EB Games Expo 2013 – The Highlights and the Lowlights - Part 1

Posted by Daniel Mann

This past week marked the third annual EB Games Expo here in Sydney Australia. The big talk of this year had to be the Next Generation of Gaming Consoles taking front and centre stage. The big three companies were all in attendance showcasing each respective 2013 Christmas Line-up. I was curious to get some hands on time with as many games across as many platforms as I possibly could.

As the convention doors opened, I made a beeline for Sony’s booth, where I was greeted with a wide variety of titles spread across the three respective platforms in the PlayStation family. After spending some lengthy time trying out a whole host of games spanning from AAA killer hits such as Killzone: Shadow Fall to niche Indie titles like Hohokum, I then proceeded to the Xbox Booth where I patiently waited in queue for Sixty Minutes to try out Microsoft’s killer app Titan Fall. I also had a chance to try out the rest of its very solid launch line-up. Finally, I closed out the expo with a visit to Nintendo’s paltry booth where there were a handful of quality Nintendo titles to be played.

Walking away from the expo, I couldn’t help but feel most impressed with Sony’s booth as a whole. In terms of content and diversity, Sony delivered the most. Microsoft’s presentation was in a word, solid but lacking diversity. Meanwhile, it was Nintendo booth that continued to break my heart with its paltry offerings that just continued to scream of the “Wii Give Up” attitude that the whole company has seemingly adopted as of late.

But lets face it; it’s the games you want to know about. So without further ado, here is a rundown of everything I saw and played. Starting with the PlayStation Booth

PlayStation 4

Killzone Shadow Fall – If there is one game you’re going to want to pick up with your PS4 at launch speaking from a visual perspective then Killzone: Shadow Fall is easily the hands down pick. Shadow Fall is one gorgeous looking launch title. Out of all of the PS4 titles on display, it was definitely the premier title to admire with its superior lighting effects and art design. Being limited to only play the Multiplayer component, which notably runs with ease at what looked to be a solid 60fps. We were offered a very simple Team Death Match. Thankfully, the game not only looks great but also plays great courtesy of the Dual Shock 4.

The Dual Shock 4 is a noticeable improvement all around. This fact was most notable while playing a session of Killzone. The Analog Sticks on the DS4 finally have resistance. They are a little tighter, a little more responsive and packing less of a dead zone. The sticks have more of a centre, now resembling the current Xbox 360 controller. The triggers are also a drastic improvement as they actually have a little more of a concave to them unlike the DS3 and its half-baked approach to triggers. The improvements made to the DS4 were definitely reflected the most in KZ as snapping to targets seemed far more responsive then it ever has before.

It may suffer from being another First Person Shooter in a long line of First Person Shooters. But if you’re in the market for another FPS then Killzone will be right up your alley.

Drive Club – First things first, I like the ideas of having a constant online social hub that Drive Club is toying with. But the demo left me slightly underwhelmed. The vehicle physics are just a little too floaty for my liking. The two vehicles I tested felt weightless and in need of further tweaking. Graphically speaking, the game flourishes some rather nice bloom lighting in its impressive scenic detail. The car models themselves are also expectedly nicely detailed in every respect. Performance at this point in time was a little on the unstable side as the frame rate noticeably dropped below 30 fps more often then not. I like the Social Aspect that the game has going for it but I think the physics engine is in need of further tweaking before release.

Hohokum – I’ll be absolutely honest with you, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing as I played Hohokum. In the twenty minutes I spent playing, I found myself lost without a sense of purpose, Asking the attendants for help didn’t fare much better as they too had trouble explaining what it was I was supposed to be doing. But none the less, I did find myself lost in its art style. An art style that is undeniably drop-dead gorgeous with its Loco Roco inspired vibe. In Hohokum, you play as a flying Serpent Creature who you control floating around an open world with no real objective or purpose. Making it very much an Abstract game in the vein of Flower. It is undeniably charming. I just wish I knew what it was I was supposed to be doing in it.

Knack –Knack is clearly aiming to be a throw back to Platformers of yesteryear. With its fixed camera perspective and its over-reliance on tight corridor linear level design, you can’t help but instantly be reminded of Crash Bandicoot. Unfortunately, that nostalgic charm is also a downfall as Knack is just a little too reliant on archaic mechanics from yesteryear. With its over reliance on a linear path and simple puzzle mechanics, it just didn’t do much to really stand out. For a platformer, it was just a little too easy and empty for my liking.

The character of Knack has potential to charm but in execution the gameplay ultimately lets it down the most.

Octodad: Deadliest Catch – Octodad, oh how you left me with a big old smile on my face the entire time I played you. Ridiculously charming and I am leaving it at that.

PS Vita

Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate – Of all the Vita games on display, Blackgate was the one I was most surprised to see and the one I was most anxious to play. So just how well does Rocksteady’s winning formula work on the PlayStation Vita? Turns out it translates rather well. The demo consisted of a forced tutorial section that guided us through the many familiar mechanics. You can still zip line up to dormant statues above ground and hide from enemies within the shadows. A simple touch of the touch screen puts you into the familiar detective mode. The hand-to-hand combat system from the console big brothers remains in tact. All of the familiar voice actors return, this time accompanied by beautifully hand drawn comic book panel cut scenes. Rest assured Batman fans, Blackgate is very much what you have come to expect from the award winning Rocksteady formula. Only now, it’s contained in a 2.5D Metroidvania style.

Tearaway – The most impressive thing about Media Molecule’s Tearaway is that it is the first game on the Vita to use every single one of the PS Vita’s unique features whilst somehow managing to avoid it feeling gimmicky or tacked on. Naturally it is a game built from the ground up with such features in mind. From having a photo of your own face emanate through the Sun helping to give the illusion that you are a god looking in and manipulating this paper created world. Using the back touch literally poke your finger through the groundwork of that same world and smite your enemies is completely second nature. On paper, Tearaway should be an over crowded gimmick fest. In execution, it is anything but. Instead, it’s a very well thought out platformer that makes excellent use of the Vita’s features. Definitely a must play when it gets released later this year.

Invisimals Vita – Sony’s somewhat popular Augmented Reality Monster Collecting game returns on the PlayStation Vita. If you’ve played any of this games on the PSP then expect more of the same here. It’s literally another game of pointing the PS Vita camera and then watching a Pocket Monster appear on screen and as such, interact with the world.

Check back in the Next Few Days for Part Two where we will cover the Xbox Booth and its Incredibly Solid Line-up