting style is an important choice to make. Even those with a PS Eye will be able to use the Photo GameFace feature to map your real face to your own created fighter via a series of photos taken by the camera.

For online, the thrill of facing a new opponent every match, never knowing what to expect, keeps you on your toes at all times. Fighting in the various weight classes earns you rewards as you progress through the “ranks” of belts. There are a total of 9 belts to attain, along with the ability to try to earn the belts in the Masters Division. Also, by fighting in a division it brings you a step closer to becoming a “contender”, which allows you to challenge for a championship online. Each division is completely separate and require you to play in that division to work towards that title shot.

The controls of the game hold up rather well considering the fact that they depart from the traditional MMA themed games we have seen in the past. Rather than relying on the face buttons of the controller to do things such as strike and apply submissions, players use the right analog stick to do these tasks. Comparing the UFC Undisputed series to the new EA Sports MMA series is like comparing Tony Hawk to Skate. Though many had become used to the old face button controls, Fight Night fans will feel right at home because overall it is a great experience that delivers in every way.

Both from a graphical and audio standpoint MMA delivers one of the most immersive fighting experiences around. From the opening moments of entrances to when your fighter is celebrating their victory or reflecting on their loss you will find yourself appreciating the time and detail that is put into the game. As usual EA Sports has delivered on the audio aspect of the game. The soundtrack of the game fits the game perfectly and will have you nodding your head to the music as you browse the menus or work on your fighter. Also, a huge plus is the announcers of the game do an accurate job of announcing matches and a large variety means that things are rarely heard over and over. There were a couple of instances where they did seem to get behind on what was occurring in the ring, but this is by no means game breaking. The one issue that seemed to become an annoyance over time was the load times, which often seemed a bit too long.

EA Sports MMA is easily one of the best first entries of a new series that has been seen in a long time. The now famous Fight Night right analog control was applied to this game and it makes the game all the more immersive through the control scheme alone. Sure the game has a few hiccups at times, but overall it is a solid début from EA Sports. MMA fans should definitely do themselves a favor and give this one a look even though it is lacking the mainstream UFC label. There are plenty well-known Strikeforce fighters that players will recognize, and soon they will forget all about the lack of the UFC and focus on what matters most – the gameplay.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score + One of the best MMA games to date based upon controls alone. + Online is a blast to play, and leveling up and earning championships will keep you coming back for more. - Occasional announcer slowdown and loading time issues.

-

There are few titles that have represented the hip hop music genre in gaming; the only series that has incorporated it successfully would be DJ Hero. Last generation’s Get On Da Mic, which was released on the PS2 in 2004, was a failure both commercially and critically. So when Konami announced Def Jam Rapstar it left many people skeptical of how it well it would be received. Though Paul Coyne of 4mm Games, the developer of the game, has already stated “Internally, we used Get On Da Mic as the architectural model of how not to do Def Jam Rapstar.” The real question at hand is how does this lyrically powered game hold up in the music genre on it’s own, and it is considered a must have title?

The overall premise of the game is simple, using a microphone that is plugged in via USB, perform the words on the screen. Your lyrics, timing, and pitch will be evaluated by the game. Lyrics are actually saying the words that appear on the screen. Timing refers to saying the words at the correct moment according to how the song is actually sung. Then the final aspect that is evaluated, pitch, refers typically to the singing aspect of most choruses that are found in songs. So yes, there are moments where you actually will have to sing. The rapping part will have a bouncing ball that will bounce over the specific word when it needs to be said. When singing needs to occur the menu will change a bit to signify that it is a singing part. The words will still be there but lines go across them indicating the pitch at which the words needs to be sung. The microphone is actually pretty accurate, so if you are not on key no points will be awarded for pitch.

There are several modes that are available to players that want to test their inner hip hop artist. Party mode allows for 1-2 players to play either against one another, or with each other. Though both the battle modes and the duet modes are some of the most entertaining aspects of the title, this does require another microphone. Within Party mode players can even set up a playlist so you are not having to keep heading back to the track listings to pick the next song. Within Party mode there are several songs that are not available in the Career mode for players to enjoy. This is also where all DLC songs will be located.

The Career mode is where most solo players will spend their time. To unlock more songs it is simple, perform better to get more mics. Your performance is decided by how many mics you have at the end of the song, 5 mics is the best and 1 mic is the worst. Earning a set number of mics will not only advance you to later stages, but also unlock things such as screen effects and stickers to be used in the editing mode. There are a total of 5 stages available, and the latter 4 must be unlocked by working your way through the songs. Upon completing the last stage you will be considered a “Def Jam Rapstar”. Players can then go back and try to improve their performance, as well as unlock additional content missed initially, like more mics for more freestyle beats. Once completing a specific stage or reaching a specific level players will have the opportunity to test their skills against the “challenges” the game has. These include timing challenges, platinum power challenges, high score challenges, endurance challenges, multiplier challenges, and even song unlock challenges. The game offers plenty on content that will keep you coming back for more.

Freestyle mode is where the true lyrical masters will shine. This is the moment to show the world what you are made of with your lyrics on top of a beat of your choosing. Initially the beats offered to freestyle over are slim pickings, but as more mics are earned in the specific stages in career mode, more beats will be unlocked. This mode is really where the community aspect of the game really shines.

If you happen to have a PlayStation Eye hooked up while you are performing then it will record you during the performance. In fact you will be able to see yourself in a little screen as you play. Upon finishing recording you are able to take the video into the editing mode of the game. Various stickers and screen effects can be added to your performance to give it that wow factor that will net it more views in the game community mode, or the online community website. While viewing other videos you can rate them, comment on them, and even add the performer as a friend. Not only is this new social aspect of the game a great way to meet new people, but it is also a way to form crews with friends. With the crew support one another by rating their videos and help promoting them.

Well the game isn’t all about friends and fans, there are also enemies, which are known as rivals. Also setting up battles is a way to get rivals or friends. Battling opponents is an easy way to see who is the best at performing a specific song, and leaving it up to the community through votes. Another way to set up friends/rivals/battles is through the map feature on the site. Have your address or at least zip/post code entered in your profile settings and it will show fellow Def Jam Rapstar owners located around your location.

Those that have played other musical games know that they typically have a store that allows more songs to be purchased via DLC, and Def Jam Rapstar is no different. There is already several songs that have been set for release for the game, some released within the first week of release. These can be bought within the game itself or in the PlayStation Store, so it is up to you. The DLC can only be used in Party mode of the game, not Career mode. This helps compliment the 45 song tracklist.

The game itself is built to be a party game, not a graphical powerhouse. Those familiar with the Singstar setup will find this to be familiar in some aspects. The actual music video will be playing with the correct words scrolling along the bottom of the video. Other than that the layout of the menus within the game is pretty straightforward. Sound quality is rather good, though some players may be bothered that the game does not feature the explicit versions of songs. There will be a series of blanks in the parts where there are curse words. Though the game does not penalize for you wanting to use curse words in the place of the blanks. The microphone itself also offers pretty decent sound quality when rapping, keeping most outside noises out of your performance.

Def Jam Rapstar is easily one of the best hip hop only music games. Granted the game only ships with 45 songs, which some have complained about, but these songs do a good job of representing the history of hip hop. The game is a perfect party game to play when friends are over. Factor in the community aspect, which is still being worked on and updated constantly, and you have yourself a sleeper hit for fans of hip hop. It will be interesting to see what other DLC is brought out for the title in the near future, but the game is a definite pick up for fans and a great entry to this new series.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score + Great first entry into this series that encompasses hip hop and the roots of it. + Community aspect adds great depth to the title that will keep you coming back for more. - Track list seems a bit short when compared to other games in the same genre.

-