You never saw this one coming
This is going to be a sad note, but there's a reason for it, don't you fret. Sad because I am going to describe the games I would like to play, had I had Playstation3, which, despite my initial feelings after Tokyo Game Show 2005, has grown to be the console of the current generation that I would like to buy. Writing about games one would like to play is sad like a wanker fantasizing about what he would do to an imaginary woman that would agree to have sex with him, but like I said, there's an excuse for me to do it: my buddy Braineater asked me to recommend him a bunch of games for his newly bought PS3, despite the fact I don't own one. And since he tickled my ego ("I trust your choices in gaming"), I have no choice but to delve into my PS3 fantasies right here, right now.
First of all, let me get some of higher ranked titles from the Metacritic out of the way: Grand Theft Auto IV, Oblivion, The Orange Box, Bioshock, Call of Duty, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Unreal Tournament and other PC titles should be played the way they were intended to - on a PC. I'm sorry, but playing these without mouse and keyboard is a blasphemy. I just can't do it and therefore I am warning you against it. What's more, some of these have not been ported well: framerate issues, lower texture resolution, lack of mods, add-ons and other extra content do take away some of the fun. There is one exception to this, which I will list later on (well, maybe two).
And with that out of the way, here are the first five titles I will buy bundled with my imaginary future PS3:
- God of War 3 and God of War Collection -
Okay, I am cheating here a bit, these are two games (three actually), but it's one complete thing in my head. I didn't think this series was so good, until I played Chains of Olympus on my PSP and got hooked. I then played the first two titles on a borrowed PS2, but didn't manage to finish them in the short time window. If you have not experienced these titles before, dear reader, you owe it to yourself to play their refreshed versions (Collection). I admit that gameplay-wise the first God of War feels a little dated nowadays, but the second one is still as epic as ever. And they serve as a great introduction to the awesomeness incarnated that is the third part.
- Wipeout HD and Fury -
Once again a bit of a cheat, but I want the complete package (you can actually buy them both bundled in one box). I just love the adrenaline-pumping futuristic races of the Wipeout series and this almost-full-HD at 60 fps version it's the best way to enjoy it. Sol2 is my favourite racing track ever, by the way.
- Uncharted 2 -
I have not played the first part, which supposedly was good too, but somehow I don't feel compelled to. Life is to short to dance with fat chicks and every reviewer so far affirmed that you don't need to know what the first part was about in order to enjoy the sequel in all its cinematic beauty.
- Heavy Rain -
I am not that thrilled about this one, but since everyone in the world seems to recommend to try it, I will. It comes from the creators of Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy and promises to take the good parts out of that game (interaction, choices) and leave shitty ones behind (Mayan computer Matrix thingy). And since I love storytelling and multiple endings and Heavy Rain promises all that, I am willing to give it a chance.
- Valkyria Chronicles -
Hell, just look at its graphic style - I was sold already after seeing the images and trailer. Supposedly there's a story in there, too, as well as likeable characters and a good dose of strategy. I really want to try this one, but I admit - contrary to other games on the list, I have never touched Valkyria Chronicles.
Earlier on I mentioned one or two exception to "no PC games on my console" rule, I think now would be a good time to share them. These two titles would be Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dead Space - if you have not played them on PC before, catching up with them on Playstation 3 is definitely a good idea. They look very well, they don't have annoying framerate issues (not immersion-breaking, at the very least) and, what's important, the transition to PS3 controls is a smooth one. As much as I am a PC nerd, I have to give credit where due - both games play equally well on both systems and since they are both very good, be sure not to overlook them.
Another point to touch ground on is digital distribution. While there's a fair number of titles I would like to try from Xbox Live!, the Playstation Network (PSN) has a lot going on for me and this is another reason why I would actually chose PS3 over Xbox360 - simply because there's quite a lot of games I would like to play. Limiting the list to just five was hard, but here goes:
- Pixeljunk Eden - I just love its aesthetics and minimalist charm.
- Super Stardust HD - on the contrary, hectic shootout at its best. Ka-BOOM!
- Critter Crunch - it's just so cuuuute! Plus there's decent logic game in it.
- Flower - I am petal in the wind... I am petal in the wind...
- Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Paul Robertson plus Anamanaguchi plus retro beat-em'up equals must buy.
Braineater (remember, the guy that started this post) also specifically asked about Playstation 1 (PsOne, PS1, whatever) games available on PSN. While I am not an expert on that console either, I would recommend checking the first Silent Hill game. I still think it is one of the best horror games ever made, despite dated graphics. Other than that, Vagrant Story and The Last Blade deserve a mention, as well as Final Fantasy series, Metal Slug series, both Oddworld games, Samurai Shodown series and King of Fighters series - that's quite a lot of gaming right there.
Another category of games that I have a soft spot for, but don't get to play as often as I would love to are fighting games. I will just list my top five "do want" titles without going into too much detail: King of Fighters XIII, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Virtua Fighter 5, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.
And speaking of fighting games, there are two of those that are a bit of guilty pleasure for me, but I will list them nevertheless. Bayonetta, over-the-top version of Devil May Cry starring sexy witch and crazy monsters, and Heavenly Sword, one of the first PS3 titles, almost completely forgotten. Now, I know that Bayonetta is the embodiment of teen fantasies, caters to lowest male instincts and PS3 version is inferior to Xbox 360 one - but I still want to play this game. On the contrary, Heavenly Sword is nowhere near as sexist, but is told to have limited amount of moves and boring gameplay - however, when I played it on TGS 2007, I kind of enjoyed it, and would like to spend some more time with the game.
Phew, we have finally reached the end of this post. If you were curious what my PS3 recommendations would be, now you know. Consequently, you also know why my girlfriend objects very strongly against me buying Playstation 3, despite being a gamer herself. Simply, it's because there's slightly too many games that I have mentally queued for playing. She is afraid that I will completely lose my grip on reality, stop going to work, exercising, eating and having sex with her, all in favour of PS3. Knowing myself, I can't dismiss her arguments, which is the main reason why I still have not bought the console and am left out in cold writing sad posts like this one, but at least I hope it might prove useful to someone and not end up being a futile exercise in mental masturbation.
This is going to be a sad note, but there's a reason for it, don't you fret. Sad because I am going to describe the games I would like to play, had I had Playstation3, which, despite my initial feelings after Tokyo Game Show 2005, has grown to be the console of the current generation that I would like to buy. Writing about games one would like to play is sad like a wanker fantasizing about what he would do to an imaginary woman that would agree to have sex with him, but like I said, there's an excuse for me to do it: my buddy Braineater asked me to recommend him a bunch of games for his newly bought PS3, despite the fact I don't own one. And since he tickled my ego ("I trust your choices in gaming"), I have no choice but to delve into my PS3 fantasies right here, right now.
First of all, let me get some of higher ranked titles from the Metacritic out of the way: Grand Theft Auto IV, Oblivion, The Orange Box, Bioshock, Call of Duty, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, Unreal Tournament and other PC titles should be played the way they were intended to - on a PC. I'm sorry, but playing these without mouse and keyboard is a blasphemy. I just can't do it and therefore I am warning you against it. What's more, some of these have not been ported well: framerate issues, lower texture resolution, lack of mods, add-ons and other extra content do take away some of the fun. There is one exception to this, which I will list later on (well, maybe two).
And with that out of the way, here are the first five titles I will buy bundled with my imaginary future PS3:
- God of War 3 and God of War Collection -Okay, I am cheating here a bit, these are two games (three actually), but it's one complete thing in my head. I didn't think this series was so good, until I played Chains of Olympus on my PSP and got hooked. I then played the first two titles on a borrowed PS2, but didn't manage to finish them in the short time window. If you have not experienced these titles before, dear reader, you owe it to yourself to play their refreshed versions (Collection). I admit that gameplay-wise the first God of War feels a little dated nowadays, but the second one is still as epic as ever. And they serve as a great introduction to the awesomeness incarnated that is the third part.
- Wipeout HD and Fury -Once again a bit of a cheat, but I want the complete package (you can actually buy them both bundled in one box). I just love the adrenaline-pumping futuristic races of the Wipeout series and this almost-full-HD at 60 fps version it's the best way to enjoy it. Sol2 is my favourite racing track ever, by the way.
- Uncharted 2 -I have not played the first part, which supposedly was good too, but somehow I don't feel compelled to. Life is to short to dance with fat chicks and every reviewer so far affirmed that you don't need to know what the first part was about in order to enjoy the sequel in all its cinematic beauty.
- Heavy Rain -I am not that thrilled about this one, but since everyone in the world seems to recommend to try it, I will. It comes from the creators of Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy and promises to take the good parts out of that game (interaction, choices) and leave shitty ones behind (Mayan computer Matrix thingy). And since I love storytelling and multiple endings and Heavy Rain promises all that, I am willing to give it a chance.
- Valkyria Chronicles -Hell, just look at its graphic style - I was sold already after seeing the images and trailer. Supposedly there's a story in there, too, as well as likeable characters and a good dose of strategy. I really want to try this one, but I admit - contrary to other games on the list, I have never touched Valkyria Chronicles.
Earlier on I mentioned one or two exception to "no PC games on my console" rule, I think now would be a good time to share them. These two titles would be Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dead Space - if you have not played them on PC before, catching up with them on Playstation 3 is definitely a good idea. They look very well, they don't have annoying framerate issues (not immersion-breaking, at the very least) and, what's important, the transition to PS3 controls is a smooth one. As much as I am a PC nerd, I have to give credit where due - both games play equally well on both systems and since they are both very good, be sure not to overlook them.
Another point to touch ground on is digital distribution. While there's a fair number of titles I would like to try from Xbox Live!, the Playstation Network (PSN) has a lot going on for me and this is another reason why I would actually chose PS3 over Xbox360 - simply because there's quite a lot of games I would like to play. Limiting the list to just five was hard, but here goes:
- Pixeljunk Eden - I just love its aesthetics and minimalist charm.
- Super Stardust HD - on the contrary, hectic shootout at its best. Ka-BOOM!
- Critter Crunch - it's just so cuuuute! Plus there's decent logic game in it.
- Flower - I am petal in the wind... I am petal in the wind...
- Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Paul Robertson plus Anamanaguchi plus retro beat-em'up equals must buy.
Braineater (remember, the guy that started this post) also specifically asked about Playstation 1 (PsOne, PS1, whatever) games available on PSN. While I am not an expert on that console either, I would recommend checking the first Silent Hill game. I still think it is one of the best horror games ever made, despite dated graphics. Other than that, Vagrant Story and The Last Blade deserve a mention, as well as Final Fantasy series, Metal Slug series, both Oddworld games, Samurai Shodown series and King of Fighters series - that's quite a lot of gaming right there.
Another category of games that I have a soft spot for, but don't get to play as often as I would love to are fighting games. I will just list my top five "do want" titles without going into too much detail: King of Fighters XIII, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Virtua Fighter 5, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.
And speaking of fighting games, there are two of those that are a bit of guilty pleasure for me, but I will list them nevertheless. Bayonetta, over-the-top version of Devil May Cry starring sexy witch and crazy monsters, and Heavenly Sword, one of the first PS3 titles, almost completely forgotten. Now, I know that Bayonetta is the embodiment of teen fantasies, caters to lowest male instincts and PS3 version is inferior to Xbox 360 one - but I still want to play this game. On the contrary, Heavenly Sword is nowhere near as sexist, but is told to have limited amount of moves and boring gameplay - however, when I played it on TGS 2007, I kind of enjoyed it, and would like to spend some more time with the game.
Phew, we have finally reached the end of this post. If you were curious what my PS3 recommendations would be, now you know. Consequently, you also know why my girlfriend objects very strongly against me buying Playstation 3, despite being a gamer herself. Simply, it's because there's slightly too many games that I have mentally queued for playing. She is afraid that I will completely lose my grip on reality, stop going to work, exercising, eating and having sex with her, all in favour of PS3. Knowing myself, I can't dismiss her arguments, which is the main reason why I still have not bought the console and am left out in cold writing sad posts like this one, but at least I hope it might prove useful to someone and not end up being a futile exercise in mental masturbation.
