Monthly Archives: April 2009

PS3 Reviews

Legends of WrestleMania Review

Published by:

Title: Legends of WrestleMania
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yukes
Genre: Arcade, Wrestling, Sports
Players: 1-4
Rated: T for Teen

Remember those nights you spent on the edge of your seat, watching your spandex-clad heroes face off on the biggest stage of them all? Pepperidge Farm remembers…as does THQ. In honor of the countless heroes of the squared-circle, THQ (and developer Yukes) have teamed up with the WWE for Legends of WrestleMania . Instead of aiming at a simulation type gameplay a-la Smackdown vs. Raw, Legends sticks to a more streamlined, arcade-styled gameplay. Alongside a change in gameplay is an added emphasis on presentation, to better represent the legendary encounters that have made WrestleMania the number one sports entertainment event of the year.

GAMEPLAY – A major obstacle for Legends to overcome was drawing in that illusive segment of the casual market which has since abandoned their love of wrestling, and simply toying with nostalgia alone wouldn’t be enough to drag them in. Legends brings with it a completely new control scheme, eased up from the Smackdown controls so as to be more newbie-friendly. How simple are we talking? Forget triggers, right analog sticks, select buttons, this game uses on the four face buttons (alongside the left analog stick for movement, of course). With this knowledge in hand it would be easy to say that Yukes had dumbed down the control scheme, which is a bit of an unfair statement. Almost everything from the Smackdown series has been transferred to the game via various button combinations, streamlining the controls so as not to confuse a newcomer with the ridiculous amount of buttons found on your standard controller.

Upon stepping into the ring, the action is, as expected, simple. One button for strikes, one for grapples, the usual song and dance, but this dance has a bit of a twist to it. Did you enjoy God of War? How about those Quick-time events, did those pique your interest? If you answer was yes, you could be insane, but you will also be pleasantly surprised by the new chain grapple system present in Legends. By simply tapping the grapple button (with no direction), you will activate a cinematic sequence of grapples, in which the first person to tap a large button on screen will be rewarded with ultimate victory in the chain of grapples. Not only does this happen with every chain grapple, but also every signature, so I hope you like…big buttons. Thankfully, each wrestler has plenty of non-chain moves, so this new grapple system shouldn’t wear out its welcome too quickly. Of course, those non-chain grapples have the tendency to get repetitive, depending on the speed of your match. If it is a slow, grinded out encounter, with low momentum for each wrestler, you might see the same few grapples a good amount of times. Though, when the pace picks up, the movesets become more varied as you move up in the game’s tier system, which serves to replace Smackdown’s momentum bar, instead making for a multi-layered, longer, approach to building up a finishing move. Getting into higher tiers (there are three overall) also allows you to do taunts, which may increase attributes, or even regain lost stamina.

The main slogan for Legends of WrestleMania was “Relive, Rewrite, Redefine,” which represents the single-player portion of the game. In these modes you take some of WrestleMania’s greatest matches and either play through them the way they aired, with an alternate outcome, or with a completely different stipulation. Each match in the single player is introduced by an outstanding promo video, which does a tremendous job of pumping up the player for the ensuing contest.

Serving as the bright point of the single player is, unsurprisingly, the Relive mode. Here, you get to play through seven of the biggest matches in WrestleMania history, and try to replicate them as accurately as possible. For example, let’s take Hogan vs. Andre at WrestleMania 3. To earn a medal (which unlocks costumes, match types, and other assorted extras), you must recreate a handful of the match’s highlights. Body slamming Andre (and winning by leg drop) will add points to your tally, as opposed to just winning the match with a few jabs. One of Relive’s greatest strengths lies in the events that play on-screen when you complete a goal. What happens on screen is a very accurate representation of the actual match. Instead of doing a body slam and then building up a signature to finish Andre, your body slam will transition directly into a leg drop, just as it happened in real life. Similarly, when you give The Rock the stunner, his legs will bounce off of the ropes, just as they did at WrestleMania 15…and any other time the Rock fought Stone Cold. Seriously, what was the deal with that?

I am, however, much less optimistic in regards to the other two modes. Though each is still accompanied by a video promo, the match comes off a lot weaker without the presentational strengths of Relive. Since these matches have been altered, you won’t have the accurate depiction of a scenario, but instead will get a loose guideline of what might have happened. Having Brutus the Barber Beefcake beat Honky Tonk Man is great and all, but without the historical accuracy, it just ends up being something I could do in the exhibition mode. Though, then again, why would I be using Honky Tonk Man in exhibition mode? Redefine suffers from similar issues, but even more severe since these are matches that have been completely altered, with different stipulations to boot. Now you can know what it would have been like if Andre took on Big John Studd in a Hell in a Cell match, something that I’m sure has been wearing on your mind.

As all wrestling games do, Legends shines in a multiplayer context. There is nothing quite like taking on your friends in a good old fashioned Royal Rumble. While we are on the subject, I must admit that the Rumble matches in Legends are the best I’ve seen in quite some time, since the days of No Mercy.

GRAPHICS – Considering that Legends is a game which attempts to capitalize on nostalgia, you would figure that the graphics and presentation are top-notch. This is partly true. Graphically speaking, the wrestlers have been altered from their original appearances to be more exaggerated and action-figure-like in appearance; so as to further the game’s attempt to recapture the magic of late nights you spent as a child watching the Hulkamania run wild on anyone and everyone in sight.

Presentation, on the other hand, turns out to be a mixed bag. Entrances are phenomenal, recreating each legend’s introduction almost flawlessly (though, Hogan still doesn’t rip off his shirt). Once you get into the ring, however, presentation begins to falter. Though I feel the fights maintain a big-match feel, it’s hard to ignore some of the striking issues. When performing a running strike, you have to time it perfectly, or else your wrestler will just stop right in front of your opponent, how often do you see this happen in wrestling? Even the Nintendo 64 games had some sort of reaction when wrestlers bumped in the ring. Along with that, each wrestler has about three different strikes, and seeing those same three strikes does get pretty old. Not only that, but the strikes hardly look like they make any contact. These are petty issues, I’ll admit, and they don’t overall ruin the presentational values of Legends of WrestleMania .

SOUND – There isn’t much to discuss in the audio department of Legends, but let us start where every match begins, with the entrances. What else can I say about this…its entrance music, the correct entrance music, and it sounds great, did you expect any different. Crowd reactions to entrances could still use a little work, I feel like the crowd exploding when Stone Cold’s music hits is a big part of that nostalgia factor that THQ was clamoring for.

Play-by-play is present in Legends, and is still done by good ol’ JR and Jerry the King Lawler. It seems less annoying this time around, perhaps because their commentary is more withdrawn, and not rambling endlessly for the entirety of the match. It could also be caused by the game’s expanded roster, which can include over 70 wrestlers if you import from Smackdown. Pretty difficult to hear the same stories repeated over and over when you have 70 superstars to choose from.

LASTING APPEAL – As a single player affair, Legends will not last you a particularly lengthy amount of time. Each of the three modes will only take you a couple of hours a piece, and if you factor in the stat-building mode (for Created Legends), Legend Killer, that will only add about two hours onto your play time. Of course, the aforementioned Create-a-Legends will probably be enough to occupy many wrestling fans, nothing quite as appealing as creating yourself. Creating “Disco” Drew Robbins was just enough to verify my purchase of the game.

But let us be honest, when has the single-player ever been the main draw for a wrestling game? Much like, well, any wrestling game (except for Impact…), Legends thrives in a multiplayer context, especially in a local multiplayer setting. The online play is the same mode we’ve been getting in Smackdown for years, and it hasn’t been improved in the least, so if you didn’t like it then, you probably won’t like it now.

FUN FACTOR – It’s hard not to enjoy yourself when you are playing as some of wrestling’s finest on the grandest stage of them all. The Relive mode might be enough to verify a rental of the game, and the multiplayer is fun as usual, possibly good enough for a purchase if you have friends that are always up to thrown down in a Royal Rumble.

Sadly, the fun does come to a halt at times, specifically in the Legend Killer mode. Serving as an arcade mode, this requires you to take on a gauntlet of Legends in a row, in order to build up your created legend’s stats. Grinding stats has never been a fun endeavor, and Legends of WrestleMania is no exception to that rule.

THE 411 – Legends of WrestleMania makes good on the promise of a nostalgic experience, recreating some of the great moments in WrestleMania with the outstanding Relive mode. However, the single player, ringing in at only a handful of hours, isn’t enough to necessitate a purchase. On the other hand, multiplayer, provided you have the proper environment, can be a blast that easily makes this $60 well spent.

Graphics 9.0 Wrestlers are exaggerated for nostalgias sake, and entrances are near perfect replicas of the real thing.
Gameplay 7.0 Fast-paced and fun, though moves get repetititive.
Sound 8.5 Great entrance music (as you would expect), but commentary and the crowd could still use some work.
Lasting Appeal 7.0 Single player is ridiculously short, but mutliplayer could have you coming back for more, thanks to the improved Rumbles.
Fun Factor 7.5 Relive and multiplayer are a blast, the rest of the game…not so much.
Overall 7.5 [ Good ]

PS3 Reviews

Wanted: Weapons of Fate Review

Published by:

Title: Wanted: Weapons of Fate
Publisher: Universal Studios
Developer: GRIN
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter
Players: 1
Rated: M for Mature
Also available on: Xbox 360

Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a continuation of the movie Wanted. Players take control of Wesley, as well as his dad Cross, as Wesley attempts to find out more about his mother. Wanted is a third person shooter that incorporates cover-based gameplay. There are quick time events, bullet curving, and the occasional turret scene. Wanted features a short campaign with 3 difficulty settings, although the last difficulty setting is only unlocked after beating the game. There is no multiplayer what-so-ever and most of the extras only work to add tweaks to the singe player campaign such as a mode where only head shots can finish off enemies. Here’s my full review.

Graphics

Wanted has some really nice lighting effects. GRIN definitely wasn’t afraid to show them off either. Wanted isn’t exactly a graphical powerhouse, but it does use some really nice textures, which in addition to the lighting, provides for a solid experience. If you’re playing Wanted on an HDTV you won’t have any major complaints, and the game tends to hold up in most situations. There were no major framerate drops or stuttering issues to report.

The presentation of Wanted is also very impressive. The game is narrated by Wesley and he does a very good job telling the story and immersing gamers into the story. As someone who knew very little about Wanted before playing the game I felt the game did a great job catching me up with the story. Cut scenes are frequent in Wanted, but most are skippable. Some people complained about the cut scenes being in low definition, but I wouldn’t have noticed a difference if someone hadn’t pointed it out to me. In all honesty it’s fine and not really noticeable.

Gameplay

Wanted is your average third person shooter. There are two big features to Wanted. The first feature is the cover system, which if you’ve played Gears of War or Uncharted, than you’re already familiar. Push X to get behind cover, press left, right, or up to see if there’s available cover, and push X again to jump to the next available cover. One thing that is relatively unique to Wanted is that you no longer have to jump out of cover to melee someone. What I mean by that is that if you’re leaning up against a box and there is an enemy hiding on the other side of the box, you can just push circle to reach over and stab him in the neck. It looks awesome and is a welcome addition to the cover mechanic. I have no idea why most other games force you to get out of cover to melee someone.

The other big feature in Wanted is the ability to curve bullets just like in the movie. Curving bullets is an ability you gain after doing the first couple of tutorials and is used periodically throughout the rest of the game. The amount of time you can spend in this bullet-mode is controlled by an adrenalin meter. Once your meter is gone you exit bullet-time and must wait for the meter to fill back up. Again, this is nothing new for gamers. Curving bullets is pretty cool and provides for some gruesome deaths, but unfortunately there is untapped potential. I would have liked to experiment around with a puzzle or two that would have forced me to curve the bullet, or at least done something to expand on the idea of curving bullets other than a cool and convenient way to kill enemies.

The problem with Wanted comes in its redundancy. You’ll go through a lot of the same situations in Wanted, and there isn’t enough stuff to change up the gameplay. There is the occasional turret mission or the occasional quick time event but they do not come frequently enough. You’ll often start at a position, hide behind cover, shoot 3 to 4 enemies, advance to the next room, and repeat until you hit a cut scene. Another big problem I have with Wanted is the boss battles. There are too many times where if you don’t do exactly what the game wants you to do you’ll die and get frustrated. The first boss is the perfect example. The first boss is a cop with a bullet-proof riot shield. If you do not do exactly what the game wants you to do he is invincible. I’m not joking, you can run up to him, run around him, shoot him in the back, and his health won’t go down. I understand that his riot shield is bulletproof, but I can see the skin on his neck, that isn’t bulletproof. Also why can I melee every other guy who looks exactly like this one but I can’t melee this guy? He’s just squatting down in the corner, he’s not doing anything that should prevent me from shooting him or punching him. It’s very frustrating and can ruin the game for some folks.

Sound

Wanted incorporates a lot of sound effects from the movie. The sound of the bullets, the sound of piercing a skull, the sound of curving the bullet, it’s all lifted from the movie. The voice acting is also well done, and helps to engage me into the story. There are a lot of cut scenes with a lot of dialogue and I have no complaints. Emotions are properly expressed and Wesley comes off as an actual human being looking to find out more about his mother. Everything comes together in a convincing package and helps to capture the feel of Wanted.

Lasting Appeal

Wanted is a very short third person shooter. There is no multiplayer to speak of and the extra modes are pretty lame which means you’ll be stuck playing the single player campaign over and over again if you want to get longevity out of the game. I wouldn’t have a problem with this if there was actual reason to replay the single player or if the single player was very fun. While Wanted does have its moments and is fun at times it isn’t to the point where I wanted or felt the need to replay the single player. There is an unlockable difficulty and there are Trophies that can only be obtained on the hardest difficulty but that isn’t enough to warrant another play through either. Most people will finish the story in less than 4 hours and will be finished after that.

Fun Factor

As I said above there are plenty of times where I enjoyed Wanted. The story is rather enticing, the shooting can be very fun when it doesn’t force you to handle situations in a particular way, and there is a lot of gore. The deaths are gruesome, especially when you melee the enemy and that is cool. The one drawback in this category is that there are very few melee animations, so be prepared to kick a lot of people’s knees out before stabbing them in the throat.

Wanted handles the cover system well and the shooting is very fluid. Pulling off head shots is very satisfying, pulling off melee attacks are satisfying, and curving bullets for instant deaths is very satisfying. If you are a fan of third person shooters and love cover mechanics you’ll really love Wanted. Just don’t expect to get more than a day or two’s enjoyment out of it.

The 411

Wanted does a lot of things right. It told a good story for a video game that made me care about what was going on. It has a cover system that works and there are no major complaints about the shooting mechanic. Curving bullets is cool and the feel of the Wanted movie is there. If you loved the movie and love third person shooters you will love Wanted: Weapons of Fate. But with little replayability and a short single player campaign don’t expect to get any longevity out of the game. For most people Wanted will be a good rental before returning to other shooters. If it wasn’t for a few frustrating moments in particular such as the first boss battle against the agent with the riot shield than I would be more willing to give Wanted a better recommendation.

Graphics 7.5 The lighting in Wanted looks really good. The textures are not bad either.
Gameplay 7.0 The mechanics all work just fine. It is just too bad it gets so redundant.
Sound 7.5 There are frequent cut scenes, but thankfully the voice acting is great. The sound effects are lifted right out of the movie.
Lasting Appeal 5.0 The single player can be beaten in about 4 hours, and even shorter on multiple playthroughs. Unfortunately there is little reason to actual replay the game.
Fun Factor 6.5 There are times when the game forces you to handle certain situations in a certain way which can become very frustrating. At times the game is redundant, but at times the game is fun.
Overall 6.8 [ Average ]

PS3 Reviews

MLB 09 The Show Review

Published by:

Developer: SCE Studios San Diego
Publisher: SCEA
Released: March 3, 2009

For the past few years now, the MLB The Show series has been the best baseball franchise on any platform, period. With the release of MLB 09 The Show, it may not only be the best baseball franchise, it may now be considered the best sports franchise out there.

MLB 09 The Show marks the latest release for the hit franchise on the Sony PS3, and it just keeps on getting better.
The thing that has allowed this franchise to stay leaps and bounds ahead of the rival MLB 2K series is the fact that the game has managed to have some amazing gameplay, and that continues this year.

When SCEA released MLB 08 The Show last year, I honestly came out of the game after playing through 3 full seasons and the Road to the Show mode thinking that there would be no way that they would be able to make it any better…oh how wrong I was.

The beautiful thing about MLB 09 The Show is that the developer did not try to go too far away from what made this game so awesome to begin with. This is a very authentic game which packs in a great deal of realism.

The way in which this game controls is absolutely phenomenal. Out of all of the sports games out there right now, MLB 09 The Show takes the cake as the sports game with the best gameplay. It is ahead of them all, Madden, NHL 09, everything without a doubt.

The batting mechanics have not really changed much, as you have your contact button, power button, as well as the ability to guess pitches, locations, etc.

Fielding and pitching are also a joy once again this year as you will find yourself pulling off some very smooth double plays and clutch catches.

The game plays out so smoothly that everything has this amazing flow to it, from the pitching to the fielding, hitting, and everything in-between.

The whole presentation this year has been upped a great deal as well. As talked about above, this is a very smooth game as it runs at 60 frames per second.

Beyond the smooth gameplay though, the animations and the level of detail on each of the players, the crowd, stadiums, etc. make this one of the best-looking sports games out there.

The audio is just as impressive as the chants and such which come out of the crowds will have you smiling from ear to ear. Commentary is also near-perfect as it does a great job of keeping up with the action and not missing a beat.

If you want to put in your own creations, you can also put in your own soundtracks, crowd chants, etc. to play for certain teams, players, etc.

In terms of game modes, there is plenty here to keep you completely engrossed until next year’s game comes out. There are plenty of single player things here such as your franchise mode, and plenty more!

The developer has also updated the Road to the Show mode quite a bit this year as there are many more things you can do in-between games and such. This includes mini-games to help you train your player and improve his skills, as well as new on-the-field gameplay additions.

There are some great online components this year too such as a new set-up for online leagues you can join, make up flex schedules, etc. The online component is fantastic and you will have a blast setting up leagues with friends online.

MLB 09 The Show on the PS3 is the best sports game this year on any console, hands down. The game has some major improvements over last year and will have you hooked for months on end with its Road to the Show, franchise modes, online component, etc. MLB 09 The Show retains the title for another year, this one is a grand slam!

Graphics: 9.2 A beautiful looking sports game, amazing detail and very smooth!

Audio: 9.0 Great commentary, sound effects, and customization options.

Gameplay: 9.5 There is not much here to complain about, this game plays great!

Replay Value: 9.5 Road to the Show, a great online component, and much more!

Final Score: 9.2

PS3 Reviews

Major League Baseball 2K9 Review

Published by:

Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: March 3, 2009

Major League Baseball 2K9 has returned and stepped up to the plate yet again, with the hopes of smashing one out of the park on the PS3. Visual Concepts is the developer once again this time out, as America’s favorite pastime is ready to thrill us once more.

I will be the first to say that I considered MLB 2K8 a complete disaster on next-gen consoles, as the game was just not a lot of fun for neither hardcore or casual sports fans.
MLB 2K9 is a big step up from last year’s game, as there have been a lot of improvements made in just a year’s time.

The first thing that you are going to notice is that the game is a lot better looking this year, with some improved details on player models, animations, and a much smoother framerate. This is key to a baseball game as you need the framerate to be rock solid to make split-second movements in the field, at bat, etc.

The details in this year’s game are leaps and bounds over what we had last year, with great looking uniforms, facial details right down to the freckles on their faces, and everything in-between.

The audio commentary has also received an improvement with Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips doing the duty. These two do a great job of keeping up with the action throughout, and make for a more TV-style audio presentation.

The gameplay has been improved this year as well, in a way to make it far more accessible to the average gamer. The same pitching and batting mechanics have returned, as pitching and batting are done with the right analog stick. It is pretty simple this year out as in terms of pitching, anything close to the right thing will be a pretty good pitch. This is far different from last-year where you were throwing wild-pitches left and right with every little mistake you made.

This makes for a far more enjoyable game overall as it will not penalize you a great deal for minor mistakes that you make in terms of imputing pitches and such.

With improved gameplay, there always ends up being a more enjoyable game overall. That is definitely the case here, as the game, being more fun, leads to having more enjoyable game modes.

One of the things this year that you are going to have a blast with is the online modes and online leagues that you can take part in. Online, you also have the ability to share sliders and such with friends.

The franchise mode has returned yet again and is just as good as ever, this mode has always been extremely deep, and that continues this year.

Overall, MLB 2K9 is a step up from last-year, but unfortunately on the PS3 it has some rough competition in the form of MLB 09 The Show. Still, if The Show is not your thing, it is actually a pretty good buy.

There is still a lot of improvements to be made next year, but this is a huge step in the right direction for the series, and one baseball fans should not pass up on.

Graphics: 8.5 A big step up from a year ago, great details and animations.

Audio: 8.2 The audio commentary is highly-improved!

Gameplay: 7.5 Definitely more accessible this year to casual gamers, still more fine-tuning needed in pitching and batting.

Replay Value: 8.2 The online leagues are fantastic, as is the franchise mode.

Final Score: 7.8

PS3 Reviews

Monsters vs. Aliens PS3 Review

Published by:

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Beenox
Players: 1-2

Monsters vs. Aliens from DreamWorks has already proven to be a huge success in regards to the box office, and has branched outward as a franchise into video games, with releases on all of the major platforms, including the Sony PlayStation 3.

Monsters vs. Aliens is pretty much your typical movie-to-video game transfer, being mainly a platformer-type experience.
The game allows you to take on the role of a few different characters from the movie. This includes The Missing link, Ginormica, as well as B.O.B.

Each of these characters presents a different style of gameplay that you can explore as you go through the roughly 25-levels that are featured here in the game.

The different gameplay styles that you will experience here make for a fresh and adventurous game throughout, keeping things unique as you progress through, for both casual and more advanced gamers.

There are specific levels made up and tailored to each of the traits of these characters, with the B.O.B. levels being mainly made up of the use of more advanced weaponry, while The Missing Link will play out more like a classic action-platformer.

The other great thing about this experience is the fact that it is really user-friendly in that you can jump in and play with someone at any time. So if a young gamer is enjoying the game and someone wants to join in, a push of the button will allow them to jump right in on the fun without having to restart or anything of that nature.

The player who jumps in will take on the role of Dr. Cockroach, who has the ability to fire away at bad guys from off-screen.

There is also some solid replay value in that you can collect DNA strands as you go along to unlock new upgrades as well as a variety of other things featured in the game.

In regards to the sound and graphics, from a visual standpoint, the game is actually pretty impressive. The world that you are thrown into here is very colorful, and will be very pleasing to the eyes. The characters have a lot of life with some really well-done animations and smooth framerate throughout. The animated film has certainly transferred over to a good-looking game.

As for the audio, the great thing about this is that you get the same stars from the feature film playing their roles as the monsters. This means that Will Arnett and company are back to voice the characters in the game, making for a more authentic conversion. The cut-scenes are actually quite entertaining as well.

The biggest issue that this game has is the fact that the levels themselves really do lack variety. Once you play the various levels geared towards the different characters things do start to get a little lame.

There are different experiences to be had at first, but once you play a different level for each character once, the rest of them feel the same after a little while. This goes for the enemies and tasks that you will have to complete as well.

Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens on the PS3 is the type of game that the more casual, younger gamers are probably going to enjoy, but get sick of rather quickly. The game is a very enjoyable platformer which packs some variety in the gameplay, but leaves a lot lacking in level design. Fans of the movie should give this one a rental, but the game lacks the legs, or in the case of these guys, tentacles, to be worth the full-purchase.

Graphics: 7.5 Not a bad looking game on the PS3 at all, very colorful worlds with some nicely animated characters.

Sound: 8.0 The fact that the cast from the movie came to voice the video game says a lot, very well-done.

Gameplay: 6.0 The gameplay gets repetitive a bit too fast.

Replay Value: 6.0 Too repetitive.

Final Score: 6.5

PS3 Reviews

Guitar Hero Metallica PS3 Review

Published by:

Developer: Neversoft
Publisher: Activision

Guitar Hero is a franchise that has truly managed to stand the test of time, constantly staying innovative and appealing to its core audience with one successful release after another. This latest release, Guitar Hero: Metallica is no different, and will have you rocking once again.

Last year marked the first Guitar Hero release to focus on one specific rock group in the form of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.
Following up with the success of that title, we have been presented with Guitar Hero: Metallica, and man is it fun.

The first thing that I have to get to in this review is the fact that the game is an absolute blast to play, mainly due to the fact that this is one of the best Guitar Hero soundtracks to date.

The songs make for an amazing collection of rock music, even if you are not a Metallica fan as there is stuff here from tons of bands for you to have fun playing with.

Some of the songs include The Boys Are Back In Town, Toxicity, Ace of Spades from Motorhead, and others just to name a few.

In terms of the gameplay, Neversoft has done a fantastic job of really pumping things up this time out, first and foremost with the addition of the second bass pedal.

I know what you are thinking, oh, just one more thing to try and keep track of. I have to say though that once you play with the two bass pedals, you will never want to play with just one again.

There are plenty of enjoyable game modes here in the form of a battle of the bands, online stuff, the ability to create your own rocker, etc.

Basically, I see this release as a highly improved World Tour, with some kick-butt music to go along with it and a new bass pedal added in.

In terms of the graphics, everything has been upped this time out, with plenty of nice arenas, well-done crowds, etc. This is definitely a step up from what we have seen from Guitar hero games in the past. The lighting and little effects added in create a good rock concert atmosphere.

The other big improvement is the sound area, as the developer clearly went above and beyond to put your 5.1 surround sound system to work finally. The music here is impressive, and will be appreciated by gamers.

I really cannot say enough about Guitar Hero: Metallica. This is the best release in the franchise in quite a long time, and is my favorite release since Guitar Hero 2. Even if you feel a little burnt out with the franchise, this game will reinvigorate the inner rocker in you all over again, a must-buy on the PS3!

Graphics: 8.7 Finally a great-looking Guitar Hero game, tons of detail and fantastic lighting.

Audio: 9.2 This thing will have your surround sound absolutely rocking, great stuff!

Gameplay: 9.5 The addition of the second bass pedal adds a lot of depth to the experience, better than ever!

Replay Value: 9.0 Plenty to do here with the ability to create your own music, battle of the bands, and everything else.

Final Score: 9.2

PlayStation 3 News

Sony Announces New SingStar titles for the PS3 and the PS2

Published by:

Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today that they would be bringing the new SingStar: Queen to both the PS3 and the PS2 on August 18, 2009. The game marks the franchises second attempt at band specific titles, giving fans a chance to try their chops at singing songs popularized by the legendary Queen.

Playstation 3
SingStar Queen for the PS3 will include 25 of the pop-rock groups greatest chart toppers, including ‘Another One Bites the Dust’, and of course ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. SingStar Queen for the PS3 also brings access to SingStars backlog featuring hundreds of songs featuring the real artists and videos via the online SingStore.
Set your playlist, rock it out then share with your friends and family using SingStars’ My SingStar Online Community, which has been enhanced for this new game.

In addition, SingStar Queen will bring another unique feature to the franchise, with the ability to sort through songs and choose your set list by simply speaking into the microphone. This new feature will also extend to searching and downloading new songs from the SingStore. This new feature is set to be available early next week via global patch release, and should be compatible with all SingStar discs.

Playstation 2
The SingStar franchise also continues to grow on the PS2, increasing that music library as well. The PS2 version of SingStar Queen will feature 20 of Queens greatest tracks. The PS2 version will not feature the new voice interaction present on the PS3.

PlayStation 3 News

No Bionic Commando MP Demo For PS3

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A spokesperson for the publisher told IncGamers that there will be no PS3 demo and was unable to comment on a possible PC version.

The news follows yesterday’s announcement that a 360 version of the multiplayer demo will be arriving soon.

The PAL version of the game is due for release on 22 May, with a PC release due to follow in the first half of the year.

PlayStation 3 News

Terminator Salvation Official Trailer

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PRODUCT OVERVIEW:

Based on the upcoming Terminator Salvation film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures, Terminator Salvation the videogame offers players the chance to assume the role of John Connor, a soldier in the resistance, battling for survival against the far superior forces of Skynet.

Terminator Salvation the videogame is an intense action-packed third-person shooter featuring concentrated armed combat against all of the Skynet enemies from the film and new killer machines specifically designed for the game.  Taking place two years before the events of the upcoming film set in a post apocalyptic, decimated Los Angeles, players will be lead through a visceral, story and character driven gaming experience. 

Featuring intense third-person action, Terminator Salvation the videogame will take combat to the next level with iconic enemies, cinematic fight sequences and advanced weaponry, drawn directly from the film, as well as an innovative, multi-layered cover mechanic.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

  • New Installment of Terminator Mythology: Set two years prior to the upcoming Terminator Salvation film, players will get the opportunity to be John Connor for the first time and continue the epic fiction of the Terminator mythology.
  • Unrelenting Intelligent Robotic Enemies: Unrelenting and incredibly resilient iconic enemies from the Terminator franchise fight to the bitter end on land and in the sky.  Designed to pursue the player by any means necessary, damaged or broken enemies will literally claw their way forward to inflict harm. 
  • Advanced Destructible Cover Gameplay: Terminator Salvation the videogame will incorporate advanced cover mechanics which allows players to use the destructible environment as protection and strategically navigate through enemy entrenched territory. The cover mechanic’s multi-faceted design changes the way “cover” gameplay is executed.
  • Diverse Array of Advanced Weaponry:  The player has access to a wide array of weapons including shotguns, fully automatic machine guns, huge mounted weaponry, grenades, rocket-launchers and even a plasma firing Skynet tank.
  • Rugged Armored Vehicles Gun Fights: Pursue, attack, or evade enemies through post-apocalyptic environments on foot or inside rugged armored vehicles in extremely kinetic and extensive cinematic gun battles.
PS4 News

Is the PS Cloud the PlayStation 4?

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Sony has patented the ‘PS Cloud’ with the US Patent and Trademark Office, following the announcement of a number of new ‘cloud gaming’ services such as OnLive and Playcast Media at this year’s Games Developers Conference.

The patent has lead to speculation that Sony Computer Entertainment may well be looking to ‘cloud gaming’ – where the processing power of a home console is replaced by that of a remote server outside of the gamer’s home – as a strategic move forward for its PlayStation division.

The future of PlayStation?

Or, put in more straightforward terms, is PS Cloud the PlayStation 4? Is the ‘next’ PlayStation going to resemble a server-based system that allows gamers to play and save games to a user account via a range of devices such as their PlayStation 3, their PC or even their TV set-top box?

Sony filed the patent for ‘PS Cloud’ on 24 March, describing PS Cloud as a provider of “entertainment services, namely, providing an online videogame that users may access through the internet”.

You can see further details on the filing here.

TechRadar spoke with a SCEE rep this morning who declined to comment on the story.