PS3 gameplay impressions (Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Resistance: Fall of Man ..)

LookingFor

I've compiled impressions from these games together for your reading pleasure So far, so impressed, it seems..

First, here's a link to some overall impressions on a Gamespot video blog:

"For the first playable software for a system, it's pretty amazing"

Warhawk



http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705991p1.html

The controller's ability to recognize free movement allowing for six degrees of freedom plays perfectly into Warhawk's flying mechanics. We actually hadn't yet played the game with an analog stick movement configuration, so we can't really say how it compares to a classic setup, but we can say that the PS3 controller's tilt sensing seems to work fantastically with the game.

Though Warhawk really only features metallic ships, large and small, you wouldn't assume that animation would be its strong point or really even necessary, but there actually are some really cool animations for your ship. The ends of the side and rear wings unfold and flatten when you take off, and fold up again when you come to a stop. It's a small touch, but it's a really cool one that gives life to what might otherwise be a very machine-oriented title.

The freeform control mechanism via the PlayStation 3's controller, as mentioned, was sweet. Tilting the controller forward causes you to dive, tilting back makes you rise and rolling left and right do what you'd expect. Rather than flipping the controller over, holding R1 and rolling to either side will cause your Warhawk to perform a full roll, nice for dodging incoming shots and the like.

http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3story.html?sid=6149597&pid=928383

The control is really slick. The game uses the controller's internal tilt-sensing mechanisms to steer your ship. It works really well, and didn't feel jittery at all. If you hold R1, tilting the control rolls your ship. Double-tapping R2 kicks in your afterburners for a quick speed boost, and triangle converts you into and out of hover mode. The D pad on the controller is used for selecting secondary weapons, and square fires them. X is your main machine gun.

The game's running at a nicely smooth frame rate, and there are pretty good-looking particle effects and heat wash. The game's got good-looking clouds, water, and other environmental details too. Overall, it's a nice looking game that already seems to play well, even though the development team only recently incorporated the new controller's motion sensors.

Heavenly Sword



http://ps3.ign.com/articles/705/705989p1.html

The most impressive thing about the build, though, is that it looks exactly like the target-render trailer that Sony ran at its press conference last year. Nariko looked fantastic here, with attention paid to every little detail. The clothing on her body flapped realistically in the wind, the flare on her belt moved as she did, the fluidity of her animations were very high-end. Enemies didn't have quite as much detail paid to them as Nariko did, of course, but even so, they weren't exactly visual pushovers. The whole graphical package was really quite enjoyable.

Speaking of counters and kill moves, there were several to choose from even in our limited time with the build. Tapping triangle as soon as an enemy attacks (indicated with a quick flash) allows for a bevy of reversals depending on the situation. Nariko has several very cool offensive moves as well, and can evade stalkers with a quick tap of the right analog stick. Ranged and Power stances vary the kinds of attacks she can perform (be it with chained blades or a conventional sword), and pressing the action button (X) will allow her to pick up objects and throw them at enemies.

http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3story.html?sid=6149627&pid=928391

Now, given that the game is so cinematic, we were curious as to how it would play. Though the brief demo had some camera issues in a few spots, it appeared to be finding a good balance between flashy cinematic visuals and playability. The combat system was easy to pick up but managed to have some depth to it thanks to a flexible combat system that let you mix and match different attacks to perform some wicked combos. Better still was the ability to switch between her main hook blades and a massive sword, each of which had their own unique attributes.

The visuals in the demo were in line with what was shown last year and still packed quite a punch. The character models looked great thanks to a high level of detail and fluid animation. The demo used all manner of visual effects such as filters and light bloom to give everything in the demo a rich hue. The frame rate in the demo was smooth and quite stable for a work-in-progress game.

Resistance: Fall of Man



http://ps3.ign.com/articles/706/706054p1.html

Once I grabbed the controller, the first thing that sprung to mind was "Man, this game looks pretty damn good..." and it does. Leveled buildings and debris were everywhere, as were a number of independently-functioning soldiers on both sides of the war while intense firefights took place simultaneously. The framerate was pretty smooth too, with only the occasional hitch in animation occurring because of the earliness of the build.

Secondary fire is particularly fun to use. The "Bulls Eye" weapon, for example, allows players to invent new ways to attack. Here's how it works: In a one-on-one battle with a single Chimera (the alien species that humankind is fighting against), players can fire a plasma ball into a corner above or around the enemy and then fire their regular weapon at it (the M5A2 Carbine works just fine here). Once they've shot enough projectiles in it, users can then flank their foe and get them in their sights. Once this happens, another press of the secondary fire button will shoot all the bullets players fired into the plasma at the enemy in one huge swarm. It's an awesome little technique and was quite addictive even at this early stage.

http://www.gamespot.com/e3/e3story.html?sid=6149622&pid=928399

Windows break apart realistically when shot, bottles and microscopes fall over or shatter when shot, and everything behaves with the basic level of physics that you expect from a modern first-person shooter. The visuals, which were running in 720p during the demo, but should be running in 1080p for the game's November release, looked sharp and like most of the other playable PS3 games Sony showed at its press conference, it ran at a smooth frame rate.

In addition to the single-player, the game will also feature co-op play for two players and split screen support. There will also by multiplayer support for up to 32 players. Deathmatch was playable, and it behaved a lot like the single-player, but with the action of facing real humans. Though the details aren't ready to be revealed, there will be some sort of backstory to the multiplayer.

More games were playable and will be playable over the next few days at the show itself, so I guess I'll post more as it comes..

LookingFor

Some more info and impressions on Heavenly Sword. This one looks like a biggie

First, the official info (including news that Andy Serkis, aka Gollum, is working on the game!):

Emotionally charged, stunningly beautiful and delivering unprecedented dramatic character performance, Heavenly Sword showcases the power of PLAYSTATION 3. A dramatic tale of revenge sees Nariko, a fiery red-haired heroine embark on a quest for vengeance against an invading King and his army. The story builds around the ancient Heavenly Sword which once belonged to a powerful deity. It can never be wielded by a mortal without it draining their life-force, killing them within hours.

When the invading King (played by Andy Serkis) destroys the warrior clan that guards the Heavenly Sword, the clan leader’s daughter, Nariko, takes up the sword in a desperate fight for survival. Nariko must now pay the ultimate price as she embarks on one last mission of vengeance against the King and his army before her life is finally drawn to a close…

Andy Serkis, the world’s leading CG actor, famous for his roles as Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” and Kong in “King Kong”, was heavily involved in the creative process. As well as starring in Heavenly Sword as the villain, King Botan, Andy was a major contributor to the character development, writing, casting, directing and performance capture for the PLAYSTATION 3 game.

Heavenly Sword features a deep, diverse combat experience made possible by PLAYSTATION 3.

KEY COMBAT FEATURES

The Heavenly Sword itself can Transform into Three Distinct Stances – Players can switch between on the fly allowing players to create their own fighting styles.

The Combat Engine can Scale Up – From sophisticated one-on-one encounters to one-on-many, where enemies employ intelligent squad-based dynamics, right up to combat against battalions pushing real-time gameplay and AI to unprecedented new levels.

Physics-based Combat – Players can sweep debris against opponents, kick tables to halt an oncoming surge of fighters, smash the enemy into the scenery or throw bodies into other enemies using aftertouch controls.

Wide Range of Objects and Weaponry – Including multi-skewering spears and devastatingly explosive bazookas.

Creative in-game Cinematography – Coupled with real-time story evolvement and amazing set-pieces makes the action feel like a blockbuster action movie and takes combat gameplay to new heights.

Here's some more impressions from 1up:

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3150543

The graphics are the obvious highlight, with nice bump-mapping accompanying her fluidly animated red tresses. Bloom lighting was in full effect, which made Heavenly Sword look like some parts were pulled straight out of the arena scenes in Gladiator the movie.

Also, here's some more impressions on Warhawk from 1up:

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3150542

What we like: The controls, obviously, but also the visuals. Everything looked super crisp, with brilliant skies and cloud effects. Weaving in and out of swarms of enemy fighters with bullets and explosions littering the skies felt like a sequence straight out of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. The 1930s sci-fi visual style (think Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) gives the game a unique vibe.

The first Warhawk was a stunning showcase for PS1, and this sequel seems poised to be the same for the PS3 -- thanks to its controls.

Each of the previews now has highlighted the motion-sensing controls as being really great, which is something of a surprise..

steviec

I can't help wondering - where did the hype go?

For the last year the games press, and most gamers who follow the game press, have jumped on every slight suggestion that Sony might possibly say something PS3 related.

And here we are, dozens of PS3 pods set up at E3, people actually playing real PS3 games for the first time, and there's a distinct lack of excitement in what I've been reading. It's not like theres a problem with the games themselves. It's like Sony said '€600' and suddenly everything surrounding the PS3 just deflated. And their competitors just out did them when it came to PR this year.

I've been doing my best to find out what I can about the PS3 games, often buried below various other platform games and I'm actually quite impressed with what I'm seeing and reading. Much moreso than at the Sony conference. I guess the crappy low res stream really doesn't do them justice!

I notice warhawk has received universal approval for its intuitive implementation of the motion sensing controls. Which contrasts very very mixed reports of most Wii games which suffer from over sensitive and dodgy controls. This controller could prove to be a big deal for Sony. It's got the best of everything.

There's one specific game that's really caught my eye though. It's called Heavy Rain: The Casting, and so far I haven't been able to get too much information, but it's the prequel to Fahrenheit and that was one of the games of last year for me. And its a game that could really benefit from the sort of AI and cinematic visuals the PS3 should be capable of.

I'm interested in how Formula 1 is shaping up but haven't found info anywhere. I've seen photos of it being played though so there's sure to be reports soon.

Another game I'm curious about is Madden. I have 06 on 360 and 07 on PS3 looks far superior. I'll be interested to see how the 360 and PS3 versions of the ultimate cross platform game compare.

Ciaran500

steviec wrote:

For the last year the games press, and most gamers who follow the game press, have jumped on every slight suggestion that Sony might possibly say something PS3 related.

And here we are, dozens of PS3 pods set up at E3, people actually playing real PS3 games for the first time, and there's a distinct lack of excitement in what I've been reading. It's not like theres a problem with the games themselves. It's like Sony said '€600' and suddenly everything surrounding the PS3 just deflated. And their competitors just out did them when it came to PR this year.

It's cause the amount they hyped it last year when they didn't really have anything.

Vegeta

Fahrenheit was more of an interactive movie rather than a game

projectmayhem

steviec wrote:

I can't help wondering - where did the hype go?

sony dropped the ball. they could have easily sweeped up this year again. all they needed to do was show off killzone2, unreal2007 and motorstorm. simple as that. they'd wipe the floor with that trio, simply based on the hype each game has on their own. sure, showing the card game and resistence was great. but over all, the amount of time given to some games was pointless (GT HD didn't impress at all).

rolling out killzone2 and showing that last year wasn't a waste of CG-artists time would have been the show stealer. same as motorstorm... reading reactions to the tech demo at GDC, people really wanted to get their hands on this. and UT2007, that could have been sony's mario. as soon as they see the rocket launcher or something, people would have cheered.

Ciaran500

If they had shown Killzone 2 and Motorstorm off at the conference people would of been majorly dissapointed cause there's no way they could of lived up to last years trailers.

And surely Snake is now Sony's Mario

steviec

While the MGS4 video was great as a self contained little piece of game-cinema, it didn't do anything to make me want either a PS3 or MGS4 more than I already did. It was essentially more of the same from last year and from TGS. I already know the graphics are amazing, I already know Snake is old, I already know the game will feature excellent cinematic direction. And sure the dialogue gave us some little bits and pieces of story and we found out some old characters will be returning, but really a lot of it is meaningless without context.

What they needed was some gameplay. Show off the AI, show off the physics, show off some new moves Snake has. That would have gotten people properly excited.

And I agree about the press conference. GT4 HD sucked. They spent ten times longer on that than they did on Formula 1, a genuinely next gen racer with unique PSP connectivity. Surely that could have shown off the PS3 better than a PS2 game. And I don't understand why Motorstorm was missing, it was supposed to be both playable and impressive at GDC.

Maybe with the last minute addition of the tilt sensor they've pulled back a lot of the big games till they implement it. It's as good an explanation as I can think of.

LookingFor

The price has certainly cast a pall over their showing, but simply reading about the content itself, there seems to be lots of really great impressions out there particularly for Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Resistance & Assassin's Creed (behind closed doors - Gamespot has hands-on impressions, sounds fantastic). It seems the scale of the playable showing has also pleasantly suprised people, there are at least 12 titles available to play on the floor and more behind closed doors. So it's def a pity, but for me, I was already thinking up to €600 for the pricetag, so I'm really just excited about the games now and what's on show.

Crucifix

Very interesting stuff. Cheers LookingFor.

steviec

LookingFor wrote:

The price has certainly cast a pall over their showing, but simply reading about the content itself, there seems to be lots of really great impressions out there particularly for Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, Resistance & Assassin's Creed (behind closed doors - Gamespot has hands-on impressions, sounds fantastic). It seems the scale of the playable showing has also pleasantly suprised people, there are at least 12 titles available to play on the floor and more behind closed doors. So it's def a pity, but for me, I was already thinking up to €600 for the pricetag, so I'm really just excited about the games now and what's on show.

Oooh I found the hands on impression (here) of Assassins Creed, I'd no idea actual playable code had been shown. It sounds very exciting alright, hope to hear more about this one soon.

Vegeta

i'm just happy its out this year in Europe

Ciaran500

Resistance: Fall of Man

Just watched that and it looks like a completley generic shooter, really dissapointed in it.


Warhawk vid on that site too and it looking great, but the controller definatley need refinement and could of done with using an eventful level for E3

LookingFor

Ciaran500 wrote:

Resistance: Fall of Man

Just watched that and it looks like a completley generic shooter, really dissapointed in it.

Thematically it does look very derivative - very half-life 2 - but reports from the show say that it plays great, and is very intense. I was actually surprised it got such good impressions, but I guess Insomniac are a good developer.

Ciaran500 wrote:

Warhawk vid on that site too and it looking great, but the controller definatley need refinement and could of done with using an eventful level for E3

Again, impressions from the show itself indicate that the control is quite amazing, actually. One thing to note about it, though, is that they implemented that control in less than two weeks..

GrumPy

GT4..... why? they spent the most time, showing a last gen car game, running in hd. Best part of the sony conferance was the mgs4 trailer, everything else was very poor compared to ninty, and ms IMO. I did really enjoy the mgs4 trailer though.

LookingFor

Irish GrumPy wrote:

GT4..... why? they spent the most time, showing a last gen car game, running in hd.

Yeah, that was really stupid, in the conference. The theory is that Motorstorm was meant to also be shown in that time, but it wasn't ready for the conference, so suddenly GT HD was filling 15-20 minutes. The reason people think this is because it wasn't anywhere to be seen but then suddenly on day two of the show, it turned up as a playable. Devs were literally pushing new builds of games, including motorstorm, to the dev kits on the showfloor over the net, overnight. IGN and Gamespot have impressions of it, btw, and there's footage out there also - looks hot.

GrumPy

LookingFor wrote:

Yeah, that was really stupid, in the conference. The theory is that Motorstorm was meant to also be shown in that time, but it wasn't ready for the conference, so suddenly GT HD was filling 15-20 minutes. The reason people think this is because it wasn't anywhere to be seen but then suddenly on day two of the show, it turned up as a playable. Devs were literally pushing new builds of games, including motorstorm, to the dev kits on the showfloor over the net, overnight. IGN and Gamespot have impressions of it, btw, and there's footage out there also - looks hot.

So what your saying is, they made a balls, so they used motostorm or whatevers slot on a hd version of gt? I'd rather they show the entire mgs4 trailer, or even the killzone2 trailer AGAIN tbh.