Resistance: Burning Skies Review (PSV): When the music ends

I've always been a bit awkward in social situations: none more so than the school dance that had me vying for the affections of young women that I haven't seen -- in most cases -- for about a decade. If I did manage a dance, I could never quite figure out what to do when the music stopped. Should I have gone in for the kiss? Engaged in small talk? Should I have walked away? I never knew what to do, and if you'll forgive the analogy, nor does Resistance: Burning Skies when the guns stop blazing and the music settles.

As I've discussed before, Burning Skies does a lot to turn players off: there's the lacklustre visuals, the nonsensical save system, and the completely disposable story that adds nothing to proceedings. Online multiplayer is ostensibly broken too. Even if you did have a compatible modem/router set up, hit detection and damage modelling are a little wacky and there's not enough unlockables to keep players hooked for long.

So, after these observations, I'd forgive you thinking this is a lost cause. I'd forgive you, but you'd be wrong! Not super wrong... just slightly mistaken. Why? Resistance: Burning Skies gets some shooter fundamentals right.
 
There's an expansive and upgradeable arsenal with series' staples like the Bullseye, the M5A2 Carbine and the Auger (that still shoots through walls!). There's also new additions like the shotgun/explosive crossbow hybrid that is the Mule, and the Mauler: a joyous union of minigun and flamethrower. There's some solid boss fights, innovative controls and enjoyable set pieces. When you're actually shooting things, Resistance: Burning Skies is worth the price of admission.

Innovative controls in a first person shooter! Who'd have thunk it? Using touch controls for preparing and, on occasion, using secondary fire doesn't feel intrusive, but natural in most instances. Sure, it's not groundbreaking, but it does allow for precise placement of grenades and targeting with alternate fire modes. The new control method doesn't get in the way of the action, it enhances it.

Save for the painful, final boss fight, Burning Skies' firefights shine. The cover system -- which I had predicted to be unable to handle any great amount of stress -- works for all but the final level, where hiding spots are few and far between. Enemies, while not exactly varied, appear in respectable numbers; some even move with frightening speed and agility. Whenever I was shooting aliens in this game, I was having fun. 

When the enemy numbers thin out, things fall apart. The story is fairly uneventful, and Riley's achievements seem meagre in comparison to that of his contemporaries: Hale and Grayson. There are only really two characters given any great amount of camera time here, and while neither are unlikable, you'll struggle to remember them after any small passage of time. It's also worth noting that the campaign only runs for about five hours; although, I actually thought this worked in the game's favour as nothing outstays its welcome. Still, despite a litany of noteworthy problems, I liked this game. I just can't in good conscience recommend it to you.

Dutch note: I bought my copy at JB Hi-Fi which came with a PSN voucher that included a free copy of Resistance: Retribution. Considering that you can opt to play PSP games with two sticks, this is a pretty big bonus; so be sure to check if the copy that you're buying has two vouchers in it.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review (PSP): Still got it

A few weeks ago I read that several notable first-party PSP releases were being marked down to a more-than-reasonable price point. The likes of Gran Turismo, Patapon 3, Resistance: Retribution and Little Big Planet would cost just over ten dollars. My impulse muscle -- by far my strongest -- was pulsating at the news, particularly when I noticed that Ready at Dawn Studios' follow-up to the wonderous God of War: Chains of Olympus was also included. God of War: Ghost of Sparta is one of the final high profile releases to appear on the PlayStation Portable that matches its home console brethren in terms of ambition, but how about fun?

Short answer is: God of War: Ghost of Sparta deserves a spot on your PlayStation portable (see what I did there?) of choice. It honestly makes some Vita games appear lacking with spectacular visuals, compelling combat and a meaty adventure that had me hooked from beginning to end. It's amazing that so little appears to be compromised in this package: you have an authentic, rousing score, the series' signature sense of scale, and an array of visually-impressive abilities that players have come to expect from the God of War games.

The story, which is set in-between the first two chapters of Kratos' saga, follows our favourite anti-hero's quest to find his brother, Deimos. The narrative isn't a strong selling point, but there are some moments where -- shock horror -- Kratos isn't required to kill everything on screen that have some genuine impact. You'll also come across more mythical creatures and characters from Greek mythology, and the brutal fashion in which some are dispatched will arouse the odd, wry smile.

The only real criticism I can level at Ready at Dawn's second triumph is the lack of variety in terms of enemies and the wholesale lack of challenge. No matter where Kratos finds himself he'll end up fighting the same minotaurs, harpies and automatons that appear throughout Atlantis, Heraklion or the Domain of Death. My playthrough on Normal (Hero) difficulty lasted about six hours and I was very rarely troubled. That said, however, there's additional difficulty levels and a wealth of extra content that's playable upon completing the game.

All things considered, I had an absolute blast with Ghost of Sparta. There may be some issues with challenge and lack of variety, but Ready at Dawn have again managed to pack all of the scale, ambition and fun of the home console instalments into the PSP's tiny frame. So, at roughly twelve dollars, is the game worth your time and money?:

Lightning Focus

I'm trying to find my Focus.

I'm supposed to be giving my PlayStation Portable its last rites. That was going swimmingly until Saturday afternoon: I'd just finished Resistance: Retribution - which didn't get half as much praise as it should have, just quietly - and just started playing Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy. That was when my quasi-religious gaming experience went to shit.

Don't get me wrong: the game plays just fine and the new cast members are all good fits. Probably a little bit too similar to its predecessor, and still brimming with the same sappy, nonsensical drivel that had me itching to skip just about every cutscene; but still, the game features beautiful, fluid visuals and the same brand of dramatic, gravity-defying violence that made the last part of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (almost) bearable. 

It was just seeing Lightning again. She was a strong protagonist, with a manner unbecoming of your typical Final Fantasy female (read: not solely candy for the male gaze, coherent, and not gasping in every second line of dialogue). She was one of the few reasons I persisted with Final Fantasy XIII for as long as one with a developing allergy to JRPGs could. Ultimately, an extended vacation with Light's polar opposite, Vanille proved to be too much for me to continue. Her insufferably high voice and insipid scripting was not a good match for the mindless grinding of the early chapters.

But seeing her again, dear readers, it was enough to send me back into that middling narrative. It was time for a change of pace: from the hectic, somewhat-shallow battles of Dissidia to the complex, arguably turn-based affair that is Final Fantasy XIII.

It was hard: picking up from where I'd left off - almost two years ago - reacquainting myself with a new battle system and terminology-heavy lore. Forty minutes of play in, and I still hadn't progressed past the chapter where I'd first hit the wall. Regardless of what weather effect I had in play, I was always presented with a battle that would take at least ten minutes to get through. I know you can opt out of some of these encounters, but I'm always suspicious that if I were to end the grind that I'd be fodder for future foes.

I'm glad I made the effort. Even if the script reads like a self-indulgent teen fantasy, the battle system is deep without feeling convoluted. Plus it's just plain amazing to behold; I mean this game is freaking beautiful. Even after a few years, some of the sequences are breathtaking even when compared to more recent releases.

I might even finish it. For the first time in what seems like years, I'm happy to play something not quite new. Let's forget about the fact that there's been no major releases in January, shall we?

Note: For those in the know, did you like my elaborate Final Fantasy XIII pun?