PSP Roundup Comments by Joe Bennet

I'm hoping to get myself a PSP again, as i just recently bought four games very cheap (at least compared to usual prices here in Norway). For approximately £27 I got Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, Ridge Racer 2, Killzone: Liberation and Daxter.

Anyone tried connecting to a 32" LCD widescreen? How does the games look?

Syphon Filter isn't really a FPS. Just as Gears of War isn't. You'll always see your character even when aiming.

What about Silent Hill and Simpsons review (albeit the simpsons has been reviewed on other formats, but still) The SH review could see me investing in a second psp. Sold the first ages ago.

disappointed about sega rally -_-

Silent Hill's getting its own review.

Krudster, as ever I' in your debt.

f3rrari
Thank you.

Controls are also affected by the camera, which can cause many frustrating deaths with the controls not corresponding to the onscreen action. And instead of sending you to the next ledge on your right, pressing right sends you plummeting backwards to your death. Which is the sort of memory of 11 years ago we didn't need.


Funny, you sorta remember that wrong, because in the original TR controls were NOT affected by the camera, and death-plummets were caused solely by the player's lack of planning.

Even funnier since people seem to always rag on the "tank controls" while of course the imprecise camera-relative controls turn out to be much more frustrating if you have to do anything complex at all.

I expected such weak performance from Sega Rally and Dead Head Fred.

Have to say, though, I thought the camera in Tomb Raider was OK, didn't find frustrating. Although very often, one will have to turn the camera manually, there were also various ocasions where I found it helpful. TR is worth an 8 for me.

Looking forward to Syphon Filter then.

This Tomb Raider review sounds like the Wii RE4 one. Giving a bad score because of "bad controls" when they're actually decent (here) or near perfect (RE4).

"It's not all a bed of roses though. The AI varies from incredibly dumb to possessing an almost Colin Powell-esque ability to spot things even if there's no physical evidence of them"

Please put warnings before such sentences EG, I almost got coffee all over my keyboard XD

I thought Sega Rally on PSP was better than the home console versions. Can't wait to play Flatout on it. However, Disgaea is the real reason the PSP was created. Awesome stuff.

@OnlyMe

£27 for 4 games??? Pleeeeaase tell me that i can get this deal somewhere online!!!
If yes, can you please provide a link? Thanks :)

It was in a store here in Norway called Expert. Don't think the sale was offered anywhere else, but seing as Expert is a chain, it's possible it can be found elsewhere.

It's two for 150 NOK (around £13-£14).

It's also possible the sale was due to a new shopping center opening.

Umberty said: Surprised at the PSP camera problems they mention, not had anymore/less problems with odd camera views and/or random deaths than the PS2 version. The camera really isn't a problem as you tap triangle to quickly swing the camera behind Lara and hold L+R together will generally lock the view to the target you are fighting.

The camera problems really come into play when you're trying to do one of the ledge jumps/puzzles. Often the camera will swing round to a different angle, which makes navigating the ledge difficult and I found that trying to reposition the camera was often too time consuming and sometimes even refused to be repositioned as it got stuck on a wall.

It's also difficult in combat situations when you walk into a room and hear something but the camera takes so long to turn that you've often lost some health before you've been able to spot them. So locking on to them wasn't a problem, it was spotting them before they'd started chipping away at my health that I found an issue.

At the end of the day I had a lot more enjoyment and less frustration out of the dualshock controlled Lara than I did the PSP version, hence the score.

f3rrari wrote: Sega R. Finally each race takes about 45 seconds to load..

That sounds like ageS (sorry). The game looks ace. These slow loading times, are these for old or new (fadter loading) PSP?

They're for the older 'phat' PSP. They do start to frustrate if you're sitting down for more than 15 minutes play as they become very noticeable indeed, especially as laps take about a similar amount of time.

It does look very nice though, especially the in-car view. It does look a bit grainy though and not as slick looking as Wipeout for example.

FF Tactics: War of the Lions is all you need on your PSP :>

Missed it first time round and it is astonishingly compulsive to play, I just have to wrestle the PSP from my other half who can't stop playing Lmines II.

Syphon Filter looks interesting, it's just I never see the point of those type of games on a Handheld unless it is your primary and therefore only games system.

The camera issues in TR don't surprise me, Crystal Dynamics are simply following the rule that if its broke don't fix it. TR on the PS1 simply locked the camera behind Lara, which was perfection; directional controls are shit if you can't even walk in a straight line because the camera moved. I think they call this "progress"?

SEGA Rally is great, after buying it I bought Crush and Final Fantasy Tactics and barely touched either until I'd got 10 points in every single race and unlocked every car and track. It's much more a successor to the Arcade original than the big console versions, which gave me not a lick of pleasure. The AI is savage, the replays are short and sweet, and although there's a small number of tracks they are well mixed throughout the events. Finishing it in 5 hours is just a spectacular excercise in missing the point.

And why the hell is the sequel to what is arguably the best game on the system shoved in a round-up, with only 6 small paragraphs? No offense Joe, but I'd have got more info reading the back of the box.

"Weighing in at a hefty 20-25 hours in length, Dead Head Fred outstays it's welcome and never really elevates above being a fun yet ultimately frustrating platform-cum-action adventure game."

"Its" is a possessive pronoun. Its interpretation is something like "that which belongs to it", where "it" stands for some previously defined object.

May pick up Syphone Filter, having missed the first PSP isntallment.

Anniversary on the PSP is no substitute for Anniversary on the PS2, 360 or (probably) PC, but remains a fantastic experience in its own right. My take, if anyone's interested.

I would leave Syphon filter, cus you know they are going to port it to Ps2.

Unfortunately, if the reviews are anything to go by, the PS2 port won't be as good as the PSP versions.

Umberty, as I said at the bottom of the review, while I didn't think it was as good as the PS2 version, if you're patient and prepared to suffer cheap deaths, then it's unlikely to disappoint. It also wasn't me who did the PS2 review.

And as the EG scoring guide states: "A game scored six is 'good', and many of its audience will enjoy it...(snip)...and, depending on taste and tolerance of certain issues, it might be something you wouldn't be ashamed to have bought"

That sums up Tomb Raider for me. Those that love the series or have a fond memory for the original will be fine with the control and camera issues and will enjoy this game. It is not however going to convert anybody that finds these issues infuriating or just doesn't really enjoy the Tomb Raider series as much as say Prince of Persia. Remember 6's on EG aren't bad scores and TR did even come close to getting a 7.

I hope that puts it into perspective.

To be honest, it would have been a high 7/low 8 for me, but everybody's opinion is different.

I can honestly see why someone would give it (PS2 version) a 9 and someone else give it a 6. It's one of 'those' games where some people can appreciate the things it does so well and ignore the failures and vice-versa. I think I sat right in the middle of those two groups, enjoying it but also having a few too many 'gnnnnngh' moments to take it into near classic status.

Opinions on Sega Rally PSP vary so wildly!

I've not tried it yet, but it seems like one of those Marmite games.

Gran Turismo'ers who hate arcadey games will hate it I guess. I'll grab it from the bargain bins I reckon.

"The AI varies from incredibly dumb to possessing an almost Colin Powell-esque ability to spot things even if there's no physical evidence of them..."

lol. Careful chaps.

Wow 40+ posts and still no mention of the DS! :)

I just might get a PSP Slim next year if I can find it secondhand for under fifty notes.. The emulators are certainly tempting, and the DPG format on the small DS screen is hardly a decent way to watch video on the go. The library still leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe that'll change now the PSP is actually selling? You won't catch me gaming on the thing unless everyone else is okay about it! :D

Syphon Filter sounds good - seems a shame it wasn't given its own review though.

Also one for the Sega Rally PSP "hooray!" camp. Been enjoying it a lot. The race loading time is a bit much, but nothing game-destroying, really. The handling is very different from the new console versions, but I found it sort of closer to the original arcade game in feel.

A few cheap deaths does not turn a 9/10 game into a 6/10 one. TR Anniv is an incredible achievement and although I wouldn't suggest playing it over one of it's bigger sisters it's still worthwhile. A solid 8 from me. SEGA Rally bothers me too, as the preview comments on how they 'nailed the handling' whilst the review here pans it. Now, I'm well aware opinions may differ so I won't criticise the reviewer but having played it I'm inclined to agree with the preview ;-)

Still some superb content on the PSP though.

Murbal wrote: A few cheap deaths does not turn a 9/10 game into a 6/10 one.
No you're quite right, it doesn't. However it does turn a 7/10 game into a 6/10 one (please see above discussion where we've already covered this).

Reference the Sega Rally handling, reading other reviews seems to be pretty unanimous in that the handling is overly slippery and that rubbing against barriers doesn't provide enough of a penalty. I don't think I was alone. Horses for courses though (not that Sega Rally has horses of course) which is what the 6 indicates; some will get on with it, others won't enjoy it as much.

Good stuff Mr Kentmonkey! Nice to see one of "our own" on the front page. Good roundup too!

Peej

Fair enough Kent! I guess I felt a little put out as those are two titles I've enjoyed more than most this year ;-)

Since when did you start reviewing for EG, Kent? :)

Anyway, I thought Sega Rally was dull, and the handling was all over the place. It's certainly playable enough once you get to grips with it, but there's far better racers om the PSP to be wasting your time with.

I also agree that Syphon Filter needed a proper review, it's the sequel to one of the best games on the system (although curiously it seems to have had a much lower profile).

K

Why not give each reviewed game it's own article? This is pure laziness and I expect better son. Dead Head Fred 7.5/10 for me. Bizarski on me bare arski.

"The AI varies from incredibly dumb to possessing an almost Colin Powell-esque ability to spot things even if there's no physical evidence of them"

GLOL. Great line.

"death-plummets were caused solely by the player's lack of planning."

Incorrect. In the original there were times when it was impossible to get the camera facing in the correct direction so you could see where you wanted to go.

directional controls are shit if you can't even walk in a straight line because the camera moved.


Best single sentence to sum up this problem that I've heard. :) I don't know why people seem to love the new PoP style TR controls so much. They're a step backwards.

Why?

Incorrect. In the original there were times when it was impossible to get the camera facing in the correct direction so you could see where you wanted to go.


You clearly don't remember the original (or any of the other first 5, for that matter). Unlike some modern games, in TR the pull-camera-behind-you button ALWAYS worked. Sure, it might float back to where it was if you let the button go, but you always had the opportunity to properly plan your jumps. And plan them was all you had to do, since after the initial planning, maneuvers could literally (and I mean literally) be performed with your eyes closed, no retarded camera adjusted controls to worry about.

That's why.

I never experienced much trouble with the PoP-style semi-automatic camera adjustments personally. The odd dodgy moment here and there.

I never experienced much trouble with the PoP-style semi-automatic camera adjustments personally. The odd dodgy moment here and there.

That's because PoP is EXTREMELY forgiving with its ledge-grab-detection (for lack of a better word). The jumping system is so rigid it often allows you just about one single jump trajectory, and at landing your character is sometimes literally pulled automatically towards a ledge by invisible elastic band or something.

This absolutely huge error margin is basically proof of what I'm saying. It's as if the developers simply admitted it: "yeah we know this control system sucks, so here's a ridiculous amount of movement aid to make up for it".

PoP was a fine game, don't get me wrong, but surely you can't deny sometimes feeling as if you weren't really in control but were kind of just pushing the prince along a rail.

I was referring to the PoP-style camera used by Anniversary, not that of PoP itself. In my opinion, the former strikes a more or less satisfactory balance between the fully manual, cumbersome original TR camera and Ubisoft's prescripted-to-the-point-of-baby-sitting variation.

I agree with your assessment of PoP's rather forgiving platform mechanics, though I certainly wouldn't say the controls sucked. Prince of Persia isn't so much a platformer as an exercise in feeling superhuman :)

It's funny that the original TRs were published by Eidos, which also published the first, worst early offenders in the "roaming camera causes death" genre, in Deathtrap Dungeon and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. The latter would actually turn you off course mid-jump, so even perfectly lined up jumps would miss ledges if the camera panned around. That game was also made by Crystal Dynamics.

In TR 1,2,3,4 and Chronicles, Up was always forwards, wherever you or the camera faced. If the developer offers the player inadequate control over the camera, the least they can do is replace directional controls with rotational ones, especially when the game's had months of extra developement time.