The game many are calling “Epic” is finally here.  God of War III is the last piece to the trilogy featuring ex-Spartan Kratos against… everyone else.  Greek Gods and Titans will have to face his Blades of Exile bounded by chains to his arms and dripping with blood.  The opening cinematics  preview flashbacks of Kratos’ previous adventures in God of War I and II.  The suffering he’s gone through, the chaos he has caused but most importantly the revenge he seeks is what keeps this warrior alive.  Given the name Ghost of Sparta and eventually dethroning Ares as the new God of War has not been a peaceful journey for Kratos.  You’ll battle Titans, go face to face with Greek Gods with plenty of blood to go around.  God of War III, developed by Santa Monica Studios concludes the trilogy with our hero Kratos, the new God of War, seeking what he fights for most, vengeance!  Will he (and Santa Monica Studios) earn the term, Epic?

Where did we leave off and where we’re heading. Back in 2005’s God of War II, Kratos was cast down to Hades by the King of the Gods, Zeus himself.  So, without burning a sweat guess who he’s after in God of War III.  Yup, Zeus.  The story begins with Kratos riding the back of Gaia, Mother of the Gods, as they both ascend to the top of Mount Olympus.  But if it was that easy there wouldn’t be a game would there.  With the help of Zeus’s lightning bolt and Gaia, you descent down to Hades where you encounter the third brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades, God of the Netherworld.  By far, one the coolest battles you’ll encounter is with the Hades.  Tearing him apart, literally and exposing his innards are all you’ll experience in your first major battle.

Hack-N-Slash… again. Attacking is fairly simple in most hack-n-slash titles.  It mostly consists of pressing the light and strong attacks for hit combos, or button mashing.  After you defeat the enemies, you’ll gain red orbs that can be used to level up your weapons.  Anyone else notice the “urinating” sounds as you empty your red orb pool?  Green orbs fill up your health bar and Blue orbs fill up your magic bar.  In GOWIII, you’re equipped with a third bar from the beginning which is your item meter.  When you use items such as the Bow of Apollo, this meter drains but quickly regenerates.

Load screens? No more. One of the advantages of God of War III is playing on a blu-ray disc.  Because of this, there is no required installation and impressively no noticeable load screens.  I’m not sure how they pulled this off, but the cut-scenes into the gameplay are seamless.  As a matter of fact, only the gameplay graphics let me know it was time to pick up the controller and play as Kratos and put down the popcorn from the movie-like sequence that preceded.  One thing I did notice was the fan on PS3.  At some points of the game, I noticed the PS3 fan kick off and continue to spin until a less detailed scenario took place.  May be a coincidence, but it’s happened minutes after turning on the PS3 and God of War III.

To Be Concluded… The trilogy comes to a conclusion in this latest installment, God of War III.  But for those who plan on picking up the game and a PS3 just to enjoy the fantastic graphics and storyline, you’ll be missing two important things.  God of War I and God of War II.  No you won’t be completely lost, but to better understand the story, you may want to pick up the God of War Collection for the PS3 which bundles GoW I and II on one blu-ray disc.  Everything from Kratos’ dark past, how he got those scars on his abdomen and his hatred towards Zeus are all explained and sets the scenario with a clearer path to GoW 3.  I found that many examples of the story were continued and referred to Kratos’ past but while it’s not mandatory to know all that happened previously, it’s like watching The Godfather III without watching the first two.  Or like Chewbacca being on Endor… it does not make sense!

Scaled to Fit. One thing you’ll notice immediately is the scale of God of War III.  The technology used to produce such an amazing quality game is well noticed and breaks the mold for video games.  The environments and characters that surround Kratos are massive.  Up to 200 times the size of Kratos, you’ll run into huge slow moving Titans and cascading mountains all detailed and did I mention massive.  Most scenes easily fit the entire screen and need to be panned back to appropriately show Kratos in perspective.  One of the first characters you’ll remember from the previous God of War series is the Titan Gaia.  Her build is made up of wood, trees, and stone and at one point you’ll battle on her back and arm.  The highlight that exhibits the PlayStation 3′ power (which has been reported running at only 50% of the PS3’s potential) is Cronos.  You remember him from God of War I right?  He carried Pandora’s temple on his back through the desert.  This time you interact and eventually battle the gigantic Titan.  You don’t even measure up to his fingernail.  Panning out during some scenes, you’ll be able to play a tiny Kratos from afar resembling an ant from a one story building.

A touch of QTE. This year, 2010 has brought us many games that utilize QTE.  Heavy Rain was Heavy on it.  And Dante’s Inferno filled up hell with timed buttons.  In GOWIII, they changed up the QTE’s a bit.  Now, each button is shown on the appropriate part of the screen.  For example, the square button is shown on the left, triangle towards the top etc.  This makes the task for newcomers a bit easier to figure out but for the veterans of the series you’ll find this change a bit of an inconvenience since now you have to look at four sides of the screen instead of one dedicated area (i.e. right corner)

Characters of Note. Besides the recurrence of Zeus, Athena, Cronos and Gaia, you’ll encounter other Olympic gods and Titans you learned about in class.  To start, the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon.  Hermes, great Messenger of the Gods. Hercules, son of Zeus and Krato’s half brother.  The goddess of Love, Aphrodite is one you won’t forget.  Her role in GOWIII is purely a sex mini-game that Krato’s has to “please” her.  For those who played the GOW III Demo, Helios, Greek god of Sun rides his chariot while trying to blind you during his battle.

Epic Sound joins Epic Game. The sounds of God of War III shall not go unnoticed.  The score played in the background during normal gameplay or the dramatic escalating symphonic sounds  to build up a boss battle all add to the authenticity.  The voice acting is also incredible and all portrayed perfectly.  Michael Clarke Duncan (Atlas), T.J.  Carson (Kratos) and Linda Hunt (Gaia/Narrator) all lend their voices to name a few.

Pros:
- top notch graphics
- boss battles
- dramatic sounds
- storyline
- smooth gameplay

Cons:
- fixed camera angles
- QTE button placement

Final Thought: Simply put, God of War III is one of the most amazing games I have ever played and is a must play.  Very few games have lived up to the hype and GOW 3 surpassed them.  All great things must come to an end, and this trilogy is no different.  For now.  The story of Kratos, God killer, was magnificent with it’s mind-blowing graphics, intriguing storyline and smooth gameplay that I’m claiming this PS3 title, God of War III, Game of The Year 2010.  Lucky for other consoles, this Olympic Masterpiece is exclusive to the PlayStation 3.  To sum it all up, Epic!

10/10

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Over at PlayStations Blog Share they want to know what gamers are looking for from the PS3 community.  And the requests are pretty valid although I don’t see one ever getting approved.  Can you guess which suggestions made the top 3?

1. Cross Game Voice Chat

2. Software Emulation for PS2 games

3. Auto-Synching Trophies

For too long, the cross game voice chat has been left off countless firmware updates with no mention of it from Sony. Restricting players to only chat while in-game can isolate conversations and is a huge inconvienence. It would be nice to chat with your friends to time meetups of certain games. I know I grow impatient when I’m waiting for an invite from one of my friends who’s in a party playing Modern Warfare 2.

Now Software emulation probably will not happen. At least, not for free. Older Sony PlayStation 3 models (60GB) are considered the filet mignon of the bunch. They include hardware that allows the play of PS1 and PS2 games. We know some PS1 games have made it to the PS Store but just think how much money Sony would lose if it enabled this feature. I give you God of War Collection for the PS3. Two PS2 games bundled on one disc. Wouldn’t this have been the perfect set of games to push Software emulation?

Lastly, Auto-Synching. I honestly did not think this was even a problem but I tend to compare trophies with my friends often. But many are complaining that “When you acquire a Trophy in-game, the trophy should sync to the network without the user having to go to their profile or to the trophy section and choosing ‘Sync’.”

Many have speculated that Cross Game Chat will be the first of the bunch to get approved and implemented in the next firmware update. But besides these three, what PS3 enhancements would you like to see passed?

source

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Dirt 2 was a good game.  Damn good game.  While we never had the privilege to review it, we can tell you it was fun.  It had cars, dirt, and tracks.  But this chick really enjoys the game.  Sitting like “Raj” from the 70’s TV show “What’s Happening” she knows how to make sharp turns all while in her underwear.

Onto the chick.  Her model name is Tahiticora, from Miami Beach but born in Tahiti.  Now if only our girl Coco would pose for a video game shoot, Tahitcora would have decent competition.  For now, enjoy her thong playing ways.

source

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There’s good news and better news.  Tiger Woods announced that he will make his Golf debut in April.  He will compete in 2010’s Masters Tournament.  In other news, EA sports has now announced the release date for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is June 8,2010. Now they have upped the ante with the Ryder Cup. Get ready USA, Europe is coming to take the title. See if you have the skill to make the Ryder Cup team and lead your team to the win. Rory Mcilroy will lead Europe to try and take back the title from the US. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Cup will be played at the Celtic Manor. A course designed originally for the Ryder Cup.

Now the cover for the first time, will not just have Tiger on it. He will be partnered with Europe’s own Rory Mcilroy. A nice touch by EA sports, to have someone other than the star player. Rumor has it that there are a couple of perks. Hit the pin on the second shot of a par 4 and the ” Pole dancer mistress” trophy. Get a whole in one and you unlock the ” A ho in one” trophy.

All jokes aside Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 has stepped up their “A” game with better graphics, new Wii controls, and harder gameplay.  You can be sure this guy will be picking up a copy for the PS3.

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Ever wondered what Life was like in the West? Crossing valleys, deserts and rivers are all possible in Rockstar’s upcoming Western game called Red Dead Redemption. The fast speed of the west are taken into account during this Western open sandbox game. You’ll explore all different types of regions including forests, snow and hunt big game including bears. Hunting was vital in the west so not only was it a source of food, but shelter and clothes. Playing the reformed outlaw, John Marston, you’ll be able to skin buffalo and cash them in for money. Just keep the damn buzzards away ater your kill!

Everyone knows what GTA IV was capable of so imagine Niko Bellic in the wild west. Red Dead Redemption will allow you to take up the activities most cowboys went through. Drinking, playing cards or keeping ranches safe from rustlers. Need a new wild horse? Well, you’ll be able to lasso yourself a new white stallion. Free of charge of course.

The vast, sprawling world of Red Dead Redemption hides unique challenges in every area, with wild bears and snow in the North, bandits and cattle rustlers in the West, to unrest and revolution in the South.  Hundreds of characters populate each of the three areas, each with a distinct personality, and every area has its own unique ecosystem with a variety of animals and plant life.
 
The rich diversity of each area offers several types of challenges and rewards.  Hunting allows reformed outlaw John Marston the opportunity to skin and sell the skin in town, while a bloody battle attracts vultures, who if shot, unlock sharp shooting challenges.  Full of possibility and activity, the world of Red Dead Redemption reflects the immensity  that was the Wild West. 

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate this day filled with green beer, leprechauns and drunken Irishmen, we’re handing out a couple of PSN codes for MLB 10 The Show! To enter is very simple and the instructions are below…

1. Leave a comment below
2. Funniest Caption below wins.
3. And finally, press the “retweet” button to the right –>

Incase you don’t know anything about MLB 10 The Show. Stay tuned this week for our review. Or be sure to check out the comparison review of MLB 2K10.

Here’s what to expect from the $5.99 PSN DLC code:

• Shibe Park
Opened April 12, 1909. It was the first steel and concrete stadium built.

• Forbes Field
Opened 1909 becoming the home of the Pirates.

• Polo Grounds
Opened 1890. This stadium was witness to the ” Shot heard around the world.” homerun

• Crosley Field
Home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1912 until June 24, 1970

• Spotsman’s Park
Built in St. Louis in 1912

• Griffith Stadium
Was built in Washington D.C. from 1912 to 1965. The outfield was shaped strange due to home owners nit willing to sell to the organization during construction.

These classic stadiums bring the old to the new and they look just like they did before they were torn down.  I’m a huge baseball fan and this DLC is worth the $1.25 for each stadium if you break it down.

The winners will be announced on Thursday March 18!  Good Luck!

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Back in the year 2000, Nintendo published a title from Rare, developers of Goldeneye 007, that became the staple of FPS games from then on.  Nowadays, an FPS game on console has become the norm, but back in 2000, the genre reigned supreme on PC.  Goldeneye 007 was a very good first attempt, but it wasn’t until Perfect Dark’s release that we could see how fun an FPS could play on a console with its original and lengthy campaign, and insane amount of customization in its multiplayer mode.

After years of speculation, Perfect Dark has finally returned to this current generation of consoles on the Xbox LIVE Arcade.  The question is: Can a game that was released 10 years ago still be fun?

In Perfect Dark you play as one of the Carrington Institute’s top agent, Joanna Dark.  As Joanna Dark, it’s your mission to infiltrate the Carrington Institute’s rival corporation, dataDyne, who is attempting to sabotage the Carrington Institute.  The single-player campaign features 17 missions and for the most part has been untouched.  There are no new campaigns, nor new objectives to tackle.  Instead, Perfect Dark’s single-player campaign is a carbon copy of the N64 campaign.  The only addition is online leaderboards, which allows players to compare their completion times with their friends and others over Xbox LIVE.

The first thing you’ll notice when you start Perfect Dark is its new HD graphics.  The game supports 1080p running at a constant 60fps and its pretty impressive considering the source material.  Character models look less blocky from their N64 days due to the updated graphics, but their faces still have a pasted on look.  Enemies react to you as they originally did in the N64 version, ducking, rolling, and hiding behind cover as they try to take you out.  Perfect Dark certainly shows its age through the character animations and its audio.  The sound quality, music & voice acting sound like they’re straight from the N64 version, which isn’t too pleasing when Perfect Dark’s MIDI-like soundtrack is blaring through your 5.1 surround sound system.

There are 3 different control schemes in Perfect Dark that will please most FPS gamers.  There’s the original Perfect Dark control scheme, as well as two control schemes based on Call of Duty & Halo control schemes.  If you’re a fan of either title, then you’ll easily get a hang of these control schemes.  The auto-aim also makes its return from the N64 version, which I found to be helpful as turning it off can leave you to rely on aiming with the Left Trigger, which can be more miss than hit at times.  Overall, the controls translate very well on the Xbox 360 controller.

One of the major updates to this title is the ability to play over Xbox LIVE.  Up to 8 players can play through various multiplayer modes across all of the original Perfect Dark multiplayer maps.  All of the customization you remember from the N64 title are all here.  Want to play a deathmatch game with Rocket Launchers for 5 minutes with no radar? How about a one-hit kill game with fast movement and no weapons?  It’s all there and ready for you.  Aside from being able to play online, you can still play with 4 players on one console, just how we all experienced it in the original Perfect Dark.

If you’re the kind of person who prefers to play with your friends instead of against, two-player co-op is available both through split-screen and over Xbox LIVE which the entire campaign can be played through.  There’s also a “Counter Op” mode which puts one player in the role of Joanna Dark, while the other assumes the role of enemies to attempt to stop her from carrying out her missions.

FINAL THOUGHT: Nostalgia certainly carries Perfect Dark on the Xbox 360 a long way. Everything you loved about Perfect Dark is here, along with some very nice enhancements to its graphics and support for online play.  When you factor in its price (800 MS Points / $10), it’s easily recommendable given how many hours of play are possible in Perfect Dark.  Those who never played Perfect Dark might not get its appeal, but that’s alright, because this is a game that’s specifically directed at those of us who used to play Perfect Dark until 4 in the morning with our friends while trying to keep the noise down less we get a whoopin’.

8.5/10

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PS3 owners, get your kart engines ready! Sony has announced the official release date for ModNation Racers: May 25th.  In ModNation Racers, players are able to create their own Kart racer, vehicle, and even tracks which they can share with other PSN users.

Along with the release date announcement, Sony has also disclosed what pre-order bonuses you’ll get if you pony up your $59.99 + tax early.

• Gamespot: Kratos & his Kart of Chaos
• Amazon: Ratchet or Clank
• Best Buy: Nathan Drake & his Jungle Jeep

Sony also notes each pre-order will receive bonus mystery mod and kart packages as well as additional accessories that can further customize your karts.

If you’ve ever played Mario Kart and wished it had a little bit more Little Big Planet, then ModNation Racers is right up your alley.  The amount of customization available in ModNation Racers will keep anyone with an ounce of creativity busy for hours, while those with little creativity can just sit back and let others do the work for them.  Kind of like Little Big Planet all over again.

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It looks like one of the Xbox’s heavy hitters, Crackdown 2, has just received an official release date.  July 6th is when you can expect to get back into Pacific City to assume the role of the Agent once again.

Along with today’s release date reveal, a new ViDoc titled ‘Fun with Friends’ was released focusing on how Crackdown 2 improves on the co-op from Crackdown to support 4-player co-op.  Developer Ruffian Games promises a more seamless drop-in / drop-out multiplayer co-op experience.  Aside from the improvements to co-op, Crackdown 2 will also support 16 player online multiplayer games across 3 different game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, & Rocket Tag, which judging by the video looks like it plays similar to Halo’s ‘Oddball’.

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EA Sports will revive NBA Jam to the Wii this year. If you remember the days of the Big Head code or Bill Clinton and Al Gore, then you’ll remember just how much fun it was to compete against your friends.  I personally built up my Chicken character and dominated the boards with strength.  These games were all played on the Nintendo 64, and the game controls were ideal.  Some rumors have made their way around and those include NBA Jame 2010 coming to Xbox LIVE and PSN.  But those are rumors for now. We’ll be sure to let you know if we hear concrete evidence.  Boom Shaka Laka!

The game has a unique visual style, using 3D models with high-resolution photographs for the heads of each of the players. Several aspects such as outrageous slams and “He’s on Fire” make a return.  Unfortunatley, the original did not contain any players with licensing issues including Shaq and Jordan.  Let’s hope all NBA players and classic players return.  My team of choice was the Bulls, but without Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Tony Kukoc were the best they offered.  NBA Jam was made in 1993.  So 17 years later seems fitting for a remake.  Wow, it’s THAT old?

I hope the NBA Jam folks take a page out of NBA Hangtime.  Now that was a great game too!

What team did you prefer?  And what name and nickname did you give your character?

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