Friday, 25 May 2007

Will Disaster Leave You Quaking? - SOS The Final Escape on PS2

I usually tend to get scared in horror game, like Resident Evill. That sounds quite natural doesn't it. Getting eaten by zombies and chased by dobermans is a perfectly good reason to fear dogs and people who moan a lot. But can natural disasters match up to zombies and monsters? There's a famous saying that things that happen in life are much scarier than fiction. I think there's a big point to that.

SOS: The Final Escape will let you find out the terror of being caught up in an earthquake can be brought to life through a game. You play Keith,a newspaper reporter beginning his new job at Capital City. A huge earthquake occurs and you get trapped in the ruins. The battle is on to get to the surface before the earthquake or the rapidly rising waters claim you in the chaos stricken city!

Sadly, the graphics are what could be described as blocky and bland. everything feels square and stiff in the game, even a large sphere that falls from a building at one point! This is very disappointing, I thought better could be done here! But in terms of the scale and the destruction that occurs on the game, well that is just phenomenal! You try and say that the graphics are unimpressive when a huge freeway topples over and nearly crushes you!

The sound is better overall. There isn't really much music and I feel that the game benefits from a natural soundtrack. The wind howls, the water churns, the buildings crash and the earthquake rumbles. Trust me, that is all this game need in terms of sound. The voice acting could be better. It is very still most of the time but bearable.

The gameplay is the biggest strength SOS has. You can walk and use what transport is available and pick up many files and items along the way. The game is also relatively non-linear, with seven different endings available! Most are bland but some have some big plot twists!

So, if you want to be in an earthquake and not get hurt then this is the game for you. Just watch out for cracks in the game!

Handheld Heavyweights DS and PSP Battle it Out

Right, you've got a little bit of extra cash and you want to buy one of the latest handheld consoles. But there's a major problem: you don't know which one to choose! Well, I'm here to help you through this problem and hopefully make you pick a great choice. Let's get started then, I can't handle the suspense...

Round One: Graphical Power
DS:
The DS is a 64-bit handheld taht has graphics that are on par with the late Nintendo 64. Most games I've played on it look great. There are some games that do look like they were rushed graphics-wise but otherwise, this isn't a graphical slouch.

PSP: The PSP is a 128-bit handheld taht has the graphical power of a Playstation 2! The games also look great on this but some of the games do look a bit...bland. This may sound harsh but sometimes the faces on characters look bad and sometimes you can't see vehicles coming towards you. Small niggles like this do ruin the experience somewhat. We can forgive the DS for it due to it's lower bit power but the PSp shouldn't have this.


Winner: DS - Not as powerful but the game experience isn't badly affected by it.

Round 2: Style

DS:The standard DS looks interesting and colorful, particularly the silver model. The original is comfortable to hold but a bit bulky. The DS-lite though does improve on it and that fits snugly into your pockets.

PSP: The PSP is without a doubt sleek and sexy. It's smooth and comfortable to hold and like the DS fits well into your pockets. If you have one of these then you look cool!

Winner: PSP - The PSP has style ozzing from it like sulphur gas from a volcano!

Round 3: Games
DS:
The DS has a wide range of games available for it now that it has been released for some time, ranging from puzzle games to classic NIntendo icons. Some of the games are familiar classics (Super Mario 64, Resident Evil:Deadly Silence) and some are multiplatform games (Tiger Woods, Mr. Driller). Some of the games are a bit dull or boring but the great games available for it do outnumber the rubbish ones. Most make use of the touch screen available and this, along with several other features help to bring the games to life!

PSP: The PSP has the same range of games as the DS, puzzle games, racing games etc. The PSP games play well on Sony's handheld but the small analogue stick is a bit annoying and doesn't help in the slightest. Some of the games are unique though (Mercury immediately springs to mind) and that can only help the machine. On the other hand, the PSP lacks Nintendo's innovation and that will hurt it's performance.

Winner: DS - The great games and unique controls help the DS win this round!

OVERALL WINNER - DS
This was a tough one to call but I chose the DS overall just because it does gaming differently. I do recommend both handhelds but if you want something different and brilliant, the NIntendo DS is the way to go. If you don't have a lot of cash, get a DS otherwise, a PSP would be good. You may not agree with my views but let's face it: Everyone has an opinion!

Hi!

Just as a starter blog, I want to say hi to everyone who happens to read this. Won't blame you if you don't this is kinda patheic. Not to worry though, I'll have some proper posts up...soon.