Traffic Jam Ratings (beta)

What if: Developer friendly PS4?

Jam Beekay — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:11:14 +0000

With so many developers complaining in the past about the difficulty of programming for the Playstation 3 and praising the Xbox 360 for having a programming architecture similar to PC programming the question lingers whether Sony made the right choice by going with the cell. That being said, would Sony be better off making the next Playstation easier to program for and more developer friendly like the Xbox? The answer is not as obvious as it seems.

Sony’s reasoning with the PS3 was that if it is harder to program for then developers will work harder at pushing the envelop in terms of games leading to more innovation as well as extending the life of the console since it wouldn’t be maxed out early in its life cycle. Although theoretical this may be true, it is hard to clearly prove this is the reason for that Uncharted 1 & 2, Killzone, Metal Gear Solid, Heavy Rain and all of the other great PS3 exclusives are a result of this reasoning. In addition, the PS3 continues to suffer greatly in terms of multiplatform titles with many developers creating the Xbox 360 version first and then porting it to the Xbox 360. With the next Xbox pretty much guaranteed to be released before the next Playstation Sony will find itself once again in the same predicament so you have to wonder if they will once again come with a pricier and harder to program for console. Let take a look at what would come about if the next Playstation and Xbox had a very similar and easy programming architecture.

Equal Quality Multiplatform Titles
With no real incentive for exclusivity, 3rd party developers have to create for both HD consoles. Currently it seems that when multiplatform titles are ported from Xbox to Playstation, the Playstation owner often gets the bad end of the stick. With similar programming architectures, this would no longer the case.

More 3rd Party games support and Less exclusives
It would be more financially feasible for developers to release games on both consoles so both Xbox and Playstation owner would reap the benefit of this. Less games will be exclusive to one console so more single console owners will enjoy more games rather than having to own multiple consoles.

More innovative games
With creating 2 versions (Xbox and Playstation) of a game being cheaper, developers will be in a better position to take chances in terms of fresh and original concepts for established franchises and new ip’s.

More service focused console innovation
With most titles (aside 1st and 2nd party games exclusives) being available on both consoles, both Microsoft and Sony’s next consoles would battle in terms of innovative console specific online and offline features that can expand the experience that games or the console itself provides.

Possibility of multi-console online multiplayer?
Although never done before, maybe this would become more of a possibility. It’s a stretch but would take online console gaming to the next level.

Overall, it would seem to be beneficial to all gamers in the long run although some may argue otherwise and feel this will feed into the whole one console future. The PS3 and Xbox 360 are very similar in many aspects and differ in very few which leads me to believe that the next generation of consoles from Microsoft and Sony will only differ less and if the trend does continue it will not make much sense for Microsoft and Sony to compete in terms of hardware but only in terms of services and software. If Microsoft does take the pre-emptive strike approach with it’s next console I truly hope Sony focuses on beefing up its console in terms of little things like extra ram and a better graphics chip while making it easier to program for. Microsoft had the right idea with the Xbox 360 but their obsession with beating Sony to the market kind of forced them to put out a console with a horrible failure rate. However, the fact that most are willing to purchase multiple Xbox 360 (because of the RRoD) rather than simply purchase a reliable PS3 should say something to Sony. Straight forward programming and a “revolutionary” online system will be the key elements for the next Playstation. Microsoft understood this a long time ago, let’s see if Sony gets it with PS4.

Bayonetta review

Jam Beekay — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:42:39 +0000

Bayonetta is one of those “book should not be judged by its cover” kind of cases. Its main protagonist, Bayonetta, is a highly stylized and sexualized kinky witch with a body suit made of her hair and guns on her high heels. With a description like that it is very easy to scoff at the silliness and absurdity of the character and dismiss the game as a horrible Devil May Cry knock-off using the sex sales mantra to lure gamers in. However, I can gladly state that this is very far from the truth. Although Bayonetta has its flaws like any games does, the sum of its part makes this game a must buy for any gamer who has ever enjoyed Devil May Cry or God of War.

In terms of gameplay Bayonetta has a fantastic and deep fighting system that is easy to use but hard to master with moves that can be purchased with rings that you acquire through killing your enemies. The game also feature an element called “Witch time” that takes effect if you dodge an enemies’ blow at the last second. Think of Matrix and the slow motion that so many games implement now a days and that is what “witch time” is exactly. Although it is useful it requires some very good timing and does not last too long so do not expect a free ride with this feature.

Bayonetta has a wide assortment of moves that can executed with incredible style and fluidity which I can only compare to acrobatic breakdancing with guns. It’s just that satisfying. There are also “climax” and “torture” moves that she can perform. Torture moves are performed on general enemies when your magic is magic is maxed and these involve mostly medieval execution devices (e.g. guillotine) whereas “climax” moves are exclusively for finishing off bosses and involves Bayonetta’s hair transforming into some giant beast who devours or pummels the boss to death. Both are pretty graphic, very climactic and extremely satisfying to say the least. This game gives you feeling that Bayonetta could have featured as a selectable special character in BlazBlue due to her “anime-ish” look as well as her stylish and complex fighting style.

Overall, the game is well paced in terms of difficulty but requires a fair (not crushing) amount of timing. Defense is more about dodging than blocking. At no time during the game did I feel that enemies or even bosses were cheap in terms of their attacks. However, one aspect of the game I did notice was a tad bit questionable although exciting were the boss fights. Although the bosses are huge and very intimidating they have fairly simple patterns and can be easily beaten after 2 to 3 times retries at max. They are nevertheless some of the most fun and exciting boss battles available this generation.

Graphically this game has the same art style as Devil May Cry 4, it is pretty game but what is more impressive is how much action happens on the screen and how visually overwhelming everything can become especially during boss fights as they are incredibly huge. The storyline overall is good but isn’t the highlight of the game and didn’t capture me much. In addition, the soundtrack is just horrible and tacky music. Remember that Street Fighter 4 theme song? There is a lot of that kind of music.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, Bayonetta has it’s flaws (storyline, soundtrack) but makes up for them in its strengths (gameplay, graphics). It provides a truly unique and different experience from other action hack and slash games available on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Although a demo was made available on PSN and Xbox Live, it does not compare to the full game experience and therefore does not do this game justice. I was extremely skeptical about this game but after finishing it I am a believer. Whether it is better than the unreleased and upcoming God of War 3 is irrelevant as I can confirm as a gamer Bayonetta will complement Kratos beautifully rather than compete with him for a spot in my game library. The 1st lady of action games is here.

Verdict:

ModNation Racers Beta Impression

Jam Beekay — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:00:36 +0000

Being a Qore annual subscriber I was able to acquire a ModNation Racer beta code to test out this PS3 exclusive racer to be released next year. First impression, the game is amazingly fun. Imagine Mario Kart meets Little Big Planet and that’s exactly what ModNation Racers is. Part of the new Play, Create, Share genre spearheaded by Media Molecule, this game by United Front Games is all about customization. From the look of your racer, to your karts, to your tracks. What is especially surprising is how easy it is to create racing tracks that you can share with people online. Level creation was one of the highlights and pillars of LBP but God knows how hard it was for the average Joe to take advantage of this feature. However, in ModNation Racers its never been easier. It’s going to be very interesting to see all the different tracks people come up with given the great accessibility of this feature to the imaginative casual player. That aside, the beta includes online racing modes as well as time trials but the guys at United Front Games really wanted to put the emphasis of this beta on the creative and customization components of the game as that is obviously the heart of the game. That being said, if you ever enjoyed Mario Kart get a beta code and try this game. Definitely a 1st day purchase.

The Prisoner

Jam Beekay — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:27:29 +0000

Looking for a great tv series with a touch of mystery, sci-fi and hint of drama than look no further. The Prisoner is a remake of old 1960s series about a government agent (known as “Six”) who is kidnapped and wakes up on an island with no understanding of why or how he got there. Interestingly enough, everyone else on the island have assigned numbers as identifiers rather than names with many having some sort of link to the protagonist of the show. It is similar to Lost in some respects but has it’s own feel which is a good thing. The series was parodied in The Simpsons in an episode where Homer was taken to an island and drugged regularly because of a website he created with some wild conspiracy theories. The first season consists of 6 episodes which makes it a short and sweet watch that doesn’t drag the storyline like most series of this genre.

2012 mini-review

Jam Beekay — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:36:58 +0000

When 2012 was announced I was quite curious about it as I figured it had to do with the whole theory that suggest that on the December 21st 2012 the world undergo massive transformations. Many came to this conclusion as the Mayans were said to have very advanced knowledge in mathematics, space and time and since their very advanced and precise calendar ended at December 21st 2012 this must have mean’t that this was the last day of man’s existence on Earth as we know it at least.

However, the funny thing is that this movie maybe spends 1 to 2 minutes talking about this. The rest of the movie is simply about man and his family trying get on a ship (Noah’s ark anyone) that you have to pay 1 billion euros per person to get on to avoid the Mother Nature’s carnage bound to cover all land with water. The movie was ok but not great and felt at times as if it was a straight-to-dvd kind of disaster flick using the “2012″ date to lure people in only to leave them disappointed. Even the special effects did not make up for it. A decent movie to watch if on tv but rather disappointing in theatres.

Verdict:

Modern Warfare 2 mini-review (ps3, 360)

Jam Beekay — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:51:15 +0000

With Modern Warfare being a smash hit, Infinity Ward had some pretty big shoes to fill to top their 1st edition of the Modern Warfare series. That being said, Infinity Ward did not re-invented the wheel with Modern Warfare 2 but have simply perfected it to make the ride a lot more smoother but exciting nevertheless. The single player campaign, although quite short (6hrs tops), is like an over-the-top blockbuster action movie that never slows down in terms of adrenaline. Short and sweet. The storyline is not the best but it’s decent enough to keep your attention. However, the Modern Warfare series has never really been about the single player but the online multiplayer component and that’s where the game truly shines. More maps, more perks, more weapons and more modes. Infinity Ward have really polished the multiplayer aspect of the game incredibly well that it’s hard to foresee any other online multiplayer shooter ever taking down Infinity Ward from thrown. It’s just that good. Some may feel it’s just more the same and that is partly true but what is truely amazing about this game is that it is more addictive than Modern Warfare 1 and that speaks volumes. That being said, if you enjoy a good shooter you will love this game. More than 7 million other people agree with me and ironically some of them were claiming they would boycott the game.

(+) Polished online multiplayer

(+) Very addictive

(-) Story is ok but not great

(-) Single player is pretty short

Verdict:

Uncharted 2 mini-review (ps3)

Jam Beekay — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:42:04 +0000

Uncharted 2 is a masterpiece and will be hands down one of the most remembered games of this generation. With beautiful art directon, a compelling and gripping story, great soundtrack, fantastic voice work and non-stop action it is the must-buy title of this year. The fact that Naughty Dog added a good multiplayer component just sweetened the deal. Any fan of the 1st edition of the Nathan Drake Uncharted series will fall in love with this game all over again. I considered Drake’s Fortune one of the best surprises of the high-definition gaming era so partly ruined my gaming experience with Among Thieves by watching every trailer, interview or gameplay video available on the web so very few elements of the game were a surprise to me. My only gripe with the game had to do partly with the shooting aspect of the game. Although well executed, as an adventure game buff I wished they would have toned down the shooting sequences more. I do realize this is a personal preference and trust me when I say I had to dig deep to find something bad about the game. This game is a classic that should enjoyed by all.

(+) Visually stunning

(+) Great soundtrack

(+) Fantastic voice work

(+) Compelling story

(-) None really!

Verdict:

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs mini-review

Jam Beekay — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:20:45 +0000

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs is a fantastic movie that should be viewed by all. The movie is about a boring sardine-economy based small town on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean that becomes the attention of the world when a excentric backyard scientist invents a device that turns water into food which leads to all precipitations being all sorts of food. Everyone in the town is excited about the sudden change in weather but things get slightly out of control to say the least. The movie manages to capture an idea that every of one of us thought of at one point during our childhood and execute it flawlessly. Whether it is raining Big Macs or snowing ice cream it is great concept illustrated beautifully on the big screen. With a cast of very “animated” and “colorful” characters this movie is a fun and entertaining movie that should be enjoyed by all.

Verdict:

Beta Impression: Bad Company 2 (Battlefield)

Jam Beekay — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:24:57 +0000

Over the pass month my gaming has been nothing but Modern Warfare 2 so when I heard of the Bad Company 2 beta I was curious enough to work at getting a beta code which I eventually got through FilePlanet. I did see a preview video a while back so was pretty pumped about the game. The game is a beautiful looking game with many options like air and ground vehicules, a nice class system and all the good stuff found in other great shooters like Killzone and Modern Warfare. This game is definitely more team focused rather than the rambo-style gameplay many of us got accustomed to thanks to the Call of Duty series. That being said, I do believe this game will appeal more to the warhawk, rainbow six and socom crowd but will not convert Modern Warfare 2 fanatics like myself. In addition, one very annoying aspect of the game is that sometimes (more than often) you may find yourself having to run literally 5 minutes before getting where action is if no vehicules are around. However, it should be noted that you can respawn near one of your teammates if you die on some occasions so that helps. Overall, Bad Company 2 is shaping itself to be a great game but whether it converts the 7 million+ Modern Warfare 2 fans is a complete other story.

Demo Impression: Dante’s Inferno

Jam Beekay — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:21:32 +0000

Last week Playstation 3 owner were blessed with the opportunity to get the first crack at the Dante’s Inferno demo on the PSN. Aside from the God of War clone talk and fake outrage promotional marketing schemes I didn’t hear much of the game so went in with fairly low expectations. First off, I must state that I was surprised by the graphics and framerate of the game as the game runs smooth and looks pretty nice. The gameplay felt extremely familiar and inspired by the God of War series. The demo was roughly 20 minutes long and left me a little more intrigued by it but I was not blown away by it. It indeed does feel like a very good God of War knock-off but lacks that special something to set it apart. Bayonetta and Dante’s Inferno are both games coming out in 2010 in the same quarter as Kratos’ real first HD outing so it’s crucial that these games in particular set themselves apart from the masterpiece called “God of War 3″. I can safely say Bayonetta will now that I started playing the full game although I was skeptical after playing the demo. Maybe Dante will as well once I get my hands on the full game but as it stands now I just don’t think it will as God of War and Dante’s Inferno seem way too similar and we all know that knock-offs are never as good as the real deal. Xbox 360 only owners that never had the God of War experience are in for a treat with Dante’s Inferno but for PS3 owners its a case of hamburger versus steak. I like both but a good steak beats a good burger any day.

First off, I must state that I was surprised by the graphics and framerate of the game as the game runs smooth and looks pretty nice. The gameplay felt extremely familiar and inspired by the God of War series. The demo was roughly 20 minutes long and left me a little more intrigued by it but I was not blown away by it. It indeed does feel like a very good God of War knock-off but lacks that special something to set it apart. Bayonetta and Dante’s Inferno are both games coming out in 2010 in the same quarter as Kratos’ real first HD outing so it’s crucial that these games in particular set themselves apart from the masterpiece called “God of War 3″. I can safely say Bayonetta will now that I started playing the full game although I was skeptical after playing the demo. Maybe Dante will as well once I get my hands on the full game but as it stands now I just don’t think it will as God of War and Dante’s Inferno seem way too similar and we all know that knock-offs are never as good as the real deal. Xbox 360 only owners that never had the God of War experience are in for a treat with Dante’s Inferno but for PS3 owners its a case of hamburger versus steak. I like both but a good steak beats a good burger any day.