One of the most anticipated games of the year has finally hit, and that game is Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception.

Not only is Uncharted 3 one of the most anticipated games of the year, it is also the sequel to 2009′s award winning Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. So needless to say, this game has alot to live up to, but does it?

Some sequels try and reinvent a series, others try to add more features than the previous, Uncharted 3 does the former. It takes everything from the previous two games and mashes it all into a pulse pounding conclusion to Drakes story (more on that later).  It once again features a cinematic singleplayer that will have you hooked from start to finish. However multiplayer and co-op make a return from Uncharted 2 albeit more robust this time around.

Uncharted has always been a singleplayer first, multiplayer second series and this game does not disappoint. Our hero, Nathan Drake is once again joined with Victor Sullivan and Elena Fisher but also teams up with Chloe Frazer from Uncharted 2 and, new to the Uncharted cast of protaganists, Charlie Cutter, a Jason Statham look-alike with a similar tough guy persona.

While this game is a direct sequel to Uncharted 2, it also delves into prequel territory by exploring how Drake met Sully and how their adventures began. Drakes overall goal is to uncover a secret long since hidden by Sir Francis Drake. However he isn’t the only one. A shadowy Organization led by Catherine Marlowe and her henchman Talbot are also after the secret and harry Drake every step of the way.

If you’ve played any of the previous Uncharted games you’ll know what to expect from this game. The singleplayer is largely made up of cinematic levels, with lots of climbing and puzzle solving between gun fights. There are only 22 chapters in in Uncharted 3 (As opposed to 26 in Uncharted 2) but is roughly about the same length. I clocked in at around 10 hours or so playing through on hard.

Gameplay wise Uncharted 3 is pretty similar to Uncharted 2, with a few exceptions. The melee is improved, with combos being easier to pull off. However the aiming has been tweaked, making it a bit harder to aim. The harder aiming is supposedly due to the inclusion of more recoil, but overall it just feels choppier than Uncharted 2. The climbing has also been improved, with jumps and grabbing hold of ledges being much easier.

Visually, the game is stunning. The attention to detail is noticeable in almost every level and the character models are Heavy Rain caliber. While running through a market level I couldn’t help but stop and examine some food carts and store fronts. This game also supports 3D, although I did not have the good fortune of having access to a 3DTV, it’s definitely something to check out if you do.

The soundtrack for the Uncharted series has also been great, and in addition  to the standard Uncharted theme and other various background tracks, Uncharted 3 adds in some of the local flavor by adding some middle eastern tunes to the mix. Playing this game really makes a person appreciate surround sound that much more, and if you are fortunate enough to have a surround system you’ll be glad you do.  Every chirp or rustle of leaves is music to your ears when exploring a ruined castle in the heart of a French forest.

Now before I dive into the multiplayer aspects of Uncharted 3,  there were a few quirks I had with the game. While every member of the cast is fantastic (Chloe especially, she puts the a** in fantastic), it seems like there are too many protagonists. While Drake gets the limelight throughout the entire game, the rest of our heroes get but a few chapters to make their appearance. Charlie Cutter may be the new hero introduced in Uncharted 3, but is notable absent from the second half of the game, along with Chloe. Elena on the other hand doesn’t even show her face until much later in the game. Even then, she only gets a few levels before being sent off to leave Drake to his heroics. This really took away from the importance of some of the characters, although not enough to detract from my opinion of the game.

This is the part where we starting stepping in some less than pleasant things. Naughty Dog really put much more effort into the multiplayer this time around, and it shows. There are a variety of different match types featuring everything from straight up deathmatch to capture the treasure. Getting into games was notorious in Uncharted 2 in the months following launch and this time around Naughty Dog released both a beta during the summer and one this past October as part of a Subway tie-in. All your stats are carried over from the subway beta, but not your sweet Subway gear. The betas did their job though, as finding games to join is easy and fast. The multiplayer itself is really a matter of preference, some may like it and some may not. There is a bit of imbalance in in the multiplayer, and many player are disgruntled with the fact that aiming and shooting is much less effective than bull-rushing an opponent while hip-firing and then finishing them off with a punch to the face. Take that as you will, but Naughty Dog did a commendable job making the multiplayer fun, which is of course, what matters most.

Finally, Uncharted 3 boasts a cooperative mode where you and up to 2 other friends can join forces in either a “survival” mode (think Gears of War horde mode), or “adventure” mode in which you are given objectives as you move through the level. Adventure mode does not differ much from survival mode so if you were expecting a co-op version of Uncharted’s singleplayerr prepare to be disappointed. A nifty feature Naughty Dog included is this little thing called splitscreen, allowing you to play with a friend in both co-op AND online multiplayer, something not many games let you do. However the splitscreen suffers from what I like to called “wasted space syndrome” in that a third of both screens are not used at all. Still, the fact that you can, in this day and age, still play couch co-op is great! However, I do need to add that whilst in splitscreen, the visual quality does take quite a hit and at times can  look more like Uncharted 1 than Uncharted 3.

Finally, the bonus features included in Uncharted 3 include a few features and concept art galleries that you unlock while playing through the singleplayer however both the option to watch any of the games beautifully animated cutscenes is no where to be found, along with the cheats and game options you could buy/unlock in Uncharted 3. This sadly means no playing as Doughnut Drake in singleplayer, though he does make an appearance in multiplayer.

Looking back, I realize this is quite the lengthy review, but I feel that a game that had such high expectations merits a full review. However, if all you read is this last paragraph, take away the fact that this may not be quite what Uncharted 2 was, but nevertheless is a game every PS3 owner should have in their library.

For a fantastic singleplayer, and more or less enjoyable multiplayer, Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception gets a respectable 4 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

I really liked last year’s DBZ game, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit 2. It felt like the franchise had finally achieved some serious attention with a game that was both deep and fun.

This year, we get Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi, which feels like they took Burst Limit 2 out back and tried to killed it.

It’s not all grim. The character models look better, and there’s a different take on combat that is actually novel (but limited, more on that later)… but any good feelings are stomped by the game’s outlandish insistence on loading screen after loading screen after loading screen.

Ultimate Tenkaichi tosses another DBZ Story Mode on the fire. All the highlights you know and love, with some fresh additions… like Bardock’s fight against Freiza back when Goku was just a baby, for example. The game also includes massive boss characters, meaning you finally get to face off against Saiyans in Great Ape mode.

The structure for Story Mode, however, is a Great Bear. Encounters are selected by flying characters across a pointless overworld. Choosing a battle initiates a load, followed by a cutscene, and then another load. Finish the battle and win yourself another loading screen. The game helpfully puts a terrible minigame on the loading screen, a sure sign that the developer knows there’s a problem but has no real good idea what to do about it.

The battle controls shift to something less like a fighting game and more like constant Quick Time Events. Whether you’re in short range or long range mode (which determines if your buttons throw punches/kicks or ki blasts), you’re working up to triggering a “clash” that ends in either your or your opponent winning a QTE faceoff. Faceoffs can be chained into a sequence of pre-animated attacks that do a nice job of replicating DBZ-style battles.

Which will look neat the first time. After the fiftieth? Not as neat.

Unlike Burst Limit 2′s special attack system, Ultimate Tenkaichi makes character-specific attacks an oasis in the desert: rare and often an illusion. You need to meet certain conditions to pull off a special attack – both specific energy levels and position on the battlefield – and I felt like most battles were skating by without me ever reaching that point. Whether I was in Story Mode or Hero Mode or Tournament Mode, every battle became a race to get in the required number of attacks to initiate a clash, win the clash (which is little more than a coin flip) and then string together the big high-damage QTE hits.

Like I said, it’s a novel system, turning a fighting game into a QTE faceoff, it just needs way more options and animations… and even way more QTE challenges themselves. Holding left and hitting square will sail you through the QTEs almost every time.

I’ve often complained of the DBZ games’ pattern of ignoring the anime’s non-fighter characters, like Bulma and Master Roshi. Ultimate Tenkaichi makes a move towards opening up the playing field with all-new massive boss battles. No, it’s not Mr. Popo, but at least you get to fight something outside of the usual Toriyama musclemen.

Perhaps the single best addition is the ability to create your own Z-fighter in Hero Mode and tackle a wholly different Dragon Ball alterna-verse. Familiar characters will show up for fights, but it’s against a customizable, RPG-lite battler of your own design. There are even different voices to choose from, meaning the game bothered to have eight or so different voices run the script for the entire Hero Mode storyline.

Again, this is all great… except that you’re still stuck in the same repetitive QTE combat, chaining together similar attacks for the same net result.

In the end, it’s the constant, lengthy load screens that do more damage than anything else. DBZ fans are likely willing to sit through another tired replay of the storyline in order to experience a new combat system or see a few new characters… but nobody should have to sit on their controller for this long between bouts. Head back to Burst Limit 2, DBZ fans.

For a bulky, repetitive framework that wrecks some otherwise nice graphics and animation, Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi gets 2 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi was released October 2011 (NA) on PS3 and 360.
Rated T

Check out other Dragon Ball Z reviews at Test Freaks.

For the full details check the press release below.

Xperia(TM) PLAY 4G Keeps Favorite Video Games at Your Fingertips Beginning Sept. 18

First PlayStation®-certified smartphone from AT&T available for $49.99 in AT&T stores and att.com

DALLAS, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –

Key Facts

— The Xperia(TM) PLAY 4G, combining a PlayStation®-certified gaming
device with the capabilities and portability of an Android smartphone,
arrives in AT&T* stores, and online on September 18 for $49.99 with a
two-year agreement.
— The Xperia PLAY 4G has dedicated gaming controls built into the phone
through a slide out controller including directional keypad, dual analog
touch joystick, two shoulder buttons and the four iconic PlayStation
symbol keys: circle, X, square and triangle.
— Running the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform, the first
PlayStation-certified smartphone in the world features a brilliant 4″
480 x 854 screen and stereo speakers.

AT&T Exclusives

Only AT&T customers can choose the 4G-capable Xperia PLAY, offered in an exclusive “stealth blue” color. The smartphone package is complete with bonus accessories including the Sony Ericsson Multimedia Dock DK300 and MC100 music cable. In addition to providing a convenient charging station, the DK300 converts the Xperia PLAY’s screen to a large clock display, and the music cable lets you connect to external speakers.** The DK300 and music cable come in the Xperia PLAY box, only from AT&T.

In addition, the device is pre-loaded with seven games, some of which are exclusive, at no additional cost including:

— Dungeon Defenders(TM) Second Wave by Trendy Entertainment
— Asphalt(TM) 6 Adrenaline by Gameloft
— Star Battalion by Gameloft
— Madden NFL(TM) 11 by Electronic Arts
— The Sims(TM) 3 by Electronic Arts
— Tower Bloxx(TM): My City by Digital Chocolate
— Crash Bandicoot® by SCEA/Naughty Dog/Universal

AT&T customers will have access to 150 Xperia PLAY optimized games including Minecraft(TM) Pocket Edition, Battlefield: Bad Company(TM) 2 and Dead Space(TM) 2 for download and purchase through the “Get Games” recommender screen, easily accessible when you slide open the Xperia PLAY’s game controller.

Handheld Gaming and Smartphones Converge

The Xperia PLAY 4G offers a gamer’s wonderland by providing the on-the-go capabilities of an Android smartphone with the immersive entertainment appeal of a portable gaming device.

— Snapdragon chipset including a 1GHz CPU and Adreno 205 graphics
processor (GPU)
— Runs on the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform
— Sight and sound: 4″ 480 x 854 screen, up to 60 frames per second
graphics, stereo speakers
— Dual camera: 5MP rear and VGA forward-facing, with video recording and
chat capabilities over Wi-Fi
— Hundreds of Xperia PLAY optimized games through Android Market or
directly from the publishers
— Pre-loaded with seven Xperia PLAY optimized games from publishers such
as Gameloft and EA.

Along with the great gaming and Android capabilities, the Xperia PLAY 4G from AT&T includes Facebook Inside Xperia, a suite of Facebook functions integrated into various applications, such as friends’ birthdays in the phonebook, a “like” button in the music player, photo tags in the media gallery, and YouTube video recommendations from friends.

Pricing and Availability

The Xperia PLAY 4G arrives in AT&T stores and online on Sept. 18 and will be available for $49.99 after a two-year contract with minimum data plan.

Quotes

“Gamers and smartphone fans alike will delight in the Xperia PLAY 4G’s instant access to gaming and entertainment,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re excited to offer a device that allows consumers to have fun while still staying on top of everything in their life.”

“Our fans on AT&T have been asking for Xperia PLAY and now we’re giving them everything they need in a smartphone with what they really want – an immersive gaming experience on AT&T’s 4G Network,” said Peter Farmer, Head of Marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson. “In addition to a constantly growing list of games exclusive to and optimized for Xperia PLAY, we know AT&T customers are really going to enjoy the uniquely Sony Ericsson social experience, including Timescape and Facebook Inside.”

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**External speakers not included.

4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device. Learn more at att.com/network.

References to screen size are measured diagonally.

Important Information: Limited-time offer. Mobile broadband coverage and other coverage not available in all areas. See coverage map at store for details. Two year agreement with qualifying voice plan and a minimum $15 a month smartphone data plan required. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to returns; thereafter up to $325. Some agents impose additional fees. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract for details. Sales tax calculated based on price of unactivated equipment.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. Xperia and the Sony Ericsson liquid identity logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. PlayStation and Sony are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericson. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson celebrates its 10th year as a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson in October, 2011. Over the years Sony Ericsson has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia(TM) line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the mobile handset industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.sonyericsson.com/press.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc.

Much like I’m primarily interested in the Peace Walker remake for the PS3 in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid collection headed to both systems, I’d pick up the Devil May Cry re-releases only for the third iteration, Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening Special Edition, the US remix of the originally JP-only, crushingly hard Devil May Cry 3. I played the heck out of that game back in the day, so maybe I could claw most of my way to a Platinum trophy if I gave it a shot.

For more information hit up the PlayStation Blog which will give you a look at the 3D and Move-enabled game along with its Doomsday Edition.

The game already has nearly a dozen costumes revealed, some retailer-exclusive, ranging from Animated Series Batman to Dark Knight Batman to Batman Beyond. Sinestro Corps Batman reflects about three panels from a couple of years ago when one of Sinestro’s yellow fear rings selected Bruce Wayne as a potential member. He refused.

Note that the “Green Lantern” bonus definitely states PS3 only, so you 360/PC owners are screwed out of this one. Although, like most of the Arkham City skins, it seems likely the “exclusives” will turn into paid DLC soon enough. Example: the “Play as Robin” Best Buy exclusive was revealed as merely a timed exclusive for Best Buy and will appear as DLC some time in the future.

I have always been a skeptic for attachments that go on the top of your controller sticks.  I could never see how something like that could give anyone better control over their game.  The people at Kontrol Freek must have heard my complaints from the podcast, as they sent over one of their newer products, the Rcade Freek.  The Rcade Freek attachments look like old school joystick balls that go on top of your controller sticks, with the idea that they will give you more grip when playing games that you would normally play with a joystick.  Would the Rcade Freek stand up to the test?  Surprisingly, the answer is yes, but it will depend on the controller that you are using.

The Rcade Freek comes with two, ¾” diameter rounded joystick balls, with one being attached to each stick on your controller.  The bottom of the two attachments have little clips that snap on easily to the controller and give you more grip for those games where you are going to need to move the stick in many directions, quickly and with much force.  Looking at the controller with these two attachments sitting on top made the controller look a bit awkward, but if it works, aesthetics are small price to pay.

I decided to load up a couple of fighting titles, like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter IV to give these attachments a run for their money, and to my surprise they do work as advertised.  I definitely felt more accurate with my control Pad, and for anyone that has used a 360 gamepad, you know that the D-Pad is not to be trusted for fighting games like these.   I also tried out some arcade titles like Pac Man Championship DX and even opened up Game Room to try out an old favorite of mine, River Raid, and again, I felt that I was getting extra grip to execute quick movements on-screen.

The other thing that you don’t get from these attachments, and it is a blessing, is the dreaded D-Pad thumb.  You know that feeling where your thumb slowly starts to turn red and feel like it is forming into a blister due to putting way too much pressure on the D-Pad.  These attachments alleviate a lot of that stress from the one pressure point on your thumb.  It also helps that the sticks are very smooth, with no seams on any of the contact points, making them feel silky smooth on your thumbs.

I never had an issue with the Rcade Freek coming loose, or snapping off at any point, as they do attach very firmly to the sticks.  I did have one issue with them, and that was on the PS3 controller.  While the offset layout of the 360 controller makes these things feel like a dream, on the PS3 controller, the two stick attachments will come into contact with one another.  While it does not happen often, it could be an issue for those that are playing dual stick shooters and have to move the sticks towards one another in an extreme fashion.  Also, while the attachments are a good alternative, anyone that is serious into fighting games will still want to get a professional stick, as they are not a permanent replacement for that option.

But after several hours of play with the Rcade Freek, I felt that for the low price point, they do give players a solid alternative to the current D-Pads on the controllers.  They do seem to be better suited for a 360 gamepad, but they will work out okay on a PS3.  If you are looking to compete hardcore on the professional circuit for fighters you might be inclined to look elsewhere, but for those that are looking to get a little more advantage in their twin stick shooters, arcade titles or fighting games, you will find it in this little $10 package.  The Rcade Freek gets 4.5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Sony has also started talking about the lineup of upcoming titles for the system at Gamescom in Germany today, including Resistance: Burning Skies, which stars a firefighter and is set between Resistance 1 and 2. For more hit up the PlayStation Blog.

Details are on the PS Blog.