DUST 514 Review - Liberating FPS players from a prison they don't know they're in yet

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Posted May 20th, 2013 at 13:46 EDT by Alex Locher0 CommentsReview Score

Dust 514

PSU Review Score9.0Avg. user review score:0.0

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Summary

DUST 514 is easily the most indepth FPS game out there and with an admission fee of ?0.00 there is no reason at all for you not to check out what could be your go-to FPS for the next 5-10 years.

We like

Free-to-playDeep customisation and skill progression1 year of development down, 10+ to go!

We dislike

A few bugs and technical issuesSome of the dropsuit racial variations are not yet in game

When you download PS3’s exclusive free-to-play space shooter, you are onto something that can be cunningly addictive and awesome to be a part of. I’ve been in the beta since E3 2012 and have followed the game very closely since then. However, many gamers are unaware of just how deep and badass this rabbit hole is.

DUST 514 isn’t some superficial and meaningless military shooter; it’s a pioneering endeavour of programming, technology and consumer communication that has already created something unlike you’ve ever seen in gaming. You're doing yourself a huge injustice if you judge the game without understanding what it’s REALLY about and why it is unique in the industry. In this review I’ll be looking at what DUST 514 is, and then examining its current state at launch.

DUST is an intergalactic shooter on console that is set in the universe of the spaceship MMO game EVE Online on PC. EVE is a universe of 7000 solar systems which has evolved over 10 years to become a thriving digital industrial community in space that is 500,000 subscribers strong. The combination of DUST 514 and EVE Online creates EVE Universe; an IP that heads bravely into many uncharted territories.

There have been games that have allowed PC and console gamers to play together, but in these cases both are playing the same game; they were just cross platform. DUST 514 is a military FPS game on console that includes deep role customisation and gameplay mechanics not found in any other shooting game; EVE Online is the 10 year spaceship MMO game on PC that provides the lore and context for it. Two totally different game types, two different systems, one IP-- that’s why The EVE Universe is truly a cross genre and cross platform innovation.

One of the most impressive technological feats is the super server the games run on. Normally, MMO’s might have a server for the US, the EU and Asia, dividing the players into different regions. Within those regions the players are further separated into different servers or instances. Even though millions might be playing the same game, they are often disconnected from each other. CCP does things differently. Tranquility is a single shard super server based in London that provides ONE single instance universe for all EVE players to exist in. There is no other shard, no other server--everyone plays with everyone and no one is separated or segregated. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, DUST 514 players also exist in that single shard server.

What this means is that CCP can start building the most advanced gaming ecosystem ever devised, allowing unprecedented interaction between the two games which are wrapped around the same rich and deep lore. On a very basic level, DUST 514 and EVE Online players can chat, voice chat and send e-mails freely. They can also form corporations (clans) and form alliances.

On a more visceral level, there is the awesome Orbital Bombardment feature. When console players meet certain conditions in battle, they are able to request a tactical strike from an EVE pilot in the contested planet’s orbit which is delivered from the PC, through Tranquility and into the console gamer’s match in real time. At the moment, only the basic tactical strikes are in game, but when I talked to EVE Designer Kristoffer Touborg in January, he talked of the planet scorching possibilities of the future.

The development of the link between these two games is slow and steady. EVE Online is 10 years old and has an extremely intricate society that has emerged within it. It is very important to CCP that the introduction of DUST 514 into EVE Online is careful and meaningful so that the experience of its PC gamers is not disrupted.

The ability for players on both platforms to form this connection is most relevant in the new Planetary Conquest ... (continued on next page)

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Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Review - an addictive shooter with terrific Wild West atmosphere

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Posted May 20th, 2013 at 13:32 EDT by Adam Dolge2 CommentsReview Score

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

PSU Review Score7.0Avg. user review score:0.0

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Summary

A solid arcade-style shooter with a rich Western theme, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger serves up fun gameplay with a well executed, albeit predictable, story.

We like

Fun arcade-style combatWell-presented story and campaignDuels and arcade mode are addicting and entertaining

We dislike

Mediocre enemy A.I.Predictable narrativeQTE events are out of place

It's been a while since the Wild West served as the backdrop for an arcade-style first-person shooter. It really is one of the best settings for a shooter given its lawless, gritty and dusty atmosphere. A six-shooter carefully wielded by a sweaty cowboy eyeing the town's rough criminals sets the scene for classic fables of America's notoriously violent western past. The whiskey was strong, the high-noon sun was hot, and the men were brave behind their guns. This setting is absolutely perfect for a videogame and perhaps one of my personal favorites for first-person shooters.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger follows the series' western tradition, but thankfully returns to the classic Wild West instead of the new west from The Cartel. This time around we play as Silas Greaves, a successful cowboy--if you consider the ability to shoot baddies as a success. Silas essentially narrates and retells his life's journey at a saloon, drinking with a captive audience of local drunks. He recalls his encounters of famous western gunners and his journey for revenge.

The story is retold comic book style, with clever cell-shaded cut scenes, witty dialogue, and even a few (predictable) twists and turns. At some points your audience in the bar will pick up the story and recount the more legendary, more glorified version of your tale. You actually play through these versions of the past, but Silas will quickly correct the bar's patrons and tell the true version. This rewinds your gameplay (literally) as you play through the same area once again as it truly happened.

          

Through your campaign you'll meet famous outlaws and even fight alongside the likes of Billy the Kid and the Sundance Kid. The story frequently brings these iconic figures in and out of levels thanks to Silas' foggy memories. The story is told really well and it's really worth playing Gunslinger if only for the brief and entertaining campaign. That is not to say it's a really good story or captivating. In fact, it's quite comical in its predictability. If you don't take it too seriously and accept you are here for the arcade-style gameplay and some cheap laughs through the story, you'll be rewarded.

At times I forgot I was at home on my HD TV and not in an arcade, pumping money into an old-school game machine. That is a good thing considering the gameplay and level designs are straight out of classic arcade shooters. Levels are diverse but extremely linear, with enemies popping in and out of cover like cardboard cutouts at a local carnival shooting gallery.

Silas is a killing machine and wastes hundreds of baddies in his adventure. Combat is rewarding and entertaining, but extremely simplistic. Unfortunately I found the aiming mechanics to be a bit poor, but I suppose you could make the argument that old guns weren't as precise as they are today. In fact, to follow that old-school feel to the game, the reloading animation is refreshingly slow as Silas tries his hardest to slide in bullet after bullet into his six-shooter.

           

The game uses an XP/combo system that rewards you for chain kills, headshots, and even hitting enemies on the run. That XP can be spent on an upgrade tree system that gives you abilities for short and long range combat, increased reload speed, and even more ammo. The skills tree feels quite realistic, so don't expect random alien-like superpowers. The only thing here that feels out of place are your slow-motion abilities. The more you kill, the more you fill your slow-mo gauge. Activate it and you'll go Max Payne style slow-motion. You can even dodge bullets in slow-motion. I can't say I used these abilities all that much--though you can't escape the slow-mo bullet dodge when you have a lethal shot headed your way. Gunslinger also has out of place QTE events, but luckily they aren't all that frequent so they don't really slow down the fun of regular combat.

Since combat is fairly enjoyable, it's a shame that enemy A.I. isn't so great. Some enemies literally stand and take your bullets like you hand-wrapped them a gift for their birthdays. Others run around looking for cover but never settle on a location. There are baddies that will charge you ... (continued on next page)

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Resident Evil: Revelations Review - welcome back to the world of Survival Horror

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Posted May 20th, 2013 at 05:27 EDT by Mike Harradence0 CommentsReview Score

Resident Evil: Revelations

PSU Review Score7.5Avg. user review score:0.0

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Summary

Resident Evil: Revelations is a superb return to form for the franchise, sadly let down by sluggish character movement and awkward combat.

We like

Fantastic atmosphereSuperb blend of combat, exploration and puzzles Raid Mode offers plenty of replay value

We dislike

The sluggish character movementSome dull enemies'Genesis' device is underdeveloped

If you’re reading this from the perspective of an old-school Resident Evil aficionado who has become disenchanted with the direction Capcom has taken its venerable zombie blaster in recent years, then sit up and take notice. Revelations is the nearest you’ll likely get to a quintessential Survival Horror Resi experience for some time, at least until Capcom figures out what direction it wants to take the series after the Jack-Of-All-Trades effort that was RE6. What we have here is a distinct effort to compromise; a unification of horror and action, encompassing the best (and worst) that the series has offered over its sprawling 17-year history. And for the most part, it works wonders.

Originally released on the 3DS, Revelations bridges the gap between RE4 and 5, and sees BSAA agents Jill Valentine and Parker investigating a massive cruise ship known as the Queen Zenobia. Initially, the pair is on the hunt for missing comrade and series staple Chris Redfield, though things soon become a bit more complicated than a simple Missing Persons case. For one, the ship is infested with a new form of Bio-Organic Weapon known as Ooze; essentially humanoid, slime-like creatures with an insatiable appetite for human flesh, and the creation of the deadly T-Abyss virus.

Mechanically, Revelations adheres to the same template as the last few games, with players controlling Valentine (and later, Redfield and a few other BSSA agents) from an over-the-shoulder perspective. As mentioned though, Revelations has a distinct classic survival horror aura about it, and this is evident in the pacing and atmosphere throughout. Unlike the massive outdoor locations seen in the previous few games, the Queen Zenobia is a claustrophobic, sinister environment devoid of the bombastic soundtrack and ostentatious, Michael Bay-esque set-pieces seen in RE6. Aesthetically, much of the cabins resemble the Spencer Mansion of RE1– it was designed by the same architect, after all – and it works a treat.

However, the most prominent feature that separates Revelations from its action-focused stable mates is the puzzles. There’s more of them here, and they’re far better designed than anything than Capcom has achieved in the past few years, offering the most cerebral Resi outing since 2002’s RE Zero. Sure, they’re still a far cry from the brain-teasing riddles found in Silent Hill, but they still offer a welcome change of pace, punctuating the combat at various intervals so that you’re never in danger of become bored with the proceedings. Being a former 3DS title, you don’t have the same touchscreen interaction as you did on Nintendo’s console, which is a shame since that worked rather nicely, but all in all the balance between puzzle solving, exploration and shooting is the best we’ve seen in years.

Speaking of shooting, Revelations’ gunplay is still as satisfying as you’d expect, if a little cumbersome due to the controls. Valentine and co have access to a wide variety of firearms – from pistols, shotguns, rifles to machine guns – and all of them can be upgraded by obtaining Custom and Illegal Parts which can be attached via special upgrade boxes dotted throughout the Zenobia. Upgrades are the rudimentary batch you’d expect, such as increased fire power, rate of fire and upping your chance of a critical hit, though they are nonetheless noticeable and definitely give you the edge in combat. Characters aren’t quite as mobile as RE6, but you can still move while shooting and reloading, a welcome addition if ever there was one. Sadly, characters are sluggish in that there’s no authentic run button; you simple either walk or shove the analogue stick forward to make them shuffle faster. It’s hopelessly inadequate for some of the more fast moving foes, making dodging attacks a chore. You can dodge by holding X and forward simultaneously, but it’s too unreliable; many times I attempted it and simply received a smack for my troubles.

The Ooze foes are intriguing, if slightly underwhelming creatures to scrap with. They’re grotesque and shambling, and combined with the creepy atmospheric qualities of the ship interior can provide a few shocks as they surprise you by lurching out of trunks, air vents and cubicles. However, they’re not especially interesting to fight; they lumber forward, absorbing gunfire, and then collapse, melting ... (continued on next page)

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