We received an invitation to get some hands on time with Spec Ops: The Line this past Thursday in a swanky hotel in mid-town Manhattan. Yup, that Spec Ops: The Line. The game we saw at E3 2010 behind closed doors then hadn’t really heard from since. I was excited by what I had seen a year and a half ago and really curious to see what the developers, Yager had done with the game over that time.

I was brought to a room to meet with Tarl Raney, a Producer at Yager. He gave me a quick overview of the game, much of which hadn’t changed since we saw it at E3. It’s set in near present day Dubai. A massive sandstorm has ravaged the city forcing the evacuation of much of the population. A U.S. Army squad, under the command of Colonel John Konrad was diverted from Afghanistan to Dubai to help with the evacuation under protest from the UAE Government. While in the middle of the evac an even larger series of storms hit, all contact was lost and all were presumed dead. About six months later,, a weak distress signal is picked up and the US Government decides to send in a three man Delta Force team to find out what happened and rescue any survivors if possible.

Spec Ops: The Line is a third person shooter and the action kicks right in with an intense helicopter battle over Dubai which ends in your team getting shot down. As you emerge from the wreckage and get your bearings, you’re introduced to the team through some really funny banter. What I really noticed over the hour plus of play time I had is that the humor went away as the situation got more tense and confused and the characters were reacting to and dealing with some really disturbing situations. It really gave the game a much more emotional impact as I played it.

I played through a number of levels spread across roughly the first third of the game. As I jumped from say, level 1 to level 4, a short video with voice over gave me the basics of what happened between the levels. I’m glad it was done this way, because I was able to get a pretty good sense of gameplay without too many spoilers.

The gameplay itself will feel familiar to veterans of shooters but there are some nice additions here. With the push of a button, you can give simple commands to your teammates. The commands are context sensitive and will appear onscreen as an option where appropriate. For instance, I was able to target a few enemies to be taken out which allowed me to focus on other enemies. I also had someone throw a flash grenade so I could quickly follow up with rifle fire to take everyone out.

The other big thing is the use of the environment which we saw briefly at E3. In the wake of these massive storms, sand is piled up all over the place. Early on, I was being attacked from higher ground, but my enemies had a bus filled with sand right behind them. Taking out the windows quickly buried them, ending the threat. I also got caught in a massive sand storm while being overrun and I was barely able to survive. It was pretty intense.

The combat itself felt good. There’s a pretty good cover mechanic which will allow you to make use of your environment but much of it is destructible so you usually won’t be able to stay in any one place for too long. Negotiating the area and flanking your enemies can be critical in battles but you really have to keep and eye out when moving up and around corners. I found that out the hard way and barely escaped twice. The context sensitive moves are still in place as well. For example, if you run up to and jump over a barrier that an enemy is hiding behind, your character will automatically drop kick them on the way over. As you move deeper into the game, your characters will also start to show the wear and tear of the mission. They’ll get bloodied and bruised and they’ll stay that way. Combined with the combat, it’s all very fluid and adds to the realism of the game.

The sense of foreboding is almost palpable as you make your way across the hazy landscape. You’ll make your way through the wreckage of cars and buses, over piles of dead bodies and into some truly horrible situations. I don’t want to give too much away, but you’ll quickly come to realize that there are several groups fighting for control of the city including armed locals, the CIA and more with quite a few civilians caught up in the middle of it all. When you come into the picture, you’ll initially get mistaken for one side or the other and you’ll have to fight some people you won’t want to and it all goes downhill for your squad from there. The choices you’ll be making in the game are entirely up to you. There’s no right or wrong answer and they’re not always obvious, much like on a real battlefield. There are also multiple endings to the game which you can arrive at in a number of ways.

Co-op, which was briefly mentioned at the E3 2010 session is now gone and it makes sense. In most co-op sessions I’ve played, I miss a lot of dialogue and I’m not paying too much attention to the story. This is the type of game where story and dialogue are critical. The darkness and intensity of it all really demands your full attention and talking to a co-op partner would take you out of the game. There will be multiplayer, but it’s being kept under wraps until a later date.

The initial promise of the game in 2010 was that you’d be dealing with a mature storyline which we saw briefly with the decomposing bodies hung from light posts. Raney said that after E3, they went back in and focused much more on the narrative , keeping the general story arc the same but really working hard to make the moment to moment elements more cohesive and dark. From what I saw, which was roughly 20-30% of the game, they really nailed it. Several times during the session I could see that things were going to get really bad, really quick and it made me very uncomfortable. I had choices to make that I wasn’t ready to deal with and even though I felt sick to my stomach, I loved it. It made me feel like I was in a real situation, dealing with the fog of war, having to make a choice based on what limited information I had and then having to live with the consequences of my actions.

If you’ve listened to the podcast for a while, you’ll know that this is exactly the type of game I’ve been looking for. I’ve been waiting for a developer to take that next step with realistic and uncomfortable situations, forcing the player to make choices that aren’t always black and white. Yager was able to keep me on the edge of my seat with action and discomfort and a gripping storyline throughout my entire session. if they can keep it up for the entire game, and all indications are that they can, I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll have an early Game of the Year candidate when Spec Ops: The Line is released.

Listen to Episode 254 of the podcast releasing this Wednesday for more coverage along with an audio interview.

Video Interview With Tarl Raney, Producer at Yager.

Screen Shots

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Concept Art

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It is that magical time of the year once again. We look back on the games that wowed us over the last year, try to grab a copy of those hidden gems, and ultimately decide which games should remain spinning in our PlayStations and which ones need to go on the skeet shooting practice pile. This year the Golden Minecart Awards (GMA) saw a great turn out and a list of winners that represent the best the PlayStation systems have to offer. We proudly present your winners and include the PS Nation staff’s, both podcast hosts and website writers, winners as well (feel free to tell us how wrong we are, we love that). As a bonus we’ve included links to our reviews of select games, just click on the title to see the review. If you want to hear want we had to say about the GMAs this year check out this week’s podcast.

PS3 Best RPG

GMA Results
1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Dark Souls
Honorable Mentions: Disgaea 4, Dragon Age 2, and Two Worlds 2.

The hulking juggernaut that is Bethesda’s latest sojourn into Tamriel was able to shout down Sheperd and his suicide mission, and in the process claimed the coveted number one spot. Dark Souls got plenty of light, and enthusiasm, shined on it this year and took third. The list of honorable mentions and write-ins was vast and ran the gamut from the almost infinitely replayable strategy of Disgaea 4 to the story heavy fantasy of Dragon Age 2.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Dark Souls

Oh my gosh! Am I seeing a consensus between staff and community? That’s unheard of! That’s inconceivable! That…can’t possibly last. Let’s keep moving.

PS3 Best Sports Game

GMA Results
1. MLB 11: The Show
2. FIFA 12
3. NBA 2K12
Honorable Mention: NHL 12

The PlayStation-exclusive baseball franchise retains its deathgrip on the number one spot for another consecutive year. Even virtually kicking people in the shins and dunking can’t compete. Though it should be noted that there was actually a pretty tight race for the number three spot, with Canada’s sport of choice barely getting edged out.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. MLB 11: The Show
2. FIFA 12
3. NBA 2K12 & NHL 12 (tie)

We are clearly on the same wavelength with our community when it comes to sportsball.

Newcomer of the Year

GMA Results
1. L.A. Noire
2. Catherine
3. Shadows of the Damned
Honorable Mentions: Rage, Bulletstorm

The newcomers this year ranged from gritty crime drama, to ridiculous western themed shooter, to a supernatural take on relationships via a puzzle game. However, when all the votes were tallied Rockstar’s latest claimed over half your votes and the top spot on our list. Proving that gamers love to see if people are lying to them.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. L.A. Noire
2. Catherine
3. Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm ended up with a little more love from the PS Nation staff, but not enough to unseat L.A. Noire or Catherine. Oddly none of the staff took much notice of Shadows of the Damned, even though it’s packed with penis-based double entendres.

Blast from the Past

GMA Results
1. Mortal Kombat
2. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
3. Rayman Origins
Honorable Mentions: Driver: San Francisco, Alice: Madness Returns

The glorious return of MK was able to eviscerate the competition, making it so that Blade Runner-y cybernetic heroes and adorable platformers didn’t stand a chance.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Mortal Kombat
2. Rayman Origins
3. Hard Corps Uprising

The PS Nation staff also loved the return of Raiden and company, but couldn’t deny the pure delight of Rayman or the Contra-esque shooting of Hard Corps Uprising.

TWO!!

GMA Results
1. Infamous 2
2. Portal 2
3. Mass Effect 2
Honorable Mentions: LittleBigPlanet 2, Dead Space 2

Even expanding on one of the most critically acclaimed games of this generation Portal 2 still couldn’t maneuver past the passion play of Cole to claim top honors. It should be noted that only a handful of votes put Sheperd and Mass Effect 2 in the third spot, just easing out that lovable burlap scamp Sackboy and LittleBigPlanet 2.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Infamous 2
2. Little Big Planet 2
3. Batman: Arkham City

In addition to Cole and Sackboy we couldn’t forget about Batman: Arkham City, even though it technically lacked a TWO in its title it is one of the best sequels of the year.

Third Time’s the Charm

GMA Results
1. Uncharted 3
2. Battlefield 3
3. Resistance 3
Honorable Mention: Killzone 3

With a whopping 61% of the vote Nathan Drake was able to fight his way, with slightly more melee combat than usual, past various impressive first person shooters. While Battlefield is more for the multiplayer gamer, and Resistance tells a more personal tale, both take a long running series and keep the momentum going.

PS Nation Results
1. Uncharted 3
2. Battlefield 3 & Killzone 3 (tie)
3. Dirt 3

Just as Sully and Nate share a bond, so do the staff and the community in our mutual love of Uncharted 3. However, while we weren’t as enamored with Capelli’s tale as all of you, we did include some rally racing with Dirt 3, so we should get some points for variety.

Best HD Remake

GMA Results
1. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection
2. Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
3. God of War: Origins Collection
Honorable Mention: Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath

Your list highlighted three long-running, and mostly exclusive, series that helped define the last two generations of PlayStation consoles and handhelds. Ultimately, the simplicity and artistry of Fumito Ueda and Team Ico trumped our buddies Snake and Kratos. Of course, these two legendary fighters battled for the number two spot with Snake edging out Kratos but a slim three-vote margin.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection & Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath (tie)
2. God of War: Origins Collection
3. House of the Dead Overkill Extended Edition

Eschewing the various ballads of Snake the staff bumped up Stranger’s Wrath to the official top three and recognized that one of the top Wii shooters (how often do you see that phrase?) was able to successfully migrate to the PS3 by giving House of the Dead our third spot.

Best Co-op

GMA Results
1. Portal 2
2. LittleBigPlanet 2
3. Killzone 3
Honorable Mention: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

This year helping a buddy solve a brain busting puzzle and creating and playing in a world with various sackpeople took precedence over shooting our fellow man. Nothing could stop the duo of P-body and Atlas as the orange portal all their fans dropped deposited them at number 1.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Portal 2
2. Killzone 3 & Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (tie)
3. Resistance 3

We too could not resist the siren song of Aperture Science, but also showed love to Resistance 3 and your ability to follow Capelli’s tale with a friend.

Best Multiplayer

GMA Results
1. Battlefield 3
2. Uncharted 3
3. Killzone 3
Honorable Mentions: Resistance 3, Motorstorm Apocalypse

Battlefield 3 was your undisputed number one, receiving more than double the number of votes that Uncharted garnered. Looking at the top 3 is further proof that the multiplayer shooter era is far from over.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Killzone 3
2. Battlefield 3 & Uncharted 3 (tie)
3. FIFA 12 & Mortal Kombat (tie)

The staff choices were a little more eclectic with sportsballs and the ripping out of organs also joining the gunplay-a-thons that the community loved.

PSP Best Overall

GMA Results
1. MLB 11: The Show
2. The 3^rd Birthday
3. Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy
Honorable Mention: Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Let’s hear it for stat updates! With 2011′s slim PSP catalog only a handful of titles were even on anyone’s radar this year. Luckily most of them show up in our top 3 with the stats updated, and not much else, MLB 11: The Show was strangely able to come out of nowhere to win this category. Oddly named sequels from Square Enix round out the top three and honorable mention, with Dissidia pushing Tactics Ogre out of the top three by a single vote. Behold democracy in action, where a single vote counts.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. The 3^rd Birthday & Ys I & II Chronicles (tie)
2. Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy & Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
3. MLB 11: The Show

While you might confuse this for a complete list of PSP games released in 2011, it’s just our staff picks.

PSN Best Overall

GMA Results
1. Infamous 2 Festival of Blood
2. Limbo
3. Marvel Pinball
Honorable Mentions: Plants vs. Zombies, Pixel Junk Sidescroller

In a hotly contested category with tons of write-ins Infamous 2 Festival of Blood, and its “What If” scenario where Cole is a vampire, garnered top honors. Limbo with its simple controls and unique art style snuck past Marvel Pinball by two votes to grab the second spot.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Marvel Pinball
2. Infamous 2 Festival of Blood
3. Pixel Junk Sidescroller

The true believers on staff made a not so secret war on the voting and elevated Marvel Pinball to the top of the heap. Cole’s blood sucking tale and Pixel Junk’s latest also grabbed our attention.

PS3 Best Overall

GMA Results
1. Uncharted 3
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Honorable Mention: Portal 2

In one of the best years of PlayStation gaming yet Uncharted 3 was still able to dominate with 43% of your votes. Naughty Dog has proven once again that they can tell a story like no one else. Gotham’s Dark Knight and the dragon-fearing denizens of Skyrim also got strong support.

PS Nation Staff Results
1. Batman: Arkham City
2. Uncharted 3
3. Mortal Kombat

The PS Nation staff gave the continuing struggle between Batman and The Joker top honors in our picks, with Drake and Co. having to settle for number 2. Not surprisingly Mortal Kombat, as one of the best relaunches of a game series and one of the deepest stories in fighting games, finished in a strong third.

That’s it ladies and gentlemen. You have your winners. If you don’t like the results, then make sure you get out and vote next year to insure your favorites get the love and attention they deserve. One thing that every PlayStation fan can agree on is that 2011 was an amazing year for games and with the PS Vita and some amazing titles on the horizon, like Twisted Metal, BioShock Infinite, and The Last of Us, the future of PlayStation looks bright in 2012.

While our resident podcaster (Torgo) has been enjoying the Vita for what feels like a year now, the rest of us have experienced it vicariously through his video postings and information passed along via the podcast.  For me that changed today.  We paid a visit to the Vita Hill Social Club.  Their base was set up in a little well-known bar here in Austin, Texas.  We were received with friendly faces and generous offerings of snacks and drinks, not to mention some Vita goodies (including a Vita shot glass).

Not more than a few minutes later, my co-gamers and I were sitting our collective butts on soft-cushy couches and experiencing the PlayStation Vita for the first time.  We had access to a large number of Vita titles, and I wasn’t leaving until I checked them all out.  There was plenty of checking done today, and here are my initial thoughts.

The first thing I’d like to address is this notion that the gaming world doesn’t need the Vita because we all have phones that play games (not to mention tablets that do the same).  As a relatively-proud iPhone and iPad owner, I can assure you that there is room in my gaming world for this thing.  I game on my iPad quite a lot.  Don’t believe me? How about a screenshot of my iPad library.

Wait, I’m not done…..

This is the library of games currently available on my iPad.  I don’t have room for more because I have episodes of The Office and Parks and Recreation taking up some serious storage.  So when I say that I have jumped on the phone and tablet gaming wagon, I consider that to be an understatement.  What I experienced today on the Vita differed greatly from anything sitting in that library (yes, that includes the games that were once on a console).

The first game I asked to play was Wipeout 2048.  Sorry Nathan, but I have a thing for the hover-racing series.  I own a couple of Wipeout clones on my iPhone and usually end up playing them for an hour and never touching them again.  Why?

I’m not going to blame the touch controls because, quite frankly, in my years of playing games on the touch screen I have grown pretty comfortable with touch controls (though I will never prefer them over traditional).   Wipeout 2048 on the Vita was a serious extension of its PlayStation 3 cousin.  And I mean that in every possible way.  It’s not a watered down game that I can get for a buck.  It doesn’t play like a game that’s worth a dollar.  It plays like a “console game”.  And there is a lot more to that statement than simple preference, much like folks exclaiming that there is a difference between a dedicated PC game versus a console-only game ported to PC.   Wipeout 2048 felt polished, smooth and, most importantly, it felt “complete”.    There is a subliminal expectation that comes from buying a PlayStation 3 game like Skyrim or Uncharted 3 that does not come when buying Cut The Rope.  It’s not that the latter game is bad, or that its developers didn’t put as much effort into their creation.  It’s quite simply that Angry Birds is the game you play when you are waiting for a table at a restaurant, and Uncharted is the game that you play when you want a full interactive experience.

That’s not to say the my iPad doesn’t have games that attempt to offer a similar experience.  I own Shadow Guardian on my iPad and iPhone.  For those of you unfamiliar with Shadow Guardian, I can only describe it as an Uncharted clone, developed for the iPhone.  The same developer who worked on this game has also developed games that take their influence from anything like Halo, to Gran Theft Auto.  At the time of purchase (Shadow Guardian) I was excited to play something like Uncharted on my phone, during a lunch break or while waiting at a restaurant.  But what I played today on the Vita was Uncharted, brought to you by the experience of a developer that has taken it upon themselves to borrow the reigns from Naughty Dog and bring the couch experience to portable level.   The same expectations that I had for the PlayStation 3 version of Uncharted were placed here, and I was not disappointed.  This doesn’t indicate that Uncharted: Golden Abyss is triple-A title, I didn’t play enough to tell you that.  Hell, it may get the worst reviews in gaming history (though I doubt that), but it will still be a console gaming experience on a portable system.

I have played the best-looking games on my iPad 2, and I have seen some amazing things on it (Infinity Blade).  I have heard the arguments that the Vita doesn’t fit into today’s gaming environment because the handsets are delivering some amazing graphics, while still serving as a phone, and social machine.  While the following may be the case a year or two from now, nothing that I have played on my iPad 2 compares to what I saw in Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048.  The few games that do come close on my tablet or phone either run at 15 frames a second, or crash my iPad after 15 minutes of gaming.

Here is what happens.  Let’s say that this year we get a new share of tablets.  They will have the hardware to punch out some amazing visuals.  Game-development is a business, like any other.  Publishers are here to make money.  With millions of iPads in circulation, each weaker than the more recent one, a developer will have to compensate for the slower machines in order to allow the game to run on multiple tablets and reach out to a larger number with their releases.  While I’ve seen a game like Galaxy on Fire running a different version for my iPad 2, the framerate suffered greatly because the tablet just couldn’t handle the geometry and effects that were being thrown at it.  The Vita is one system, one hardware.  As soon as a developer learns it, they know exactly what it can and can’t do.  They know that this is the hardware that will be in everyone’s hands, and they don’t have to compensate for older Vitas.  This is where the difference in visuals will be the most evident.

But enough about that.  Chances are that if you are still reading, you are more interested in the actual hands-on.  The one thing that made me initially nervous about the Vita were the dual sticks.  Since I could not hold one in my hands, I expected the twin-sticks to feel like the PSP Go.  While I thought the Go’s analog stick worked well, I didn’t think that I could get used to two of them in such a small space.  The PSP Go’s analog nub was too stiff, and I found myself overcompensating a lot when aiming in a game.  The best thing I can say about the Vita’s twin sticks is that while playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss, I lost myself.  I forgot that I was holding the handheld and simply started playing Uncharted.  I held down the left shoulder button and started aiming with my sniper rifle.  I found my target easily enough and took out enemies with as much ease as I would on Uncharted 3.  But here’s where things got interesting.  The much-touted motion-sensing controls kicked in while I was sniping, and I was able to fine-tune my aim.  This was another thing that I was initially apprehensive about, but not so anymore.  Not only was the feature non-intrusive nor forced upon me, but it actually worked, and worked well.  Sometimes my aim was just a hair off, so I’d turn ever-so-slightly to the right and nudge my reticle just enough to hit my target.  Great use of gyros!

Little Big Planet was next.  I never thought I would be this excited about the implementation of touch controls.  I was running through a level with my little sack boy and I stumbled upon a gate that would not open.  I couldn’t see a switch anywhere, so I was stumped.  Then I noticed that the background consisted of piano keys, so I started touching the screen and realized that I had to play some notes to open the door.  Later on, I jumped on a sling that I had to pull and aim with my finger.  Granted, these additions weren’t needed, but they were done in a way that didn’t feel like they were taking over the entire traditional gameplay of Little Big Planet.   In fact, it’s the touch controls that made Little Big Planet a two player-experience, playable on one Vita.  One of the sample games was a small table-hockey game.  Two players can hold the Vita and slide their finger left and right to control their goalie.  Another user-created level had me holding the Vita vertically in a mini game that could be described as a Spy Hunter clone.  The vertical positioning made seeing what was ahead a lot easier, making it easier to see what was ahead.

Graphically, Little Big Planet Vita looked identical to its bigger brother.  And it looked beautiful on the Vita’s LED screen.

The Vita’s menu interface is going to take some getting used to.  It works well, it looks great, and it’s fancy.  I’m just partial to the XMB.  I assume that Sony figured touch controls wouldn’t work as well with the XMB, and I can somewhat see how this would be the case.   By the end of my play-time with the little system, I was going through the various apps with ease, so I’m sure Vita owners will warm up to the interface after playing with it for some time.

Between the videos that Torgo has posted and my own time with it today, the Vita has absolutely sold itself to me.  It’s not 3D, and it’s not my phone.  But my tablet isn’t 3D, and it’s not my phone, nor is it my gaming device.  I game on it, but not one experience on it has ever come close to some of the better games on my PS3, 360, 3DS, or PSP.  The PS Vita is a gaming device that takes the current console generation level of gaming and places it in a portable system.  All of the launch titles are new to their respective series, so we aren’t getting ports from PS3 games (though a portable Shadow of Colossus would make my day).  Whether or not you are convinced about the Vita’s place in your gaming collection, I would recommend at least giving it a go.  It’s certainly a device worth checking out.

I’d say that about 90% of what I do in The Show every year is within the “Road to the Show” mode. While many changes were implemented last year, this year is all about polish. All of the great changes last year are still here, but if you’re a veteran of this mode, you’ll notice that many items have been tweaked, making it even more enjoyable while also being a bit more accessible to newcomers.

First-off is the “good hit” and “bad hit” choices the AI makes for each of your at-bats. The system is still very flexible and takes the situation into account more than “did you get a hit or not” as in previous years. Also, for those that may have missed it last year, in situations like an ordered hit and run, you aren’t penalized anymore, and instead the challenge is cancelled. This was really frustrating in previous years, as you’d be penalized for missing a Hit & Run by no fault of your own, because the pitcher threw an unhittable ball into the dirt. Now, the system takes factors like that into account, which means you may even be awarded some training points even if you don’t fully succeed in the task.

The big changes this year are that now, when you start out you’re the top prospect for the organization in whichever position you start, so you don’t have to grind so much from starting as a substitution up to a part-time starter and so-on. We figure that I played around 18-20 hours of RTTS during this week, in which I built my first player and used him for about 6 hours, then created a new player for the remainder of the time. My first player was pretty solid, but lacked consistency, and with him I didn’t get past June before we had a new build to try (which in this instance meant that I had to create a new player, as this one wouldn’t work on the new build.) The 2nd player had great pop right away, but not much in terms of Home Run power (I ended the first season with 14.) With the help of the new Baseball physics (seriously, it changes the entire landscape of the series) I racked-up an impressive set of numbers, with a slugging percentage of around .560 and a batting average at around .320 to .340 for most of the summer.

You start out in AA as usual, and within about 3 months I was called-up to Triple-A, then was traded to the Colorado Rockies association, where I ended my first season in AAA. Along the way, I was chosen for the Double-A All Star Game, but I tanked that game at 0-4, which was pretty disheartening. I played about a month into my 2nd season, but before I got there, I have to say that simming the off-season has been sped-up significantly, which was noticeable immediately to anyone that was paying attention. It may not sound like a big deal, but in years past, when I simulated the offseason, I could leave to make a sandwich and still have time to eat it before it would finish. This year the process takes mere minutes, which is awesome.

Additionally, training has now been rounded-out with fielding, so now all 4 key aspects of the game of Baseball are represented in training (Running, Fielding, Hitting, and Pitching.) The training has definitely been tightened up as well, but can still become very challenging at higher levels. I will admit that I do tend to skip training, but my player did well enough that I earned enough training points to compensate.

Options are still there to only run the bases when you’re the lead runner, all of the time, or not at all. These types of choices extend to frequency of fielding etc, and really move your season along.

Keep your eyes right here for my next report which will cover the PlayStation Move controls and the PlayStation Vita version.

Day 1

I figure that I’ve been awake for 35 of the last 38 hours, from slogging-through my Packers tanking against the Giants, to restlessness in anticipation of making this journey, and finally making it to San Diego and beginning a week-long marathon of gaming and collaboration. But 34 hours is nothing when compared to what the development team for MLB 12 The Show are currently enduring. The team is in “crunch-mode” right now, attempting to crush as many bugs as possible, and make as many tweaks that time will allow. Many sleep at the office during this period, and those that don’t aren’t gone for long when they go home.

For the past few years, the group here at SCEA San Diego Studios has gone above and beyond in the pursuit to utilize the vast community that has built-up around the MLB The Show franchise. Instead of merely conversing via the official forums or communities like Operation Sports, they take an extra step and actually invite a chosen few members of the community over at Operation Sports to fly-in for a week, pound on every aspect of the game, and work directly with the development team on aspects of the game of Baseball that only the most die-hard fans would recognize. Oh yeah, I got invited too (I have no idea why, and this is my 2nd year.)

Everyone invited specializes in a specific area of the game, from Road to the Show, Uniforms and Stadiums, to Franchise management and new this year, the PlayStation Vita version. I myself am a Road to the Show junkie, but I also help with Uniforms and Stadiums amongst other aspects. After leaving for the airport at 3 a.m., flying about 5 hours, and gaining 2 hours in time zone changes, we all met-up at the San Diego airport. We quickly rented a shuttle, got to our hotel, took 15 minutes to drop our stuff in our respective rooms, then met back up to take the quick walk across the street to the studio.

It took about 10 minutes to sign paperwork and get our bearings, then the latest development build of MLB 12 The Show for PS3 was ready to go on a series of stations setup in a conference room. My first stop was Miller Park, as it always is. Within an hour, we were working directly with the artists on a couple of flaws that we found, including a fence that didn’t belong in front of the scoreboard, and the fact that the Strikeout K’s were still missing from the font of the Dew Deck in Right Field. I have over 600 reference photos on my laptop, so I copied those to a thumb drive for them, which allowed them to attempt to correct the flaws. This year, we’re here a bit later than past years, so the opportunity to make thees kind of changes is rare, and honestly, I still don’t know if they’ll make the game when it hits or not.

Today, many of us used the time to simply dig-in to the game and experience the new features and changes. Visually, it’s pretty similar, but the list of fixes, changes, redesigns, and other features is pages long. One of the first changes we noticed right away is the all new physics engine applied to the Baseball. The old system was completely ripped-out and replaced with an all-new system, and the change is immediately noticeable. The ball reacts to everything in the environment as it actually should. When you see the ball jump off of the bat, the path and trajectory that the ball takes feels incredibly natural. I actually hope to talk to the brains behind this new engine, and obviously, if I do I’ll post anything I find out. For now, let’s just say, if you’ve ever actually played the game of Baseball, you know, on a field and stuff, that the Baseball in MLB 12 The Show actually reacts to everything like it did when you were playing. It’s damned impressive and really impacts the game and how you play it. Hits don’t seem “formulaic” or “canned” as in years past, and even on this first “half-day” that consisted of about 10 hours, we’ve already heard many instances when someone yells “did you just see that?!?!” Of course, there are many more changes and fixes, and trust me, I’ll cover as much as I can (there’s so much, and also, some things I still am not allowed to talk about.)

By the way, yes, I have also played the Vita version quite a bit already. I will definitely dedicate quite a bit of space to it later this week, but rest assured that it’s fantastic. Pitching with the Broadcast camera can be kinda bad when using Pulse Pitching (another item I’ll speak to later this week,) but the Vita version is truly spectacular. I just can’t wait to be able to take my RTTS actually ON the road. We’re actually testing moving the save games between the PS3 and Vita tomorrow, so I’ll report on that as well.

I sincerely applaud the efforts of this team. There is a true passion here, and it’s infectious. The community members that attend this event are true fans, and are incredibly passionate about helping the developers as much as possible. Also, and I know this is hard to believe, but we actually have some fun n the process as well. Keep your eyes here for more reports.

Time to head back to the hotel for about 5 hours of sleep, then another 16+ hours tomorrow! I love it!

ps No videos yet, they asked that we wait until we get a more stable build. I’ll get video posted as soon as I can though.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this latest community thoughts feature. There were a few common themes in your choices – a lot of love for Gran Turismo 5, as well as the GTA series and some sports titles. Without further ado, here are your submissions:

The man who instigated this particular topic, Dave from Scotland:

FIFA 12, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Final Fantasy 7, Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City.

Derek Hoff:

5. Gran Turismo 5 with a good Racing Wheel.  I never seem to have enough racing with this game.  I can play for 2 races or play for 2 hours at a moment’s notice.

4.  NHL 12 with a brick and mortar friend.  I have played every game since ’94.  Every. Single. One.

3.  Grand Theft Auto IV.  Played every one since the first one on PSone.

2.  CoD 4: Modern Warfare.  In my opinion, the best CoD game.  I just need some online multiplayer and I’m set.

1.  Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal.  By far one of my favorite series and one of the top, if not my favorite, game of all time.  It had everything: Humor, Action, Great Story, Solid Gameplay, the whole lot.  It’s the only reason I still have my PS2.

Brambler (on PSN):

To me, sports games have the most longevity, so I would take: Madden 12, MLB 11 The Show, NHL 12, then Gran Turismo 5 and Rock Band.

Marty:

The answer is 2 fold. It has to be. The main question being “Does the island have internet?”

I would take Star Wars: The Old Republic, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Diablo 3, League of Legends (Or some other DotA style game) and Guild Wars 2.

Those games will absolutely give you the most “bang for your buck” in terms of longevity but require internet. I was deployed in Iraq once upon a time and I know what it’s like to be sitting in the middle of the desert for weeks at a time with nothing to do.

We got a new team member who had Diablo 2 on his laptop… That game was so engrossing and so chalk full of things to do I played for weeks and never got bored. However, now I have trouble going back to it but it was a great game that helped me stay sane for a long time…

Also the ability to socialize in MMO’s or DotA games is a big deal as well.  Chatting about anything from cars to girls, food, weather, sports is a regular thing in those games. Would help me stay sane if I were on a desert island.

No internet makes it a much harder choice. Am I by myself or do I have a friend who wrecked with me? I will assume by myself.

In such a case you need longevity of single player. Skyrim, Diablo 2 with expansions, Legend of Zelda promo disc (came with Legend of Zelda, Adventures of Link, Ocarina of time, Majora’s Mask on 1 disc), Minecraft and probably some shooter with really good BOTS like Unreal Tournament 3…

The thing is not a single one of the games on either of those lists even comes close to my “top 5″ games ever…

Gary (Zafri on PSN):

Gran Turismo 5 – Could be any of the GT games but this for me is the best one. Hours of gameplay, particularly the endurance events (two 24 hour races might actually happen then). Plus creating your perfect garage of cars (in the right colours) takes time.

Skyrim – Even though I’m not much into the combat in this game I could spend forever exploring the wilderness and returning my spoils to a town to craft into items.

Just (Josh) Cause 2 – I’m sure the obvious choice for a sandbox game on this list would be GTA: San Andreas but for me JC2 would keep me going longer, plus being on a desert island with this is probably the only way I would get to platinum it!

Civilisation Revolution – Probably not the best iteration of the game but it has filled more of my gaming hours on PS3 than most games and I’ve never gotten bored of it.

Final Fantasy 7 – Not only is this my favourite game of all time but it also fills hours with all the side quests and extras you can do. Even if I finished it I would have no problem starting again straight away, I love it that much!

Hannah:

1. FIFA 12
2. NHL 12
3. GTA IV
4. Red Dead Redemption
5. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy

L. Scott Boyes:

1. Goldeneye – N64

2. Lego Star Wars Complete Saga – PS3

3. Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars – PSP

4. Star Wars Battlefront 2 – PS2

5. Gran Turismo 5 – PS3

GregHorrorShow (PSN & Twitter):

My picks for the Desert Island would have to be the biggest games out there, the ones that don’t necessarily ’end.’

- Skyrim

- Fallout 3

These two just because of the sheer size of them and the fact that you could roam around endlessly even when you’ve finished the game.

- Red Dead Redemption

Again, taking one game that a) I’d love to play through again and b) can carry on after you’ve finished it.

- GTA IV

There is so much to do in GTA IV that you could spend ages getting involved in all the ‘friend’ metagames as well as missions and general messing around.

- FIFA 12

And finally some sport – with a career mode and various other modes this would last for ages before getting boring.

Pablo (emiru69 on PSN):

1. Little Big Planet, I think this game will be perfect in a Desert Island. Finally I might able to create a game that doesn’t look like is made by a 6 year-old.

2. ModNation Racers, see above answer.

3. Gran Turismo 5. With so many cars to collect and my terrible skills at driving this game will give me years of fun.

4. Uncharted 3. I added this game to the list because all the treasures and medals. I’m starting to think that the only way that I will ever get all this is if I actually get lost in a Desert Island!

5. mini: Where is my Heart? I really like this game but I’m just terrible at it; If I’m alone in a Desert Island I might find a way of stop dying every 3 seconds.

I was going to put Skyrim but I have to say I’m already getting really tired of dragons popping every 20 yards. Also if I don’t bring the game with me to the Island by time I go back to civilization the bugs might got fixed by then ^_^. I was going to add DC Universe Online but I think the Internet Connection in the Island is going to be terrible so I don’t think it will be a good choice.

Edward:

1.) Skyrim / Pretty self explanatory, the size of the game will give me plenty of time to enjoy it.

2.) Battlefield 3 / Hours upon hours of gameplay!

3.) Modern Warfare 3 / Same as BF 3

4.) Final Fantasy 6 / I can play this game non-stop for years it’s just such a great game!

5.) Gran Turismo 5 / Need an awesome racing game to play after I’m bored with everything else!

George:

Rayman (PSone), a game to this day I have not completed , loads of time to waste.

Tetris , highscores? Thank you!

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the greatest story arc to date , this may not be the best Metal Gear but the longevity it brilliant.

Dead Island, not my cup of tea , but when I’m all alone at least I know someone is having it worse.

Street Fighter Alpha Max on my PSP, I have a island to myself to master my HADOKEN!

And last but not least, Chazz H:

UNCHARTED 3 is a must, because of the amazing story and brilliant graphics. If this desert Island has broadband then the online would keep me going for ages.

JUST CAUSE 2 seeing as (like Josh) I got the platinum in this game but still have tons to do. However I think I would have to start a new game so it would last longer, but not delete the other saved games…that would be crazy.

GTA IV because I can get lost in that game world for days.

RESIDENT EVIL 4: Wii EDITION because it’s one of the best games of all time.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION so I would have a good reason to play that game again.

I hope you enjoyed reading everybody’s choices and be sure to look for a new community thoughts topic over the coming days. As ever, if you have a suggestion for a future discussion, let us know on podcast@psnation.org .

Last week at the Sony 2011 Holiday Media Showcase in New York City, I was able to meet with Brian Upton, Senior Designer for Sony’s upcoming Move based title, Sorcery. A lot has changed since the E3 reveal back in 2010 and the game is really shaping up to be a model for how to make a motion control title.

You’ll play as a seventeen year old sorcerer’s apprentice with a know-it-all attitude. As the game starts, you’ve been an apprentice for about three months and the magical cat companion that follows you around dares you to enter The Land of the Dead. Of course you do, and of course, you accidentally unleash a nasty evil on the world. It’s then up to you and your companion to set things right.

You’ll travel across the world together but you and your companion cat aren’t all buddy buddy from the start. Early on, she’s pretty antagonistic towards you and quite sarcastic. As you move through the game however, she’ll give you hints and advice and eventually you’ll form a mutual respect for each other and a stronger bond. It’s a nice touch that should add more to the narrative and keep it from being a mindless action game.

Two different levels were on display showing off different areas of the game. Essentially a third person action-adventure, the disc based game will have three difficulty levels and roughly six hours of gameplay. While that may seem a bit short at first glance, remember that this is a Move only title and you probably don’t want to be swinging your arms around in combat for 20-30 hours. Controls require a combination of a Move controller and a Nav or DualShock 3 for movement. Because it’s Move only, the developers have worked to change up gameplay often enough so you won’t get tired. The game gets broken up into action scenes, narrative scenes and puzzles much like any good action title, but obviously more critical here to keep the player from getting fatigued.

When designing the game, the developers looked at action titles as their basis for the core gameplay, and it shows. Many motion based titles nowadays tend to be on rails which severely limits the gameplay, ahem, Star Wars Kinect, but the developers wanted Sorcery to play like a standard action game and from what I’ve seen, they succeeded.

What you’ll see on screen is a fantasy world that borrows from a number of different styles and cultures creating it’s own look along the way. There’s a health bar on the left with a Heroic Strike meter above it and Manna on the right. The Heroic Strike meter will charge as you cast spells while fighting and when it’s unleashed it can have a devastating effect on nearby enemies. Refilling your health is actually a fun and clever use of the motion controls. You’ll need to pull out a potion and shake it up, then drink it making all the movements intuitively with the Move controller. I had a huge smile on my face while playing the game and this part just made me laugh.

Combat tends to be just as intuitive. You can fire basic bolts along with using wind, fire and ice and everything has an alt fire mode, as in any good action game. To fire off a simple bolt, you’ll hold your wand straight up and flick your wrist forward, you can also hold it to either side and swing it across you body to curve shots around obstacles. This comes in handy as the enemy AI is good at hiding behind things and firing at you. If you point down and sweep your arm across your body, you can lay down a barrier with your elemental spells like a wall of fire. Firing bolts through the fire turns them into fire bolts causing greater damage, the same with ice. Wind can be used to create a mini maelstrom to throw enemies around. You’ve also got a shield and can use a shield bash to push enemies back if you get surrounded.

All in all, you have seven base spells with eight combos and the combos become essential to progress in later levels. It all works really well and it feels great when playing. I can see this being the inspiration for a proper Harry Potter action game somewhere down the line.

Littered around the levels are chests where you can find treasure, gold or alchemy ingredients. You’ll use those ingredients in a light RPG-like alchemy system. You’ll have the ability to research up to 56 different potions which will determine your upgrades throughout the game. For example, drinking all the fire potions will make your fire spells more powerful. There are about a dozen upgrade opportunities during the game and you’ll need to decide what you want to focus on as only about a quarter of the full upgrade tree can be explored in a single game. The nice thing is that you have the option to keep all your upgrades for subsequent playthroughs.

While it’s not an on-rails experience, it’s also not a massive open world like a Just Cause or Grand Theft Auto. The game is fairly linear but there are plenty of side paths and hidden areas which contain a lot of the alchemy elements making exploration essential. Sorcery is making a push to show developers and players what can be done with motion controls. It’s a really good step forward and hopefully will be looked at as a turning point in the development of Move titles. Overall I came away very impressed with the game and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the full version when it releases this Spring exclusively for the PS3.

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*All impressions are based on a Beta build of Starhawk. ANYTHING described here is subject to change*

Back in May, our writer Rey and myself were fortunate enough to attend the unveiling of Lightbox Interactive’s first title for the PS3, Starhawk. Being a huge fan of Warhawk, and for me, the fact that I had known about the game since July of 2009, it was exciting to finally see what direction that it had taken since I saw and heard about bits and pieces of it on that day in Salt Lake City. To say that I was impressed is putting it lightly, as the graphical style and the “Build and Battle” system really took me by surprise. Also, as a film geek, the fact that the unveiling was taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse was just icing on the gravy. After getting the opportunity to play a mission from the Single Player and the chance to play a couple of rounds of multiplayer left both Rey and myself almost speechless, and for me at least, incredibly happy with how things had progressed, and now that the Private Beta is in the wild, even more changes have been made.

The first thing that I want to get across to everyone is that THIS IS NOT WARHAWK 2! I’ve heard so many people that primarily fly Warhawks that “the flight controls aren’t the same” and that “there are only 2 speeds instead of 3″ and my favorite “we need hover mode!.” Of course, me being a player that doesn’t fly, these complaints sound great to me, since even after playing an awesome 3 1/2 hour session of Warhawk last night still evokes the sense that the Warhawks can be a bit too effective. A skilled pilot can evade numerous locked-on missiles at a time, but can still swoop down and completely rape ground troops, then boost right back out. The changes made to the ‘Hawks in Starhawk, to me so far, are a welcome change. A pilot can still deal a devastating blow, and frankly, the Mech that you can change into can be equally as devastating. Troop rocket launchers will not lock-on when it is in Mech form, which even though the Mech can move pretty slowly, still requires both the troops and the pilot to use some skill.

Starhawk is much more strategic than Warhawk in so many ways, and to me, seems to require teamwork much more than its predecessor. Since the teams can use the Build and Battle (B&B) system to shore-up defenses, it’s going to be much more difficult to play the role of the Lone Wolf while attempting to sneak into a base to capture a flag, and get out successfully. A team that is smart about setting up their defenses definitely has a huge leg-up in Starhawk, as I’ve seen the good and the bad numerous times already in the 2 maps offered in this beta. The change with the most impact they’ve made so far (but we’ll see if it makes the cut) is that each individual collects their own Rift Energy, instead of it being pooled to the entire team.

So let’s take a step back so that I can explain this. As in a typical RTS, you need some kind of resource to be used for building anything on your selection list. In this case, that resource is Rift Energy, and unlike an RTS, you won’t be doing any mining. Instead, in each team’s base you’ll see a large Collector, which you gain small bits of Rift Energy in timed intervals. Those are small bits though, so you gain bigger amounts by achieving different tasks such as eliminating an enemy, blowing-up a vehicle, taking-out an enemy structure, and capturing a flag successfully (among other things.) When your meter fills up enough, you merely hit the Triangle button to bring the ring up to the screen. Pick the structure or item that you want to build (which closes the interface) and place the wireframe of the structure to where you want it to be built. In seconds, the structure falls from the sky and is built within a few more seconds. It’s really that easy.

Build and Battle:
There are some best-practices to really succeed in Starhawk when it comes to building structures etc, so please heed these words. Each team is limited to 32 structures on the ground. You would think that would be more than enough, but when 3 people on your team have all built a Landing Pad to spawn new Starhawks, there’s a problem. Any wall, garage, launch pad, and supply bunker counts against this 32-structure limit, and it happens faster than you would expect. Just follow these simple guidelines as a starting-point and you’ll be well on your way to being a more effective teammate.

- Only build 1 of each at the base: Garage, Supply Bunker, Sniper Tower (the only way to get a Sniper Rifle,) and Launch Pad (You can simply have another Starhawk/4×4 built by hitting the control pad, as long as you hold enough Rift Energy of course)
- If you see more than 1 of these structures, go to the interface at the structure, and hold Square to reclaim it
- Work as a TEAM to coordinate attacks and Flag Grabs

If you use these guidelines, you’ll have plenty of room when you drop a pod beacon closer to your enemy’s base (A pod beacon allows to respawn in a new area as well as back at the base.) Also, if you build a wall around something, make sure you upgrade one or two so that a door is accessible. It will only open for players on your team, and makes things a lot easier. One fun thing is that if your base is getting overrun with enemies, try dropping a structure on them. Either that, or move your drop pod so the yellow ring on the ground is right on top of then, that’ll even take a Mech out if it’s got any previous damage at all.

I was a tad skeptical of B&B when I first saw it in Austin, but then I used it. It’s insanely intuitive and extremely easy to use. The biggest issue is getting the rest of your team to understand the features and limitations of the system. Once that happens, your odds of winning will go up exponentially.

Ground War:
This is honestly my favorite part, because I have no flying skills to speak of (I do like using the Mechs though!) At its core, the ground game is similar to what Warhawk offered, with a few tweaks and changes. First, you can run now! Just hold R2 and you have unlimited running, and so far I don’t see it diminishing your aim or other attributes. You can’t fire when running though. Also, locking-on to a Starhawk in the air is different, as now you merely need to get it into your sights (instead of holding the fire button to lock-on) I see an option to supposedly go back to the Warhawk mechanic, but it didn’t work for me. Locked-on rockets seems to work well right now, and with some of the tweaks in the flight controls, Warhawk vets are going to change their rocket-shaking strategies a bit.

Currently, the only vehicles are the Starhawk/Mech, the 4×4, and a jetpack. The 4×4 is pretty similar to Warhawk, but definitely smoother to drive. The Jetpack controls pretty different to how it did in Warhawk, and the changes are blatantly for the sake of balance. You can still be pretty effective with them, especially in the Space map. Using the Jetpack, you can actually drop underneath the entire map and make your way to the other side to snag the flag, then make your way back in the same fashion, well, that is unless your inundated with some enemy Starhawks. Also, rockets can still lock-on to someone wearing a Jetpack, so “gas it” sparingly.

Other differences include the fact that it really seems to be tougher to go “Mano y Mano” with the default machine gun (no more pistol.) It’s not as sticky, and the longer you hold the trigger, the worse your bullet pattern gets. You still have to search the landscape for some weapons, including mines (which now have big flashing lights on them) and repair guns which have replaced the wrench. The repair gun can be invaluable too, as it can be used to fix not only the vehicles, but also the structures that you and your team have constructed. The one thing that I hope they reconsider is the fact that, so far, rocket launchers can’t lock-on to ground-based vehicles like 4×4′s (I know you couldn’t lock-on to 4×4′s in Warhawk, but my concern is with Tanks if they’re included) and Mechs. You can still hit them obviously, but it is pretty tough, and Mechs especially hold a pretty big advantage when they hit the ground.

The Starhawk:
I’ll admit, this is my weakest area, and I need a lot more time to judge these proficiently (I’m just not a good pilot in these things.) Overall, I think they’re pretty similar, but after reading Warhawk pilots ranting in the Beta forums, there are obviously some differences. First-off, as I mentioned earlier, there are seemingly only two speeds now. Honestly, I never tried to boost, so I can’t 100% confirm this change. The feel though, I think is pretty similar to Warhawk’s, and they have recently added the Pro-Flight controls, but I haven’t heard how effective they are yet. Locking-on and general combat again, to me at least, seem pretty similar as well. This actually seems to be the biggest source of contention with the Warhawk veterans that are in the beta so far though, but in my opinion, and as I said above, this is not Warhawk or it’s actual sequel. As someone that primarily sticks to the ground, I honestly love the changes because they definitely balance the playing-field a bit, especially since there are no Anti-Air emplacements available any more. You can build a Beam Weapon Tower, which is an automated anti-air (and anti other enemy stuff) tower that’s powerful, but slow at the same time. I do believe that the Beam weapon will need some additional tweaks, and also, it kinda bums me out that in the heat of a huge battle, that I can’t jump into an emplacement for a quick kill.

Of course, my favorite function of the Starhawk is the Mech. It’s a blast to lumber around the landscape with it, and when timed correctly, it can be devastatingly valuable during a base attack, both on offense and defense. At your disposal are the Machine Guns and Rockets, when used correctly will display an unmistakable talent for wiping many of your enemies right off of the battlefield. You are though, a huge target for everyone, so don’t expect to last long without reinforcements or repairs. Again, the sense of balance shines through even in these early stages. Even so, it’s one of the best feelings you’ll ever have in a game, when you swoop down onto your foes and lay waste to all that gets in your way. It’s mech-porn all the way, but in a much more action setting, than a Front Mission-style game.

Environment:
As you see in the video, there are 2 maps included in this beta, Acid Sea and Space Platform. Both offer a very different experience, especially with the opportunity to fly underneath the platform in the space map. It definitely forces you to think in 3D Space, and can be a real game changer once more people learn how to exploit this new mechanic. Acid Sea is much more “traditional,” and both offer exceptionally visceral action, but at the same time, very different gameplay styles (more than you’d expect really.)

Visuals throughout have definitely been bumped way up from Warhawk, which I still think is an awesome engine. Colors are deeper, textures are much better with more definition and detail, and the lighting is superbly implemented. When you’re on the Acid Sea map, take some time to run up the hill while looking at the “Sun.” When it moves behind the mountains, the light actually wraps around it, and shows a really sweet effect. It’s something that needs to be seen to be completely understood (there’s an example in the video). Skilled pilots will need to learn how to use this as an effective way to perform quick strafing runs before enemies know what hit them. Also, the lighting on the Acid Sea map is really cool, and actually made me jump once while I was playing. This isn’t Uncharted 3 or another graphical “powerhouse,” but these visuals are incredibly well-done, and I really think that they’ve achieved a perfect fit for the style of this game.

Some things that I really don’t feel comfortable discussing yet are items involved with the interface like the server browser and matchmaking. Until the game is complete, none of us truly know how it will be, so I want to steer-clear of any speculation. Past that though, this is a very solid beta (much better than the Warhawk beta for sure.) The game is a blast to play (at least in Multiplayer) and to me, has that great balance between Warhak expectations and ease of learning the new aspects like Build and Battle. Check out the video included in this story, and check out the screenshot gallery. Everything was captured by me in public play sessions in the 1.09 version of the beta.

All-in-all, Starhawk is shaping-up to be a very worthy successor to Warhawk, and even for those that never played Warhawk, this one’s gonna kick ass for a long time to come. I know the Lightbox Interactive folks are working extremely hard on this project, and I must say, it’s time well spent.

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As part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA has put together four short documentary videos that we can share with you here. There’s some overlap, but each videos include interviews with former SEGA executives, creators and developers involved with Sonic and they each provide some cool insights into the franchise and Sonic’s latest release, Sonic Generations. You can check them out below along with ALL the official pictures of the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon from this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City where Sonic was the first balloon of the entire parade.

Part 1: The Birth of Sonic

Part 2: Sonic in 3D

Part 3: The Music of Sonic

Part 4: Sonic Generations

Sonic the Hedgehog Balloon at the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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I received my PlayStation as a present for Christmas 1997, along with Twisted Metal 2, Final Fantasy VII, and a memory card. Shortly thereafter I saved my first game to that memory card. Over the last fifteen years I have strictly organized, cataloged, and maintained my game save collection. That came to an end Tuesday night when my PS3 hard disk drive failed, causing a large chunk of my entire collection of game saves, from the PS, PS2, and PS3, to be corrupted and unrecoverable. Why didn’t I back up my saves or place them on the cloud? Well I had backed up my saves, but not in the last two and a half years, and as for the cloud, I am not a PS Plus member so that little extra is denied me. However, having gone through this experience I see the mistakes I made and, oddly, the new lease on gaming life it has given me.

As with most people I had the hubris to think, “Disk drive failures happen to other people,” “I take good care of my console, I have no need to worry,” or simply “I don’t have the time to back up everything right now.” Well let me tell you something, you and your console aren’t special. It can fail you. You can keep your console in a cool, dry room and only play it for 30 minutes at a time, and it can still fail you. Now I am seriously considering getting on a “backup every two weeks” schedule so that if this were to happen again my pain would be minimal. But my own stupidity is not what I regret the most; it’s the loss of memories. This may seem overwrought or melodramatic but when I look at my game saves or pop in an old PS2 game and see that previous progress I am reminded of people and moments from my past. I know that I had tons of kills in Timesplitters thanks to my best friend, Josue, and I playing it until the wee hours of the morning almost every weekend senior year of high school. Or that I led Kratos to slay Ares the spring I graduated college after I had completed all my class requirements. To this gamer these saves were the equivalent of a family photo album, something you don’t take out and look at very often, but you need to know it’s there and safe.

All that said having the last two and half years of saves disappear into the ether lifts a great weight from my shoulders. When I think about my backlog or all those games I started and never finished I feel weighed down. This baggage has been alleviated now that these saves are gone. I no longer need to feel as if I must complete that RPG I started before I tackle a game I’ve been eying on my shelf. Now I’m free to play any of the games in my collection, PS, PS2, PS3, or whatever I want. Sure some of you may say, “You could always do that.” Well not really, the way I play games is generally I will have one or two going at the same time, typically a lengthier one, like an RPG or a large sandbox game, and a shorter, more finite game, an action game or FPS. So if I get tired of slogging through the RPG I can hop over to the action game and kick some ass, or conversely, if I hit a boss battle in the action game that I can’t beat I switch over to the RPG to feel like I’m making progress. While I’m sure this doesn’t apply to everyone, this is how I roll. So the loss of these saves gives me carte blanche to spelunk through my collection and I finally get to try out those games that there just wasn’t time for before.

I realize I am sending a mixed message, but the loss of massive amounts of data is truly a mixed blessing. Yes, I can no longer jump back into War of the Monsters and have everything unlocked, but on the other hand I get to look at my collection with new eyes, eyes unburdened by the notion of “I’ll come back to that later.” I get to start over, and while it’s scary, I will replay those wonderful game experiences from previous console generations, and move on to new ones. Letting go of the past is hard, but sometimes it’s the only way to move toward the future.