As some of you may have heard E3 is this week and first with an event was the Sony PlayStation Blog and their meetup at Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe. Unlike some other companies though drinks, food, an invite to the Sony Press Event and a ticket to E3 were all FREE to us gamers that made the trek. Yes Sony gave away floor tickets to E3 to EVERYONE that was in attendance when the announcement was made. Some gamers there had already spent the $500 for a public floor ticket; so here to hoping they can get their money back to use on more video games!
Speaking of video games… At this meetup was the first public showing and playtime with this holiday’s highly anticipated PSP shooter, SOCOM: Fire Team Bravo 3! Now we already know there is going to be 4-player co-op in this title but could this also be the first PSP title with trophies?

Why do I say that? Well we got to get some hands on time with SOCOM: FTB3 and while playing an “award” popped up, ala trophies, when we reach 20 headshots. When we asked a producer from Slant Six Games about these “awards” we received a cryptic answer that the award is just that; an in-game “award” for doing well and that there is no trophies support currently for the PSP but the infrastructure is there if every implemented.
So that is not a confirmation nor a denial and makes me think that trophies are on the way for the PSP! Might we hear about this during Sony’s E3 Press Event, held on Tuesday June 2nd at 10:00am? I sure hope so!
Till then though you can check out the below video of PSN ID eljuice, and host of TQCast, playing SOCOM: Fire Team Bravo! Be sure to check around the 3:40 mark to see for yourself!

Capcom and Grin bring back a beloved franchise to the current generation consoles. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve seen Nathan “Rad” Spencer in action. Can he hold the test of time? Well, get your bionic arm ready for a ride. Here’s Evolved Gaming’s review of Bionic Commando.

So you play as Nathan Spencer, a war hero who was incarcerated and put on death row. Right before he is to be executed, his life is spared by fellow war buddy, “Super” Joe Gibson. He explains to Spencer that the government needs his help to stop an evil terrorist group called BioReign. BioReign has set off nuclear bombs in the heart of Ascension City so the city is in shambles and covered with radiation.

So, let’s start off with game play. The left trigger(L2) is for all the bionic arm controls. You can latch onto pretty much any surface as long as it is not covered with blue radiation. Hold down the trigger and press the A(X) button to jump into the air and begin swinging. Letting go of the trigger will release the arm and launch you into the direction you are facing. To be honest, it takes some getting used to. I’d say after an hour with it, you’ll be thinking your playing a Spider-Man game. It’s actually really fun. Y(triangle) is for a heavy punch that will launch whatever you punch into the air. You can follow that up by jumping and hitting the light punch button B(circle) and send it flying to other enemies of off into the landscape. Gun play is through the right trigger(R2) and aiming is toggled on by pressing in the right analog stick. There is a dodge mechanic by pressing the left button(L1), but to tell the truth, I never really used it. You can also switch your weapons by pressing the right bumper(R1).

The action is balanced out through having to “recall” your old moves again. So, you don’t start out with all your options available which is kind of a bummer. This can also make the early stages of the game somewhat difficult. Once you unlock your arm moves though, there are a ton of options at your disposal.

The experiences in the game can be awesome. I say can be because there are a few outstanding flaws with the game that really hinder the fun factor. For instance, The game sets up challenges for you like, “Kill 5 enemies with the shotgun.” I do that challenge and later on in the level die. I have now lost that challenge. So I now have to do it again. It wouldn’t be too big of a problem if completing challenges didn’t unlock new challenges and new upgrades like extra ammo or body armor. Another problem is the horrible checkpoint system. I touched on it in the first problem, but this needs to be extensively addressed. The checkpoint system is completely broken. There are collectibles spread throughout the level. You pick them all up before hitting a checkpoint. You die. Guess what? You have to not only start over from your last checkpoint, you also have to re-collect all those collectibles. This will infuriate you.  The aiming isn’t horrible, but it does feel a little sluggish at times. One final problem is the fact that you feel that the game is almost open world. You can see for miles away, but you can’t go there. It’s blocked by this blue floating radiation from the nuclear bombs that were set off. This is the games way of creating invisible walls. I have no problem with this until I accidentally swing into a radiated area and don’t have enough time to turn around. So I die. I also, just lost two challenges and three collectibles not to mention about fifteen minutes of game play.

Ok. Now, I know I sounded harsh in the previous paragraph, but I said all of that to say this, this game is fun as hell. If you get the hang of the swing mechanic, and mix that with the crazy abilities you can use against your foes, you will have a blast. You can grab an enemy, throw them into the air, and then punch them into a group of three enemies. How about this? Say you’ve got seven soldiers surrounding you. Hit Y and B buttons at the same time to let out your arm’s wire and spin in a circle killing all of your enemies. There are also some really good boss fights that will keep you on edge the whole time.  The swinging its self is awesome when you start picking up some speed throught the terrain.

Speaking of terrain, the graphics are really good. Like I said, they are so good, that it’s a shame that you can’t go off exploring because of the radiation. Draw distance is amazing. The only thing I can’t say looks too great is the cut scenes. Luckily, there are only a handful to be seen. Most of the story plays out in radio dialog during game play anyway.

There is a standard online multi-player which consists of deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag. The mechanics work pretty well for online, but there really is no depth to it other than a bunch a brightly colored dudes running around trying to grapple onto you to zip-kick you into next week. Ah, still, I had fun for a few hours on it.

The presentation is top notch. The music is beautifully scored to epic proportion. The voice acting is not bad considering who plays Nathan Spencer: Faith No More singer, Mike Patton. There is also a level jump option, but unfortunately, achievement/trophies and challenges are turned off. It really makes no sense why they did that when you think about the fact that after you beat the game, you can no longer get any more collectibles or challenges. You HAVE to start a brand new game. I’m still shaking my head at that one.

So, as you can see, the game boils down to awesome moments and fun game play which are sometimes majorly hindered by broken checkpoints and linear game progression. So I ask myself, “What was more predominate? exciting moments or flawed frustrations?” When it’s all said and done, I still had a blast when playing the game. Don’t get me wrong, there was a couple of times I told myself, “If I have to start this over again, I’m going to quit this game for good.” I know that sounds drastic, but keep in mind who’s writing this, after all my  handle is not FrustratedFury for nothing.

The Good: Great presentation, Wonderful graphics, Nice voice work, Good sense of scale, and explosive, thoughout game play.

The Bad: Horrible checkpoint system, Takes a little getting used to the controls, Can be a difficult game, Radiation boundaries, Sluggish aiming, Level jump is pretty much useless. Multi-player feels limited.

Bottom Line: I had a lot more fun with the game than I did frustrations. This game is great for a rental. It will take you around 8 to 10 hours to complete. The multi-player is fun for a couple of hours but nothing to write home about. If you’re looking for a fun experience and will allow for a couple of moderate hiccups, definately give this game a rental.

Final Grade: 7.8

With E3 just a few short days away its time for all the leaks in companies PR to be exposed.  There have already been numerous press releases released and now we have a leaked video of June’s Qore Episode which highlights the upcoming PSP GO!  There were even a few titles announced for the device:  Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo and Metal Gear.  While now of those appeal to me I’m sure there will be something that does.

I want to thank TalkingAboutGames.com for the info and link to the below video.

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This is Evolved Gaming Episode 48! Where the gamers give away a lot of stuff! & we discuss some things also!

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You’ve seen all the movies and seen all the Sarah Connor Chronicles! Now its time to get your hands dirty and take the first to Skynet, YOURSELF!
But wait…
If you’ve heard anything about the game there is no way you would pick it up for anything over $15. Well I’m hear to tell you that is $15 that would better be spent on a night out with the family. You’d probably get more enjoyment out of it! But don’t take my word for it. Come watch me play this tremendous mess as I work toward my third platinum trophy!
You can see the game from start to finish below. WARNING! All the videos autoplay
I have tried to save the individual sections of the game but I did miss some of the cut scenes.
Terminator Salvation Chapter 1 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 2 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 3 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 4 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 4 part 2 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 5 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 6 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 7 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 8 Playthough

Terminator Salvation Chapter 9 Playthough

And with the platinum trophy in hand I venture to Gamestop to return this game! Thank you for your 7-day trial period!

 
Natsume, announced their lineup for E3, The previously unannounced titles include Cheer We Go and Squishy Tank for the Nintendo DS, as well as Afrika for the PlayStation 3, and Harvest Moon: My Little Shop for Nintendo WiiWare. Other previously announced titles include Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition and Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream for the Wii, Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands and Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming for the DS, and Adventures To Go for the PSP. All the titles showcased will be shipping in 2009.

Having played about 2 hours of Free Realms I can understand why over 2 million gamers would sign up for the free online game! Free Realms combination of questing, looting, and leveling remind me of some RPGs I have played. But its cartoonish nature and fun, simple mini-games make it ideal for all ages; 10+ of course per ESRB. If you care to dealv deeper into Free Realms there are many ways to monetarily support it and further your status in the game but Evolved Gaming just so happens to have 10 starter cards to Free Realms that include a 30-day membership, 250 Station Cash and 1 Magical Potion (worth $7.50) that we will give away to the first 10 people to tweet (on twitter) the following (cards are only good for new accounts):
“I want to try @Freerealms for free courtesy of @EvolvedGaming” and I will DM you a code to claim your Station Cash!
Official Press Release:

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – May 27, 2009 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that more than two million unique users have registered for Free Realms™ (www.FreeRealms.com), the free-to-play, family-friendly online video game that launched on April 28, 2009. With 75% of its registrants under age 17 and 46% under 13, Free Realms has managed to hit home with young players. In honor of this milestone, all current players will receive a “party pack” bundle of in-game items to help celebrate!

“In less than a month, Free Realms has captivated a core player base of tween and teen gamers, while also strongly resonating with MMO gamers,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “We wanted to create a game to play with our families and are excited to have hit the mark with our intended audience.”

Notably one of the fastest-growing online worlds, Free Realms has established a favorable position with the female demographic as well; nearly a third of the players are female.

In Free Realms, players are free to do or be anything: Fight like a ninja, cook a tasty meal, raise a pet, battle goblins, set out on epic quests or connect with friends through a safe, social networking site. Also available is the Free Realms Trading Card Game: a full-featured trading card game, playable both digitally within the Free Realms online game and offline via physical card decks sold wherever you buy trading cards. In the virtual marketplace, the Trading Card Game (TCG) packs are a sales leader, as are pets, weapons, health potions and crazy clothes like a funky Hawaiian shirt!

To support the initial release and launch of Free Realms, nearly one million Station Cash™ game cards were made available across five major retail chains. Free Realms players can pop into their local Best Buy, Blockbuster, Rite Aid, 7-Eleven or Target to purchase Station Cash™ cards, which are used to redeem Station Cash and buy virtual goodies or upgrade to a Membership status in the game.

Free Realms is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and up with content descriptors of Crude Humor and Fantasy Violence. To play Free Realms, visit: http://www.FreeRealms.com.

Day 2 of E3 2009 and if I’m not dead tired from the day, or night, before then I will be up early and at the show at 10am when the doors open. Main goal of today is more interviews and ‘SWAG’! While at E3 I will be collecting mounds and mounds of swag. It may not be like PAX08 but I’m sure there will be goodies to be had!
First an update to what is happening Tuesday June 2nd, 2009. Yesterday I was contacted and confirmed an appointment to see a upcoming PSN title Shatter. From the makers of Gripshift, Sidhe, out of New Zealand comes this:

Tuesday evening I was invited to the 3rd Annual Bethesda Party and from what I here this is the party to be at during E3! But enough about the coming past; lets look at what I will see come June the 3rd 2009.
Beginning at 11am with Splitfish and an exclusive sneak peak at:

What I am most looking forward to seeing here is the FragVX V2. I have only used my sixaxis with my PS3 and am not much of a PC game player but if this could help with accuracy in FPSs or more precise commands in CnC: Red Alert 3 then I’m all for it!
After Splitfish comes PlayLogic and demos of their titles Fairytale Fights, Obscure and a not yet announces movie tie in game due out this fall.
Then, after a short lunch break, is Bethesda. Having attended their awesome party the night before, this will give me the chance to see WET, Rogue Warrior (screens of both below) and a yet “un-announced” title that they are working on. I also will be asking many questions in regards to Fallout 3 and the upcoming DLC; as well as DLC coming to the PSN.


And the rest of my Wednesday is spent on the show floor, collecting more SWAG! Or as this is a day, for me, that comes only once a year I may go find a nice steak house and have a nice birthday dinner. Going to be in LA during E3? You are more then welcome to join me. Also as always, if you have any questions/comments for any of the above developers/publishers then shoot them to e3expo@evolvedgaming.net and I will get them answered!

So it seems that after the Game Informer magazine article and the leaked information, 2K has decided to make things more intersting by confirming a November 3rd release date for North America, and even more interesting, confirming an October 30th release date for Europe.

Nothing new has been released, just the dates. As of now they are still deciding upon versions (special, limited, etc…) but these are the dates.