Category: Impressions

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Things Wrong With NFS: Shift 2 Unleashed

  •  One track available at the start
  •  Driver Cam with stupid blur and bouncy effects is default
  •  Mandatory PS3 installation “it will now install, go for a 40 minute walk“
  •  Can’t play online without EA account
  •  Can’t play game without 3-step prompt to sign-in online
  •  Time Trial has Time Limit
  •  Driver XP bar exists while racing in every mode including Time Trial
  •  Idiot gives advice before every session in every mode
  •  Cutscenes
  •  Can’t skip cutscenes
  •  Can’t skip video advertising of EA Autolog
  •  Tutorial before you can play
  •  Game picks difficulty for you based on the first race
  •  Buying the first car links to the PS Store to spend real money
  •  Long load times
  •  Menu cluttered with VIP store options, code redemption screens and online pass sign-ins
  •  Options don’t always save
  •  Game crashes in Endurance Mode
  •  XP awards for following a questionable racing line
  •  Achievements for individual corners
  •  Achievements that aren’t “win the race”

Handling is good & the tracks are awesome, so I give this game 9 out of 10.

EB Expo – Handheld Edition

Wii U may have been the big attraction, but 3DS was the real hero who kept us busy in the long lines. A dedicated gaming event like the EB Expo is perfect for StreetPass action, and I got tons. Popular games included “Health & Safety Information” and “System Settings” , which is “OK.. I guess”. Some guy went out of his way to show everyone he owned Etrian Odyssey III. Hardcore, dude. I rated you Fantastic! for your efforts.

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Impressions From The Past World Of Another Time Dimension Crystal Fragment Memory Toilet

In an alternate dimension where Final Fantasy XIII was a well received videogame, Square-Enix thought it was a fantastic idea to make Final Fantasy XIII-2. Final Fantasy XIII is rubbish but I soldiered through the entire game riding the strength of the battle system. It’s quite fun when it opens up (40 hours into the game), and I’m excited about the idea of it opening up further in this sequel.

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Resident Evil 6 – Demo Impressions

It’s here at last, and you can play it on your Xbox 360 now if you bought Dragon’s Dogma; or with some (legal) USB trickery if you’re too cool to buy games.

Like many fans of the series, I feared Resident Evil had turned into a generic action game and lost it’s campy survival horror charm; but thankfully I can put those fears to rest now after playing Resident Evil 6. This is definitely a horror game. In fact it’s so scary that the screen itself has become a monster! Right from the first cutscene I was horrified as my TV began eating itself. The cameras in this game have been infected with the T-Virus, and the effect is very convincing; every few seconds the top half of the screen falls onto the bottom half and then quickly collects itself, creating a smudge effect. Like popcorn being thrown up at the movies, this definitely adds to the experience and makes you feel like you could be eaten by zombies behind the camera at any time.

unofficial gameplay screenshot

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Late to the PS3 party: LittleBigPunishment

Just over a week ago I finally bought a PS3 – there’s quite a few games on here I’ve been keen to play and Tales of Graces F was the pushing point, as well as my new Logitech G27 steering wheel that shamefully isn’t compatible with X360. I’ve been enjoying LittleBigPlanet so far; it’s a lot more fun than I expected. The physics aren’t horrible like I’ve read; it’s easy to adapt to, and the game has quite a bit of charm with some great music and pretty graphics.

It was all going fine until I foolishly plugged in my ethernet cable while the game was paused… THEN OPENED THE GATES OF HELL.

gamechanger

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Ridge Racer Vita – Impressions

DING DING DING – that’s the sound of Nintendo being knocked out of the hardware business. All-Star development team Cellius™ have released their first game after 5 years of development, Ridge Racer Vita. Sony’s new handheld features amazing graphics and a home console experience in your hands. It’s more than a controller with a screen.

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Mass Effect 3 – Impressions

I’m just going to come out and say it; this is the game of the year. I was so ready to hate this game. The day one DLC that is so obviously cut content, the tacked on multiplayer, the retconned elements of the story – I’ve been swallowing the hate machine from /v/ with gusto. But I can’t hate it. Everything is just too magnificent, I just did this thing right, I don’t want to talk bout it too much because of spoilers, but is was such a momentous event that other, lesser games, would’ve had this as their climax. Not Mass Effect 3, where this represents just the culmination of the first of what I hope is many acts this game will produce. Oh shit I can’t keep writing, I’m gonna go back and play more Mass Effect.

Mario Party 9 – Impressions

After FIVE LONG YEARS, Mario Party is back! Was it worth the wait? No, not really. More Mario Parties would have been nice. Nevertheless, this is the best looking one yet, with some of the most polished mini-games and a brand new concept of play!

Now that every player shares the same place on the board, you might think the competitive strategy aspect has been taken out or dumbed down…

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Tales of the Abyss – Impressions

I’m about 8 hours into Tales of the Abyss 3D and really enjoying it. It’s very cool to have access to such a huge RPG in the first year of a new system. The first real RPG in 3D is a pretty big deal, and the effect is done well in this game. It’s quite basic compared to most 3DS games i’ve played, but really adds to the presentation. The simplicity of having spoken text pop-out to the front of the environment is enough to make turning on the 3D worthwhile. The 3D is barely noticeable in battle and on the horrendously ugly world map, but it’s still worth keeping on because it’s un-intrusive (much like Steel Diver). The world map is really bad though.

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SSX: Deadly Descents Demo – Impressions (From Chat)

SSX has finally arrived in HD! After a failed Wii game that nobody could figure out how to play, EA has been inspired by recent market trends and added some grit and realism to the franchise. What’s it like? A demo has just been released on PSN and Xbox Live, go download it! If you can’t be arsed, or you’re waiting for the demo to be available to Xbox Live standard members like me; then read on as Infernal Monkey shares his experience!

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