My first memory of the last generation is swearing very, very loudly at the woman in Woolworths who was telling me that my pre-ordered Launch Day PlayStation 3 had been sold and I would have to run down to Brixton to see if they had any left. This was at 5.15pm and the Brixton store, over 20 minutes away, would close at 5.30pm.
Thankfully, at quite literally the very last moment as I was walking out the store, a delivery came in and I was able to get my PS3 with copies of Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm.
I was annoyed because the PS3 was going to be my first ever launch day console, it was the first year when I had a bit of money to throw about, so treated myself to a brand new console and a brand new telly to go with it, a ridiculous (for the time) 52″ Phillips TV which cost over £3300. It was awesome, and no one else had a telly that big. It turned out to be a good investment as it is still working perfectly nearly eight years later and now has a PS4 plugged in to it.
Killzone 3
Surprised, eh? Believe it or not, I would not class myself as a fan of first person shooters, but for some reason – god knows why – I’m quite good at this one, but I’m useless at any other shooter, including Killzone 2. I think this is because you have to play the game tactically; you really cannot just run about and shoot. You have to swap classes to achieve objectives and help the team, loading up the Sniper class and sticking to that for the entire game just does not work.
It has its flaws, notably there can be a lot of spawn camping, but for balls out fun absolutely nothing comes close to Killzone 3. I was playing it right up until the launch of the PS4 and have over 250 hours of game-time racked up. That’s a week and half of shooting people in the head.
Warhawk
Warhawk was the only game I played for nigh on a year. It managed to balance vehicles both on land and in the air with turrets and infantry, a feat that really has not been matched since. It was simple, easy to learn and endlessly addictive.
One of the first digital-only games on PS3, the game offered endless possibilities in attack and defence and nothing has the same exhilarating feeling of seamlessly jumping a jeep, driving to a Warhawk and screaming off in to the skies. It’s such a shame that Starhawk felt the need to add a story and silly aliens, a simple sequel with bigger maps and new vehicles would have done me just fine.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Aliens: Colonial Marines was certainly memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. To be honest alarms bells should have started ringing when I went to preview the “gold” version of the PC multiplayer and my gun vanished for half the match.
I finally got round to renting the game a few weeks back and it is truly terrible. The levels are badly designed, the AI for your companions is awful and the Aliens are about as terrifying as a puppy.
Colonial Marines set the benchmark for disappointment and is the second worst thing to happen to the franchise bar Aliens Vs Predator 2.
But only just.
Heavy Rain / Beyond
No they are not games, get over it. Perhaps the closest description would be ‘interactive movies’, something that seems to annoy gamers, but I was more than happy to watch the story unfold and occasionally twiddle a joystick.
Heavy Rain was something new; a sci-fi detective story you could play, with twists and turns that nobody could guess, including the reveal of the killer. The whole game was drenched in a sense of dread, the rising rainfall echoing the father’s desperation as he searched for his missing child. Whilst many will mock the “Press X to Jason” sequence, there were many other sequences that I will never forget, not least of all having to chop off part of your hand to continue the story.
Beyond: Two Souls continued David Cage’s vision but swapped the brown and grey tones of Heavy Rain for neon lights and snowfall. It’s the gaming equivalent of the TV series Fringe, as the story merged family, heartbreak and sci-fi weirdness in seven hours of pure brilliance and once again, I never guessed the massive twist ending. I never want to play the game again and I don’t want a sequel. It was one of the most perfect seven hours of “gaming” I have experienced.
Games Everyone Else Liked And I Think Are Stupid
What the hell is wrong with you people? All you do in Journey is push up, Grand Theft Auto IV was dreary and stupid and what the frickin’ frick is with all the love for pixel games? It’s not the 80’s; bugger off Hotline Miami.
Whilst we’re at it, let’s talk annoying and useless companions. Why were they so popular this generation? Bioshock Infinite, I couldn’t care less about your multi-universe gobbledegook, mainly because the winsome heroine kept shouting “Here, I found this,” and flinging something at me, making me lose control of the camera just as was about to fire on an enemy. As for my darling Clemantine, there really should have been an option to feed her to the zombies.
The Last of Us managed to avoid the annoying companion plague, but then forgot to add “interesting gameplay”, funnelling you through wave after wave of zombie things, whilst tiny-footed Batman demanded I cape my way across an entire bloody city every time a new mission started.
However the game that deserves to be sent to Hades is, appropriately, God of War III, a title that was so proud of being technically awesome that it gave you view points in Hell. Yes, nice little platforms where you could click a button and admire the cleverness of the people who made it. Self indulgent crap, much like the entire game.
After all those surprise twists and turns, we’ll be back with more memories of the last generation tomorrow.
Moshbag
I think the balance of Warhawk is its most under-appreciated feature, there hasn’t been an online multiplayer game since that’s as tuned to perfection between the different ways to play. Even the DLC managed not to upset the apple cart (even if the dropship required too much teamwork to work in regular games). I’ll never forget the OPM review for Warhawk, complaining how poor the balance was and giving it 6/10. Fools!
Broonba
Another great read. Cheers Tuff ;)
As Warhawk was the first game I had ever played online, it’ll always have a place in my heart. As for Killzone and TLoU…I could never get on with Killzone multiplayer. Though I have SF on PS4 so will give the MP another bash. I haven’t yet played TLoU as it’s in my backlog so I can’t give an opinion to that.
Michael
Warhawk is still the best PS3 game. Just awesome stuff.
ZettaiSeigi
Okay, I intended to play Beyond: Two Souls eventually (I’m a big fan of Heavy Rain) but that comparison to Fringe just made me decide to play it ASAP. I love that show!
Tuffcub, I love you!!!
RudeAwakening
Yeah got the same feeling as soon as i read about the comparison to Fringe. Such an underrated show. Fringe is just stunning.
ZettaiSeigi
Good to know I’m not the only one. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer but at least it ended on its own terms. I miss Olivia, Walter, Peter, and Astrid. Heck, I even miss the Observers!
RudeAwakening
Yeah i actually miss the characters myself, in fact I currently restarted the whole series on Netflix, there so many things I missed first time around, like from the very first episode there is a hidden observer in the background in each episode. It really just ties beautifully across all five seasons’.
Fair play to Fox for allowing the creators, actors, writers to finish the show the way they wanted and us fans wanted. The fifth season though, how incredible was it?! Amazing stuff and John Noble is sensational actor.
ZettaiSeigi
The fact that John Noble was not even nominated once for an Emmy sure says something. He was sheer brilliance from the beginning to the end. You’re right, Fringe sure has a lot of replay value. There’s just so much you will miss and/or completely ignore, only to find out later that they’re connected to something bigger. It’s among the things that made me love that show.
Steelhead
Let it all out mate, you shouldn’t keep your feelings bottled up like that.
mclarenrob2
Uncharted3, The Last Of Us and CoD4 were my most enjoyable games of the PS3 era. Also the excitement of Gran Turismo 5 finally being released. I received 5 copies for the price of 1 which made it even better :)
zb100
Just looking for some sort of “you are absolutely the most self indulgent Wanker but completely spot on” button.
Damn you TC. Spot on X
Tuffcub
I think that’s a perfectly accurate description :)
Moonpie
Never got a chance to play Warhawk but have heard loads of good things about it, would like to see it on next gen
stueeeee
Yes! Bring on the Classics 1080p HD with Extra Trophies! Id buy it!
Kitch
Gakai 1st release title…….
Warhaw.
Please let this be true.
Kitch
*Warhawk