Hands-On With The PlayStation 3

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 11:15 am in General Gaming · Comments

Two weeks have passed since I purchased an 80GB PlayStation 3 bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4 and an anorexic controller. In case you haven’t noticed, and were one of the many people to assume, I haven’t given up on my 360. In fact, that’s all I’ve been playing lately. Why? Not because the PlayStation 3 has left me bored or failed to live up to any expectations. It’s because I’m unashamedly addicted to Lego Batman.

PS3

But back to the PlayStation 3… This is the first time I’ve ever had any hands-on time with the PS3 (and this is the first time I’ve ever owned two of the current gen consoles). I’ve never stopped off at HMV to give it a whirl at the PS3 booth, despite the console and HDTV combo looking mighty fine. None of my friends are big into gaming, so mainly they own Wii’s or last generation consoles, if anything at all. It’s crazy to think that 2 years down the line, I still hadn’t tried one of the many great PlayStation exclusives.

That changed when I bought Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Choosing what PS3 exclusive to go with was a tough choice (all multi-platform releases will be bought for the 360), with a toss-up between that, Killzone 2, Resistance: Fall of Man, and LittleBigPlanet. Oh, and inFamous. With my love for Tomb Raider showing no sign of fading, I opted for the Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft character, Nate Drake. And I’m glad I did - I think it’s been a fantastic introduction to the PlayStation 3, with strong story development, amazing chemistry and dialogue between characters, and, of course, gorgeous graphics and stunning scenery.

Which leads me nicely onto how I’m feeling about Trophies, seeing as I’ve unlocked a few while playing Uncharted. Being the type of gal who gets a strange enjoyment from seeing her completion percentage tick up, I was happy to see Trophies work in much the same way as Achievements, perhaps even better. It took me a while to get “addicted” - and I use that word loosely as I won’t play crappy games to bump up my GamerScore - to Achievements, and it will probably be the same with Trophies. But what I do like, which is an element you don’t get from Achievements, is the different levels of which you can be awarded Trophies; bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. It’s a bit more complex than the Achievement system, and so I suggest you read about how Trophies work if you’re not a PS3 owner, but it definitely adds another level to satisfy your 100% itch. Having said that, I don’t think the PS community is as nutty for Trophies as the Xbox community is for Achievements. I could be wrong?

I haven’t ventured online with my PS3, other than connecting to the PlayStation Network to secure my ID, so I’ll have to refrain from passing any judgement regarding playing online with others. However, I don’t see the PlayStation being the console to meet my multiplayer needs. Xbox Live feels so much beefier, but that’s no doubt down to the fact I have more than 90 ‘friends’ to play with. Whereas my current state with the PS3 is no more than a handful of people. If something along the lines of Left 4 Dead were to be released on the PlayStation 3 as an exclusive, I think I’d struggle to get a regular community together, unlike with the 360 where there’s always someone to play with. I guess I’m feeling a little lonely on my PlayStation 3.

One area in which Sony deserve major kudos is the Playstation Store. Microsoft should take a leaf out of Sony’s book, from everything down to the layout of the store, to the fact transactions work in real currency, as opposed to something similar to Microsoft Points gash. Since the November dashboard update for Xbox Live (the New Xbox Experience), I’ve had trouble navigating around the Marketplace. PlayStation Store has so far posed no problems, and soon enough I’ll be passing over £7.99 for my Final Fantasy VII fix.

I’ve owned my 360 since January ‘06, and so I’ve naturally built up a solid collection of games, as well as made many friends on Xbox Live. It’s for that reason I can’t see myself deviating from the 360 as my main console of this generation. The PlayStation 3, though, will most certainly be put to good use with all the exciting exclusives both having been released, and on the horizon, not to mention as a blu-ray player now that said format has risen victoriously. I guess I’ll also have to wait and see how addictive the Trophy system gets, and whether it trumps my satisfaction I get from unlocking Achievements. I’ll keep you posted!

In the meantime, be sure to add me: CandyStoreRock.

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14 Responses to “Hands-On With The PlayStation 3”

Alexander Radsby

# June 16th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

This is really interesting. I’m thinking of getting a PS3 myself, I already know that my 360 will be my main console because all my xbox live friends and my games. =)

Alshie

# June 16th, 2009 at 4:53 pm

You’ve actually come out on top by being late to the party, the exclusive software line-up is now pretty good (though like you I always go 360 on the multi-format titles) and Sony finally managed to get PSN working well, the store was a joke to begin with.

I particularly like that when buying something you can pay £11.99 for it rather than have to buy 3000 points spend 2200 and then sit for months with 800 spare.

Finally, Resistance is rubbish, I’d give it a miss :)

Lee

# June 18th, 2009 at 3:23 am

I purchased a 40gb PS3 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately it hasn’t lived up to my expectations as a console, as I think I’ve been spoilt by my 360. It is however, a great media centre and a top notch blu-ray player :)

Dave Blencowe

# June 18th, 2009 at 9:31 am

I have been considering selling my Xbox 360 for a Playstation 3 recently due to the availability of the games I remember as a kid, such as Command and Conquer: Red Alert, Final Fantasy 7 and 8 and of course, Gauntlet! :D

Just can’t make my mind up about what to do…
Have you found any disadvantages to the console yet? Haven’t had any experience with them myself.

Jennifer

# June 20th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

Hello. This has nothing to do with video games, i know, but while scanning through a couple of pictures i noticed great quality and would like t o know what type of camera you used to take your photos. It would be a great help and much appreciated :)

Rockers Delight

# June 20th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

Alshie, I thought Resistance was meant to be quality? Thanks for the intel. Killzone 2 it is then :)

Dave, really? Selling your 360 for a PS3? I would keep a hold of the 360, mate; it has a better back catalogue of games, IMO. Any way you can have the best of both worlds? There aren’t many PS3 disadvantages that I’ve noticed. It won’t let me connect to Home unfortunately, but I’m not in the market to have another avatar. One is enough :p

Jennifer, I use the Canon EOS 40D. Great camera.

Los Havros

# June 23rd, 2009 at 12:10 am

Some random thoughts in response to an insightful post of what it’s like looking at the world of PlayStation from the other side:

I’d just like say a kind word for my friend, the superb PS3 controller: it’s not a size zero controller, it’s just the perfect size and form factor. Although I’m biased and probably can’t be trusted on these matters! However I have actually had some hands-on time with the Xbox controller and I find it too bulky. It’s probably like comparing apples and oranges in the end!

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is an incredible game, and a fantastic introduction to the PS3. Savour the gorgeous visuals and marvel at the great story and plot twists… then get all excited again because there’s another instalment of Uncharted goodness this autumn. I know I’m excited! :D

Regarding Trophies- I knew the jingle would get you. I think one aspect where Trophies have the edge is that points are just well… points. Trophies (bronze, silver gold, platinum) are easier to visualise and covet.

Time to finish off with a comment on multiplayer shenanigans- Yes, the PS3 is a bit pants for online gaming compared to the Xbox 360. Yet I’m quite a solitary gamer. Boring, I know. The only game that has surprised me and genuinely held my attention online has been Warhawk. As a £14.99 download on the PS Store (a full PS3 game, not a little PSN title) it’s certainly worth a try.

Tom Sinclair

# June 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

I’ve had a 360 since near enough release day but I’ve slowly stopped playing on it, more of a multiplayer gamer than single console player but I can’t be bothered to pay for XBL! (cheap I know!)

Been offered a new PS3 80GB for £225 so I’m really tempted to give it ago, otherwise keep it as a blu ray player as I do love HD movies!

What are the current “must have” PS3 titles that you’ve played/heard about so far for PS3?

Arnold Sideways

# June 25th, 2009 at 10:46 am

There’s just something about Playstation’s trophy system that just makes them feel a bit worthless to me. The whole bronze/silver/gold/platinum thing just doesn’t seem as satisfying as a big, easily comparable number across all games. Maybe it’s just because I’ve already invested so much time in Xbox Live profile that playing games that don’t contribute anything to that feels a bit hollow at the moment. Hence why I’ve only played Killzone 2 once and haven’t bothered hoovering up all the trophies and still haven’t even got around to finishing Uncharted yet. I bought my PS3 recently primarily as a BD player, so like you, all multi platform games are going to be strictly Xbox and only PS3 exclusives are going to get played on my PS3. Plus, working for an exclusively Xbox 360 developer means not a lot of colleagues with PS3s to compare scores against, whereas pretty much everyone who works here has a 360.

Rockers Delight

# June 25th, 2009 at 11:12 am

Los Havros, of course my controller preference is simply down to what I’m most comfortable with. For the past 3 years I’ve only played on the 360, up until now. I’ve easily become accustomed to the PS3 controller, but the 360 pad does feel more comfortable in my hands. I agree with what you said about Trophies.

Tom, XBL is very much worth the money though, don’t you agree? It’s £40 more than playing MP on PlayStation, but for whatever reason - and this is coming from a stingy Scot - I’ve never felt it isn’t justified. Microsoft have MP in the bag on their console.

Arnold, I think it depends how you use Achievements to begin with. Some people simply look at the overall GamerScore, others look at individual points for games, and then there are a few - like myself - who are all about the completion percentage. Trophies - I think - are more in line with how I think Achievements should be. Anyone could pop in 5 games, get the easiest 200 points for each of them, and have another 1000 total added to their GamerScore - easy peasy. Trophies let you look at people’s ‘accomplishments’ in more detail.

Arnold Sideways

# June 25th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

You get all that with the Xbox 360’s achievements anyway though. You can look at the big picture, by looking at the total gamerscore, you can dig deeper and look at individual games, and completion percentage of each game. With the PS3 you’ve got that whole levelling system, which isn’t exactly clear. How much is one level “worth”? Is it a linear scale or is each consecutive level harder to reach than the last? I just think they’re overcomplicated some bits and oversimplified other bits just for the sake of making it look different from the Xbox system, and it just doesn’t work for me. It’s all just personal taste anyway really, and I may lean more toward the Xbox side simply because i’m more familiar with it. I just like the way gamerscore has become almost a kind of “currency” that’s instantly comparable, whether that’s at the grand total level, the individual achievement level, or the percentage complete level. I know what you mean about getting the easiest achievements though, I don’t feel like I’m “done” with a game unless I’ve got the majority of the achievements, only usually leaving ones that are just blatantly too hard to even try (like completing TTFAF on guitar hero 3), too tedious (Seriously 2.0 in Gears 2), or just plain stupid (Dead Rising expecting you to play the game for 14 hours straight without saving).

Rockers Delight

# June 25th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

Arnold, you’re right; you do get all that with Achievements, and it basically just comes down to it being in a different format. The reason I think I’m preferring the format for Trophies is because this is all visible at an immediate glance, unlike Achievements where it is, essentially, only the bigger picture. The leveling system, I guess, satisfies the RPG nerd in me, and logging into uk.playstation.com (or comparing Trophies via the dashboard), I am greeted with an immediate representation of how many Trophies I’ve earned, of what level they are (bronze, silver etc.), and the percentage acquired. Exciting for a stat whore! Like you said, it’s all personal taste, but what I’ve written right there should do some good in explaining why I’m liking the Trophy system.

Hands-On With The PlayStation 3 | Los Havros

# June 27th, 2009 at 11:51 am

[...] Hands-On With The PlayStation 3- I don’t know why I didn’t link to this sooner, but it’s an article written from the perspective of the (primarily) Xbox 360 gamer we all know and love: Rockers Delight.  The discussion going on in the comments is really worth a look.  Good stuff. [...]

dkoi

# July 6th, 2009 at 7:33 pm

Uncharted was a great choice. Uncharted 2 is looking even better. I enjoyed Resistance: Fall of Man. It didn’t do a whole ton that was new, but had some interesting weapons. I think Killzone 2 is far better, but you can pick up R:FoM for pretty cheap. You might also like that the multiplayer in Killzone 2 is fantastic and will appeal your your RPG ways.

Some other suggestions would be to try some of the PSN titles. The Pixel Junk series has some really good games. I recommend Pixel Junk Monsters. If you are familiar with Ratchet & Clank they have a PSN title for cheap that is a great introduction. The main game did not get enough credit.

It’s interesting to see the opposite side of the coin. i’ve had my PS3 since pretty early on, and didn’t pick up a 360 until Gears 2. So far, the 360 has been almost nothing but disappoint for me. The horrible NXE, M$ points, terrible d-pad, and Live only working for one account all hit me pretty hard. I really don’t see why my girlfriend and I both have to pay for Live for the same console. Even a lot of the games I had bought the system for seemed very overrated, most of all Dead Rising. The only saving grace is Netflix at this point. I still have hope though. I want to check out some of the JRPG’s you’ve suggested, and I just haven’t gotten around to it. RPGs are one of my favorite game types so I’m interested to try Infinite Undiscovery and Lost Odyssey.

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