Cigol

A somewhat accurate depiction of Toblix's mood throughout the game?

"Generally speaking RPS has a somewhat tempestuous relationship with Telltale’s games. Walker specifically tends to go on a big ol’ rant whenever they come up, which probably means it’s a good thing he’s off having adventures in San Francisco and I’m posting the news" Nemesis not the best descriptor, but wasn't sure what else to put.

You'll need a US type postcode when signing it up to the PSN network, but once you have; just open up the shop, add the downloads to the list and then you can logout and go back to your main profile where they'll continue to download. The US shop is better in some respects, like the way it organises stuff... and has content we don't.

Tried the demo's of both Warhawk and Siren (from the American PlayStation store) and they weren't bad at all. In fact Warhawk was surprisingly good - especially for a launch title. Feels good to play, nice graphics and the wireless controls are useable. I honestly doubt I'll ever buy the full version but at least I can finally understand why it's popular with the PS3 lot. Siren on the other hand had a few problems, namely the controls being iffy and the viewpoint finickity. Typical fare for a surivial horror game I guess, which this definitely is. The graphics are nice and there's some variety in your actions (like being able to close and push up against a door to keep monsters out using motion control), and the cinematic elements look like they'll keep things interesting as you go along the series. Other than that it wasn't bad, just; alright. Nothing special - but maybe worth a look if you're into that sort of thing. It's easy to discount both games, as I did, but try the demo's to see for yourself.

Some images of the concept they pitched have since leaked out onto the internet. I can't see why it wasn't taken seriously. Looks like a winner to me!

Some games are retroactive, I believe, but most aren't. In the case of PixelJunk Monsters they say they didn't want players to have to go through the game all over again, and obviously wanting it to be something existing players can find value from have instead created separate 'trophy challenges' tacked onto the game. I think that's preferable to having to start all over again - like you had to with Uncharted Drakes Fortune (something I'm sure would have annoyed Toblix no end ) ...as for Pain, my best guess is that it's a sandbox game sort of like the 'showdown' mode in Burnout.

I'm pretty sure you had access to a scoped rifle at that point (for taking down the guy manning the gun) and there is ammo and stuff laying around near the pillars (or thereabouts).

I know I had to refresh a bunch of times on the UK store. Entertaining podcast this week, was particularly funny towards the end.

Monsters is getting an update sometime this week that includes trophies and various other little bits and pieces - but most importantly a custom soundtrack option. I don't like the original soundtrack one bit. Pain is also being updated, though I think you might actually have to pay for the privilege. They've convinced the Hoff to be the main character of their game and in exchange allowed him to sing a song as a backing track. The song in question is 'do you really want to hurt me' by culture club - and you can get your fill listening to it here; http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20235089,00.html

The demo is limited, with no campaign mode and only a short single tutorial and skirmish on the same map, so there's no way of knowing. I've not played a lot of these type of games on the console either so I have no experience with them to draw from but I'd say your concerns are pretty relevant from what I've played. Time will tell I guess.... I decided to play it through one more time last night. The units are all specialised, so you do actually have to put some consideration into how you organise and move them around. Pairing them up provides a greater base of fire for example. You also can't just run up to the enemy, shoot them and expect to get away with it, you have to play it with a modicum of caution like any turn based title. But in saying all that, I'd find it very surprising to hear someone fail on the single level they provide. Assuming you don't run around like a madman and play it properly there's simply no way you can lose. Not that I can see. The AI just isn't pro-active or challenging enough and although it remains entertaining to go through the motions I do hope there is some higher difficulty settings in the full version. The AI is almost as bad as in Cr...

Yes, what this thread needs is further derailment.

So, just going back to the game. I know I know, I'll be quick! It already has downloadable content available in Japan that allows you to play the same storyline from the perspective of the bad guys. At first I thought 'that sounds great' but the more I got to thinking about it the more I realised how that potentially undermines the complexity of the existing storyline. Maybe, maybe not... but it's released at the end of the month in Europe, so not long to wait to find out. It's a bit overwhelming, I'm used to playing one game at a time on the PS3... but now there's two?

Not exactly. There are a few varied locations off the top of my head but they all share a similar ambience by virtue of being in the same area. Combat takes precedence throughout the game unfortunately, but if you can grin and bear it the annoyance it presents will be lessened the more you play. Or at least that's what I found. Are you actually enjoying it?

I've never played Pain and although I've heard mostly negative stuff from the internet, I've not really paid it much attention to be honest. I did notice you were playing it the other day though, so let us know whether it's worth a look or not I played the demo of the Last Guy, and it struck me as something I'd end up buying, playing for a short while and then completely forget about. It sort of felt like a glorified flash game with a nice GUI wrapped around it. For a couple of quid I suppose you can't complain, but yeah I guess I just did. If you genuinely don't like racing games then I can't see you enjoying WipEout HD. Even though it contains weapons it's as intrinsic a racing title as you're going to get with you hurtling as fast and as flawlessly as possible through some seriously narrow winding tracks. I think it's cool, and the game has a lot of value but your mileage may vary. Just make sure you buy Super Stardust HD and PixelJunk Eden. Two must have titles. Eden is wonderful, and if the initial premise wins you over there is a lot of bang for your buck in how the game slowly develops and challenges you. Stardust meanwhile is retrotastic, something you can go back to time and time again - blowing up a huge asteroid into tiny little pieces is gratifying.

LittleBigPlanet got a namecheck on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross last week. They'd been sent in sackboys resembling the host and Ricky Gervais (who was on the show), but no actual game footage unfortunately. Sarah Silverman was on as well, and Jonathan Ross seemed incapable of interviewing her without looking completely intimidated. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer, just noticed it myself- he's the biggest chat show host in the UK so it's all good.

I can see why you're jumping to conclusions. It's the 'less attractive' part of my post isn't it? The bit which in retrospect might sound snarky to someone like yourself - who stands in opposition to the 'backlash' and criticism directed at Crysis - but was in fact just an instinctual and matter-of-fact statement I made at the time. To me; Crysis is less attractive, and ignoring how 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', if I'd removed that comment what would you be complaining about? I thought I'd already demonstrated why the comparison is justified at least two times already - you're just so in love with Crysis you can't see it. In future I'll be sure to omit any personal inference from my posts. Get them fact checked, ring up developers to see how technologically advanced their games are in detail, and then filter out any references to Crysis & Fallout 2 before finally sending my draft to you for personal vetting... because seriously, I've already said sorry to the developers, what more do you want. Blood? Because that brings me to the interesting part about Valkryia Chronicles, it has no blood!

You could blow up all the buildings in Mercenaries 2. A Syndicate revival would be nice, but it's bound to be done in a different format to the original. Look at all the shitty UFO sequels, Fallout 3, etc. I wouldn't be very hopeful of anything half-decent and I imagine they'll turn it into some third person run and gun shooter and just piggy-back the license - but I'm a pessimist so whatever.

Well, I would have thought the style is pretty evident from the screenshots, and I was doing well to write what I did in the first place. My apologies if I wasn't detailed enough for you. No, they were arbitrary, my opinions on Crysis (prompted by your needless praise) are merely coincidental and complimentary, not overriding. If I wanted I could have picked another game but Crysis is an obvious frontrunner. Haha - but that's not what I said! Before you started nitpicking, and derailing the thread my point (I thought) was rather clearly, if poorly put. As a gamer you know the difference between TECHNOLOGICALLY AMAZING, that feeling of something new and exciting, and VISUALLY AMAZING something that pushes the boundaries of existing technology. It's this distinction I wanted to draw attention to. It's a tenuous argument to begin with I guess - and it's presumptuous on the part of technology - but I thought it spoke to the gamer and I tried my best to get it across.

The demo is limited with no campaign mode, and only a short single tutorial and skirmish mode on the same map, so there's no way of knowing. I've not played a lot of these type of games on the console either so I have no experience with them to draw from but I'd say your concerns are pretty relevant from what I've played. Time will tell I guess.

Huh? I came back from playing the demo and had one goal in mind when discussing the graphics and that was to illustrate how 'wow, gee-whiz-bang, amazing' they were. I didn't want people to come away thinking they were technologically amazing in that way Crysis is, but to understand they are amazing in the way Team Fortress 2's graphics are, first and foremost; stylistically, aesthetically and in accentuating the underlying mechanics of the game itself. As I've pointed out, the games I picked to illustrate this were arbitrary and I resent the accusation I'm calling out Crysis as part of some wishy-washy internet meme as I genuinely think it's a lifeless husk, and I did from day one. This thread isn't about Crysis so I didn't see the need to bother justifying the comment with other more realistic, better looking and far more atmospheric games like STALKER. Indeed. Just not a particularly arresting one. Congratulations? I'm just a two-bit gamer. I don't have an English degree, I'm not a journalist or an aspiring writer - my post wasn't written for the adulation of millions - it was a jump off point to discuss a game I quite enjoyed playing. So you'll understand if I find the nitpicking & deconstruction of my posts to be rather needless acts themselves. ... ...

In discussing a game which takes a similar approach to 'Team Fortress 2' in both aesthetics and style I compared and contrasted it to the technological tour de force / de facto best graphics / can-your-pc-run-it Crysis. I didn't realise I had to pick games out of a hat in order to avoid people nitpicking - so as a PC gamer I simply picked the most pertinent and obvious games that came to mind demonstrating this. The significance is in my appreciation of the graphics in spite of their technological inferiority. So I apologise if I've offended any of it's creators by drawing allusions to aesthetics trumping technology, but I fail to see the problem here at all.

Yeah, ammo can get scarce at certain points - there tends to be more of it later in the game I found, and you'll want to choose weapons that suit you're abilities. Don't go carrying around a gun you'll find it hard to get additional ammo for, or that have small clips. The section you mention, I think I remember it - I died there quite a lot (but in fairness I was trying out for some trophies - hanging from the old ruins to kill so many people, getting as many of them in one exploded grenade - that sort of thing is perfect in that area). My advice is to just stick with it because those annoyances will be long forgotten when you reminisce on the whole experience

Regarding the lobbyists; it happens with everything imaginable. Religion is notorious for it, but funda Muslims have a trump card thanks to fear of backlash. You know, I think this might actually be a good thing. Sony are shit at marketing - this might actually get the game some fucking coverage. I wanna see sackboys burning as effigies on the streets of Baghdad, who's with me?

Wow, I really wasn't expecting anything like that from the soundtrack. Seems to come right out of left field, are the other tracks non orchestral? Assuming the translations are accurate it's not very LittleBigPlanet'y either, they should re-dub it with something playful. My suggestion; 'all sackboys and sackgirls (!) shall henceforth enjoy eternal life exclusively on PLAYSTATION. So sayeth Sony and a legally binding contract'