Everybody’s Golf has always been quite a popular series on the Playstation, this is probably thanks to it’s cute looks and easy to pick up and play nature, so now that Everybody’s Golf: World Tour has hit the next generation, does it still have the same appeal?

As well as bringing everything we love so much about the series to the PS3, World Tour brings us so much more, including a fantastic new advanced shot system and the sublime online mode which is up there with Call of Duty 4 in terms of perfection, but we will get to that later. The advanced shot system which has been introduced allows players to have better control over their shots, it allows you to focus on the swing and power that the golfer is using rather than just staring at a power bar, this is done by making you judge the swing and how far you need to draw back your club in order to get the power you need, once you have selected how much power you wish to use, you will then need to hit the ball as the club swings and approaches it, mis-time this and you will end up cutting the grass instead.

The new advanced shot is a really great system and allows for a much better way of playing a console based golf game. The only issue that I personally have with the new system is the frustration I felt when trying to putt, judging how hard to hit the ball to get to the green is one thing, but trying to work out the precise power for putting is another, however practice makes perfect and I have a feeling that I will be getting plenty of practice in this game. You certainly shouldn’t be put off by the new shot system because you still have the option of using the old power bar should this not be for you, this basically allows you to select the power you need for your shot depending on the distance, it is a lot easier to use as well, just not quite as authentic.

Should you be feeling ambitious you can even add topspin, backspin or hook and slice the ball by pressing the relevant button on the D-Pad, depending on how accurate you shot is you will either pull it off or end up in the drink, however once you push the button it is out of your hands really. The option to add more advance moves such this though is yet another example of the level of authenticity that those gamers looking for more than just a simple golf game will find.

World Tour is certainly a game which should keep you occupied as there is just so much to unlock, as well as all the characters and their unlockable abilities, you will also gain access to new courses, clubs, balls and clothing. There are many ways to unlock new items, this can be done through character loyalty (basically using the same character instead of switching for each game), by winning tournaments or by beating challenges.

The game offers six courses in all, you will also find yourself playing mirrored courses are well, however at the beginning of the game you will only find one course unlocked, to unlock the rest you will have to play your way through each tournament and by coming in at first place, then if you are lucky when you choose your prize it will be a new course, otherwise you will probably end up with a new club or one of the other unlockable items mentioned above. It has to be said that the courses look fantastic, the Highland course and the all the courses that follow offer plenty of hazards to test you and all have a very authentic feel, while still remaining true to the arcade nature of the game.

When you begin the game you start out with two characters and as you advance you will soon unlock a lot more, they all have their own unique personalities and it can be quite amusing during local multiplayer games while your opponent is lining up a shot to press the button a few times to hear what your character has to say, well I found it funny anyway, I’m not so sure the second player found it quite as amusing.

It really is difficult for me to find anything bad to say about the single player experience of Everybody’s Golf, I have had great fun paying the different tournaments and unlocking new courses and characters, the only issue I have had is that I have yet to find a way to quit during a game without resorting to turning the console off and on again, but maybe that’s just me?

I mentioned earlier that Everybody’s Golf could be one of the only games to compare to Call of Duty 4 when online, this may seem like some statement to make but I make no apologies for this. Before playing online you are required to create a character (much like a Mii on Nintendo’s Wii to give you an example of what I mean) , this character then represents you online in the lobby, there are many different lobbies to enter in the game so if one is full then it isn’t really too much of a problem. Lobbies are presented in the form of a clubhouse with many different floors, depending which floor you choose you will enter a room, each with their own theme, here you can interact with up to 50 other different people, chatting to them using a keyboard or any of the shortcut words which have been assigned to the control pad, the best way to describe this part of the game could be that it’s like a miniature version of Playstation Home, although voice support doesn’t seem to be there at the moment, but this could come at a later date.

As well as hoping around the lobby and chatting to other users you can also take part in tournaments with up to 50 other users, the way this works is that each player has a certain time to finish each hole, this means that you are not really left waiting around, unless of course you are a wizard and finish long before everyone else. When playing although you will see other players they do not interfere with you, all you do is play as you would in the single player mode rather than waiting for everyone to take their shot, it’s a great system and it works well.

The way the tournaments are booked is also quite unique, each tournament has it’s own timeslot allocated to it, this enables you to book your place up to 12 hours in advance meaning that you can decide when you want to play and then come back just before it starts, although be warned that you will need to unlock some of the courses and characters before you will be able to enter the majority of the tournaments due to them all having entry requirements.

While online you can also create your own games, this allows you and up to eight players to play at the same time, meaning that you can invite your friends to a game and set your own rules. Setting up your own games is quite simple and gives you the benefit of earning bragging rights over someone you know, should you win of course.

The Playstation brand is renowned for providing gamers with easy to play, innovative games and nothing describes Everybody’s Golf: World Tour better than that, this is one of the best games that has been in my PS3 since launch, offline or online and to be honest I don’t think I will be pressing the eject button for quite some time.

Overall Rating: 9/10

We reviewed Army of Two on the 360 earlier this month, however Salem and Rios also appear on the PS3. The game play and looks are identical to the 360 version, with only a few differences to separate them which are mentioned later in the review.

I have been looking forward to Army of Two for some time, the whole idea of a proper team up game off and online has been a long time coming. And now that it is here it does not disappoint, in fact it even throws in a few unexpected surprises along the way.

Army of Two has a unique feature that many other games do not bother to offer, and that is the two very different ways to play the main campaign, on your own or with a friend. On you own is a real treat as the AI of your partner is well controlled, he will always do the right thing, you control his main actions with the D-pad, telling him to hold position, cover, go ahead or stay close, you are also able to tell him to go Aggro, which then makes most enemies concentrate on him, enabling you to take out some of the tougher opposition. Two player is really what this game is all about though, with the ability to plug in another controller or even take it online, here use of the voice chat is equally as important as knowing when to dive for cover, communication in the team will make some of the tougher enemies much easier.

Each level is split into smaller checkpoints, so if you do die there is not too much to replay. With a press of the select button you are able to see the HUD, which will show which direction to go in and also the mission objectives along with their price for completion. Each mission also has 3 briefcases to find, which gives you a cash boost, there are also additional missions as the game plays through. These missions range from taking out a chopper before it gets away to finding a POW or disabling vehicles.

There are a few little touches in this game that really separates it from the rest, going Back to Back at certain points of the game really emphasise the team work, the game play will slow down and both of you will have to shoot as many bad guys as possible as you are being surrounded. You also have some tandem parachute segments, where depending who you play will have to control or shoot a clear line to safety. Level design is also a welcome change as there is a lot of variety on offer from seemingly open-ended levels to narrow corridor fighting. One of my favourites is the aircraft carrier with enemies coming from all sides, and the final run to safety as it all goes horribly wrong is one of the best gaming moments I have had in a while.

Its seems EA have done to the weaponry what they have done to their cars in the Need for Speed franchise, by including plenty of customisation. Each weapon you purchase can be upgraded and pimped in many ways, some weapons can have larger ammo capacity and even silencers. Machine guns can have an alternative fire, like a mounted shotgun and even a shield. This makes for some great combinations. At certain points of the game you are able to go to the shop and swap weapons and upgrades as long as you have the cash.

Online play is well worth a look as it brings something different to the tried and tested formulas of other games. One of my favourites is the mission mode, where you have two teams of two, each team is shown an objective and its up to you to complete it before the other team. You are able to upgrade and purchase new weapons at certain points of each level and with each kill and successful mission you earn more cash. The missions range from taking out NPC characters to blowing up a vehicle or sabotaging computer equipment. As well as the other team to contend with you will also have a few computer enemies to contend with, making this a breath of fresh air from the usual death matches.

If you are one of the lucky few who have both next gen consoles, then a difficult choice is ahead of you. The Xbox 360 has the achievements and also a rumble facility whereas the PS3 has free internet gaming. In the end if a choice had to be made, I would go with the Xbox version solely due to the achievements which give you more reasons to play this title and to go back for more action once completed.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

I have known for sometime about the Official Playstation Blog which is run by SCEA, and I feel that this is one of the best things Sony have ever done. The blog manages to link Sony with their fans by providing informative articles as well as up to date news on all things Playstation. One of the other benefits of this blog is that Sony use it to respond directly to fans comments, something which before the blogs existence was not possible, so my question is, with all the criticism Sony receive in Europe for not keeping fans in the loop, why hasn’t it’s European division also created a blog for those across the water?

Now before you say what about ThreeSpeech, the semi official blog which is informative and I must say very useful, let me point out that unlike the Official US blog, ThreeSpeech is not run by Sony Europe and most of the time, someone from Sony isn’t communicating directly with the public.

I feel that by having an Official Sony Europe blog and communicating with the fans directly Sony would really show that they care about Europe, and help get rid of any of the ridiculous suggestions that they don’t care. 

So please vote in our poll and show your opinion on this matter.

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage, which appeared on the Xbox 360 last year, was one of my surprise games of 2007, I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Now the developer has released a PSP version of this racer, named Flatout: Head On, but does this capture the frills and spills of the next generation?

Flatout: Head On follows the tried and tested formula of it’s cousins, meaning that there is nothing really new added, however that is not necessarily a bad things as all that is good about the game has made it onto the PSP disc, though there are a few issues which we will talk about later.

For those who haven’t played Flatout before, it is basically a racer where destruction is the name of the game, crashing is a frequent occurrence here that’s for sure, although there are a few other surprises thrown in along the way.

The games offers quite a few modes of play, however the main one is Flatout mode, which enables you to follow your characters career as you try to win different events and build up your trophy collection, unfortunately there is no customisation as far as your character is concerned, however you can upgrade your car or buy new a one when you start to earn some cash. There is quite a challenge to be had in trying to collect all of the trophies, so this is certainly a mode that most people will come back to again and again.

Carnage mode from the Xbox 360 version of the game is also included in Head On, this enables you to compete in events such as carnage race, where you need to earn the most points by wrecking your opponents, as well as destruction derby type races and also stunt challenges, such as high jump, where you need to vault you character as high as possible once he crashes through the windscreen, it sounds brutal but it’s great fun.

Admittedly most of what can be found in Flatout: Head On can also be found in the 360 version, however putting this game on a handheld is great for fans of the series. All of the races are as fast and frantic as the console version, and just as much fun, especially games like high jump, which is great to play against friends, just to see who can get the highest score.

There are a few issues with Flatout: Head On, first off I found that handling the car was not always easy, the steering seems too responsive, meaning even a slight touch to the left or right will see you oversteer. The graphics are also a bit poor in places, with the textures on some objects lacking real detail.

Apart from the few issues above, Flatout: Head On really does looks fantastic where it matters, the cars look great and have brilliant detail, all of the in game action looks just as good too, the crashes are as spectacular and as over the top as you would expect, and all of this comes with little impact on the framerate, which is quite impressive.

The soundtrack is equally good, there is a great selection of rock tracks included in the game, which really help add to the manic on screen action and the sounds of the cars trying to outdo each other.

Flatout: Head On offers a quick adrenaline rush of racing when you need it and also some fantastic little mini games should you need something different. Sure it is far from perfect due to a few issues with handling and the fact that there is no online play, however if you love racing games then this will be the perfect companion for your PSP thanks to it’s pick up and play nature.

Overall Rating: 8/10

The latest version of everyone’s favorite football game, Pro Evolution Soccer, has finally hit the PSP, but has it been worth waiting on considering most of the console versions have been with us for a while now? And in what way does this version differ from its console counterparts?

When Pro Evolution Soccer first hit the PSP, I like everyone else was quite disappointed, after all it just didn’t feel right, the screen would blur because the action was too fast, the load times were extremely long and there was no Master League (perhaps one of the games greatest additions), this disappointment however was rectified slightly by PES 6 which brought back the Master League and made some of the other problems better.

PES 2008 now goes one step further and improves this brilliant series yet again, drawing it’s inspiration from this years Playstation 2 version, the game has included loads of tournaments, leagues, the master league and the excellent World Tour mode which is perfect for the handheld. The game also includes the full edit modes, making this a real handheld version of Pro Evolution Soccer and not some pretender with the same name.

So how does it play? The answer is, like it should, a shrunken down version of the real thing and boy does this make me happy. All the action and speed has been perfectly represented in this version of the game, during a game everything feels like it is going at 100mph and you will still be tearing your hair out when you hit the post or crossbar, there have been quite a few occasions on the train where I have screamed out at a near miss only to be given a few strange looks, but this is how the action draws you in, just like it does on the console versions.

One of the great things about this game is that no matter how busy it gets on screen, the frame rate seems to cope well, there is no dip at all in the action, no slowdown, which is a great testament to the developers because the action is usually always frantic. The computer AI is also perfect, winning matches is certainly not easy because they will read your every move, especially on the more difficult levels.

Everyone knows what leagues, cup and the Master League brings to PES, but add in the World Tour mode and you really have hit a winner. The World Tour mode is perfect for the PSP, basically you tour the World playing against different teams, however before each match you are given a challenge, this can range from winning the match without making any substitutes to getting through 90 minutes without being caught offside, the challenges really vary a lot and the quick pick up and play nature of these make them perfect for playing on the go.

This year the developers have included the ability to swap your data between the PS2 and PSP versions, meaning you can take data from home and play while you are away, this is great because it means any progress you make when you are out is not lost as you can easily load the data to the PS2 on your return, if I was being picky I would say what about swapping data with the PS3 version, however given that this game was in development when the PS3 was still fairly young, I can understand why the developer chose to do this with PES on the Playstation 2.

Graphically you can not fault PES 2008, it is just like having a 16:9 PS2 version in your pocket, the game looks absolutely perfect given the frantic pace. The replays also look fantastic, all the options are there to watch your goals from any angle, reliving your glory in anyway you want. Unfortunately the sound is pretty average, the crowds can feel a little quite sometimes and you really notice the lack of commentary which only appears at key moments, however given the limitations of the PSP, this is forgivable.

PES 2008 on the PSP is such an improvement on previous years that it is probably now one of the best games you will find on the PSP, it’s fast, frantic and addictive, in fact it is the perfect game of football and a great addition to the excellent catalogue of games currently gracing the PSP.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Capcom have finally got around to releasing Lost Planet: Extreme Condition on the PS3 however at over a year old, is the PS3 ready for a port of this previously exclusive 360 game and does this version bring anything new?

In Lost Planet: Extreme Condition you play as Wayne, who has been found in the ice fields of EDN III in a coma. Once revived Wayne wants to piece his life back together and seek revenge for the death of his father.

EDN is in the process of being terraformed and during the somewhere along the line the local bugs have taken offence to this and now attack at any given chance. Armed with only a handful of weapons Wayne goes out into the snow to find his past with his only real protection for the elements being his suit which is constantly using up energy and once this hits zero you will die, so this alone adds a real feel of urgency to the game. Thankfully you are able to recharge your suit by killing Akrids and collecting their energy.

One of the impressive parts of Lost Planet is the huge mechanical weapons, or VS units. These are large vehicles that Wayne can get into and make use of their offensive and defensive capabilities. Some are able to fly, some can traverse many types of terrain and others are just walking weapons. You are able to pick up an assortment of weapons for each VS unit and, if you feel like it, grab one for Wayne to use, however this does slow down your movement.

There are 11 stages to play through and each one is huge, making you play through Akrid infested caverns, mountains and Pirate camps. Every few stages presents you with a boss fight, and these guys are huge, the Akrid bosses tend to be easier as they have obvious weak spots but they are also more fun than the Pirate bosses (who tend to be VS units) as the Akrid will at times fill the screen.

Though a PS3 title the graphics and functionality of this game are somehow worse than the Xbox 360 version, which doesn’t really make sense considering that this version has had plenty of time to be perfected. The graphics do not seem as clear as the previous release and worst of all, the slowdown is still downright terrible on the more action packed fight scenes.

The multiplayer is still readily available and thanks to the PS3 Network is easier to use than the Xbox 360. There are 16 maps to play through and up to 16 players on each map allowing for some pretty mad fights. Once connected, the multiplayer games really are where the fun lies in this game, like most shooters there is nothing quite like playing against real people to really spice things up.

The PS3 version does offer a few additions over the 360 original, namely a few extra levels for multiplayer and some extra playable characters, each with their own abilities, and while the maps can be downloaded through Xbox Live it’s still nice to see that the game does offer PS3 owners something extra out of the box given the wait they have had for this game.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition unfortunately seems like too little too late at the end of the day, perhaps it would have been better for the devs to spend their time working on a new game rather than releasing a game which at the end of the day is an inferior version to the game previously released on the Xbox 360. If you can’t get enough of shooters and really need to try something new, then by all means give this a try, otherwise it is best to save your cash as there is certainly plenty on the horizon.

Overall Score: 7.6/10