Alien nation
David Meikleham looks at PSB’s hotly anticipated Resistance and wonders whether Sony’s disregard for the PAL territories finally alienated UK gamers
o it’s finally here. after a four month delay. a barrage of negative
press. and spiralling development costs. but was the PS3 worth the
wait‘.’ Initial sales figures suggest so. Sony managed to sell (300.000 units across Europe in the first week alone and there was little hassle for gamers in garnering a machine for launch day. Granted. the PS3‘s European launch felt decidedly understated in contrast with the hysteria that welcomed both the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. but this could be down to Sony manufacturing more units than either of its competitors. Still. it‘s hard not to feel short-changed when you first open the black behemoth.
After the initial half hour. which you'll spend cooing at the consoles shiny veneer. the gloss wears off. The PS3’s new SixAxis pad. an updated version of the Dual Shock. feels insubstantial. The loss of the previous pad’s rumble feature to make way for gimmicky motion sensors being a particularly contentious point. Sony‘s online service is also somewhat lacking compared to Microsoft‘s mighty Xbox Live. though the PS3 does have a fully functioning internet browser. The inclusion of a Blu Ray player. while good value for money. is negated by the wealth of titles presently available in the UK (Stealth and SWAT. anyone‘.’). All told it‘s an impressive piece of kit. but. like any new system. the PS3 will live and die by its games. And while there‘s no genre-defining ‘killer app‘ to justify the lofty £425 price tag. the line-up compares favourably with past launches.
The pick of the games has to be Resistant'e: Fall of Man. a first person shooter that blends equal parts Call afl)ut_v and Halo. Resistance sees you take charge of an American soldier in an altemate 1950s war torn Britain. Instead of fighting generic Nazis. you‘ll be facing an onslaught of generic aliens. While Insomniac have put together an admirable effort for their first attempt at the genre. it‘s clear that Resistance suffers from an identity crisis.
The campaign mode and levels have been ripped straight from the pages of
Uninspired Game Design [01. while the weapons at your disposal are decidedly refreshing in contrast. Altemate fire modes for all the main guns. such as an alien assault rifle that can penetrate walls. are the game‘s saving grace. While it‘s not the Halo-killer some may have been expecting. Resistanee remains consistently engaging.
Resistance: Fall of Man (Insomniac) is out now 0000
PLAY 1
Reviews
P83
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (Sega) o
Remember the days when all Sonic had to worry about was running through shiny gold rings and traversing the occasional loop-the— loop? Well now he's got a lot more to contend with. Other than rescuing his — disturbingly — human girlfriend. Sonic also has to amble around a depressingly lifeless town hub. running chores for the inhabitants. RPG style. What next. a mortgage and trips to his chiropractor?
The P83 wields enough power to make the dinner. do your taxes and run a 40— person Resistance deathmatch all at once. So you'd think tunnelling a cute cartoon mammal through a series of linear platform levels would be a breeze. Wrong. The whole game suffers from a level of technical ineptitude that w0uld make a bargain bin PS2 title blush. Slowed- down. horrendous collision detection and imprecise controls all point to a game rushed out for the system‘s launch. Shallow. joyless and utterly redundant. (David Meikleham)
P83 MOTORSTORM
(Evolution Studios)
Mud. That's apparently what next-gen is all about. Granted. this may not be the most ringing endorsement for drawing £425 from your bank account, but bear
3 with us. You see. this
isn't just any old mud.
: oh no. It's gloriously
unpredictable. interactive. life-affirming mud. And it just happens to make
Motorstorm the most
thrilling, visceral racing experience since Nintendo's Wave Race senes.
What makes this off- road racer so blisteringly brilliant is the sheer
sense of exhilaration
and anarchy that envelopes you each time you throw your
g vehicle around a corner.
where even the most miniscule pebble can send your big rig
' careening off course like
it was hit by an atomic blast. Couple this with a
' wide variety of finely
balanced vehicles. a selection of memorable
- courses and an excellent soundtrack. 3 and you have quite the
launch title. it’s just a pity the developers
: didn't have time to
squeeze in a few more
: tracks.
(David Meikleham)
PS3
FORMULA ONE
CHAMPIONSHIP ~ EDITION (Sony) 00
Unless you‘re blessed with the cat-like dexterity of everyone’s favourite square-jawed
Scot. chances are you'll
appreciate the help that
? Sony are trying to give in
their latest racer. Unlike Mr Coulthard. most of us were born with fat
chipolatas for fingers.
We lack the sort of quick reflexes necessary to succeed in F7 that only professional drivers and small green Jedi
seem to possess.
Thankfully the game's developers realise this, and have inserted idiot- proof painted racing lines to guide you on your way.
Unfortunately, while this does make driving a great deal easier this
game ultimately feels too
handheld. Races quickly dissolve into hopeless battles against tedium.
. as you mindlessly follow each course's bright
green racing trails. The handling also feels insubstantial. more akin to running your old Scalectrix along the floor than controlling a 1000-horsepower supercar. It does look
lovely, mind. But all the HD tarmac in the world
can't save this from
I mediocnty. ' (David Meikleham)
’ - g j ' FILM
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' desktopbluos ’xL 7.2:: . F- ‘x‘ .
MUSIC
Quick and disposable blues-based
l diversion. Log on. turn up the sound and click the buttons to create
l surprisingly authentic blues from your wee animated character as he strums
the blues and bares his soul at your
command. It'll keep you amused for
five minutes at any rate.
www.desktopblues.lichtlabomh
12—26 Apr 2007 THE LIST 95