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InFAMOUS: Second Son To Run At 1080p And Have a Solid 30 FPS Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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InFAMOUS: Second Son To Run At 1080p And Have a Solid 30 FPS

At GTTV’s PS4 launch event, Sucker Punch revealed a new trailer for Second Son. Fellow site DualShockers revealed more information regarding how Second Son will on the PlayStation 4. Development Director Chris Zimmerman had this to say:

The PS4 for us has been great, we can fun at Full 1080p, 30 frames per second rock solid, and just throw tons of triangles, tons of pixels, tons of particles at the screen. It’s just amazing. It’s actually been a surprise that it’s been this easy for us to get the game to run as fast as it does and to run as spectacular as it does.

Sounds like the developers at Sucker Punch have been crunching a lot of time into making their new game a great one. Tell us in the comments below how you feel about this.

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You Can Now Update Your PS4 to Firmware 1.50 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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You Can Now Update Your PS4 to Firmware 1.50

  For those early people who got their PS4′s ahead of everyone, or for those that will soon be receiving the latest Sony console, you can now update your PS4 to firmware 1.50. This update features a lot of things that will enable you to take the maximum advantage of your console right now.

Here’s the link for you to download yourself instead of updating wirelessly. For the full list of features check the link here.

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Destiny Beta Will Launch First On PS3/PS4 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Destiny Beta Will Launch First On PS3/PS4

As the announcements keep rolling, Bungie has just announced that PlayStation 3 and 4 owners will receive the Destiny beta first. No specifics have been mentioned within the announcement but we’ll be sure to update when we receive more word about beta. Destiny will release next year.

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Destiny Beta Will Launch First On PS3/PS4 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Destiny Beta Will Launch First On PS3/PS4

As the announcements keep rolling, Bungie has just announced that PlayStation 3 and 4 owners will receive the Destiny beta first. No specifics have been mentioned within the announcement but we’ll be sure to update when we receive more word about beta. Destiny will release next year.

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Naughty Dog Reveals Last of Us DLC and Uncharted 4 for PS4 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Naughty Dog Reveals Last of Us DLC and Uncharted 4 for PS4

Just recently on GTTV’s PlayStation 4 All Access show, Naughty Dog revealed two new interesting trailers. One was for The Last of Us single player DLC and the other was for Uncharted 4′s announcement on PS4. You can watch the teaser’s below.

So now with the cats out of the bag, and with many more announcements to come out later tonight, tell us what you’re looking forward to with you’re PS4′s!

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Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty Gets New Story Trailer Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty Gets New Story Trailer

The PS1 classic Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey is being remade into PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Vita and Oddworld Inhabitants have released a trailer which focuses on the story.

Stewart Gilray, the development director of the game, has shared on Twitter that Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty’s trailer was entirely rendered in the Unity Engine and it looks amazing. In fact, the whole project was created from a completely new engine built from the ground up for this remake.

So a little known fact… Entirely rendered in Unity that there trailer

— Stewart Gilray (@stewartgilray) November 14, 2013

Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty will be coming out Spring 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4. The dates for it’s release on Wii U, PC, Mac and Linux have not been confirmed as of yet but the game will eventually reach those consoles as well.

Source: Stewart Gilray’s Twitter

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The Game of the Generation Award Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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The Game of the Generation Award

Without further adieu the overall winner of the Game of the Console Generation Award!

The nominees are:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Mass Effect 2

Borderlands 2

Journey

Portal 2

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Bioshock

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Fallout: New Vegas

The Last of Us

THE WINNER IS

THE LAST OF US

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Game of The Console Generation - Day 2 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Game of The Console Generation - Day 2

Today, we once again look into this generation’s history and choose which titles are the best in their genre. After much heated debate, here is the second day of our Game of the Generation Awards. Tomorrow, we will announce our pick for the overall Game of the Generation alongside a Euphoria Talks video which describes why we chose that particular title.

Best First Person Game of the Generation:

BioShock

Bioshock’s atmosphere clings players into an immersive and unique world that has crated such a cult following that fans of the series can be spotted all throughout the gaming industry.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Killzone 2

Borderlands 2

Best Third Person Game of the Generation:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 brought the industry to a new era of cinematic gaming with a title thats almost as fun to watch as it is to play. Matched with a great multiplayer and co-op mode made Uncharted 2 the best third person game of the last console generation!

Mass Effect 2

Batman: Arkham City

Metal Gear Solid 4

The Last of Us

Best Japanese RPG of the Generation:

Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls came to the arena in a strong way spawning the spiritual successors Dark Souls and Dark Souls II, giving players a serious challenge as well as an innovative multiplayer experience Demon’s Souls wins best JRPG of the Generation.

Tales of Xillia

Valkyria Chronicles

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Nier

Best Western RPG of the Generation:

Fallout: New Vegas

Despite its technical glitches and issues, Fallout: New Vegas showed us not only that karma can come back around and bite you, it showed us that many of our moral decisions are filled with fifty shades of gray. Being a great Role-Playing game for its open world quests, characters, activities, factions, and more, what happens in New Vegas stays in New Vegas.

Borderlands 2

Mass Effect 2

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Dragon Age: Origins

Best Fighting Game of the Generation:

Super Street Fighter 4

Super Street Fighter 4 wins for keeping the most important part of a fighting game solid and that’s balance. Having expertly crafted characters and strong community feedback keeps Super Street Fighter 4 the go-to choice for hardcore fighting gamers and new-comers alike.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Mortal Kombat

Persona 4 Arena

Best Platformer of the Generation:

Rayman Legends

Rayman Legends brought back one of Ubisoft’s classic characters to the forefront in recent years and Origins gives this classic character a setting to shine. Rayman Origins takes players on a humorus journey of great platforming, challenges, and more. Plus the Co-op was a blast!

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Puppeteer

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

inFamous 2

Best Racing Game:

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit wins out above all other racing games this generation due to its beautiful graphics, pursuit based gameplay, and autolog innovation. The high-speed intensity of the chases and use of power-ups mixed professional racing game with arcade experience!

Gran Turismo 5

Wipeout HD Fury

Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed

Burnout Paradise

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CastleStorm Review Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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CastleStorm Review

CastleStorm’s PS3/Vita port is the latest title from Zen Studios, the people behind Kickbeat and Zen Pinball. The studio has excelled so far at making games that don’t break the mold, but work exceedingly well inside of it. CastleStorm is no exception. What it’s castle-on-castle warfare lacks in originality it makes up for in pure fun.

The gameplay can best be defined as tower defense strategy, although it has a few twists. The weapons at your disposal include your ballista, ground troops, magic, and a summonable Hero you can control. Everything is upgradeable right down to the castle itself, which you can fully customize to your liking. Most battles are won by either capturing your opponents flag with your troops, or by destroying their castle with your ballista ala Angry Birds. Deciding these tactics around your enemies weaknesses is incredibly rewarding.

Story may not seem important in a game like this, and the designers treat it as such. It’s a lighthearted medieval fantasy about stopping hordes of Vikings from doing something evil with magic gems. The campaign takes you across multiple locales, mixing up each battle with certain caveats such as troops being unavailable, or a time limit. The game’s sense of humor is sometimes immature, but if you’re not laughing, it’s also entirely skippable.

Besides the campaign, the game features a castle survival mode and a hero survival mode, both of which are also available in local or online co-op. These are incredibly unforgiving but they’re a great way to earn coins, which carry over between modes. Castle survival co-op has one player controlling the ballista while the other plays the Hero on the ground, which is a fun twist and adds another layer to the gameplay. Hero survival has one or two players playing as one of four Heroes, facing off against wave after wave of ground and air forces. Both are fun ways to get your friend mad at you for hitting them one too many times.

The core game here is strong, and it’s dressed up in a way that makes it impossible to put down. You’re constantly rewarded for headshots and killstreaks, and the sheer amount of things to spend coins on never fails to excite me. It’s simple gameplay and progression-addiction feels like the kind of Flash game I would’ve spent days and days playing in my youth.

Zen Studios has done it again. While CastleStorm could be criticized for it’s similarities to Angry Birds, right down to the ammo types, it just works so well here that it’s hard to critique. Everything I would’ve wanted out of a tower defense game is here, and it’s helped secure Zen Studios as a developer we should definitely look out for.

A review code for CastleStorm (PS3) was sent to us by Zen Studios.

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Game of the Console Generation - Day 1 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Game of the Console Generation - Day 1

As we count down to the launch of the PS4, we here at PlayStation Euphoria take some time to reflect on the great times of this last generation as we say good bye to the PS3 and hello to the PS4. Today we will be giving our choice winners for various categories of the generation, then on day two we will announce the winners of the game of each genre for this last generation of games. Finally on day three, November 14th, the night the PS4 launches we will reveal the overall game of the generation! So let’s get started with day one!

DAY ONE

Best Soundtrack of the Generation:

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch blew us away with their soundtrack performed by Joe Hisaishi. Their themes were epic, grand and at the same time beautiful giving players a calm throwback to the PS2 era of JRPGs. IT mastered an ability to immerse the player into an adventure worth telling.

Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves

Journey

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hotline Miami

Best Multiplayer of the Generation:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare kicked off the multiplayer movement that changed not only the game industry but the entertainment business as a whole. Making the jump to moder warfare was the best thing call of duty could have done with their franchise, and it shows with the stellar numbers each new release brings.

Journey

Borderlands 2

The Last of Us

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Best Narrative

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead can be seen as the comic book version of Heavy Rain, however the masterful use of writing and gameplay combined to create a narrative that captured its audience to a degree that is unmatched this past generation. Having won numerous Game of the Year awards already the proof really shows how a game a simple as the walking dead can be as emotionally complex as the comic it is based off, if not more so.

Mass Effect 2

The Last of Us

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

BioShock Infinite

Best Graphics

God of War III

God of War III may not seem to be the most beautiful game here of the bunch at face value, however it is the most consistent, and just a beauty of a game as compared to the others on this list. God of War looked beautiful in every nook and cranny of the game from the large scale battle to the intimate moments with Kratos, the graphics were stunning…very stunning.

Metal Gear Solid 4

Killzone 2

Uncharted 3

Beyond: Two Souls

Best Art-Direction

Journey

Journey wins best-art direction due to its ability to tell a story with absolutely no dialogue what so ever. The art-work and unique style that journey provided gave a subliminal understanding to not only the character but the spiritual narrative that the player is paced through. This game really took players on a journey and could have done so with the artistic value alone.

Unfinished Swan

Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch

Puppeteer

Rayman Origins

Most Overlooked Game of This Generation

Folklore

Folklore released for the PS3 when it was a difficult time to be a PS3 game. Having great gameplay, great visuals, and great storytelling, folklore really made waves for the PlayStation 3 if only for a short time as the PS3 still cost $599.99 at the time Folklore was released.

Resistance 3

Nier

Starhawk

Twisted Metal

Best Indie Game:

Journey

Journey really gave players the most spiritual experience seen from the industry thus far and elevated gaming to be considered an art-form as much as it was considered a product of entertainment. The graphics, art-direction, sound design, and presentation all matched in perfect harmony by an innovative online system that was new to gamers.

Dungeon Defenders

Braid

The Walking Dead

Hotline Miami

Best Open-World Game:

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption was Rockstar’s time to shine by proving open-world multiplayer can be fun without jumping to an MMO. The activities, gametypes, format, and DLC all came together in a way that kept Red Dead Redemption as one of the best games this generation and paved the way for Grand Theft Auto V to be such a commercial success as it is. In this regard we can’t forget Red Dead for starting off with a great Open-world experience minus the severe technical issues Grand Theft Auto Online faced during its opening few weeks online.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Borderlands 2

Batman: Arkham City

inFamous 2

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Sony Releases Official Unboxing Video for PS4 Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Sony Releases Official Unboxing Video for PS4

The PlayStation 4 is finally arriving this Friday and to get more people excited, Sony have released a new official unboxing much like Major Nelson’s unboxing of the Xbox One. In this unboxing video, Shuhei Yoshida (the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment) takes out everything that comes with the box which includes the console, the DualShock 4, a free $10 PlayStation Network voucher, a USB cable, a HDMI cable, a quick start guide, mono headset, and the AC power cord.

Are you getting excited from the incredibly close launch of the PlayStation 4? Comment below!

Source: YouTube

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PlayStation All Stars Receives Latest Patch Notes, Releases November 18th Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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PlayStation All Stars Receives Latest Patch Notes, Releases November 18th

Today, Sony Santa Monica’s very own Jason McDonald has announced that fans of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will be receiving a hefty update that will hopefully earn the respect of core fans as well as newcomers alike. To find out what is being updated check out the full list below. Note that this is just part one of the list which contains some characters as well as some gameplay improvements. Part two will be available as soon as the list is released.

Notes: — Zeus + Isaac Clarke: The third costumes for both characters will be made available for free on the Playstation Store on 11/18. — Monthly Leaderboard Resets: We recognize that the leaderboards and belts have not been reset for months. Starting on December, resets will be resumed on a monthly basis.

Additions: — Added menu option between 1v1 and FFA in Ranked Match and Quick Match — Added 1v1 Season Leaderboard and statistics — Added “Timed Stock” option under sub-modes — Colors for all costumes currently unlocked now viewable in Character

Customization mode — Numerous unused, in-game sound bites now active

Network Changes: — Overall network performance improvement — Overall network connection improvement — Fixed issue where players would be disconnected from lobby if match goes on for a significant amount of time — Fixed numerous desynchronization issues — Belts will no longer go down in rank randomly

Practice Mode Changes: — “Auto-Dodge Forward,” “Auto-Dodge Backward,” “Auto-Jump,” “Auto-Attack,” “Auto-Throw,” and “Auto-Super” added to Guard Behavior in pause menu — “Aerial Recovery Direction” added in pause menu — “IAS Disabled” option added in pause menu — Fixed numerous cases of certain moves falsely shown as links in Attack Display

Combat Changes: — Character taunts can now be cancelled by any action — Players being countered no longer gain AP — Players holding items will now drop them upon reaching Infinite Avoidance — Most projectiles should now be properly absorbed, reflected, or countered — Dodge invincibility, aerial recovery invincibility, hit reaction time, and blockstun should now be standardized on all characters — Players are now able to jump 4 frames earlier upon exiting Hitstun, Butt-Drop, and Kneel hit reactions

Character Changes:

Big Daddy — Neutral Triangle now has 20 AP of super armor — Forward Triangle start-up decreased by 3 frames — Up Triangle hitbox increased to be more consistent — Down Circle (Ice Puddle) now has decreased start-up and 38 more active frames — Little Sister in Level 1 Super now has increased hitbox size from behind — Level 2 Super cost increased to 350 (previously 325) — Level 2 Super occasional desynchronization no longer occurs when enemy player dodges Big Daddy’s attacks — Victims in Level 3 Super now move 50% faster

Cole — Neutral Square start-up decreased by 2 frames — Two of three variations of Neutral Square amp swing combo removed; Eject Tornado variation remains — Air Forward Square – fixed glitch where tether would sometimes be invisible — Neutral Circle – Recovery decreased by 5 frames — Air Up Circle now has 3 extra frames of start-up — Down Circle now has 2 extra frames of start-up and 5 extra frames of recovery, reducing spammability and increasing punishability on block — Level 1 Super cost increased to 150 (previously 125) — Level 1 vertical hitbox reduced to remove guaranteed follow-up from a certain height — Level 3 Super: Cost increased to 750 (previously 680) Enemy players are ejected 1.5 seconds faster when caught in tornado Horizontal trajectory of ejected players can now be controlled with directional input Ejected players now explode on impact with another player, killing both on impact Fixed various glitches — AP meter no longer freezes on occasion

Dante — First active frame of Neutral Square adjusted lower, preventing Dante from catching opponents during start-up frames of jumping — Recovery for each individual hit of Neutral combo decreased for less punishability on whiff — Stand Down Square: Now has increased AP generation from 20 to 30 Can now be held down and charged Charged version causes guard break and has 28 start-up frames — Air Neutral Square and Air Forward Square combo strings can now be jump-cancelled — Range of all Triangle attacks increased by 2 meters — Forward Circle (Angel Dash) can now be jump-cancelled — Dante can now use Forward Square attacks behind him during Angel Dash — Up Throw leaves opponents at a lower height, allowing easier follow-ups — Level 1 Super: Cost increased to 150 AP (previously 125) Start-up increased by 8 frames Dante can now change facing direction between all 3 hits Reduced recovery by 5 frames

Emmett Graves — Forward Square frame advantage on block increased to -6 — Up Square hitbox enlarged to hit smaller characters more consistently — Down Square horizontal hitbox increased on both sides of Emmett; frame advantage on aerial version on landing increased to -10 on block — Stand Forward Triangle frame advantage on hit is now 0 — Summoning animation for gun lockers decreased by 9 frames — Neutral Circle (AP generator) no longer blocks certain projectiles — Various weapon locker glitches removed — Level 1 Super cost for Kinetic Rifle loadout reduced to 100 (previously 150) — Level 3 Super Circle attack (Flight Mode) projectile trajectory now randomly travels left or right on the stage, making it harder to avoid

Evil Cole — Neutral Square start-up decreased by 2 frames — Air Forward Square – fixed glitch where tether would sometimes be invisible — Start-up on Up Triangle decreased by 4 frames — Fixed glitch where sometimes enemy players would not die when caught in Level 2 Super — Stored Neutral Circle (Giga-Punch) now has 30 AP of super armor (previously 10) — Down Circle (Oil Spike) now has 26 more active frames — Level 1 Super cost increased to 150 (previously 125)

Fat Princess — Uncharged Neutral Square start-up decreased by 5 frames — Recovery on Down Square increased by 4 frames — Air Neutral Square has 3 more frames of start-up and a slightly reduced horizontal hitbox — Air Neutral Triangle start-up increased by 2 frames; gravity turns on later in the attack, reducing frame advantage on other grounded moves on block — Down Circle (Worker Bomb) has 46 reduced frames of start-up and increased blast radius of .5 meters — Recovery on Up Throw reduced, allowing easier follow-ups — Level 2 Super cost reduced to 325 (previously 450) and duration reduced by 1 second — Level 3 Super cost increased to 750 (previously 670) and duration increased by 2 seconds

(This is part 1 of patch notes. Bear with us – the second half will be posted later in the week!)

Source: PSASBR Forums

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GTA Online: New Title Update 1.05 - Stimulus Package Arriving Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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GTA Online: New Title Update 1.05 - Stimulus Package Arriving

I know most of us have been anxiously waiting to see what Rockstar has in store for GTA Online after the mess of issues that came with Patch 1.04. Well its been a bit of a wait but Patch 1.05 is finally here and with it comes fixes for a few of the more common reoccurring issues we have seen in the last update.

- Built in measures have been made to prevent players from losing their progress when there’s a cloud outage.

- Built in number of measures to protect players cash balances in the case of any network problems

- Fixed an issue where on rare occasions during network problems players would lose their Online vehicle or mods after exiting GTA Online.

It’s kind of a small update but still it still comes to terms with a few of the main issues players may have been experiencing as of late. Also the Stimulus Packages containing half a million dollars is set to show up in our accounts in the next couple of days or so. Some players will most likely be retrieving it sooner than others, so don’t be too alarmed when it doesn’t show up right away as it will be distributed over the course of a full day.

That pretty much covers it for GTA Online news, but Rockstar is working on handling many of the other issues that have been encountered so far, so be sure to let them know if you have any constructive gameplay feedback to report on.

Via Rockstargames

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Namco Bandai Tease New Game With Countdown Site With Words, Break Burst Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Namco Bandai Tease New Game With Countdown Site With Words, Break Burst

Namco Bandai, the developers behind the Tales of and Tekken series of games, have just put up a countdown teaser site with 6 days to go until the reveal. On this website, there is some art of a castle with a lush environment with the words “Break Burst.”

While a new game from Namco Bandai is exciting, it is highly unlikely that this game will be releasing for any consoles as on the bottom right, there is a link to the mobile section of the company’s website. Shame. If this game isn’t on mobile platforms and will be heading to PlayStation, we will let you know what the reveal is. What do you think it will be?

Source: Namco Bandai via Abyssal Chronicles’ Facebook Page

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Puppeteer Review Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

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Puppeteer Review

Puppeteer is cleverly thought out in terms of presentation and its general story direction, which makes for quite an interesting tale of adventure and wonder. On the other side of things it holds up pretty well in keeping the gameplay creative to a certain extent without becoming too repetitive for most of the ride. For such a simple idea to come to life, it feels like Puppeteer has the potential to be a great success among the 2D platforming genre. 

Puppeteer is a completely new franchise developed exclusively for PlayStation 3 by SCE JAPAN Studio. It is a one of a kind creation 2D platformer set in a magical puppeteer’s theater, which certainly leaves room for plenty of surprises. What mysteries lie in wait beyond the curtains? Prepare to enter a world that is constantly ever changing around you and where dreams become your reality.

Right from the start you are introduced to the story as if you had just entered the theater, but this theater is like no other. The puppeteer himself interacts with you as if you are sitting in a crowd of people getting ready to watch the events that are about to unfold before your very eyes. The main show of the night is one about a boy named Kutaro who was unexpectedly kidnapped by the maleficent Moon Bear King and turned into a Puppet, which is pretty unfortunate I’d say. Kutaro ends up displeasing the Moon Bear, which in turn resulted in Kutaro’s head being eaten and having his body cast away. While this may seem somewhat dark right from the start, thing do brighten up for Kutaro as he receives some unexpected help from an old witch and the discovery of a magical pair of scissors. With this tool in hand, he goes in search to find his missing head and his way back home.

Your journey spans across seven chapters and while almost everything is made of paper, including the scenery you’ll want to put your scissors to good use to traverse the environment that is constantly changing. You’ll find yourself going from a kitchen that is ten times your size, to sailing across the sea in a pirate ship. You will also end up in a few other unexpected places. Along the way, you will meet more than a few interesting characters to say the least; there are people who will aid you in your search and others that will do just about anything to see you fail. I felt as if the story telling in general was very engaging since it pretty much put you in the shoes of Kutaro, while certain characters directly interacted with you. The puppeteer himself especially would narrate almost everything as it happens, so in a way it really felt like you were part of a real puppet show. This was a special part of the experience, even though this type of storytelling seemed more directed towards a younger age group with a few odd lines or references to things that only an adult might understand.

Even though this is a 2D platforming adventure, what makes this unique from most other games of this type is the ability to cut through parts of the world and thus, soar across the screen. I found this to be an interesting gameplay mechanic just for the fact I have never seen anything like it before. It turned the world into your playground giving you special privileges when something got in your way. However, there are limitations to this mechanic which made the levels feel linear at times. Another unique aspect of the gameplay is the interchangeable puppet heads that you would find along the way. They would act as sort of a lifeline for Kutaro like Sonic’s rings, but they also would give him the ability to change the world around him. If you can collect specific puppet heads and hold onto them long enough, you just might be able to discover certain places of interest that unlock access to special bonus stages. My only problem with this was juggling around which puppet heads I was better off keeping, since you can only hold up to three at a time and you’re bound to lose your head every once in a while.

When it comes down to the difficulty of Puppeteer, it can be more of a challenge just trying to collect all the puppet heads and unlocking all the bonus stages if you can find them. Beyond that you will eventually encounter boss fights that will require you to use your head or heads if you’re going to stand a chance. Certain kinds of puppet heads will actually come in handy during boss fights. As you progress you will also find and unlock three unique abilities that will become essential to your mission.

Control wise, Puppeteer is pretty straight forward to understand, and easy for just about anyone to pick up and play. I did feel like it was missing some more functionality though and if you’re playing by yourself it can be a little bit awkward to try and search the areas on the screen with the right analog stick while you’re moving with the left. It reminded me of Dragons Crown in this sense, but with the help of a second player this awkwardness does go away.  One other thing I want to mention is if you tend to do a lot of PlayStation Move gaming, Puppeteer does support this functionality.

Puppeteer looks amazing from one scene to the next, and I loved how simple yet creative the art direction was. The dynamically interactive sets really take you for an adventurous ride, and you honestly won’t know where you’re going to end up next. Even though it appears to have the likeness of something like LBP (Little Big Planet) it does prove that it has the potential to be more than it is. A great deal of the game is played in a 2D sidescroller format which abruptly does change to a top down scrolling view occasionally. However,  it is technically a 3D world and with that comes 3D compatibility for your TV if you have that option to choose from.

The voice actors give a quite outstanding performance, as they seem to fit their roles relatively well.  From the witty humor to the irresistible charm of the cast of characters, it’s a real treat for you to hear. Even the main character that doesn’t speak expresses his emotions excellently through his actions. The different selection of voices give a good performance in making conversation, that directly interacts with you the player and it wouldn’t have been the same without them to assist in the story telling. The musical score also deserves some credit for enhancing each scenario to fit the situation at hand.

Apart from the original story, there isn’t a huge amount of replay value left over.  There are at least a few extras to check into such as a set of short stories based around characters in the game, which you can happily listen to, told from the voice of the Puppeteer himself. If you’re a completion nut, then I’m sure you will be more than willing enough to give the game an extra playthrough to make sure you have collected all the puppet heads. Playing cooperatively certainly helps in this area if you want to explore and collect everything there is to find. Bonus stages can also be replayed if you failed to complete any the first time you attempted them.

The game overall looks and sounds fantastic which truly brings together some of the best qualities in a 2D platformer that I have ever seen. The gameplay is somewhat simple, yet it has a fine grip on creativity mixed in with some humor and charm to carry it along. It is truly a one of a kind experience full of wonder and imagination which shouldn’t necessarily be overlooked. I’d recommend its worth checking out if you’re the least bit interested in something of its caliber, just make sure your forget everything they said about running with scissors.

                                                                                                           4.5/5

A review copy of Puppeteer was provided to us courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment.

[playstationeuphoria-blog]

Puppeteer Review Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

New Post has been published on http://www.playstationeuphoria.com/general/puppeteer-review.html

Puppeteer Review

Puppeteer is cleverly thought out in terms of presentation and its general story direction, which makes for quite an interesting tale of adventure and wonder. On the other side of things it holds up pretty well in keeping the gameplay creative to a certain extent without becoming too repetitive for most of the ride. For such a simple idea to come to life, it feels like Puppeteer has the potential to be a great success among the 2D platforming genre. 

Puppeteer is a completely new franchise developed exclusively for PlayStation 3 by SCE JAPAN Studio. It is a one of a kind creation 2D platformer set in a magical puppeteer’s theater, which certainly leaves room for plenty of surprises. What mysteries lie in wait beyond the curtains? Prepare to enter a world that is constantly ever changing around you and where dreams become your reality.

Right from the start you are introduced to the story as if you had just entered the theater, but this theater is like no other. The puppeteer himself interacts with you as if you are sitting in a crowd of people getting ready to watch the events that are about to unfold before your very eyes. The main show of the night is one about a boy named Kutaro who was unexpectedly kidnapped by the maleficent Moon Bear King and turned into a Puppet, which is pretty unfortunate I’d say. Kutaro ends up displeasing the Moon Bear, which in turn resulted in Kutaro’s head being eaten and having his body cast away. While this may seem somewhat dark right from the start, thing do brighten up for Kutaro as he receives some unexpected help from an old witch and the discovery of a magical pair of scissors. With this tool in hand, he goes in search to find his missing head and his way back home.

Your journey spans across seven chapters and while almost everything is made of paper, including the scenery you’ll want to put your scissors to good use to traverse the environment that is constantly changing. You’ll find yourself going from a kitchen that is ten times your size, to sailing across the sea in a pirate ship. You will also end up in a few other unexpected places. Along the way, you will meet more than a few interesting characters to say the least; there are people who will aid you in your search and others that will do just about anything to see you fail. I felt as if the story telling in general was very engaging since it pretty much put you in the shoes of Kutaro, while certain characters directly interacted with you. The puppeteer himself especially would narrate almost everything as it happens, so in a way it really felt like you were part of a real puppet show. This was a special part of the experience, even though this type of storytelling seemed more directed towards a younger age group with a few odd lines or references to things that only an adult might understand.

Even though this is a 2D platforming adventure, what makes this unique from most other games of this type is the ability to cut through parts of the world and thus, soar across the screen. I found this to be an interesting gameplay mechanic just for the fact I have never seen anything like it before. It turned the world into your playground giving you special privileges when something got in your way. However, there are limitations to this mechanic which made the levels feel linear at times. Another unique aspect of the gameplay is the interchangeable puppet heads that you would find along the way. They would act as sort of a lifeline for Kutaro like Sonic’s rings, but they also would give him the ability to change the world around him. If you can collect specific puppet heads and hold onto them long enough, you just might be able to discover certain places of interest that unlock access to special bonus stages. My only problem with this was juggling around which puppet heads I was better off keeping, since you can only hold up to three at a time and you’re bound to lose your head every once in a while.

When it comes down to the difficulty of Puppeteer, it can be more of a challenge just trying to collect all the puppet heads and unlocking all the bonus stages if you can find them. Beyond that you will eventually encounter boss fights that will require you to use your head or heads if you’re going to stand a chance. Certain kinds of puppet heads will actually come in handy during boss fights. As you progress you will also find and unlock three unique abilities that will become essential to your mission.

Control wise, Puppeteer is pretty straight forward to understand, and easy for just about anyone to pick up and play. I did feel like it was missing some more functionality though and if you’re playing by yourself it can be a little bit awkward to try and search the areas on the screen with the right analog stick while you’re moving with the left. It reminded me of Dragons Crown in this sense, but with the help of a second player this awkwardness does go away.  One other thing I want to mention is if you tend to do a lot of PlayStation Move gaming, Puppeteer does support this functionality.

Puppeteer looks amazing from one scene to the next, and I loved how simple yet creative the art direction was. The dynamically interactive sets really take you for an adventurous ride, and you honestly won’t know where you’re going to end up next. Even though it appears to have the likeness of something like LBP (Little Big Planet) it does prove that it has the potential to be more than it is. A great deal of the game is played in a 2D sidescroller format which abruptly does change to a top down scrolling view occasionally. However,  it is technically a 3D world and with that comes 3D compatibility for your TV if you have that option to choose from.

The voice actors give a quite outstanding performance, as they seem to fit their roles relatively well.  From the witty humor to the irresistible charm of the cast of characters, it’s a real treat for you to hear. Even the main character that doesn’t speak expresses his emotions excellently through his actions. The different selection of voices give a good performance in making conversation, that directly interacts with you the player and it wouldn’t have been the same without them to assist in the story telling. The musical score also deserves some credit for enhancing each scenario to fit the situation at hand.

Apart from the original story, there isn’t a huge amount of replay value left over.  There are at least a few extras to check into such as a set of short stories based around characters in the game, which you can happily listen to, told from the voice of the Puppeteer himself. If you’re a completion nut, then I’m sure you will be more than willing enough to give the game an extra playthrough to make sure you have collected all the puppet heads. Playing cooperatively certainly helps in this area if you want to explore and collect everything there is to find. Bonus stages can also be replayed if you failed to complete any the first time you attempted them.

The game overall looks and sounds fantastic which truly brings together some of the best qualities in a 2D platformer that I have ever seen. The gameplay is somewhat simple, yet it has a fine grip on creativity mixed in with some humor and charm to carry it along. It is truly a one of a kind experience full of wonder and imagination which shouldn’t necessarily be overlooked. I’d recommend its worth checking out if you’re the least bit interested in something of its caliber, just make sure your forget everything they said about running with scissors.

                                                                                                           4.5/5

A review copy of Puppeteer was provided to us courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment.

[playstationeuphoria-blog]

PlayStation All-Stars News Update Coming Early This Week Posted on PlayStation Euphoria

New Post has been published on http://www.playstationeuphoria.com/general/playstation-all-stars-news-update-coming-early-this-week.html

PlayStation All-Stars News Update Coming Early This Week

Sony Santa Monica have given PlayStation All-Stars fans an update as they have announced that there is going to be news surrounding the game early this week.

@TheMohZone nothing substantial as of today, will post a general forum update early this week, we hear you (and all)

— Sony Santa Monica (@SonySantaMonica) November 4, 2013

This upcoming news from Sony Santa Monica will most likely revolve around the upcoming patch that will be releasing this Fall. Hopefully, we will be given more details on the patch such as some notes on how characters will be tweaked, the release date and if (extremely unlikely) we’ll see anything new (stages, items, menu designs etc).

Source: Sony Santa Monica Twitter Page