The Good PSX Guide: From 1993 to the Future of Gaming

Doom and Doom 2 recently landed on PS4. I picked them both up for under a fiver. I couldn't resist. So far, I've played these games on PS1, PS3 and now PS4. Why? Well they're just fucking great fun and glorious in their simplicity. If it moves... kill it!!!

How do we kill? With an array of satisfying weapons like the Shotgun, Super Shotgun, Chain Gun, Chainsaw, Rocket Launcher, Plasma Gun and BFG. Puzzles aren't particularly tough, it's usually find the red, blue and yellow keys to open doors and kill more monsters. Look, Doom doesn't need any more plaudits from me. It was a marvel in its day and it's still shark week level of fun now... 7/10. Doom trophy count:  56% Doom 2 trophy count: 47%

Let's move this on to some state of the art games...

Red Dead Redemption 2:


This isn't so much a game as much as it is a fucking project! Thankfully is a hugely enjoyable project and a game that genuinely packs an emotional punch. If you don't know already, RDR2 is a prequel to the also quite brilliant Red Dead Redemption. That game featured John Marston as its protagonist and a likable old goat he was too. This time around John is part of your gang and while he is still the same John, he's very green around the ears. That's where you come in. You play Arthur Morgan, a much more experienced gun hand. He's seen it all, done it all and while he is as tough as a bag of nails, he has grown wiser in his old age. He just wants to live in relative peace... with his gang. And that's the problem. No matter what way you cut this, you're in a gang. You can play all the Robin Hood card bollocks you want, you're a murderer and a thief...

The gang leader Dutch Van Der Linde, has managed to keep the gang together for a long time but you get the impression from a very early stage in this game that he's losing his grip. Arthur as his number two tries desperately to keep him on some kind of decent path but Dutch has taken Micah Bell under his wing and he is a pure psychopath. Dutch is trying to stay alive, Arthur is trying to atone. This is the heart of the game and John Marston is caught right in the middle.

I won't go much further into the story... it's an absolute doozie. There are all manner of weird and wonderful characters to enjoy, to kill and to save. The missions are also incredibly varied. You can choose to stick to the main plot but side quests are an absolute joy.

It is accurate to say RDR2 is GTA5 in the Wild West. Both games boast incredible attention to detail but while GTA5 looks great, RDR2 looks absolutely stunning. My poor PS4 was having a heart attack running this game. I've never seen any game quite so visually jaw dropping. The dramatic backdrop of the Wild West is an obvious eye catcher but the game also shines in the grittiness of the time. Dutch and his gang live in hard times. They sleep in camps and you can nearly smell them as you play. I occasionally took Arthur to a nearby town to have a meal and a bath... just to make him feel better...

Another advantage over GTA5 are the gun fights, they are infinitely more satisfying in this game than GTA5 and the mechanics work much better too. Shootouts in a Wild West game are kind of important. They need to be enjoyable. RDR2 goes above and beyond to make them memorable.

Red Dead 2 is a near perfect game. I guess if I had any qualms with it, it's probably that having played Red Dead 1, I could tell early on where this was going to go... but that doesn't mean I didn't thoroughly enjoy getting there. I truly did. The game has a coda that goes on a bit too long but that's a small gripe. I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear a couple of times while playing. The reason being that this is a damn fine piece of entertainment with a top notch script and quality voice acting. I wonder what my Dad would have made of it had he lived to see it. He wasn't a gaming fan but he loved westerns... Anyway, if you haven't played this by now, please do so before the PS4 is replaced by PS5. It will drop your jaw.. a lot. Score: 9/10. Trophy Count: 40%

So down I came on Christmas morning and found a box under the tree from my wife. In it: PSVR with 5 games. Resident Evil 7, Skyrim, Everybody's Golf, Playstation Worlds and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission.

I want to talk about PSVR in general for a second. If you have the means, you absolutely should get this for your PS4. It is INCREDIBLE. And I don't mean in a gimmicky kind of way. This has legs. How do I know? Well I played Resident Evil 7 the regular way, more on that in a while and I'm currently playing it for a second time in PSVR. I thoroughly enjoyed it on my couch playing it the traditional way but playing it on PSVR is a huge step up in terms of terror. It's actually so scary that I can't really play it by myself at night time... it's just too much. I'll come back to that...

Niggles? Well, there's a good few wires that come with it. This is basically old technology cobbled together to bring you a brand new experience. There's the Playstation camera that sits atop your television. There's a small black box that links into your PS4 and television with hdmi cables and the headset which looks slick enough but is also wired into the black box... Still all of this is immediately forgotten when you start playing... Let's get to the good stuff.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission.

I had been told this was the definitive PSVR game and I'd find it hard to go back to regular platform games... this is 100% true. Astro Bot is just a wonderful, immersive adventure full of cute humor and incredibly immersive gameplay.


Astro Bot is flying around space with over 200 of his astro buddies in their ship when they are attacked by a giant green monster... an asshole. All the bots are scattered across 5 worlds and your job is to rescue them and get them back on their ship. Many of them are hidden quite well... you don't have to find them all but I found it impossible to abandon them...

Now, when you start the game a see through playstation controller appears in front of your face and you place your controller inside it. Into your controller jumps the only Astro Bot to escape the attack and off you go together on your rescue mission.


The first level will absolutely blow your mind. It's a nice intro to the game and while you control the bot it takes about 5 seconds to get used to the fact that you're sort of following him into the game... Turn around, you're in the game. As mind blowing as the first level is, the game is only warming up. There's a beach/sea level that left my jaw agape for the majority. Lava levels feature, the first is a doozie and it plays like the mine cart scene from Temple of Doom. Absolute adrenaline!! After every 5 levels you face a boss. They're all huge but their size is matched by the sense of humour the game revels in. I mentioned in my previous blog that I may or may not play Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3. Astro Bot is why. It's just really hard to imagine going back to regular platforming regardless of quality.

I haven't quite platinumed Astro Bot yet but I will. Score: 9/10. Trophy Count: 78%

Resident Evil 7.


After the absolute dreck that was RE6, the pressure was on to deliver something special. Such was the damage done by the previous installment that I wasn't in any way arsed by the release of this game. Didn't even watch a clip. I waited, as I always do, for a huge price drop. When it came, I picked it up for €20 only after checking reviews which were universally enthusiastic.

You play Ethan. You receive an email from your girlfriend Mia, who's been missing for three years. You drive to where she leads you. Ever seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Well that's basically the setting for a lot of this game. A shitty run down horrible mansion and the family inside are all fucking repugnant, hillbilly vermin. They've been abducting people for a while now but you do get a sense that they're probably victims in all this too.

It's worth saying that the game looks incredible! No expense spared in the development. Bravo!

Anyway, after quickly being captured by the psychotic family and tortured at their dinner table you manage to escape. As you search the house for Mia, you're stalked by the man of the house, Jack Baker. Like Tyrant in RE2 you're better off running and conserving ammo. This isn't always possible though so be ready to shoot.

As the game progresses you will unravel the mystery of the mansion and there's a couple of fun plot swerves.

So is it scary? Yes! A thousand times yes. This without a doubt the most disturbing game of the series. As stated, the creepy Deliverance/TCM vibe is relentlessly awful. The creatures are pretty good too. A bit of a departure from the usual resi fare but that's fine. It was time for a change and they are effective.

I'm currently on my second playthrough and I'm doing it PSVR style. This game was creepy enough on my couch. However, put that headset on and enter this world and shit. Gets. REAL! While being attacked by a creature within the game I took too many steps back and was up against my wall gun pointing in sheer terror. Beads of sweat falling from my forehead. I still can't play it alone in the house 😂

The game loses a touch of its graphical flair in psvr mode but honestly, I'm too fucking terrified to worry about slight downscaling when I'm trying not to scream. It also gains points with the wonderful aiming system. You use your visor to aim. In other words, you look left you shoot left, you look right you shoot right. You'll see the gun target move where you look. Look at Jack Baker's face... That's where you'll shoot him.

Ultimately, this is a triumph. The opening hour or so is chock full of incredible jump scares and the sense of fear is almost overwhelming. However, like all the best resi games you improve as you progress. The story is interesting. And your weapons make things easier. I'd say play it as normal first and when you clear it use the reward gun you got from your first playthrough in the psvr run. You'll appreciate it... believe me.

Score 9.5/10 Trophy Count: 45%

That's enough for now. I'll come back with a few more PSVR gems a bit of sport and even more Doom... though God knows when.

Stay Safe y'all and as I always say: Always wait for sale price when buying games!

Thanks for reading,

G.

The Good PSX Guide: Remastered Bastards!

 

I’ll start with Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. I was on the fence when I first heard about this. For all the remastered talk it’s basically the exact same game with vastly improved character models. I wasn’t particularly arsed but the pull of the trophies… It always gets me! Anyway, FFVIII is the usual bonkers plot… Loner hero Squall is caught up in a war between the advancing Galbadia and the defensive Dollet. He fights in the elite group SeeD who are hired by Dollet to protect them from Galbadia. His befriends Quistis (his super hot teacher) Zell, Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine along the way… all have different skills and weapons.

Squall is initially standoffish but is eventually won over by the group. He falls for Rinoa (idiot really should have went for Quistis) and develops deep friendships with the rest. Anyway, back to that bonkers plot. As usual, I find it hard to follow this stuff and this one I found particularly hard. Why? Well, a sorceress named Ultimecia is trying to compress time so she can become all powerful and rule the world… or whatever. Time manipulation, I’ve never understood you. I rarely enjoy you and I wish you’d go away. Suffice to say that different time lines are explored. Including one featuring a soldier named Laguna (Squalls Dad) and his buddies on their adventures. There’s also plenty of back story for our plucky heroes which, while welcome, does detract from the action.

So if I didn’t really understand the plot, what kept me playing? Well it is nice to see the characters looking this good. The original game has not aged well so the spit and polish here is welcome (see above pic) It's like bumping into that chick you weren't into when you were teengers again twenty years later and now she looks like Kelly Brook!! The much maligned junction system is actually enjoyable if you’re prepared to experiment. It certainly isn’t spoon fed to you but it is rewarding.

Capturing guardian forces is thoroughly addictive but using them less so. Reason being, they are fantastic to watch a couple of times but fuck me some of them go on… and on….

Seriously lads... while we're young! As I say, they are worth hunting for junction system upgrades but you'll hardly ever use them in fight.

Also worth mentioning is the music. Uematsu san is on fire here. His world map music is stuck in my head. Some of his other works are quite stunning in this game. It elevates some of the dungeons from worth exploring to “let’s hang out here, the music is awesome”.

Platinuming this game isn’t overly difficult but one thing I did get out of the trophy hunt was mastering the card game. I’ve played FF VIII twice before but never bothered with the card game. I got into it this time for the trophy and it was curiously engaging. The music was enjoyable and the whole thing was a welcome break from the mad story.

FF VIII will take you to some amazing places if you let it. There’s a wonderful homage to 2001 A Space Odyssey, there’s creepy caves, a hammer horror style castle and many other weird and wonderful journeys. If you liked it before, you’ll love it now. If you’ve never played it before you owe it to yourself. Score: 8/10 Trophy count: 100% platinum.

Crash Bandicoot remastered:

This game comes with all three Bandicoot games fully remastered. I’ve only played the first one. I’ll get to the others when I feel like it... if I feel like it...

Graphical comparison:

So everything here is in place. It plays as you remember but it looks really gorgeous. It’s every bit as funny as you remember but it’s also every bit as infuriating as you remember too. Honestly, there’s not much to add here. Crash Bandicoot is an absolute hoot of a throwback, I expect I’ll enjoy the others too. As often happens in games like this, a platinum trophy is only for absolute completists. I found the trophy hunt a bit of a grind and gave up pretty quickly. I just played the game for fun and it delivered that in spades. For the record, my son has started playing part 2 and it looks absolutely beautiful. Score: 8/10 Trophy count: 45%

Resident Evil 2 Remastered:

Where to start with this one. It’s soooo fucking good! Resident Evil 2 is still an enjoyable old romp in its original form but in this mutated guise it’s simply stunning.I should also add that coronavirus has crept into the country at time of writing. This is an apt game...

Plot: Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield end up in Raccoon City for different reasons. Leon is starting a new job as a rookie cop at RCPD. Claire is searching for her missing brother who was the star of the equally brilliant Resident Evil (also remade to stunning effect). Unfortunately for them, Raccoon City is overrun with zombies. The G Virus has escaped, our heroes take different paths but both head for RCPD.

As ever with me and resi games, I found this very tough to get to grips with. That’s not the game’s fault, that’s down to me being a below average gamer. You start with a very basic gun and taking out shuffling zombies is a challenge. I have always struggled in the early part of these games and if you share this issue don’t fret. As you progress, your weapons improve, you become more adept at the game and as a result I’ve always found the middle to latter part of these games easier and more enjoyable.

I started with Leon and bumped into Ada Wong along the way. That was a fun catch up. Lickers are still as gross as ever. When you get more powerful weapons, fucking kill them. You can go through the game running from them but it's a pain in the arse. Kill them and take your time exploring. While working your way through RCPD you will bump into Tyrant! This is actually very well done. He is basically invincible in the early part of the game so rather than trying to kill him, I say avoid him... run away (you can outrun hm easily enough) and save that ammo. Even if it means taking a punch from him, heal up and run! Hearing his footsteps nearby in corridors or above you on the next floor is genuinely frightening. it is a little annoying for those of us who like to explore at a leisurely pace but this isn't Tomb Raider. This is Resident Evil! The emphasis is on horror and pulsating set pieces.

The alligator scene is perfectly done. The mutated creatures you battle throughout are hideous but destroying them is always a pleasure. The weapons are an absolute hoot and as I said, the game gets easier as you progress.

Puzzle wise, it’s the usual resi stuff. Keys, books, badges, computers, medallions & lockers… you know the drill. There’s something very satisfying about solving these puzzles. They’re not all that taxing but the rewards are very worthwhile. 

Once I completed Leon's story it was time for Claire's. I remembered it being much shorter in the original Resident Evil 2. But in a slightly baffling move here they decided to go back to the start with Claire and have her do many of the same tasks already completed by Leon. If this was a lesser game, I'd have been really pissed off but it's such a belter of a game, I just got stuck in and enjoyed the show. There are differences between the two. Claire spends most of her time protecting a little girl named Sherry. Kids are a risk in entertainment, they're generally annoying but I liked this kid. She was plucky and had to carry a lot of shit! Her parents... wow! I don't wanna give the plot away but dayum that was some cold shit. The game takes Claire to different places (the pic above is the orphanage which is exclusive to Claire) and she takes different routes through the same places so it is definitely worth playing... ESPECIALLY for the ending!!!

Leon and Claire are likeable. They're good people who are trying to do right and that makes you fight harder with them. Ada Wong and Sherry also get playable sections. Both are quite short but both are very well executed.

As ever with Resident Evil, getting 100% is a chore. So again, I just played the game for pure enjoyment. And enjoy it I did... a lot. I will absolutely go back to this game for a second run through one day. This is an absolute must play! Score 9/10 Trophy Count: 37%


Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remastered: 

The final game in this remake special is Final Fantasy X. Now I know Final Fantasy X-2 came with the package and I know many people enjoy this game but, well, I'll come back to it. Let's start with the excellent (in spite of its main character) Final Fantasy X.

Tidus is a blitzball player. It's the biggest sport in his land, Zanarkand. His Dad, Jecht, was a champion blitzball player and he was beloved by everyone, except Tidus, who hated him... because he was a pretty shitty Dad. Anyway, Jecht up and left Tidus to help save the world, more on this later. Tidus never really got over it. One day on the way to a Blitzball match, Zanarkand is attacked and destroyed along with all of its people. Tidus gets away as he is taken to  the world of Spira 200 years away from where he was (poxy fucking time travel again) by Auron who is a big damn hero, all round tough guy and friend of Jecht.

In the future he meets Rikku, Lulu, Khimari, Wakka and most importantly, Yuna. He falls for Yuna and it is because she is a awesome as she is hot. Yuna is on a quest to save the world from an unstoppable monster called Sin. Sin comes every 10 years and a summoner is chosen to defeat it and bring "the calm" or 10 years of peace. What Tidus doesn't know is that in order to bring about the calm, Yuna must die and Sin is actually his father... good times.

As the game progresses you're brought to some incredible places. Even by FF standards there are some stand out locations. I really took my time and had planned to get 100% trophies. I came up short. I got 29 out of 34. Why? Well one of the trophies involved filling the sphere grid with one of your characters. As you can see from the above picture, that would take a fucking age. Another trophy was to fill all of the grid up with all your characters. That is just fucking unreasonable. However, I did the majority, including the single most irritating trophy I've ever achieved involving a chocobo race on the Calm Lands. FUCK THAT TROPHY!!! It's legendary in it's shittiness. Google it. I also got everyone their main weapons which was a mighty ask but an enjoyable one. I got all the guardian forces, in short I did a lot of extra shit before finally facing off against Sin.

As for Blitzball. I tried this on PS2 but couldn't get the hang of it so I tried it again here and once you recruit Brother, your pilot, onto your team, there's really no stopping you. It is a bit samey but if you have the time, you may as well... 

This is a great story and while the game points to Tidus as the main character, the reality is the main character is Yuna. Just as well too. She's wonderful and rarely irritates. The rest of the charatcers are okay. Auron does the cool, tough guy thing well. Khimari does the angry creature with a good heart and sad back story thing well. Rikku is mildly irritating but useful in battles Lulu is a slammin' hottie. Wakka is good natured and learns a lot along the way.

The father/son relationship between Tidus and Jecht softens as the game goes on. As a human, Jecht was terrible to his son. As a monster, he fights every instinct to help his son defeat the beast he has become. In the clip below Tidus asks Sin for a bit more time, the creature just walks away... this is Jecht protecting his kid:

As ever, the friendships in the game are what make FF games work or collapse. Did you give a shit about anyone in FF XIII? Can you even remember their names? This one has a great story, great graphics and (mostly) great characters... sorry Tidus. It was incredible on PS2. It remains so here: 8.5/10 Trophy count: 69%

The makers of FF X-2 realised that Yuna was the best thing about FFX. So rightly she is front and centre here. I played this to completion on PS2 but I just couldn't get through it on PS4. It's terrible. Or maybe having just played FFX it didn't compare well. Anyway I may go back to it some time in the future but it's unlikely.

As ever, I remind you not to buy your games on day one. Wait for price drops. There's some great bargains to be had if you can wait.

Happy gaming,

G.