War of the Monsters stole my money

Have you ever felt you were cheated out of money? Like someone stole cash from out of your pocket?

That's how I feel about buying War of the Monsters on PSN.

I paid something like $4.00 for it. I know that doesn't sound like a lot. But I was so excited by the concept-- a monster movie brawler that looked fast and cheesy fun. I anticipated getting into it as it was downloading its 1.2 GB game file to my PS3....

But once I started playing, I discovered there aren't any controls. The developers MADE NO CONTROLS for playing the game. At least not any that WORK. Sure, they say the triangle and square buttons are attack, R2 is block, but the controls don't actually do that. At least not unless you're not being attacked or are completely alone on the battleground.

War of the Monsters is a COMPLETE RIP-OFF of a game purchase with absolute SHIT controls. This came from Incognito Studios, the makers of one of my favourite games Twisted Metal: Head On?!?

PSN needs to have a refund option for games that are obvious garbage. It only took 5 minutes to discover this was complete garbage. I feel like it stole my money.


later
don

Binary Domain

I bought Binary Domain (PS3) a few weeks ago, and also just bought Borderlands 2... which is ok, I don't know how I feel about it, is it worth the $20.00 price to me? I dunno... but Binary Domain for $10.00 at Walmart-- even though it is very linear and by-the-numbers campaign, for what it is-- it's fairly fun.

Binary Domain is a third person shooter, where basically the enemies are all robots. But when you shoot them, they do cool things; shoot off their head and they will blind fire often hitting their team-mates, shoot off their limbs and they will switch shooting hands or crawl after you, Terminator-style. The game feels very Japanese, and while the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense, it is a very cool vibe that does ask some deep questions, like the nature of artificial life. For $10.00 it's a solid game.

What is very annoying are the quick-time elements.... *sigh*... I am seriously thinking of giving up on videogames altogether because of this awful quick-time context trendy bullshit in games. As per usual, it almost ruins the game, thankfully they are short little bits.

And the online is non-existent. There is multiplayer, 2 modes, versus and survival (which is called Invasion) and I have rarely ever found anyone online to join my match.



later
don

Tomb Raider - broken QTE

I've been curious about the recent Tomb Raider release, and lucked out when I saw a copy of the PS3 version at my local library. I thanked my lucky stars and snatched that bad boy (or bad girl?) right  up real quick, scampering on back home to my game playing cave (A.K.A. my living room)

It's very cinematic. I haven't played many Tomb Raider games,  I only have Tomb Raider Anniversary (PSP), which I never really played much of. So I'm more or less new to the franchise, and this is a good introduction.
My main gripe so far, and it's a serious, perhaps game breaking problem - - the QTEs (quick time events). Specifically, the one where you have to waggle the left analog stick left and right really, REALLY fast.

This is a huge problem in the game, as it uses this L analog waggle QTE a *LOT*. I don't know how it is for Xbox 360 but on PS3, it is NIGH IMPOSSIBLE to waggle it fast enough using my left thumb. Not even my whole left hand. No, I have to place the middle of palm of my ENTIRE RIGHT HAND onto the L stick and SHAKE it back and forth like an insane person just to do the QTE. And then switch back fast enough when there are QTE button presses. It is so ridiculous.

Did *NO ONE* at Crystal Dynamics PLAY this game on a PS3??? Seriously. This is an EGREGIOUS, game breaking problem that never should have made it to the finished game.

I've tried using the right analog stick. No good. I've tried pinching the left stick between my thumbs and fingers to be able to shake it enough, again no good. It seems to have to be literally LEFT and RIGHT stick movement. Left and right really, really fast. I'm afraid if I have to do these stupid QTEs too much I'll break my Dualshock 3.

UPDATE: I found that rotating the left analog stick in a counter-clockwise circle can sometimes work.

This left analog stick problem RUINS Tomb Raider. It almost completely destroys what is otherwise a cinematic, smooth adventure game. And shame on all the high reviews who don't mention this enormous issue.

And Quick Time Events in general-- now there's a STUPID, overused game mechanic of the last 2 years or so. It is being used so cheaply and in almost every console game today... this unimaginative game mechanic needs to die die die already. How completely lazy are game designers that they have to copy gameplay from God of War? Actually, this goes back to Dragon's Lair. And NO ONE ever uses that game as an example of fun gameplay.

Dear game developers: ENOUGH WITH THE QUICK TIME EVENTS ALREADY. It is beyond over-used. Knock it off, and actually try to think up some new, ORIGINAL gameplay ideas. Or even if they aren't necessarily new, gameplay mechanics that are FUN. No one thinks QTEs are fun. So stop overusing them.



later
don

dreamGEAR Phenom PS3 controller

Ever since I hurt my hands using the PS3 Dualshock 3 controller for extended periods, I've been on a (desperate) quest for a DECENT third party PS3 controller that is COMFORTABLE. When I saw the dreamGEAR Phenom PS3 controller on sale at the Futureshop website, I took a bite. There's not that much choice for third party PS3 controllers out there.

 

The package includes the controller, 2.4GHz USB dongle (the controller is not bluetooth), and a USB charging cable that is slightly longer than the one included with the PS3 console.The controller can be used while connected to the cable during charging.

The dongle sticks out of the PS3 USB port, and obviously while using it, it occupies one of the only 2 available ports. There is a red light on the end of the dongle that flashes if there's no controller connection or stays solid red when connected. Having a dongle jutting out of the front of PS3 is a little bit ugly, but it may not be a huge deal. What is more of a big deal is that because it's not bluetooth, the controller can't turn on the PS3 like the Dualshock 3 can. But it can turn off the PS3. And when the dongle is plugged in, the controller ALWAYS takes controller 1 slot, even if it's not used. Sometimes a bit annoying.

The dreamGEAR (yes that's how they spell their company name) Phenom PS3 controller uses Immersion technology (aren't they the company that sued Sony?) for rumble, but the controller is missing "six-axis" motion sensors. I don't know of many PS3 games that use six-axis, but it's definitely worth noting.

The controller is bigger than the Dualshock 3, but it feels more comfortable in the hands. I don't have large hands, but it fits very well even in my small little mitts. However, it could be a bit big for little kids, as I've had that problem with my Xbox controllers. Speaking of Xbox controllers, yeah, it looks a lot like one, doesn't it? But make no mistake, this is no clone. It's not as ergonomic as my Xbox controller S.

 But it does feel good to hold. The controller (and oddly enough, dongle) is coated with an almost rubbery surface, it feels really good; grippy without being too sticky. The analogue sticks are stiffer and more clicky when you press them in, again, boils down to personal preference but I find the Dualshock 3 analogue clicks (L3+R3) a bit too easily.

 The shoulder buttons have a really good placement, the L2 +R2 stick out more and are more responsive than the Dualshock's triggers.

I've read accounts of people complaining about dead zones in the analogue sticks. I personally like the sensitivity of them myself. I find the Dualshock 3 analogues to be jittery sensitive. So that might boil down to personal preference. The D-pad is ok. I don't think it's quite as good as the Dualshock 3? But very close, maybe.

Even though it might look like it, the buttons don't light up or anything. Just the controller number at the bottom.

But there are some major flaws in this controller. The buttons are all clicky and not as smooth as the Dualshock 3, but the face buttons are the worst-- the X and O buttons on my controller stick; sometimes they stay down, pressed in after pressing them. Very bad. I don't know if it's just my controller or a general build quality issue. Futureshop only sells this controller online, so it's not as easy to get an exchange.

Unfortunately, I will be returning it to the store. The stuck face buttons are too much of an impediment, I've been trying to play it some more but the stuck buttons issue is not going to go away.

A real shame as it feels much better than the Dualshock 3, especially when using four fingers for the shoulder buttons.

My quest for a better PS3 controller goes on.


later
don

Guacamelee! tastes like crap to me

Ugh... I am really trying to like Guacamelee!... after all the glowing reviews and the cross-play feature-- not to mention cross-buy, where you buy the PS3 version and get the Vita version also-- I downloaded it from the Playstation Store-- there is no free demo, but when you buy it, it says free demo and full game unlock as part of the package. Basically, they were going to release a free demo but decided not to. Very shady, Sony or developer Drinkbox Studios--whoever decided that... way to be slimy right off the bat.

Had I been able to play a free demo, maybe I would have realized how cruddy the gameplay actually is. The game looks really good, and is smoothly animated. but the actual GAMEPLAY sucks. Bad.

 

This is from a tutorial early in the game. If the combo button pressing above looks like fun to you, then this may be the game for you. But trying to press this combo in 2 seconds is anything but fun for me.

The analogue stick and button pressing is just ridiculous. It is laggy and not consistent at all. This isn't fun, Drinkbox Studios, it's just PEDANTIC. Imagine having to do run-into-the-ground-by-every-game-now God of War style quick-time moves-- ALL THE TIME. That's about my personal vision of video game hell.

Truly such a shame. The animation style is really nice, and there is smoothness in the movement, but it all seems wasted. I will keep playing, hoping it will get better, but so far Guacamelee! is a waste of 15 bucks.


later
don

Dualshock 3 controller hurts

Seriously... is it just me or is the Dualshock 3 controller downright *painful* to play with? I've been trying to rack up some major gaming time with Resident Evil 6, most notably the Mercenaries minigame mode... but man, holding the DS3 for any extended length of time seems to lead to hand pain, even-- bizarrely enough-- pain in my forearms!

My middle, ring and pinky fingers on my right hand get particularly sore after holding the controller. The two "wings" aren't very ergonomic at all. The problem is, the Dualshock as not changed since the Playstation 1. In over 15 years, the same basic design of the controller persists. Have you ever seen controllers from old game systems like Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, etc.? Can you imagine Nintendo trying to use those same controllers now?

The problem is, Sony seems to think the look of the Dualshock is more important than the function. It's supposed to be held in the hands and allow for pressing the face buttons, D-pad, trigger buttons and analogue sticks comfortably. But Sony thinks the look of the Dualshock adds to the branding of the Playstation system. And to be fair, it does. You see a Dualshock and you KNOW it's Sony Playstation. I know that Sony tried to float a ridiculous radical "batarang" controller design for the PS3 early on. Compared to that, it is better that they stuck with the Dualshock design. But really what they SHOULD have done was to refine the design to be much more ergonomic and comfortable in the hands.

The first times I held an Xbox controller S, I was impressed by how molded it felt to my hands. It's not perfect, but it feels like someone went to a lot of trouble to make it ergonomic and sculpted.

So I am trying to find a PS3 controller that mimics the Xbox feel and shape, or at least is more COMFORTABLE than the Dualshock. I ordered this controller from Futureshop, the Dreamgear Phenom Wireless PS3 Controller. But I am always wary of 3rd party gaming  accessories, especially controllers. They are almost always worse than the original ones. So I don't know if this one is any good.... I just hope it plays as good as it looks....


later
don

Resident Evil Revelations

I've been trying to play through Resident Evil: Revelations again... I bought the game awhile ago and finished the campaign once. This game is truly heartbreaking in how souless it is.

I have to say, on my first playthrough, Resident Evil: Revelations was... ok. It started off really good for about the first half of the campaign, but not much action. Unfortunately, when it does get to the action in the latter half, the game just falls apart. The water levels where you're either wading through or swimming are just TEDIOUS and terrible, despite the actual swimming mechanic being based on the Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow PSP game... which works well for the most part. It's the aggravating little-girl-sounding dolphin monsters that break the gameplay during this section-- which goes on way longer than anyone would ever want it to. I had a wretched time slogging through this crap.

Then they throw in a timer section that is nigh-impossible to do without running out of time on the first run, and turret missions, and Resident Evil: Revelations just runs out of any real sense of fun that it was building to in the first half.

What pisses me off is that they are porting it to the consoles, and all the crap gaming sites are acting like it will be the second coming or something; they are pounding out article after article about Resident Evil: Revelations, as if it is a really good game. Yes, Resident Evil: Revelations does look and sound very good. But compared to Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Resident Evil: Revelations unfortunately doesn't hold a candle to it,  because of the stale pacing of the gameplay and the broken campaign, there is even LESS replay value than there is in the notoriously-light-on-content Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. That's just sad.

I hope people who haven't played the 3DS version of Resident Evil: Revelations aren't fooled into thinking that it's a really good game, based on all the inexplicably good press the console port is getting-- that, by the way, as of this writing hasn't even come out yet.

I'm currently playing Resident Evil 6 on PS3, and it is a better game than Revelations. Unfortunately, RE6 has a unnecessarily convoluted control scheme that damages the gameplay considerably.



later
don

Sound Shapes broken

I recently bought Sound Shapes from the PSN, it was on sale for $10.00 or so... and wow. While it looks pretty, there are some fundamental gameplay issues.

I got stuck a few times during a Jim Guthrie/Superbrothers level called Purgatory. My little round guy got stuck at the beginning of the level, where I couldn't move. Right on the intro screen! Bad sign if the a player gets glitched before the level actually begins. Later, my guy got stuck again on something that it NEEDED to press as part of the level. This isn't even going off on wild tangents, or pushing into every corner of a level. This is just following the direct path of the gameplay it gets stuck & glitched.

And the PS3 version... I downloaded it, as soon as I try to play it it demands ANOTHER download update. Ok, par for the course for PS3 games. So I download that and try to start. It gets to the title screen, then goes blank. I have to turn off the PS3. So I try it again, and again it just goes blank. After looking up the issue online I find a message board posting saying that I need to delete the save file it created when I first tried to start it. Holy cow, is there NO actual testing of these games by Sony or the developer? How can a player know this without chancing upon a message board posting, and why hasn't it been fixed?

I don't know if this is Sony being too lazy with quality control with their PSN titles. Or that the  "Superbrothers" are seen as rock stars of the indy games scene and are actually not good game creators, as in, a game first and foremost NEEDS to be NOT BROKEN.

Did I waste $10.00 for this?


later
don