Review: Hot Shots Golf - World Invitational

Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational

PS Vita

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Clap Hanz

Release Date: 14 February 2012

As as staple of Sony systems, the Hot Shots series has always been about accessibility. The entire series takes a casual approach to sports, and it makes for fun gaming. The golf series features courses that are just a bit fantastical, characters that are type-casts out of anime movies, and mechanics that everyone can easily pick up, but that take time to master. Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational offers that familiar and simplistic golf action on your Vita. Those that love the series know what they are in for, but folks on the outside may not “get it.”

The cartoony greens are calling again!

Review: Unit 13

Unit 13

PS Vita

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Zipper Interactive

Release Date: 6 March 2012

The Vita has two analog sticks. This fixes one of the major complaints about third-person shooters on the PSP: that the controls were wonky or ineffective. Despite the PSP's limitations, Zipper Interactive saw great success with their SOCOM series. Visions of a proper military shooter were realized with the announcement of Unit 13. Here was Zipper with the chance to show off how good a portable shooter could be. And they succeeded. Mostly.

Soldiers VS Terrorists

Review: Uncharted - Golden Abyss

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

PS Vita

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sony Bend

Release Date: 14 February 2012

Daring adventurer and mystery solver Nathan Drake has been busy lately. His blockbuster adventure in November, Drake's Deception, was another successful entry in the franchise. To make sure that the PS Vita had a “core franchise” at launch, Naughty Dog handed their boy over to the folks at Sony Bend. It's always a gamble to have another studio take on a beloved franchise, but with Naughty Dog consulting, Golden Abyss has every chance to be a solid entry in the series. What we got was akin to Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Adventurer Nathan Drake is back in Uncharted: Golden Abyss

News and Vacation!

Alright, it's that time of year!  The one time where I get to have a week and change off to enjoy time with my family.  I'm not going to be able to update until next week, so there won't be any posts this weekend or the following week.  However, I'm hoping to get enough quality Vita time to be able to review Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Unit 13 and get write-ups done for Syndicate and Binary Domain after I return.  Also, I have (and cannot enjoy yet) Mass Effect 3 to play for fun (and review later).  So, I'm hoping that two weeks of silence will be followed by an explosion of reviews (since I've been so bad at that lately).  Before signing off, here's a couple of stories that caught my eye!

Quantic Dream is at it Again

The folks behind Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain released another amazing tech-demo at San Francisco's Game Developers Conference.  They blew people away when they released "The Audition" which became the basis for Heavy Rain.  Now they are showing off "Kara" and I couldn't be more excited about what they might do with the engine.  This isn't a game in progress, mind you, it's just a demonstration of what they can do with their new graphics engine.  Quantic Dream has a history of amazing ideas and solid tech that falls short as a "game" but that's no reason to think this couldn't work!  We'll see what they are cooking up next, but "Kara" has me starry-eyed with the possibilities.  And if not Quantic Dream, maybe someone else will use the engine to make something incredible.  Check out Geoff Keighley's interview with David Cage at Game Trailers, too! (via Game Trailers)

This eventually evolved into Heavy Rain

This is the new short "Kara"

An Indie Title to Watch

Announced at GDC, a new Indie platformer by Compulsion has caught my eye.  The game is called Contrast, and it looks to be a little bit of Lost in Shadow (a Wii game) mixed with Vaudeville.  I love the idea of jumping between the "real world" and the shadows to progress.  It looks so cool!  1Up has a write up on the game here.  Check out this cool announcement trailer, too!  (via 1Up)

Man, does this look neat!

News Roundup: 4 March 2012

Big week ahead!  The long awaited ending to the Mass Effect trilogy drops tomorrow night (that's where I'll be!).  Besides that, I've still been under the Hot Shots spell.  Look for reviews of Hot Shots, WipEout 2048 and Uncharted: Golden Abyss at the end of the month.  With that, on with the news!