PS3 News (Week Starting the 11/01/2010)

Greetings friends...There have been some particular juicy news stories this week in the wake of CES 2010 and I have decided to post um up here for your reading/viewing pleasure, ease of reference or even just in case you have simply missed some...

First of all let me start with the game I am probably looking forward to the most...God of War 3. From reading some of my previous posts you may have got the impression that I am a tad excited about Krato's new and final (?!?) adventure. Well if I was excited before I am practically shaking with anticipation following the release of some recent screenshots (click on the link and see for yourself. you won't be disappointed, i promise!). While they are only scans from a Japanese magazine and a bit crude, you are still able to get a feel of the scale that Santa Monica Studio are aiming for with God of War 3. Just check out the pic halfway down of what seems to be Kratos scaling the arm of a gargantuan Titan... awesome. Enjoy!

Furthermore there is a statement on the same page saying that video footage is scheduled for release on the 18/01/2010. I'll post it up here once unleashed...

Finally on the subject of God of War it was announced earlier today (11/01/10) by Sony that the God of War 3: Ultimate Trilogy Edition will be priced at £109.99. While on the surface this seems expensive (seeing as you will probably be able to get GoW 3 for £35-£40 and presently the Collection is going for £27 on Movietyme) on further inspection it is a particularly nice package. For your 110 notes you get GoW 3 and (previously only available in the US) the GoW collection, 2 audio CDs, full length documentary, exclusive artwork and a ton of DLC. On top of that it comes in a lovely replica of Pandora's box. It is a genuine thing of beauty. If you compare this to the ridiculous Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Prestige edition which was £120, then i think its a steal!.

- Next up Gran Turismo...With it looking more and more likely that GT5 will finally see the light around Easter, in Japan at least, some new gameplay videos have surfaced and it all looks rather nice (understatement!?!). Watch the vid's below and make your own mind up..."Forza what?" I here you say ;o





- Its also been announced by Sony that a Heavy Rain demo will be released before the game drops on the 26/02/10. So even if you are a bit on the fence about this one then at least you can 'try before you buy'. As detailed in our previous post HMV is releasing an exclusive Special Ed of the game for £39.99. For those who may have missed my Facebook post last Friday regarding the new video footage then check out the video below.



- Rebellion have confirmed Alien Vs Predator will receive a demo too...however no release date has been set.

- Beta for Sony's Modnation Racers goes live on 22/01/10 for EU Residents...They have confirmed that it will be available from the store on a purely 'first come first serve' basis with a total of 100,000 invites being made available. If you're interested don't hesitate in logging onto the PSN on the 22/01/10.

- Playgamer: Issue 4 is out and contains some great features on Just Cause 2, Bioshock 2, Army of Two: 40th Day, Dark Void, Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 as well as The Force Unleashed 2. Issue 5 has an exclusive Dante's Inferno review and is due to be published on the 28/01/10, weather pending of course!!!! (NB - the picture is of issue 1, the recent issue has Just Cause 2 on it)

...And finally my PS3 Brutal Legend review will be posted up in next few days so check back soon. Till then keep gaming!JB

Filling the Void: Things that kept me entertained this week

Bayonette Demo (PS3 Version - PSN): I had heard some contrasting stories about this before I got my grubby mitts on it. On the one hand it's suppose to be a killer 3rd person beat-um up in the vein on God of War and Devil May Cry and on the other it was suffering from some serious technical issues. Good news is I didn't experience any of the horrid screen tear and frame rate issues that people had reported on the Japanese version. Game wise I did really enjoy it. It was fast paced, fun and a stereotypically colourful Japanese game. Once I finished the demo I felt that it would be the perfect starter/warm-up to God of War 3...but that was before I played....

Dante's Inferno (PS3 demo - PSN): Lets start by getting it out of the way - Its true what you've heard, it IS identical to God of War 3! The controls are the same, the moves are the same and the level up system is pretty much the same but hey if you're gonna rip something off, you might as well steal from the best! The only difference is that GoW 3 is based on Greek mythology and Dante's is based on Christian Mythology. I always had faith in this game since it was announced as Visceral did an amazing job on Dead Space. I especially thought the power to 'punish' or 'absolve' enemies in the game was a really nice, original touch. The game played and looked incredible and I am really excited about getting stuck into the game when it is finally released...Kratos may have to watch his back as a new boy has rolled into town. (Available now from the American PSN Store)


Playgamer - Issue 2: I saw this in my local WHSmiths and decided to buy it seeing as it was only £2.99. I've been waiting for ages for a dedicated PS3 to come out that was less than £5! To be honest I never want or watch the free CD/DVD/Blu-ray that you normally get free so I'm really happy that one has been released without one and inturn therefore a lot cheaper. It contained some cool articles on Darksiders, Alien Vs Predator, Dark Void and EA MMA. The layout is quite refreshing and there are not reams of adverts. Issue 3 is due out on 17/12/09 - so check it out (www.play-gamer.com).


New Family Guy - 'Something, Something, Something Dark Side': My initial thoughts are that while it was funny it wasn't as good as Blue Harvest. The jokes aren't as clever and it has more of a random feel than Seth McFarlane's first animated vision of the Star Wars universe (not dissimilar to the more recent seasons of Family Guy). Unlike the original I think you need to have seen Family Guy as much as Stars Wars to get the most out of the multitude of Family Guy based in-jokes. It obviously has a high budget but the story doesn't seem quite as polished. That said there are still some quality moments with the best of these being the scenes on Hoth. Like the recent series of Lego games it is very enjoyable seeing humorous takes of some of your favourite cinematic scenes. If you like Star Wars or Family Guy, or perhaps both (like myself) then give it a watch and you will love it. However if you are an uber Star Wars Geek I think you'll enjoy the Robot Chicken Stars Wars episodes even more.

I also started playing inFAMOUS and The Orange Box (PS3 Version) this week as well as seeing Richard Kelly's 'The Box'. With regards to the latter if I can get my head round it I may post up a review in the near future!

Finally check out my retrospective article about Kiss' Music from "The Elder" on my mates blog, 'Into The Void'

Still working on my 'Games of 2009' list and I hope to post it up in the next few days, so check back soon! Till then "Party on dudes!"