Horrible Movie Games of 2009
This is according to the guys at X-Play.
Does any of them fall into your 2009 favorite somehow?
PlayExclusive: Monkey Business A “Wet” Review
Console: 360, PS3
Genre: 3rd person Shoot/Slash 'em up
Players: 1
Story
Rubi is a fixer. She gets jobs from interesting clients, travels to interesting places, kills interesting people, and always gets the job done. A year after a mission she does for a client, Trevor Ackers, she is asked to travel to Hong Kong to by the clients father, William to save Trevor Ackers.
From there, Rubi is thrown into an out-there story rife with deception, betrayal, and lots of angry gun and sword wielding guys.
Gameplay
I love shooting. I love slashing. And I absolutely love 3rd person platformers. Throwing the three together in a brilliant whirlwind of over the top combo's is something that'll bring smiles to any hardcore gamer out there. From wall-runs, dives, and slides, players get launched into Matrix-esque bullet time, making dodging attacks and shooting enemies a real breeze.
It's not necessary to dive over a burning car, slide under a truck while shooting a bunch of guys, and then doing a rising slash on a bat-wielding thug as you get up, but it never gets old. In addition, comboing kills also lets Rubi regenerate health; more kills, the more damage she can take.
As you progress, you get style points, earned by performing stylish kills, and after completing certain areas, you can upgrade Rubi's weapon specs and acrobatics, for firepower and flashier stunts, respectively.
Graphics & Sound
Traversing the stereotypical environs of Hong Kong and London, everything looks to have come out of a brilliantly cheesy action flick. Add in the film grain and infrequent film intermissions, and the look is complete. While there aren't too many major graphics glitches, enemies that fall off ledges seem to have their bodies stretch in all sorts of odd ways.
Music done by various artists like “The Arkhams” and “Gypsy Pistoleros” totally set the mood, and conveniently enough some of the soundtrack is also available for a free download at www.wetthegame.com.
Overall
The mixture of fighting styles blend together perfectly, making for endless combo's off of cars, tables, walls, and even jumping off enemies. The platforming elements do slow down the action during clumsy chase scenes and climbing/jumping portions but they're easily forgivable.
For fans of Grindhouse/Quentin Tarantino flicks, or any hardcore gamers looking for a dose of over the top gunslinging action, I highly recommend players go out, and get Wet.
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned
by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG
PLayExclusive: Katamari Forever
Console: PS3
Genre: Action
Players: 1-2
Rating: E
Story
The Prince of the Cosmos decides to practice his Princely jump, and ever the showoff, his father, the King of the Cosmos shows off his kingly jump, and launches himself high into the cosmos, hitting his head on a black hole, and falling into a coma.
The prince and cousins decide that while he recovers, they should make a Robo-King to take his place and do his duties in his stead. As soon as they turn him on, the Robo-king accidentally destroys all the stars in the galaxy, making it time for another Katamari Rolling adventure to rebuild the stars and planets, by rolling everything on earth into a huge ball, and launching them into space!
Gameplay
Keeping true to the old controls, the Katamari rolls as usual, with both analog sticks, but with the added feature of the prince jump, done by flicking the sixaxis controller upwards, making impossible to reach ledges just a hop away.
With 34 levels, and 4 different modes, expect plenty of replay value out of Katamari, as you try to roll for higher scores each time!
Graphics & Sound
Other than it's shiny 1080p resolution, Katamari Forever also features a few new graphical style modes too. A minor, but noticeable problem is that the game tends to lag when moving and picking up lots of objects at high speed makes for a lot of lag.
Overall
Always a fave among those that like weird and crazy games, Karamari Forever's addictive quirkiness is totally worth a try for children and adults alike.
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned
by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG
The Final Whistle
Yes. This is it. The soon to be released FIFA game on PS2 will be the last.
Electronic Arts has announced the date of when it will release the last of the FIFA game on the PS2, October the 1st 2009.
But hey, there's no need to be sad, you can still get your FIFA fix on the PS3, Xbox360, Wii, PC, PSP and DS. More info after this jump.
Drum lords rejoice!
If you have the Logitech Guitar Hero Guitar, then you're probably gonna want this.
Logitech's latest wireless drum kit for Guitar Hero certainly looks good and sturdy, and hopefully harder to break than the ones with that many users have been complaining about.
With this built, Logitech has emphasized on quiet pad design, recessed rims (to avoid the clang or accidental hits) and a kick-pedal with adjustable spring tension.The kit uses an RF USB dongle rather than Bluetooth for signalling to remain backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 versions of the game and to cut down on latency – whic is obviously the killer of rhythm games.
The kit will be available in the US retail this month at the premium of US$230. No word on when it'll be coming to our region yet.
Night Visions Goggle anyone?
If you're a big fan of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then this is the must-have edition to add up to your collection? Why? Free night vision goggle of course!
Yes, this Prestige Edition comes with a fully functioning night vision goggle (as seen above). Other items in the package includes the Hardened Edition of the game, an exclusive art book and a "head" to display your night vision goggle, should you get tired of having it around your head all the time.
Hands-down, this is the best special edition of any game we've seen, even if you didn't think much of the game, the night vision goggle is probably worth its US$149.99 cost. No news on where to purchase this online, but we'll be sure to do an update if ETA would be having some on their shelves.
PlayExclusive: Infamous - Shockingly good!
Console: PS3
Genre: 3rd person shooter/platformer
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Story
In Empire city, a bicycle courier, Cole, is hired to deliver a mysterious package, only to find out it's actually a bomb. The explosion wipes out 6 city blocks, and Cole the only survivor leaves the area, only to find that he has acquired electricity-based powers. Amidst all the chaos the explosion has caused, Cole decides to head out to restore order in the city.
Gameplay
Players are thrown into another game where their actions decide what kind of hero they'll be; a ruthless and uncaring thug with no heed to collateral damage, or a shining hero, to help the denizens of the city in it's time of need, all by a Karmic meter, tipped one way or the other, depending on actions of selfless good, or selfish evil.
Each brings forth it's own style, in powers, clothing, and the overall feel of the city. If Cole is a goody-two shoes, his outfit is clean, his lightning a bright blue and the city is vibrant with people cheering in the streets. The thug, however has a washed out and mud spattered outfit complete with menacingly red lightning attacks, and the streets are rife with suffering and fear.
Even citizens change their tune, praising you in the streets, and helping you by throwing rocks at baddies, stunning them, or for the bad guy, turning on you, telling you to get lost, and attempting to feebly beat you down, if you've earned it.
Quite obviously, Cole's electrical powers are a massive part of this game, and are affected by Karma as well, with new upgrades to existing abilities unlockable, depending on how good or evil you've been.
Each rank of Hero or Infamy will get you new upgrades to your powers, making shock grenades automatically bind enemies to the ground for the hero, while turning a couple of grenades into a carpet bombing spree for the InFamous!
At every moment, Cole's powers remain a constantly evolving creature, whether players unlock new abilities each chapter, or buy them with experience, through the powers menu, leading to constant excitement no mattter where you are in the game.
Climbing plays a massive part in inFamous, as climbing buildings, and making tall bounds will be Cole 's main source of transport. Players will be able to scale large structures in minutes with greater ease than Altair from Assassins Creed, and later on, abilities like Induction grinding make for faster transport from point to point.
Graphics
With hordes of enemies bearing down on you, explosions going off everywhere, and shrapnel flying all over the screen, the PS3 doesn't even slow, stutter, or shut down at all. It keeps on plugging forward, with all the beautiful destroyed parts of the city and all it's inhabitants in real time.
Overall
With smooth platforming akin to Sucker Punch's Sly Cooper series, players get a taste of true power in a massive environment with action that keeps rolling at all times. A must buy for any PS3 owner, casual, or hardcore!
Review by Johar Aston, TheLAG
This review may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned
by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG
PlayExclusive: Red Faction: Guerrila - A Real Blast
Console: X-Box 360, PS3, PC
Genre: 3rd person shooter
Players: 1 (2 – 16 online/lan)
ESRB Rating: T
Developer: Volition Inc./Reactor Zero (PC)
In the far future, set after the first Red Faction, Alec Mason, a former miner heads to the planet Mars in search of work. After witnessing his brothers death at the hands of the local military force, Alec joins that war for freedom under the newly re-formed Red Faction to free the planet and avenge his brother.
The Good
Open World: As soon as you get the opportunity to do your first real mission, the whole area is open to you, letting you have free roam to destroy what you want, when you want, with plenty of side missions to keep you busy. The tutorial is thankfully short, letting players get into the action with handy, mostly unintrusive popups as they play, or tutorial movies in the pause menu that players can access at any time.
Destroy EVERYTHING: With the exception of the ground, pretty much anything can be blown to pieces, from people to vehicles, to massive buildings. Sure, you could use explosives like any normal demoman, but a real man takes apart a military base with only his sledgehammer! In addition, players are actually rewarded for their destructive tendencies with pieces of scrap to buy upgrades, making times of boredom induced destruction a worthwhile romp.
Tough Guys: While it's understandable that the EDF are tougher and better armed, players will find some missions will be near impossible to complete due to waves of enemy soldiers that fill an area after a bombing spree. Sure, the point of this game is to make a quick strike and retreat, but it just feel like the game places punishment for no reason, even on easier settings.
Please, don't try: Civilians have always been a thorn in the sides of gamers for ages, getting in the way of perfectly lined headshots, swerving into our way during high speed chases, and just being generally annoying. Unfortunately, in this game, they pose a greater threat; in getting killed, they penalize the player by lowering morale, meaning that players can't simply get into a killing spree for fun. Even worse, this penalty applies even if they are killed by EDF, making players dread assistance from these poorly trained allies.
Overall
Every building you destroy never quite goes down the same, and for many players that means a different experience for each mission they start on. Just remember that swift attacks and a quick retreat when the enemies roll by are the only recipe for success in this game, whether you're trying to avoid death, or the annoyingly moronic AI of other guerrilla's.
Review by Johar Aston, TheLAG
This review may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned
by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
Copyright 2009 Johar Aston, TheLAG
01.10.09 - Get ready to Go
Mark those calendars boys & girls, that is when you can get your hands on the new PSP Go.
Admitted to be the worst kept secret by Jack Tretton, President & CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the PSP Go news somehow made it's way to the online world just a few days before E3. So it wasn't very much of a surprise when Hack Tretton pulled it out of his pocket during the Sony Press Conference which you can view here.
Ok lets talk specs, what is special about this baby PSP?
Technical features
• 3.8-inch LCD screen.
• Sliding control pad.
• 16GB internal flash storage.
• Wi-Fi.
• Bluetooth.
• M2 Memory Stick Micro port.
• No second analog joystick.
• No UMD drive.
• Sense Me application will allow you to playback music based on moods.
• Available in black and white models.
Physical features
• 50% smaller than the original PSP.
• 40% lighter than the original PSP.
Game and media distribution
All PSP titles going forward will be digitally distributed through the PlayStation Store, but also on UMD for the regular PSP.
• The video delivery service will offer more than 9400 TV shows—Showtime, Anime Network, Manga, UFC, HDNet, E!, G4, Magnolia...—and 1900 movies.
• On the PC there will be an application called Media Go, which will access the PS Store—I guess this will be the equivalent of the iTunes Store.
Availability and pricing
• The PSP Go! will be available for $249 and 249 euros
• Launch date: October 1st in Europe and North America. November 1st in Japan.
• PSP toolkits will be reduced 80% in price for developers.
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