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PlayStation 4 And The Return Of Sony [E3 2013]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 06/10/2013 - 22:25
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The day had finally come in which it was time for Sony to step up to the plate; amounting to what was the ultimate do or die moment.  While not on the teetering cusp they once were during the early days of the PlayStation 3, Sony nonetheless had a lot to prove with the showing of the PlayStation 4 at E3 2013.

Six Months Later: The Unfinished Swan

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 10:01
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When it comes to altering the perception that video games have as a base form of entertainment that simply consists of doing nothing but shooting or throwing 50 yard touchdown passes, 2012 was a rather banner year. 

Ratchet & Clank CG Movie Finally Announced (Plus Heavenly Sword News)

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 08:15
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At long last the PlayStation brand, or rather a key franchise, is going to arrive in the world of cinema.  After various projects have been kicked around such as live-action adaptations of Infamous, Killzone, Shadow of the Colossus, and Uncharted, none other than the Ratchet & Clank series will be the first key PlayStation property to grace the screens of movie theaters around the world.

Sony Readies Diggs Nightcrawler For Wonderbook, New Developer Diary Released

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/16/2013 - 09:58
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Sony has finally properly given us an update on the forthcoming second software release for their Wonderbook peripheral.  After taking us to a world of magic, wizards, and witches in Book of Spells, Sony will be taking gamers, both young and old alike, on an adventure filled with mystery and intrigue as told in Diggs Nightcrawler.

The Last of Us: American Dreams - Interview With Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 04/10/2013 - 14:33
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Most of the time we often see games be adapted into horrendous live-action movies that miss the true meaning of why people like the property to begin with, yet sometimes the transition is smoother when it comes to the world of comic books.

The Last of Us: American Dreams - Issue 1 [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 13:32
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Overall Feeling: 

Expanding upon the lore of The Last of Us, American Dreams delivers a brilliant narrative focused on character building and making us, the readers, immediately care about what’s going on.  Presented with some beautiful art that blends an element of style with reality without ever going over the edge, it’s nice to receive a comic that simply isn’t a marketing tool.  It may be too early to peg The Last of Us: American Dreams as a breakout hit of 2013, but as of now the comic is certainly on the path of such a thing if the first issue is indicative of the overall quality of the series.

The Pros: 

+ Writing is perfect in the tone it captures.
+ Faith Erin Hick’s art style really creates a wonderful mood in the game along with being nice to look at.
+ The story isn’t being too obvious in laying out clues or point blank telling us the history of everything.

The Cons: 

- This was only the first issue and I want more immediately.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Taking something from one medium to another is by no means an easy feat nor is it one that results in immediate success.  At times some rather brilliant moves can be done when a film/TV show is expanded upon by becoming a novel or something else, yet most of the time it’s obvious we’re only receiving a franchise expansion as a means of a marketing tool.

God of War: Ascension [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 07:51
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Overall Feeling: 

Once again technically impressive, the ever amazing visuals can’t save God of War: Ascension from being a rather tepid and disappointing game.  Lacking a true sense of soul and direction, Ascension seems to be all over the place with pacing that never finds its footing, combat that is riddled with small issues that prevent it from feeling refined or evolved, and a story that literally does nothing to advance or deepen the existing God of War mythos.  Aside from a surprisingly deep and fun multiplayer mode, this latest entry in the God of War series sadly shows major franchise fatigue that will likely have the biggest fans of Kratos disappointed with what has been delivered to them.

The Pros: 

+ Beautifully rendered worlds with varied art design.
+ Set-piece moments are impressive for their sheer size and scope.
+ Voice acting is solid as always, even in the case of Kratos being scaled back.
+ Multiplayer mode is implemented well and is rather addicting.

The Cons: 

- Pacing feels uneven and in some cases comes across as padded to lengthen the experience.
- Story is disappointing as it fails to expand the lore and further build up Kratos as a character.
- Combat feels uneven due to weak sub-systems and frustrating enemy habits.
- A lot of the puzzles and even the boss battles feel like they’re on autopilot since there’s no spirit to them.
- Sound design is horrendous and the soundtrack is lackluster compared to the works of Gerard K. Marino.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

The ever fierce warrior that is Kratos has returned for battle once again, yet this time the adventure he embarks on isn’t as memorable as his past efforts. As gamers I think we always have a lingering fear in the back of our minds that one of our favorite franchises may grow tiring, even if it maintains a level of quality that puts other titles to shame.  Rarely do we see top-tier games fall into a rut of things seeming complacent, but with God of War: Ascension such a thing is apparent in a game that despite the stunning visuals feels a bit stale and simply tired.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 02/27/2013 - 07:56
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Overall Feeling: 

Opting not to re-invent the series into something it isn’t, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time instead takes a few side paths that lead to a game which feels a bit muddled and unfocused compared to past installments in the series.  The new element of providing gameplay variety in the form of Sly’s descendants is nice, though it ultimately doesn’t add much since the game feels very linear and not as skillful as the series once was.  Developer Sanzaru Games has done a nice job of continuing the work they started in the Sly Collection in retaining the vibe originally created by Sucker Punch, but if we’re lucky to receive another Sly game I hope they stick to the basics instead of throwing in half a dozen elements that don’t work well together.

The Pros: 

+ The classic Sly banter is still present in well written dialog.
+ With a fresh coat of paint applied to it the graphics and art style are still dazzling.
+ Controls feel tight since platforming as a master thief is still accessible.

The Cons: 

- Certain mini-games don’t work that well as they disrupt the flow of everything.
- Platforming sections are extremely brief and limited in their scope.
- Missions feel too restrictive and have a similar tone to them.
- Load times are long both on the PS3 and PS Vita versions.
- Some characters fall a bit flat in their execution thanks to iffy writing and poor conceptualization.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

Expectations can be an absolutely evil thing when you think about it. While it’s almost human nature for all of us to get excited about something, hyping ourselves up too much often results in one thing: disappointment.  Every now and then our feelings about a game will be justified in a positive way, but more often than not we find ourselves yearning for more and wishing things were different once we finally play a game. I know I felt such things as I played Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time as the game sadly failed to live up to the immediate magic of the past entries in the series.

The Studio Conundrum Of Sony

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 12:37
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Seeing things evolve and change over time is expected since it’s part of our culture.  Such evolutionary changes are of course present in the world of business since consumer tastes or hot trends will often dictate how things are both created and presented to the masses, sometimes resulting in the next big thing surfacing or an embarrassing flop being thrown our way which won’t be forgotten any time soon.  Companies doing the things they do may forever remain mysterious and perhaps unpredictable to us, but in the case of Sony the company is almost making a notorious name for thems

Sony Ends Contract With SuperBot Entertainment, PS All-Stars Fate Uncertain

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 07:42
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After taking to the stage during the PlayStation E3 2012 press conference, Sony is now showing SuperBot Entertainment the door in one of those ways akin to pushing out a would-be retiree out the door About Schmidt style.  Sony has announced that they’ve opted to cut their contractual ties with SuperBot Entertainment.

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