Taking an already established brand and making it something even more special isn’t easy, but that is, quite frankly, Ubisoft’s modus operandi. Ghost Recon has been around for many years now, and has achieved success by taking a popular genre, the third person shooter, making it as realistic as possible, and then continuing to improve the franchise with the subsequent iterations.

It isn’t that the games have changed dramatically, it is that the basic formula continues to be improved. We aren’t just talking visuals here, although Future Soldier is absolutely stunning. What we mean is that the basic gameplay continues to advance as new ideas are dreamed up and as the finer points of gameplay are tightened even further. For instance, not only can you take cover in a Gears of War style now, but your cover can also be shot through and ultimately obliterated.

Advanced Warfighter 1 and 2 took us to the near future of 2013. Our Ghosts had a distinct advantage over enemies without training even being taken into account– they had technology on their side. Future Soldier, taking place 10-15 years from today (in our real world), uses even more advancements. Notably, the biggest addition to gameplay is the stealth suit, based on prototype real world technology. What this allows you to do is basically turn invisible. You’ll still be heard, and your effects on the environment will still be noticed (such as foot prints), but you’re still, well, invisible.

Fortunately, Ubisoft was smart enough to realize that this could be an advantage abused, and limited your use of the suit to compensate. When your gun goes off, even though it doesn’t make much sense, your suit will turn visible. Also, the user will have to recharge the suits battery. He would do this by, presumably, shutting it off for a short while.

Another new feature is the ability to call your shots. In the single player campaign, which will run anywhere between 12-15 hours, the demo shows off the user controlled character sneaking up behind his target to apprehend him, all the while his three buddies are picked off with head shots from your own squad. Simple in single player, but in 4 player co-op, it could be a different story. It may be hard to coordinate this scenario, especially if you are not playing with friends willing to experience the game in a similar style as yourself.

If you were lucky enough to snatch up a copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction earlier this year, you’ll automatically be entered into a beta program for Future Solider, though the release of this beta client has yet to be revealed.

Look for Ghost Recon Future Soldier to hit shelves in download for all major consoles including Wii (though ignoring the PC, for some reason), as well as your DS and PSP in early 2011. Trust me. It will be worth waiting for the polish.

In a previous article, I spoke about inevitable change. The specific example was that of gaming magazines and the lessening reasons they should carry on existing. It may seem ironic then, that this time around I am looking at an example of fighting change.

As I continuously pointed out; change is inevitable, but that it is not to say that change is of a specific type. Change is variable, change depends on circumstance. In order to survive, gaming magazines are now offering more and more online options. Now take a look at something like the Splinter Cell games and how they have evolved to meet the demands of the gamers of the time. These are two examples of inevitable change, but both are different.

Now, the kind of change I am looking at here I do not believe to be the inevitable sort, the sort that comes naturally with the evolution of something. This is an attempt at forced change. What follows is a look from both sides on the subject of a box.

I want a box. I want a manual (although I won’t actually read it as only girls do that). I want to physically own something which I have purchased with my money. Is that really so bad? There is a uncomfortable change in the game industry and that is it going from retail outlet distribution to direct digital downloads.

To clarify; so far as additional downloadable content goes, I’m not so against that and the same goes for digital-only expansions, as they all attach to something I own in my hands. The thing that concerns me the most is the next generation of gaming.

It feels like DLC and the PSP Go are trial runs for the next generation consoles that will have large hard drives, but nowhere to put a disc (putting to one side for now the fact that one of these examples is a spectacular failure). That is, except Nintendo’s latest cobbled together offering that’ll probably be a Wii+ with a Wii-Thought+ attachment that uses hypnotic suggestion to convince the player they aren’t still playing the same technology for a third time in the row.

Got a Go? No? Didn't think so.

Going back to that change I mentioned; I don’t like the control of the industry going so far into the hands of Sony and Microsoft. The reasons for that are probably self explanatory, but it’s a bit farther reaching than just those two. Take the abomination known more commonly to the world as Steam and how much control it has gained over its insanely large user base. Uneducated (in the sense of shopping around) Steam users will quite happily pay a premium for a digital-only download through that program when in some cases it costs even more than if they got a physical copy from a shop (or shop’s website).

Plenty of places already offer on-demand digital downloads, but if it became mandatory then they would spring up everywhere. The developers would get to decide who gets their game and the distributor would get to play guessing games with their competitors on how much premium to stick on top. The reason Steam gets away with price hiking is the lack of credible competition, so in a way a generation that forced everyone to use this method might be a good thing as they’d be priced out of the market if the rates stayed as greedily high as they are now.

I’m torn on whether a digital-only generation would positively or negatively effect piracy. I suppose it would depend on the format of the download and how easily it could be cracked. If it isn’t suitably protected then it would become easier to do. The pirates would be off happily pirating away while the rest of us would be dealing with the inevitable download-only console generation’s equivalent to DRM.

Do you like Special Editions? Most of the time the added extras those throw in for a ridiculously out of proportionate increase in price aren’t worth the time of day, but very, very occasionally there’s a good one. A good recent example of this would be the Alan Wake Special Edition which was very limited, threw in a ton of extras and yet cost the same as the standard version.

A digital-only service would mean the death of old fashioned Special Editions. It would be the death of steel-book covers, bonus soundtracks (physical copies of them at least), fold out maps and making-of DVDs. You wouldn’t see pretentiously named ultra/mega/super/buy-this-or-you-suck editions on the shelf that include Spartan helmets that you can cruelly stick on your cat or newborn.

In all seriousness, the thing I am most worried about in a digital-only generation is the further culling of the high street. Alright, so most outlets are filled with weird employees (apologies to a friend of mine) that I wished would leave me alone when I browse because chances are I know far more about the thing I’m looking for than they do, but can you imagine just how much of an impact it would have if every game retailer in the world shut down because everything was download-only? As bad for plenty of other reasons as Gamestop in the US is, their stand against the coming digital-only era is respectable (and not least because it started with games that require a Steam account).

The reverse argument here is that the creators of these games want more control I suppose, and to maximise profit. If I had the means, ‘maximise profit’ would be five font sizes bigger, have four asterisks at either end and flash yellow every few seconds. That’s what is at the root of every decision every company makes and don’t ever forget it. There’s no ethics here and if a digital-only era did come about there still wouldn’t be. It’s profit and loss being weighed up against each other so that the profit is the one on top. Way on top. That’s in an ideal world for them of course. Reality seems to be fighting back on that particular front.

Here is an interesting point. There is a natural advantage in no longer needing to produce hundreds of thousands of boxes or manuals and discs. The production costs are zero. Millions are saved. You might also think that if this is the case then that would mean that the customer would see a benefit from this in the form of a price drop. If you were an optimist, I mean.

Let’s go back to that Steam example I gave and the case of paying more for a digital-only download than if you got the same game from a shop or retailer’s website. The cynical side of me jumps immediately to greed and control and other things like that, but I suppose this could also be the added premium for the third party selling the games and they do deserve something for the sale. Yet isn’t that what those high street shops do now? So why don’t the boxed versions (that cost significantly more to produce) cost as much or more when surely those high street retailers make a bit of cash on each sale as well?

I do not believe that a digital-only generation would see a fall in game prices. I think it would be static or go up and for no other reason than because the creators could then charge what they liked even if there was no retailer margin on top. Taking away the costs of making those boxes and manuals I like owning so much won’t ever be reflected back to us as customers. I guarantee that.

The game industry hates second hand gaming. A digital-only era would utterly destroy selling on games you’re done with or didn’t like (assuming Steam clamps down on users selling their accounts on eBay, that is). The retro market would still be there for all previous generations of course, but that could not sustain itself for that long as a viable business option. The companies would win in the end. They have their right to hate second hand gaming, call it illegal in some cases and whatever else, but I like the option of selling on a game I feel completely done with or one that didn’t live up to my expectations. I would agree that it isn’t fair to the developers or publishers or even the retailers I’ve been trying to defend, but business doesn’t have time for fair, it seems.

I probably haven’t been very fair or balanced overall, so I’ll end on a good point about digital-only downloads. A digital download is more like buying a license to use something. Say your console died or you forgot to feed the hamster powering your ageing PC, you wouldn’t lose your digital game collection as you have purchased the right to re-download it for as long as it is available. If your disc you got with your box got scratched beyond repair and you wanted to play that game again down the line, it would mean tracking down another copy of it and spending more money.

In the end, I still want a box. I still like having my collection visible for anyone to see no matter how much space is taken up (wasted). My own desire to own a physical representation of something I have purchased aside, I could never support a digital-only generation for all the reasons I have listed. The biggest and most worrying ones being the shift in control to (who I believe to be) the wrong people and the death of the high street game retailer…weird stalker-like employees and all (again, sorry to a friend of mine).

• Format : PSP
• Unleashed : Out Now
• Publisher : Ubisoft
• Developer : Griptonite Games
• Players : 1
• Site : http://www.ubi.com/us/games/info.aspx?pid=7778

The problem that the PSP seems to have is that there are very few good games floating around for it. So you can imagine the anticipation we had when AC Bloodlines was announced for the PSP. Now we’ve had a go on it, burst it wide open, and the results are in. ACBL is an adventurous title, not in the ‘you can go here and there’ kind of adventurous way but that it’s an ambitious title for the hardware of the PSP. We’re not saying that the PSP isn’t up to it but rather, the depth of atmosphere that seems to ooze from AC2 (or even the first AC) is a lot to ask of the PSP’s horsepower. So as you can imagine, there will have to be a few changes for this version.

Giant drunk guard found by gateway!

Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines takes off almost immediately after the events of the first game, where Altair’s lust for Templar blood finds him travelling to Cyprus where they (the Templars) have been said to be shipping over artifacts for financial gain, amongst other things. But the death of the head of the Templar Order and finality to his quest is what seems to be really driving Altair forward. One of the things you might notice that has changed in Bloodlines is Altair’s voice; he’s now officially from the Middle East, instead of Middle America. Score one for PSP AC. The other thing included in Bloodlines that we didn’t even notice was missing from the other games is chickens. You heard us, we said chickens! Sadly, the streets within ACBL seem to have more chickens than they do people, and you can’t even kick the little buggers. Never mind, this Assassin’s Creed, not Zelda.

The development team at Griptonite have been given a difficult job to do with this game though, trying to squeeze cities the size of Acre or Jerusalem into the PSP is no easy task. Here it’s places like Limassol or Kyrenia and though they may not be as big, they have got to try and offer a similar playing experience. Much like the other AC games there’s a map to help you find your way around but if it weren’t for this map, you’d be lost, big time. Navigation of these towns becomes a difficulty within itself purely because of the way the whole place looks. That is to say it all looks very similar. We can’t expect the PSP to do what the PS3 or 360 does, but the lack of definitive textures here will get you lost pretty easily. Camera control is another thing we had problems with in Bloodlines. This seems to be a running trend for third person games on the PSP, and while Griptonite have tried to work their way around the limited controls, they seem to have hit the same walls many other developers have hit in this area. The camera is rotated by holding down a shoulder button and using triangle, square, circle and X to move it up, down and around which is a good solution to the problem. However, couple these controls with a bit of intense action and what you get is Altair turning his back on a previously locked-onto-enemy, and taking a sword to the face or back in the process. Enemy spawning is another thing that we had issues with. Just after killing a guard, as you move the camera back to where his dead body should be, you find him running towards you being very grumpy indeed. Not so much of a hassle if there’s only one guy, but if there are a few you will find yourself fighting the same guys over and over again until you can nudge yourself away from the spawning area.

By now you’re probably thinking that ACBL is a total waste of time and money, but you’d be wrong. Despite these annoyances, ACBL does its job on the PSP as well as it could be expected to. Given the hardware and its lack of nubs (come on Sony, give us that extra nub!) Bloodlines’ job is to flesh out the story of Altair and his quest of understanding the piece of Eden he has acquired previously; that, and extinguishing the lives of the remaining Templars. There are little sub-story lines that run along with this game that give you a deeper insight into Altair’s way of thinking, and that he’s not just a mindless assassin but someone trying to understand this changing new world around him. Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines also has a very handy link-up system tied to the AC2 game. What this means is that your progress in Bloodlines can be transferred over to AC2 for things like extra money, abilities and weapons. It’s not just a one-way system either, progress from AC2 can give you extra stuff in Bloodlines too. Every ‘boss’ you kill in Bloodlines will give you a weapon to use in AC2. These weapons aren’t represented exactly the same way in AC2 as they’re found in Bloodlines, but nevertheless it’s a great idea and gives Ezio a few extra toys to play with.

You're fat, I'm thin, who do ya think's gonna win!!!

On its own merits we’d say Bloodlines is a sub-par game, but as a continuation from AC and a window to events in AC2 it does a humble job of giving you insight to the fairly hard-to-follow plot of the AC games. This is one for the hardcore followers of this game series. If you absolutely need to know what happens between the two games from the bigger systems, then this is an insightful (but still fiddly) journey in the AC worlds. Or if you want to give yourself an extra helping hand in AC2, then play this first and do the link-up. If neither of the above reasons appeals to you, we’d advise you to just let this sit in the shops.

6/10

As Britain laments the passing of its few summer days and moves on into the winter months, most of us find ourselves becoming a little down in our nature. However, for gamers this is a time of anticipation, a time we can look forward into the coming months with great expectations for what’s to come. Myself and our glorious CG leader; Master Luke (see what I did there?), found ourselves at the Eurogamer Expo, filled to the brim with new up-and-coming games, developers, and PR people, most of whom would soon find themselves being bashed around the head with a rolled-up sheet of questions until they told us what they know (yes, we believe in tough love at Critical Gamer HQ). One of the first places we decided to venture to was the PSP lounge area, where we were greeted with odd shaped seating and umpteen PSP Gos attached to tables and large Sony branded cereal bowls.

The main attraction on the PSP (for us at least) was the chance to get some hands-on time with the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet, and before I say anything about the game I’d like to point out it was also my first hold of a PSP Go. Now, I have small hands and have always been comfortable holding smaller gadgets, but the Go seemed too small even for my girly sized digits! In its defence though I should point out it was attached to a table via a tether-wire, which meant I was playing tug-of-war whilst trying to play. Not to be put off by this I continued with the LBP demo I had found. The first thing to hit home was its similarity to its bigger brother. The character animations are smooth and move around the screen with the same enthusiastic bounce as their PS3 counterparts. The backgrounds are also bright, vivid, and share the same art style we have become accustomed to from LBP. The theme of the demo levels were of the Australian persuasion and although it was hard to hear those little PSP speakers, I could definitely hear lots of didgeridoo twangs and kangaroo-type noises. So, all very cute and lovely then? Well, not quite. One of the things that has frustrated the LBP community is the way that Sackboy/girl moves between the three planes, sometimes getting stuck next to 3D objects for example; and while the PSP version only has two planes, on the smaller screen this seemed to be a bit of an issue. Although my contorted fingers were wrestling with the size of the Go (and I was still playing tug-of-war with the selfish table that clearly wanted its PSP back), which probably didn’t help matters. I think the only real hindrance here would be if you were playing a level as a race or chase.

Unfortunately there wasn’t any option to have a go at creating a level on the demo either, which is one of the things that concerns me the most. We’ve already heard from Luke how Cambridge Studio have overcome the ever elusive second nub problem on the PSP, but it would have been nice to be able to see how creating a level works without that all important second stick. We’re assured that it will become second nature, and I’m sure if focused on just the PSP version, newcomers will be none the wiser. Though having never tried it, don’t take my word as gospel.

My thoughts on the PSP version of LBP? A smooth transition from the big screen to your pocket. Controls for the most part seem tight and responsive, costume tailoring is also quick and easy just like the PS3 version and from what we hear, there will be an extensive costume catalogue to come. The graphics are a little rough around the edges in comparison, but obviously the PSP does not have the horsepower of the PS3, so this is to be expected. It’s unfortunate that you have to download levels rather than just play them while connected, although this also means you can keep your favourites and take them anywhere with you. If Cambridge Studio put as much effort and support behind this as Media Molecule have the with the PS3 version, then this will quickly grow into a must have for PSP owners old and young. Maybe even a reason for those without to buy a PSP.

The Eurogamer Expo was stuffed full of games but, due to Ross and I conducting and running between awesome interviews for you guys to read (including three top guys from Media Molecule, and one quarter of indie new kids Hello Games), we only actually played a tiny fraction of them. We would’ve come back for the second day but, not only were our passes only valid for the one day, one of us had travelled to the big smoke from Scotland and another from Wiltshire – so it was a bit of a walk.

Over the coming days, you can expect interviews relevant to LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet PSP, Joe Danger, Avatar, and Blue Toad Murder Files. We’ll also have in depth hands – on previews of games including (but not limited to) Aliens vs Predator, Joe Danger, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and God of War III. Just to give you a little taster of what we saw however, I will here talk a little about the PSP Lounge.

‘Lounge’ is just the word for it. Separated from the train station – style café by several square feet and your imagination, it was full of sofas, beanbags, and interesting cushions. I saw one chap collapsed on a beanbag with no interest in the developers or games around him whatsoever; perhaps he was a fanboy of some kind, and had become overcome by seeing real women for the first time. Most likely the young ladies in the skintight Nvidia outfits on the ground floor (their mothers must be so proud).

Anyways, the lounge was full of PSP Goats – sorry, Gos – dotted hither and tither. Some of them weren’t working, though whether this was due to technical hiccups or simple lack of battery power was unclear. Some of them were hooked up to power cables around a table, and some could be carried around in futuristic looking PSP branded globes the size of footballs. I like to think this was because Sony are huge fans of fifties science fiction; but it was probably more to stop kids shoving the dinky devices in their smelly pockets and making a run for it.

That guy in the middle is holding a GO behind that globe...right?

“You could play this in maths and you’d never know!” squeaked one young teen excitedly, holding a Go in his hands. With grammar like that, I imagine he’s already got a habit of playing games in English classes.

I played – though only briefly – the PSP version of Fat Princess, subtitled A Fistful Of Cake. On – screen text didn’t fit into the text box at all, and it froze on me within five minutes of playing; but it was presumably fairly early code, as debug options were available. Graphics were impressively close to the PS3 original, and gameplay seemed to be nigh on identical. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on whether you’ve already got the big screen version. Single player story consists of 15 missions but, again like the original, it seems that they are all nothing more than thinly veiled training exercises for the multiplayer. Incidentally I wasn’t able to try out the multiplayer; nobody else in the room seemed to be playing it for ad hoc, and nobody else in the world seemed to be playing it for wi fi.

Ross tried out LittleBigPlanet PSP, which he’ll be talking about elsewhere soon. Arguably the highest profile PSP game available to play, surprisingly few Gos were loaded with it. This despite the fact that the only devs in the room apart from Media Molecule were from Studio Cambridge, who made the game.

King Arthur had great trouble getting the attention of his knights.

Now, I can’t discuss the PSP lounge without mentioning the LittleBigPlanet goodie bags. Lovely people from Media Molecule were there, but for one day only (the day we went – lucky us!). They had exactly 100 goodie bags to give out, but these only went to the LBP faithful. Having shown our interest in the LBP team’s presence at the expo via e mail, we were sent an e mail in return detailing how to get hold of one of the bags. We had to draw an LBP or Media Molecule related picture of anything and any quality, then hand it to either James or Tom at the expo with a sly wink whilst saying the secret word ‘playgachef’.

When Ross – who you will remember is our resident artist – handed his picture over, the response was “Wow, that’s awesome! What’s your PSN ID?”

Yup, a top Media Molecule bod asked our very own Ross for his PSN ID.

When I handed my picture over however, Tom Kiss’s reaction was to laugh for ten seconds straight before finally saying “Well, I like the tail.”

A little piece of me died inside.

The important thing is that I got one of the bags, and a t shirt. I even got to choose which size I wanted (most likely out of sympathy), rather than having to put up with the ‘medium’ that seemed to be the standard for every other t shirt given out across the show.

Finally, an open invitation to make me look stupid: Where’s the ‘Home’ button on the Go? I spent a full sixty seconds looking, and couldn’t find one…

• Format: PSP (version reviewed), DS
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: Rockstar Games
• Developer: Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North
• Players: 1 (2 wireless local multiplayer)
• Site: http://www.rockstargames.com/chinatownwars

Faced with the subtitle ‘Chinatown Wars’, you’d be forgiven for expecting a whole new setting and atmosphere. It’s yet again the taxpayers of Liberty City you’ll be killing, terrorising, and setting on fire however; and only the tiniest proportion of the story is actually spent in Chinatown. Same old same old?

Well, no, not really. If GTA IV climbed into the teleporter from The Fly (original black & white version or David Cronenberg remake, your choice) and the original GTA sneaked in before the door shut, Chinatown Wars is what would come out the other side. So you have here the old – school top down view, but acknowledgement of the fact that it’s the space year 2009. So your character can swim, there’s a steering assist that stops you readjusting your driving line every two seconds (which you can turn off if you’re nuts), and the game autosaves every time you complete a mission (again, you can switch this option off – if you’re nuts).

The PSP version we’ve played for this review is a DS port (now there’s a first!). The two versions are essentially the same, though the PSP version has some more music tracks (though only one with vocals, which plays over the end credits) and extra missions – and the DS version, of course, incorporates touchscreen controls. Surprisingly perhaps, the touchscreen sections have been kept for the PSP version.

These aren’t minigames, but so called ‘microgames’ that last just 5 – 10 seconds each, and they’ve been slotted into the GTA experience surprisingly well. For example, stealing most parked cars now means hotwiring them via such a microgame. On the PSP, one method involves rotating the analogue slider to remove screws securing the panel hiding the wiring, holding L and R to bring the wires together, then rotating the slider once more to key the ignition. Take too long, and you set the car’s alarm off. Microgames are also used to smash padlocks, search dumpsters for weapons, and open up stolen vans to get at the goodies within – amongst other things.

The DS origins can also be seen in terms of presentation. For starters, there’s very little pedestrian speech. Also, rather than the fully rendered cut scenes we’ve all become accustomed to, the story here is told through a combination of static screens, in the style of box art for games such as San Andreas (and of course Chinatown Wars itself), and on – screen text. A few jokes suffer from being read rather than heard; but the script – which follows the usual GTA themes of death and betrayal – is sharp and witty (if not quite up to the standard of GTA IV). Even if you’re not a fan of the writing, there are plenty of rude words to giggle at.

Something that certainly doesn’t hint at the DS origins is the graphics. Everything’s been given a fancy coat of PSP paint, and been polished and tarted up until it looks just as good as anything else on the format. There can be some pretty major pop – up on occasion when driving; but it’s relatively rare, and never gamebreaking.

One criticism of GTA IV that regularly came up in the inevitable backlash was the slightly bizarre one that it was ‘too realistic’. GTA fans that made such comments should find that there are no such problems here. Not only the viewpoint has been taken from the first game, but also the refusal to take itself seriously. Rampages make a much welcome return, for example. Generally speaking, it’s also a little more fast paced than GTA IV. It’s not entirely unrealistic however; you can buy and sell drugs in Chinatown Wars, and selling drugs is a very effective way of making lots of money very quickly. We hear that this is quite realistic.

Bear in mind that this is a handheld title. Rockstar certainly have, which is largely evident in the length of the story missions. Apart from the final three, they tend to be pretty short and fairly simple – though often inventive. You’ll still find yourself going to point A to kill person B before escaping to point C, but sometimes you might find yourself using your GPS to trace the source of radio interference; or using a weapon to defend the vehicle you’re in rather than driving/flying it; or dumping illegal vehicles into the river before the authorities arrive.

The bottom line is however, the main story is over much quicker than you might expect. There are 58 story missions but despite this, we cleared them all (and 14 side missions along the way) in just under eight hours. Once you’ve done so however there’s an extra quest to find two mysterious golden lion statues (we’re still looking) hidden in random locations in Liberty City. And hey, this is GTA! Apart from the previously mentioned Rampages, vehicle specific missions remain (time limits on taxi journeys now seem perversely short) and the static objects to be hunted this time around are security cameras; 100 of them. There are also ‘random people’ to be met for side missions a la GTA IV.

And, yes, it’s possible to get your hands on a tank and blow the merry hell out of anything and everything you please.

Whichever format you buy the game on, it’s the best portable GTA game by a country mile. In fact, it’s one of the best in the series. This game has one foot in the past and one foot in the present – and is all the better for it. It recaptures the dumb grin glory the very first GTA enjoyed upon release, and makes us wonder what could be achieved if a similar project were attempted on a home console…

9/10

At Tokyo Game Show on Thursday and Friday, I had two relatively brief opportunities to get my hands on the forthcoming PSP Go, due October 1st in the US and EU, and 1st November in Japan. My first hands-on was 3 minutes spent playing Gran Turismo, whilst the PSP was attached to a Sony employee by an elastic cord! It was rather off putting trying to play the Go whilst connected to a full grown woman, so I couldn’t really come to any sort of conclusion about the system.

However, the next day I was afforded a second chance to play 15 minutes of Little Big Planet on the lilliputian Go, and this time I was only attached to the playing stand, which made proceedings that much easier. I’ll start with some thoughts on LBP, which thankfully remains as fun and as charming as its home console brethren. The available stage had an Outback setting and contained all the gameplay elements that any fan of the original will be acutely familiar with: jumping, seesaws, swinging from objects and lots of pushing and dragging boxes. It all seemed well and good, though some of the problems that plagued the original were still present, most notably the fiddliness of moving between the foreground and background of the levels. Still, I am happy to report that all seems to be well in the strange universe of LBP.

As for the PSP Go, it’s a mixed bag. My main concern, the relative proximity of the face buttons, was a negligible problem at best. I didn’t have cause to use the d-pad, but simultaneously using the analogue nub and the face buttons was comfortable and easy. The system fits nicely in the palm, and does look the bees-knees. And although the screen is slightly smaller than the PSP 3000, it didn’t impact my enjoyment in any way, and to be honest, I didn’t really notice the difference.

However, one problem did rear its ugly head, and made me sour on the system considerably. Whilst using the analogue nub, face and shoulder buttons is easy, and surprisingly comfortable, my remaining six fingers were forced into a rather unnatural and uncomfortable position at the rear of the unit. Due to the significantly reduced size, my fingers were forced to interlock and overlap, which caused some minimal discomfort, which I can only imagine would be magnified over a longer playing session. I must stress here that I did only play for around 15 minutes, and I could only remove the Go so far from its display stand, as for security reasons it was attached by a short cord, thus I didn’t have the freedom of movement that I would have liked. Still, it’s definitely a concern.

Alongside my hands-on session, Sony’s backtracking on original statements suggesting there would be some sort of goodwill program, allowing the existing base of PSP users to trade in their UMDs for their digital counterparts, has led me to drastically change my tune concerning the Go. Add the high price point into the equation, as well as some worrying, though granted, limited rumblings that some retailers are refusing to carry it, and I really cannot justify picking one up for now.

I think the PSP Go is a brave and logical move by Sony. I can foresee it achieving a certain level of popularity initially, being a smart looking portable that has appeal for an audience that always welcomes new gadgets. But, I struggle to envision it sustaining any sort of continued success, particularly if Sony is unable, or unwilling, to shift their position on a goodwill UMD exchange programme.

Matt M

Our man in Japan, Matt M, was at this year’s TGS on a press pass. Yes, we’re jealous too. This is what he sent us to make us more jealous still…

What follows is my account of two days spent at the industry-only days of Tokyo Game Show 2009. I have only written about what I played, or saw directly, so apologies for anything that’s missing. Though to be fair, I don’t think I could have possibly fit any more into the 14 hours I spent on the show floor at Makuhari Messe.

Tokyo Game Show 2009, my first time attending as press, was as hectic as it was entertaining. From playable demos and non-event keynotes, to an influx of Western games, a huge presence for portable titles, and even a golden throne, TGS was a whirlwind of activity and excitement. Although many have rightfully expressed concerns about the lack of new titles, announcements and innovation – especially from Japanese developers – there were plenty of games ready to be enjoyed.

For ease of use, I have split things into alphabetical order. A general lack of new, platform exclusive titles has rendered a platform specific format somewhat redundant. Also, be sure to keep an eye out over the next few days, as we will be featuring some more in-depth reports on a couple of the following games.

Assassins Creed 2 (PS3,360,PC) Played on – PS3

First off, the demo had a really nice set up, with an English speaking member of staff demonstrating the controls and answering any questions that I had. I jokingly asked him how many times he had played through this section of the game, and he informed me “about 100!”. As for the actual game, there was only so much I could garner from the Venetian level. The climbing and diving head first from buildings remains as exhilarating as before, but there were some very evident problems with the collision detection and the combat remains quite limited, especially considering that Ezio is supposedly a multi-skilled assassin.

The first new feature I was shown was swimming, a skill that had strangely evaded the otherwise nimble Altair in the first game. Obviously, this new skill is quite useful considering you are now plying your trade in Venice! Another welcome new feature was the ability to earn money, which you can use to buy the services of onlookers. For example, you can hire a couple of fetching ladies, or strong armed thugs to cause a distraction to aid you in your endeavours. Graphically, the game looked a little rough around the edges, which is a concern considering how close it is to release. Overall, from what I have seen and played so far, Assassin’s Creed 2 is sure to please fans of the first game, but is unlikely to win over its original detractors.

Bayonetta (PS3,360) Played on – 360

Sega were on fine form at this year’s TGS. Bayonetta, Valkyria Chronicles 2, End of Eternity, and the Yakuza 4 mammoth preview constituted a very successful showing for Sega and its partners. I was fortunate enough to get some behind the scenes time with Platinum Games’ Bayonetta, and I was suitably impressed. The combat is absolutely frantic, and although it’s more than reminiscent of Devil May Cry, I would say it goes a step beyond. During the first level of the demo, Bayonetta is fighting a collection of demons on a huge clock face, which has evidently fallen from a giant tower, and is now tumbling through the air. With so much going on, and so many OTT moves available, common sense would dictate that it would run the risk of trying to do too much; yet I always felt I was in full control. It is also extremely pretty and it sounded great. My only concern is, when playing through the whole game, will the frantic style begin to wear thin and become a little too repetitive, which I found to be the case with the DMC series. However, at least in a short burst, Bayonetta proved to be highly entertaining and worthy of the hype.

Biohazard: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)

I had two opportunities to play the follow up to Umbrella Chronicles, once at the Capcom booth and the other in the Capcom press room. This afforded me the chance to explore levels from all three of the scenarios (Resident Evil 2, Code Veronica and a new narrative following Leon and Krauser), which all played in a very similar fashion to its surprisingly enjoyable predecessor. The zombies seemed a little less susceptible to bullets this time round, there is a nice array of enemies and Capcom have once again ensured that the on-rails gameplay is supported by a strong narrative. I only had one real gripe, that being the overly wobbly and disorientating camera, which attempts to build suspense but ends up leaving you feeling slightly travel sick. Otherwise, it’s another sound entry into the Resi series, and one that I will be picking up when it’s released in November.

Darkside Chronicles also provided one of the funnier moments of the two days. I played co-op with one of the girls at the Capcom booth, who more than held her own throughout the game, but pulled back at certain points to allow me to fully experience the proceedings. However, her competitive nature quickly shone through, as time and time again she raced to pick up new weapons from the foreground before I had time to even register their presence! I guess she needed something to keep herself amused after two days of playing the same game over and over again.

End of Eternity [Resonance of Fate] (PS3,360) Played on – 360

Initially, this was not a game that I was particularly aware of, let alone interested in but I was under very strict orders to make some time for a hands-on! Details will be forthcoming.

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3 [platform exclusive in Japan],360) Played on – PS3

It’s everything you would expect it to be, playing smoothly and looking amazing. Though I have to say, my gasps of awe were saved for the final screen of the demo, which revealed the price point of ¥8800 (£61), before tax! I had the chance to play through two short sections of the game, with two different sets of characters, which were centered on a series of short fights. It played like a charm, demonstrated a great deal of flair and style and looked like a million dollars. The new combat system, whilst demonstrating some new features, will be easy for any fan of the series to get into, and the summons were very impressive. The camera was a bit unwieldy at times, but that’s just nitpicking. Be excited, very excited.

God of War 3 (PS3)

I’m a big fan of the first two games, so I was positively chomping at the bit to finally have a go at the third installment. So I joined the back of the queue and prepared myself for a longish wait. An hour and 20 minutes later and I was well and truly sick and tired of seeing Kratos pull out a Cyclops’ eye, on loop, on a screen overhanging us waiting punters. Finally I was summoned behind an ominous black curtain, only to be ushered into a second queue!

Anyway, eventually I got my grubby hands on the game, and I have to say, I was a little under-whelmed. The gameplay was standard GOW fair, and there was a certain amount of graphical polish, but it just didn’t seem to all come together. Granted, it was only a 15 minute demo, but it left me just a little less excited about its March 2010 release. Of particular concern is the dodge/roll command which is controlled by the right analogue stick. This was never a problem in previous installments, so I’m not quite sure why I found it to be so problematic here. It was especially difficult and disorientating to pull-off when used in tandem with other buttons. Most of the elements of a great game seem to be present, but on this particular day, and for me at least, they didn’t quite come together as I had hoped.

Lost Planet 2 (PS3,360) Played on – PS3,360

Going into the show, I had little to no expectations for the follow-up to 2007’s Lost Planet. But, after two separate multiplayer demos, I have been well and truly won over. My first hands-on was an all too brief co-op with four players, which was thoroughly enjoyable. It was actually the last section of the demo which is already available on the Xbox marketplace and the PSN store. Capcom have seemingly taken the approach of making a Monster Hunter clone, but with guns, and it comes across really well.

The next day, I was able to try a different portion of the game, a 4 on 4 capture the flag / team death match type mode, which was also highly enjoyable, although wasn’t nearly as gratifying as taking down the beast in the first co-op. LP2 was one of the most fun games I played over the two days, and its December release is now firmly on my radar.

Metal Gear Solid – Peace Walker (PSP)

This game absolutely dominated the floor space at the Konami booth, with the Raiden led MGS Rising being notable only by its absence. Upon joining the line, we entered a small staircase, where we were greeted by a soldier barking tongue-in-cheek orders. We were then led into a cargo crate full of screens and USB cables, where we were able to download the TGS demo of MGS PW to our own PSP, to take away and enjoy. I will be dedicating an entire post to the three level demo, which should materialize sometime in the next couple of days.

Monster Hunter Tri (Wii)

Despite residing in Japan, the home of all things Monster Hunter, my knowledge and experience of this series is acutely lacking. But, upon entering the Capcom demonstration room in the New Otani hotel, just across from the main convention, I was ushered into a 4 player co-op game of the forthcoming western instalment of the series, Monster Hunter Tri. It was fun trying to take down a massive beast with my fellow hunters, and I can certainly see the appeal of the concept. The PR guy waxed lyrical about the upgrade system and special moves peculiar to each class, and it all sounded suitably impressive. However, it was not without its faults. It wasn’t exactly the prettiest game in the world, even for the Wii, and the slightly bumbling controls were less forgivable on a home console than they are on a PSP. Still, this is likely to be huge.

Ninja Gaiden Σ2 (PS3)

Winner of the shortest queue award, a brisk 30 second wait over at the PlayStation booth, Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 provided a pleasant surprise. I had never played a Ninja Gaiden game, so I had very few expectations and came out thoroughly impressed. The main character moves smoothly and effortlessly, gracefully jumping from one enemy to the next, severing a leg here, and an arm there. It also featured some rather impressive backdrops, from modern rooftops to a river lined with cherry trees in blossom. Tecmo, you have my attention.

PSP Go

I was able to spend a limited time with the PSP Go on both days, briefly playing Gran Turismo and a more extended session on LittleBigPlanet. I will dedicate a separate article to this in the upcoming days leading up to the October launch, so be sure to check back.

Quantum Theory (PS3)

Tecmo’s venture into the realm of Gears of War clones was extremely forgettable. I applaud Tecmo for trying their hand at something a little different, for them at least, but the game presently has too many issues for me to be more optimistic. The concept of organic surroundings that shift according to your movements does sound very promising, but was not immediately evident in the demo. Graphically it’s unimpressive, the combat was fiddly and unresponsive, and it tried to ape Gears more than I was comfortable with.

Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 [Yakuza 4] (PS3)

The extended trailer was definitely one of the highlights of the show, as well as being one of the highest profile Japanese titles featured. A good ten minutes longer than the trailer that I have seen doing the rounds online, it was as impressive as it was loud. Led into a closed-off theatre in the Sega booth and greeted by hostess models, we were treated to a trailer which covered the 4 main characters, the story, combat, setting, product placement, available extra curricular activities and the voice talent. The story follows the four main protagonists through their life on the streets of a pseudo-Shinjuku, and was as bloody as it was exciting.

The combat is as crazy and unrealistic as previous instalments, and the cut scenes demonstrated an impressive eye for detail, and represented a significant graphical achievement. One scene that particularly stood out depicts one of the leads, a dangerous looking, hulking assassin, entering a Ramen shop full of goons, which he proceeds to light-up Desperado style with his vast array of pistols, one of which he keeps clasped between his teeth! Of course, there are the obligatory past-time activities to keep you amused, like karaoke, bowling and visiting a hostess bar, and the create a hostess mode looks like it will provide hours of fun. The whole thing was extremely film-like, and with the recent announcement of Yakuza 3’s forthcoming English translation, we may allow ourselves to be optimistic that Yakuza 4 will follow suit in time.

The Sony Keynote

This was the first part of the day for most of the press contingent, and a slightly disappointing one at that. There were no big announcements, and aside from a few interesting soundbites from SCEI CEO Kazuo Hirai, there was nothing new. Kaz Hirai merely recapped Sony’s performance of late, stressed the importance of network and interactive entertainment, referencing Little Big Planet numerous times in the process, waved around a glow stick/motion control wand and talked about his dreams of video games that respond to your emotions. It was pretty standard, but forward-thinking stuff.

Uncharted 2 (PS3)

My first point of call for day 2 was Uncharted 2. As soon as the doors opened, I made a bee-line for the Sony booth, and I was able to sit straight down and get into my most anticipated game of the year. I know it’s near release, has a popular and widely available multiplayer beta, and has already garnered sparkling reviews; but I just couldn’t resist the chance to sink my teeth into it a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Set in the already familiar 5th stage, in a partially destroyed Himalayan town, events unfold with Nathan Drake being chased down an alley by a runaway truck, and moves into a shoot-out and climbing section. The stage adequately demonstrated Drake’s combat and climbing skills and was an absolute tour de force. And for the record, the water effects are excellent once again, with water realistically rippling and leaving our protagonist’s clothes drenched. It was just a shame that, playing the Japanese version, I wasn’t treated to the voice of Drake as I know it. It’s not exactly breaking news, but Uncharted 2 positively oozes charm.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 (PSP)

I loved the original, so I jumped at the chance to try Sega’s sequel on the PSP. Sony had dedicated a large portion of their booth to the PSP, with a number of games available to play on a raised platform overseeing the show floor. Fans of VC will be happy to hear that this is more of the same, and I mean that in a good way. Despite the overwhelming number of kanji, I had no problem navigating the screens and taking the enemy’s base. The story book style graphics are still present, as are the central game mechanics; but as for the narrative, a real strength of the first game, the trailer didn’t reveal any new details. The demo stage was a little small, and light on combatants, but I’m not sure if this was down to the limitations of the platform, or just the style of that particular level. Either way, with over 200 missions promised, VC fans can be reassured that they will be getting their moneys worth.

The Tokyo Game Show is now in full swing and among the many glimpses and teases being flaunted about like pole dancers, comes a new trailer from Kojima Productions of the much anticipated Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

The trailer shows off some fantastic graphics by PSP standards which almost start to rival Snake’s PS2 adventures, maintaining the cinematic build up that the series is well known for. There is plenty going on and apart from the slightly blocky textures has lost nothing from the quality of the cut scenes we have come to expect.

The new things being shoved in our faces this time round seem to be setting up the story for the game very nicely. We see a huge army invading Costa Rica and a plea for help to get Snake involved, in a rather lengthy bit of dialogue played over a montage of various military operations, and glimpses of a big robot that we knew would appear somewhere.

The most interesting observation in the video however is a direct contradiction to the most interesting observation in previous videos. We are back to only one Snake again, which makes sense from a narrative point of view, but seems to have surgically removed one of the biggest mysteries surrounding this game. One Snake now appears next to three rather generic looking soldiers as opposed to three other identical Snakes that made us all gasp at E3.

Gameplay wise, nothing new is revealed this time around, but the E3 trailer from June shows the sneaking and stalking that we all know and love from the series stays in one piece. This is certainly a title to keep a close eye on over the next few months and if it stays as impressive as it looks, should be a big hit on the PSP.

The new PSP Go has created a stir.

Sony are courting a lot of controversy with their new console PSP Go. This is mainly due to the fact it’s a download only device, with no UMD drive as per the older PSP models. The price of £250 is also causing a stir, with the PSP 3000 retailing for £100 less than the new model. Retailers are up in arms as well, because they’ll only make money from the sale of the console, with no added games sales at launch or in the future. So where does this leave this brave new venture from Sony and what are the implications for the future?

Retailers in Holland are already boycotting the device (Source: Eurogamer), with the largest one Nedgame (no not a bunch of neds tearing through your neighbourhood!) mentioning the price as a factor, and with no justification for it. The smaller screen and lack of UMD being a prime example of the new console having less features than the old model, with the addition of Bluetooth being the only new addition. The omission of a UMD drive is a big factor for the retailers, as without it, Nedgame and other retailers simply won’t be able to sell games to PSP Go customers. This is their main revenue stream, and is a mighty kick in the teeth for them. Also, downloadable games are tied into PSN accounts, so trading and swapping games will become a part of history. Nedgame also state that they don’t feel comfortable with Sony creating a monopoly on the software sales for PSP Go. Other retailers in Holland, Germany, Italy and Spain are following suit in not stocking the console, so it will be interesting to see what happens on the UK high street. ShopTo, the online retailer, is stocking the PSP Go, but owner Igor Cipolletta has reservations about it’s release saying: “I have the feeling that as a format it is almost dead before it has arrived, and it relies far too heavily on a customer base that is prepared to pay more for download content than the equivalent disc based product, and I suspect this market will soon dry up based on the technical limitations of the hardware”. Harsh words indeed.

The PSP 3000

I recently purchased a PSP 3000, after deciding I just couldn’t justify the extra expense of the new iteration. I bought the console for £120, then added Football Manager 2009 for £9, God Of War Chains of Olympus and GTA Vice City Stories together for £25. Football Manager alone is still £29.99 to download on the PSN store! I can pick up a 16Gb Memory Stick for £25 to give me the same storage as the Go, which still saves me money over the new console on it’s own! The difference in price between the UMD and download release of Football Manager 2009 is also something which should worry future PSP Go owners. I just don’t see how they can justify a year old game still being full price to download, when you get no packaging, manuals or disc that you get with the UMD release. This price stagnation is quite prevalent on PSN, and this lack of price cuts makes me think that once Sony have sold you your shiny new console, you’ll be paying top dollar to download a game, that you can buy for half, or less, of the retail price on the high street. Sony really are taking a monumental gamble, and I personally hope that it fails, otherwise the next Playstation that you buy could be download only, and the second hand and trade-in market will cease to exist. With Sony controlling the pricing of all the games on PSN you can say goodbye to any bargain buys. It doesn’t bear thinking about does it?