'PlayStation Home'

First off, I can't really say this will be a 'real' review, solely due to the fact that PlayStation Home is still at an open Beta stage. Not the final thing. Although, from the opening messages and disclosures, it sounds like this Beta is pretty much the final thing with Sony adding and tweaking here and there in the future without any major overhauls. I read recently that Aaron Greenberg, Xbox 360 Group Product Manager, claimed that Home feels like "2005 tech in 2008" which, after playing it, I have to disagree with. The only thing that feels 2005, in places, is the concept and, even then, it's a concept that still holds up today, this idea of a social network; look at Facebook, Myspace, et al. This isn't a case of Sony jumping on a band wagon with avatars, a la Microsoft, this tech has been in development since 2005! Nintendo brought us the Mii's and showed us that virtual representations can do good business, so Sony took that and ran with it, with the product we've got right now being something to be proud of. Except for a few obvious detracting issues...

LOVED

Concept!

The concept is solid. Social networking is a big thing nowadays with even tech-savvy laymens joining in. Myspace revolutionized it, Facebook refined it and now Home does it all again, with a twist. This is, obviously, specifically for gamers. And, as most people know, most gamers happen to be male. Especially the Sony audience. And this really shows with just 10 minutes on Home, the amount of dudes at one time is almost embarrassing. But that's not Sony's fault, it's just something that is. Despite the amount of girl gamers out there, there will always be more male gamers, and this is a direct reflection of that.

Don't like it? Change it!

The amount of material you can edit in Home is very impressive. From moving furniture around, to redecorating your Home, it's all there. Albeit somewhat limited right now, due to the early stages, open Beta, etc, etc. I'm sure Sony have some sort of plans to expand. At least, I hope they do. 

A New Kind of Interactivity

Bands organize Xbox live sessions with fans. Imagine something to the same degree on Home but, instead of a specific game or whatever, it's literally just for a fan Q+A? Yes, that would be killer.

Other People

Meeting other people in this kind of situation was a kick at first. Whilst waiting for one of my friends to come online I got into a random conversation with some guy that ended in us talking about The Watchment and me recommending he read the graphic novel. I then had a group conversation about our favorite PS3 games, etc. The randomness of conversation is definitely a lot of fun, and you'll meet some interesting people with a doubt.

HATED

Don't like it? Tough.

As much as you can edit, there's also a lot you can't. I found the chin segment on my avatar the worse, you can't make the chin bigger or smaller in profile, giving all characters a bigger lower jaw and, frankly, giving most people an almost caveman-esque appearance. Not good. The limited amount of shirts and trousers is also an issue. If a game like No Mercy on the N64 can handle the same articles of clothing, but allow you to change the colour, why can't a game in 2008? I never wear jeans in real life, so why must I be forced to put my guy in jeans because the only trousers they offer are a disgusting shade of green that can't be changed? Bad. 

Other People

I was online last night with one of my friends and, after we had a group conversation and left, I saw him talking to a red headed girl, so I decided to leave him for a bit. Didn't wanna cramp his style considering he didn't need an in! Anyway, I get back and two other people (one was called _ReCKl3Ss_ (or some variation of that) and the other...I can't remember, though he did ask me to "join them". Basically they were saying all this shit to try and cause trouble, making fun of the girl, making fun of my friend, etc, etc. They were the epitome of the Keyboard Warrior, and it was a pathetic display of what Home should be about. Shitheads turning a neat idea into something barely bearable. Not Sony's fault, but there should definitely have some sort of regulators online at points just in case stuff like this happens. 

Do you really look like that?

I'm sure some people's characters don't look like them. Mostly because they don't look...y'know...human. At all. Put the time in, make the effort. Sony did. Seeing a black dude, with ginger hair and a blue mustache doesn't strike me as something created by somebody living within the realms of reality. 

Dance, Dance

Stop. Fucking. Dancing. Sony did not spend 3+ years developing this and 'x' amount of dollars so you can get your guy to do 'Running Man'. Fuck. Off. 

Final Thought/s

So, with my time in Home so far I have had a blast, been blasted, wanted to blast two douchebags that were causing trouble for no reason, and have decided I hate anybody who dances in Home. For someone who's barely played 3-5 hours, total, that's quite a bit. And frankly it feels like I'm almost done with it as an experience. It'll definitely be something I play about with in the future, definitely be something I'll use again, but it's not something that's ever going to take the place of Facebook/Myspace, etc. Though, to be fair, that's not what it was intended for. Not that it was intended for everybody to dance/be a dick/hit on 'girls'. Which, funnily enough, can also stand for Guy In Real Life. Which seems to be the case with a lot of the 'girls' on Home, which is worrying, considering the amount of guys who hit on the female avatars. Sony need to add some sort of feature that in the Profile section where we can state, once and for all, what sex the user is. When in doubt, check the Profile, then you'll know if you're good to go, or not. Depending on how much of a scumbag you are. Unfortunately, like with most unmoderated chat rooms, there's going to be ALOT of douchbaggery, a lot of perving, a lot of inappropriate behavior and, hopefully in places, a bit of decent fun between mature gamers who want to experience something new that doesn't resort in "where do you live, I wanna **** you" or "your mum" which I got a few of in my inbox from random people. Nice guys, just...nice. Get a life. Please.

So, Home. Worth the FREE download, without a doubt. Despite the server issues it is suffering from right now, something they are working on, something that really shouldn't have happened, but did, it's still a lot of fun. When you can get on. When it was released on the 11th I grabbed it when it went online at 8:30PM, I managed to create my guy and explored the areas for about 40/50 minutes before being kicked off due to the server crash. I went on the next morning and managed to get on after trying a few times, I got on straight away the first night btw and, even though there are still some issues with it, I''m confident that I'd manage to get on again if I tried. It may take a few tries, but I'll get on!

So, yeah, Home is worth it in a lot of ways but, just like in real life, it's the people that tend to ruin the experience and not the concept or trip itself.

And FYI, my avatar looks pretty much like me. Except from straight on. I'm pretty proud with how he turned out really. Awesomeness!

'Uncharted: Drake's Fortune'

First, a little background story. Back when I was trying to decide which, now-current-gen, console to add to my collection (having already gotten a Wii, the gloriously pretty paper weight it is) I was torn between the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. As I mentioned in my rant in a previous post, I don’t like fanboys and their ways. I wasn’t going to side with one side for the purpose of choosing a side, that’s just so redundant really. No, the choice lay specifically on which console I believed would provide the most compelling game play/narrative choices. You see, and this will sound like a tenuous reason to purchase a console, I was writing my dissertation paper on the link and influence between video games and movies, namely mainstream blockbusters. I was researching into how video games have adopted methods and have been influenced by cinema’s trends and styles in order to reach a wider, mainstream audience. In order to do that I needed a next gen console, there was no use analyzing games that were no longer current. And so I had to get a new console, and some games, in order to write my paper. Awesome, huh? And despite Halo, Gears of War, etc I opted on the Playstation 3. I’m not a big FPS guy, and am quite a big Final Fantasy nut (bearing in mind this was long before Squenix announced FFXIII on 360) and Hideo Kojima fan, say what you will – I love extended cut scenes! Plus the free online was a big bonus in my eyes! Fuck paying £40 every year just to play online! And £59.99 to go wireless? No, thanks. But yeah, MGS4, FFXIII, Heavenly Sword, etc all demonstrated great narrative potential that borrowed heavily from cinema, especially MGS4, making the PS3 the more sensible purchase in re: to my paper. There was, however, a game I picked up for the PS3 that took me by surprise, a game that completely supported my dissertation. That game was Naughty Dog’s ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’. /background story.

LOVED

Story!

As mentioned above, the story had been raved about for a while. Now, as a student of the movies, I have developed, like many people, an ability to read a story before it unfolds and, yes, this game is relatively predicatble. Plot points fall into the correct place and are pretty much what you’d anticipate at any given point, everything being put into context via the story of course. That being said, it’s still fucking great. The story itself revolves around the search for El Dorado and the monstrous effects attaining it has on those who get close to it. Playing through the game again has really helped me understand the subtle plotting for the introduction of these creatures, mutated by El Dorado (which by the by is a great, gold statue in this game, not a city.), and I appreciated their eventual appearance all the more because of it. Treasure hunting, exploration, discovery, betrayal – all elements involved in Uncharted. Truly one of the best games that no one seems to know about, it is, in itself, a treasure on the PS3 for those who find it. It’s helps that it was written by the talented Amy Henning, who wrote the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver stories, and those games are freaking awesome!

Characters!

A beautiful mixture between Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, Nathan Drake really is a new kind of hero. Charming, funny and ambitious, it’s never really about the fame, gold or glory for him. It’s all about his, apparent, ancestor Francis Drake, and following his last days, uncovering the truth about his last journey and discovery. The gold is icing on the cake as far as his motivation is concerned. It’s a compelling character turn for sure, but don’t be fooled, he is certainly capable of greed as the new trailer for Uncharted 2 suggests! The supporting characters are also fully fleshed, except for one, and add to the weight of the journey and story helping to fill it out and create a believable sense of immersion into the game. The story is of movie standards, including occasional cheesiness, and the voice acting is great as is the mo-cap. Definite +’s all around!

Unlockables!

This game comes with a wealth of interesting unlockable ‘Making Of’ featurettes ranging from level design to the direction of the Mo-Cap segements. Not since I played God Of War and watched the features on those games have I come across a game that gives you such an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the video game making process. Some of these pieces were so interesting I used them in my Power Point presentation for my dissertation to help me prove my point about the game industry borrowing from the film industry, and with features such as these one could draw parallels between the DVD industry too. I would love more games to offer things like this, the only thing that could make it any better is if they had an option to read the games script!

Graphics!

Just. Stunning. Even now, a year+ since its release it’s one of the best looking games on the PS3 even trumping some new releases!  The level design, too, is stunning. On this replay I really took the time to look around the set pieces and, my god, they were beautiful AND historically accurate. Mad props N-Dawg!

Controls!

The controls on this game make it a literal joy to play, everything is where you need it to be and you can get into it very easily. The targeting takes a little while to get used to, especially if you are unused to these kinds of games, but once you get it you quickly become a pro.

Cover System!

From what I hear this game has a similar cover system that’s used in Gears of War. This isn’t a bad thing from what I’ve read and have been told. The cover system works in many ways and makes for a much more believable gaming experience than simply running-and-gunning as you find in most FPS’s. Having to tactically place yourself behind cover and then, patiently, dispose of your enemies, whilst being shot at, adds an appropriate level of tension to the game.

Length!

This is going to be a controversial one. Some hated the short story. I, however, loved it. The story was so well paced and plotted you couldn’t help but keep on playing and it was interesting enough, with compelling characters, to keep you interested throughout. On my recent replay through the game I beat it in 6 hours and 16 minutes. My first time through it was 7 hours and 35 minutes. But fuck it, I believe this shorter time (bearing in mind how well paced the story is) complements the story itself perfectly. Anything longer would’ve felt contrived. It also provides an added incentive to play it again, it’s much easier to pick up and replay an 6-8 hour game than it is a 30+ epic.

HATED

Cover System!

The cover system worked in many way. It also doesn’t work in a few ways. Pressing ‘O’ to get behind cover, only for Drake to run on Auto Pilot to a position you didn’t want him to go is frustrating, especially if you’re getting shot at at the time. It’ll almost certainly lead to you dying a few times when you shouldn’t.

Combat!

The combat is fun, but it gets repetitive pretty fast. Go to new area > kill all enemies > look for ammo/treasure, etc/progress story > Repeat. This, coupled with the endless stream of enemies (as mentioned below) can make it slightly tedious at times.

Enemies!

The A.I in general is pretty smart and makes it fun to play against. However, when you come across the same guys over and over again you start to realize how few character models were designed for the enemies and it quickly takes you out of the immersion that every other element of this game nails so perfectly. A flaw that shouldn’t have occurred, but did. I’m willing to forgive because of the amount of gold this game provides, but it’s something that shouldn’t occur again in its sequel(s). The endless stream of them, too, isn’t good. How many fucking pirates are in Roman’s employ!?

Dying!

You are going to die in this game. No doubt. It is so easy to die, and it gets frustrating. Especially when you’re dropped into a position where you didn’t start. You lose your bearings and tend to die before finding yourself and finally being able to TCB. Like wth the enemies though, the game is so good you’re willing to forgive.

FINAL THOUGHT/S!

So that’s it. I think it’s pretty clear where I stand on this game. The ratio of Loved to Hate speaks for itself really. I’ll reiterate my final opinion on this game, it is the best game on the PS3 that no one knows of. It is the best game on PS3 that no one’s played. It is in itself a treasure. And for £15 on Play.com/£20 in Game, there’s no excuse to not pick it up if you haven’t. With the sequel coming out, it’s a great time to pick it up and play it. Believe it!

 

Star Rating: **** (out of 5)