[Sponsored Video] PS Vita

PS Vita has by now launched one of the most ambitious handheld consoles. Earlier on I was quite impressed during the Eurogamer expo when I had the chance to have a one-on-one with this slick piece of technology.
I was quite impressed back then and I'm looking forward until Amazon snail-mails it to my flat.

Here's a video featuring Rizzle Kicks about the PS Vita. For those who don't know: Rizzle Kicks is British Hiphop duo and is pretty hip at the moment. Although truth be told their music is neither hip nor makes me hop (IMHO). That said the video is quite amazing and well shot, and the duo's enthusiasm is damn infectious.  It showcases how the PS Vita is an amazing portable device due to its 3G connenction.

It's a visually very neat video starting from the morning till the evening and how both sides of the group can entertain themselves mostly while doing other activities like having a good ol' English Breakfast and heckling cab drivers.
All that's missing is a guide on how to play this while peeing. My life would be complete with that knowledge but anyway I digress.

You can watch it here:





This article has been sponsored by my acute gadgetomania.

Saints Row 3 : Launch Trailer

I have been writing about Saints Row 3 for a while now, and the game was finally launched in the UK on the 18th of November. You can view the game trailer here:



I have been playing it for a bit now and I have to say the beginning sequence has to be one of the best I've ever played to my knowledge. It's completely over the top and plays as if it came straight from a Jason Statham film. Ranging from robbing a bank while handing out autographs to crash-landing through an air plane's front windows. No seriously.
The game's slight satirical tone blends in extremely well so far. This is especially noticeable at the beginning when watching a Saints Row (Japanese) commercial.

I'm intending to post a review of the game later this week after I've completed it, and I hope the game can keep the high quality from the beginning chapter. If that's the case then this is going to be one damn rollercoaster of fun and explosions.
 Even if that's not the case, so far I have to admit that Saints Row the Third is holding its ground quite well compared to simultaneous killer game releases: Skyrim and Arkham City. And having played all three at the moment, that's one hell of a compliment.







Although this is a sponsored article, my opinion stated herin is my own and unbiased.

Saints Row 3: Pimps and Gimps

Saints Row the Third is being released this week here in the UK on the 18th of November. In accordance to that THQ has released its newest trailer which is aptly named: Pimps and Gimps

You can view it here:



As you can see this video showcases some of the more aaaah, let's say "creative" things you can do or encounter in the game. They range from the surreal, to the completely ludicrous. So here's a quick break down:

Inflated sex dolls: Check
Gimp-driven chariots racing in true Ben Hur style: Check
Dr. Seuss Hats: Check
Flipping off cars while simultaneously blowing them to hell: Check
Burt FUCKING Reynolds: Wait ... what?!


This game just begs to be played with copious amounts of spirits, so my weekend just got interesting ... for once. Bring it on!



This article has been sponsored by Burt effin' Reynolds, Patron Saint of Movember

Shock and Awe

The latest trailer from Saints Row 3 is a brutally sharp "fuck you" to the popular upcoming releases of Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. For anyone not familiar with those games (where in the nine hells have you been living? in space?).
Anyway, you can get right up to date with this fitting video describing both publisher's recent behaviour.

Which reminds me, is Saints Row 3 trying to say here it's the third dog ... cat? running away with the bone?

Unfortunately I doubt it,  but it's quite pleasing to see a game embrace its free nature and over-the-top humour as much as Saints Row the third does, while at the same time mocking the most popular and current linear first-person shooters. You can watch the trailer here:





I am an advertorial. No seriously, it says so right here.

Saints Row 3: The Wide World of Genki

Saints Row 3 keeps on releasing trailers with some serious WTF value. I wouldn't even bat an eyelash if they'd show it in one of those freaky Japanese reality TV shows. I'd really like to know who slipped crack in the coffee of these developers during their "brainstorm" meetings. Or in this case more accurately: Who slipped the coffee in their crack.
The latest video shows "Fun for the whole fucking family" I'd honestly doubt Peggy would agree, but it's definitely the first time that the word "ethical" hasn't got me fast asleep on my desk like a sloth who overdosed on prozac.

The only bad thing? The winner gets to keep his or her own life, awwww.
The best part? An octopus gun. I'm looking forward to nut shot with that....

Watch it here:








This advertorial is sponsored by THQ to promote hilarity of ethical proportions.

Rage Preview

Sometimes I wonder. When you think of the world of ultraviolence from Clockwork Orange, wasn't it really just a premonition of the 90's id Games such as Wolfenstein 3D, Quake, and Doom.
You know, the point of the games  is just finding new ways on how to blast monsters, nazis, or really whatever, to shreds. In his presentation at Eurogamer Expo Tim Willits brought us back in time showing footage from the old classics and also gave them perception with his quote "against Nintendo sensitivity". I got the fortunate chance to chat to him and shake hands and now I'll never wash that hand again. Already banned at work for that, but so worth it!

Mind you they were all great games, single-handedly both inventing and revolutionizing the First-Person Shooter genre with its aspects of violence, great engines, and pvp addition. The other side of the coin being of course that it turned the genre quite stale. You only need to look at the recent Modern Crapfare games to understand that point. The genre has got stuck.

Unfortunately don't expect anything quite as revolutionizing in their recent game Rage. You can come to that conclusion by having a look at the background setting and story. A post-apocalyptic wasteland with a world dominated by "The Authority" and a rebel faction quite aptly and creatively dubbed the "Resistance".
It's a setting that's been beaten to death by now like a reanimated dead horse. It proves that even though id has finally had a go at dialogue and story, it really is just a little loincloth covering the gratuitous violence and gore.
The only thing Rage may be revolutioning is even a negative thing. Namely the gaming industry trying to crack down on second-hand games by offering content tied to the original game. Tsk Tsk...

That's not too say Rage is a bad game, in fact to the contrary. I played it during the Expo and had a blast. Of course expect no depth, instead it's like a virtual game of popping a bubble wrap sheet. Except in this case it's popping heads with a double barrel shotgun to the face and giggling like a 14-year old schoolgirl. And really, would you seriously have it any other way?
The game has vehicles but they're smooth and very reactive to the environment. Drive against a large rock and see your character being plummeted to the high skies and his own embarrassing death. Much to the amusement of any spectators of course. The game's engine has an amazing quality of detail that we've been accustomed to by id. It boasts a weapon arsenal that would make the most perverted gun nut drool like a fat kid looking at cake. You can see a few of them in action in the following video. Especially enjoy the floating balloon of death at 0:28 and what appears like an attached propane tank at 0:40.
You can already imagine that player cackling like a mad German scientist.

You can watch the Uprising trailer it here, with a fitting and beautiful accompanying score of A Perfect Circle:



This article is sponsored by id, because I do like being paid to promote violence.

Saints Row 3: Meet the Deckers

A few weeks ago we could see a luchadore-based gang in true Warriors-style. Today in the most recent video we can now see glimpses of ... a nerd squad called The Deckers.
No I take that back, it looks more like a nerd squad with a neon-sense of fashion. A truly dangerous and lethal combination!
The trailer is seeping with gratuitous 80's Tron elements which I'm sure anyone will appreciate, but I'll truly take my hat off if they manage to put a lawnmower man character somewhere in that level.

So far the whole mindless jokes and references just-for-the-heck of it is looking awesome. But I hope that Volition, the game developer behind the Saints Row trailer hasn't just thrown all these elements into a game and then shaken it (not stirred) into a cohesion-less soup. It would be a shame if the game turns out to be a mere pastiche with a complete lack of focus.

You can see the latest trailer here:, and definitely enjoy the old Atari reference:






This article was sponsored by THQ

Saints Row Teaser

Saints Row 3 has been on my radar ever since it opened up with what *has* to be the best damn teaser trailer ever.
The game is easiest to describe as a sandbox game with no rules and disregard to even its own genre. It's there to have fun and provoke.
Its developer once famously quoted "Our game philosophy is: why give players a baseball bat when you can give them a giant phallic weapon" and "We're an equal opportunity defender, you can nutshot even women"
And that pretty much sums up the game, nor can I disagree with such flawless yet outrageous logic. It's completely over the top and bigger-than-life, and that message just oozes out of its latest trailer. You can watch it here:



A gang based on luchadors, with the leader called Killbane, the Walking Apocalypse (As if Killbane alone isn't adequate enough) To top it off, how to better represent the game and its bigger-than-life genre than actually have Hulk Hogan himself do the voice-over for Angel de la Muerte.

My only criticism is that the previous games were quite atrocious on the PC platform, with the second instalment suffering from technical issues, and I have a feeling the third instalment will be best enjoyed on a console as well. So bear that in mind.



This article is sponsored by THQ to promote gender-equal nutpunching.

Space Marine demo announced

Relic has announced on the official site that there will be a Space Marine demo available on August the 23d.
Although the Warhammer 40k games have always had a decent potential and quality, the series from Relic always played more like a hybrid that's not really sure of what it is. RTS, RPG, action?  As a result of that the last game in the series felt like it still needed some fine-tuning. Adding on top of that some of the RPG elements were still quite poor. You can't come up with a story that is as your average B Hollywood film and expect it to be engaging, m'kay?

Still as a strategy game the Dawn of War series has really shined through, and its foregoing of a base in its gameplay is both refreshing and fitting. It also helps that the franchise has a deep and rich lore, not to mention crazy Orks like this fellow here:

The latest news and trailers also showcase a much more seamless game with a fluid combination of ranged and melee damage. And us gamers like nothing more than ripping through opponents with bolt guns and chainswords. Mmm-hmm...
Not to mention, you'll get the chance to fight off a frigging Ork Horde in the demo.

You can see more about the game in the following video here, and let me know what you think!






This post is sponsored by THQ, and by no means am I being held at gunpoint by a crazy Ork.


"WAAAAAGH from Above"