Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3 is simply brilliant. From start to finish Naughty Dog have treated us PS3 owners to something of beauty and sheer genius!

The third in the series doesn’t let up and besides delivering an awesome game Naughty Dog also deliver a compelling story with lots of humour. Drake and Sully continue to banter and joke their way through another adventure and when the going gets tough the tough get funny!

The story takes Drake on a journey back to his childhood and across the world in locations in London, France (“trust you to find the only jungle in France!”), Syria and Yemen. The bad guys are a plenty and this time they are led by the mysterious Marlowe on her quest to find the Atlantis of the Sands.

The third instalment contained more action than puzzles, I think is no bad thing. The action involves a better hand to hand combat system where Drake is able to do much more than his usual take-down moves and can be placed among  a bunch of bad guys and strike, hold and counter almost as fluidly as Batman or Ezio (I said almost). This is by no means a major element of the game but it does add a whole new layer to the action.

Talking of the action, Uncharted 3 has the usual mix of climbing, jumping and negotiating narrow ledges and falling platforms but this time it gets bigger. Prepare to hold your as the camera shifts and spins as the cut scenes and gameplay weave together seamlessly to put you in control of what should be Hollywood’s biggest star.

The threat of a big screen Uncharted film is one that fans are both desperate for as well as one that turns their stomachs… I say just play this game on a big screen! Some of the best set pieces I have seen in a video game are in Uncharted 3. As soon as I finished the game I went straight back to escape that French château again as it was possibly the slickest executed piece of action I have ever played.

Uncharted 3 is simply brilliant.

I have finished the single player and will return to play it again some time, but for now the multiplayer is drawing me in more than I thought it would. The same beautiful environments and animation are available to you and your friends to experience together in deathmatch, plundering and co-op games.

I know its 2012, but if I had to pick a game that stood out from 2011, as my GOTY then I believe Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is it!

Thank you Naughty Dog!

A fun feature on Made2Game. Instant review scores based on trailers and rumours.  Though many of your did, I didn’t really like Resident Evil 5: the graphics are fine, the characters are cool, the setting and action great! However, the constant loading and waiting got on my nerves.. I want a game that flows more. Back to Made2Game….

A new ‘core’ Resident Evil game, then. Exciting! Well, exciting-ish. Not as exciting as the Chippenham Cricket Club committee meeting we were at last night when the game was announced.

Anyway. The epic Resident Evil 6 trailer below (epic for an announcement trailer, anyway) gives off a distinctly ‘Operation Raccoon City meets Gears Of War whiff’, with lots and lots (and lots) of action rather than old school suspense and tension and claustrophobia, which is a little disheartening to say the least. However, if the multiple story threads (Resident Evil Hero Squad as a subtitle, anyone?) can be paced properly, it might just be okay!

Source – The Made2Game Instant Review: Resident Evil 6 – Made 2 Game.

Max Payne 3′s environmental destruction has been shown off in a new gameplay video in Rockstar’s Design and Techology series.The Targeting and Weapons video above reveals the level of intricacy applied to Max’s shooting action, animation and bullet-time.The video also shows off a bus on struts which can be shot to crush enemies, while a loose walkway can be shot away causing foes to plunge 40ft to a concrete floor. Nice.Max Payne 3′s looking pretty slick – check out the video above or pre-order it ahead of it’s new May release date.

Check the link below for the awesome video!!!

Source Max Payne 3 Video Reveals Environmental Destruction – NowGamer.

News today says that Rockstar parent Take-Two has delayed the release of Max Payne 3 by two months from its original March release date to May, 2012.

The publisher says the decision’s been made to “ensure that Max Payne 3 delivers the highest quality.”

“We do not take changes to our release schedule lightly, and this short delay will ensure that Max Payne 3 delivers the highest quality, groundbreaking entertainment experience that is expected from our Company,” said Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two.

As a fan, looking forward to this game I am not bothered by this short delay if it is going to result in a better experience and product at the end of the day.

Though a significant delay this close to the release could mean there are unforseen problems – watch out for another push back announcement IMHO.

Source – Max Payne 3 release date delayed to ‘ensure quality’ – ComputerAndVideoGames.com.

A brand new gameplay trailer showing off all of the gameplay modes that are available to you in EA Sports upcoming extreme snowboarding title, SSX.

Just six short weeks away from launch, here is everything you need to know about the reality-defying experience waiting for you in the massive world of SSX. Plus, the exclusive reveal of GeoTags. This is SSX!

Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: EA Canada
Genre: Extreme Sports
Release Date: February

12/20/2011 Written by Anthony Severino

I am sure that you have read  this or one similar but I thought that this review was worth sharing.

The Uncharted series is the most recognizable exclusive on the PlayStation 3, so bringing a franchise of this caliber to a portable system is was always going to be a herculean task. But if there’s anyone up to the job, it’s Sony Bend. They’re probably best known for bringing Syphon Filter, and more recently, another PS3 exclusive franchise to the PSP with Resistance: Retribution. Both are noble efforts and make up some of the best the PSP has to offer. Can Sony Bend work the same magic on the PlayStation Vita, but with a franchise that is more cherished by PlayStation fans?

Editor’s Note: This review was conducted on an import Japanese PlayStation Vita using the Japanese import version of Uncharted Golden: Abyss. Uncharted: Golden Abyss features full English text and audio, but some features and aspects of the game, and PlayStation Vita hardware itself, may change for the North American launch.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is developed by Sony Bend in cooperation with Naughty Dog. Naughty Dog is mostly hands-off, leaving Sony Bend to the task of bringing Nathan Drake to the portable system. I myself – I’m sure like many others – was very skeptical. It’s not that I didn’t believe Sony Bend could make a great game based on a PS3 exclusive – they’ve proven themselves before. But what I could never expect, is that they’d produce an Uncharted game that’s not only worthy of the name, but it’s without a shadow of a doubt, the deepest, most-varied, console-like experience I’ve ever had on a portable system. Bold words, I know. And it’s something that must be seen to be truly believed. When it’s all said and done, you still may not believe that what you’ve just played is possible on a handheld. And more amazing still, on a launch title.

“Wow. This is a launch title?”

Surprisingly, anything big Drake can do mini-Drake can do better. And he does it in more ways. All of Drake’s melee moves, ducking for cover, and running and gunning are here on the PlayStation Vita, except now a lot of it can be performed using the Vita’s touch-screen. It’s not necessary, but it feels more natural and intuitive. Like I said, this old “dog” has learned new tricks: Drake can now clear out vines and overgrown vegetation using a machete; he takes charcoal rubbings of hieroglyphics; he snaps pictures of the environment with a camera he carries around in his backpack. And there’s are a few surprises that I’d love to talk about, but it’d be a shame to spoil. It’s evident that Sony Bend wanted to exploit everything the Vita hardware had to offer for Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

SOURCE Uncharted: Golden Abyss for PS Vita Import Review | PlayStation LifeStyle.

Medal Of Honor And Need For Speed Games For 2012 Confirmed – Tom Hopkins/Now Gamer – Published on Jan 12, 2012

EA’s 2012 line-up takes shape as UK retail presentation is leaked.

Medal of Honor will be EA’s big shooter for the fourth quarter of 2012, while a new Need for Speed game will also debut this year, according to a now deleted tweet by UK retailer Game.

“EA presentation was great, had mentions of a new Medal of Honour and Need for Speed 13! EA have an exciting year ahead.”

Last year, Medal of Honor dev Danger Close was hiring for a Frostbite 2-powered shooter with a ‘multiplayer focus’.

The news makes a 2012 appearance for Respawn Entertainment’s as-yet-unannounced first game extremely unlikely.

Meanwhile, recent racer Need For Speed: The Run, developed by Black Box, received mixed reviews, with many hoping the franchise will return to Criterion, who made 2010′s excellent NFS: Hot Pursuit.

Expect official confirmation from EA as and when.

SOURCE -  Medal Of Honor And Need For Speed Games For 2012 Confirmed – NowGamer.

Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is going to be er MASSive…

The complexity and depth of gameplay has RPG fans excited and the 3rd person action perspective is also worth a look.  I played Mass Effect 2 and really enjoyed the action aspects of the game; its not like playing a true 3rd person shooter but the variations of weapons and tactics make  it fun.  The hype for this game is building nicely now with game play trailers and Demos inbound you can be sure that escaping the hype is going to be near impossible…

A good source for your Mass Effect Fix is Joystiq: http://www.joystiq.com/tag/mass-effect-3/

Over at Joystiq you will find combat footage, details of preorder bonus and many other juicy bits of info..

EA have been canny with some DEMO DLC bonuses too:

Playing the Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning demo will score you bonus items in the full version of Mass Effect 3, and vice versa. Publisher Electronic Arts also confirmed that the Reckoning demo revealed yesterday for Xbox 360 will hit PC and PlayStation 3 on January 17 too.

If you finish the Reckoning demo, Commander Shepard will get the Reckoner Knight Armor, boosting damage, and the Charkam Launcher assault rifle, which “uses a fabricator to manufacture lightweight, explosive ammunition discs.” Being designed by Spawn creator and Reckoning executive art director Todd McFarlane, it’s naturally loaded with spikes, skulls and belts.

Then, if you play the Mass Effect 3 demo, your Reckoning character will get to don an armour set inspired by Shepard’s N7 gear and wield Onmiblade Daggers styled after Shepard’s new holographic knife.

Source: http://www.shacknews.com/article/71924/mass-effect-3-demo-dlc-kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning

Harry Potter 8 Film Box Set

For some reason I just didn’t get Harry Potter. I have no idea why, I have not watched one of the films. I have kids and I watch lots of kids films, so I couldn’t have been that I thought it was childish. Maybe the hype and hysteria was so unpalatable that I couldn’t ring myself to be part of it. Maybe watching a bunch of posh kids running around casting magic spells wasn’t appealing. I don’t know.

But recently I have felt that maybe I should check out what the big deal is. I have an 8-year-old son who surely will enjoy these films? The last few films look much darker and more my sort of thing. But to truly enjoy these films one believes you must care about the characters. So I think it’s time for my household to embrace J.K.Rowling’s world and get the movies on Blu-ray.

Obviously this box set is going to have all 8 films (7 books) and will be crammed with extra features and interviews and currently at £37 on Amazon it looks like a good deal.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Respawn Entertainment is an independent video game development studio formed by Jason West and Vince Zampella, former co-founders of Infinity Ward and creators of the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise.

The studio is currently working on its first title, we don’t know much about it other than its a first person shooter set in the future or in of the sci fi genre.

It wouldn’t be anything other than FPS when you consider who is working on the title.

Just hit the link below and check out the staff listing at Respawn and see how many worked on a Call of Duty or Medal of Honor game.

via Respawn Entertainment | Company.