Call of Duty 4 PS3 Review

Call of Duty 4 is an all-round winner on the PS3.

It’s another game to take on this trend of a “movie” experience as you play through the single player campaign. It’s short and sweet. It’s all action. I probably haven’t been this excited about a single player experience since the Normandy Beach landing in Medal of Honour way back on the PS2.

Time has been kind to this brand of war simulation.

Call of Duty 4 takes us into the modern era rather than the WWII scenes of previous games. While the plot is not exactly unique or exciting, the execution of this game is simply awesome. You get to do many cool things, like shoot a mini-gun, fly over cities in helicopters, be a gunner on a attack aircraft, see a nuke go off (in game) and lay low in long grass in camouflage while waiting for enemy patrols to pass within inches of your position.

The graphics and audio are simply breathtaking. In comparison to prior releases like Call of Duty or Rainbow Six, you can really compare and see how game developers are starting to get to grips with how to utilise the PS3. Framerate is smooth as, audio attention to detail is excellent. All those small things you take for granted are there, and plenty of innovation to provide a refreshing and pleasurable experience.

Something I find particularly pleasing is the way the game loads. You never feel like your far away from the action and it makes it very difficult to walk away from the game until its done. You’ll be waiting for literally a few seconds before your being entertained by a clip scene as the game elements load in the background. The load times are also very reasonable and it does put other games to shame how much detail they load up in such a small amount of time.

But 8 hours of a single player campaign doesn’t cut it in this day and age.

Fortunately Call of Duty provides some serious replay value, with what looks like substantial “hidden” content that is unlocked as certain achievements have been met. For example after completing single player, I discovered a handful of arcade missions were now available, as well as the ability to replay any mission from single player. The arcade missions take a sortof Time Crisis appeal, where you are challenging yourself to be accurate and fast to get a big score.

There is a co-op mode I have not even tried, they are usually a barrel of fun.

The online multiplayer action is quite interesting from the limited time I spent with it (had to return the game to the video store!). Sure it basically encompasses the standard Death Match and Team Death Match, however they have an interesting take on things, where, if you start getting a kill streak going you steadily unlock better and better things.

In my couple of games I managed to get a radar a couple of times, but clearly more kills equals being able to call in attack choppers, air strikes and who knows what else. What an excellent idea that was! I suspect it could add some serious replay value to the game.

Congratulations to the team behind Call of Duty 4 on PS3!

Add this game to your Christmas Wishlist! Or just buy it now!

Colin McRae DiRT Demo

What a game…. what an absolutely mind boggling game.

After rumours of Colin McRae DiRT releasing a demo in the Playstation Store last week, I was disappointed to discover that it wasn’t yet available on the Australian network. Today that demo finally popped up, and after a relatively small download of a bit over 500mb, I was whisked into the world of DiRT.

I was pleasantly surprised with both the opening clip scene which showcased some tantalizing in game graphics, as well as the general feel of the menu system, which was all very fresh and straightforward for me. After a brief investigation of the default control layout, which I decided to use, I was straight into 1 of 3 demo tracks.

There are three cars to choose from, each car locked to a certain track. I couldn’t resist to go for the Suburu WRX, and after a rather interesting loading process which shows off interesting stats such as longest jump, top speed, races won etc, I found myself sitting at the start line of a tight circuit taking on an AI car around two laps.

Graphics

Absolutely, mind numbingly good. Really showcases the power of the PS3 with near visual perfection. All those little things we now take for granted like sun glare, dust, mud, grass, trees, rocks, sky, distant scenery and especially car models are spectacularly rendered in DiRT in a (dare I say it) better fashion than any other game… ever.

Audio

Equally good. It’s easy to forget about the grunting of V8 engines and whining of 4 cylinder turbos when you have spent many-a-day playing car games on the console or PC. But it won’t take long to notice the attention to detail in DiRT, such as a squawking tire rubbing against a loose front quarter panel or a bone crunching smash against something in the scenery or another car.

The soundtrack seems equally promising, the demo features a few highly appropriate driving songs.

Gameplay

Refined bliss.

Controls

Excellent - the PS3 controller comes into its own with the new L2/R2 extra squeezy triggers, particularly when used as accelerator and brake. After a few laps you get a feel for the controls and it is truly enjoyable to throw the cars into corners and practice power slides. I struggled a bit with manual transmission when setup as x and square in combination with L2/R2 brake/accelerate, but I think changing gear changes to L1/R1 would be the solution.

I’m also pretty keen to try the game with the motion sensors to steer, hopefully it is a bit more controllable than Motostorm and emulates a steering wheel. Speaking of steering wheels, I can’t wait to setup my Logitech Force Pro one day, that is once I can find something to attach it to! I can see alot of fun rainy days of DiRT + steering wheel.

Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is the sealer for me - I couldn’t flaw even the demo experience in any regard, and that is really saying something. 3 cars and 3 tracks is very generous for any demo, even when plugged out of the massive pool that will be in the final version.

What I like from Codemasters is the way they make playing Colin McRae enjoyable by giving the player options. For example, I love in-car camera mode, and yet alot of games seem to overlook this option - and for what? There are at least 6 classic camera modes to choose from while racing, including front bumper, overlooking bonnet, in-car close to dash, in-car back from dash, rear bumper, rear bumper high - and amazingly, they are all practical for use, and it just comes down to personal preference.

Likewise, the replay mode is a blast. I’ve never really bothered with replays until this game, simply because its so fun. It’s pretty standard, flick through camera modes, rewind, fast forward, and watch in super slow-mo, which happens to be great way to watch the biggest stacks from the race. I don’t know whether its the pristine graphics and sounds or whether its just the addictiveness of this game, but even watching replays is fun.

Tracks

Judging by the three tracks in the demo, there is going to be plenty of fun to be had. They all looked great and had unique characteristics. The Italy stage was tight and relatively challenging, as was the SS stage… you think you have it easy when getting onto a big wide sandpit in a dune buggy, but even these tracks are surprisingly challenging.

There is plenty of scenery blasting by, a few seconds in the super slow-mo replay can really highlight just how much detail is in every single frame. I particularly like the way scenery acts generally as expected. For example, crashing into a free standing concrete block means you come to a complete stop, and yet the concrete still reacts and moves rather than being an unrealistically static object. Crashing through signs on the side of the road has an obvious consequence to cornering speed, and can often result in loss of control, so corner cutting is somewhat limited.

What this means for PS3

I reckon this is the game PS3 has been waiting for. After the initial blast of Resistance: Fall of Man, its fair to say that there hasn’t been a great deal in the way of quality releases. Rainbow Six Las Vegas was ok and introduced some unique new control methods. On the driving front, Motostorm was an undebatable hit but that has been just about it. The Need For Speed release was a disastrous port of the PS2 game with possibly even worse graphics than the last gen console. And Ridge Racer is not for everyone. As such, the Playstation 3 has been starved of quality racing games.

If you put in perspective though, the PS3 has been in international release for less than 6 months. Seeing games like DiRT and other upcoming titles having true finesse and tapping into the PS3’s hardware as they should, makes the wait worthwhile and the $120 price tag more justifiable.

For all those who have cried foul at the lack of titles on PS3, eat DiRT.

Rainbow Six Las Vegas Single Player

After my original review of Rainbow Six Las Vegas, I have dedicated most of my gaming time to playing the single player campaign. Let me tell you, it is hard, so hard! After conquering the Mexico levels, we are thrown into Las Vegas. There is a good diversity of levels, each requiring a unique approach, and inevitably many restarts!

I estimate I live for about 8 minutes on average… in most cases, I find myself in a bad situation where the only entry to a building is from the ground floor, where the enemy has the advantageous higher ground. In other cases your AI teammates get themselves shot (usually due to a bad order from me)… you do have the opportunity to give them an injection and they make a miraculous recovery, but giving this dosage often requires that you get in the firing line yourself and suffer the same fate.

Some tips if your struggling:

• Choose your weapons wisely - in particular get the sniper rifles for open levels and powerful machine guns or shotguns for the space restrictive levels
• Use your AI teammates to defuse tricky situations, but be warned that if and when they die you’ll often be left in a pickle. If one teammate survives, get him to revive your fallen comrade
• Often it’s better to scout around yourself because naturally you should make more intelligent situations… should I shoot this guy now, or wait until his mate comes over and lob a grenade their way? The AI is obviously not programmed in this capacity.
• Always enter rooms with extreme caution. If you see a fast rope, see if you can’t pick off some enemies before you descend. Glamorously smashing through glass windows with guns blazing is not a great situation when you suddenly discover there are 5 more enemies in the room than you thought, and there is nowhere to take cover
• Speaking of cover, use it, always.
• Use stealth whenever possible. The AI enemies generally stay put until you get very close to them
• Use the snake cam before entering any room, and tag enemies where appropriate. Get your teammates to use an alternative entry when suitable

Rainbow Six Las Vegas PS3 Review

After months of promising screenshots, tantalizing movies and much hype, Rainbow Six: Las Vegas has finally arrived on PS3. I remember the good old days of Rainbow Six on PC, the original. What makes this game unique is its realism. The original had to be one of my first experiences of one-shot kills in a first person shooter. Tactics and teamwork are champion.

Lets take a look at the PS3 incarnation on a few levels.

Graphics

Hmmm… you know that feeling when you are watching a clip-scene, and then you have a sudden realisation this is IN-GAME graphics and they totally kickass, and within moments i’m going to be running around in this high-res city. That was my first impression of Rainbow Six.

Level design is thorough, challenging, and ideally suited for heavily armed special forces operatives roaming in unison for some scum to pump full of lead. It is hard to characterise the graphics - they are indeed quite nice to look at, but at the same time, I can’t help but think, why do they have to have this crazy filter over everything, that to me seems to make everything look a bit fuzzy, a bit dreamy.

Things blow up, glass breaks, grenade effects are nice, character design is solid.

Gameplay

This is where it gets fun. I can hardly hope to express my glee at for the first time, hopping over a wall and descending down a rope, with the option of going conventional or ultra-cool upside down style, all the while being able to shoot any mofo with my pistol. Single player, it has to be said is good. I’m only a few hours into the single player campaign, and boy it is challenging. But commanding your AI teammates around is a true joy.

Option 1: Order them to follow you around and go gung-ho around corners, with a very real possibility of death, and that inevitable frustration at losing 10 minutes of your life as your get ported back to your last checkpoint.

Option 2: Find yourself the nicest vantage point, select a sniper rifle with optional 6x or 12x zoom scope, and feel like a general as you command your team to move to any location within sight.

A particular highlight is ordering your players to a door, and then having the option of how they enter the room. Sometimes, a bit of the old flash-bang grenade is called for, while other times you might want to send them round the back while you prepare for a frontal assault.

Walls and virtually any other object on the map that might substitute as cover come to great use in Rainbow Six. Just hitting the L1 button will have you hunched against the object. A bit of analogue maneuvering allows one to sneak up to a corner, with a generous proportion of the out-of-site scenery suddenly revealed. With a bit of practice, you’ll look like a real pro, lining up ze enemy before even becoming visible, waiting for the perfect moment (like when the ze enemy reloads) and bang!

Multiplayer

Multiplayer in Rainbow Six is comprehensive. There is no hiding the fact that the game makers know how to give this title longevity on the PS3, by stuffing multiplayer mode with many delights. The character customisation is good with a decent amount of skins and body armour to select from. Within minutes I stylised myself with a handlebar moustache, a nasty gash above my right eye, some badass full-suite body armour, and a big, mean, machine gun. And with eye protection in mind, who could forget a pair of aviator sunglasses?

Whats more, there are weapons and kit items to unlock, making it all the more enticing to progress through the ranks.

The Bad

I can’t help myself. I have to make some comparisons. And going off what I know, I have to compare Rainbow Six to Resistance. Given the fact that Resistance was a launch title here in Australia, and Rainbow Six has had many months to polish their act, I find some annoying annoyances with Vegas.

• Load times are excessive - nothing more frustrating than booting up for a quick game, only to spend a few minutes loading up the multiplayer console, being forced into a random multiplayer game (no facility to select a game that i’ve seen) wait patiently for the in-progress game to finish… and then the game host quits and your back to square one!
• The graphics are just a shade fuzzy, like i’m getting a bit of eye strain and I know its not from a lack of hardware (just look at resistance and the smooth chaos that occurs)
• Overall I think the game lacks just a touch of class, as though there was some rush in its preparation… or something. Undoubtedly we will see a game patch sometime in the future that hopefully addresses all of the above.

Conclusion

Ok so i’ve unloaded the good and the bad about Rainbow Six: Las Vegas on PS3. My review is about 75% positive so I think thats a good indicator of my satisfaction level. To be fair I haven’t even seen much of this game, such is the nature (hopefully) of owning a game for less than 48 hours. I have no doubt that there are many surprises, many joys and few disappointments awaiting as I dig deeper into Rainbow Six.

Playstation 3: First Impressions

The long wait was finally over 3 months ago, and I was the proud new own of a Sony Playstation 3. Blissfully gaming away, its hard to believe the long struggle in attaining a PS3 in Australia. Unlike countries on the NTSC video standard, the release of the Playstation was delayed until March 23rd, 2007 for all countries on the PAL standard. Agonising as the delays were, it was worth it!Like any kid with a new toy, I marvelled at the ease in which I was able to connect to my wireless broadband connection using the in-built wireless network card, and get straight into the online store. Awaiting me was several demos, a bunch of hi-def trailers, and the full version of Tekken 5 Dark Resistance for $15 or so dollars.

Not to mention, I was comfortably lounged on the couch, with the freedom of movement that only a wireless dual analogue controller can provide.

So wireless freedom aside, here is a short highlight list, which may encourage you to join the next generation of consoles, if you haven’t already!

Games 

If some of the downloadable trailers are anything to go by, the array of games being released in the next 6-12 months looks very, very promising. Their is the impending release of Rainbow 6: Las Vegas, Collin McCrae DIRT, and of course the big one, Grand Theft Auto 4. Add to this to the current lineup which include highlights such as Resistance, FEAR (although the controls in this game suck) and Motorstorm and you’ll be wishing someone would subsidize the time you spend on your PS3!

Don’t forget, a blockbuster game on a console is now equivalent to a PC game, in that game patching and new content are common occurrence. That means new levels, new challenges, bug fixes, all that good stuff - anyone who’s ever played Battlefield 2 on PC will know exactly what a good game patch can add to a game (Jalalabad anyone?)

Resistance: Fall Of Man

My initial game purchase was Resistance, and its certainly a great insight into next-gen gaming. The graphics are smooth and highly detailed, with great level design and plenty of nifty things to shoot at. Most will notice the physics right away, as objects interact with each other in a very realistic manner. Have a read of my Resistance: Fall of Man Review here

Online Content

Owning only one game for the first 3 months is not bad as soon as one sees the delights of the playstation store. Accessed from the Playstation OS, the store contains a mix of free demos, free and paid full games, free and paid game items, and free videos (mostly game and movie trailers).

Within 8 hours I had downloaded absolutely everything I could, and between the demos, trailers and the local video shop, its still hard to get bored with the PS3. It’s all very easy to just plug in the credit card details and download the paid stuff.

Controllers

The dual analogue controller has grown up, and has some nice revisions from the previous Playstation 1 and Playstation 2 versions. For starts, the shock vibration system is gone. Bummer, yeah, but it doesn’t take too long to appreciate the newfound lightness of the controller. There is a PS button in the middle between SELECT and START that lets you do important things like:

• Turn the Playstation off
• Turn the controller off (good when the batteries and you have to switch controllers)
• Reassign the controller
• Quit a game

The motion sensor is pretty cool, although I haven’t had much opportunity to use it except as a virtual steering wheel in the frantic Motorstorm.  I’m guessing that there will be some really good usage coming into the next crop of games - in fact I hear that in Rainbow 6 it can be used to steer a mini camera through air vents!

The L2 and R2 triggers are more Xbox like, allowing for more accuracy when pressure is important, such as when used as accelerate/brake. There are also lights on top to indicate what number the controller is (eg. 1, 2, 3 or 4) as well do a bit of flashing here and there when something important is happening.

Obviously the cost of wireless controllers is that the they need charging up. But you’ll be relieved to know that the battery life is both very long, and if you have a spare controller its easy to switch. On top of that, you can always plug in the USB cable and charge it up anytime even while gaming.

Summary

When news broke of the PS3’s delayed release in Australia, I seriously considered buying an Xbox 360. I don’t want to start an Xbox 360 vs PS3 war (not in this post at least ) but I think we all know which console is superior on virtually any level. The Playstation 3 is THE console to own for at least the next 5 years. So what are you waiting for?

Resistance: Fall of Man Review

Resistance: Fall Of Man

My initial game purchase was Resistance, and its certainly a great insight into next-gen gaming. The graphics are smooth and highly detailed, with great level design and plenty of nifty things to shoot at. Most will notice the physics right away, as objects interact with each other in a very realistic manner. Possibly the best example is shooting at the round cylinders littering the alien levels, where you can shoot at one explosive, and then watch as it explodes and sets off a chain reaction of explosions, sometimes to great effect against the enemy.

Speaking of enemies, the AI holds it own, not revolutionary but certainly good quality. Enemies will sometimes decide they are facing imminent death, and will retreat to find some support. Likewise when they are in numbers, they ain’t backing down!

After completing the single player mode with a mate in co-op mode I was satisfied on the most part with the single player campaign. But a good single player mode doesn’t cut it in this new age of internet capable consoles.

The multiplayer in Resistance has slowly grown on me, and it is now my sole purpose for booting up the game.  The community is steadily growing in size, and you don’t have to look hard to find some very worthy foes. Of course, you have to start somewhere, and in most games there will probably be a “first timer” who invariably turns into cannon fodder.  The multiplayer modes are quite diverse, ranging from shotgun carnage in a tightly enclosed bus yard, to massive levels where strategy is king. The popular multiplayer modes include all the favourites, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, as well as a few other less popular, but all the same fun, modes.

Top 5 Movie Scenes of All Time

I feel privileged - how many people can honestly say they have cut themselves on a pair of barbeque tongs? Well i’ve done it and it hurt like… ok it didn’t really hurt, but who would’ve thought it was possible?

As amusing as web development talk is, I think its time to break it up a little with one of my other major loves - movies! And what better way to crack into this massive industry than to share my thoughts on the top 10 movie scenes of all time?

In order to retain my sanity, I dared not order this list, so IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, here we go!

Gladiator - Maximus Unveiling

Context: I think the below dialogue says it best!

Dialogue: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

Why it’s so cool: Superbly acted by Gladiator Rusty Crowe and Emperor Joaquin Phoenix. By this stage of the movie the audience is just itching for this kind of confrontation, little do they know (at least on first viewing!) that rusty is going to come up with such a kickass verbal spat directed at the emperor.

Trainspotting - Rent Boy spits the dummy

Context: The only non-junkie, Tommy, in this group of friends decides his junkie friends stand to gain from a nice climb up a big hill in Scotland. Fed up, Mark Rents (Rent Boy AKA Ewan McGregor) sits down and has a blast about how he hates Scotland.

Dialogue:
Tommy Doesn’t it make you proud to be Scottish?
Mark “Rent-boy” Renton It’s SHITE being Scottish! We’re the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched miserable servile pathetic trash that was ever shat on civilization. Some people hate the English. I don’t. They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. Can’t even find a decent culture to get colonized by. We’re ruled by effete assholes. It’s a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won’t make any fucking difference!

Why it’s so cool: This scene is great on two levels - firstly its just so funny to see a bunch of city dwelling heroin addicts being dragged along on a nature walk. Secondly the outburst by Rent Boy is totally unexpected, and extremely funny!! This is an extremely good movie and for me this is the peak of McGregor’s performance in the film.

Apocalypto - Fear Conquered

Context: After being chased around for hours on end by a gang of fierce warriors, Jaguar Paw, wounded and exhausted, has a revelation and parts completely with his own fears. This is a series of awesome scenes where Jaguar Paw seeks to even the odds between himself and his pursuers.

Dialogue: N/A

Why it’s so cool: This is such an uplifting and inspiring set of scenes!

In a sense the whole moral of the story starts to come together and a strong sense of reassurance emerges after a long period of intense suspense. The hunter becomes the hunted. Jaguar Paw uses his jungle skills to outstanding effect.

Mel Gibson; love him or hate him, you cannot deny he’s made some pretty fine movies.

Braveheart - The Speech

The Context: Mel Gibson strikes another win for me, with William Wallace’s speech in Braveheart. With a sizeable Scottish army presenting itself on the battlefield, outnumbered 4:1 by the opposing Brittish Army, a large portion of the Scottish decide its better to go home than to go into battle. Enter Scottish hero, William Wallace (Mel Gibson)… on a horse.

Dialogue:

William Wallace: Sons of Scotland! I am William Wallace.
Second Soldier: William Wallace is seven feet tall!

William Wallace: Yes, I’ve heard. Kills men by the hundreds. And if HE were here, he’d consume the English with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.
[Scottish army laughs]
William Wallace: I AM William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my country men, here, in defiance of tyranny. You’ve come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?

Soldier:Against that? No, we’ll run, and we’ll live.

William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you’ll live… at least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!

Why it’s so cool:This scene almost makes me wish I was Scottish!

Fight Club>- Meet Tyler Durden

Wow where do I even start with this movie? It is pure torture trying to pick a scene, but this one is pretty classy.

The Context: Our nameless main character played by Edward Norton, battles with his insomnia as he jets alls over the US assessing car accidents for his employer. He awakes to discover Tyler Durden sitting next to him, and the rest is history.

Dialogue:

Tyler Durden [pointing at an emergency instruction manual on a plane] You know why they put oxygen masks on planes?
Narrator: So you can breath.
Tyler Durden Oxygen gets you high. In a catastrophic emergency, you’re taking giant panicked breaths. Suddenly you become euphoric, docile. You accept your fate. It’s all right here. Emergency water landing - 600 miles an hour. Blank faces, calm as Hindu cows.

Why it’s so cool: If you have seen Fight Club, no explanation is needed. If you have not seen Fight Club, make the $2 investment at your local video store, you will not be disappointed!

Agree? Disagree? Think I have an appalling taste in film, or have made some glaringly obvious oversights? Make a comment!