Stefano’s E3 2014 Report Part 2: The Order 1886

The Order 1886 wasn’t the first game I got my hands on at E3 this year, but it was definitely one of the titles I was anticipating checking out for myself the most. For those unfamiliar with the title, The Order 1886 is a third person shooter set in an alternate history London in which an ancient order of knights must protect the world from supernatural threats. The game is being developed by Ready at Dawn, exclusively for the PlayStation 4. So, how did it hold up? Read on below to find out.

Heavy Rain Demo Impressions

Hey folks! I got my  hands on a Heavy Rain demo code earlier today, and took it for a spin. Here are my thoughts.

Upon booting up the demo, what I found struck me was how good the visuals are. The menu screen is simply a shot of an alley that could be in any city, although I believe the game takes place in New York, with lots and lots of rain cascading down the buildings walls, and onto the concrete below. It really oozes atmosphere. The loading screen is an extreme close-up of the current character of the chapter’s face, and I was amazed at the level of detail and character. The game manages to avoid the “Uncanny Valley,” with eyes and facial features that are believable as real people, but slightly stylized just enough to not freak you the hell out.

Heavy Rain Demo To Hit EU PSN February 11th

Quantic Dream’s Noirish thriller, Heavy Rain won’t be landing on store shelves until February 23rd, but gamers eagerly anticipating their first taste of this unique title will be able to satisfy those desires come February 11th. Well, those gamers in the EU, or with an EU PSN account.

No other details have been given, other that a demo is on the way. I can’t wait.

God of War 3 Demo Included In This Fall’s God of War Collection

As if it wasn’t awesome enough that the heads at Sony decided to remaster the original 2 God of War games in glorious HD with added Trophy support for a bargain price (that’d be $40), they’ve also revealed today via Playstation Blog that the collection will also pack in the demo for God of War 3. The very same demo that has been showcased at E3, Comi-Con, and PAX.

Each copy of the game will receive a voucher that can be redeemed on the Playstation Network, allowing you access to the demo download.

I was already sold on the collection, but this is certainly more icing on the cake.  Still no release date on when the title will release, but it’s slated for sometime in November this year.

Source – Playstation Blog

Batman: Arkham Asylum PS3 Demo Impressions

I’m a huge Batman fan, and I’ve been dying to play a video game adaptation of the Dark Knight that does him justice for a long time. Considering the pedigree of  previous Batman games, I came into Arkham Asylum a little more than wary.

Fortunately, I came away more pumped for it’s August 25th release than I expected. First things first, the game is visually striking. I’m one of those folks who have grown tired of the overreliance of Unreal Engine 3 over the past 4 years, but I have to say that developer Rocksteady Studios have made it their own, and AA looks nothing like previous tried and true, Gears of War clones many other UE3 games strive to be.

inFAMOUS Demo Impressions

Those in the US that have pre-ordered Sony Computer Entertainment and Sucker Punches electric superhero romp inFAMOUS at Best Buy retailers will have recieved a voucher to access the demo, originally slated to be available on the 8th of May.

Well, Sony decided to post the demo up early, and it is now available to download and enjoy. Here are my impressions of that very demo.

Killzone 2 Demo Impressions

Hey FPS fans! I was going to save my impressions for the weekend, but decided the hell with it and post it now.

In short: the demo was awesome.  Short, but sweet, and I think it perfectly incapsulates the phenomenal  gaming experience Killzone 2 is going to be when it hits Playstation 3 consoles in just 3 short weeks.

A more detailed look after the jump

Killzone 2 demo is Live!

Now that my evil tooth has been excised thanks to my local dentist, I’m back, and bringing with me more Killzone 2 news (it’s a Killzone kind of month!).

Today, SCE has released the demo for hotly anticipated Playstation 3 exclusive, Killzone 2. The demo comes in two flavors today: it’s available to all those in Europe (and for all those that have a European account), and secondly, it’s available to all those folks who pre-ordered at Gamestop.

Since it’s my personal mission to not give my business to Gamestop, I’ve taken the former route, and downloaded it off of the EU store, and pre-ordered the game at my local gamestore that I like, much, much better than GS.

I’m currently hovering around 46% on my download, so it’s going to be a wait.

I’ll have impressions of the demo up a little later. Enjoy people, this game is looking hot!

Resident Evil 5 Demo Impressions

Last night I got the chance to sit down and spend a good hour or so with the Resident Evil 5 demo on the Playstation 3, so I thought I’d put down my thoughts.

After booting up the demo, the first thing you notice is the swanky looking interface, which feature what appear to be cells in the blood stream wriggling about and connected to the game options (ie, Start Game, Options, etc).

After beginning a new game, you have the choice to try out two different sections of the game to play through, the first a tense affair where you must outlast a continuous wave of the infected while waiting for your pilot to arrive, and the second a creepy walk through a seemingly desolate and empty town, culminating in a battle with a scarred, chainsaw wearing baddie.

Killzone 2 Demo hitting February 5 in EU

Hey guys and gals! Just a heads up to all you PS3 owning FPS fans that a demo for the hotly anticipated Killzone 2 will be hitting the Playstation Network on Thursday, February 5th during this weeks update. It must be noted that this demo is for the EU territories, so get those alternate accounts ready!

For those that are still reserving judgment on the title, now’s your chance to give it a spin.