With a massive booth, SCE Australia brought out a stellar line up of games to the EB Expo over the weekend. Both the Playstation 3 and the Playstation Vita had a strong showing from Sony’s first party studios and third party partners. Sony’s Playstation 3 line up mainly consisted of their upcoming first party offerings, such as Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, Ratchet and Clank QForce, Little Big Planet Karting and much more. Of course, a few third party games had also made an appearance, some already covered by others, like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. In this article, I divulge into some of these titles, both first party and third party, that will hit the PS3 in the next six months.
While I did get my first taste of Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale at the Playstation Playground last week, the characters on offer was quite limited. That same demo was there to show off cross play to the masses, as well as the progress of the Vita version. However, there was a second station available. This station had all 20 launch characters available for selection. In my battle, I chose Dante of Devil May Cry fame in a fight with three other players on a level inspired by the Uncharted series. The action was intense as Dante uses close to mid range attacks. In terms of the actual gameplay, the core mechanics are set in stone, so not much changed in terms of core gameplay. The level looks crisp and sharp, as well as the character models. While many would dismiss it as a clone, it feels different enough to warrant a look at. I had enjoyed both experiences of All-Stars over the two weeks and it should impress when it comes out in November.
Ratchet and Clank QForce made its playable debut in Australia. The first thing I noticed is the change to the more traditional action platforming of the series seen in the PS2 trilogy, but with some additional gameplay elements I have not seen in a Ratchet and Clank game. In this particular level, the dynamic duo must defend a base from some intruders using turrets, barriers and mines. Each element costs a certain amount of bolts. Weapons are obtained by unlocking machines rather than purchasing them. Another interesting addition is Ratchet’s rocket boots. Holding the R2 button sees Ratchet speeding through the level. Going back to the series roots after All 4 One is definitely a positive sign. I was disappointed not to see the Vita version, though.
Little Big Planet Karting also made an appearance. I was able to try out one race with the new Move steering wheel peripheral. The game itself blends in classic karting gameplay with elements from the Little Big Planet series, especially the creative side of things. In terms of actual gameplay, the core is pure, classic karting. During the race, players can collect the bubbles from the series to score points, as well as using different weapons to give you the advantage in the race. The Move wheel does look and feel quite big. But it is easy to handle. The Move itself was quite responsive and accurate to my movements.
When Vikings Attack might not be a game you would be aware of, considering it is a PSN title. However, it is a game worth looking at. This PSN game, coming to both the PS3 and Vita, has you control a group of people and throwing various objects at groups of Vikings in various locations. Objects that can be thrown have weight limitations, which mean smaller groups can not carry a car, for example. Hitting multiple enemies gives you bonus points. Stealing thrown items is also possible with a quick dash, providing the group is big enough to hold the item. Both versions of the game are identical, which would mean one copy for both PS3 and Vita, similar to Soundshapes. Cross play will also be possible, but there was no demo showing this.
Epic Mickey 2 is going to be an interesting game. The demo was set in various locales such as Mickey’s house. I took the reigns of Mickey Mouse and went on a short adventure. Mickey will be equipped with the paint bush again and it is his job to use that brush to navigate through the world around him. This time, he brings Oswald the Rabbit, a foe, as his ally. The 3D platformer does look good with the cartoon style. The Move controller is quite responsive. Moving the motion controller around moves the camera as well as control where the stream of paint (or thinner) will hit. Elements from the first game, like painting platforms for progress, are back. It was a great demo and something worth watching out for.
If you have played Rugby League Live, then it would be no surprise that Rugby League Live 2 is basically more of the same with more competitions. While the authenticity of the game is quite impressive for the sport of rugby league, the controls felt a little stiff and the Al was still a bit clunky. Even selecting players while on the defence is still a little off. The amount of competitions from the two biggest rugby league countries is quite impressive, but there are only three international teams available. This is a little disappointing, considering there is a World Cup in the sport. It looks quite decent and the commentary isn’t as choppy as before.
