And Darkness Descended on PS3 - sign up for access!!

PlayStation 3 presents:

...and darkness descended

A Punchdrunk adventure inspired by Resistance® 3

Matt Adcock invites you to face your fears...

To celebrate the launch of the third in the Resistance franchise, PlayStation®3 has commissioned immersive theatre specialists, Punchdrunk, to create a unique survival experiment fusing theatre and gaming. The experience will be a UK first, combining inspiration from the US and Japanese traditions of Dark Rides/Walks of Terror. The activity will launch on the 31st August and this ticketed event opens to the public from 1st September to 4th September 2011 at Waterloo Station Arches in London.

Tickets are extremely limited.

The central theme of ‘...and darkness descended’ is that the longer you survive, the more you see. Set in an alternate London location that provides a prequel to the beginning of Resistance 3, participants will form part of the ‘resistance’ whose role it is to send a message to US survivors, who we subsequently meet in the beginning sequences of Resistance 3. Echoing the game's multi-player elements, participant groups will not be able to survive without working together to achieve goals.

Punchdrunk will use ideas and learnings from its previous work - It Felt Like a Kiss (2009) and The Crash of the Elysium (2011) – to create this unique, innovative project. The activity is a marriage of immersive game play with theatrical experience to explore the similarities and differences between the two entertainment genres - both brought together through the medium of fear and survival - a key creative theme within the game.

For a chance to take part in ‘...and darkness descended’ please register for Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September up until midday on 30th August by emailing accesslive@scee.net stating your preferred date...

Times: 19.00-23.00 3rd and from 14.00-19.00 on Sunday 4th September 2011

Venue: Waterloo Station Arches, Leake Street, SE1 7NN

Further Info: Participants and their guest must be 18 years or older – ID will be requested.
Trainers or running shoes are highly recommended.

Game Baftas: PS3 brings the Heavy Rain

Sony's PS3 was the big winner at the 2011 Baftas

Matt Adcock for Darkmattters

Last night the Video Game Baftas were awarded and for the second year running, the PS3 was the console which had the most wins. Last year Uncharted 2 took home 4 Baftas, this year it was Heavy Rain which won 3 and was the only game to win multiple awards.

There was a good selection of winners but the only Xbox 360 exclusive to win was the kiddie friendly Kinect Sports - surprisingly Sony's Move enabled Heavy Rain beat Kinect to the Technical Innovation award. Microsoft had put Alan Wake up against Heavy Rain in two catagories but the PS3 title beat it both times.

"Multiple Baftas for the MOVE controlled game"

And the winner is:

Best Game - Mass Effect 2 

Artistic Achievement - God of War III

Action - Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Multiplayer - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Original Music - Heavy Rain

Sports - F1 2010

Story - Heavy Rain

Technical Innovation - Heavy Rain

Best use of audio - Battlefield: Bad Company: 2

Game Award 2010 (Voted by the Public) - Call of Duty: Black Ops


Family - Kinect Sports


Gameplay - Super Mario Galaxy 2

Strategy - Civilization V

Social Network Game - My Empire

One to Watch - Twang

Handheld - Cut the Rope


Well done to all the winners - here's to another great year of gaming which has already kicked off in style with LittleBigPlanet2, KILLZONE 3, DC UNIVERSE ONLINE and YOOSTAR 2.

"Heavy Rain - the game to beat in 2010"

Darkmatters review of HEAVY RAIN

PS3 'saves' Hallelujah!!

"Cloud saving - not even Final Fantasy 7 related"

PlayStation Plus takes gamers far beyond competition

Matt Adcock for Darkmatters

It's a terrifying thought for any gamer who has sunk many hours into a game... Data loss!?
If you've invested in leveling up, getting to the final boss, working towards a Platinum trophy - the one thing you really don't need would be for your save data to be lost.

Many of my Xbox playing friends have openly wept as their machines went the way of the infamous Red Ring of Death or new improved Red Light of Death with the slim model... It wasn't so much the repair bill or replacement cost of the hardware but more the pain of lost game saves. PS3 users too have complained that buying a new PS3 or upgrading the hard drive can mean saying goodbye to some copyrighted game save data.

But while Xbox 360 players will still have that worry - and will need to keep some sort of external disc to hand for backups, now PlayStation 3 owners need never fear losing their save games ever again. All that's required is to sign up for the Sony's PlayStation Plus service - an excellent way to get free games, Beta access and exclusive treats from Sony anyway.

Because Sony know how to treat their gamers and have introduced 'cloud storage' for game saves.

This feature allows gamers to upload 150MB of save game data to the big Sony game save bank in the sky (online), so that you can not only easily transfer game saves between PlayStation 3 systems - should you own more than one, but also access your game save from a mate's PS3 by logging in on their machine.

So if someone should steal your beloved PS3 or heaven forbid, it die from years of hard service - your game saves are protected. Even copy-protected data can still be stored online, which will make the transition between PS3s or Hard Disc Drive upgrading that much more easy.

Nice move Sony, we gamers salute you!!

The Cloud Storage comes with the 3.60 system update and is accessed through the XMB's Saved Data Utility menu.

"Sony's PS3 Angels - waiting to look after your game save data"

Recent cool PS3 games to check:

KILLZONE 3

DC Universe Online

N-Dubz 'Took It All Away' - Play Create Share mix

Only on PS3...

Added for Darkmatters by Matt Adcock

You don't need to be a N-Dubz fan (like my eldest son Luke) to appreciate just how cool this is. The power of LittleBigPlanet 2 on PS3 is awesome... So N-Dubz have created the first pop video in Little Big Planet2, and if that wasn't enough the band are also offering you the chance to create your own LBP2 N-Dubz video for a chance to win tickets to meet the band. Head to the YouTube LittleBigPlanet UK Channel homepage for full details or Click here.


Watch the video below  :)

DC Universe Online PS3 Review

PS3 gamers can go 'full super'

DC Universe Online PS3 (also on PC)

Developed by SOE

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


DC Universe™ Online is an action MMO (massively multiplayer online game ) that thrusts players into a high-stakes scenario where they fight alongside – or against - some of the most iconic super heroes and villains of all time. And for gamers wanting to slip on some tights and cape – the good news is that this is the first MMO to hit the PS3 and that it has been totally created to work with a Dualshock joypad rather than a keyboard / mouse combo.

"Power Girl - standing for truth, decency and skimpy outfits!" 

So is it any good? Can it stand up to established ‘superhero MMOs’ such as City of Heroes which hit PCs in 2004 and Champions Online which is a couple of years old now?

Well - behind the scenes you can tell that Sony and DC Comics have obviously been putting in a huge amount of effort into making this the most authentic super hero gaming experience possible. The challenge was always going to be making a game true to the DC Comics canon, yet one which enables thousands of new heroes and villains to simultaneously appear overnight and stuck in to an over-arching plot!?. This challenge has been met by legendary comic book artist Jim Lee who serves as the game’s executive creative director, backed up by renowned DC writer Geoff Johns who has crafted the story. Additional support is being added by comics genius Marv Wolfman who is responsible for in game quests and events. The DC Universe Online team are the real comic book deal and boy does it show.

"Wonder Woman takes no prisoners"

The plot – brings a truly epic storyline where Lex Luthor appears from the future and calls civilians around the world to action to fight against Superman’s foe Brainiac, whose robot drones are attacking and threatening to overrun the Earth. Luthor’s plan to help fight the menace is to convert civilians into superhumans – this is where you come in - giving players the chance to step up as a customised hero or a villain.

So the scene is set for newly superpowered forces to meet the most iconic DC Universe characters – and whether good or evil - try to save the planet. Inventing your own hero / villain will mean close involvement of the established DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains and means you are in regular contact with characters from across the comic book spectrum.

DC Universe™ Online stands head and plasma powered shoulderpads over the other super hero games out there as is alone allows players to create their own unique superpowered character – a valiant hero or devious villain worthy of the DC pantheon. While you may not be slipping on the cape or cowl of Superman or Batman (although you can play as these characters in legend arenas), players are able to create characters credible enough to fight alongside them. It really makes you feel like you are part of the DC Universe. You can fight the good fight – or use the chaos that has engulfed the world to your advantage if you’ve chosen to be a villain – and evolve and grow your character into one of the legends in the DC Universe.

"The 'super' review kit"

But what if you’re a MMO virgin and think that World of Warcraft players are the dweebiest of the dweebs? DC Universe Online might just change your mind (not about WOW players but about MMOs). From the second you’re done picking your powers, outfit and weapons you can potentially be soaring across the skies of Metropolis or ambushing scumbags on the mean streets of Gotham City. And there’s so much to look forward to as the game grows, an alert in Smallville has just been announced which will see you visit Superman’s homestead and face off against Doomsday!?

For a pick up and play game (which is essential to win the hearts of console gamers who might never have considered an MMO – that comes with e monthly subscription fee to keep playing) DC Universe Online literally kicks the ass of both City of Heroes / Villains and Champions Online. Character creation is a breeze – but nicely extensive in the range of options so that even after these first two weeks of playing this I’ve yet to spot a single two identical heroes. The choice of powers and weapons is decent – and gets better once you get in game as each has a vast branching network of upgrade options that can see two heroes with the same core powers wielding wilding different attacks and style so play in action… You also get to choose a classic super hero / villain mentors (Batman, Superman or Wonderwoman for goodies, Lex Luthor, The Joker and the goddess Circe if you're a wrong-un). This is a clever ploy as you get to build up a rapport with your chosen mentor – as they in turn begin to entrust you with harder and more meaningful missions.

"Go with a smile..."

DC Universe Online is an absolute super powered blast! Coming out in a packed gaming schedule which has seen Mass Effect 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, Dead Space 2 and Two Worlds 2 (lots of quality ‘2’s) you might think it would struggle to find players but since I put the DCUO disk in my PS3 I haven’t wanted to play anything else!

The gameplay is designed so that you can level up without having to ‘grind’ i.e. go around killing thousands of low level creatures to bag the xp points which you do in most MMO games. Progression here is all about missions, most are combat heavy but that is where DC Universe shines brightest – every battle is fun face off, never tedious – especially as you can have differing load outs so that you’ll forever be trying new powers, techniques and even weapons. The controls are excellent, simple but allowing for a good range of strategies - Square and Triangle buttons on the PS3 gamepad control your main melee and ranged attacks – the L2 and R2 triggers hot key them to use superpowers… simple but very very effective. There are some great extended elements too - I won a special combat trinket hammer from the evil Harlequin from the linked DCUO Facebook quiz , a simple entering of the code on the PS3 and I’m now packing a weapon that few players who haven’t found the Facebook quiz have!

"team sixpack"

DC Universe is the first game that I will happily paying a monthly fee for and Sony Online Entertainment has hit a major home run – addictive combat and levelling up, masses of cool and unique loot to find or win, new alerts that pop up which can be tackled with friends or on your own, vaults where you can find goodies, open-world PvP (player vs player) events which see you testing yourself… This is the real deal and it is megaton!

Players can also choose between playing on a PvP server – where there could be an enemy human controlled hero or villain around any corner just waiting to get into a scrap with you… or a PvE server which will prevent any human interference and leave you happily just motoring through the game without going toe-to-toe with others.

From the gorgeous opening cinematic mini movie – you unlock more superb short films after each major mission – you’ll be sucked in to the greater plot but also captured by the sheer range of quests, exploration and sheer comic book backstory joy. The graphics are what make DC Universe Online a must buy for PS3 gamers - and it is the difference between playing on a big screen HD TV and a standard computer monitor is the 'wow' factor that should keep fans coming back to the console version.

You may have heard that there are bugs and freezing issues, and sure I’ve had a few but since the last patch the game has been lively, virtually lag free and much more stable. And this continued improvement is part of the quality that Sony are bringing to the super powered party… DC Universe Online will evolve, grow, change and keep adding massive new gameplay elements and story arcs – it might just be the last game you’ll ever need to buy!

"There's some scary stuff on the streets of Gotham"

DC Universe Online is a comic book loving gamers dream come true. Xbox 360 owners need to petition Microsoft for something similar as they are seriously missing out! I haven’t been so addicted to a game for years – the ‘just one more mission’ factor is killer. I plan to re-review this game in 6 months to update on what has changed, where the writers have taken the story and what cool new places I’ve visited. Now I’ve got to go as I have had a distress call from the moon which requires PLAYthing’s attention – oh and Batman is after me because I beat the crap out of Robin last night (who hasn’t wanted to do that!?)

Then again – I’m also planning my first ‘hero’ character so if you need a co-op boost online – find me my PSN name is Cleric20.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:


ööööö

(5 - Comic book action has never been so much fun, highly recommended)...

Read more about DC Universe Online here

"Dressing up as the characters is entirely optional"

Homefront Preview

Homefront Preview

Matt Adcock

The year is 2027. The world has suffered a decade-long energy crisis, and economies have crumbled. Reduced to a mere shadow of the super power it once was, the United States became the target of a North Korean takeover. In a land stripped of freedom, the brave will fight for their home...

Have a look for yourself below:

Darkmatters hearts Yoostar 2

Here's Darkmatters hot tip for pure movie / game crossover fun for 2011:

Yoostar 2

Yoostar 2 allows you to 'enter' hundreds of famous movie scenes, record your performances, and upload them to impress your friends and family who can view and rate them online.

The magic is created via the Playstation Eye camera which allows Yoostar2 to produce Hollywood 'green- screen' style effects without having to turn your front room into a movie set with green screen backing.

I was dubious but after watching the trailer below (via IGN) it really looks like you'll be literally able to step into well-known movie scenes and 'be' your favourite actors / characters... I'm so going to 'be' KICK-ASS, Neo, Maverick and the Terminator for starters!?

Yoostar 2 has the potential to be the ultimate party game - featuring multiple gameplay modes, including a party mode that allows a group of players to perform in quick succession and a progression mode where players face a series of challenges and unlock new scenes.

The menus etc are controlled with the Playstation Move so this is just another reason to pick one up!!

Review HERE

More YooStar 2 Videos

Check out the official site HERE

Imagine finally getting to 'act' with Leia...

Random Princess Leia Appreciation

PS3 PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour Review

PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour (PS3 – Move controller compatible)

Developed by O-Games / Redoubt

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

As legendary darts commentator Sid Waddell once said: “The atmosphere is a cross between the Munich Beer Festival and the Coliseum when the Christians were on the menu.” Yes it’s PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour being played using the PlayStation Move motion control technology and it’s getting a bit tense…

I’m stepping up at the Oche, my PlayStation Move held like a ‘dart’, I aim at the treble twenty – I need this then double 17 to finish – there is an audible hush from the crowd (well my two sons and cat) as I let fly…

"Only the best looking men step up to the Oche"

PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour on PlayStation 3 is the nearest thing you’ll get to actually picking up some darts and throwing them towards a dartboard… The game is uncanny in accurately capturing your gestures and measures your throw – which means two things:

1. If you’re cack at darts in real life – you’ll be hopeless at it virtually

and

2. It’s a brilliant laugh when played against friends and family for bragging rights.

I’m told that professional darts players have a preferred land angle to their dart, which allows them to plan their shots to the board to allow the maximum possible room on the board for that third dart into the Treble Twenty zone – alas that doesn’t apply so much to me as I scored one 180 hand in all my review games!? You see PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour isn’t for noobs or the hand / eye uncoordinated (me). This game brings such a whole new level of realism to the PS3 that you almost expect to catch the whiff of beer and large men with moustaches coming from your sleek black games machine. Graphically – this is amazing, the glamorous dart venues such as Bolton are brought to high definition life whilst the facial hair and worry lines of the competitors are meticulously rendered. The darts themselves and the target board are crisp and detailed.

If the motion control of the Move is highlighting your weakness then you can still play with the trusty DualShock which uses a Tiger Woods style control stick back / forward flick that works nicely but doesn’t feel as ‘real’ as the Move.

PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour features international superstars like Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade, Mervyn King, Simon Whitlock and Jelle Klaasen – all packing detailed character models. You’d be right if you thought that this really is the definitive darts game for fans of the sport.

O-Games has also brought online 1-on-1 matches to the PlayStation 3, as well as PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour featuring a raft of downloadable content support on PSN: including new players, events and darting accessories.

"Leave it woman, I've got some darts to play!"

If darts is your thing you might want to check out how PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour is teaming up with PDC darts referee Russ Bray in a Facebook search for the public’s own interpretation of Bray’s famous ‘180!’ catchphrase. Entrants are encouraged to film a short video of themselves saying ‘180!’, and then share it with the official PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour community by uploading the video to the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pdcworldchampionshipdartsprotour  to win some prizes.

It takes a little practice but you’ll be taking part in tournaments, including the Grand Slam of Darts, a new fixture in the PDC events calendar in no time. The atmosphere is enhanced with the commentary from TV’s ‘Voice of Darts’ Sid Waddell and John Gwynne; top level match referees, Bruce Spendley and Russ Bray; and Master of Ceremonies, John McDonald.

Basically – if you want darts action without the actual darts – this should be your next purchase – I’ll see you online!

Overall: Darkmatters rating: ööööööö (7 top flight moves out of 10)

Darkmatters - SingStar: Guitar

SingStar: Guitar – PS3

Developed by Sony London Studio

Published by Sony

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“The fire in your eyes, keeps me alive...”

Ah can there be anything better than rocking on guitar out to ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ by The Cult – a vocalist beside you giving it their all – people watching, jaws agape at the profound awesomeness that they are witnessing? Well, there’s more where that came from and it’s yours for the bargain price of just over a tenner.

I was a bit skeptical about SingStar Guitar – I mean it’s not like we haven’t got Guitar Hero and Rock Band etc for virtual strumming amusement is it… But SingStar is a quality brand – unmatched in the realm of videogame karaoke and so I gave it a go with an open mind (using my trusty old plastic guitar from Guitar Hero III – in fact it seems pretty friendly with most existing guitar add ons).

First impressions are that SingStar Guitar is a super slick addition to the much loved Sony sing-em-up franchise and for once the first impressions are right… This doesn’t seem to be going after the core Rock Band market, more SingStar Guitar offers a perfect way to add to guitar action to your SingStar system without having to splash too much cash.
The gameplay adds a note path on one side of the screen (or two note paths if you wanna rock with 2 guitars) – whilst the main singing area is as before showing the words over either the officially licenced video or the feed from your PS Eye.

"sing and strum - a perfect combination!"

SingStar Guitar packs 30 songs on the disc and has already started adding ‘Guitar Enhanced’ tracks to the impressive online SingStore which is unrivalled in offering not just additional music tracks for your gaming pleasure but also themes and extras – all seamlessly integrated in the thriving SingStar community. Music choices of note on the disc (in addition to the fantastic Cult track) include: The Love Cats by The Cure, Song 2 by Blur, Ever Fallen In Love With Someone by The Buzzcocks, Kiss With a Fist by Florence and the Machine, I predict a riot by Kaiser Chiefs, Fire by Kasabian, Supermassive Black Hole by Muse, Debaser by The Pixies and Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie.

You can sing and play guitar if you’re so minded – but will need a mike stand. The real joy however comes from rocking with friends and family. I kicked off a solo burst of Pixies and pretty soon had the whole family singing and playing along (wife on duet vocals, sons on guitars) on ‘Under Pressure’…

Setting up is simple and the load times for each track pleasingly quick. Your performance is scored out of 10,000 points total with players contributing their share. Also you can’t actually ‘fail’ a song which pleased my younger son who gets frustrated with Guitar Hero when he only makes it half way through a track… There are even some new guitar trophies which are pretty easy to nail so you’ll add a bit of kudos to your online PSN profile.

SingStar is the AAA music game to beat and adding guitars to the already winning formula just makes it even better. This is the perfect addition for any PS3 owners (and if you don’t own a PS3 by now – why the hell not!!??) who already has some sort of guitar controller – now if you’ll excuse me I have to shred U2’s Beautiful Day!?

Overall: Darkmatters rating: öööööööö (8 powerchord solos out of 10)

Tis the Season for PS3 Games

"personal shoppers - optional"

5 PlayStation 3 games to add to your Christmas list…

Matt Adcock

Gran Turismo 5 might be delayed (again) and there are tons of excellent looking games hitting the PS3 in the run up to Christmas - Call of Duty Black Ops, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Fallout: New Vegas and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit... For those who have the new MOVE controller you can add SingStar: Dance, TV SuperStars and The Shoot if that's you're kind of thing.

Here though are some more titles to consider of looking for cool games for that special PS3 owning someone in your life...

1. Prince of Persia: HD trilogy

Three classic PS2 games, all re-engineered in high definition – on one Blu-ray… all for less than £30? Bring it!!

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Your chance to relive the critically-acclaimed and Prince of Persia trilogy, remixed in high definition graphics and stereoscopic 3D.

2. The Fight (Move)

The most realistic motion controlled fighting game released to date ‘hits’ the PlayStation 3 with the brutal world of illegal underground fighting utilising the PlayStation Move controller and the PlayStation Eye camera. Together these two seamlessly translate the player’s realistic physical actions to those of the character on the screen, allowing the players to fight however they choose. Keep it clean with standard jabs and punches, or fight dirty with headbutts, headlocks and more...

I played this at the PlayStation BetaRooms event and have to admit that it really packs a punch – can’t wait to take this bad boy online!

3. Time Crisis Razing Storm (Move)

Pew, pew… BOOM The PS3 is set to redefine home arcade shooters with the a new ‘Razing Storm’ Time Crisis game which will see you shooting-baddies-up in a massively destructible environment to fight futuristic terrorists and renegade soldiers in a South American country under a bloody revolution as part of a special forces unit called S.C.A.R. (Strategic Combat and Rescue), sent to capture the leader of the rebels, who masterminded an attack on the United States.

Also in this package is Time Crisis 4 - A re-release of the fourth game in the Time Crisis series, the game follows Military Intelligence Official William Rush in a mission to stop terrorists from utilizing biological insect-like weapons and any hidden agendas they may have.

And to round off this stellar package – you also get ‘Deadstorm Pirates’ where you’ll be shooting pirates like you’re Captain Jack Sparrow himself!?

4. Sly Cooper Collection

More brilliant PS2 classics getting the ‘God of War Collection’ treatment – so the Sly Cooper franchise get HD graphics , trophies and silky smooth refined gameplay. Get ready to enjoy:

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racconus

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

and Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves

The games will also have mini-games designed for the PlayStation Move and Sly 3 will also support stereoscopic 3D.

5. The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Move)

The Lord of the Rings makes the jump into motion control - Aragorn's Quest let’s players become the legendary Aragorn and embark upon a quest reliving the hero's most valiant battles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Wielding a sword, shield, bow and spear (through the PS3 Move Controller) players will battle enemies and journey through Middle-earth where they can switch between spear and sword on horseback, taking down evil foes in a truly action-packed gameplay experience. Two-player co-op gameplay featuring Gandalf allows players to work together in the heart of the orc-slaying action.

- of course these are just a few suggestions... And with LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Mass Effect 2, MotorStorm Apocalypse and SOCOM 4 all hitting early next year there's lots more to look forward to!

DJ Hero 2 hit King's Cross

"check the blonde 'human stylus'..."

DJ Hero 2


Previewed by Matt Adcock

Next Friday the world will throb to the launch of DJ Hero 2 – as thousands of DJ gamers take to their decks – on PS3s across the globe. Today, to mark the anticipated release the World’s largest turntable was installed at King’s Cross St Pancras International station.

Early morning commuters were provided with a musical treat as they danced their way through the station to some of the world’s biggest tunes. Former DMC world champion and radio 1Xtra mix master specialist DJ Blakey was on the decks whilst members of the public lived-out the fantasy of being a superstar DJ, scratching and mashing up tracks in front of a huge audience.

I got to give one of the plastic decks a spin and was impressed with the new game – the graphics are sharper, the mix of tunes sweeter and the gameplay has been cranked up a notch or two from the fun original.

The good news is that if you have the first game, you can use your existing deck to play DJ Hero2, the cunning buggers at Activision though are releasing a two deck party pack which comes with a mike so you can shout “let me hear you scream!” etc… in your own front room and have people passing in the street turn to stare!?

DJ Hero was a lot of fun, but DJ Hero2 looks to be better in every conceivable way – if you’ve ever wanted to mix, scratch or spin some tunes, mark 22nd October in your calendar and get ready to make some noise!!

Check out the DJ Hero 2 site

LOVEFiLM hits the PlayStation®3

PlayStation 3 loves LOVEFiLM

Matt Adcock

Sony Computer Entertainment UK (SCE UK) and LOVEFiLM, everyone’s favourite European film subscription service, today announce a ground-breaking partnership to bring LOVEFiLM to millions of PlayStation®3 (PS3™) users across the UK.

Yes - LOVEFiLM becomes an official PS3 integrated subscription film service partner which means that LOVEFiLM subscribers will be able to stream the UK’s largest choice of subscription titles directly to their TVs, through their PS3s and open a new world of interactivity with LOVEFiLM.

"Your perfect film delivery box... also plays the best games around!"

The partnership will soon take LOVEFiLM, currently with 1.4 million subscribers and approximately a million billion movies, into PS3’s three million-and-growing UK households. It is the most significant extension to date of LOVEFiLM’s direct-to-TV rollout which began in March when LOVEFiLM launched on SONY BRAVIA Internet Video TVs, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Home Theatre kits.

LOVEFiLM Chief Executive, Simon Calver, said,

“This is game-changing for LOVEFiLM and transformational for the UK home entertainment market as a whole. PS3 already has a very large installed customer base of all ages, all of whom will soon be able to benefit from our unique combination of instantly available content, streamed through their PS3, as well as DVD, Blu-ray & Games rental by post. To become PS3’s partner for our service is a tremendous endorsement of the value, choice and convenience offered by LOVEFiLM.”

"Coming to a PS3 near you soon - films like Twelve which sees the lovely young Jessica (Emily Meade) hooked on designer drug 'Twelve'... don't do drugs kids!"

The LOVEFiLM service will become available on the XMB (Xross Media Bar) on all internet-connected PS3s, providing most members of LOVEFiLM on subscription packages access to thousands of titles from major studios and independents, streamed instantly to their TV via their PS3, in addition to the rental by post services. Members will be able to scroll through titles on the page, also search through categories including ‘Pick of the Week’, ‘Most Watched’ and ‘Highest Rated’, view ratings and search through the LOVEFiLM instant offering by title, actor and genre. LOVEFiLM will offer any PS3 users who are not already LOVEFiLM subscribers, exclusive incentives to join the service, including free trials.

“We know there is a huge interest within our audience for film, and so the addition of LOVEFiLM to our current range of services is a very natural fit and one which significantly enhances the value proposition of PlayStation 3,” said Ray Maguire, MD of Sony Computer Entertainment UK. “LOVEFiLM has a proven track record of success and innovation in the film distribution field and is a very welcome addition to the PlayStation family that I’m confident PlayStation gamers will embrace enthusiastically.”

About LOVEFiLM

• In a little over 6 years, LOVEFiLM has become a leading European film subscription service, combining the benefits of DVD rental by post and, more recently, watching movies online via the LOVEFiLM Player (on the PC or streamed to the TV). Customers can therefore choose how they want to watch from a selection of over 67,000 titles, including HD/Blu-ray DVDs, video games and digital streaming.


• LOVEFiLM has over 1.4 million members and operates in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany


• LOVEFiLM weekly newsletters reach over one million members


• LOVEFiLM was a pioneer in digital film delivery in the UK and has recently launched the LOVEFiLM Player with thousands of digital titles available for members to watch on their TV or PC. The LOVEFiLM Player is available to all users of LOVEFiLM. For those on an Unlimited package the service comes at no extra cost. Premium titles are available to everyone on a pay-per-view basis, and a number of titles are available to all site visitors for free with advertising support


• The LOVEFiLM Player is becoming available through a range of internet-enabled devices - including Sony and Samsung - taking LOVEFiLM directly into members’ living rooms through their TV sets


• LOVEFiLM customers have generated 80 million ratings, 843,000 member reviews and generate around 2 million trailer views per month – information which helps LOVEFiLM to promote the most relevant titles for customers to choose from


• LOVEFiLM also sells DVDs, Blu-ray and video games through the LOVEFiLM shop


• LOVEFiLM is Hitwise’s 2009 Number 1 website based on market share of visits among all UK websites in the Entertainment - Movies industry (ranked 4th in the Shopping and Classifieds - Video and Games industry)


• LOVEFiLM offers a range of rental options in each market with free postage and no late fees. In the UK these include £3.99 a month allowing members to have one DVD at a time (limit of two per month. Does not include online viewing), £5.99 a month for one DVD at a time (limit of three per month plus 2 hours online viewing ), £7.99 for two DVDs at a time (limit of four per month plus 4 hours online viewing), £9.99 a month for one DVD out at a time (Unlimited DVDs by post and online viewing), £12.99 for two at a time (Unlimited DVDs by post and online viewing) and £15.99 gives the option for three DVDs at a time (Unlimited DVDs by post and online viewing). Members on an Unlimited package have access to the LOVEFiLM Player at no extra cost


• LOVEFiLM also offers a range of video games rental options in the UK market to support gaming across XBox 360, Xbox, PS3, PS2, Wii and DS. These include £5.99 a month for one disc at a time (limit of three per month. Does not include online viewing), £9.99 a month for two discs at a time (limit of three per month plus 4 hours online viewing), £14.99 a month for two discs at a time (Unlimited discs by post and online viewing) and £18.99 for three discs at a time (Unlimited discs by post and online viewing), all with free postage and no late fees


• LOVEFiLM UK awards include: British Video Association's award for the UK's Best Rental Service in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, won the fast-growing media company Media Momentum award in 2005, 2007 and 2008, UK technology – Innovation & Growth award for Mediatech Impact of the Year 2008, Home Entertainment Week awards for Rentailer of the Year 2007 and 2008, the 2008 Fast Growth Business Award for Retail/Leisure business of the Year, featured in The Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing private technology companies in 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007, awarded 3rd place in The Sunday Times top 100 private equity-backed companies with the fastest-growing profits in 2010, a finalist in the National Customer Service Awards 2008, finalist in the Retail Week awards 2009, awarded 5th place in the Deloitte Fast 50 UK 2009, awarded 22nd place in the Deloitte Fast 500 EMEA fastest growing public and private technology companies and named Company Of The Year at the Growing Business Awards 2009


• The group currently works with major partners in the UK including Tesco, easy Group, CD Wow, Guardian News Media, Odeon and Vue Cinemas, some of whom offer a fully white-labeled online DVD rental service


About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PlayStation 3 in November 2006, over 38 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 146.1 million systems worldwide. Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 62.7 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 54 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 1.1 billion items have been downloaded.


More information about PlayStation products can be found at www.playstation.com .
PlayStation, the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Darkmatters Review: Dead Rising 2

Dead Rising 2 (18) PS3


Developed by Capcom

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth… Except this time the dead are in for a bit of a beating, and that’s after being made to star in a new TV game show!?

Dead Rising was a well-received Xbox exclusive but for the sequel the PS3 has been drafted in to up the ante for a slaughter-em-up of epic proportions!

Dead Rising 2 takes you to a near future Vegas-ish place called ‘Fortune City’ and you play Chuck Greene – a regular guy who will do anything it takees to protect his young daughter who has been bitten by a zombie but not yet turned… After losing his wife to the zombie scum, now Chuck has to fight his way through a freaky Running Man style game show - called ‘Terror is Reality’ for the prize money. This he will use to purchase medicine for his daughter who requires regular injections of the drug Zombrex which will prevent her from joining the undead plague. Now as zombies break loose and overrun the city, Chuck must survive for 72 hours before the military arrives to clean up.

But don’t worry too much about the plot – basically it is just a backdrop for some serious violence as Chuck has to battle the zombies with, well, anything he can find actually!? Find a baseball bat (which works ok as a brain beater anyway) but mix it with a box of nails and create a new much more ‘kill-friendly’ tool of spiky death!? Your imagination will be well served when it comes to creating weapons – go nuts with some power drills and a steel bucket to make a DIY brain masher or tape some chain saws onto a canoe paddle for some double ended chopping!? There are lots of combos to find and they are supplemented with some nice guns and other stand-alone tools of destruction. The good news is that as well as being lots of fun, building and using custom weapons gives you extra experience points which allow for new fight moves etc to be unlocked. Sweet!

"That's one good looking zombie!?"

It might not be a complete GTA style sandbox but you don’t have to follow the main plot too carefully either, Capcom in their infinite wisdom have given gamers freedom to just kill, run around finding and building mad zombies killing weapons, and still get back and save your daughter in time for another play-through…

Dead Rising 2 is choc full of black humour and sexism, which makes death-bringing to one and all a huge amount of fun! Sure it’s sick and very playable – it is also meant to be played through several times – so just kick back and enjoy it to begin, not worrying too much about trying to save all the side mission folk – you’ll be much more effective when you come back beefed up!!

Multiplayer drop-in co-op is a blast too and feels great when you and a pal are fighting off hordes of zombies back to back… There is also a multiplayer mode too where you can friends can play ‘Terror is Reality’ for money and prizes which you can use in the main game.

Overall if you’re in the market for a madcap does of over the top zombie carnage insanity – forget Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising 2 is the game to go for!!

Darkmatters rating: ööööööööö (9 rampaging zombie deaths out of 10)

Buy the 'Zombrex Collectors Edition' HERE

Enjoy the madness over at: http://www.tapeitordie.com/agecheck?destination=home

EA Sports brings the pain to PS3 with MMA

EA Sports brings the pain to PS3 with MMA

Matt Adcock

The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be traced back to various mixed style contests that took place throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. The combat sport of Vale Tudo that had developed in Brazil from the 1920s was brought to the United states by the Gracie family in 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Professional MMA events had also been held in Japan by Shooto starting back in 1989. In due course the more dangerous Vale Tudo style bouts of the early UFC's were made safer with the implementation of additional rules, leading to the popular regulated form of MMA seen today. Now EA SPORTS MMA brings the authenticity of the world’s most intense combat sport home like never before.


Choose from the world’s top fighters or climb the ranks of the worldwide circuit with your created prodigy to become the ultimate MMA champion.

Travel the globe and learn a multitude of fighting techniques and skills from masters in each discipline.

Select from various weight classes, rule sets, and take on all challengers in multiple cage types or a ring. The challenge continues online with the most robust offering for any MMA videogame, including the ability to create and share custom fighters, prize fights, and more.

Are you ready? Let’s get it on!

Dead Rising 2 hits PS3 on 24th September

Fancy some virtual zombie slaughter?

Dead Rising 2 has you covered...

Several years have passed since Matt Adcock witnessed the Wilamette incident, and while the heroic Frank West was able to save America from a zombie apocalypse, the cause of zombification was not completely contained. This led to continued zombie outbreaks throughout the United States.

Dead Rising 2 shifts the action from the everyday world of mid-West America to the glitz and glamour of Fortune City, America's latest and greatest entertainment playground. People flock to Fortune City from around the globe to escape from reality and the chance to win big.

Enter former national Motocross champion, Chuck Greene. Before he hit the big time with a team and sponsorship behind him Chuck was forced to repair his own bikes, leaving him incredibly resourceful; a real handyman. A single father, Chuck dotes on his daughter Katey who, since the loss of her mother, he will do anything for.

With hundreds of zombies on screen at any one time, the original Dead Rising forced gamers to turn the everyday objects they found in the Mall into improvised weapons capable of fending off attacks. Dead Rising 2 promises to increase the carnage with even more zombies intent on feasting on human flesh and countless new objects with which Chuck can make the undead dead.

Check out this fun zombie killing video:

Sports Champions: Move PS3

Sports Champions: Move (PS3)

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

The era of Wii Sports comes to an abrupt, high-definition halt as Sony bring their ‘A’ game to the PlayStation 3 with their innovative MOVE controllers. Sports Champions brings six games: Archery, Beach Volleyball, Bocce, Disc Golf, Gladiator Duel, and Table Tennis to the package – which leaves plenty more to come and means that you can bet that there will be a Sports Champions 2 before too long…

Setting up the PlayStation Move is easy and – you stand in the designated area, calibrate the Move controller with a quick routine which goes shoulder, leg and waist (and soon becomes second nature). From then on you’re good to go and this time you are going to need all your reactions, skills and hand / eye coordination – no amount of arm flapping randomness will help you in Sports Champions.

Let’s look at each sport in my order of preference –

"Katy Perry takes on Britney in mortal combat"

Gladiator Duel
Gladiator Duel is brutal combat fun like nothing before, you can use either one PlayStation Move controller or two (but two is better as it feels more natural to wield both your shield and sword in each hand). From the second you step into the ring – as your chosen character (from a roster of players which looks like a sportified Street Fighter selection, with fast nimble chics with swords, heavy set rugby player types with hammers etc), your pulse begins to race as you realise that this is it – no pussying out now. You can dodge left and right with the move buttons, pull the trigger to raise your shield, power up special attacks, leap backwards, thrust, duck, slash, bash (with shield) and of course stab the living daylights out of your opponent in real time 1:1 awesomeness. It is slick and very very satisfying chopping chunks off your opponent’s health bar – two player bouts can get heated, and need some space! Quick thinking combatants can even ‘ring out’ your opponent or just be left with more health when the timer ticks down. It’s seriously addictive and all kinds of awesome,, one can only speculate at how superb this sort of control could be implemented into the next Elder Scrolls game – Bethesda are you listening!?! Which brings me to the next Sports Champions game – Archery (also a RPG staple form of attack).

Archery
Ever wanted to test your sharp shooting skills in your lounge? Robin Hood himself would be forgetting to go out and rob the rich if he’d had Sports Champions Archery to play as this is amazing. Shooting a series of targets, be they robotic zombies shuffling towards you, bags of money being tossed into the air or your more usual round targets with scoring zones. Playing this two PlayStation Move controllers is an absolute joy - reach over your shoulder to pull an arrow from your quiver, then draw the two apart like the bow and string. You’ll quickly pick up the basics but find tons of depth as you perfect your technique and pull off faster, more accurate shots. There are some great modes too try in multiplayer as well such as shooting rolling targets towards each other in an inverse tug of war… This is a show stopping title that will have Wii owners going green with envy.

Table tennis
This is another cracking Sports Champions event for PlayStation Move. If you’ve ever had a laugh playing ping pong, this demonstrates just how far the Move takes racquet sports (and whets the appetite for the coming Virtua Tennis 4). You hold the PlayStation Move controller exactly as you would a table tennis bat, twist your wrist to add spin, leap up to smash – it’s all good. It isn’t easy – as anyone who has tried the real table tennis knows that this isn’t merely a hit it as hard as you can game – but subtle art and high skills are called for. Two player mode is superb, and the tension of a long hard fought rally can be intense.

Disc golf
If you want real golf you can use Move with Tiger Woods PGS Tour 11, but in Sports Champions you get a crazy but fun version of golf where you throw Frisbees down a course – drive from the tee with a heavy long distance disk, chip onto the green with a mid weight ‘iron equivalent’ and then putt for the hole with your accurate short distance disc. It might sound a bit naff but it plays really well and could reignite a Frisbee craze. The discs fly as you’d want them to, arcing depending on how you tilt them – from left or right, up or down. Once you get the hang of this, you’ll find it incredibly hard to stop, and the satisfaction of pulling off an amazing recovery shot out of the rough is every as satisfying as when doing it with a club and ball. Sony must be high-fiving around the 19th hole because this makes the Frisbee event in Wii Sports Resort look very poor in comparison.

Bocce
If you’ve played boules, or lawn bowls then you’ll know what to expect. Throw the jack (the PlayStation Move controller gives you a great deal of control over your throw - with easy to add so that you can place your balls wherever you fancy). Then try and get your main game balls as near to the jack as possible – blasting your opponents out of the way in the process if you can. The more balls you have nearer than your opponent, the more points you score. It isn’t the most exciting game on the planet but it looks good and plays well.

Volleyball
Volleyball on Sports Champions is probably the least fun, unless perhaps you wear a bikini and film yourself playing it!? You know the drill, throw the bouncy ball up to serve, block, smash and pass your way to victory. Repeat… It works well enough but probably won’t be the event that you come back to as much as the others.


The PlayStation Move gets off to a quality start with Sports Champions and as the inferior Wii Sports has sold millions worldwide, if there is any justice or gamers with taste then this should too. Excellent gameplay, top notch HD graphics and seamless quality multiplayer challenges coupled with addictive gameplay make this a true champion amongst sports games.

Darkmatters rating: ööööööööö (9 glorious sporting victories out of 10)

Medal of Honor brings the Linkin Park to Darkmatters

Medal of Honor / Linkin Park -- "The Catalyst" Trailer

Darkmatters Editor Matt Adcock likes a bit of Linkin Park... And he likes the look of the all-new Medal of Honor for the PS3... So it's not really any surprise that the new gameplay / live action trailer directed by Linkin Park's Joe Hahn has made it onto this site for your viewing pleasure!

The trailer features never-before-seen in-game footage set to the band's first single 'The Catalyst' from their soon to be released album, A Thousand Suns.

For the first time in its 11-year history, Medal of Honor leaves the WWII theatre and enters the modern setting of war-torn Afghanistan. The game is told through the lens of a small band of fictional characters. Medal of Honor introduces players to the Tier 1 Operator, an elite warrior and relatively unknown instrument of the U.S. Military that operates under the National Command Authority to take on missions no one else can handle.

ENJOY:

Darkmatters hearts PlayStation BetaRooms

PlayStation BetaRooms

Experienced by Matt Adcock

Some friends are just great – you know the ones, say for instance the guy who texts you that he’s bagged tickets to the PlayStation BetaRooms – where you’ll get to play Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5, Motorstorm Apocalypse, Dead Nation, Little Big Planet 2 and try the new MOVE with Heavy Rain, Sports Champion, Kung Fu Rider, The Fight…

So last weekend Alan ‘top mate’ Masters and I went on a PS3 road trip to The Custard Factory in Birmingham – there to experience all that PlayStation BetaRooms had to offer.

Here are my quick reviews of the games played:

Killzone 3 Darkmatters rating: ööööööööö (9 awesome jetpack assisted battles out of 10)

The best looking future warfare simulator available just got better. Killzone 2 is a great game, but for the next in the series everything has been refined, polished and upgraded… We got to play through a Helghast infested complex set in an icy area where jet pack assisted leaping across icebergs is the order of the day. Very very satisfying gameplay (even at this stage and the game doesn’t release until Feb ’11) – experiencing KZ3 has set my level of:
Anticipation to ‘OFF THE SCALE’!!

Dead Nation Darkmatters rating: öööööööö (8 zombie clown heads out of 10)


From the quality dudes who made Super Stardust HD comes a zombie game that grabs you in its bloody, cold grip and never lets you go… Think Robotron with glorious, gory zombie enemies and some tasty weaponry with which to send them back to hell and you’ll have some idea of what to expect!? The action is fast, the graphics are excellent – loved the darkness that wraps the levels – a spooky funfair which was all ‘Zombieland’ drips with menace and you’re sure what nasty enemy you’ll find in your trusty torchlight next. Anticipation level: ‘WILL BUY ON DAY 1’!

Gran Turismo 5 (3D) Darkmatters rating: öööööööööö (10 perfect driving experiences out of 10)

GT5 has been a long long time coming… So many screenshots, so many news items about additional features – Top Gear track etc… But now the game is a mere 3 months away and having played it in both 3D and 2D , I can confirm that there is nothing even close to Gran Turismo 5 available – this is a benchmark raising work of art that plays like a dream and look better than you can imagine. The 3D depth of field is beautifully realised, but even in humble 2D this is like having a ‘Being John Malkovich’ tunnel straight into the Stig’s head! The cars look, feel and sound amazing, the handling is pitch perfect and the gameplay is wonderfully varied – the rally stage we tried in a Citroen was slippy as hell, the tarmac circuit a grippy tyre screeching workout. Anticipation level: ‘CAN’T WAIT’, might actually preorder the super collectors edition… seriously, this is going to be a long three months till this baby hits and shows the world that there simply is nothing that can touch the PS3 for racing!!

Motorstorm Apocalypse Darkmatters rating: ööööööööö (9 destruction overloads out of 10)

Hang on a minute – GT5 is truly amazing but even though it has damage, it doesn’t have massive sky scrapers collapsing as you drive through their smoking wreckage… Motorstorm blazed a trail for balls-to-the-wall off road racing with crazy crashes, lovely graphics and frantic multiplayer online races / battles. Now it’s back in a Mad Max like near future – and you are the road warrior! We played Motorstorm Apocalypse not just because it is so fun that it makes grown men giggle and whoop like schoolgirls at a Justin Bieber topless concert, no the lovely people at the PlayStation BetaRooms were offering a massive Sony 3D TV to the fastest time set!? One shot – everything to play for! OK, so we placed 6th on the leaderboard (really should have done some practicing before hitting the timed lap console) so no new TV but a great memory of adrenalin rushing racing that upped my anticipation rating for this from ‘will get’ to ‘MUST BUY’.

Little Big Planet 2 Darkmatters rating: öööööööööö (10 joy inducing creations out of 10)

Joy to the world, a saviour is born, but before we get to Christmas – the second coming of Little Big Planet will happen and this is massive step up from the first game. The new animated customs are great, the grapple dynamic allows for some suphero alike swinging from rooftop to ledge. Then there are the many new mini game options – which from what we experienced are so addictive that there might need to be LBP2 rehab clinics set up!? Everything you liked about the first Little Big Planet has been retained and tweaked, pretty much everything you didn’t like has been improved (no more ‘floaty’ jumping etc). In a word ‘excellent’ – Anticipation rating: ‘CREATION MESSIAH I PLEDGE MYSELF TO YOU’

The Fight Darkmatters rating: öööööööö (8 serious beatings out of 10)

OK so there’s been lots of talk about Sony’s motion sensing MOVE controllers – of which you’ll need one for each hand if you step up for this vicious street fighting, sin city styled fight club! I was a bit dubious as I’m really not a fan of the Wii. But drawn in by the stylish HD graphics I gave The Fight a go… And was impressed! The gameplay is nicely ‘pick up and play’ – your character moves and aims automatically which lets you focus on how best to beat the living daylights out of your opponent. Sure you can duck and weave (the camera tracks you even as the MOVE controllers mimic your punches). It all feels very satisfying and a million miles away from the slap scrappy boxing efforts of Wii that I’ve tried in the past. If you like fighting games, I’d say that MOVE is a much better way to go than even the Kinect – there is something very ‘right’ about holding the ergonomically pleasing controllers than simply ‘acting’ in front of a camera.
Anticipation rating: ‘THE FIRST RULE OF THE FIGHT IS YOU SHOULD TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THE FIGHT COS IT IS EXCELLENT’!

Sports Champions: Table Tennis Darkmatters rating: ööööööö (7 HD ping pongs out of 10)
The MOVE’s first of many sport simulator packages is ‘Sports Champions’ and we got to ping some serious pongs with Table Tennis. It looks excellent, is very responsive and allows for serious skills to be employed – be it adding spin through wrist posting, slamming a smash or serving an ace. It’s about as good as a table tennis sim could be – alas I’m not a big table tennis fan so it was all a bit lost on me. I’m much more excited about some of the other Sports Champions games that come as part of the package – Golf, Gladiator Duels and Archery to name just a few.
Anticipation level: ‘PROBABLE BUY BUT NOT FOR THE TABLE TENNIS ALONE’

Kung Fu Rider Darkmatters rating: ööööö (5 HD office chair based crazy rollings out of 10)
Everybody was Kung Fu Riding…erm well this is a PAIN-alike racing game where you control a office chair as it speeds down a course trying to avoid obstacles, random enemies in suits and various challenges by flicking the MOVE controller or tilting it. This version is obviously in a pretty raw state as the controls need work, but they get sorted before launch and if this madcap title is a low price PSN download then I’d probably pick it up.
Anticipation rating ‘DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME, YET’


Heavy Rain MOVE Darkmatters rating: ööööööööö (9 hands on dark crimes out of 10)

I loved Heavy Rain when it was simply a ‘press the right button’ interactive movie – and was curious how the MOVE controls would work with it. Now having played it – I can’t wait to go through the whole game again as the MOVE adds to the feeling actually being involved in the story – be it running from and fighting off masked assailants as a babe wearing nothing but her skimpies, or a tough detective trying to squeeze past a garbage container in a gloomy ‘mug me’ ally. The game throws up symbols on screen – you have a certainly amount of time to react and do the correct gesture – it’s immersive and satisfying and the MOVE controls are spot on.
Anticipation rating: ‘MOVE BRINGS THE CRIMESCENE TO LIFE – NEEDS TO BE PLAYED’!


BETAROOMS verdict: Darkmatters rating: öööööööööö (10 gaming experiences out of 10)

Hats off to Sony for bringing some of their big hitting games to the public at stages where feedback can still be incorporated in to the final development. I was seriously impressed with the excellent games coming from Sony in the next 6 months – and these are just the tip of the powerfisted beserker of gaming goodness that will be hitting the PS3 in that timescale. No other games consol has the depth and sheer excitement factor that the PS3 is going to rock this holiday season – the MOVE is a step up from the Wiimote in every way and unless dancing games are all you enjoy – you need a controller with triggers for the more varied stuff like erm, shooting!!

If there are more BetaRooms planned (can you imagine the potential with StarHawk, Last Guardian, Resistance 3, Eight Days, Time Crisis, Agent, Agency etc etc) I can only hope that my mate Alan is on the ball and bags the tickets sharpish!!

Check out these cool write ups of PlayStation BetaRooms:

RobGroove

ps3attitude

Is this man 'The Stig' - or just Alan Masters?