Update: An odd bug involving plugged in USB peripherals was causing a number of the performance issues I mentioned. I’m leaving the text relatively unchanged and updated my final verdict. Thanks to Joel of FrozenByte for the fix.
I’ve been wanting to buy the physics based puzzle platformer, Trine, since mid-2009. But I was always waiting and waiting for the eventual PSN release. When it was finally made available in North America, it was right in the middle of the 2009 holiday gaming blitz. I also heard unflattering things concerning the game’s performance. At $19.99? I’m wasn’t going to take the gamble on that. So I decided to wait and months later I was able to download it for $9.99.
I’m so glad I waited for the sale. This game does run like garbage and is fine example of a great idea marred by technical issues.
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I recently wrapped up my time with three re-releases for the PlayStation 3: Call of Duty: Classic & the God of War: Collection which includes both God of War I & II. They were interesting experiments to say the least. The idea of re-releasing old classics with visual touch ups and fixes is fantastic. I can enjoy the gaming of old without having to endure the technical hiccups or deficiencies of the past — well, that’s the idea anyway. The three titles I played were fine examples of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of re-releasing titles like this.
Call of Duty: Classic
Call of Duty: Classic was supposed to be an enhanced console port of Infinity Ward’s popular PC shooter of 2003. I thought the PlayStation 3 would be able to handle this game, but I was wrong. The game barely maintains 30 frames per second at times let alone 60. These technical problems are mind boggling.
I can handle the need to lean and shoot via the directional pad. I can also handle the unforgiving checkpoints. What I don’t understand is the total lack of care that went into this port. Modern Warfare 2 loads faster and runs better; a 2009 game can somehow stream and load off a disc faster than 2003’s Call of Duty. And as a cherry on top of this putrid mess, they permanently assigned the L2 and R2 triggers as aim and fire.
Do yourself a favor and play the PC version if you want to relive Call of Duty.
Verdict:
Stay Away
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It took me awhile write this up, but here it is. In my eyes, Wipeout HD is the ideal racer and one of the best deals on the PlayStation Network. It’s fast paced, action packed and a real looker of game. It rewards precision and risk taking while still offering a bit chance to turn the race around. It’s the kind of racing mixture which I gravitate towards. Not to mention the fact that you can just hold acceleration throughout the entire track and use air braking to take corners. So it’s not too surprising to know that I was stoked for the Fury expansion pack. More Wipeout HD is always a plus. Even if it means dozens and dozens of retries out of frustration.
New tracks, new ship variants and new game modes are to be expected out of an expansion. No doubt about it, the new tracks and vehicles are gorgeous with the “Fury” aesthetic. But I can’t say I was fond of all the game modes. Both “Eliminator” and “Zone Battle” modes are the very definition of crapshoot. There’s virtually no skill involved; some tries are a breeze while another sees me eating “Zone shields” left, right and center. I could lay some of the blame on the same “Elite” difficulty which made the original campaign’s single races random like this, but these game modes exacerbate the problem ten fold. As for “Detonator” and its mine elimination? It’s a fair mode which I can tolerate when it doesn’t require obscene scores for “Elite” gold medals.
Game mode gripes aside, there were a few niggling issues which bothered me as well. While it’s still 1080p, the frame rate drops and screen tears were more prevalent in this expansion. And while I did find the soundtrack to be solid overall, there was one cringe worthy song that made me want to tears my ears off. It’s truly the worst.
All in all, for $9.99 I got more Wipeout HD. It may not be perfect and it will definitely not bring in new players, but for that low price? The issues I mentioned are easily overlooked. I guess you could also not play on “Elite” difficulty to mitigate the problem, but that’s your prerogative. Just make sure you pick this expansion up if you’re a fan.
Verdict:
For Fans Only
Check the Ratings Guide
For more information on Wipeout HD: Fury, check out the PlayStation.Blog post.
Siren: Blood Curse was a jumbled, mind job of a game. A game like this shouldn’t have worked out. The controls were incredibly touchy and fell apart when I engaged more than one enemy. The story didn’t make a lick of sense until after the credits rolled and even then it required additional research to decipher it all. It’s a mystery and a surprise how this all collimated into one of the most satisfyingly scary games in recent memory.
SCE Japan Studio’s episodic Siren: Blood Curse is a reimagining of the PlayStation 2 “stealth” survival horror game. I’ve only heard of the title and half the genre which it belonged to (I didn’t know there stealth was involved). This digital download release sported updated visuals and a new cast of characters. Or so I’m told.
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For $9.99 CAD you can download ThatGameCompany’s Flower from the PlayStation Network store. As a fan of all things beautiful, unique and cheap, I embarked on the nature filled journey. What I took away from this “artsy fartsy” title may not gel with the expectations of others, but that’s to be expected; Flower isn’t your typical game.
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With all the fuss over high development costs associated with high definition gaming, it’s quite difficult to find a game which focuses solely on providing a super refined and well executed high definition experience. It’s even more difficult to find a game like this and have it debut at $19.99 CAD. Well, the search is over since Sony Computer Entertainment’s WipEout HD is finally here! It falls in line with everything I mentioned and could be my personal downloadable title of 2008.
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The Nintendo Entertainment System is the cradle for many fantastic games and since I did not have the privilege of owning one, I missed out on a lot. Capcom’s Bionic Commando was one of those missed opportunities. To be perfectly honest, I never even heard about Bionic Commando prior to the announcement of the remake, Bionic Commando: Rearmed. A platformer which didn’t have jump function, but employed an effective and fun swinging mechanic? Alright. That sounds a bit crazy, but I’m willing to put down $9.99 CAD for it and now that I’ve played it, I believe all of you should too.
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