Another week, another episode of FirstPlay, and it’s pleasing to see yet another healthy dose of content on offer by the Future crew. This week’s episode saw a couple of racing reviews as well as a trailer for quite possibly the best looking game on PS3 – Crysis 2 (sorry Uncharted 2!). On the screenshots side of things, there are some awesome shots of Demon’s Souls, Saw II and the spooky Castlevania: Lord of Shadows. In Network Highlights, there’s some help for you God of War fans, and a round up of content on the store, minis, and LBP levels. This week also features Blast Off, a free PS mini for your gaming pleasure as well as a Dead Space 2 theme!

Read on for the full review…

HD REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS

As stated above, this week’s HD Reviews and Previews section is a race review extravaganza with reviews of both Split/Second: Velocity and SBK X. Also in this section is a preview of International Cricket 2010 and a trailer (which is more of a preview) of the eagerly anticipated Crysis 2.

First of all, we have the headline feature – the Split/Second: Velocity review. FirstPlay praised its constant action-packed nature, with barely a quiet moment in the entire game, whilst also complimenting the impressive explosions and variety of events and game modes on offer. One thing they didn’t like though, was how boring it was being in first place, and they did feel that some of the textures were a bit bland if you slowed down enough to notice them.

Split/Second Velocity: Like Burnout with ADHD...

Next up is the SBK X review. FirstPlay felt that the storyline was more involving than most tournament racers and the weather effects were great. The simulation mode also made an appearance, with FirstPlay stating that it’s difficult to master, but with a little practice can become very rewarding. A few things they didn’t like though included the lack of polish, and the general lack of awesomeness on the graphics side of things, and they felt that the game was a bit too forgiving with its difficulty.

Also in this section is a preview of International Cricket 2010, which shows off the new teams and the new ‘over-the-shoulder’ camera mode leading to a much more action-packed experience. There have been a few changes/improvements to the batting and bowling mechanics, and you also get to see some tweaks to the game’s graphics engine.

In the Crysis 2 ‘trailer’, one thing you notice is the stunning level of detail included with the game, you don’t really notice it at first, but once you see chunks of building flying everywhere when you shoot them and the game physics, you realise what a stunning game this is going to be, it looks like Uncharted 2 is going to have some competition soon enough.

Lastly in this section are the adverts included in this week’s episode. The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (the movie) and God of War III adverts make a reappearance, whilst there are new additions to the mix: blur and Alpha Protocol.

SCREENSHOTS

In the screenshots section this week are some very nice screenshots of Castlevania: Lord of Shadows as well as the horrific Saw II. Also in this section are shots of the European version of Demon’s Souls and a look at Blacklight: Tango Down.

First we have Castlevania: Lord of Shadows screenshots showing off the impressive graphics and environments to be featured in-game. Also making an appearance are shots of the exploration parts, some combat sections and some looks at basic platforming.

Castlevania: Impressive graphics, but will it stun with it's gameplay?

Next is Saw II with about ten screenshots depicting combat and the various locations featured in the game. Also worthy of noting is a look at environmental kills. On top of that is a guy trying to kill himself – not the nicest of scenes to view in HD eh?

The Demon’s Souls screenshots show that the European release is progressing very well, with the game itself being released on UK shores in just a few weeks now. Again, you’ll get to look at shots of the punishing combat as well as a look at soul collection and the ingenius use of online to enhance the gameplay.

Last in this section is a new PSN shooter, Blacklight: Tango Down. One of the main features shown is the customisable weapons, and distinct lack of vehicles, however some really nice vistas of city landscape might see the game beating some more recent shooters out of the water – MAG is mentioned.

NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS

On to Network Highlights now, and this week’s offering includes a How To… guide for God of War III: How To… Beat God of War III Challenge Rooms, a round up of the Best of PSN, a look at LBP Best Levels and a minis Round-Up.

First off, is the How-To guide for God of War III. In this feature, FirstPlay give you tips on how to beat every challenge room in the game required to get the elusive Platinum trophy. You’ll get tips on where to position yourself; where to move in the arena; which techniques to use; and a good idea of combos to use which will make your life a lot easier. All in all, a very helpful guide.

Got rage? Try following the help FirstPlay have provided to get you through the challenge rooms...

Next here is the Best of PSN, where FirstPlay recommend the best things to get on the store at the moment. First in the feature is Aqua Panic!, a Lemmings-like game where you have to direct fish back into the sea. Also in the feature was a look at Namco Museum Essentials, a free Just Cause 2 Ice-Cream Truck, and a few PSP titles – What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord? 2 and Patchwork Heroes.

In the LBP Levels section, FirstPlay look at levels from the past, present and future with a look at the Aztecs, the Industrial Age, and a Post-Apocalyptic level, all very good stuff from their respective creators.

Lastly, we have the minis Round-Up, which takes a look at Deflector, a puzzling game involving light and mirrors; Route 66, a find-the-hidden-objects game; NormalTanks, a top down shoot-em-up; Age of Zombies a strategy mini featured free in next week’s episode; and Manic Monkey Mayhem a colourful game full of a variety of mini-games.

FEATURED DOWNLOADS

In this section is a lovely Dead Space 2 Theme and this week’s free mini Blast Off. The picture below is a preview of the theme, read on for a mini review of Blast Off.

This week's free theme: Dead Space 2.

BLAST OFF ‘MINI’ REVIEW

Blast Off is a mini developed by Halfbrick – the very same company which produced last week’s mini – Echoes. The aim of the game in Blast Off is to save as many astronauts as possible and reach the portal to safety. Obviously this basic mechanic is given many twists through changing gravity by way of planets, black holes, white holes and more. One thing I found particularly annoying about this game was how fiddly it was, I know it’s meant to be a challenge, but half the time I found it more frustrating than challenging. The controls felt just a little bit unintuitive for my liking, but otherwise the mini was fine. Of course, it’s always best not to raise your expectations too high with games of this price, so I’ll just say that it is fine as a freebie, but I would be a bit hacked off if I had paid £2.50 for it.

FINAL SUMMARY

There was a lot of content yet again in this week’s episode, with a load of Network features, a nice batch of screenshots and some brilliant reviews and previews – especially of Crysis 2. The mini included in this episode I thought was a bit of a let down compared to last week’s Echoes, which was brilliant. Overall, a not too shabby episode with some great screenshots but maybe not so good on content. 7/10

NEXT WEEK

In Episode 009 of FirstPlay is a review of the delightfully cute ModNation Racers as well as a preview of Demon’s Souls and another free mini – Age of Zombies. Episode 009 will be available to download on Wednesday 2nd June.

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