Whether you were tickled pink or disgusted beyond belief, the pun works for this week's hottest acquisition.
For the first time since I accepted the position, the good editor at Primotech had just sent me my first review copy, along with a check to reimburse my previous purchase of God of War PSP. Enclosed is a final review copy of Persona 3: FES, three weeks before it's available to the public. It feels pretty cool to have exclusive access to this, and I've already talked to more than a couple of people stricken with jealousy.
But I certainly won't get a swollen head out of this, and I plan to devote as much time as necessary to the game's new content and finish up with a respectable review once the deadline hits. It's a bit daunting having to start the game over from the beginning (it took long enough just getting in 20 hours of the original P3, and that's not even the halfway point), but even if I can't finish the game in time, I already have most of my opinions laid out (and are quite favorable, for those wondering).
I also purchased Sony's Dualshock 3 controller today, fresh from Gamestop's shipment.
At $58 after tax, it's a pricey sum, but if you're more patient than I am, you can try ordering them here for only $50 total(as well as using the code CAG1SHIP for free shipping). I placed an order myself, with plans to return the unopened controller to Gamestop. Yep, the 'ol switcheroo.
I could have sworn that I read the controller took AA batteries, just like the 360 and Wii controllers, but it turns out that batteries aren't necessary; Like the original sixaxis, this controller has a built-in LED that can be charged through USB, either on the system or with a PC. Even though I have a pair of rechargable batteries, the rest running my various remotes and controllers, this is certainly a welcome feature.
Except for the fact that my controller came completely uncharged, so I had to wait a good 30 minutes to fully charge it. Not sure if this is the standard, but it's bound to upset a few impatient gamers if it is.
But after the charging, I was happy to experience rumble again on a Sony machine, and happier that most of the PS3's games have been patched to include rumble before release. Unfortunately, Ninja Gaiden Sigma still lacks rumble, and it's uncertain if it'll ever be included. It would be nice if Oblivion received a vibration patch down the road as well.
I tried a handful of my collection today, and can offer you some brief impressions on the level of rumbling on each.
Ratchet and Clank: Probably the most disappointing, the game mostly keeps the rumbling to when Ratchet takes an enemy hit, or from some of the bigger explosions. It works, but it would have been nice to have rumbling during cutscenes as well.
Super Star Dust HD: More rumble than Ratchet and Clank, but it oddly leaves some weapons out of the vibration sensation.
Warhawk: Plenty of rumbling to go with the sheer chaos. Tank treads, tires over rubble, explosions, machine gun fire, more explosions, jet turrets, and explosions. Between the rumbling and surround sound, the Warhawk experience is now in full effect.
Devil May Cry 4: But I have to give this game the nod for best PS3 vibration. Capcom has included as much dual shock as possible. Cutscenes, attacks from both yourself and the enemy...even pressing start in the title screen gives off a rumble.
Now that Sony has finally caught up in the controller age, I can only hope to experience some of that rumored directional rumble they panned a bit back, in which the controller would only rumble depending on the direction of the intended effect. For example, an explosion from the right side would cause the right side of the controller to shake, and so on. It seems the rumble has been built right into the bottom handles of the controller, as that is where most of the new weight comes from. Keep in mind it's only slightly heavier than the old sixaxis, not even 1/4 heavier.
Now about in-game XMB....
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