Reeves admits PSP needs more new games

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president David Reeves has admitted that the PlayStation Portable is suffering from a lack of new games titles in the region.

Although the company has its Go! Explore sat-nav application, and cross-platform functions with the PlayStation 3, at its recent PlayStation Day the only new PSP games mentioned during the hour and a half presentation were Echocrome and Buzz! Quiz Master.

Full Interview with Matt Martin

HGZine Issue 16: Guitar Hero on Tour, SBK 2008, Gauntlet, Space Invaders

In this latest issue of HGZine, you'll find a fantastic combination of the old (revitalised) and the new. There's an interview and review for SBK 2008, and fantastic previews of WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2009, Soul Bubbles, Doctor Who, and masses of others. Then there're previews of the new version of Gauntlet and Space Invaders. Now, some old skoolers may well be shivering at the thought of these, but actually, hang on because both Gauntlet and Space Invaders are looking pretty good. Download the issue here.
And then there's Guitar Hero on Tour. How can GH fit on a DS, we hear you cry? With a brand new controller that fits onto the GBA slot. See how the new game and controller are looking inside.

Issue 15 of HGZine is out now!

The headline of this issue is Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. So, when you think Sonic, your mind probably doesn't immediately leap to the idea of an RPG game. And, when you've got your head around that idea, you're probably asking yourself who will be developing this little title. Bioware, that's who. Bioware, the genius behind the best RPG games of all time: Baldur's Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect - you get the picture. And we've got an exclusive developer interview on how the game is shaping up.

It's interview-tastic in this issue, with a chin wag with the developer of Final Fantasy: Crisis Core and the developers of SEGA Superstars Tennis, including the huge 26 minutes original audio interview to listen to, inside the mag itself.

Download your HGZine here.

Warriors Orochi Reviews

Gamespot:
If the Dynasty Warriors franchise is to be commended for anything, it should be for its utter unwillingness to evolve -- it has absolutely perfected the art of remaining static in a landscape of constant flux. Warriors Orochi continues this long and dubious practice by melding the worlds of Dynasty Warriors with its Japanese offshoot Samurai Warriors, and the result is a game that the faithful it caters to time and time again will surely enjoy immensely. If, on the other hand, you do not enjoy brainless button mashing, laughably one-dimensional gameplay, and a severely aged combat system, you're better off running for the hills.

The Good
* The large battlefields of the console versions are mostly intact
* A total of 77 warriors from both franchises to recruit.

The Bad
* Boring, brainless button mashing
* Ugly and repetitive environments
* Poorly executed team system
* Enemy soldiers almost always pop up onscreen.

Full review

Gamespy:
How stressed out must the developers at Koei and Omega Force have been when attempting to bring their popular Warriors series to handheld systems? The series (both the Dynasty and Samurai varieties) is known for tossing dozens upon dozens of opponents on the screen at once to fulfill players' hacking and slashing needs. It would be extremely difficult to bring that experience to a portable.

Previous attempts at Warriors titles for the PSP have been fairly solid, but they haven't been able to fully recreate the console versions of the games. Instead of dropping the player on a large map full of enemies, these games broke the action up into a grid-style playing field with multiple smaller missions to complete.

Warriors Orochi, however, changes all that. This is a direct port of the PS2 and Xbox 360 game that was released last fall, and it does a surprisingly good job of living up to the game that inspired it. Just be sure to take advantage of the game's interim save feature or the PSP's sleep mode. Some of these battles can take half an hour or more to finish -- not exactly conducive to pick-up-and-play portable gaming."

Pros:
*Faithful recreation of the console game
*Tons of playable characters
*Weapon Fusion system allows for good customization

Cons:
*There's some noticeable pop-up
*Long load times
*It's the same Warriors gameplay

Full review

More reviews on God of War: Chains of Olympus

Digital Life:
The focus is on short, frequent and intense battles, but players can also enjoy solving the occasional puzzle by manipulating levers, statues, switches and refracting light.

Your path is linear and occasionally so obtuse you'll be scratching your head wondering where to venture next. But swimming, climbing and jumping interludes provide a change of pace between skirmishes.

Most impressively, the epic scale, colossal opponents and incredible presentation are on par with acclaimed PS2 games, and there are few loading delays.

The only compromise for the game's hand-held form is its shorter length compared to its predecessors. Players can complete the adventure in a day, with only a series of brief challenges or a higher difficulty mode to tackle next.

Full review


Videogamer:
Ever since the PSP burst into stores we've been waiting for true console-like gaming experiences to arrive. Sure, we've had a few classic games on the PSP, but only now, in the shape of God of War: Chains of Olympus, do we have a game that turns Sony's handheld into a portable PS2. Chains of Olympus is not only a stunning entry in the God of War series but the most impressive PSP game released to date - if you've been sitting on the fence over buying a PSP, now's the time.

For anyone following the plot and timeline of the God of War games, Chains of Olympus takes place ten years prior to the original PS2 game. The opening level sees Kratos defending the city of Attica from an invading army, slaying hundreds of soldiers in typical bloody fashion. The story eventually centres on Helios, whom Kratos must find in order to counter the deep sleep Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, has cast on the other Greek gods. Suffice to say, it's a lot trickier to explain than it is to experience. The result is a quest through typical God of War environments, fights against mythical creatures and enough bloodshed to shame even the most prolific serial killer.

Full review

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reviews

Gamepro:
It's hard not to like Crisis Core because it does so many things right. From the over-the-top graphics to the addictive battling system, this is a solid entry in the series. Crisis Core does a fine job of incorporating the world of VII while giving hardcore vets a sense that they're doing something new. Aside from the main storyline, there are over 300 side missions to complete and a new difficulty mode exclusive to the US release means there's plenty of content to keep players busy until the next major Final Fantasy game is released.

Full Review


GameSpy:
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is well worth playing for series fans and newcomers alike. It succeeds on its own merits while also serving as a powerful tribute to one of modern gaming's most beloved adventures.

Full Review


GameTap:
You can safely divide the world into two sorts of people: those who go through emotional upheaval whenever Aerith's death in Final Fantasy VII (if you're ticked about spoilers, sorry, but you literally had 10 years to experience it yourself) is brought up, and those who don't. Whichever side you fall on will also predict your feeling about this final installment of the compilation of FFVII. If you shudder in horror when hearing the phrase "Nibelheim incident," then Crisis Core is a fantastic and emotional companion piece to FFVII. If you shrugged at that phrase, well, you'll probably just see Crisis Core as a well-made PSP action role-playing game.

Pros: Well-constructed action-RPG mechanics; portable friendly; good companion story to FFVII.
Cons: Bad luck can be aggravating; story is a bit offputting to non-FFVII diehards; missions and environments can get repetitive.

Full Review

Reviews :: God of War: Chains of Olympus | FlatOut Head On

This month's HGZine, Issue 14, has the first 10/10 game, so get along there now and find out what it is!

You'll be hard pushed to know which game it is from the list that's in the issue though, because it is packed with great quality releases. From Flatout Head On (the cover game, complete with review, interview and tips from the developers themselves) to Professor Layton, and Apollo Justice to God of War, this issue has every type of game for both DS and PSP.

Enjoy the issue and share it with your friends!

HGZine Issue 13 is finally here!

Download the latest issue of HGZine here if you've not subscribed:

HGZine Issue 13 download

This issue includes a hands-on preview and interview with the new Assasin's Creed game (DS). Enjoy, and please do pass this on to your friends.