Playstation Move:Review

PlayStation move is a motion controller for the ps3,it is able to track movement along X,Y and Z planes.PlayStation Move uses the PlayStation eye camera to track the wands position and inertial sensors inside the want detects its motion,it was first revealed in June 2 2009

In the beginning I confess I had low hopes with this,the design looked comical and it was really nothing new considering the Wii did something similar,in contrast to the project natal announced at that time the PlayStation move seemed:insignificant. But as time passed and more news came,I began to get eager to try it out and it did not dissatisfy me,to begin with it is precise and really does offer 1:1 tracking this is literally amazing for games like sports champion,where the precision is actually noticed and enjoyed.

Although I was wary of the moves design at first,it is actually pretty comfortable and believe it or not:good looking when that sphere glows it actually looks amazing and would not look out of place in a party or diwali (taking into account if you would do something that wacko) it is a little surprising and sad that Sony did not give us the freedom to choose our own sphere color when not playing the game, because obviously during the game the color is actually fulfilling the purpose of tracking and would be always different from the colour of your surroundings (This is a little sad because the sphere almost always chooses an ill fitting colour,in my case it chose pink-Talk about embarrassing!) .The strap provided is,needless to say comfortable although in prolonged time it does feel as if you are wearing handcuffs.

A major negative point of the move is that it is Dependant on navigation controllers,another stand alone controller and the PlayStation eye for the best experience.(with the PlayStation eye being a necessity) this is a big spoilsport not just from a cost perspective but also from the fact that here not enough stock is available,people might say that you might use a DS3 but it is not entirely viable.Sony could have been kind enough to add another USB cable.

When it comes to durability the move does not disappoint,the sphere which may look dangerous is soft and made of silicon similar to that of a baby bottle or a pacifier,You can even try pressing it.the rest is standard like the dualshock 3.

Sony has done a big justice to its launch titles appealing both the hardcore and the casual and in some delightful cases both,I found myself loving sports champions even though I am not into sport games.Games like sorcery and Little Big Planet make move irresistible.I played a demo called ‘The shoot’ on the starter disk and was delighted to see how creatively it had utilized move,to activate certain ability you had to spin on the spot:Amazing!

In a conclusion:The move is a must buy for every PS3 gamer,it has an attractive cost,and amazing games for your entertainment needs go ahead and pick one up if you have not already!

I conducted a little experiment,regarding the realism of the move,I asked my dad to play table tennis in sports champions. He is more experienced with table tennis,and less experienced with using move proved by the fact that I had to help him with calibration and moving the cursor properly,but once he got into the game he beat the first player 5-1 even though that was the first time he was playing move,I on the other hand took some time beating the first opponent.

Therefore,being experienced at the actual game helps more than being experienced at the controller itself,this proves the fact that move excels as a motion controller. and sports champion too obviously.

This is an original article,written months back by me on Indian Video Gamer forums

Comparison between Mass Effect 1,Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 Trailer analysis

If you have ever touched a gaming console or a PC you would know what “Mass Effect’ is an epic sci-fi RPG by Bioware. The first game in the series: Mass Effect 1 was released on November 20 2007  exclusive to the Xbox 360,and for me it was the only game that did not make me regret buying an Xbox. Sadly it was a year after that,when my Xbox was struck by the infamous RROD and I had to wait until Mass Effect 2 came out on the PS3.

One of the main attraction of Mass Effect for me was the story,the first game had an epic twist in the end.The memory of seeing the Sovereigns hologram on Virmire is one of my most treasured gaming experiences,indeed the Reaper’s were perfectly designed and had a sufficient “awe factor” in them,in contrast with this Mass Effect 2 pales slightly. Maybe it was because the end boss was already in a weak larva form,or maybe because suddenly the Reaper in the game was humanized either way I feel the story of Mass Effect 1 is much better than the plot of Mass Effect 2,the first game was  memorable: Being the first human spectre,Having the power of life and death over your squad ,saving the citadel and even the responsibility of making judgement related to the council. All of these choices really got me into the game Mass Effect 2,in comparison lacked choices to this degree

This is how game villains should look like

For some reason I haven’t understood till now,Mass Effect 2 had no weapon stats. And armor personalization was totally gutted,how am I supposed to know which gun is better? I had no clue! this made the combat a bit too simple for my taste’s Mass Effect is an RPG after all.

One thing I hate (and love) about Mass Effect 2 is that Bioware has changed the way Husks attack you,from simple enemies they have become ruthless zombies that attack you while you are in cover-this is good because it keeps you on your toes  but Bioware often spams husks in their mission along with another hateful variety called the “scion” one hit from their weapon and your shield is gone. Two hits and you are dead. The Husk’s and Scions almost always come out together. Usually one Scion and multiple husks, and once or twice two scion and multiple husk. For me One scion and husk was a manageable challenge the two scion combo was noticeably difficult. The Harbinger was a very nice addition to the battle and made the game play intresting.

Mass Effect 2 provides more cosmetic personalization on you,with the addition of the captains cabin and casuals you can wear while in the ship,which is a welcome addition to the game.

Overall,Mass Effect 1 to me,seems much better it had better game play and story.That is not to say Mass Effect 2 sucked it follows closely behind,but some elements(or lack of) in gameplay and story keeps mass effect 2 closely behind its predecessor.

Mass Effect 3

If you haven’t seen the trailer yet,here it is:

The trailer is pretty informative. Expect some (most probably near the end) missions to be on Earth.The soldier shown in the video would most definitely be a recruit able. The sentence “if shephard doesn’t bring help soon there wont be an earth left to save” implies a lot  according to me,Reapers have started their mission of bringing down organic life forms but they have not started attacking all species at once,they have started on humanity and somehow the citadel is unaware of that fact (indoctrination or something maybe?) hence it is upto Shep to convince them of the Reaper threat.

This appears to be very along the lines of Dragon Age 1,I am hoping Bioware has something original with respect to this maybe another specie as ancient as the Reapers which supports the organics-something like that. Only time will tell however.

Aside from this I have a few features which I think ME3 should have,like for example the ability to use grenades and flash bangs this is a feature I definitely miss in Mass Effect.With ME2 Bioware gave us manual control of the ship to navigate now this may sound far’fetched but it would be cool to have occasional ship based battles in the game.This may not be everybody’s cup of tea but if implemented well I am sure the game would come out to be totally unique.

Only time will tell how Mass Effect 3 comes out to be,my only hope is that Bioware does not botch up the story-which admittedly given Bioware’s past record is improbable.

Disclaimer:All Opinions expressed above are mere speculations by me.