MotorStorm was one of the most fun and long lasting PS3 launch titles, which spawned a sequel in Pacific Rift. The series is now coming to the PSP in the form of MotorStorm Arctic Edge, developed by Bigbig Studios, the team behind the Pursuit Force series. The enormous feel of the game was fully translated in the portable version and the fast paced racing action is just as fun as its console big brothers.
NOW WITH KRATOS – WITH NO EXPLANATION WHATSOEVER!!!
Kratos + Soul Caliber = Awesome. Having been a fan of the series since it first hit on the PlayStation in 1997, I approached this entry with a cautious eye – portable versions of established fighting franchises are hit-and-miss at best. And as excited as I was to play as God of War’s protagonist, I was equally as concerned with the history of games built around a franchise tie-in, which in many cases leads to releases with shiny looks and no real meat to the gameplay or story. That being said, let’s see where Soul Caliber: Broken Destiny ends up.
If you had any inclination that PSP Minis would be as big and cool as iPhone games, take a step back and literally fuck your own face. Sony’s great idea has made a turn into the land of the dumb. According to Justin Cooney, a senior account manager for SCEA at the Game Developer Conference in Austin, Minis won’t be allowed to include any wireless multiplayer, have DLC, or even be patched. Seriously?
Cooney told Gamasutra that “When you look at it from a testing perspective, you have to do more QA. [Allowing those features] would defeat the purpose of having a dedicated service for smaller content. It increases the barriers.”
So let’s compare, shall we? iPhone games get patched when problems are pointed out (which inevitably happens). They get updated for new content. They have online play. PSP Minis: none of the above. I can somewhat understand the no DLC argument, but come on Sony, no patches? That’s just plain stupid.
I’m going to be less inclined to drop money on PSP Minis at launch as I am for dropping cash on iPhone games. At least I know that iPhone developers can fix any problems that arise, whereas if you buy a broken PSP Mini, you’re boned hard.
Gran Turismo could be the most anticipated franchise to the hit the PSP. What was originally scheduled for the launch window of Sony’s portable console is finally hitting your memory stick and UMD drive four and a half years later. Sporting some of the best visuals we’ve ever seen on the system and an absurd amount of cars and tracks, Gran Turismo is the definitive racing experience on the PSP.
Sony today released firmware v6.0 for the PSP. Not many major new features, but one unadvertised change makes upgrading your portable firmware much easier. You no longer need to fully charge your PSP and have it plugged in to update the firmware. It’s about time.
There have been an absurd amount of times where I’ve wanted to play a PSP game only to be required to update the firmware first. I’d have to put my PSP down for an hour or two to fully charge before being able to run the update. Thankfully, that’s a thing of the past.
Other changes in the firmware include more colors available under Theme Settings, renaming “Network Update” to “System Update”, and various security patches. You can also group game content by expiration date, which drops hints at possible rental titles coming soon on the PlayStation Network. We’ll see how that pans out.
I’m pretty good at listening to music. I can play the guitar pretty well and I’m a mean drummer in Rock Band. But when it comes to making beats, I don’t think I’m too highly qualified. Rockstar’s Beaterator for the PSP looks to bring that music mogul out of you while you create loops and tracks with virtual drum machines. While I think this is cool as hell, I don’t see myself ever creating anything that doesn’t sound like the yells from a monkey fucking a coconut.
If there is something the PSP lacks, it is must have titles. The last really big killer app was God of War: CoO. Patapon is cool, but not what you would call a system mover. We were all delighted to hear that MGS is coming to the PSP in a new adventure taking place a decade after MGS3: Snake Eater. The length of the game may surprise you.
It will take you well over a hundred hours to complete according to published reports. This makes Oblivion look like Quantum of Solace. I am torn on this latest news break. I want a really, really good game for the PSP, but am I willing to invest hundreds of hours into a game on a handheld? Hunched over for that long peering into a small screen is making me dizzy already. It is hard to complain about such occurrences but gamers always want the best gameplay, best graphics, and enough game to warrant a purchase. MGS: PW will likely give all three, but is it just too long for a handheld. Thoughts?
As we’re all aware, the PSP Go will hit store shelves in North America on October 1. Also on that date, we’ll be able to purchase Gran Turismo PSP, either digitally or on UMD. For a time, it was believed to be the first such simultaneous game release for the system, but that’s no longer the case. Atlus jumped in and stole the honor by announcing that they will be releasing the remade Shin Megami Tensei: Persona title in the same manner on September 22, a little over a week earlier.
We’ve known the Revelations: Persona remake was coming at us for quite some time. We didn’t know it would be available both digitally on the PSN and in stores in UMD format on the same day. But, think long and hard before you buy this title off the PSN – it’s the same price as the UMD ($39.99) and doesn’t come with the two-disc soundtrack that the physical copy includes. I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that the majority of gamers interested in this title will likely want the soundtrack to add to their collection. It will definitely look spiffy sitting on the shelf next to my Persona 4 soundtrack. I still rock that out every so often……what?
What could Final Fantasy fans want more than a bunch of their favorite characters from past titles all kicking each other’s ass in one game? Nothing, that’s what. Its a Final Fantasy fanboy’s wet dream. That being said, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I loaded up the demo. Sure, I’ve read the articles and watched videos about the Japanese version of the game – it did pretty well, from what I hear.
As you probably know, lately the genre lines have somewhat blurred, with shooter/RPG lovechilds being fairly popular. Well, Dissidia does that, but it meshes together 3D fighters and RPGs. Battle feels a lot like the battle system in Crisis Core, except on a larger scale. You’ll see over-the-top attacks, huge, sweeping jumps, dashes and signature moves from characters we all know and love.
I really enjoyed the first Assassin’s Creed. Sure, it had its fair share of problems, but overall it was a lot of fun. Altair’s story continues on the PSP in Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines, coming this Fall. The connectivity with the PS3 is pretty damn intriguing as well.
Coming Soon!
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