Category: Playstation 3

Final Fantasy XIII and the Disc Debate

ff13Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix’s long-awaited entry into the Final Fantasy series that has been approximately two decades in the making (not really) will finally be coming to both the PS3 and XBox 360 next year. Not only is it cool to know that this game is right around the corner, but it’s even cooler to know that the game is going to take between 40-50 hours to complete, according to recent reports.

However, there’s been some cause of debate about the game between those lovely fanboys. For years, we’ve heard that one of the PS3’s big advantages over the XBox 360 is the storage capacity of Blu-ray. However, it hasn’t really been an issue for many games in this generation until now. It seems that Final Fantasy XIII is going to take “about” three discs for the XBox 360 version as opposed to the PS3 version.

This is causing massive fanboy flame bombs, as you can imagine. Especially considering that Rage developer id software hinted this week that the XBox 360 version of the game could require a separate disc for multiplayer.

So, what do you guys think about switching discs for the XBox 360 version? Will it deter you from a purchase of the game, or is it really not that big of a deal and do you view it as a huge limitation? Personally, I’ll be getting FFXIII for the PS3, but I think it’s an interesting debate nonetheless.

Source- Kotaku

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Trailer Has Style

In case you hadn’t heard, the new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow game is being made by Kojima Productions. I think it’s definitely good to let them tackle something that is not Metal Gear for a change, and so far the results are looking pretty cool. The Lords of Shadow trailer definitely has some cool style to it, and count me pumped for Patrick Stewart’s voice, which instantly makes everything exponentially more awesome. What do you guys think?

PS3 Slim Due First Week of September, Price Dropped to $299.99

ps3_prints_moneyWell, after months of speculation, it’s happened. Sony dropped the PS3’s price to $299.99 and announced a 120 GB PS3 Slim. Does this change anything for any of you guys? Do you think this will allow Sony to surge past the 360? Or are they destined for 3rd place for this cycle?

GamerSushi Asks: Life in the Sandbox?

prototypeI’ve been playing through some of Prototype this week, and as with most sandbox games, it seems to do a few things really well, but a bunch of other ones in a largely mediocre way. Traversing the city is perhaps the best part of the game. Skyscraper running is so addicting I almost can’t believe it, so moving back and forth between objectives is actually more fun than even doing them.

But it falls short in other ways. I’m not even very far into the game, and the story is a mess. Likewise, all the objectives are already repetitive, and I’m only a few hours in. On top of that, the draw distances and the graphics are pretty laughable, and the city doesn’t feel like a living, breathing world.

It makes me wonder why sandbox games seem to be so hit-or-miss in all of these other areas. To me, to have a good sandbox game, you need a fun way to travel the world, unique diversions, non-repetitive missions and a fully functioning world to make as your playground. In the last couple of years, I feel like Saint’s Row 2 is the closest I’ve gotten to playing something that meets all of those.

What about you guys? What’s your favorite sandbox game, and what do you think is the most important aspect of the genre? Go!

Assassins Creed 2 Dev Diary

If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m a big fan of developer diaries. I’ve found the string of Ubisoft ones particularly interesting, especially in regards to titles such as Splinter Cell and more recently, Assassin’s Creed 2. In this video, the creators delve into a few of the new gameplay tweaks, including the new banking system as well as gaining notoriety within certain factions. Both of these are cool because of the way they frame it within the context of history. I really can’t wait to see more of this game. What about you guys?

GamerSushi Asks: Arkham Asylum Thoughts?

batmanThe typical fall slew of games starts dropping in just a few weeks, with Batman: Arkham Asylum officially ushering in the new onslaught. As I’m sure many of you know, the game’s demo just hit the Web this weekend, allowing thousands (perhaps millions) to play as the Caped Crusader, Splinter Cell or MGS style.

While I’ve been cautiously optimistic about this game, I have to say that playing the demo totally pulled me into its web of immersion. I haven’t been that sucked into a video game in awhile, and I was literally on the edge of my seat as I played through what the demo had to offer of Arkham’s dark and brooding hallway interiors. The opening cutscenes for the game are fantastic, and hearing Mark Hamill reprise his role as the Joker was so much fun.

The game is gorgeous and moody, and really fits Batman’s world. I also have to say that the challenge room where you have to take down the guards was bloody fun, and I can’t wait to try more diverse ones. My only worry right now is that combat felt like it could grow old quick. Right now, it just seems like a mashing of the X button (or square for you PS3 friends).

So what about you guys? What were your thoughts on Arkham Asylum?

Dragon Age: Origins Character Creation

For whatever reason, I keep forgetting that Dragon Age: Origins exists and that it’s actually coming out in November. While the most impressive thing I’ve seen from the game was at PAX last year, I’m still convinced it’ll be a blast to play. I mean, heck, it’s Bioware, and they’ve yet to lead me wrong. Those dudes even just released a bit of the character customization, including some glimpses at the ability tree. Nothing super exciting, but it definitely whets my appetite for more of the game. Anyone else interested?

PS3 Ready To Launch Offensive?

ps3-price-cutDespite what you may have heard, the PS3 has held it’s own against the 360 despite having a higher price, less blockbuster exclusives and having to build an online network from the ground up. But two of those have been corrected and now all that stands in the PS3’s way is the price. Which brings us to a few items:
Sony has revealed that they have managed to get the cost of a PS3 down to $270 per unit. They also have doubled their usual order of components needed to build the consoles. The topper is that they are having a 3-hour keynote in Germany on August 18th. What does this all mean?

It appears as if a price drop for the PS3 is imminent. And it could be the very thing needed to propel the PS3 past the 360 and perhaps even take on Nintendo, far off in the future anyway. Keep in mind that the PS2 sold over 120 million units. Most of those people are probably just waiting for a price drop. Many people say $100.00 would be do it, but I think Sony should go for the jugular and drop it $150.00. Even in these dark economic times, that would cause a serious boost in sales and just in time for the Christmas season.

Would a price drop get you guys off the fence and buy a PS3 or are you not even interested in it? Is there a magic number you are waiting for?

TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled Launch Trailer

Oh man, how I miss sidescrolling co-op beat-em-up games. Seriously, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtles in Time and Hyperstone Heist games were some of my favorite classic titles from the good old SNES and Genesis days. Playing those games with my brother and our neighbors pretty much defined my summers during childhood.

So that’s why I’m stupid excited for the re-shelling of TMNT: Turtles in Time. It hits PSN and XBLA this week for only 10 bucks, and I seriously can’t wait for it. Anybody else going to get in on this action?

Batman: Arkham Asylum Opinions Surface

batmanOne game that I keep forgetting about for the Fall is Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game comes out in just a few weeks, and looks like just the kind of game that a great character like Batman has always deserved, with a cool cross of sneaking action with cool looking cutscenes. And hey, it even has Mark Hamill doing the Joker’s voice, so you can’t go wrong there.

But is the game any good? Apparently, yes. A few game publications are already starting to weight in with their opinions on the new Batman romp, and so far, it sounds awesome. The Official Playstation Magazine has given Arkham Asylum a 9/10, and GamesRadar has followed suit with a glowing 3 page preview. They even go as far as saying that this could be the greatest superhero game of all time.

So, who else is interested in this game. It may be moving up on my list, especially since it comes out in just a few short weeks on August 25th. And hey, if nothing else, you can test out the demo, which hits this Friday.

Source- GamesRadar and PS3Vault

Fat Princess Looks Like Tons of Fun

See what I did there?

I’m not sure how many of you have heard about Fat Princess, which hit the PSN just a couple of days ago, but I’m seriously thinking about picking it up. The premise? A 16 versus 16 game of Capture the Flag, only you’re trying to bring a princess back to your base instead of a flag. The catch? Feeding the princess makes her fatter, which means more team members have to carry her. Combine that great premise with resource gathering, cartoony graphics and awesomely animated violence, and I’m in. What do you guys think?

GamerSushi Asks: Portable Classics?

ff7I’m flying to Florida this weekend for some much needed vacation, and if there’s one thing I’m not looking forward to its the flight. Being a rather big dude makes flying a completely uncomfortable affair, not to mention that I hate the way flying makes me feel. The one thing that makes the experience more bearable is portable gaming of some kind, be it the PSP or Nintendo DS.

One thing that got me really excited this week was the realization that I could download any number of PS1 classics onto my PS3 and then transfer them over to the PSP. I could play Suikoden, Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid. The cooler part? I can even copy those save files back onto the PS3 when I get back, and continue the games I started there. This makes me happy.

The idea of playing FF7 and MGS in particular is what really has me stoked, mainly because they are two of my favorite games. This got me thinking. If you guys had a chance to have a handheld and portable version of any of your old school favorite games, what would it be and why? Go!

Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Debut

Now here is one FPS that I am looking forward to in a real bad way. I still maintain that Call of Duty 4 has some of the best (if not the best) multiplayer gaming of this generation so far, so I really can’t wait to see what Modern Warfare 2 does to improve upon that. So that’s why it’s exciting to see this new Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer debut trailer, which dishes out some of the dirt about a new perk, customizable kill streak load-outs. Awesome.

Cutting Through the Shooter Fat

hot-dogThose of you that frequent this site know something of my sordid disdain for the FPS overflow of the current generation. It seems that nearly every blockbuster title for the last couple of years has been some kind of shooter, be it Resistance, Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo, Left 4 Dead or Killzone. Shooters are bombarding us from every corner, and after some time, I grew rather sick of them.

So for the last few months, I’ve been on something of an FPS diet. I’ve been on a real diet, too, coincidentally enough. The funny thing about losing weight is that people always want to know what your secret is. You say that you’ve lost x amount of pounds, and people always ask, “How have you been doing it?” When the answer is “getting off my ass to exercise and not eating like a wildebeest”, they tend to get a tad upset. As if I’m holding out on them. Oh right, there was also a secret pill that made it really easy. Forgot to mention that part.
Continue reading Cutting Through the Shooter Fat

Splinter Cell and Red Steel 2 Migrate to 2010

sccMan, as if the list of games moving to 2010 wasn’t already long enough, it seems that Splinter Cell: Conviction and Red Steel 2 are jumping the 2009 ship, too. Apparently, they are heading to the brighter, greener and Modern Warfare 2-less pastures of 2010, able to enjoy some more publicity.

While I understand that people are afraid of the Modern Warfare 2 machine (not to mention Halo: ODST and Super Mario Galaxies 2), I really am shocked that this many game companies are breaking up the dreaded Fall o’ Games. I mean, I’m not complaining about it, although Splinter Cell was my number one anticipated game, I do think it’s interesting that publishers are finally trying to spread their profit around a little bit instead of loading up. You saw Warner Bros. pull the same move last year by bumping Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince to Summer 2009 instead of Winter 2008. I think Ubisoft didn’t want 3 of their blockbusters (along with Assassin’s Creed 2) all coming out at once.

So far, Bioshock 2 and Heavy Rain have already moved. What do you guys think about all these games moving out of the Fall?

Source- VG247

Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition is Silly and Hot

mw2prestigeI’m all about collecting absurd video game paraphernalia. I mean, I’m the guy that bought the stupid Legendary edition of Halo 3 so I can have that Master Chief helmet chilling in my living room next to my shelves o’ DVDs. I also eye those Final Fantasy figures from time to time.

But the Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 2 is a different kind of animal all together. Not only does it come with the totally rad Modern Warfare 2, a sweet art book and some other goodies… but it also sports a real, functioning and completely excessive pair of night vision goggles. Wow.

I have to say that while I would never buy this, a small and dorky part of me is beyond tempted to. I mean, people use those things for wars, and I could have them in my home. Way better than a Halo helmet, if you ask me.

So what do you guys think? Cool, lame or meh? Go!

Source- Destructoid

Uncharted 2 Ice Caverns are Gorgeous

Seriously, Uncharted 2 might be one of the best looking games to ever come out when it finally drops this fall. I loved the platforming and storytelling elements from the first game, and if this new ice caves gameplay video is any indication, it’s going to be even better in the sequel. The visuals are stunning to look at.

This is a day one purchase for me. Any other takes out there?

Heavy Rain to Avoid the Sequel Season

heavy-rainWe all love and dread the holiday season when it comes to purchasing video games. Love in the sense that we know we are going to be getting tons of quality games, but dread in the sense that there is no way we can purchase all of them at once, meaning that some will slip to the wayside. It happens every year.

Not to Heavy Rain, though. It seems that Quantic Dream is pushing the game to 2010 in order to stay out of the way of games like Modern Warfare 2, which will destroy everything in its path this holiday season. There are a few other games that are doing this, as well, but pushing back to the beginning of 2010 should allow Heavy Rain to debut without nearly as much competition.

Seeing as how Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed, Halo, Call of Duty, Uncharted (now rumored for September), Bioshock and Mario are all getting sequels this fall, this is probably a good move. Why more video game companies don’t spread these releases out is beyond me. Who else wants video games spread out through the year?

VG247

Battlefield 1943 is Good Old Fashioned Fun

bf1943As many of you know, Battlefield 1943 released yesterday over PSN and XBox Live. While the game launched with some issues (namely, server capacities), those issues are being dealt with and the game is slowly but surely becoming playable again.

After some difficulty joining a server, I finally was able to land inside, and I have to say, I had a blast. It really is good to be playing Battlefield again, especially in the WWII setting, with bombers, aircraft carriers, boats and jeeps all at your disposal. The game works with squads and squad spawns, which was such brilliant addition to the series with BF 2. So, if you’ve got either a PS3 or XBox 360, this game is a ton of fun and a definite steal at only $15 for the whole deal.

So, who’s gotten to play this game yet? What did you think?

GamerSushi Asks: Gaming Thumbs?

fnr4There are some things that I think you all should know. Fight Night Round 4 came out last week. Fight Night Round 4 has realistic face punching physics. Fight Night Round 4 is a hell of a lot of fun. Seriously, I can’t stop playing this game. The legacy mode is deep and engaging, and your character even ages as you progress through scheduling your fights for the year.

However, one bad thing about the game is that it is giving me gaming thumbs. I think you know what I’m talking about. When you play a game so much that it starts to give you new callouses on your thumbs because you haven’t played a game like that in a while. Well right now, I’ve got those bad, because I seriously can’t seem to put it down. My brother came over the other night, and we squared off for nearly two hours throwing punches, dodging and dishing out uppercuts. It was heavenly and I highly recommend it.

So what about you guys? What was the last game that gave you gaming thumbs? Also, who else has played this game or wants to? Go!