Nick Laslett
Regular
(UK) Playstation Experience – My Impression 26th Aug
I attended the Playstation Experience at Earls Court yesterday. I went for the first session of the day and was there from 10am until 3.15pm. The event was excellent; there were about 100 games to play and ample demo pods to go round. The co-ordination of the additional events on the various stages was very well done. There were a lot of people there, a very diverse audience, certainly a lot more girls than I expected. Average age would have been about 18 at a rough guess. There were also a lot of families there.
The venue was split into a number of themed areas; I will deal with the games I played by area.
Throttle (Racing Games)
This was one of the biggest areas. They had a hydraulic game pod with 3 screens to play GT Concept. It looked like a very high-class arcade cabinet. There were a couple of Formula 1 cars with Plasma screens to play F1 2003 from Sony and there were plenty of Logitech GT Force steering wheels to go round.
GT4 – Those of you that liked GT2 will be in for a treat with GT4. The emphasis seems to be on the addition of classic cars. The graphics engine for the build I played appeared to be identical to GT Concept. The new tracks were great; it was not possible to tell if the AI had been improved in the short time I played the game. If you are a fan of GT, then this is an instant buy, on the basis of the demo this will not persuade anyone who isn’t already a fan on the series. GT4 will be to G3, what GT2 was to GT1.
WRC 3 vs. Colin McRae 4 – The prize for graphics goes to WRC3, there is clear water between the 2 games. The handling contrasts are as big as ever. Personally, I prefer the handling of the rally mode in GT3, to both these games.
Horror
This was one of the smallest areas of the show.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence – This was fun, but way to similar to DMC for comfort. If I were a Capcom I would be preparing my lawsuit. Graphics were good, a lot brighter than DMC, maybe not so atmospheric. Not played any previous Castlevania games so I can’t comment on how well the translation to 3D is going.
Ghosthunter – This was a big disappointment. Graphics not as good as Primal, even though it is using the same game engine! Due in November, I don’t see them improving the graphics by that much. Those of you that thought the gameplay and combat in Primal was pedestrian and un-imaginative will have a field day with Ghosthunter. I’m a big fan of Primal, but this left me un-impressed. Combat is okay, but there are a lot of other better weapons based action adventure games out there. This reminded me a lot of C-12.
Siren – Way too similar to Silent Hill for my liking. The game is well made, but it does seem like another tired retreat of concepts already done to death.
Stadium
There was only one sports game I was interested in at the show.
PES3 –Another annual update to the series, with all the little nips and tucks one would expect. The animation has been improved again, the AI has received more fine-tuning, the play speed is a little faster. The best footie game on the PS2. If you are a fan this is a must buy.
Quest
There are a lot of 3D adventure games coming to the market this Christmas, I fear most of them will be lost in the rush. They all played pretty well. I guess you just take the pick of which theme appeals to you most. Here are the ones I played.
Jak II – This is a solid continuation of the first game, for all the talk of revolution, this plays near identical to Jak & Daxter. Sure, they have added new elements but at it’s core it has the same gameplay mechanics. I was a big fan of the first game, and I loved this sequel. Naughty Dog are a class act, the game presentation is faultless. A must buy, in my book.
Legacy of Kain – What an improvement on Soul Reaver 2. The graphics for this game are something special. Very good texture work for the PS2. Commercially I fear this franchise might already have outstayed it’s welcome. But on the basis of this iteration that would be a real shame. The game impressed me, for the graphics, precision of control and general gameplay mechanics. A return to form if you ask me.
Prince of Persia – I got stuck on the first screen, spent 10 mins, couldn’t crack the puzzle, and gave up. There did seem to be a problem with the control scheme. It suffered from the same issues as Tomb Raider: AOD, there was a bit of delay between, input and on-screen reaction.
Beyond Good & Evil – I was looking forward to this game from the videos I had seen, but now that I’ve played it, it has dropped off my to-buy list. There are too many other better Action Adventure games coming out. The graphics for this are not as good as Prince of Persia, which is a surprise as they share the same game engine.
True Crime: Streets of LA – This was great. Better graphics than either GTA: VC or Getaway. Especially the animation and character models. Better framerate as well. Vehicle handling was better, weapons combat was better, hand-to-hand combat was better. I guess it all hinges on the missions and degree of freedom? Hard to tell from playing just four levels in 15 mins.
Broken Sword 3 – Very polished game. Could not fault the demo. Good demonstration of how to use Renderware. If you are a fan this is a great addition to the series. I don’t think it will convert anybody; it is still brain teasing puzzles as before.
ZOE2 – Wow, I’d seen the videos, but to actually play this game!!! Not sure what changes they’ve made from the NTSC version. Looks like a huge improvement on ZOE from the demo. I know it go lukewarm reviews in the US. Is that because it is too repetitious?
Other Titles:
Resident Evil Online – Graphics were okay. Animation and character models were poor. Very much RE as we know and love it. No different from any other iteration of the series. If you are a fan, more of the same, I don’t think it will convert anybody. The multiplayer aspect did not seem to add much to the game.
James Bond 007 – Very similar to the previous 007 games despite the move to the third person perspective. I was disappointed by the graphics and the gameplay; there has been no improvement on what went before. This is a great license, but this is a lazy game.
Return of the King – Very similar to last year’s Two Towers. The game engine is as impressive as ever, good textures, good animation. Not sure if the game will have any more depth than last year’s model. I’m a big fan of Tolkien and the movies and enjoyed the Two Towers game because of that. But speaking as a gamer, these are pretty thin titles with very little gameplay. Probably more of a rent unless you are die-hard about the subject matter.
Medal of Honor – Again, more of the same. The levels have the same single route, memorise to conquer feel as the previous titles.
Rise to Honor – Watched someone play this for a while, it looked quite good. Why is there such apathy for this title? It looked like everything the Bouncer should have been from where I was standing, 3D roaming combat game, interactive scenery, and multiple enemies.
SSX3 – First game I played at the show. I didn’t ever play Tricky, but SSX was the first game I got for my PS2. I thought it was great. Big improvement on the first game. Graphics were sweet, framerate was solid, character animation was excellent (clothes flapping in wind, hair waving, etc) and controls were very responsive. Must buy, in my book.
MGS (Trailer) – Wow.
General Observations: Developers seems to have finally got the hang of coding for the PS2. The general level of image quality on most titles was very good in my view. The PS2 has come a long way since 2001. The games on display reminded me of 1998 for the PSOne. The N64 was where all the innovation was and the PSOne only had a steady stream of quality games but nothing too mind-blowing. What the PS2 needs now is games that really push the envelope, enough sequels/licenses already!
I attended the Playstation Experience at Earls Court yesterday. I went for the first session of the day and was there from 10am until 3.15pm. The event was excellent; there were about 100 games to play and ample demo pods to go round. The co-ordination of the additional events on the various stages was very well done. There were a lot of people there, a very diverse audience, certainly a lot more girls than I expected. Average age would have been about 18 at a rough guess. There were also a lot of families there.
The venue was split into a number of themed areas; I will deal with the games I played by area.
Throttle (Racing Games)
This was one of the biggest areas. They had a hydraulic game pod with 3 screens to play GT Concept. It looked like a very high-class arcade cabinet. There were a couple of Formula 1 cars with Plasma screens to play F1 2003 from Sony and there were plenty of Logitech GT Force steering wheels to go round.
GT4 – Those of you that liked GT2 will be in for a treat with GT4. The emphasis seems to be on the addition of classic cars. The graphics engine for the build I played appeared to be identical to GT Concept. The new tracks were great; it was not possible to tell if the AI had been improved in the short time I played the game. If you are a fan of GT, then this is an instant buy, on the basis of the demo this will not persuade anyone who isn’t already a fan on the series. GT4 will be to G3, what GT2 was to GT1.
WRC 3 vs. Colin McRae 4 – The prize for graphics goes to WRC3, there is clear water between the 2 games. The handling contrasts are as big as ever. Personally, I prefer the handling of the rally mode in GT3, to both these games.
Horror
This was one of the smallest areas of the show.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence – This was fun, but way to similar to DMC for comfort. If I were a Capcom I would be preparing my lawsuit. Graphics were good, a lot brighter than DMC, maybe not so atmospheric. Not played any previous Castlevania games so I can’t comment on how well the translation to 3D is going.
Ghosthunter – This was a big disappointment. Graphics not as good as Primal, even though it is using the same game engine! Due in November, I don’t see them improving the graphics by that much. Those of you that thought the gameplay and combat in Primal was pedestrian and un-imaginative will have a field day with Ghosthunter. I’m a big fan of Primal, but this left me un-impressed. Combat is okay, but there are a lot of other better weapons based action adventure games out there. This reminded me a lot of C-12.
Siren – Way too similar to Silent Hill for my liking. The game is well made, but it does seem like another tired retreat of concepts already done to death.
Stadium
There was only one sports game I was interested in at the show.
PES3 –Another annual update to the series, with all the little nips and tucks one would expect. The animation has been improved again, the AI has received more fine-tuning, the play speed is a little faster. The best footie game on the PS2. If you are a fan this is a must buy.
Quest
There are a lot of 3D adventure games coming to the market this Christmas, I fear most of them will be lost in the rush. They all played pretty well. I guess you just take the pick of which theme appeals to you most. Here are the ones I played.
Jak II – This is a solid continuation of the first game, for all the talk of revolution, this plays near identical to Jak & Daxter. Sure, they have added new elements but at it’s core it has the same gameplay mechanics. I was a big fan of the first game, and I loved this sequel. Naughty Dog are a class act, the game presentation is faultless. A must buy, in my book.
Legacy of Kain – What an improvement on Soul Reaver 2. The graphics for this game are something special. Very good texture work for the PS2. Commercially I fear this franchise might already have outstayed it’s welcome. But on the basis of this iteration that would be a real shame. The game impressed me, for the graphics, precision of control and general gameplay mechanics. A return to form if you ask me.
Prince of Persia – I got stuck on the first screen, spent 10 mins, couldn’t crack the puzzle, and gave up. There did seem to be a problem with the control scheme. It suffered from the same issues as Tomb Raider: AOD, there was a bit of delay between, input and on-screen reaction.
Beyond Good & Evil – I was looking forward to this game from the videos I had seen, but now that I’ve played it, it has dropped off my to-buy list. There are too many other better Action Adventure games coming out. The graphics for this are not as good as Prince of Persia, which is a surprise as they share the same game engine.
True Crime: Streets of LA – This was great. Better graphics than either GTA: VC or Getaway. Especially the animation and character models. Better framerate as well. Vehicle handling was better, weapons combat was better, hand-to-hand combat was better. I guess it all hinges on the missions and degree of freedom? Hard to tell from playing just four levels in 15 mins.
Broken Sword 3 – Very polished game. Could not fault the demo. Good demonstration of how to use Renderware. If you are a fan this is a great addition to the series. I don’t think it will convert anybody; it is still brain teasing puzzles as before.
ZOE2 – Wow, I’d seen the videos, but to actually play this game!!! Not sure what changes they’ve made from the NTSC version. Looks like a huge improvement on ZOE from the demo. I know it go lukewarm reviews in the US. Is that because it is too repetitious?
Other Titles:
Resident Evil Online – Graphics were okay. Animation and character models were poor. Very much RE as we know and love it. No different from any other iteration of the series. If you are a fan, more of the same, I don’t think it will convert anybody. The multiplayer aspect did not seem to add much to the game.
James Bond 007 – Very similar to the previous 007 games despite the move to the third person perspective. I was disappointed by the graphics and the gameplay; there has been no improvement on what went before. This is a great license, but this is a lazy game.
Return of the King – Very similar to last year’s Two Towers. The game engine is as impressive as ever, good textures, good animation. Not sure if the game will have any more depth than last year’s model. I’m a big fan of Tolkien and the movies and enjoyed the Two Towers game because of that. But speaking as a gamer, these are pretty thin titles with very little gameplay. Probably more of a rent unless you are die-hard about the subject matter.
Medal of Honor – Again, more of the same. The levels have the same single route, memorise to conquer feel as the previous titles.
Rise to Honor – Watched someone play this for a while, it looked quite good. Why is there such apathy for this title? It looked like everything the Bouncer should have been from where I was standing, 3D roaming combat game, interactive scenery, and multiple enemies.
SSX3 – First game I played at the show. I didn’t ever play Tricky, but SSX was the first game I got for my PS2. I thought it was great. Big improvement on the first game. Graphics were sweet, framerate was solid, character animation was excellent (clothes flapping in wind, hair waving, etc) and controls were very responsive. Must buy, in my book.
MGS (Trailer) – Wow.
General Observations: Developers seems to have finally got the hang of coding for the PS2. The general level of image quality on most titles was very good in my view. The PS2 has come a long way since 2001. The games on display reminded me of 1998 for the PSOne. The N64 was where all the innovation was and the PSOne only had a steady stream of quality games but nothing too mind-blowing. What the PS2 needs now is games that really push the envelope, enough sequels/licenses already!
