Prepare to be scared....

PREPARE to get the frights – turn off the lights, crank up the volume and become thoroughly spooked with Silent Hill: Homecoming.
This, the sixth instalment of this classic console series, is not only the first to be programmed for the next-generation PS3 machine, but also adds a new central character into the mix.
Alex Shepherd is a war veteran returning home from an overseas tour of duty, following acceptance of compassionate leave after receiving the news that his younger brother, Joshua, has gone missing. Alex begins his investigations in his small home-town of Shepherd’s Glen, but soon finds himself in the mist-shrouded and seemingly empty streets of Silent Hill.
This incarnation of Silent Hill, By Konami, makes full use of the increased power of the PS3, while the gameplay and control mechanics have also benefited from the upgrade to a next-gen machine.

More items from the scenery can be used as weapons and collecting them is now done on the fly rather than equipping them through an inventory, meaning the tension in hectic battle sequences goes through the roof as players have less time to react.
Alex can also vary the strength of his force during combat, using combinations of light and hard attacks that can be strung together in combinations to fell enemies, or powered up for slower but more intense results. Weaker or harder counter attacks are also included as is a dodge system that lets the player skip an enemy strike and instantly attack the assailant if executed correctly, or one that reduces damages but does not avoid it completely if timing is slightly off.
Some weapons encountered upon during play also have ‘finishing’ style moves for more variety when defeating enemies.
Add to that an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka, and gamers are given a thoroughly chilling and unnerving adventure for the Next Generation.
Silent Hill: Homecoming is also out on the Xbox 360.

Wish list for the Playstation.....

SO, what do you want to see turn up on the PS3?
What do you think it is missing? What is Microsoft doing better with the Xbox 360 that Sony needs to emulate? I've been having a think about it, and here's my list :
* In-game chat settings, so I can actually join a friend already in a game and chat privately while playing; the 360 has done this from the start, so why can't we?
* Playstation Network demos; again, I hate to refer to Microsoft, but on Xbox Live you can download demos of their games to decide if it is worth buying, but Sony don't offer this with their online game purchases - sort it out!
* Allow PlayStation Home to boot from startup - most people cannot be bothered to boot up their PS3, find Home and then load that up, so why not just give us the option of booting straight in?
* Downloadable movies and TV shows - what more do I need to say? America has it, why hasn't the UK? IT would be great for Sony revenue!
If you have any ideas, feel free to post them here.

A weekend of online battles

YES, it has finally arrived - the PS3 exclusive Killzone 2 is here!
It's been a long time coming, but I can honestly say it was definitely worth the wait. An epic single-player mode, which really does blur the lines between gaming and movies, as you really do feel like you are in a movie. It really has to be seen to be believed.
And add to that some stunning online gameplay, with giant maps and great team play, and it really is THE best first-person shooter you can buy on any console.
I've spent hours on it this weekend, splitting equally between the single-player and online gaming, and know there will be many months of playing ahead.
A keen friend of mine has been playing it like mad this weekend and sent me an email last night to say he had completed the single-player campaign - but is now planning to start again on a higher difficulty.
Yes, it really is that good.

An early present....

IF ONLY I could get my hands on Killzone 2 before most other gamers.....
Well, it looks like I can! After checking play.com on Sunday night, I did a quick check to see stock and pricing of the much-anticipated game, due out this Friday - and was amazed to see it was in stock and ready to ship!
I checked the forums to see if there was a catch, apparently there wasn't, so I ordered it Monday morning, and early Tuesday checked the order to find it has been posted! Woo hoo!
So hopefully it will arrive Thursday and I can get an extra 24 hours head start on the rest of you!

Let the rumour-mongers be right!!

THERE are always plenty of folk on the web making stuff up and writing things on forums about what they say is going to happen, but it never materialises.
Well, after hearing the latest gossip, let's hope they're right.....
It has been reported on the web that a Sony employer has leaked details of the next firmware update, and its a biggie - at last, people should be able to start chats from inside a game, just like our friends over on the Xbox can!
If it's true, its been a long time coming, and hopefully Sony will make us all happy and finally get to grips with the fact that, now that online gaming is the driving force of most PS3 games now, people do actually want to find it easy to go online with their friends and chat, and not do as they do now, where you start a chat, quit it to join a game, and then try and speak to them if you manage to join the same game more by luck than judgement!
Apparently you will also be able to surf the web while you are in-game, which will also be a handy feature.
Here's hoping.......

A tale of two demos

THIS weekend the PlayStation Network has demonstrated quite effectively how game demos should - and should not - be done correctly.
The first to mention is the hugely-anticipated Killzone 2 demo. After downloading it and booting it up, negotiating the start menus (the slight shakey camera-style is a little off-putting), the game started - and absolutely blew me away.
Fantastic graphics, smooth and fluid gameplay, intelligent AI (where the baddies actually run out of the way and hide if you throw a grenade at them) - it was all I had wished and waited for.
Add to that the fact that you can choose different configurations of controls to suit your play - in ways that actually suit different gamers, not just ones that are put in their because they think they should - this demo will definitely shift copies of Killzone 2, including the one I buy.
But, on the other side of the coin, comes - Resident Evil 5.
Again, this was highly anticipated, but once I had downloaded it, I went to the options screen - and it all froze.
I restarted my PS3, booted the demo up again, started the game straight away, got through the first cut scene - and it locked up my console again!
I reset it and deleted the demo! Later that day I went round to a friend's house on whose console it actually worked, to find that, even in these advanced times, you still can't run and shoot at the same time!
Yes, the graphics are impressive, but hasn't gameplayed moved on a bit?
So, thanks for the demos - it has definitely made my mind up on what I will and won't be buying!

To trade, or not to trade....

I'M facing a dilemma at the moment.
As always happens this time of year, cash is in short supply, but as a keen gamer, I don't want to miss out on the latest big releases.
And with just Killzone 2 (a must-have) just weeks away, I'm pondering how I'm going to find the cash to buy it.
Now, my friend has made the bold decision to trade in his copy of Resistance 2 at Gamestation for a £20 credit note.
I have the same game, but am only a third of the way through the game and still enjoy the online aspect - but as has been pointed out to me, will I really play both games?
So, do I trade in a game I still enjoy for one I really want, or do I keep both, and try and find some other way of finding the cash? Ideally I would own both, but I don't think that's an option.
And if I do wait until near the Killzone 2 release, the trade-in value will go down - decisions, decisions.....