Anyone who hasn't been living under a rock has seen the latest hacker attacks in the news. Sony was hit hard on more than one opportunity knocking its PlayStation Network service offline for over a month. The hackers stole potentially sensitive information from thousands of Psn users in the process as well. What does this mean for the loyal gamers who refrained from trading in their Ps3 for Xbox 360s while this time? The Welcome Back Program. Sony answered this allegiance with a set of complementary downloads and memberships to discrete services such as its music service Qriocity and its premium gaming service PlayStation Plus.
Ps3 owners can take 2 titles from the following list:
Ice Crusher
Dead Nation
InFamous
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust Hd
Wipeout Hd + Fury
I personally have tested out Dead Nation, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, and Super Stardust Hd, all of which are great options for free download.
Dead Nation
A birds-eye-view, dual-stick zombie shooter by Housemarque has a similar look and feel to the Dead Ops Arcade mini game in Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game is split-screen and online co-op compatible which is a great increasing since every Psn user will have an opportunity to download this game and friends will most likely collaborate for a social experience. Dead Nation allows for character upgrades, a multitude of levels, and numerous guns to tear straight through the hordes of unintelligent corpses.
Presentation: Nothing extra aesthetically, successfully develops a spooky atmosphere. Unfortunately, proper characters and a typical zombie thriller plot detract from the allembracing quality of the game.
Graphics: discrete environments are detailed and fun. At times too many zombies on screen can be difficult to see.
Sound: Blood splattering, gunshots, and hungry zombies, what more sound effects could you want? Sfx are what you would expect, action packed moments bring about the best music this game has to offer.
Gameplay: Fighting crowds of zombies with a wide assortment of weapons is entertaining. Differentiation in zombie types is appreciated and controls are uncomplicated to pick up.
Gaming Precision gives Dead Nation a 7/10
Infamous
What a excellent time for Sony to publish Sucker Punch's open world, comic book inspired game then right as the sequel is released. For those who missed the first one, the Welcome Back program has your back. The quality to be preeminent or infamous, friend or foe, is a refreshing element often under explored in free roam games. Plus, a souped up, electric powered protagonist (Cole McGrath) adds to the kickass...ness of the game.
Presentation: Large environments to explore at your leisure, popular ,favorite cut scenes and an phenomenal finale. However, I felt as if the city as a whole often blended together and did not stand out. The plot followed a very predictable pattern.
Graphics: The graphics are solid not spectacular. The electricity looks phenomenal and the karma effects on Cole's appearance are a nice touch.
Sound: Not very memorable. Cole's shoes squeak incessantly which bothered me throughout the whole game.
Gameplay: range of skills and moves for Cole to perform. Tons of side missions and collectables add too long playtime. Sometimes too many enemies onscreen will make you feel overwhelmed and being shot constantly from the rooftops can be frustrating.
Gaming Precision gives Infamous an 8/10
LittleBigPlanet
By far one of the most creative games I've ever played. It gives players the perfect relaxation to create just about whatever you could imagine. A large society adds to the inevitable feel of the game with new user-created content being added all the time, especially now that the Welcome Back program has brought new life into LittleBigPlanet.
Presentation: Adorable graphics add to the whimsical nature of this side-scrolling adventure. Sack boy is as customizable as the game itself allowing for a personal touch. Nothing of this nature or caliber has ever been done as successfully as LittleBigPlanet.
Graphics: Its graphics are unique, colorful, and very appealing. The visuals are very impressive.
Sound: One word, perfect. The game incorporates music into levels in roughly every way. Sound effects are proper and humorous. I've even heard some of my popular video game themes on society levels.
Gameplay: range defines this game in every way. The controls could be tweaked slightly as sometimes I felt as if Sack boy was controlling himself.
Gaming Precision gives LittleBigPlanet a 9.5/10
Super Stardust Hd
Ever play the old arcade game Asteroids? Well this is its older brother on steroids. Super Stardust Hd is a quick paced, arcade shooter where you control a spaceship and blast just about whatever that moves. It has a very sharp look which combines 2D functionality with 3D visuals but they function very well together. The game boasts numerous weapons together with the Gold Melter, Ice Spitter, and Rock Crusher all which can be swapped with the press of a button. And the co-op capabilities make for one crazy fun ride.
Presentation: The game is pretty simple. Your goal is to destroy rocks, get points, and not get hit. There could also be more options available.
Graphics: The visuals are pretty stunning. The sharp colors and sheer amount of stuff going on is impressive. Lasers and explosions of all separate shapes and sizes will fill the screen and overwhelm you...in a good way. Except for the occasional lag.
Sound: The music changes at each level but it's not overwhelmingly noticeable. The music fits the situation but is not memorable.
Gameplay: The gameplay is great. The manic shooting and addicting nature make this a game you will want to replay often.
Gaming Precision gives Super Stardust Hd an 8.5/10
Hopefully this will help you determine which game on the Welcome Back program is right for you. Please post with comments and suggestions!
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