21
May
2009
The PS3’s Full Potential: A Breakdown
It has been long rumored that developers have not been taking full advantage of the Playstation 3’s extra capabilities, but is there any proof of this? Many gamers and press say that there isn’t any proof that the Playstation 3 has more capabilities than the 360. However, there have been slight hints that the PS3 does have a little more power than the 360. If you look at the top graphical games in certain genres that are comparable, but the PS3 games leads the way with its exclusives versus 360 exclusives and even compared to multiplatform games
First up is the racing genre, and the games in question are: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Forza 2 and Need for Speed Undercover (NFSU). Now it is without question that GT5: Prologue looks better than both Forza 2 and Need for Speed Undercover from a technical standpoint. GT5: Prologue runs at a higher resolution than both Forza and NFS Undercover, clocking in with a native resolution of 1280×1080p. Furthermore, GT5: Prologue also uses ray-tracing and has better lighting while running at a constant framerate of 60fps. While Forza 2 is good, it only runs at a native resolution of 1280×720p and a constant framerate of 60fps. If you look at a multiplatform game like NFS Undercover which runs at a frame rate of 30fps and has a native resolution of 1280×720p which is good, but where the confusion comes is where the PS3 version runs worse with slight framerate drops and missing effects. This multiplatform discrepancy makes no sense considering the PS3 has the best looking game in the racing genre in GT5 Prologue.
Next up we have the 1st person shooter genre, where once again the best game from a technical standpoint is a PS3 exclusive, Killzone 2. Yes, Halo 3 was good on 360, but from a technical standpoint Killzone 2 was much better. Killzone 2 runs at a consistent 30fps and at a native resolution of 1280×720p, and it probably has the best lighting this generation of any game period. If you look at Halo 3, it’s a good looking game but only has a resolution of 1152×640p and runs at 30fps with above average lighting. Yet, if we look at a multiplatform game like Bioshock, which has at a resolution of 1280×720p and runs at a constant 30fps, the same scenario applies to the PS3 version with low res textures and framerate drops in comparison to its 360 counterpart. Again I ask how can a PS3 exclusive, Killzone 2, be the best looking in the 1st person shooter genre, yet a multiplatform game, Bioshock runs worse in comparison to the 360 version?
Lastly if you look at the 3rd person shooter genre, you again have another PS3 exclusive, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune from a graphical standpoint at the top. Uncharted had a native resolution of 1280×720p and ran at 30 fps and had higher polygon models then Gears. The 360 exclusive Gears of War 2 is close with a native resolution of 1280×720p and runs at 30fps, but the low polygon count of the models killed it (that’s why everybody in the game looks like a linebacker). If you look at another multiplatform game like Resident Evil 5 which has a resolution of 1280×720p and runs at 30fps it again runs slightly better on the 360. With the PS3’s lighting being worse in some cases and the textures in some spots not being as high quality as the 360 version. Yet the same scenario applies the PS3 exclusive is touted as the best looking in the genre yet its multiplatform version of a game like RE5 lags behind its 360 twin.
So, I ask you guys as gamers. Are these Developers really not using the PS3 to its full capabilities? Going by the track record of PS3 exclusives vs. 360 vs. Multiplatform games I would have to say signs point to “yes”. I know that most Multiplatform games are built up around the 360 architecture and ported to the more difficult PS3; which is fine, but last generation the more difficult architecture of PS2 games were ported to the Xbox with enhanced graphics. If you go strictly by the exclusives then PS3 appears to have a bit more power, certainly enough to run multiplatform games in parity to their 360 counterparts. So why aren’t these Developers taking advantage of this extra power the PS3 appears to have when they did the same thing last generation for multiplatform games on the Xbox?
Please leave your comments down below!
*updated some of the numbers… sorry about the confusion with some of the “native” resolutions versus the upscaled ones*
14
Apr
2009
USA’s Obsession with FPS’s
This subject of this article shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, however this is more of an investigation as to why this is the case. Japan has their RPGs, Europe has their RTSs, and USA has their shooters. But, why?
This goes back to the 1990s when Goldeneye was king. There was no such thing as online multiplayer, simply getting together with 3 of your friends and fighting in the bathroom of the Facility map to see who would end up with the Golden Gun. The genre continued to reinvent itself as the implemented Bots with Perfect Dark and like games. Now, not only should you play with 3 other friends, but also with computers who could challenge you beyond what most of your friends were even capable of. (I swear some of those computers wall-hacked)
From here on out, online multiplayer was the essential, and Counter-Strike paved the way for it all. This game is the singlehanded reason why most people can identify an MP5, M4A1 Carbine, P-90, and UMP-45, as well as tell you the standard clip size that comes with each of those guns. Now, why are Americans so attracted to these games? Is it because of our second amendment rights that we want to bear arms, whether they are digital or actually physical? Is it because of our violent society that this is a nice outlet to be competitive and show out dominance over others? It’s a combination of all of these, and it has become a phenomenon that is strictly American.
Microsoft and Bungee have capitalized on this most recently with the success of Halo 3. This third iteration of the series has put up such impressive numbers as almost 10 million copies sold worldwide, as well as over 10 billion enemies killed through the single player campaign mode (yes, that’s Billion with a B). The rest of the world may never understand our obsession with this genre, but there is one thing that’s for sure: That will not change the amount of anger I feel whenever I think of “martyrdom” and “hardcore mode” used in the same sentence.
4
Apr
2009
Mirror’s Edge Review
Mirror’s Edge
EA Games 2008 for the PS3/Xbox 360
Overview
This was a widely anticipated title that was set to “revolutionize” how people thought about games. Originally I felt the same way, “look at the camera…” “no one’s done anything like this before” etc. etc. etc…. However, the more I thought about it, what was revolutionary about it? The camera was a simple first person shooter with motion tilt/shake to simulation running, jumping, etc. Sure the game was innovative in a sense, but everything they were doing had been done before, just separately in different IPs, not together in one cohesive title.
Controls
The word intuitive comes to mind first of all. However, is intuitive enough? If you ever tried the time trials, you know how frustrating it can be to try to mash L1,R1,L1,L2 quickly and in the correct order. This can be so frustrating in fact that it actually takes away from the gameplay/fun factor overall. In layman’s terms, that button combinations simply means jump, turn around, jump off the wall, and hurdle/slide. This is the most frequently used combination used when trying to improve your times on a specific level, however there an infinite ways that the game can “mess it up”.
Examples:
Although the door may be part of the wall, you cannot wallrun over that specific part.
Faith may be able to climb a 30-story building, however jumping over a 3-foot guardrail seems like an impossible task at times.
Graphics
As far as multiplatform titles go, there is nothing to truly complain about. Apart from minor texture issues on some of the characters’ faces (Cecelia in the training level) it looks really good. The environment is futuristic and colorful because of the runner vision. There is a good attention to detail in the graphics with everything from elevator displays to readable type on computer screens. That being said, the cutscenes were portrayed in an anime-esque style. Why? That’s a good question, however it seems to work for some reason. Just an example of well done FPS graphics, nothing to write home about, but nothing really to the contrary either.
Gameplay and Story
As I stated under the controls section, it plays pretty well. Everything you really need to know is taught to you right off the bat in the tutorial, aside from that, it’s just a matter of fine-tuning your techniques. The game was remarkably easy for me to beat, which on its own was a little disappointing. I really wanted to have an epic boss battle or something to really legitimize the climax of this game, however it seems like the player is left with blueballs on that note. The story was well thought out, it had its own set of twists and turns, but was extremely predictable. People die, people turn on you, your friends aren’t what they seem, etc… It’s all been done before.
The Bottom Line
8.3/10
This game had the potential to be something new and exciting, but in the end it didn’t feel fresh or new, just a regurgitation of old ideas out on the canvas. However, it was enjoyable for a playthrough on both easy and hard, and I look forward to seeing how they can improve on this game with the sequel.
3
Apr
2009
F.E.A.R. 2 Project Origin Review
F.E.A.R. 2 Project: Origin
Monolith Productions 2009 for the PS3/XBox360
Overview
So, I’ve been on a sort of survival-horror binge lately. F.E.A.R. 2 played right into that hand for me. There was a lot that I liked about this game, but there were also a couple key elements that detracted a lot from the overall experience. Essentially this game was like a video-game version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Every time I felt like I was really getting immersed in the story and game as a whole, some glaring glitch or terribly animated monster would pop up, and immediately the illusion was broken, “Oh wait… Only in video games do they have frame-rate crashes like this.” So, it really is a love-hate relationship between a game that I really wanted to like, but detracting factors that got in the way.
Controls and Gameplay
The controls were nothing to complain about. Coming out of 2008, if I don’t know how a standard FPS operates, then there’s something seriously wrong with me. However, I’m going to complain about the (triangle) button: reflex mode. Pressing the triangle button allows you to slow down time and gain the reflex advantage over any enemies that are near you. Sounds about fair, right? This really isn’t necessary in the easier difficulties on the game, however during my playthrough on “hard” I found that I was relying on this technique more than my own skill. By gathering all of the “reflex injectors” from around the game, you can double the time you can stay in the slowed down state so that it becomes almost too easy to obliterate any enemies that ever try to slow you down. In otherwords… To enable God-Mode, simply press triangle.
Apart from that obvious difficulty deterrent, the game played and controlled well. The environment reacted to you well, however the enemies did not. The AI in this game was probably my biggest grievance. They were entirely too predictable, and worse yet, their movement animations seemed rushed and incomplete. Especially with the creatures called abominations. Some people have suggested that this was intentional to make them seem more “unnatural”, however when I’m seeing them glitch and lag, so their movements are strangely reminiscent of me playing counter-srike on a 56k connection, then I hope to god that it wasn’t intentional. The scariest part of this game was not that the creatures popped out at you, it was how poorly they were animated.
Graphics
Continuing on from where I left off… The environments were made very well made, and fit the type of emotions the creators were trying to pull out of the gamer. The colors were very dark and rich, and it felt like half of the time, the only light in the scene was that weak beam radiating from your flashlight. (HINT! To heighten the gameplay and make the experience scarier and harder, drop the brightness down a notch or two) This is were my praise for the graphics end. As far as I’m concerned, Monolith has no clue how to texture a moving object. The times that you’d think they’d pay particular attention (during the close-ups) seemed to be the weakest display of their graphics potential. It really left me wanting a lot more. Polygons and broken textures really aren’t that scary, just in case you were wondering.
Story
I’ll admit it, I’m a bad person, and I haven’t played the original F.E.A.R. However, in this case, it gives me an outside perspective and the ability to say that they did a very good job of not alienating people like me. I felt like there wasn’t much that I missed by not playing the first title, probably because this is an alternate story arch from the character that was playable in the first installment. Other first person shooters need to take notes from the single-player campaign. There were 14 different chapters, and each of them taking at least a good 10-15 minutes to get through. I guarantee that no one will finish this game just to exclaim, “That’s it?!?!”
The game has its obvious twists and turns in the plot, nothing too out of the ordinary, but I won’t take points off for being a little predictable. The only thing that really got under my skin though was how they deliberately set the game up for a sequel with the ending. I won’t give away any specifics, but when the credits roll, you’ll be in good company if you’re thinking, “Well, looks like there’s going to be a F.E.A.R. 3.”
Multiplayer
Now, this part of the review just makes me sad. Through no fault of their own, the multiplayer in the game is lacking. Not lacking in terms of type of gameplay, weapons, options, or even vehicles that you can tear up the map and eachother in. It was lacking in the number of people that were playing it online. You were lucky if you could find one game in each of the 6 different gametypes at any given time. As I said, you can’t really blame the company because no one is using their product for online gameplay, because the servers are top notch, and work very well. The game just had the unfortunate launch timing to be released within a week of Killzone 2 in a field of competition that is already saturated with online FPS’s.
The Bottom Line
7.9/10
I enjoyed playing through this game twice in the single player campaign, and even the desolate multiplayer was fun when I could find enough people to start a match. But in the end, the shoddy animations and weak enemy AI were just a little too much to bear. Thus resulting in the score that doesn’t give justice to what this game could have possibly been.