Sony's Secret Weapons: 9 New Games for PS3 and PSP

In response to this recent surge in new PlayStation 3 owners, and in anticipation of what will no doubt be a steady rate of growth for the platform (particularly if it maintains an average of 100,000 units sold each week throughout the Holiday season) we take a look at the games that Sony is publishing itself to boost the overall PlayStation brand further. In this hands-on report with nine different first-party titles, we talk to producer Petro Piaseckyj about Quantic Dream's ambitious Heavy Rain, and we look at the novel EyePet virtual toy, which features one of the most inventive uses for the EyeToy. We also take a look at some PS3 favorites that are making their way to the PSP very soon.

• PS3
• Heavy Rain

The thinking man's thriller asks you to choose your own adventure.
"This scene can play out about 15 different ways." Sony producer Petro Piaseckyj sat at his desk, trying to ignore a sharp pain he's had in his stomach for the past few days. He looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while and his current mental state actually mirrored that of the on-screen character Scott Shelby, a middle-aged detective trying his best to sort out a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings while relentlessly searching for a murderer on the loose: The Origami Killer.

Shelby's search led him to a convenience store owned by a man named Hassan, whose son was brutally murdered by The Origami Killer. Questioning Hassan required us to view the thoughts going through Shelby's head, and then make a choice. Thoughts are represented in the game by a swirling group of words floating above the character's head, and can be chosen by clicking the designated face button. Though reluctant to talk about his son's death at first, Hassan eventually started to open up, but then a new problem walked right into the store.

"Each scene is a rubber band that can be stretched and pulled, but the game will never allow you to break it," asserted Piaseckyj. While Shelby looked for some medicine in the store, a shady looking character walked in and held Hassan at gunpoint, telling him to empty out his cash register. "This is one of many moments where the player's morals and ethics will be called into play," Piaseckyj revealed. We didn't want to get involved in the confrontation between the crook and the shop keeper, so we kept Shelby hidden at the back of the store and watched as the crook eventually turned to murder, blowing Hassan away at point blank range.

Now we were left with no clues about The Origami Killer, and a dead shop owner to deal with. "Let's go through this scene again, and try it a little differently," said Piaseckyj. We started the scene again, but this time we approached the crook and talked him out of robbing the store.

We played the scenario again and grabbed a whiskey bottle, smashing it over the crook's head. We went through it one more time and accidentally stepped on some potato chips spilled in an aisle, alerting the gunman of our presence. We tried to talk him down again but he wouldn't budge this time, so we eventually got close enough to punch him using a sixaxis motion-controlled quick-time event. With Hassan saved, we got integral clues to use in our search for The Origami Killer.

Scenes like this are common place in Heavy Rain, and will constantly lead players down new paths and sometimes close others. The incredibly lifelike characters and environments compliment the mature nature of the story, and the game as a whole will likely appeal to those with an appreciation for well-crafted stories, something you don't see too often in games.

• PS3
• EyePet

The next generation of the virtual pet requires no food, but a lot of imagination.
It started as an inconspicuous egg on an office desk. Before long, the egg cracked and a furry, purple monkey-like creature was smiling and dancing around the desk. But best of all, he wanted to play.

EyePet is an interactive virtual pet experience that utilizes Sony's EyeToy to create a lovable little critter that can be fed, taught to draw, and even remember past experiences you've had together. The memory function of the EyePet is by far one of the most impressive features of the experience, as it will record certain interactions you've had with your pet as "memories," which appear as dream bubbles while the pet is asleep.

Another innovative feature in EyePet is the pet's ability to draw pictures that you draw in real life. Hold a drawing of a plane up to the EyeToy and let the pet memorize it. Not only will he draw the plane, but the plane itself will turn into a 3D object in the game with all the functionality of a vehicle. Your pet can jump into the plane, and you can control its flight using the sixaxis.

For those virtual pet aficionados looking for more simulation-style play, EyePet's got that as well. Every now and then you'll need to make sure your pet is in tip-top condition, and to do that you'll need to do a full body scan. Using the "magic card" (a real card which will turn into a variety of objects in the game), you can do a virtual pet check-up, and send the results over to a lab scientist who will provide you with feedback on your pet's health. We also spent a bit of time grooming our pet, from changing its hair style and color to giving it a bath, all using hand movements in front of the EyeToy to trigger interactions. EyePet is shaping up to be one of the most unique game experiences on the PS3 that's obviously targeted towards a younger audience, but can still be enjoyed by gamers of all ages -- we had fun with it after all.

• PS3
• White Knight Chronicles

Level 5 continues their RPG legacy on the PS3.
Developer Level 5 has a knack for RPGs. Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest VIII and Rogue Galaxy are among their successes, and they're now bringing White Knight Chronicles to the plate, and more importantly, to the PS3. Instead of taking the traditional route of allowing gamers to follow a group of adventures through the story, Chronicles allows players to create their own in game avatar, who becomes involved with the storyline characters from an outside perspective (your avatar will start the game working in a wine shop with one of the main characters). The avatars can be wildly modified; choose their race, clothing, facial structure, and even nose length. The depth to the avatar customization is impressive, and no two avatars should look even slightly similar.

The game uses a pseudo-real time battle system, akin to games like Final Fantasy XII. Traveling across the world map, your party will encounter enemies in real time, and characters can be set with certain battle parameters while players control one character at a time. When you're not exploring the main game world, players can create their own town (a la Dark Cloud) called a Georama, filled with shops and townsfolk that can be acquired in the main game. Players can also log into Geonet (Chronicles' in-game social media site) to visit other players' Georamas to gain new items and take part in online quests, providing countless hours of playtime. Look for White Knight Chronicles in early 2010.

• PS3 (PSN)
• PixelJunk Shooter

Rescuing humans from underground tunnels has never been this fun.
An old-school shooter with a twist, PixelJunk Shooter takes Q-Games' quirky design style and pushes it even further. Players are tasked with piloting a ship through underground caverns to rescue humans trapped inside. Ships can interact with the environment by collecting power-ups, such as a magma cannon that can melt through icy areas or a water cannon that cools lava so it turns into solid rock. Though there is no damage gauge, a player's ship will heat up quickly if hit by an enemy or if they get too close to any of the hazards that fill up each of the levels, whether it's molten lava or a magnetic goo-like substance that the player's ship attracts whenever it's near.

Cooperative play is a big part of Shooter's appeal, and many of the levels have been designed with this in mind. Players can use the environment to assist (by shooting water at an overheating companion to cool him down) or hinder each other (blasting an area of rock to release magnetic goo that congeals around the other player.)

• Previous Page Prev
• Next Page Next
• 1
• 2

• Print
• Email this!
• Share
  • Digg
  • Yahoo Buzz!
  • FaceBook
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us