Flower Review

I wrote a bit about this game in my PSN recommendations post, here's a bit more...

First of all, although there are lots of positive reviews about this game, this one will be positive as well, the chance that you won't like this game is not so low. This game is something completly different. You have never played anything like this before, I'm sure of it. It's not about time limits, not about killing, not about being in a hurry, not about completing missions, ... it's just about playing and enjoying the experience of flower.

Although you'll only see bright meadows in most of the reviews or videos or trailers, this game has it's darker side. 2 of the 6 levels are pretty dark, but I won't tell you any more since I don't want to spoil the game for anyone.

This game is a piece of art, it proves that games can be a form of art. It provides a, in my opinion very important message.

Since this game is only 9,99$ or 7,99€, don't hesitate and get it, if you're willing to engange in this game. As stated above, for a little more information scroll down to my last post.

Pros:

+ Something you have never played before

+ Very good Sixaxis integration

+ Easy and relaxing gameplay, yet challenging

Cons:

- Not a game for everybody

PSN recommendations for the holidays

These are my recommendations for some PSN downloadable Games for the holidays:

Trine

Very nice Jump and Run Game with spectacular graphics. You can also invite up to 2 friends to play this game in Co-Op Mode.

Flower

Very relaxing game. You only need one button (any button) and the Sixaxis functionality. If you're sick of shooters or any other games that can be frustrating, even just a little bit, check this out. No time limits, no nothing, you just play, have fun, relax and enjoy!
Probably not a game for everybody though...

Fat Princess

I can't help but being reminded of DotA or Heroes of Newerth...at least a little. This is one team vs. another, base defending, using different classes (mages, warriors, archers) kind of game. It is a lot of fun to play online.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Do I need to say anything about this one? Everybody know ths game from the good old Super Nintendo times. This time it's in 1080p.

Action, Action and.. Action!

If you're looking for some adrenalin driven hours of gaming, this is the game for you. If you're looking for a good first person shooter, this is the game for you. Killzone 2 is just great. You'll know, that this game is PS3 exclusive, once you see the graphics, they are amazing. So is the sound. All in all it just makes you feel like the battlefield has come to your living room...or whereever you're PS3 is standing.

What I didn't like were all those little lags throughout the game, happens pretty often. The picture just freezes for about 1 second and then you're ready to kill some more Helghast.

Another thing that bothered me at first, was that the controls with the right analog stick felt a little sluggish. I got used to it pretty fast, but it felt definitly different than in Resistance 1 or Resistance 2.

The story ain't very deep nor is it very exciting, but it doesn't really matter in my opinion, since the gameplay is pretty fun. There are a few bosses in this game. Not really boss fights like you'll probably remember from Resistance 2, but let's just say they're much stronger usual enemies. There's only one real boss in this game, he's waiting for you at the end of the game. As we're talking about enemies, most of the enemies you'll encounter look the same. There are some minor differences though, but you probably won't really notice them. Would have been nice to have a bigger variety of enemies in my opinion.

I played Killzone 2 on medium difficulty, which was recommended for players who had some experience with first person shooters. In the beginning it's rather easy but the difficulty gets harder as you progress. It took me quite some time to finish the last level of the game.

Maybe it didn't really sound that way, but Killzone 2 is great. I guess it's the best first person shooter on the PS3 I've played so far. I liked it better than Resistance. The graphics are way better and the atmosphere is a lot more intense. In Killzone 2 you'll feel a lot more into the game, there are lots of details. Dust and Ashes flying around you, it's not as clean as many similar games tend to be.

Since Killzone 2 is a PS3 platinum  title, go and get it. It's very affordable and definatly worth its money. It also provides you with a lot of multiplayer action, since I'm not that into multiplayer, I did not really test it out myself.

Pros:
+ Intense Atmosphere
+ Very good graphics

Cons:
- Loading lags
- Short singleplayer (> 8 hrs)

I wish that place really existed...

So this is it. The first game from the Japan based Team Ico Game Studio. Many of you might know Shadow of the Colossus, which is their second game. Ico is not that well known I think. What a shame...

...as this game is just awesome. The castle, in which most of the game takes place, is just very well designed. It is spreading a nice feeling, I mean it is nice to look at and with the great sound design you just wish that this castle really existed so you can visit it for real. Nice architecture, nice lighting, hearing the wind blowing and the trees' leaves moving...well I don't know any better words than to say, it just feels right. That's what this game is about...feeling.

The graphics themselves aren't that great when you look at them from todays view. The game came out in 2002, so it is basically one of the older PS2 titles. The resolution is aweful. When playing on your LCD TV you'll see lots and lots of pixels. But this does not influence the gaming experience in any negative way.

The only thing that really pissed me off in this game is that nothing, relly nothing is being explained at all. As far as the story is concerned, this is what makes the game interesting. As far as the gameplay mechanics go, it is just frustrating. At many points in the game you don't know what to do next to continue in the game. You walked around everywhere, tried almost everything...like when you're stuck in a Point-and-Click Adventure. God, I hated that...Well anyways, the puzzles are really not impossible to figure out, if you know what Ico (the name of the main character whom you're controlling in this game) is capable of doing. For example it is never explaind that you can swing with a rope by pushing the circle button. A tutorial would have been really nice.

Once you figured the mechanics out, you won't lay the controller down anymore. The game keeps you entertained from 5 to 7 hours, which is from nowadays view an average playtime. But the time is, trust me on this, very well spent. This game is just an awesome piece of art. I won't spoil any story details, since the story is not that huge after all, but basically you're a boy with horns and you'll have to escape from a castle, but you're not alone...some mysterious girl is at your side and since she can't climb the way Ico can, you'll have to figure out a way for her too...

So bottom line, if you own a PS2 and missed this game, try to get a hold of it and don't let go. This game is in my dream top 3 of games that need a remake on the PS3, just behind Final Fantasy 7 and Shadow of the Colossus.

Pros:

+ A game worth remembering

+ Very well designed

+ Good puzzles

Cons:

- No tutorial for the game mechanics

- Annoying vibration feature (you can turn that off)

- Hard to get these days (very expensive on eBay)

Links:
Team Ico on Wikipedia 

Ico Walkthrough on Youtube

Welcome / Currently playing...

Hello everybody and welcome to my new blog,

here you'll find some minimalistic game reviews. Since I play through some games over time I thought I could spread my thoughts about them afterwards. You'll only see Sony based console games here, since I only have a Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and a PSP.

Currently I am playing the following games, so stay put and you'll probably find some micro reviews about them right here pretty soon.

So here goes:

ICO (PS2)


Killzone 2 (PS3)


Ratchet and Clank - Size Matters (PSP)

See you soon...