Vagusnet

The whole reason we play videogames is to get away from the real world, to be able to try things like you have never done before and to experience things that can only be possible in a simulated world so why do companies think that we want real world style games for our consoles?
Well the answer to this question is that what if you couldn’t take part in these real world style events or what if you were obsessed with that event and you wanted to take it over to a videogame setting as well.

The genre that seems to thrive is this kind of quandary is the racing genre and companies are always trying to out do each other with realistic handling, real looking cars and all the tracks to can race one.
The new game added to this list is Ferrari Challenge and like all other realistic car games the developers Eutechynx state that this is the most realistic car game ever and while this is true in some form most of it has been done before and done much better by other developers.

In the main part of the game you are given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Ferrari F430 and have to race over 16 tracks from Europe, America and Italy (why Italy isn’t a part of Europe in this game remains to be seen) to try and boost you winnings so that you can take on better opponents and also release more cars for you to take into arcade mode and the online portion of the game.
Straight from the bat you will notice something and that’s the fact that in the main mode of the game you can only control 1 car and while this is a fantastic car it still is only 1 so the variety that other racing games have has been lost in this game.
Now don’t get me wrong you can customise this car with different decals and also given a mountain of options to tune up this car but it is still only one car so you are just going to have to stick with it.

After coming to terms with the car this is where the game starts to become more for the hardcore and not the casual amongst us as the game will punish you for bad driving because you need to be precise with what you do and concentrate from the start of the racing right to the checkered flag at the end and this is where i got frustrated as I’m not the right person to be handling this kind of game as i don’t like realistic racing games and i don’t have the patience to keep spinning off every two seconds for me to try and get back on to the track to compete in the rest of the race.
Thankfully though you do have the option of the racing line that’s mapped out on to the track that will come in real handy if you are like me but i still felt like this was to much for me.

What did help me though was how indifferent the A.I can be with them one minute pulling away from you giving you no chance of catching them up only for them to screw up a corner for you to easily passing them by thus leaving the A.I cars with egg on there face, however they will catch up on you again and make you cry because one minute you were cheering on the fact that you have finally gotten past someone only to have that snapped away from you and you dumped back behind the pack again.

Unfortunately on of the other big bad points of the game is down to the look of the tracks and the only word to describe them is bland, you wouldn’t expect a Playstation 3 game to have very static and flat backgrounds and also in some cases pop up appearing in the distance when you are driving down the straights.
However the car models are fantastic with rich detail down to the nut’s and bolts on the tires and with the sun gleaming off the bonnet of the car showing how well the paint job is.

When you try out the other modes in the game the game itself picks up a little because you get the chance to try out up to 50 cars and not the one that you have to stick with in the main mode and like the main car each car has been modeled on the original in a lot of detail making each car look more realistic than usual.

Don’t be down beat if you think that there is no online mode because that would be stupid on there part if they didn’t include it and there is one and this is where i had most fun as i wasn’t just the only one who found it hard to control these cars and i was starting to enjoy myself until you race against somebody who knows how to play games like these then you get beaten into a bloody pulp and have to get the smoke form your chest as you will always be behind them.

On a happy note the developers have promised downloadable content that will be free every month but also premium content that will only cost £5 giving you the chance to have one new track and another 5 cards added to your list while the free stuff will range from game mode updates to driver roster downloads and many other cool things.

Overall the game in the right hands is a descent attempt at a realistic Ferrari games as lovers of Ferrari will get a lot out of it but if you can’t play these kind of games (like myself) then you are going to be frustrated with the realistic feel of it.

7/10

The game is also due out on the DS on the 4th July with a PS2 and Wii version coming out this summer.

Just as a added little treat here is a game trailer for the game as well

Well E3 is over for another year and like last year it was a little bit disappointing however there were a few interesting announcements and some fantastic games shown off.

So what did i think was the best of E3 well seeing as it’s the end of E3 the only way to do is have one more top 3.
The big difference about this top three is that it has nothing to do with the 3 conferences but it’s all about the games that were at E3.

So without further ado here is my top 3 E3 games.

3. Gears Of War 2
It was obvious that this was going to be Microsoft’s big game at E3 and it didnt disappoint with some really big set pieces and some fantastic graphics showing off what the 360 can do.
The demo that was shown off at E3 showed some fantastic set pieces that made even me drool a little, from fighting the big bro-mag to seeing the flame thrower in action this looks like it will be bigger than the first game.
Throw into the mix co-op campaign, 10 player online team death matches and a separate five player online co-op mode i can’t wait for this game when it comes out this November.

2. M.A.G (Massive Action Game)
This was the game for me that was the biggest shock at Sony’s press conference as it was a new IP but it was also the first console game to feature an online mode that will cater for 256 people.
So how will this game manage it well everybody will be split into teams of 8 and send out on huge battlefields to blast the crap out of each other.
While there was nothing new about the fact that this was another team based first person shooter the biggest selling point for me was the fact that each game can hold up to 256 players at once and that number was mind boggling.
Whether the game can handle it will remain to be seen but i can’t wait for it to come out sometime next year.

1. Resident Evil 5
For me this was a really easy choice and it was made even easier if you have seen this game because when i saw the new trailer my jaw just dropped down to the floor and i declared that i must have this game.
For the first time in a Resident Evil game there will be online co-op which will add a new dimension to the game but for it was the graphics that were the star of the show and i have to say that this is the best looking game i have ever seen.
Now I’m not a person who gets carried away when it comes to the graphics of games but i do have to say that i would love to shake the hands of everybody at Capcom because this game looks fantastic.
not only does it have the fantastic graphics but like other Resident Evil games we know we can expect a brilliant storyline and so joyful set pieces.

The game is due out early next year and you would be the biggest idiot in the world if you didn’t go out and buy this game.

Other mentions
Well they were my top 3 games of E3 but there were a few other games that need a quick mention so they are the following:-
Dead Rising on the Wii - Announced by Capcom at E3 we knew that they were working on a Wii game but nobody thought it was Dead Rising for the Wii so this gave me a big shock when i found out about it.
Mirror’s Edge - every single time i see this game i just want to play it and it was no exception when i saw the new trailer as this has to be a fantastic move on EA’s part to try something different like this.
Fable 2 - I know a few people who cannot wait for this game and I’m one of them and when it was announced that it was finished and coming out in October i had a big smile on my face.
Little Big Planet - Every time you see this game you just want to get your hands on it and play it for yourself and at E3 they teased us again with it and all i said was release it already or people will get so pissed off with Sony that they will not buy it.

So that’s it for this years E3 and while it was still a bit of a damp squib it still had it’s moments so lets hope next years will up the anty and be much better than this one.

Now if you thought that the previous stuff you have seen about Resident Evil 5 was jaw dropping then cast your eye’s over this new trailer and get ready to pick that jaw up off the floor because i have to say that this is now my most wanted game and i can’t wait to get my grubby little mits on it when it comes out early next year.

So enjoy the trailer and tell me what you think.

One of the stand out games shown yesterday at Sony’s press conference was Resistance 2 and we have the gameplay trailer for you to check out so enjoy.

Sony was the last company to have there press conference and they decided to start with a bang but in the end it just turned out like the Microsoft conference nothing to big but enough to make people happy about what they are doing over the next year.

So here is my top 3 announcements from the Sony press conference.

3. Movie Downloads.
Now while this isn’t new to 360 owners Sony finally told us the details of there movie download service which is going to be a bit like the one on the 360 but hopefully offer a better selection.
Big companies like Warner, Fox, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures and many more have signed on to the service which will see there films available to either rent for a period of time or unlike the 360 you will be able to purchase the movie for you to watch when you want to and also be able to transfer it on to your PSP for you to watch it on the move.
The service launches tonight on the American store but it’s still unclear when us Brits will be getting it.

2. God Of War 3
We knew this was happening so it wasn’t a big surprise that there was a third God of War game coming but the trailer that was shown also didn’t give anything away about how the game looks etc.
So i guess you are thinking why the hell is it at number 2 well the answer is the fact that it was one of the biggest games announced at there press conference so it had to fit in the chart somewhere plus it’s another slice of Kratos action and who can give up on that.
It will be really interesting to see what they do with this one seeing as the person who did the last two has left Sony so it will be in the hands of somebody new.

1. MAG (Massive Action Game)
For me the biggest game announced from Sony themselves was there only new game and it comes from the team behind the Socom games so it can only mean something big.
The games biggest selling point is the 256 person online mode that will see you split into teams of 8 that will see you battle against each other in a squad style battle.
Each squad will feature a team captain with the rest of the squad split into other factions including a medic and explosive guy plus many more.

the reason why this was the biggest game for me was down to the fact that this was Sony only new IP and it shows that Sony can handle to online side of the PS3 which at the moment hasn’t reached anywhere new the levels of the 360.

Well that’s it from the top 3 for the rest of the week we will have more details on other games plus at the end i will tell you my thoughts of this years E3

Time for a couple of more trailers from E3 and this time it’s from EA who are trying something a little bit different instead of just the same sports update.

The trailers in question are for the uber scary and gory survival horror game Dead Space and for the gorgeous looking Mirrors Edge.
So tell me what you think and enjoy the trailers.
*the following trailers are from gametrailers.com

Here is a couple more trailers for you to get you teeth into from this years E3 and don’t worry as soon as the press conference is ready to put up i will post it straight away if not there will be a summary tomorrow.

As like last year i put up some trailers for games that have caught my eye and to kick things off this year is the new trailer for Project Origin that thrusts you into another nightmare thanks to that weird little girl Alma (F.E.A.R).

So check out the trailer and tell me what you think.

So E3 is just around the corner so what do we expect to see at each one of the big 3’s press conference, well below is my guess at what i think they might show.

Nintendo
Since the last year Nintendo has shocked the gaming world with how well the Wii has done however of the 3 Nintendo is the hardest to predict as they like to keep there cards to there chest but i’m going to give it a try and predict what i think they might say and show.
1 - We know that Nintendo plan to show a big mystery game off at E3 but we don’t know what it will be and i think it could be a new Zelda game.
2 - There is a chance that another version of the DS will be shown as there have been hints but Nintendo have ruled it out but you never know.
3 - Could they throw a spanner in the works by showing off a new home system this early in the lifespan of the Wii.
4 - People have been crying out for a hard drive for the Wii and i think they would be silly if they did’nt announce one.
5 - As you can expect they will also show off a lot of games whether it be for the Wii, DS or Wiiware and we might even have a few more companies announced to be releasing more classic games for the virtual console.
6 - Finally i predict that there might be some new Wii channels announced but in what form they might take that is what i’m unsure about.

Microsoft
Out of the 3 last year Microsoft had the worst press conference as they only showed games that were coming out over the 6 months leading up to the christmas rush so what can they do this year to make up for the lack luster approach of last years.

1 - The obvious place to start is a blu-ray add on for the 360, Now we know that they have said there will not be one but they way blu-ray has been going over the last 6 months since they won the format wars Microsoft would be really stupid if they did’nt hint at one.
2 - Could a new home console be shown as Microsoft were first out of the door with there next gen console and they could beat the other two to the punch again with there next console.
3 - Rumors that they have been working on a handheld has been going around for a long time so is it time to own up and finally show us that they are going to be making one.
4 - Every year since the 360 came out they have announced a new scu so it might be a dead cert that they announce a new one with the fingers pointing to a 60GB model.
5 - We know a lot of games will be shown off with Gears 2, Fable etc being a dead cert but do they have a secret few games up there sleves that nobody knows about.
6 - More new features will surely be shown off but in what form and what can we expect with rumors hinting that there could be a little bit of a redesign of the dashboard.
7 - Finally going around the internet lately have been talk about a motion controller for Microsoft that will be better than the Wii’s so could this rumor be true.

Sony
It hasn’t been a good year for the once rulers of the console war but over the next year could see a big change in fortune with Sony as they now have started to find there feet and they have start to pull back some ground for the other two but what can we expect from them.

1 - Home should be shown off agin but this time hopfully in it’s final for with a concrete release date finally announced.
2 - Another redesign of the PSP could be on the cards as there handheld has been failing quicker than there home console and it needs something big to bring it back from the brink of the gaming abyss.
3 - We know Sony will show off Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2 and Killzone 2 but what other new games do they have up there sleves and could we finally see the next gen reborn of Jak and Daxter.
4 - New features are bound to come out for the Ps3 but in what form and will we see a bit more of a simple aproach to things from them.
5 - Sony have announced that they plan to have a movie service for the PS3 like the 360 but how is this service going to work and how much will movies cost well we know that they will have something to say on that matter.
6 - A price cut seems to be on the cards for them again but how much will be cut off and when can we expect this to happen should also be announced at there press conference.

Well thats it those are my predictions as what we might expect to hear from the big 3 at there press confernece at E3 next week.

The times and dates for each press conference are as follows:-
Microsoft - Monday 14th July 5:30pm
Nintendo - Tuesday 15th July 4:00pm
Sony - Tuesday 15th July 6:30pm

We will have each press conference on here as soon as we can but if you wnat to watch them live go over to Gamespot.com as they will be streaming each one of the 3 live.

It seems somebody has made a little mistake by saying that Rock Band 2 will not hit our shores this year instead it will come out in November only in America and will also grace the 360 first and will eventually come out on the other systems.

A spokesperson from EA said that “There was a misunderstanding and there is no confirmed date for Europe.”

With Guitar Hero 4 out this year over here it would of been silly of EA to go up against it but it is EA and I’m surprised they haven’t gone up against Activision this time.

As soon as we get a release date for Rock Band 2 i will let you know.