The Nerd Is The Word

So this fancy PlayStation Vita thing hits UK stores on Wednesday and I have been saving up for the past few months to ensure I have the best launch experience possible.

I will hopefully be grabbing a handful of good games across a variety of genres. It may not be the best line up of games (only a few favourably reviewed ones so far) but it is certainly the strongest launch line up I have ever seen, if you get what I mean. There is something for everybody and in this early stage of the console’s lifecycle it is surprising that there is so much on offer already.

Here’s my final list for Wednesday:

• PS Vita Wi-Fi & 3G (I’m going for the full whack because the Near and on the go stuff interests me greatly)
• 16GB Memory Card (the price may be stupidly expensive but I have no choice! 16GB is better than 4GB and will last me a lot longer)
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss (required purchase for every Vita owner!)
• Escape Plan (I fell in love with this game at the PS Access Event and with the £5 PSN discount I’ve got for preordering it is a must buy)
• Little Deviants (I managed to get it really cheap on Amazon before they increased the price! Whether or not I get it on launch day remains to be seen…)
• Wipeout (depending on the final T&Cs for Vodafone which for now seem good. £5 for a game and 30-days of 3G access an’t a bad deal!)
• MotorStorm RC (depending on how much money I have in my PSN wallet it’s like MicroMachines and is so simple even I can play it!)
• Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (depending on if it is on offer and/or final in store price because I have a hankering for an isometric hack’n’slash game but £39.99 is a bit too much for what it is)

I’m also getting Frobisher Says & the AR Card games for free and a bunch of compatible digital PSP games I never got round to finishing when I had one of those. OOO! I also just remembered I have a load of untouched PSN Minis I’ve gathered as part of my PSN+ Membership that should hopefully work with the Vita. So come Wednesday I should have plenty to be getting on with :)

I knew the pre-order process was to easy and trouble free for a Sony product!

When I got home this afternoon I received an email from Sony saying I could choose which game I would like my £5 discount on as part of the pre-order pack stuff for the PS Vita. All I had to do was hit the “Select Game” button at the bottom of the email and I would be taken to the relevant page to pick my game. I would then receive my code from the 21st onwards. Yay for discounted PS Vita gaming goodness!

So I clicked the button and I was taken to a Playstation webpage.

I was told I needed to log in with my PSN-ID so I did.

I was then told I needed to enter my PS Vita pre-order code which I within reach because I’ve been keeping all my pre-order receipts, Game gift cards, etc. in the pre-order pack box.

So I entered my code and hit enter.

I then received the following error message,

“There was an error with the pre-order code.”

So I tried again, and again and again. It failed every time. So dutifully headed to the Playstation Forums to find out what the situation is. Basically Sony have broken things by making them overcomplicated! No official word or fix for the issue has been given but people are finding that they can access the game discount selection page by clicking a link in a previous confirmation of email address email from when they first registered their pre-order. Sadly I have long since deleted this email and so have many others with no way to get it back!

The annoying thing is that the code has worked in the past for redeeming my codes for the PS Home items and exclusive PSN avatar.

Goddamn it! I want Escape Plan at a discounted price :(

So on Tuesday I headed off into deepest darkest Manchester to check out the PS Access Vita Rooms. My time there was split into two sessions. A more laid back and casual drop in and play session during the day and a more packed and free booze filled evening VIP session. I say VIP, it was really more of a “you just signed up for it before we ran out of tickets” type deal. Both were good and bad for different reasons but I figured you would want to hear about the main event, the PS Vita and it’s games! All you really need to know is that I spent a good few hours messing around with various units and games. Also the pictures do not do the Vita justice!

PS Vita Hardware:

Being the generally lucky person I am, this isn’t the first time I have had to sample the Vita. I got a quick go on one at Eurogamer way back in September. Like then, the quality of the hardware itself is impressive. It is much lighter than you are expecting even with all the anti-theft cables and stuff bolted onto the demo units. It sits comfortably in your hands and feels solid. It doesn’t bend or warp easily, this console feels like it could go ten rounds with a tiger and still walk away in good condition (not that I’m willing to test that theory). Everything is well positioned and thought has been put into the various buttons placement. From simple things like the PS button being slightly indented so you can’t accidentally press it during play to the overall button and control placement. It all fits. While the right stick can seem a bit close to the square, triangle, X and circle buttons at times you will quickly adjust to it and be off on your way.

The console does suffer from that glossy grease magnet problem common with Fat-PS3’s but often you don’t notice it during play unless the screen is absolutely covered in finger marks. The photos I’ve taken pick up on it a lot more than I did at the time. There is another potential issue we encountered. On the Vita’s absolutely covered in marks (basically the ones that had been used by dozens of people without being wiped down) the touchscreen could loose responsiveness. Overall though it was fine and I would say it attracts the around the same level of grease and marking as an iPad. So that means if you are anything like me, you will want to keep screen cleaning cloth on you at all times! (Must keep gadgets clean! MUST KEEP GADGETS CLEAN!)

The picture quality of the screen itself is as reported, awesome! While not as high a resolution as the iPhone’s the Vita’s OLED screen size and overall quality makes up for it. It handles colours and black levels brilliantly and there is almost no ghosting (I didn’t see any but one of my friends said they did during the Uncharted demo). The touch controls on both sides of the console are responsive and just as good as that of the best smartphones and tablets on the market. The only times it seems sluggish or un-responsive is during certain games and how they implement the touch controls (more on this later). 

The UI for the console is also surprisingly good. Once you get your head around moving the pages up and down to go through you apps pages and left to right for the different open apps it all starts flowing. It should also be mentioned that leaving a game and going to the main interface only takes a single and quick button press. No waiting for the game to quit or the UI to load, just press the PS button and your back at the game’s page. From there you can quickly close the game or app by pulling the top corner down. It is quick and refreshing to see when you compare it to stuff like the PSP, PS3 and Xbox all of which have wait times when leaving games or loading the console UI. You can also have multiple apps open at once but it will eventually tell you to close certain ones to perform certain, more taxing, tasks. 

The games I played are after the jump!

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Taken from the Playstation Blog:

What can you expect from the sale? Well, the first week you can expect the likes of Crysis, Dead Space 2and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit at some great discounts. Of course, there’s plenty more within that week, too!

The second week will continue with more amazing games, such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike,Payday: The Heist and Dungeon Hunter: Alliance and much more.

As for the ‘Final’ week, maybe your ‘Fantasy’ will come true…

Week 1 discounts are as follows:

Super Bundles (Includes full game and DLC)

• Dead Space 2 Super Bundle (Was £39.99/€49.99 – Now £19.99/€24.99) File Size: 14GB
• Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Super Bundle (Was £39.99/€59.99 – Now £19.99/€29.99) File Size: 5GB
• Dante’s Inferno Super Bundle (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £15.99/€19.99) – Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 7GB
• Burnout Paradise Complete Edition (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £15.99/€19.99) + Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers File Size:3.5GB

PSN Games (PS3)

• Crysis (Was £15.99/€19.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 4GB
• Burnout Crash (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.99/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1GB
• DeathSpank (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1.5GB
• Gatling Gears (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 1.5GB
• Shank (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99)File Size: 2GB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers
• The Fancy Pants Adventures (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 330MB
• Risk: Factions (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £5.49/€6.99) – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers File Size: 600MB
• NBA Jam – On Fire Edition (Was £9.99/€12.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 900MB

DLC Bundles (Game not included)

• Dante’s Inferno DLC Bundle (Was £13.99/€17.99 – Now £11.99/€14.99) File Size: 1.3GB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers
• Dead Space 2 DLC Bundle (Was £17.49/€21.99 – Now £7.99/€9.99) File Size: 2GB
• NFS Hot Pursuit DLC Bundle (Was £27.99/€34.99 – Now £12.99/€16.99) File Size: 700KB
• SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED DLC Bundle (Was £23.99/€29.99 – Now £19.99/€24.99)File Size: 350MB – Additional 30% off for PLUS subscribers

DLC Packs

• Dragon Age 2 – Legacy (Was £7.99/€9.99 – Now £6.49/€7.99) File Size: 650MB
• Mass Effect 2 – Arrival (Was £5.49/€6.99 – Now £3.99/€ 4.99) File Size: 600MB
• Tiger Woods 12 – Birdie Pack (Was £11.99/€14.99 – Now £8.79/€10.99) File Size: 800MB – Additional 35% off for PLUS subscribers
• Tiger Woods 12 – Eagle Pack (Was £19.99/€24.99 – Now £13.99/€17.99) File Size: 2.1GB – Additional 25% off for PLUS subscribers

Some alright deals in there looks like it will only get better with each week with the last week promising something Final Fantasy related1 (ooooo!)

Now that we have got the negativity out of the way here are my top five games of the past year!

In at number 5! - Dragon Age II

What kept me into the game and left me with fond memories where things such as:

• The new art style. While a bit rough around the edges it made great strides in making Dragon Age standout from the any other RPG on the market. The different races now look distinctive each with their own unique outline. The aren’t the tweaked variations of the human models you see in DA:O. A Qunari is a huge imposing figure, while an elf is angular and skinny. Kirkwall while becoming sick of it by the end of the game stands out as a setting because it looks unique. DA:O looked like any fantasy world, with its huts and castles. Kirkwall had its own style and feeling. The different districts made it feel like a city too.
• The narrative. I loved the story telling technique of having Varric tell the story of Hawke. His exaggerations and embellishments were entertaining if underused. His character quest were he takes down a whole mansion of enemies single handed is both funny and epic because it is a fun and unique section of gameplay and also complete bollocks at the same time! Also props for taking the choices you make and actually making them mean something. At the end of the game I had to sit and ponder what to do with Anders for a while before making a decision. Ultimately I let him go but it left me with a a feeling of disappointment, in him, not the game. Anders compromised himself as an individual and betrayed my trust. I was this close to killing him for it but in the end I felt sorry for him and let him slink off into hiding. Also at the end of the game my party was pretty much split down the middle too with the choices I made forcing people to chose sides. It had a lot of impact that only worked because the conclusion came from multiple choices made throughout the game.

Throwbacks and reference to DA:O while few and far between, when characters and stories from my DA:O save data popped up it made me smile. Simple but always effective!

Like I always say; a poor BioWare game but still a good game.

Heating things up at number 4! - Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Another game that was brilliant, warts’an’all! Uncharted is a franchise close to my gaming heart. The big set pieces, movie like narrative, and gameplay all sing to me as I play the game. Even with some weird glitches and animation quirks the game is still solid. The glitches and quirks at least show Naughty Dog was trying to do something new with the third game rather than just simply re-treading the same ground as Uncharted 2. The dynamic animation system while imperfect adds and extra “touch” of realism and life to the game. The story while pretty much giving up and aping Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for its themes is still an entertaining and a fun ride. Even if it is a bit by the numbers. The various locations in the game are also impressive too. You have burning buildings, sinking ships, shootouts in ship graveyards (which I enjoyed! Despite popular opinion), horseback chases and an opportunity to play as young Drake. All made the game standout from the previous two for me. Overall I would say it caps off the first set of Drake’s adventures nicely. It rounds everything out, ending with the three characters that started the franchise on its road to glory. The multiplayer is also an improvement over the previous game’s I think. There is a lot more variety and things to do on the maps, the kickbacks and perks all work together nicely to make the fight fair right up until the end of the match. Now though due to the nature of the story and gameplay there is both a need and a wish for Naughty Dog to shake things up for the inevitable Uncharted 4. 

The middle man at number 3! - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Mmmmm…….Skyrim….. Such a grand and epic game that it can be a bit overwhelming at times! There is so much to see and do but so little time in my life to play it! This like every Bethesda game I buy will take me a long time to get though and that is not a bad thing at all. I am getting my moneys worth! Skyrim is a game that you can easily get lost in. Wether it is just exploring the land or working through side-quests and the main story. It all fits together to make a brilliant whole. Bethesda have outdone themselves with Skyrim and I cannot wait to see what additions they make to the game with the upcoming DLC. That’s all I really have to say about Skyrim because it is simply a great game and everyone who has played it knows it and if you haven’t played it; What is wrong with you? :D

Pipped at the post at number 2! - Portal 2

To be honest in the run up to Portal 2 I was excited but I was expecting the final game to just be more of the same as the first. How wrong of me to doubt Valve in such a way! Portal 2 took what was done with Portal and built upon it in every conceivable way. The puzzles were bigger and more varied with the new mechanics and additions. The flow of the game was smoother and moved from the room by room approach to a more subtle variation on the idea. The story was more in-depth and kept me hooked all the way through. It was funnier, darker and masterfully presented. Lots of foreshadowing and laying breadcrumbs early on in the game that pay off further down the line and all that. The co-op is brilliant too even though I have only scratched the surface of it. It is intuitive and well thought out. It isn’t simply tacked on for the sake of having multiplayer, it could have been Portal 2 on its own it is that good! Solving a puzzle with a friend gives the game a stronger positive feedback loop and it keeps you playing just to solve then next one, then the next one and then the one after that. I think it is Valve’s best game to date and it has set the bar for their next game incredibly high.

So good it gave me nerd tingles at number 1! - Batman: Arkham City

My love for Arkham City is well known and it deserves to be my number one because for me at least because it is so good! Here are some of the reasons it is my game of the year:

• The bigger game world is something Asylum lacked. Swooping between the buildings and running around the city is something I’ve always wanted to do in a Batman game. I say bring it on with the next game and do the whole of Gotham City! I can’t get enough of it!
• The combat is even more crazy with the new gadgets and moves at your disposal. The enemies on offer are also, thankfully, more varied and require you to use different tactics to take them out. 
• The sheer number of characters is outstanding! Wether they make brief appearances or play a key role in the game’s story each character is pitch perfect. All look and sound unique and you get the feeling that they are in the game out of love rather than a simple need to pad the game with villains and cameos.
• Playing as Catwoman is refreshing. The downside being that it is criminally underused! More Selina would have been awesome but I am happy with what was included in the game. It breaks up the game nicely and brings a different perspective to the game.
• The Challenge Mode is actually interesting this time around. With the use of the other characters and skills not available in the story mode. There is more variety on offer too which is always good in my book!
• The story while a slow burner to begin with builds and builds until you get to the epic finale and surprising conclusion. Lots of twists and turns and wheels within wheels that I like in my Batman tales. 
• It has Batman in it.

In the end I think that it is the perfect blend of two things that I love that does it for me. Comics and Games come together perfectly in this game to create an amazingly rich and deep experience that I am still enjoying months after its initial release. 

What a crazy year it has been! Lots of highs and lows, it was great overall but here’s the stuff that disappointed me. The first two are here for your reading pleasure the rest are after the jump!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

The game started with such promise and the idea that my choices would impact the game further down the line. The gameplay was fun and I liked being able to choose my way through the environments. There was a level of freedom to the game that was refreshing. Then about half way through it all changed. The scope narrowed considerably, you could tell basically the whole of Canada was cut out of the game. The environments started to close in and force you into the various types of gameplay. As for those big impacting choices that change the game and the story considerably? WHERE THE F*&K ARE THEY? In the end it all boiled down to three big red buttons or inaction that where summed up with crappy FMVs, that could easily be reloaded to change the outcome! There was no build up, no sense that one choice was more inline with my actions than another. No feeling that everything had lead up to this moment and that only one course of action seemed right. No feeling that I had effected the world of the game at all because it just became a matter of multiple choice, at least Dragon Age II gives a sense that Hawke means something to the world of the game! The second half of the game is a complete let down.

Dragon Age II

This is in both my Top Five for the year and my disappointments! This is because I maintain my stance that even though this is a disappointing BioWare game it is still a good game! It was still a good game despite having some big failings and omissions such as: 

• The smaller world while providing a more focused story, takes some of the magic away from the world of DA. I wanted to see more of the world in DAII not jus the same streets of Kirkwall, over and over. And over. And over.
• Unimaginative re-use of assets, which is something every game ever made does, it just seems that the people at BioWare forgot how to hide it well or re-use them in unique ways. Even simple things like variation in dungeon layout would have been welcome!
• Distribution of skills among characters. In DA:O you could get away with any mage being your healer if you wished. In DAII, if you want to succeed you have to have Anders permanently in your party, wether you like him or not. There is also little room to make you party members unique to you too. Customisation options are non-existent and the skill trees while an improvement over DA:O’s presentation restrict your freedom to say have your healer decked out in heavy armour to become both damage sponge and life giver. In DAII each character has one job and that is it. No variation or deviation allowed. 
• I both loved and hated the combat. I’m all for making it more streamlined and actiony but while DAII’s combat started of fun it quickly became repetitive as each battle went the same way and boss fights simply turned into ten minuets of hacking away at the enemies health. It was fun but ultimately it broke by not giving it enough depth. You can simplify and keep depth just look at ME2’s combat. Making it more tactical would have gone a long way in breaking up the monotony of it all.

Overall I still enjoyed the game. It was fun to play for the most part. The little problems and rushed feeling to the game let it down but it is still a good game. Here’s hoping DAIII takes the best bits of II and Origins to make an epic game with an equally engaging and fun multiplayer mode. 

See my Top Five of 2011 for my plus points for DAII!

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