Action & Adventure PSP Games
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From Russia With Love (PSP)
by Lions "From Russia With Love" is one of my favorite James Bond films. It's got an exciting plot, and it's got Sean Connery, who is a competitor for my title of favorite Bond. Therefore, I immediately became interested in the game "From Russia With Love" when I heard that Sean Connery would actually be doing the voice ... acting for Bond in the game. I think it's cool that the developers tried to go for an appeal towards the classic Bond fans, as well as attract some new ones. What's not cool however, is not explaining the story in any way, depicting Bond as Rambo rather than stealthy, and delivering an overall game that feels lost in transition. Let's begin with the gameplay. It's kind of varied, and enough to at least be given a pass there, since I full understand the parameters that the developers were working on. The PSP is a powerful handheld, but it's obviously not going to have the space to support mission after mission. As it is, the single player is long enough to be justified. Many of the missions will take a good 15-30 minutes depending on your skill and the difficulty setting of the game. In addition, there are things mixed apart from typical 3rd person shooting. One of these is actually a pretty cool fight with a helicopter, in which you get to fly around in a jetpack with a minigun on it. However, these types of missions are too few and far between, and as for the actual 3rd person shooting that makes up most of the game, there just isn't enough variance. James Bond is supposed to be stealthy. Sneak attacks from above, silenced pistols, etc. Instead, this game basically has you walking right into the open and mowing down really dumb enemies with SMGs and Assault Rifles. There isn't a lot of cover to hide behind, and often times the enemy characters will simply stand, not moving and looking at the direction at which you will come from. There's no way to sneak by them. You are forced to play like it's Die Hard 4, or the 6th season of 24- which is to say, lot's of shooting. Too much shooting in fact, that it becomes dull, bland, and background. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's way more cool to have that feel of "dark creature in the night", sneaking around taking out enemies rather than just walking right up to them and hip-firing an unsilenced submachine gun. Now onto the controls. I'm going to be very lenient here because I know how limited and difficult it is for the developers to make great controls for a shooter on the PSP. This is due to the whole restriction of only one analog stick. Basically the developers had a choice here between giving the user the ability to pan the camera, or creating a center system similar to the Z-targeting used in N64 classics like Goldeneye or Legend of Zelda. Since "From Russia With Love" is a 3rd person shooter though, the panning camera seems like a better fit, and the developers did reasonably well with it. Basically the analog stick controls Bonds movements, but the square and circle buttons pan your camera left and right. This is all well and good, and works reasonably well. However, it suffers from two major flaws, both of which could easily have been fixed by the developers, making them all the more frustrating. The first flaw is that the sensitivity for panning the camera is simply too slow. Often times I found myself being shot at from behind. However, you can't simply spin around like you can on a console with that second analog stick. Instead, you have to SLOWLY peek around to make that 180 degree turn on enemies. This generally means they've already gotten a couple of shots on you to deplete your armor or health. The other problem with this camera is that it's buggy. It will get caught on things, and sometimes have spasms on you when you try to lock into an enemy with your gun using the left trigger. Usually this results in Bond quickly spinning around and shooting randomly in the opposite direction. All in all it feels a bit too unresponsive for me. The game does however deserve some props for it's multiplayer. In fact, I really respect EA for what they have done with it to make a worthwhile lasting experience which justifies purchasing the game rather than perhaps just renting it. There are four maps that you can play on. It's not much, but remember, we are talking about the PSP here and space restrictions obviously had to limit some potential. The gameplay of multiplayer itself though is quite good. It's fast paced, but strategy can still be used. The maps all have their different power positions, and each weapon has a time and place to use it. What really impressed me though, is the feature to allow yourself to play with AI bots set to a difficulty of your choosing depending on your skill of the game. This feature of the game impressed me for a couple of reasons. First, it allows people to play that either do not have WiFi to connect to, or are in a place without WiFi to play off of. And second, it adds to the longevity of the game. Obviously the video game "From Russia With Love" for the Sony PSP isn't the best-selling product in the world. Plus, the game was released a couple of years ago. Therefore it's very rare and highly unlikely that you will discover another player online to play a match with. With the bots however, you can still enjoy the well put together multiplayer maps. Sure, they aren't the same as real competition, but they can be tricky with flanking routes and such at times, and put at the hardest setting, they can still give you a bit of a challenge. Overall, this game is very high-low. It's pros are very good, while it's cons seem unforgettably bad. The single player is a decent length, but its filled with too much of the same. The graphics, sounds, and shooting are great for the PSP, but they are hindered by the wonky camera control. However, multiplayer comes through to shine, making this game long and enjoyable enough to be worth the buy. It's certainly not the best, most polished game on the market. But if you look at the options out there for those of us looking for shooting action on our PSPs, we can't be too picky. And fortunately, "From Russia With Love" offers enough to us that make it decent enough for that on-the-go shooting fix. Read the complete review |
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Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (PSP)
by tom1clare Picture the scene: it's the turn of the millennium and the biggest video game brawlers are beginning another term at Fight School. Swatty Streetfighter is still the teacher's pet; Tekken is busy beating up the new kids and Dead Or Alive is being its usual pervy self behind the bike sheds. And then there's the eccentric loner - and that ... would be DarkStalkers. None other than the quirky cousin of Streetfighter, it may not have garnered the same level of notoriety, but then, the real mavericks always were too cool for school. The PSP's 2005 launch saw a remarkably unlikely return to centre stage for a series that had been largely dormant for six years. DarkStalkers Chronicle is moulded as an anthology of sorts, but unlike Capcom's slightly unconvincing (and highly frequent) revamps of Streetfighter II, this feels very complete. It pools together the content of all three instalments of the Saturn/PSOne 2D beat 'em ups and more besides, as well as all the intricacies that the connoisseurs love to pick through. What's easy to forget in the time that's passed is, even with its retro leanings, The Chaos Tower was almost certainly the best portable beat 'em up ever released at the time. This was of course as much down to the sizable technological leap afforded it by the then cutting-edge PSP, but as easy as it was to be wowed by a handheld fighter with pin-sharp visual clarity and no watering-down of the control scheme, the game also has an impressive degree of staying power. For those unfamiliar with DarkStalkers' homage to gothic anime and all things odd, there's the opportunity to sample an ageing though superbly crafted brawler, complete with one of the most eclectic character line-ups you could ever wish to see. It's not just the newcomers who'll find stuff to like here though; long-term fans will appreciate a couple of notable new features. Firstly, WiFi brings the series' portable debut to life as no Capcom beat 'em up is ever complete without multiplayer, and playing against a friend predictably doesn't disappoint. Just as significant is the all-new Chaos Tower mode. An early foray into the tower-climbing quest trope, it sees the player assembling a team of three fighters and aiming to win bouts in order to move up "floors" with a view to facing tougher opponents and attaining artwork stills as a mini-incentive along the way. Getting knocked out eliminates a player permanently, leading to some tricky moments as you'll periodically face powerful mid-bosses, thus it's important to rotate and protect fighters low on health. You'll spend longer on the Arcade mode, but it's a nice addition. And of course, it plays very well in a familiar kind of way. Strictly speaking, it doesn't do anything the Street Fighter Alpha games don't, but whilst D-Pad control is so often a hindrance to such titles, here it's actually very sprightly, and with a characteristically generous selection of difficulty settings and playing styles, it is in the classic Capcom style, a game with as much depth as you could ask for. Learning to block and time simple attacks proves as rewarding as executing the flashier special moves, and the computer opponents (even the last boss, Jedah) rarely use cheap tactics. Of course, you can't weigh up a fighting game's credentials without looking at its cast, and on show here is an array of characters so strange that it's difficult to know quite where to begin. Morrigan is certainly the most recognisable figure; all boobs, wings and green hair, she's a fan favourite and an ideal starting point for newcomers as her mix of agility, projectile attacks and uppercuts will seem pretty accessible. What's ultra-impressive is the almost-complete absence of palette swapping as a means of expanding the quota of playable characters; Morrigan and Lilith do share similar features, but employ very different combat techniques. The other twenty or so protagonists are unique however, and whilst they aren't as iconic as those the other big franchises have mustered, there are some fantastically creative figures to play as. The most distinctive include Pyron; literally a fireball in the shape of a human, Felicia; the blue-haired cat-woman and Sasquatch who, as the name suggests, is a Big Foot. The most memorable among this motley bunch however is Baby Bonnie Hood. Mimicking the look of Little Red Riding Hood, she's a wickedly humorous, dark skit on the fabled children's character, designed to highlight evil as a universally human trait that isn't dependent on a specific type of appearance. Beneath her cute veneer is a psychotic murderer whose ending sequence, which sees a family of wolves huddled around a TV worriedly learning of her exploits as she lurks in the woods, is absolute genius. It would in retrospect have been nice to have had a moves list accessible from the pause menu, as gamers with little or no exposure to the genre are likely going to struggle to begin with. This is further compounded by the odd bulkier character using the old charge move sets (holding a direction before quickly pressing the opposite and an attack button) and these are really tough to make effective without guidance - the Frankenstein-esque Victor thus plays like lumbering wrestler Zangief from Streetfighter II, and is horribly unsuited to non-joystick control. Still, whilst this may be attributed to one of the less desirable aspects of nineties gaming, one aspect that doesn't disappoint is the hugely comprehensive and very listenable soundtrack that, unsurprisingly, has a boppy, nineties arcade exuberance to it at times. Presentation-wise the game was perfect for showing off its hardware. The imaginative characters are a far cry from the pixelated hand-me-downs that beleaguered handheld fans had for so long had to put up with, but it's the acid-trip backdrops that really make things fizz, and while many would go on to surpass The Chaos Tower's relatively simplistic PSOne-era animations and unrefined menus, few can match the vivacity of what is an absolute festival of colour and activity. One area where it lets itself down though is in the visual quality of the ending videos; rather than being remastered properly, they are downsized to look miniature on the screen and look pixelated and unclear, looking like they've been lifted second-hand from a VHS recording. In the end it's nice that DarkStalkers got to have its moment in the sunshine, as in retrospect, the gaming world would be less well off without its quirky, original cast and old-fashioned but watertight gameplay. As a collection, it doesn't lack for content and the retention of all aspects that made the games great in their heyday is first class, and with the new Chaos Tower mode and WiFi multiplayer, fans are unlikely to be put out. It may be starting to look its age, but should the series remain eternally overlooked, its finely-tuned controls and well-balanced gameplay remain evergreen. Read the complete review |
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Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings (PSP)
by tom1clare Indiana Jones's cinematic exploits have played a huge role in shaping adventure video games down the years. Without him, where would Lara Croft have found the inspiration for all her tomb raiding? More recently, witnessing Nathan Drake fling himself through lost cities, springing traps and collecting priceless artefacts in Uncharted, ... it's easy to see the similarity in themes. Indy's own forays into the gaming world have had their highs and lows, but there's always the hope that when a new title is announced, his whip-cracking, boulder-dodging antics can lead LucasArts to another success. Unfortunately, The Staff Of Kings is not that game. The PSP version of The Staff Of Kings takes the guise of a third-person action/adventure, with the initial lure being a new storyline devised specifically for the game. It's set just prior to the outbreak of World War II and sees Indy seeking the Staff Of Moses, accompanied by Irish journalist Maggie and chased by an ample supply of goose-stepping Nazis. John Armstrong voices the explorer in place of Harrison Ford but sounds spookily like him; executing a host of sarcastic barbs and quips with complete aplomb. The short 'n' sharp levels unfortunately leave the storyline feeling a little constricted, which is a shame as there's certainly potential for a more involved narrative. Levels tend to last anywhere between two and ten minutes each and offer a varied, if rather simplistic, playing experience. Typically, the action sees Indy beating up Nazis, dodging boulders, flicking switches and solving puzzles in some of the infrequent, cerebral moments as well as the odd quick time event and escape mission. Sadly, tasks are mostly dished out one-per-level, meaning different facets of play rarely overlap to give the game a feeling of depth. Thus certain individual levels can have the feel of an extravagant mini-game. But whilst the gameplay is too basic to be truly diverting, there are lots of neat levels. The pick of the bunch include Indiana escaping from a burning building; he has to navigate perilous beams whilst shooting out windows to let in air, to buy valuable seconds. Elsewhere, there's an impressively staged chase on the back of an elephant with Nazis in hot pursuit, though what it equates to is a rather dull set of "press the button when prompted" quick-time events. The puzzle element is grossly under-used but one instance, which sees you swinging a giant pendulum into a sequence of numbers, is nicely realised. Too many of the levels rely on fights to drag them out and they start to get samey very quickly, so the occasional team-up exercise with Maggie proves a welcome distraction. The camera does the PSP version no favours, proving cumbersome and erratic in its attempts to stay behind the action, it often boxes itself into corners leaving the main protagonist unsighted. Combat is acceptable with a basic range of combos, whip attacks and (in what is likely a reference to the humorous scene in Raiders Of The Lost Ark) a revolver which instant-kills pretty much every goon there is. It's troubled by slightly sluggish response times, and Indiana feels exposed in the tougher boss battles, but there's a credible level of interaction; including the ability to throw enemies through windows or bring down chandeliers on top of them using the whip. The Staff Of Kings is an attractive game, despite its problems. The presentation and mission briefings look low-fi and crude, but otherwise the in-game environments, which range from the moody night-time settings of San Francisco's Chinatown; to Istanbul and Nepal with their impressive, imposing temples and ancient architectures, really look the part. It's pretty nicely animated too as Indy in particular moves convincingly and sports some little signature mannerisms, most notably the shifting his hat. Musically, it makes predictable but welcome use of the timeless cinematic theme tune for the title screen backing but in-game, it's disappointing. Much like EA's Harry Potter tie-ins, the soundtrack is thematically familiar and yet strangely bland and incidental, rarely engaging with occurrences taking place in the game itself. The reward system shows positive endeavour though and also encourages the replaying of levels. Rewards come in the guise of "Fortune" and "Glory; these are accrued by finishing levels quickly, achieving a certain amount of environmental kills, losing little health or finding hidden artefacts. They translate into either enhanced attributes (usually increased power for Indy's various combat moves) or extras such as cheats and concept art. A trio of difficulty settings helps give the game a little more bulk, though even with around 35 levels, it's easy to plough through most of it in a just few hours. Indy has seen better days, but he's had worse ones too. Developer Amaze Entertainment deserves credit for quality visuals and a level of variety that belies the restrictions on time and finances that blighted the Staff Of Kings' development. Nevertheless, the combat and general platforming feels run-of-the-mill, and may have benefited from the various gameplay elements being combined to form a more cohesive package. As it is, the one-after-the-other nature of levels and their simple tasks leaves the game feeling like less than the sum of its parts, and it ultimately doesn't feel anywhere near as cool or exciting as it should have given the licence in question. One to try only it if it's cheap and you're a fan. Read the complete review |
Action & Adventure PSP Game |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2011-12-02 / Published by Square Enix |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2010-09-03 / Published by Namco Bandai |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2011-12-02 / Published by Square Enix |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / ESRB Rating: Everyone / Release Date: 2011-03-25 / Published by Activision |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2011-06-16 / Published by Sega |
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1 review Developer: PlayLogic / PSP Game / Type: Horror |
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1 review Developer: Xseed Games / PSP Game / Type: Horror |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2011-11-18 / Published by Warner Bros. Interactive |
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Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Video Game for Sony PSP / Release Date: 2011-05-13 / Published by Disney Interactive |
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1 review Genre: Action & Adventure / PSP Game / Release Date: 2009-06-12 / Published by Activision - Step into the shoes of the legendary hero, Indiana Jones, in an all new epic adventure! Set in the year 1939, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings follows the rogue archaeologist on an all-new globe-trotting q... |
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