PlayStation News, Articles and Information for the UK and Europe

So, here at PlayStation Future this week we’re starting up a new monthly article – What We’ve Been Playing. This article will go live at the end of each month detailing how we at PlayStation Future have been spending our time in the gaming world. Every member will list a game that they have been putting the most time into over the previous four weeks before saying a few words about other games they’ve been playing, games they’ve been looking at getting, or games that are shaping up to be really exciting.

This May saw a bombshell of games drop down from the developers’ heavens with the likes of Red Dead Redemption, ModNation Racers, Split/Second, Blur, Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time, 3D Dot Game Heroes and much much more landing on our consoles. With E3, arguably the biggest gaming event of the year, just a few weeks away it’s no wonder that a buzz of excitement has been building in the videogaming industry. But enough of the future, what have we been playing this month?

nineinchnailed

Two games have dominated May for me; White Knight Chronicles and ModNation Racers. I started playing White Knight Chronicles almost immediately after finishing Final Fantasy XIII and initially I really enjoyed it. However the repetitive combat, mundane storyline and low level of customisation soon meant the game began to drag but in case the game improved I played it right through to the end – unfortunately, it didn’t improve much and I probably wasted my time! In defence of WKC, the online quests were quite good fun, as was the Georama (where you build your own town) but with so many great RPGs on PS3 now or coming out soon, I couldn’t justify playing much more, especially when a new kart racing game came out…

I got ModNation Racers on day of release and right from the second it finished loading I was hooked. The difficult yet do-able single player career mode is a blast and although it can be very frustrating at times, when you do eventually win it feels all the better for the fiendish difficulty. Then of course there’s the ‘create’ and ‘share’ aspects of the game, and this is what makes ModNation Racers truly stand out. As mentioned in our review, the sheer simplicity of the track creation makes it immensely fun to use and the replayability of ModNation Racers could extend into years rather than weeks.

This month I’m looking forward to playing a lot more of Red Dead Redemption, which I started playing a couple of days ago and is as good as the reviews saw. Other than that, I’m really looking foward to playing Demon’s Souls, which is out in Europe at the end of the month.

rymanb

For me, ModNation Racers has been my game of the month, just the sheer embodiment of LittleBigPlanet in the racing genre is enough to make anyone excited. I’ve been slowly working my way through the single player campaign, with side trips to the create studio to make some Mods, Karts and Tracks. I’ve also been having a go at Online whenever I can, but have found it frustrating when there’s absolutely no games to go into! The loading times are a real killer, but I’m hoping they’ll soon be fixed, and the wait is worth it anyway!

Also on my gaming list at the moment is the wonderful Dragon Age: Origins (yes, I am a little late) which I’ve just finished, a truly brilliant adventure for those who have the time; the graphics may be a little below par, but the fully realised world with tons of stuff to do makes for a great buy. Another project which I’ve been hoping to put more time into is the beautiful Just Cause 2. I was really surprised at how much I liked this game, even without playing its predecessor, just roaming around the diverse environment is enough for me – especially flying (and crashing) aeroplanes!

I’m hoping to get 3D Dot Game Heroes in the next few weeks, its really piqued my curiosity and at a below average game price, it should be a steal. However there are many other games which have taken my fancy over the last few months which I just haven’t had the time or money to get – with many great games including Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption and more on my ‘to buy’ list. Hopefully in the next month or so I’ll be able to catch up on lost gaming ground!

mudmonster7

Due to exams I’ve not been able to play many games this month but in between revision the game I’ve been playing most is still Modern Warfare 2 – a great game that I still get a lot of enjoyment from even 6 months after it was released.

Aside from MW2, I’ve also revisted Assassin’s Creed II. I like the original Assassin’s Creed game but the sequel really sets the bar high, with several improvement tweaks to the gameplay and a better overall storyline. I’ve also enjoyed playing Just Cause 2 which not only has an interesting storyline but also tonnes of stuff to do outside of the main story which can keep you coming back for hours.

I haven’t got anything on pre-order at the moment but after seeing the trailer I am really looking forward to the next in the line of hugely successful Call of Duty games, Black Ops, which is out in November this year. With E3 just around the corner, I’m hoping for another big release of information on Black Ops this month.

jaco101666

One game has dominated my gaming life over the past 4 weeks; Red Dead Redemption. I decided to get the limited edition, although the limited edition only has single player perks i went straight to multiplayer as soon as i got it! I was reading a lot of reviews before I got it which made my excitement take the better of me and could not stop playing it for the best part of the weekend. I didn’t like my first impression of single player and so I didn’t play it much until I had tried everything in multiplayer - by the way it is amazing! – and then I rushed through the single player and by the end was tempted to burn my ps3! But still the best game I have!

One game I really want is Modnation Racers. I was really lucky to have gotten the beta of the game and it was stunning. I thought I would get it on release day but it clashed with Red Dead Redemption, and I never get more than one epic game at a time, so i will have to wait. I’ve been watching a lot of gameplay of Modnation Racers. I have LittleBigPlanet and it takes a long time to make a good level, but Modnation Racers looks really easy, and rymanb’s review of Modnation racers had some amazing screens, most of which were his own creations!

I’m really looking forward to E3 to decide what to save my money for. For now, it’s Modnation Racers! 

W3XF0RD

I have not been on the PS3 much this month but I have been playing Blur since its release.

This has the potential of being the one game to keep racing fans going until GT5 is released this year. It has the dynamics of Burnout Paradise and Stuntman: Ignition combined. One of the main objectives is to increase your fan status. Increased fan status in turn unlocks new cars, mods, liveries etc. At the end of each level you face off against a pro – beat the pro win their car! Simple.

Blur really is a fantasic game, and should at least keep me going until GT5 is released sometime this autumn!