Family Fun at its finest!

SingStar is one of those games that just doesn't stand out to the certain crowd, it stands out to almost everyone. Ask anyone around you--They've always had a fetish for singing along with their most favorite artists. Having the original vocal track in there can make it a bit too easy for one to be "on-key" but its a nice touch for those who just want to have fun, and if they are piercing ears with their horrid singing, just unplug their microphone and enjoy the rest of the song by the original *auteur. Aside from either glorious gameplay or horrid theatrics, SingStar delivers on being one of the funnest karaoke games ever to grace a next-generation platform. The clef display showing how accurate your notes are compared to the original track really is helpful to the amateur trying to capture an audience, or an artist trying to perfect their vocal precision. Though the 36 songs provided out of the box is a bit narrow, they have over 200 songs on SingStar Online which totally makes up for it. The song variety is extreme and no matter which end of the spectrum you find yourself, you'll find a song for you. Although there isn't much to graphics, its strictly a gameplay video game. That said, for the price of a bloody FPS, you can get this game with 2 microphones, which is a sweet bargaining chip. Some music videos are in HD, which provides for a smooth entertaining touch to aesthetics; Since this game isn't focused on displaying any type of simulation in a 3D world; theres no reason to comment on it. My favorite songs in SingStar: Coldplay - Clocks Weezer - Buddy Holly Cartel - Honestly* Cartel - Lose It* Radiohead - High And Dry* * purchased through the SingStarOnline store.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare SUCCESS

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is Infinity Ward's most defining installment so far, on the next-gen platforms. Boasting the most photo-realistic visual experience on Xbox 360/PlayStation 3. Developers, Infinity Ward, had this to say about the game:

"We had our best programmers on the PS3 and it shows," Infinity Ward studio head Vince Zampella has revealed. The PS3 supports 24 players online compared to the Xbox 360's 18, while the graphics are also said to be a little better.

"We had two separate teams working on both versions from the start," Zampella explains. "Most developers only focus on a single platform, then quickly port the game over to another one. You don't get very good results that way."

Graphics

Infinity Ward has to be proud of their visuals in Call of Duty 4, as it is without a doubt the most photo-realistic experience ever on any next-gen platform. That's not the only thing, the game consists in 60fps throughout the whole game with maybe a jittery drop in more intense action sequences, albeit for a few seconds. Sandstorms, brush, foliage, trash on the ground, all elements blending into an environment you can truly be immersed in.

Story

Though the story could be as good as it gets when it comes to nuclear proliferation and propaganda, the way the game takes you through the story gives you a real sense of immersion and reality. Unlike Hollywood counterparts the game refrains from making things appear too good to be true as allies all around you die from bullets hailing across field from enemies and even your own. The way the story progresses throughout the game is very well done.

Gameplay

Top notch, the feel of every weapon you fire is powerful, and the accuracy of recoil and getting hit by enemy fire feels fluid and believable. Latency is hardly an issue online, and the game just feels very real. With a default control scheme anyone can get used to, COD4 succeeds in making the game very easy to learn. A friend of mine came to play the game with me. He was new to the game, and in 5 minutes time he was even killing me on Free-for-all. The most rewarding skill in the game in my opinion would have to be the melee. Don't want to hit your enemy with the holster of your assault rifle? Shove a combat knife straight into his chest, or slit his throat while he reloads in panic.

A Visual Treat

Nathan Drake is a rough-around-the-edges, modern-day treasure hunter who sets off to contunue his great ancestor's, Sir Francis Drake, quest for the lost city of El Dorado. With the help of long time friend and mentor, Victor Sullivan, and the tag-along reporter, Elena Fisher, Drake raises Francis Drake's coffin from the bottom of the ocean to find that Drake faked his death, and left his diary as a clue for anyone clever enough to find it to use. Story Uncharted is undoubtedly one of the most well rounded games when it comes to plot. Though it may seem very re-hashed when you look at it from one perspective. Here is another Tomb Raider; On the contrary, the story evolves rather quickly as you progress through the game, with unexpected twists and turns that even the clever minded gamer couldn't see coming. Graphics Without a doubt, one of the finer showcases of the PlayStation 3's power. Foliage brushing through the win, and reacting to you running through them, vibrant and vivid colors makes even the tombs and ruins Nathan explores a colorful experience. Seeing Nathan take cover in many different ways gets you immersed in the action as though, nothing seems scripted. Facial expressions, motion captures, dialogue are all top-notch in this well developed art. Truly a visual treat for anyone owning a PS3 looking for that one game that shows it. Gameplay You won't be disappointed. All of the elements involved with raiding tombs has been vastly improved, and with several employees at Naughty Dog being EIDOS veterans, they know just what to do. Do you remember lining up all of your jumps in the Tomb Raiders of past lore? Don't think twice here, as any jump will do giving the more casual gamer a nice edge, as difficulty applies only to enemy A.I. and interactions. So long as you're on the right path and there is clearly a ledge for you to jump to, Nathan takes care of the fine-tuning department. The shooting mechanics aren't too bad considering this is not at all a shooting game to begin with. Cover system rivals that of Gears of War and originator Kill.switch. Overall the game provides a much needed cinematic experience, enthralling plot-line, and gameplay that will give even hardcore gamers a hard time, yet give leniency to those just trying to pick up the game and play. This is a must-have for any PS3 owners looking for a game to indulge in.

Haze: The Underdog

Played on a 52" Bravia; 720p upscaled resolution, the game seems solid.

Story The story is quite interesting, once you get past the witty and annoying banter of the obviously bullshark testosterone or in this case Nectar injected soldiers you'll be fighting with in the early stages within Mantel. One thing that makes this story bland is just that. If you can just ignore their stupid remarks and see past it you'll be able to enjoy the story better. The dialogue between supporting characters seem like wasted hyperbole and often unnecessary while the dialogue between main characters is OK at best.

Graphics If I had to compare the graphics to another FPS, it would seem to be just about on equal ground as Halo 3 without the excess blooming; but it certainly isn't a Gears of War or Call of Duty 4. One thing I noticed is when injected with Nectar the textures can get distorted and pixelated; but I support that is the purpose when distinguishing enemies with the blight glow and making it easier to spot them. The graphics look good; but not great. Each blade of grass I noticed would shuffle when you walk through them which I thought was cool, but they still looked low-res. Facial expressions were good, and mo-cap was good too. Animations were OK, and sometimes seemed recycled. A.I. was unimpressive as enemies and allies alike would run into fire and often into your own. As mentioned in some of the reviews, I didn't notice a significant drop in framerate at all, which is a huge plus; Especially when driving a vehicle. Although the vehicle physics are good, they obviously didn't spend much time on the mechanics as driving them is tasking more than fun. Explosion effects were great, mostly due to the post-processing done. Another thing I noticed while idling and reading subtitles, a butterfly would land on the barrel of my gun...interesting and pretty cool.

Gameplay It's a rush. Playing with Nectar, you get absorbed into using it often, conveying the whole addiction of it. The game seems to have gotten at least the basic mechanics of a FPS down to a tee. Firing a weapon feels powerful, hitting the enemies feels rewarding, and the sound; despite review claims; is great. I play on a 5.1 surround system (I don't know what the other reviewer's setup is) but the sound was great. Other complaints included the lack of a competent waypoint system. Being an avid FPS gamer, the included compass/waypoint system on the top of the screen served as an adecquate navigation system and I didn't get lost in the levels like they claimed. The melee seems a bit off though as it would take numerous attempts to hit someone with it, usually having to be very precise with distance and aim.

Overall, the game seems solid and if you're not too distracted by the lame remarks here and there you willl find yourself enjoying the game. Online multiplayer up to 16 players, including 4 player co-op is also what makes this game fun. It's not the AAA, Halo killer many people hoped for, but it's certainly a solid shooter to add to anyones PS3 library, with a replay value that scores high in my opinion with it's multiplayer modes including In-Game invites, yes... in-game invites. You may recall a similar system on Resistance if you've played it online, you can invite friends while in-game to join at any time, and even send messages while in-game. Perhaps Free Radical put multiplayer first and foremost on their priorities. The game isn't a must-have title, but if you pick it up... you're bound to not regret it and will probably be playing for hours online; Competitively or Cooperatively.

Story: 8/10
Graphics: 7/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Replay Value: 9/10
OVERALL: 8/10