Any chapter in the Mass Effect story has a responsibility to shoulder. In a time when so many games are over in a 6-hour flash and rely heavily on multiplayer for any sort of longevity, Mass Effect 3 has to deliver the thick storytelling that practically all contemporary titles lack.

We played through the first 90-minutes odd of the game at a preview event to get a feel for what Mass Effect 3 is going to offer when the game launches in March. Talking to a spokesperson from BioWare, we got confirmation that this instalment will be similar in length to Mass Effect 2, so that's about 60 hours of gaming, with plenty of replay value based on how you approach the game.

You get to pick your game style at the outset. You can play it as an action game, with the dialogue section playing as cutscenes rather than user triggered section. Many, if not most, will elect for the traditional RPG approach, or you could play in story mode, which cuts down the difficulty of the combat.?

There is plenty of scene-setting as the game opens and some stunning graphics too. There will be some spoilers in what we cover here, but nothing that should ruin your game experience, given the length and variety it offers. If you've seen the trailers, you've been given a good taster on what is to come anyway.

Mass Effect 3 is similar in look and feel to Mass Effect 2, although there has been some obvious tweaking to character modelling in cutscenes. We thought things looked a little too shiny in ME3, but it was smooth and detailed, with masses of attention in faces that reflect tension and stress, which is important to building the central story.

Our man from BioWare told us that the preview portion we were playing was almost finished, so aside from the occasional pause in animation, there was very little to complain about.?

The opening is rather cinematic, and like Mass Effect 2, there is plenty of rich storytelling to get you going. Nothing happens without reason and there is context to everything. Starting out in Mass Effect 3, the context comes from the previous games.?

As such, if you're a newcomer to the game, some of those familiar faces, who nod in recognition or surprise, will be lost on you. But you're not left high and dry: there is enough here to set you off on the right path, and even if you're not totally conversant with Mass Effect lore, you get eased in gently enough.?

Returning as Commander Shepard, Mass Effect 3 sees you battling to save the Earth from the invasion of the Reapers. The action opens with the huge Reaper ships dropping from the sky to tear your world apart. This is where the first playable prologue section begins too, which will quickly outline the main controls as you fight your way to extraction on the Normandy.

With the Reapers ripping the place up, you take Shepard through the smashed city, up and down ladders, jumping gaps and vaulting walls, outlining the skills you'll need in the game to come. The controls are very much as they were previously, although the menus have been redesigned slightly to power-up various skills, but not drastically so.

If anything, you might find that there is a little too much dependency on the A button when it comes to control. It opens doors, it puts you in cover, vaults cover, it makes you sprint. That means you're juggling different actions through the same control based on the game situation. We were cut down several times trying to sprint to cover and duck, but instead vaulting over that cover, into the line of fire.

But this is partly due to the complexity that Mass Effect 3 brings with it. It's not just shooting from the hip, it's a whole range of other actions and skills too, all of which have to be mapped on to a console controller. At least it's easy enough to assign powers to buttons to get things running the way you want.?

You'll finally make your way on to the Normandy, but not before Mass Effect 3 throws down one of its emotional story hooks. A boy sheltering in air ducts (invoking memories of Newt from Aliens) that you tried to rescue, makes his way on to a transport ship, only to be annihilated by the Reapers. Mass Effect isn't scared to tell its story and it's delivered with more skill and maturity than the brutal shock value of something like Homefront.

Having made your escape from Earth, you're off to a colony on Mars on an information gathering mission, the first proper level of Mass Effect 3. The destination is the Prothean Archives, but this isn't simply the case of waltzing in. Almost as soon as you've set foot on the red dust of Mars' surface, you'll find things aren't going to be that simple.?

You'll get to put your gunplay to the test here as well as find, swap and upgrade weapons as you roam around. Now that you have the semblance of a team forming, you'll also be able to command your teammates and start to get to grips with the various powers you have at your disposal. In this section you'll be reunited with Liara and have to put her skills into play. Even in these early sections, it becomes apparent just how much you can come to depend on your allies.

Even playing in action mode, you can't just shoot your way through. You'll need to use everything at your disposal - there isn't enough ammunition for sustained gunfights, after all. And yes, we did find ourselves faced with an empty clip and multiple skirmishing enemies on several occasions.?As you proceed through this level on Mars the plot thickens. As with the opening levels of Mass Effect 2, you're fed information in tiny amounts as the plot twists and squirms, throwing out surprises as it reveals itself.

We leave this intense, but satisfying, re-introduction to the world of Mass Effect with a thirst for more. To us Mass Effect 3 already feels like it will be an unmissable title for 2012 and as we've seen with Mass Effect 2, it's likely to deliver that deep satisfaction that many games currently lack.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 PS3 PC games mass effect 3 BioWare EA

Mass Effect 3 hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Sony has decided to ditch the accounts part of its PlayStation Network, with all user data now part of the? renamed "Sony Entertainment Network accounts" or "SEN accounts" group.

Contrary to reports elsewhere on the net however, the change doesn't mean a complete re-branding; the Sony PlayStation Network (PSN) will remain but the move is part of Sony's plan to group all of its digital media offerings under one big umbrella. The SEN account enables use of Sony’s non-game services such as Music Unlimited, Video Store and PlayMemories Online (previously called Personal Space) across a variety of network-connected devices.

"This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering," read an official statement.

"As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with Sony Entertainment Network. This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account."

The change on the accounting side could be seen as the first sign of a move away from the PSN name; a name that took quite a bashing back in April last year after an "external intrusion" that affected 77 million registered accounts meant the online gaming platform was out of action for weeks.

However, Sony recently announced an operating loss of $1.176 billion for the last quarter of 2011 and a net loss of $2.038 billion on revenue of $23.37 billion, so the move could be seen as a signal that Sony is keen to more closely align its digital media offerings with the PlayStation group of products. After all, despite the huge PSN hiccup last year, PlayStation is still a massively successful brand for the company.

Either way, your PlayStation Network account is dead... long live your Sony Entertainment Network one.

Tags: Gaming Sony PlayStation PSN Playstation Network PS3

PlayStation Network tweaks its accounts branding to Sony Entertainment Network originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:21:00 +0000

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the single-player role-playing game due for release by Electronic Arts on 10 February, is the forerunner to a MMO that has been in development since 2006. There had been confusion over whether developer 38 Games would continue with its original plans for an online game set in the same world, but executive art director Todd McFarlane has confirmed to Pocket-lint that the multi-player game is still on the cards.

In addition, the comic book figurehead and toy manufacturer explained to us that the standalone EA title is actually a prequel to the MMO Kingdoms of Amalur (codenamed "Copernicus") and is set 1,000 years beforehand.

Speaking about Curt Schilling, former World Series-winning baseball pitcher and founder of 38 Games, McFarlane explained that the origin of KoA was solely as an MMO: "He wanted to do, initially, an online fantasy game, so R.A. [Salvadore, the fantasy author] and I started and we started developing the MMO game."

But when Schilling bought Big Huge Games - a company formerly owned by THQ which was developing its own RPG - the studio decided also to turn its attention to a single-player game. "He decided, 'Hey, why don't I develop two games at once. One on the console and still continue the MMO game'," McFarlane said.

"And R.A. Salvadore had done such an extensive back story that spanned 10,000 years, it was fairly easy for us to then say, 'Let's just back this up about 1,000 years and use some of the same elements, show what the world will look like from a different point of view'. Of course, it'll all be new to the customers."

However, while there will be a Kingdoms of Amalur MMO game eventually, McFarlane will not be using his comic book or toy-making skills to create merchandise around the property. At least, not yet. "Curt was very ambitious at the very beginning," he said. "His hope is that you have Reckoning 4 some day, and along with that, there would be the comics, the novels and the toys. Maybe a full-length feature movie. He's pretty ambitious about it. But we have to put out a product that's worthy of attention first.

"The consumers will basically tell us whether we got it right or wrong. And the demand from that will tell us whether we get to do the other?ancillary?stuff."?

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will be available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 from 10 February.

Tags: Gaming Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning Xbox 360 PC PS3 Electronic Arts Todd McFarlane 38 Studios

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning confirmed to be prequel to MMO originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:29:00 +0000

CES 2012 may have been dominated by OLED and progressively "Smart"er TVs, but there's one product that caught our eye that wasn't quite as big an announcement, but as tasty nonetheless; gaming peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz has joined forces with the Major League Gaming Pro Circuit to create a joypad that all hardcore gamers worldwide will be drooling over.

The Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller is shaped like an Xbox 360 control pad, even if you buy the PS3 version (professional gamers, like us, prefer that form factor), but it is fully customisable, so you can set the thumbsticks, D-pad or weight (in the hand) however you like.

The face- and sideplates can be removed and swapped out for new ones, with shiny and matt black options in the pack, however it is what is under the fascia that's more important. Once removed, you can see some markings near all of the thumb modules, which signify that they can be taken out and replaced.

Coming with the controller are two sets of PS3 DualShock-style analogue thumbsticks, two that ape the Xbox 360's, a DualShock-style D-pad and an Xbox 360-style D-pad. You can then mix and match all of these components to make the controller fit your exact specifications. The modules are incredibly well built and sturdy (more so than their official equivalents, we'd say), and the company plans to release add-ons of all shapes and sizes as and when the pro-gamers request.

And that's not all. Like with a customised set of darts or snooker cue for serious players, the MLG Controller can be weighted to a player's ideal specification. As it?is wired (wireless is just not as responsive for tournament play), the battery compartment at the back can be unclipped and small weights can be added or removed to give the correct balance. It may sound like overly obsessive stuff, but you only need to hold one for a second to get it.

You may even require different balances and configurations for different games or genres, and for this the controller is perfect. Indeed, even if you're only half serious about your gaming, we're pretty sure, from our CES fondle, that the Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller will help improve scores dramatically, no matter the game.

Of course, this doesn't come cheap... but surprisingly less than we expected. It is currently available in the US for $99.99, which could translate to ?89.99 in the UK in the near future, we're told. But, even from our brief dabble, we reckon it is worth every penny.

Tags: Gaming Mad Catz CES2012 Xbox 360 PS3 Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller

Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:20:00 +0000

As staying in is the new going out, what better way to brighten up your New Year's Eve party than firing up your console and playing some party games?

Games don't have to be solitary experiences, and no, we're not suggesting you fire up Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer to frag your buddies into 2012 (although we guess many will). And fun-filled gaming isn't just the reserve of the Nintendo Wii either - the Xbox 360 and the PS3 have a great selection of games to play.

And it doesn't have to be just be Wii Party, Mario Party or the PS3's Start the Party, there are plenty of options out there. Here are some of our favourites.

Dance Central 1 and 2

It doesn't matter which version you have, although obviously the latest version will be a little more refreshing for anyone who has played the game before. Dance Central uses Kinect to track your dancing movements, following the lead on-screen. Additional fun comes from breaking out in the freestyle section, which plays back in high speed to much hilarity.

It's a great game for participants and spectators, both before you pack the kids off to bed and after. Adults can always add variety by adding forfeits for poor performance: strip Dance Central anyone?

Review: Dance Central, Dance Central 2

SingStar

There are a wealth of karaoke games across platforms (We Sing, Lips, Karaoke Revolution), but we consider SingStar on the PS3 to be the champion of console singing titles, but that's probably down to the many hours we've lost to it, warbling our way through a bit of Take That or Elton John. But there is also a huge catalogue of discs and SingStore tracks to choose from, covering different genres, decades and individual artists. Again, great for the whole family, just get those wireless mics charged and ready.

Having said that, we couldn't resist sharing this video of X Factor's Kitty Brucknell belting out a We Sing classic.

Review: SingStar, Lips, We Sing (quick play)

Rock Band or Guitar Hero

People will argue whether to go with Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but set either game up in your front room and you've got an instant party. Rock Band looks to have emerged victorious, with Guitar Hero on haitus for 2011. Thanks to the instruments it takes a little more skill to get through it than either Dance Central or SingStar, so not as approachable for some, whilst those hardcore fans could take it far too seriously.

Again, pour a little alcohol into the adults and hours of fun will ensue, even if it costs you a little more to get up and gaming than with some other titles.

Review: Rock Band, Guitar Hero 6

Kinect Adventures

It may have been the launch title for Kinect, but it contains a good variety of games so you're sure to find something to play along with. They're pretty short too, so it's easy to swap people around so everyone gets to play. If you've never seen Kinect in action, then it's a perfect introduction, requires little thought and will result in little embarrassment. Importantly, it can be played fairly quietly, whereas some music games can't.

It's also incredibly easy and fun for kids to get involved with, thanks to its lively gameplay. You can work up quite a sweat playing Kinect Adventures, so be sure to refresh yourself and don't hog all the action.

Mario Kart

Where the Wii really comes into it's own is with Mario Kart. Racing with all your favourite characters using the Wii Mote has never been easier and is simple for anyone to pick up and play. It also lets you set up a variety of players quickly and easily. Of course, winning at Mario Kart can involve a great deal of skill, so it's worth getting in some hours of practice before someone throws down the gauntlet.

We've tried party gaming with Forza Motorsport 4 and a strange thing happens. The men crowd around, they gawp at the graphics and then things get very, very, serious. By all means try it, but expect it to descend into silence and cursing. Wives and girlfriends will probably tut, until one of them steps up and beats you round the Nurburgring in a hot hatch.

Review: Mario Kart, Forza Motorsport 4

Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Kinect Sports

It's due to the many hours of playing Wii Sports with ridiculous massive-headed Mii, that we can't leave it off the list. Some sports games take themselves a little too seriously, but Wii Sports isn't guilty of that. The funniest thing about Wii Sports often isn't the game itself, but the replay. Seeing your Mii waving a tennis racquet wildly around never fails to amuse.

Wii Sports Resort serves up much the same, but if you're of the Xbox 360 pent, you'll probably be looking at Kinect Sports, or Kinect Sports: Season Two instead (the latter being better, with video above). Just avoid Sports Champions for PlayStation Move: it's as dull as dish water and a sure party stopper.

Review: Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Kinect Sports, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Sports Champions

Wii Music

Wii Music is approachable and can be taken seriously, or ridiculously. It's perhaps not as much fun on first glance as some of the other music games, but what it builds into can be wonderful. It's probably best played with someone who's never seen it before, so you can dump them in the dog suit and watch the hilarity unfold.

But it does encourage you all to get together, so if you want to get more people involved at the same time, then it's definitely worth considering.

Review: Wii Music

Tekken or Street Fighter

Here comes a new challenger! Something about Tekken and Street Fighter continues to appeal, although we prefer the early versions and are grateful that our PS3 plays PS2 games. Short fights, ridiculous moves and nothing too intense gives an enduring quality to both fighting titles.

The interesting things about both Tekken and Street Fighter is that almost anyone who has played computer games over the past 20 years has played some version of these two. And every time we spring it on an unsuspecting party guest, they roll back 15 years, pick their favourite character and remember that special move. Guile surely owns Street Fighter, despite the unfortunate casting of Van Damme in the 1994 movie. On the Tekken front, it has to be Jin. Or Heihatchi. Or just one of the girls.

Tags: Gaming Consoles Xbox 360 Nintendo Wii PS3

Best console party games for New Year's Eve originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000