CES 2005: PSP Games Wrapup
- January 07, 2005 13:49 PM PST
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While skimping on release details of its handheld, 17 of its launch titles were shown at this year's CES.
ATV Offroad FuryBased on the ATV Offroad Fury franchise, the PSP game will feature more than 24 ATVs in 30 different environments. Six distinct terrain types (snow, dirt, mud, ice, water and grass) guarantee a varied gameplay experience while WiFi multiplayer support promises enough competition to keep you on your toes. Gameplay modes include race, freestyle, career, training and mini-games.
The demo build at the event took a noticeably long time to load, but once the level was in place, racing around the track was seamless fun. Controls felt very similar to ATV Offroad Fury 3 for the PS2 which is no surprise given that the same developer (Climax) worked on both titles.
Coded Arms
The only announced FPS for the PSP, Coded Arms drops players into a VR world gone awry. Originally created to help prepare for an alien invasion the system was abandoned and left to rot, only it didn't. It evolved. One part Doom and one part Matrix, Coded Arms offers up five different world,s more than 30 weapons and three distinct enemy types--soliders, bugs and bots. Each of the three enemies will attack the player in a different manner, requiring a separate strategy for each.
Due out sometime in the summer, the biggest challenge facing the developers is how to map the controls to the PSP with its lone analog stick. The version we played used the four action buttons as a "virtual" control pad, but the result was sluggish movement. A very generous auto-aim helped compensate, however we're hoping that Konami can come up with a better solution before the game finally ships. According to the developer the team is experimenting with a few different control systems so this should be resolved before release.
Coded Arms will support wireless multiplayer, but it also features an incentive (besides learning the story) to completing the single player mission--many items and weapons will be unavailable in multiplayer mode until you have discovered them in single player.
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
A combination of character and features from the first three Darkstalkers games, Chaos Tower is similar in concept to the recently released Street Fighter Anniversay. A conversion of an already solid fighting game, Chaos Tower plays well so long as you can get over the "four face buttons plus two shoulder buttons" control scheme that has plagued every Capcom fighter since the demise of the Sega Saturn.
The Chaos Tower offers head-to-head versus play via the WiFi connection which we were more than excited to try out, only to be disappointed when it ran into a few glitches. Playing with two PSPs no more than four feet apart, we were able to initiate a connection and start a game, but it was plagued with lag and choppiness--odd considering that the single player game is incredibly smooth. Our second match started out with a big of lag and then dropped completely.
Hopefully the connection problems were a mere fluke as the game is already available in Japan and the network code should be stable. The experience also made us wonder about the PSP itself when it was suggested that the connection problems might have been due to interference. If two retail PSP units can't have a stable connection in a hotel conference room, that doesn't bode well for WiFi matches in public places such as airports or college campuses.
Need for Speed Underground Rivals
Based on the console game of the same name, Need for Speed Underground Rivals shares the same concept as its console big brothers, but the gameplay is all original. Featuring 10 tracks all designed specifically for the PSP, Rivals promises plenty of hi-octane racing action.
Eight game modes, including drift attack, nitrous run, rally relay and car spec complement the WiFi multiplayer mode and the Pocket Garage where you can customize and tune your cars to perfection. Up to twenty different cars can be saved in the garage.
Control with both the digital pad and analog stick was very natural, though it is worth noting that the demo version featured fully upgraded cars. The tracks fit right in with the Underground style both in design and visual splendor. Hidden shortcuts provided the chance to eke out an extra half second against the AI when fighting for the lead, but you have to know they are there to use them.
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade
From the makers of Everquest comes this fantasy adventure and it has nothing to do with the popular MMORPG. Rather Untold Legends takes its inspiration from the likes of Bauler's Gate and other such action-RPG titles.
Featuring four different player classes, a detailed skill tree and more than 100 randomly generated levels, Untold Legends should provide plenty of hack-and-slash dungeon-crawling action when the PSP launches. Visually the game is sharp, making full use of the PSP's lighting engine and particle effects. Up to three different light sources can be active at any one time, which makes for an excellent way to set the mood especially while exploring the dungeons. Monsters and equipment are aplenty, with goodies to be found in chests, dropped from fallen foes and bought from shops. Combinable magic items allow any weapon or piece of armor to be imbued with magical properties. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Untold Legends is the fact that there is no distinction between the single player game and the multiplayer mode. Up to four players can play cooperatively via WiFi and any the same characters can seamlessly move between both game types. It is also possible to save at any time (save for boss battles) which makes it ideal for short play sessions.
Wipeout Pure
After the disappointment that was Wipeout Fusion, getting some solid hands-on time with the XL inspired Wipeout Pure was a real treat. Slated as a PSP launch title in North America Wipeout Pure is not only packed with features, but also promising gameplay.
Only four tracks were available for sampling and they ranged from the mundane to typical Wipeout craziness. One featured and underwater tunnel while another had the track splitting to avoid a huge pit--and no safety rails along the edges.
Despite running a bit slow (completely forgivable as it was an alpha build) the game's control was already tight at least when playing with the digital pad. Analog control felt sluggish, though this should be rectified by launch.
Wipeout Pure supports up to eight players via WiFi and features sixteen tracks in the single player game as well as four unlockable classic tracks from prior games in the series. It will also support downloadable content including new tracks, ships, skins and music.
There was no word on soundtrack specifics, but we were assured that the Wipeout series is staying true to its roots and Wipeout Pure will feature a hard hitting electronica soundtrack.
Easily the most impressive game on display, if the development team behind Wipeout Pure can fully execute on every one of its promises Sony will not only have a AAA title for the PSP but a system selling killer app.
