Gelid Games announced today that Wheels of Destruction: World Tour, an arcade-style car combat title, will be headed exclusively to the PSN “soon.” Wheels of Destruction is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth and will treat players to battles with five different vehicle types in five locations across Europe. Players can expect online Capture the Flag and Deathmatch modes. Also, the game should be pretty easy on the eyes as the Unreal Engine is powering it. No specific release date or price for Wheels of Destruction: World Tour has been announced.

The beta only made its way to the PSN in the last couple of weeks, but now the full version of Gotham City Impostors is available to download. There’s also the exciting new HD collection of Jak & Daxter and a downloadable version of The Simpsons Arcade (free for PS+ members). Older PS3 titles that now have a digital released include Top Spin 4, LEGO Pirates and Catherine.

US

PlayStation Plus Exclusives:

[image: credit PS Blog]

Regular Update:

PSN Games

Jak  3 ($14.99)
ESRB rated T
File size 3 GB

Jak  and  Daxter:  The  Precursor  Legacy ($14.99)
ESRB rated E
File size 992 MB

Jak II ($14.99)
ESRB rated T
File size 3.35

Shank  2 ($9.99)
ESRB rated M
File size 1.23 GB

The  Simpsons Arcade  Game ($9.99 or FREE on PS+)
ESRB rated E10+
File size 21 MB

Gotham  City  Impostors ($14.99)
ESRB rated T
File size 1.64 GB

PS3 Games

Jak and Daxter Collection ($39.99)
ESRB rated E-T
File size 7.35 GB

Top  Spin  4 ($29.99)
ESRB rated E
File size 4.8 GB

LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean ($39.99)
ESRB rated E10+
File size 7.3 GB

Catherine ($39.99)
ESRB rated M
File size 9.3 GB

Demos

Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine
ESRB rated E10+
File size 173 MB

Cubixx HD
ESRB rated E
File size 164 MB

Gotham City Impostors
ESRB rated T
File size 1.64 GB

DLC

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Add ons (x23) ($0.49 – $5.99 each)
File size 555 KB – 436 MB

Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 - Weapon Expert Pack ($3.99)
File size 100 KB

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning - Finesse Bonus Pack ($2.99)
File size 15 MB

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning - Might Bonus Pack ($2.99)
File size 15 MB

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning - Sorcery Bonus Pack ($2.99)
File size 13 MB

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning House Of Valor (Online Pass Paid) ($9.99)
File size 35 MB

The King Of Fighters XIII Unlock Gallery ($2.99)
File size 6 KB

Final Fantasy XIII-­‐2 – Noel’s Outfit: Battle Attire ($2.99)
File size 2.6 MB

Final Fantasy XIII-­‐2 - Opponent: Lightning & Amodar ($2.99)
File size 18 MB

UFC Undisputed 3  -­‐ Ultimate Fights Rivals Pack (Free)
File size 2.5 MB

UFC Undisputed 3  -­‐ Ultimate Fights: Submission Pack (Free)
File size 2.5 MB

UFC Undisputed 3 Alistair Overeem ($0.99)
File size 2.5 MB

UFC Undisputed 3 Season Pass ($16.99)
File size 7.5 MB

Rocksmith – Black By Pearl Jam ($2.99)
File size 3.97 MB

Rocksmith – Jeremy By Pearl Jam ($2.99)
File size 3.79 MB

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-­‐7 - 5 Spell Pack ($1.99)
File size 27 MB

Rock Band 3

• “Comedown” – Bush ($1.99)
• “Diachylon” – Chaotrope ($1.99)
• “Everything Zen” – Bush ($1.99)
• “Foundation” – Unkindness ($1.99)
• “Heavy Weather – The Storm ov The Undead” – Rainbowdragoneyes ($1.99)
• “Machinehead” – Bush ($1.99)
• “Real Wild Child” – Jerry Naylor ($1.99)
• “Slaves to Substance” – Suicide Silence ($1.99)
• Artist pack ($5.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Bush Pack 01. This pack includes “Comedown”, “Everything Zen” and “Machinehead”. By Bush.

File size: 16 MB – 34 MB (singles), 89 MB (track pack)

Updates

Blacklight: Tango Down (Price Change) (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $14.99)
Swarm (Price Change) (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $14.99)
Bloodrayne: Betrayal (Price Change) Sale (PS3) (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Ys: I & II Chronicles (Price Change) (PSP) (now $14.99, original price $24.99)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Price Change) (PSP) (now $19.99, original price $29.99)

Avatars

Carnival Island Avatar Bundle 2 ($1.49)

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning Avatars Bundle ($2.99)

Kingdoms Of Amalur Avatars (x10) ($0.49)

Videos

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Game Video

The Tester Season 3 Episode 1

Starhawk Press Reactions Trailer

Starhawk Public Beta Welcome Trailer

ModNation Racers: Road Trip Features Video

Journey Music Trailer

Warlords: How To Play Trailer Part 1

Warlords: How To Play Trailer Part 2

Need For Speed: The Run Italian Pack Trailer

SSX: This Is SSX Trailer

SSX: It’S Tricky Trailer

SSX: Survive It Trailer

Binary Domain Bigger Than You Think Trailer

Yakuza Dead Souls: Npc Trailer

UFC Undisputed 3 Career Trailer

UFC Undisputed 3 Contenders Pack Gameplay Trailer

Rayman Origins Meet The New Crazy Trailer

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational Game Video

ModNation Racers: Road Trip Features Video

Wipeout 2048 Game Trailer

PS3 Themes

Hitman Absolution - Crossed – Hand Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning Premium Theme ($2.99)

Silent Hill 3 Premium Theme ($1.99)

Silent Hill 2 Premium Theme ($1.99)

Amazing Earth: Starry Night Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Abstract Color Swirls Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

In The Ring With Candice Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Theme (Free)

PS3 Wallpapers

Amy Wallpaper

PS2 Classics

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie ($9.99)
File size 1.19 GB

EU

PlayStation Plus Exclusives:

• The Simpsons Arcade – FREE
• Malicious – 20% off

Special Offer Selection:

• Mafia II (£17.49/€20.99)

Rating: PEGI 18
File Size: 7.4GB

• Left to Die in Zombhai (£1.74/€1.99)

• Hamilton’s Great Adventure (£3.99/€4.99)
• Hyperballoid HD (£2.39/€2.99)
• Hi-Tech World Campaign (£1.39/€ 1.69)

• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (£9.99/€12.99)
• Worms Battle Islands (£5.49/€6.99)
• Sid Meier’s Pirates! (£5.19/€6.49)
• Beaterator (£5.19/€6.49)
• GTA Vice City Stories (£6.99/€7.99)
• GTA Chinatown Wars (£6.49/€7.99)
• GTA Liberty City Stories (£6.49/€7.99)
• Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition (£5.19/€6.49)
• Midnight Club LA: Remix (£5.19/€6.49)

Regular Update:

PS3 Games

• The Simpsons Arcade Game (£9.99/€7.99)

Rating: PEGI 12
File Size: 21MB

• Malicious (£6.49/€7.99)

Rating: PEGI 12
File Size: 525MB

• Mortal Kombat (£29.99/€39.99)

Rating: PEGI 18
File Size: 9.2GB

• Catherine – Release 10th Feb – (£39.99/€59.99)

Rating: PEGI 18
File Size: 9.6GB

• Top Spin 4 (£19.99/€29.99)

Rating: PEGI 3
File Size: 4.9GB

• Shank 2 (£7.99/€9.99)

Rating: PEGI 18
File Size: 1.3GB

• Gotham City Impostors (£11.99/€14.99)

Rating: PEGI 16
File Size: 1.7GB

PSP Games

• Persona 2: Innocent Sin/Persona 3 Portable (bundle) (£39.99/€49.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

minis

• T.N.K. III (£1.99/€2.49)

Rating: PEGI 12

• Vanguard II (£1.99/€2.49)

Rating: PEGI 3

• Ace Armstrong/Stellar Attack (Bundle) (£3.99/€4.99)

Rating: PEGI 7

• Cubixx/Vibes (Bundle) (£3.99/€4.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

• Fight Fantasy: Talisman/Warlock (Bundle) (£4.99/€5.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

DLC

• Dynasty Warriors 7 – Xtreme Stage Pack 2 (£2.39/€2.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

• Final Fantasy XIII-2 – Lightning and Amodar Coliseum Battle (£1.59/€1.99)

Rating: PEGI 16

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
  • Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Online Pass (£7.99/€9.99)
  • Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Finesse Pack (£2.39/€2.99)
  • Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Might Pack (£2.39/€2.99)
  • Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Sorcery Pack (£2.39/€2.99)

Rating: PEGI 18

• The King of Fighters XIII – Unlock Gallery (£1.99/€2.49)

Rating: PEGI 12

• Lego Harry Potter (Years 5-7) – 5 spell pack (£1.59/€1.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

• LittleBigPlanet – Valentine’s Day – Level Kit (£2.39/€2.99) (1 Week Only)

Rating: PEGI 7

• MotorStorm Apocalypse – Valentine’s Day Livery Pack (Free)

Rating: PEGI 16

• Rock Band 3
  • Have You Ever Seen The Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival (£0.99/€1.49)
  • Bush Pack 01 (£2.49/€3.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

• • Machinehead – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)
  • Comedown – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)
  • Everything Zen – Bush (£0.99/€1.49)

Rating: PEGI 12

Rock Band Network

• Heavy Weather – The Storm Ov The Undead – Rainbowdragoneyes (£0.59/€0.79)
• Real Wild Child – Jerry Naylor (£0.99/€1.49)
• Slaves To Substance – Suicide Silence (£0.99/€1.49)
• Diachylon – Chaotrope (£0.59/€0.79)
• Foundation – an Unkindness (£0.59/€0.79)

Rating: PEGI 12

• UFC Undisputed 3 – Online Pass (£9.99/€12.99)

Rating: PEGI 16

• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – Weapon Expert Pack (£3.19/€3.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

Uncharted 3

• Fort Co-op Adventure (£5.99/€4.79)

• Doughnut Skin Pack (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

• Salim Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Cutter Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Eddy Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Rameses Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Sully Doughnut Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

• Rogues Skin Pack 1 (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

• Agent 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Agent 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Bedouin 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Bedouin 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Thug 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Thug 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Thug 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

• Rogues Skin Pack 2 (£1.59/€1.99)

(Includes the following content, also available separately)

• Agent 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Bedouin 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Desert Agent 1 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Desert Agent 2 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Desert Agent 3 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Thug 4 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)
• Thug 6 Skin (£0.40/€0.49)

Rating: PEGI 16

• Warhammer 40000: Space Marine – Legion of the Damned Skin (£1.59/€1.99)

Rating: PEGI 18

• Yoostar – Beverly Hills Cop – You eat a lot of meat (£1.75/€1.39)

Rating: PEGI 12

Dynamic Themes

Nature:

• Dynamic sunrise at beach theme (£1.59/€1.99)
• Dynamic vernal falls theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Places/Landmarks:

• Dynamic sunrise over Manhattan theme (£1.59/€1.99)
• Dynamic vacation town theme (£1.59/€1.99)
• Dynamic yacht harbour theme (£1.59/€1.99)

Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

• Dynamic Azmodeus Dark Angels Theme 2 (£1.59/€1.99)

Seasonal:

• Happy Valentine’s Day (£1.59/€1.99)
• Valentine’s Day Hearts (£1.59/€1.99)

Videos

• SSX It’s Tricky Platform
• SSX Survive It
• This Is SSX
• Binary Domain Multiplayer Trailer
• Access TV 20

Permanent Price Drops

• Swarm (Was £6.29/€7.99 – Now £3.99/€4.99)

Rating: PEGI 12

• Blacklight Tango Down (Was £6.49/€7.99 – Now £3.99/€4.99)

Rating: PEGI 16

The UMD Passport program, which Japanese gamers have access to, will not be making its way to the US or Canada.

According to Kotaku, Sony have confirmed to them that the novel new idea won’t be available in the region.

The program would have allowed certain UMDs to be registered on a PSP (via the PSN) and then be downloaded on the Vita for a reduced price. Any PSP titles that were downloaded originally will of course still be accessible on the Vita.

Although nothing has been mentioned in regards to Europe and Australia just yet, I think we can safely assume this will be a Japan-exclusive feature.

Do you like free stuff? Of course. Do you like free stuff for two months? Even better. Do you like free stuff that takes zero effort? Sign me up. Well, do we have the prize for you! (if you live in the UK…)

We’re giving away two free months of LoveFilm subscription, where you can have access to streaming (over your PS3 or PC), games, DVDs and Blu-Rays – with three discs at a time.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Winners will be chosen at random this coming Saturday (Feb 11th). Again, this is only for UK readers because, well, it would probably take two months for them to ship your first disc to the US!

Title: Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Format: Game Card
Release Date: February 15, 2012
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Bend Studios
Price: $49.99
ESRB Rating: T

*NOTE* Word is that Bend Studios continued fine-tuning even after this game was release in Japan. This review is completely based on the Japanese version. *NOTE*

When Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune first hit the PS3, I was a bit cool to the game. I was never much for the Tomb Raider’ish type of games, and it seemed like more of the same. Of course my mind was changed once I actually played the game, and since then I’ve been an ardent fan of the series. Seeing an Uncharted game on a handheld was something I never thought would be as good as it is on the PlayStation 3, but what we were shown at E3 definitely gave me hope. Read on to find out if this is worthy to be called “Uncharted”.

Gameplay:
First-off, everything you know of the gameplay in an Uncharted game is here, except for the melee combat from Uncharted 3. Overall, the classic mechanics are kind-of a hybrid between Uncharted 1 & 2, but are very solid. Obviously though, the Vita allows for even more options. In Golden Abyss, some are good, some are a bit cliché’ existing more to show that the system CAN do something even though it really adds nothing to the gameplay.

What they’ve inserted into the game using the rear touchpad are some of my least favorite, but they do work. First is being able to use it to climb a rope or chain. Yeah, it’s neat, but pushing Up on the left analog does the same thing. Now when you find treasures or objects, on occasion you have to interact with the object. This is usually either by doing a charcoal rubbing by running your finger over the paper, or in the case of the rear pad, when you pick an artifact, it usually needs to be cleaned-off. In this case, the rear touchpad is used to rotate the item, but it’s really touchy. This is the worst of it though in terms of exploiting the new hardware.

The touchscreen is used extensively, but still sparingly in most cases. In the previous example above, and as in performing the charcoal rubbings, you’ll “clean” the artifact by running your finger over the dirty sections to get the dirt off. This again, at least to me, is sort of unnecessary, but it does add to the immersion of the experience a bit. Another new touchscreen-centric aside, that also uses the motion-controls, is to take pictures of certain items that help to uncover mysteries listed in your journal. The controls work wonderfully, but the margin of error to get the picture as close to the sample photo is excruciatingly devoid of any margin for error.

But where the touchscreen sees the most action is in hand-to-hand combat. You can still use the buttons to fight, but no matter what, you will have to finish the foe off with a couple swipes of the screen. Also, with some long jumps, you may have to swipe up on the screen to get your grip. It’s also used to pick-up hidden treasures, guns that are dropped, and even to reload your weapon of choice. This use is unavoidable in many situations, but everything is quite intuitive, and the touchscreen is very responsive. Lastly, and one of the most convenient uses, is the ability to swipe your finger all the way across handholds that you would normally have to keep hitting X to traverse. Now you simply slide your finger across the path, and Nathan follows the path effortlessly. I laughed when I first saw this in use, but after using it, I take that laughter back. Golden Abyss even uses the rear camera a couple of times. You’ll find a blank piece of paper, and to see what’s actually on the paper, you have to hold it up to light, so you actually do this using the built-in rear camera. It’s actually pretty cool, and it really does need light. I had to turn a light in my kitchen on that was bright enough to do the job,

Now, to my favorite new option, the motion controls, specifically the ability to fine-tune your aim while looking down the sights. They’ve tuned the motion aiming perfectly, and being able to use the right stick to aim, then go down the sites and use the motion sensors to home right in is fantastic, and adds a great deal of precision to the gameplay. It really is the first time that an aiming mechanic like this works as well as it does, and it may actually ruin me for other similar games. The motion controls are also used for aiming the camera, getting your balance when walking across a narrow board, and guiding yourself down rivers. The sensitivity of the motion sensors in the Vita is stunning really, it’s just incredibly accurate.

So past all of that, the level design is good, but one thing missing is “that blockbuster level” like we’ve seen in the past with the Train or Horse levels for example. The locations are highly detailed and run the gamut from dense jungles to humongous caverns. I did have a couple of occasions where I really didn’t know where I was supposed to go, and I think that may come from this being Bend Studios first foray in to the world of Uncharted. Again, there’s nothing wrong, but it definitely harkens-back to the first game. The mix between puzzles, exploration, and action is very well done, with that classic pacing we’ve gotten to know and love. Regarding where in the Uncharted timeline that this game falls, there’s no indication in the story, but a few things you’ll see would lend me to think that this takes place before Drake’s Fortune.

Visuals:
The visuals are in a word, stunning. This is an Uncharted game through-and through. Seeing people on the Internet profess that the game runs at a lower resolution, or that it looks blurry obviously haven’t actually seen the game in action. Might I suggest a trip to Lenscrafters for those posting stories based on nothing more than a guess based on a blurry image posted to the web.

Also, the game is made for that luscious 5-inch OLED Vita screen, and it just bleeds color from every edge. I will say though, that you’ll probably need to up the brightness, as while I was playing with all of the blinds up in my living room, even with the OLED screen, some scenes were a bit tough to see when underground (also, I have old-man eyes.)

The biggest issue I have in this area are some of the puzzles, especially one in particular that requires you to match 7 faces with 7 symbols. The symbols are all on wheels like an ancient slot machine. A couple of them were incredibly hard to see, and made me long for the option to zoom-in on that section of the puzzle. Other allow viewing from multiple angles and even have a zoomed view, but not that one. That was probably the most frustrating piece of the game, but fortunately it happens early in the game, and doesn’t happen again.

On top of all of this, the lighting is superb, and better than the first Uncharted in my opinion. It’s really great and very immersive when light reacts to everything the way you’d expect it to, especially in those rare instances when the sun is visible. Torches flicker realistically, while your shadow appears on a wall behind you. Flashlights are used sparingly, which I’m happy about. It’s very easy to get too ambitious on a portable platform, but no matter what, playing on a 5-inch screen, no matter how beautiful, is still different than on a 50-inch HDTV. Luckily, the puzzle I described above is really the only instance where this was a problem.

Audio:
Top-notch in every way, the audio design is what you would expect. My advice, wear headphones. The soundtrack is amazing, with definite hints of tribal chants and pounding drums, perfect for locations based in South America. The voice acting is excellent, with not a one that doesn’t fit perfectly. Guns and rockets sound exactly as they do in the games’ big brothers, only lacking surround sound. Even in stereo though, the sound design fills every nook and cranny of your ears.

Conclusion:
Golden Abyss is a worthy entry into Uncharted lore, and even with a couple of control issues, and dealing with some semi-gimmicky mechanics, it’s a fantastic game. No, there’s no online or multiplayer, but neither did Drake’s Fortune, of which overall, this is actually a better game. The story takes a while to unfold though, so don’t get deterred when you’re playing it. Even though it doesn’t have a stats page to tell me, I’d say that on Normal, this took me between 7 and 9 hours to complete. If you’re a trophy-whore, you’ll obviously have to play through twice, so you can finish on Crushing difficulty to insure that Platinum. I honestly can’t believe that this wasn’t developed by Naughty Dog, and that alone speaks volumes for the talented team at Bend Studios.

Grade:

Gallery (All screenshots were taken by me using the Vita’s screenshot function):

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Title: ScaryGirl
Format: PlayStation Network Download
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: TikGames
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: E10+

Gameplay:
ScaryGirl is based on a charming world created by Australian artist Nathan Jurevicius. In it, you’ll play as the titular character who was abandoned by the side of the road one night and found by a friendly octopus named Blister. He found all sorts of clothes and things for her to wear at the bottom of the sea and built her a tree house to live in. ScaryGirl is having recurring dreams about a mysterious man and when dead leaves begin to wash up on shore, Blister asks her to head to the mountains to find Treedweller and see what’s going on. He tells her to consult Bunniguru, a large rabbit that lives in the tree trunk for advice on her journey. Yup, it’s gonna be that kind of game.

You visit Bunniguru which will then kick you into a tutorial explaining the basics of movement and combat. The game itself is a 2.5D action platformer and you’ll be using ScaryGirl’s whip-like tentacle arm for light and heavy attacks. You’ll also have some basic combos and the ability to stun enemies. Once stunned, you can grab them and either throw them at other enemies, smash them into the ground or pull a few other cool moves once you get some upgrades. You’ll also be able to use the tentacle arm to hook onto some objects and even fly for a short time.

Gems are littered around the levels and you’ll be collecting them for higher scores and to purchase upgrades when they become available. A number of the levels also have branching paths, making backtracking essential for more gems and higher scores. The combat can almost be described as God of War lite, with combos and juggling enemies in the air but it’s all done with an adorable and memorable style.

The are a number of boss battles throughout the game, some easier than others. If you’ve played this type of game before, you’ll know what to expect, looking for patterns and attacking weaknesses. You’ll also find two other characters every now and then that can help you out. One will restore full health for a number of gems and the other has a store where you’ll purchase any unlocked upgrades. The upgrades range from vinyl figures you can collect and display in your tree house to new attachments for your tentacle arm to new combos. You’ll need to unlock a number of these to get through the game as the enemies get much tougher the further you go.

Some of the attachments include a feather which lets you float farther, an anchor which makes your attacks more devastating but slower, a magnet which attracts gems and so on. The combo upgrades fit right in with the offbeat style of the game, my favorite being the mass of tentacles that rise up out of the ground and slam down on nearby enemies dealing massive damage.

The other trick in your arsenal is Scary Mode. You have a meter that fills in the bottom left of the screen which can be triggered when full. At that point the colors drain a bit from the screen and things seem to enter a dream-like state where ScaryGirl becomes a monster that can one hit kill pretty much anything. It’s really fun to watch.

The story progresses nicely through the game and the difficulty has a pretty steady curve save for the Rooftops level where things become near impossible. Having infinite lives is helpful, but get past that and you should be fine.

Visuals:
Gorgeous, sumptuous, whimsical, how can I describe them? Just look at the screenshots in this review and realize it all looks even better in motion. When the path splits, you can usually see the other path trailing off into the distance and see gems and enemies out of focus in the background making you want to go back and take that other path as well.

The characters and enemies are all imaginatively designed with a quirky, fun style. Even ScaryGirl has a sweet charm about her and it all looks wonderful in the pseudo-3D environment. The color palette and the blending and shading is just fantastic, which, being based on the work of an artist is to be expected, but I absolutely love the look of this game.

Audio:
The only voice in the game is that of the somber British accented narrator and the work is excellent. Sound effects are well placed, allowing you to hear what’s just off screen so you’ll know what’s coming up. Each of the environments and enemies have their own unique feel and the sound design plays a big part in establishing all of it.

The music is mostly a combination of guitar and keyboards and it blends in beautifully with the art style. It never feels tired or repetitive even when you get stuck on a level and have to replay it a number of times.

Online/Multiplayer:
No online is available but there is an option for two player local co-op throughout the entire game. The second player joins as Bunniguru who tends to be a little faster than ScaryGirl but the combat seems generally the same. There is also a placeholder for DLC but we don’t know yet what form that will take, whether it’s additional levels or characters or something entirely different.

Conclusion:
ScaryGirl is a wonderful game overall with some really good platforming and combat along with a nice upgrade path and imaginative weapons and enemies. I mistakenly listed the price at $14.99 on the podcast and said it was still worth it, but at the correct price of $9.99, this game’s a steal. If you like action platforming or quirky stories, you’re going to love this game.

On a side note, there’s a Minis title available on the PlayStation Store also from TikGames called Dr. Maybee & The Adventures of Scary Girl. If you enjoy the game I’ve reviewed here, I urge you to check this one out as well. It’s designed like a 16-bit 2D platformer with similar mechanics but a different storyline and it’s the perfect complement to this game. It’s really a treat to play the two of them back to back.

Grade:

Trailer

Screenshots

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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.

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It is a fact of getting older that eventually our favorite uncles, cherished grandpas, and even beloved parents go a little nuts as they get on in years. Luckily when this happens in the video game world we don’t end up with ridiculous family drama, but some wacky and wild games appearing on our past-its-prime system of choice. Since the dawn of the PS2 each PlayStation system has had a period when new games and titles were releasing for the previous generation of systems, while the new machine was trying to get up to speed. For example, Rockstar published The Italian Job on the original PlayStation months after they unleashed Grand Theft Auto III on an unknowing public via PlayStation 2 or God of War 2, which led the PlayStation 2 charge in 2007 as the PS3 gained traction. While those are examples of high profile games that bled into a new generation on past hardware, more interesting to me is the spectrum of truly weird titles that get released during this same stage in a console’s lifecycle – the “crazy old man” phase. As a hardware generation draws to a close the retail price of the system drops, which increases the number of people that have their hands on it, development costs also decrease as teams become more familiar with the system’s infrastructure and publishers are more willing to take risks on crazy, one-off titles, generally from Japan. Scanning across my shelf I’m greeted by titles that range from the ridiculously over the top God Hand to the incredibly cute, but satisfying 2D RTS GrimGrimoire. Most unexpectedly a few series have carved out a niche in the Crazy Old Man phase of a console most notably the Persona series. Here is something you may not have realized but every mainline Persona game beside the original Revelations: Persona, was originally released on past generation hardware. Here are the stats Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was released in North America a month after the PS2 launched and Persona 3 and 4 were released a year and two years, respectively, after the PS3 launched. So even with the looming shadow of a new console on the market great games can still find their audience.

Another aspect of an aged console is the ability to repackage compilations. A system staring at the Crazy Old Man in the mirror often decides ends up playing host to entries in its famous franchises bundled together or even collections of previous titles in a famous series. Don’t forget that at one time every mainline Final Fantasy game released until that point, except for FF3, was available on the PlayStation. That’s FF I, II, and IV through IX, which takes a bit of a time investment to get through. For this bit of insanity we must thank the likes of Final Fantasy Chronicles, released in 2001, and Final Fantasy Origins, from 2003. A system in the Crazy Old Man phase won’t just give you the weird and wild, but also offer a history lesson if you pay attention.

What I’m curious about now is how does this bode for the ailing PSP? With the announcement of a Growlanser game coming to PSP this year does this signal the PSP is about to enter the Crazy Old Man phase? Will we see the wacky and wild diversity of past Sony platforms repeat themselves on the PSP? Do fans want to see crazy compilations or are we ready to move on to the Vita and bigger and better things in the future?

A system’s senility is often considered a bad thing, with no more big name games on the horizon it is left to take up shelf space at retro game stores and/or old school gaming conventions. But don’t forget that in a system’s last gasps it will often offer pearls of wisdom, or more likely games of whimsy, that we would do well not to miss.

I blame the PSNation podcast for my new addiction.  I was an innocent RPG fan.  I occasionally visited the FPS realm with games like Killzone and Resistance.  And when Torgo and Co. would talk about Zen Pinball I’d recall me old opinion of pinball games.  “How can you enjoy a game where you look at the same environment all the time?”

Then Zen Studios released Zen Pinball free for Plus members, so I shrugged and gave it a shot. Yeah, I am now an official pinball convert.  I purchased some of the Marvel tables (because I am a huge Moon Knight fan and I had to try his table).

But word had it that Zen Studios was releasing a new table that would be right up my alley.  Torgo mentioned it a few shows ago, and I went frantically-looking for it, but it was nowhere to be found.  Finally, the official announcement came today.  A Role-Playing Pinball table.  It lampoons my favorite genre in a goofy and clever way (reminiscent of Monty Python).

But poking fun at the genre isn’t the only thing that makes Epic Quest an RPG/Table.  The main character Max is looking to defend the realm from injustice, rescue wealthy maidens, and earn as much loot as possible in order to build up his arsenal of weapons and armor.

But get this…Max levels up.  Even if your game is over and you lose all of your balls (TWSS) Max will continue with all his possessions and levels into the next game, so you will be rewarded for continuous sessions.  Max’s armor will also visually change as you acquire new pieces.

Zen Studios continues to impress with their new tables, and this is no exception.  They have added a level of depth and humor into the pinball genre, and I’m excited to give this a shot when it’s released to the PlayStation Store this month.  Check out the trailer below.

With the PlayStation Vita just a few weeks away, I’m curtailing my spending so that I can get a larger memory card (expensive) and a couple Vita games. Fortunately the list of Blu-ray new releases this week seems almost perfectly catered to my personal needs. Nothing here is a first-day purchase in my opinion.

Some of the new releases:

• 2-Headed Shark Attack (Asylum)
• Adaptation. (Image)
• The Big Year (20th Century Fox)
• Cold Mountain (Lionsgate)
• Das Boot: Director’s Cut (Single Disc Edition) (Sony)
• The Double (Image)
• Dream House (Universal)
• Drive (Sony)
• The English Patient (Lionsgate)
• Frida (Lionsgate)
• Grand Canyon (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• In Time (20th Century Fox)
• Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (Discovery Channel)
• Joe Somebody (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• Malcolm X (Warner Brothers)
• The Mill and the Cross (Kino)
• Monkeybone (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• Night Train Murders (Blue Underground)
• Nothing in Common (Image)
• Outrage: Way of the Yakuza (Magnolia)
• The Piano (Lionsgate)
• Poirot: Series 1 (Acorn Media)
• Poirot: Series 2 (Acorn Media)
• The Richard Thompson Band: Live at Celtic Connection (Eagle Rock)
• The Scout (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• Shakespeare in Love (Lionsgate)
• Snow Buddies (Disney/Buena Vista)
• A Soldier’s Story (Image)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Next Level (Paramount)
• Styx: The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight – Live (Eagle Rock)
• The Summer of Massacre (Breaking Glass)
• The Terrorists (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• Texas Killing Fields (Starz/Anchor Bay)
• The Thing (2011) (Universal)
• To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition (Universal)
• Transformers: 7-Disc Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Trilogy (Paramount)
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon – 3D (Paramount)
• Treasure Buddies (Disney/Buena Vista)

Really want to see Drive though and I’m sure I’ll do so down the road. Pun intended.