Europe: PS+ March 2014

It’s a another beautiful month for PlayStation Plus subscribers, since Sony is once again being really generous this month with the games that you will be getting with your PlayStation Plus subscription. Sony is giving PlayStation Plus subscribers five games this month: one for the PS4, two for the PS3 and also two games for the PS Vita.

Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition (PS4)
Do you like shooting zombi-.. Okay, that is a silly question, since everyone loves shooting zombies (or hacking them in pieces with an axe or a machete). Dead Nation is a top-down zombie survival shooter that can be played locally and online with two players. Purchase new weapons with the money that you earn by shooting zombies, doesn’t that just sound delightful?

Tomb Raider (PS3)

This is last year’s reboot of the popular Tomb Raider franchise, and the game starts the story from scratch: you are a young Lara Croft that has to survive on a mysterious island. If you enjoyed the Uncharted games, you will probably have no problem to play this game as it has a lot of similarities.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)

The other game for the PS3 this month is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. In this story based adventure game you take control of two brothers, who will move simultaneously and have to solve puzzles. The game has received multiple prices, such as Best Xbox Game of 2013 (it competed with games such as GTA V and Tomb Raider - so yes, it is a pretty good game).

Pixeljunk Monsters Ultimate HD (PS Vita)

This Tower Defense game gives you all the content from the original PS3 game and HD levels from the PSP version. Constructing towers in the beautifully cartoon world of Pixeljunk is definitely not a punishment, so pick this up as soon as you can.

Smart As (PS Vita)

Are you a genius and do you sometimes feel like you want to show it to the world? Or do you want to become one? Smart As is the perfect game for you in that case! This brain-training PS Vita only title is made to be played once a day so you can make yourself a bit smarter every day. The game consists of 20 individual mini games with 4 different difficulty levels.

The games will be entering the PlayStation Store on the 5th of March, and it will replace five other games. So if you haven’t added any of the following games yet from previous months yet, be sure to download them before the 5th of March. Adding games to your PlayStation Plus library is also possible through the PlayStation Store website now, no need to turn on your PlayStation device for it!

List of games leaving the PlayStation:

- Outlast (or Sound Shapes if Outlast wasn't available in your country)

- Metro Last Light

- Dynasty Warriors Next

- Guacamelee!

- ModNation Racers Road Trip

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Europe: PS+ November

It’s that time of the month again: the games that will be free to download for PlayStation Plus members have been announced. Normally as a PlayStation Plus member you would get three PlayStation 3 games, but this month you will (only) get two games. Don’t get frustrated yet, since there is some good news: a free game every month for the PlayStation 4. The first game that will be free to download for PS+ members that are getting a PlayStation 4 is the game Drive Club.

Below is a list of the games that will be free to download starting October 23rd.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3) Ready for some real action on your screen? In that case you shouldn't be  skipping this game this month. It definitely isn't a game you would expect from the Metal Gear franchise, and Revengeance gives the player a whole new experience. If you are a fan of the franchise, you should definitely give this refreshing game a chance.

Remember Me (PS3) While most critics did not like this game and the metascore is pretty low as well, a lot of people are still eager to try it out. The game takes place in the year 2084 and in this time personal memories no longer belong just to yourself. They are now being sold, traded, gifted and stolen. In the game you play Nilin, a memory huntress that escaped from jail. With the help of her only friend she tries to recover her identity.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath (PS Vita) In the HD remake of this classic game, you take the role of a mysterious bounty hunter. For unknown reasons, you are trying to collect enough money for a surgery that he needs to survive. The game combines first-person shooting with platforming and puzzling, a silly but surprisingly awesome trio. The original game got praised a lot, and the remake of the game makes sure that the game still feels up-to-date (for all the graphics lovers out there).

Motorstorm RC (PS Vita)
If you own a PlayStation you have probably ever heard of the Motorstorm games. Motorstorm RC is a racing game just like the other games in the series, but there is something that makes it different: radio-controlled cars. Instead of the original games, this game is played from a somewhat top-down angled camera, which doesn't disturb the gameplay. The game features 16 different tracks and 24 different cars, and the game has little to no loading time. Spin-offs of big games don't have to necessarily be bad, and Motorstorm RC proves this. 

With PlayStation Plus becoming mandatory for online multiplayer on the PlayStation 4, it is obvious that a lot of new people will become PlayStation Plus members. Will this affect the games that are free every month in a good or a bad way, or will nothing change? With Drive Club being the first free game for PlayStation Plus members with a PlayStation 4 it is looking good so far, so let's hope that the future has a lot more cool stuff in store for us!

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Thief Trailer & Preview

 It has been almost 15 years since the first game in the Thief series, that is back in the days you were still gaming on Windows 98. Since the last game that dates back to 2004, it has been scaringly silent around the Thief franchise. Finally we are getting a fourth game, which already has been announced back in March this year. Although it has been quite some years since the last game, that does not mean that Garrett's skills got rusty.

When you watch the trailer, you should get a good idea of what the game is about. Since the other games in the series are pretty old, there is chance that you don't know what the games are like. The game mainly focusses on sneaking through the shadows and not getting spotted, and the game actually expects you to follow these points or you won't get very far. As Garrett you aren't the strongest or must muscular person in the city, and if you get spotted first there is quite a chance that you won't survive if you can't manage to escape.

Thief producer Stephane Roy is also claiming that Thief is focussing on more stealth-like gameplay, and that an aggressive way of playing won't get you very far. "If you are aggressive like a soldier, you will probably die because the mechanics of the game don't want to see you going into the light." And that is also what the Thief series stand for: stealth gameplay. If you played Dishonored and you just ran through levels while shooting everyone in your path, then this game might not be your thing. If you really enjoyed the stealth gameplay in Dishonored, then there is a big chance that you will also like the next Thief game.

A lot of gamers have been looking forward to a new Thief game, but there has also been a lot fear that the game might get casualized too much. Gamers are also afraid that the reboot won't be like the older Thief games.  Joe Khoury, producer of the game, is trying to reassure these gamers and promises that they have listened to the feedback of gamers and that they have also looked at the older games. 

The trailer also shows us how great the game is looking so far, the lightning effects in the game are simply looking amazing. Buildings and props are looking good and detailed, and the textures of the game make everything feel like a whole. The graphics freaks that weren't satisfied with the graphics of Dishonored, will probably not have a problem with Thief. 

But we will only know what the game will be like when the game finally gets released, which will be released on February the 25th in North America. The PAL and European versions will be released 3 days later, on February the 28th. So, will you be getting the new Thief game or will you be passing this one? Check out the gameplay trailer below and decide for yourself!

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Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus Preview

If you enjoy platformers and you have ever owned a PlayStation 2 or 3, there is quite a chance that you have ever played a game from the Ratchet & Clank Series. But lately our furry Lombax and shiny metal friend haven't had a lot of old-school adventures. With All 4 One being a 4 player co-op game and QForce being more of a tower-defense styled game, it feels like the series has lost it's sense of traditional gameplay. The exploring and free-roaming that made the earlier games in the series so great, has made place for newer types of gameplay. Luckily a new game has been announced by Insomniac Games and it should feel like the older games.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus will be released on the PlayStation 3 and should bring the old-school gameplay back. This means that there will be lots of crazy weapons, heaps of bolts, a lot of jokes and of course there will be platforming. A new addition to the gameplay will be gravity, which will be an important aspect of the game. 

Ratchet's trusty gravity boots will be returning, making it possible to make huge jumps between platforms. The Swingshot will be returning as well, so get ready for grappling from platform to platform. But like every Ratchet & Clank game, there will be new gadgets: the Gravity Tether will allow a bunch of new cool puzzles, which is always a fun thing to do between the shooting and smacking.

The semi open world has always been one of the factors that made the series great, and it looks like Insomniac has found a way to perfect the series. There will be multiple paths to complete missions as the planets don't have just one way to get to the end. As always, there will be lots of funky and deadly weapons that you will be able to purchase and upgrade. As always this will all be accompanied by the classic humor the series is known for, together with an entertaining story. You might think it's more of the same, but it's something we have learned to love. 

And the art style of the game remains the same, but the graphics have been slightly upgraded. The particle system has been upgraded, and it gives the environment the feeling it's more alive. The lightning system helps the graphics as well, it just feels right and makes the movement of the characters look fluid. 

It's everything that the fans of the series have been waiting for, and it might be Ratchet's last adventure on the PlayStation 3. For those that have been disappointed by the last two games, Into the Nexus might be the game that will restore the faith in the series.

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Destiny beta announced and new trailer

Most people know Bungie from the Halo series, but as we know they have been working hard on their brand new game Destiny. While there are still a lot things we don't know yet and we still have to learn about, there are a few things that we know so far.

The game is classed as a MMOFPS, which means the world will be massive and open, and the combat will be first person. At E3 we have seen a little bit from the world of Destiny, but a recent trailer shows part of the world of Destiny we haven’t seen before.

In the trailer we get a glimpse of Earth’s moon, but it’s a very different version of what the moon looks like now. Instead of an empty gray planet, the moon has got enormous structures on it. A new race called the Hive has also been revealed, an alien race that tries to harvest what’s left of Earth.

The game that has been planned for a release in 2014, will also be getting a beta and information about the beta got announced by Activision. The beta is planned to start in “early 2014”, which could mean that the game gets launched in the 2nd quarter of 2014.

To participate in the beta of Destiny you will need to have or make a pre-order on the game, and the pre-order has made at one of the participating partners, and an international list of participating retailers can be found here.

We think Destiny will be one of the games that a lot of people will embrace. It has a combat system that feels a bit like Halo, and that’s something a lot of people got used to over the past years and it may draw a lot customers to the game. With the game also having MMO aspects, it might merge the worlds of two different kind of gamers together and that’s a great thing.

But is Activision giving themselves and other big companies a new competitor? Will it keep gamers away from buying games such as Call of Duty and Battlefield, or will gamers just buy both? We will see it in the future, and let’s hope Destiny won’t be a letdown!

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Battlefiield 4 Multiplayer modes announced

EA has announced Battlefield 4's game modes that will be available when the game launches. Some explanation about the numbers of players in certain maps have also been given and it differs between PC, current-gen consoles and next-gen consoles.

Team Deathmatch: If you have played FPS online, you definitely know this game mode. There are two teams, and the team that reaches the score limit first wins the round. Simple yet enjoyable.

Squad Deathmatch: A different approach on the old formula of Deathmatch: there are four different squads, and the use of vehicles will be limited. The idea behind it still is the same, except that there will be four teams instead of two.

Conquest: This is the mode that is most known in Battlefield. Huge battles between a lot of players. You will fight your enemy on foot, in armoured vehicles, tanks, ships and planes. The goal is to capture neutral and enemy flags, and reduce the enemy score till it hits zero. Current-gen consoles will run the game with a total of 24 players, while next-gen consoles and the PC version will be able to have battles with up to 64 players.

Domination: This is basically the same as Conquest, except that capturing flags goes a lot faster and the game mode doesn’t have any vehicles in it. Another difference with Conquest is that only 20 players will be able to join a match, instead of the massive 64 that is possible in Conquest mode.

Rush: Push the enemy back by destroying the enemies’ M-COM stations. The attackers of the round will have a limited supply of respawn tickets, while the defending team will have unlimited. The attackers can win by destroying all the M-COM stations, and the defending team will have to make sure that the attackers respawn tickets run out. Current-gen will have a maximum of 24 players, while the PC and next-gen versions will have a maximum of 32 players.

Obliteration (new): A bomb will spawn at a random place in the map (but after quite a few matches you will probably know most of these random places) and both teams have to try to deliver the bomb at one of the three objectives of the enemy team to blow it up. The timer of the bomb will make sure rounds of this game mode won’t be too long. Current-gen will play this mode with up to 24 players, while next-gen and PC will play this game with 32 players.

Defuse (new): Teamwork is one of the most important aspects in this gamemode, since you will only have one life each round. With two teams of five players, every soldier counts. You can win a round by eliminating a military objective. All versions of Battlefield 4 will only support a total of ten players in a match.

Check out the best moments of the Battlefield 4 multiplayer that took place at E3 this year. Are you gonna pick up Battlefield 4 on November 1?

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Europe: PS+ October 2013

PlayStation has announced the games that will be free to download for PlayStation Plus members in October. Just like the past few months the selected titles this month are pretty amazing. Assassin's Creed III was last month's big free game, and this month you will be getting another amazing title that was one of the biggest games of 2012. As always, you will be getting three games for the PlayStation 3 and two for the PlayStation Vita.

Far Cry 3Big chance that you remember this awesome game from last year, and the time has come to play it if you didn't already. In Far Cry 3 you take the role of Jason Brody, whose tropical holiday with his friends turns into a horrifying disaster when they get stranded on an island that is getting terrorized by pirate and slave trader Vaas. Do you have the will to survive on the massive open-world island and rescue your friends, or is certain doom awaiting you?

Dragon's Dogma: Dark ArisenDark Arisen is the re-release of the action-adventure RPG Dragon's Dogma. The re-release features a lot of new content for the game, as well as a few changes. In this open-world fantasy game you will be fighting against huge monsters, as well as exploring caves and castles. If you feel like playing a good RPG, you should definitely check out this one.

Giana Sisters: Twisted DreamsIf you are old enough you might remember a game called The Great Giana Sisters, a game that was released for the Commodore all the way back in 1987. Twisted Dreams is the successor to that game, and in this beautiful fantasy platformer you are set out to save your sister, who has been abducted by a Giant Dragon. It doesn't get more old school than that!

Street Fighter X Tekken (PS Vita)

One of this month's games for the Vita is a fighting game. In Street Fighter X Tekken a lot of the Tekken characters will be stepping into the world and 2D style of Street Fighter. Can a person wish for more? Well, you certainly can since you get a lot more in the Vita version than the PS3 version, such as: 12 DLC characters for free and over 35 alternative costumes. Pretty good!

Touch My Katamari (PS Vita)

This was one of the launch games for the PS Vita, and the objective is pretty simple: roll the ball, also known as the Katamari. The ball has to grow in size and reach certain spots. A simple game that some people will definitely enjoy.

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PlayStation TV and new PS Vita

In a press conference in Japan, the homeland of Sony, the Vita TV and a new version of the PlayStation Vita have been announced. While the new version of the PS Vita is an upgrade or a downgrade (depends on how you look at it), the Vita TV is really an entirely new device. But first things first: what’s up with the new PS Vita?

Sony classifies the newer model of the PS Vita as a more casual and easier to use model of the PS Vita. It will also be released in a bunch of colors, instead of the black that we all know from the handheld. But that’s not the only appearance change that the PS Vita has gone through, because the new version will be 20% thinner and about 15% lighter than the older model. But one of the more drastic changes is that Sony replaced the OLED screen with a LCD display. While the battery life has been increased by an hour, some people might dislike the LCD display since the quality of these displays are of lesser quality than OLED screens most of the time. The new PS Vita also has 1 gigabyte of built-in storage, which is not very impressing but still a welcome addition to the handheld.

What a lot of people didn’t see coming is the Vita TV: a console with the size of a smartphonethat you will be able to plug into your TV. It’s comparable with the Ouya, except that this console runs Vita games, but you will also be able to play old PSP and PlayStation One games on it. To control the device you will be making use of the DualShock 3 controller, the controller that is used with the PlayStation 3. The specs of the Vita TV are the same as the PS Vita, but since you will be playing it on a TV the resolution will be upscaled from 966x544 to 720p or 1080p.

But you will be able to use the Vita TV for more than Vita and PS One games: if you own a PlayStation 4 you will be able to stream content to the Vita TV and display everything that is running on the PS4 on the TV that the Vita TV is linked to. What else Sony has planned for the Vita TV isn’t sure yet, but with the launch of the PS4 heading closer there is a big chance we will be hearing more about the Vita TV and it’s functionalities.

The Vita TV will cost around $100 USD and will only be available in Japan at launch. It’s not sure yet if western countries will be getting the Vita TV. A bundle with a DualShock 3 controller and an 8GB Vita memory card will also be sold, which will cost around $150 USD.

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Europe: PS+ September

PlayStation has announced the games that will be free to download for all PlayStation Plus members in September. The games that will be free this month definitely aren’t disappointing titles, and just like always there will be three new PlayStation 3 games and two new Vita games appearing in the PlayStation Plus instant game collection.

Assassin’s Creed III

That’s right, another AAA title this month. You probably know what the game is about, and since the game has been out for almost a year the chances are high that you have already played the game. Assassin’s Creed III will take you to America in the late 18th century, where you will take control of an assassin named Connor. The story of Connor will lead you through the game and you will meet many historic figures from the American history.

Jak and Daxter Trilogy

When you think about Naughty Dog, you might think about the Uncharted series and their latest game The Last of Us. But they have been making great games before they started with their most recent titles as well, and the Jak and Daxter Trilogy proves that. These platform action games can make you feel nostalgic if you have played these games in the past, and if you haven’t ever played them you should definitely give them a try. Note: Not sure if you will get the PS Vita version for free as well.

Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark (PS Vita)*

We haven’t been totally honest about how many Vita games you will be getting this month, since this game is both playable on the PlayStation 3 as it is on the PS Vita. This little 2D platformer will let you put some hours into it, if you don’t get too frustrated of some of the puzzles. While it isn’t the best 2D platformer out there, it’s still enjoyable.

Urban Trial Freestyle (PS Vita)

If you’re into motorbikes, this 2D race-stunting game might be something for you. The graphics of the game are pretty nice, and everything is 3D while the gameplay itself is in 2D. The game might be challenging, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the game.

New Little King’s Story (PS Vita)

The story is simple: a young boy finds a crown, and with that crown come certain powers. This adventure game sets place in a colorful fantasy world, where you will have to fight monsters and giants. You slowly gain more followers that listen to your command and you will have to make sure they will help you defeat your foes. A cute JRPG that will also appeal to kids, but if you dislike games that appear childish then you might want to skip this one.

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inFAMOUS: Second Son developer trailer

Sucker Punch, the studio behind the Sly and inFAMOUS series, released a developer diary video today. The video at the end of this post shows some in-game footage together with some developer commentary.

In the first two games of the inFamous series, electricity was your weapon and Cole was your protagonist. In InFAMOUS: Second Son you will be fighting with smoke (and more) and you’ll be taking the role of Delsin Rowe, and while the game definitely went through some changes and updates, the main mechanics of the game have stayed. In both inFAMOUS 1 and 2 Cole had to get his energy from electrical sources in order to use his abilities and in Second Son this didn’t really change, except that you now have to get your energy from smoke. You will be able to gather this energy from sources such as chimneys, fires and exploding cars (

The game itself looks pretty good so far: the way Delsin Rowe moves looks very smooth and detailed, and add some particles effects to this for a pretty awesome looking scene. With a bunch of excited game developers this game should be a nice addition to the inFAMOUS series. The game will be a PlayStation exclusive and won't appear on the Xbox One.

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PlayStation 4 Q&A

Sony has released an official Q&A where they answer the ten most asked questions about the PlayStation 4 and below this post you can find the video, which will be the first Q&A of more to come.

One of the things a lot of people were eager to know is what would be possible without a PlayStation Plus subscription, and what was already known is that you will need a subscription to play online multiplayer. We now know that you can still use services such as Netflix or party chat if you don't own a subscription to PlayStation Plus, which is very pleasant for those that don't aim to use their console for online multiplayer gaming.

The video also shows that the new console will be a bit smaller than its original predecessor, the first 'fat' PlayStation 3. The new console will include a 500GB HDD and just like the PlayStation 3 this will be swappable with another HDD.

Just as the PlayStation 3 the new console will feature some way of 3D functionality in games, but more details will be released at a later time. It will still be able to play 3D Blu-Ray disks, which is a welcoming feature for those with a 3D TV. The PlayStation camera is also capable of filming 3D as well as it can generate AR content in your living room. The camera will also have four microphones built in for both in- and output audio, so you might be able to use it as a microphone for online play.

The following was to be expected but still a bit of a downer; you won't be able to use your DualShock 3 controllers on the PlayStation 4. This is pretty logical since the new DualShock 4 controller has a different layout and more buttons, as well as the motion sensor that can be used together with the PlayStation camera. Luckily PlayStation Vita owners will be able to use their handheld for most games on the console if the developer implements that feature into his game. Oh, and Move controllers will be compatible with the console as well.

Since the console also focuses on being a 'social console', you will now be able to add up to 2000 of your friends. It's a bit much, but at least you won't be running out of space in your friend list. But just check out the video below to hear all about the features of the PlayStation 4.

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PS Vita as a PS4 controller

If you own both a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation Vita that you will be able to use your Vita as a second controller for the PlayStation 4. This is a great addition if you own both devices, but there is a catch: the developer will have to implement this feature into the game themself, or it won’t work. Sony promises that this will almost be a mandatory requirement for the games on the PlayStation 4, so we are expecting it to be available within most titles for the console and definitely Sony’s own games. Since it depends on the developers, not every game will have this feature.Sony promises that nearly every PlayStation 4 title will have Remote-Play; this means you can use your Vita to play your PlayStation 4 games with your TV being turned off.

Since the layout of the DualShock 4 controller is different than the layout on the Vita, for example the lack of L3/R3 or L2/R2 buttons and I can also imagine it will be hard to use the Vita for games that need to use a camera in order for the game to work properly. Luckily the Vita has the rear touch pad, so it would be possible to assign the missing buttons on the backside of the handheld.

Let’s hope that this feature won’t be forgotten, it will be a nice addition to all the PlayStation Vita owners. Even if you don’t own a PlayStation 4 but you do own a Vita, you could bring your Vita over to a friend to use it as a controller on their console. It could become a very handy feature if it works out and developers don’t forget about it.

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Europe: PS+ August

It's that time of the month again: Playstation announced the games that will be free in August for Playstation Plus members. Everyone that has a subscription to PS+ gets access to five games, three of these are Playstation 3 games and two are Vita games. And just like the free games in July, it looks like August will be a pretty sweet month as well. But here is the list of games that will be free to download for all PS+ members.

Spec Ops: The Line
This is not your standard shooter, since first of all it's an over-the-shoulder third person shooter. The story takes place in the abandoned city of Dubai, which is a refreshing setting from a lot of other shooters and together with the immersive story it's a very interesting game!

Mafia II
Ready to get sucked into the world of organised crime? In Mafia II you are taking the role of Vito, a criminal that gets the chance to work his way up to the top and escape his old life. The game has an immersive world that is based on several real cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Although the game wasn't as popular as it's predecessor, you can always give it a shot.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

A decent street-racing game that could've been more. It still is fun to play, and it's easy to just play a few races. It might disappoint the fans of the NFS franchise, but it can be a fun play for those who just want to race around a bit in the open world.

Lego Lord of the Rings (PS Vita)

Get back to Middle Earth in this Vita game. You will play the whole story of Lord of the Rings filled with the goofy jokes that we know from the Lego games. Although this port certainly isn't as good as the console version, it's worth a try if you can enjoy these type of games. Otherwise it might be a huge letdown for you.

When Vikings Attack (PS Vita)

This cute game is fun and innovative. As your town suddenly is getting raided by Vikings, it is up to you to defend it. In this adventure-fighting game you will take the role of several local citizens such as a butcher or the pastor. And the fun doesn't end after you've finished the single-player. Lots of challenges that can be done and there always is multiplayer for even more fun!

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