Top 5 Playstation 3 Games

Back in 2006, Sony released the Playstation 3, and despite not initially being favoured by the masses due to its average launch line-up and seemingly extortionate price, it has gradually become one of the main staples of the video game industry. Since its launch, the PS3 has gone through several iterations, with the most recent being the "Playstation 3 super-slim". Now, almost 8 years later, the Playstation 4 has been released in Europe. With a much more positive greeting from public audiences, hopefully the PS4 will surpass the PS3 in every way possible. In order to mark this special occasion, I've put together a list of my personal favourite games available on the PS3 system:

5) Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3 was my first foray into Rockstar's Max Payne series, and it was certainly a game which captured my attention. Slick controls, fun combat and a superb storyline combined to create a game which is criminally unheard of when compared to bigger Rockstar titles such as Red Dead Redemption. It surprised me hugely with how consistently entertaining it was, and many aspects from the game were later used in the hugely successful GTA V. 

4) Dishonoured

Dishonoured was a game which showed how fun the stealth genre could be. Set in a steam-punk Victorian era, it allowed players to choose how a scenario played-out to such a degree that no two playthoughs would be the same, due to a vast array of weapons and abilities. Despite not being an incredibly long game, the necessity to experiment meant that you could replay all of the game's missions time and time again without them ever becoming tiresome, something which many current games certainly can't claim. 

3) Fallout 3

Some may argue that the more recent Skyrim is the best role-playing game released by talented company Bethesda, but for me, Fallout 3 had something special that set it apart from other games. Maybe it's the constant sense of adventure, or the immersive tone set by the 40s American music, but I couldn't get enough of it. I couldn't count the number of hours I've spent traversing the nuclear wasteland of Fallout 3, but there's no way I could say I regret any of them either. 

2) Bioshock: Infinite

Really, any of the Bioshock games could have made it on this list, but the most recent, Infinite, was something truly special. The unique art-style made it different to it's predecessors, but once you sat down and played it, it was definitely a Bioshock game. The entertainment gained by playing the game is matched only by the phenomenally well-written script and plot, and the ending is one which will stick with you for many days after completion. 

1) The Last of Us

The top-spot on my list was a difficult choice. It was between The Last of Us or Uncharted 2, but due to the incredible story-telling by the former, it came out on top. It's difficult to put into words just how amazing the plot is in The Last of Us. Every character you come across is unique and interesting, and the emotional journey you take throughout the game is almost unbearable with how much it throws at you. Combine this with a near-perfect combat-system, stunning graphics and solid multiplayer, and it's clear why The Last of Us is at the top of many people's lists. 

So there is my list of personal favourites from the previous generation of games. This list is far from conclusive, as there have been literally hundreds of enjoyable titles released on Sony's little black box, but these stuck out personally as games which have remained with me to this day. Hopefully we can expect many more experiences like this on the new Playstation 4 in the years to come. Feel free to leave a comment on what has stuck out for you in terms of the PS3! 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Review

Last year, The Hunger Games surprised me with how enjoyable it was. I hadn't read any of the books (and I am still yet to), but it engrossed me very quickly and made me leave the cinema wanting more of the unique story it had created. This made me begin eagerly awaiting Catching Fire in the hope that it would live up to the standard the first film had set...I did not expect, however, for it to surpass it. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire takes place almost a year after the first film and shows how Katniss' actions at the end of that movie caused civil unrest, plunging the already threatened civilians of the twelve Districts into a much darker world to live in. Rebellion is now something which simmers everywhere; angering the dictatorial leaders in the Capitol. Expecting to be brought back in to the Games as a coach for a new line of combatants, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is shocked when it is revealed that many previous victors will be thrown back in to the arena in order to compete in the 75th annual Hunger Games: a plan brought about by the ruthless President Snow (Donald Sutherland) as a means of destroying the reputation Katniss has achieved, due to the fact she has become a figurehead of the rebellion. 

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)

Catching Fire is definitely a far darker movie than it's predecessor, with many scenes in the first half taking place in the incredibly dreary District 12. This gloomy atmosphere is intensified by the frequent acts of violence committed against innocent civilians on behalf of the totalitarian government, and the change in mood from the first film is definitely a welcome feature. Public beatings, executions and attempts at stamping out anybody who fights back create a world which is clearly on the brink of it's own destruction. The focus in Catching Fire is less on the Games themselves and instead on the world which Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) created with their actions in the first movie. In fact, I found that the latter half of the movie which features the actual Hunger Games was my least favourite half, due to its incredibly rushed nature. There were 24 combatants in the games, and many were killed off without even having any screen time (with a cannon sounding the time of their death). Obviously the entirety of the Games could not be fit in to a feature-length movie, but I wouldn't mind a slightly longer film so it could be shown in more depth; especially as Catching Fire felt no longer than an hour. 

Jennifer Lawrence, whom since the first Hunger Games has become a film sensation, plays the central role of Katniss just as well as in the first movie...it's a shame then, that the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast. For the majority of the film, everybody acted to an above-average standard, but there were numerous occasions where a certain line or phrase was performed in such a bad manner that it completely took me out of the film. The main characters were all entertaining to watch, but many of the 'disposable' characters who take place in the Games were underwhelming to say the least. There were times during the film when the entire cinema laughed at how awkwardly somebody said their lines, but for the most part, it was bearable. 

Verdict

Despite it seeming like I have mostly complained about Catching Fire, for the majority of the time, I rather enjoyed it. The acting was occasionally jarring and the ending cliffhanger may not have been needed, but I'm still very excited to see the next instalment, Mockingjay, some time next year. Not having read the books, I cannot comment on whether or not it remains true to their storyline, but it should be known that I don't think you'll entirely understand the plot of Catching Fire if you have not seen or at least understood the plot of the previous movie. 

"There are no winners; only survivors." 

Gravity: Review

Never have I seen a film quite as stunning as Gravity. What's so surprising about this is how the sheer beauty of space in the movie is juxtaposed so well against the numbing fear of isolation in an endless, dark void. Not giving too much away, Gravity tells the story of a medical engineer by the name of Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who is working on a space station when a large amount of debris from another station collides with hers, and she is launched into space with a very limited supply of oxygen. As this is all the trailers for Gravity revealed, I won't divulge any more, but it quickly becomes a very tense movie. 

From the off-set, the sound-design in Gravity is nothing short of perfection. Periods of silence are used to consistently emphasize a sense of loneliness and terror, and work immensely well. When sound is featured, it is projected exactly how you would expect. For example, if two characters in the film are speaking to one another, their voices will be muffled like it would be if heard through a space-helmet; small details which add hugely to the film. 

Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock)

Now, although Gravity is a very tense film, I feel that the heart-stopping tension it apparently featured was slightly over-hyped. This may be because I recently watched Captain Phillips which I found genuinely exhausting due to it's constant barrage of emotions, but for me, Gravity was only mildly worrying. That being said, some of the people I went to see it with were clasping their hands to their faces all throughout the movie, so perhaps it comes down to personal experiences. 

There were only a few problems I held with Gravity. Firstly, certain sequences were clichéd to the point where you knew precisely how a scene was going to play out. For example, one scene specifically was over-played on to the point where it became difficult to even be shocked once the true nature of it was revealed. Also, it was difficult to empathize with Sandra Bullock's character at times due to her surprisingly idiotic behaviour, and even more difficult to believe that she would have ever made it through the no doubt strenuous testing that somebody in her position would receive. 

Verdict

Gravity is definitely a film that should be experienced for the awe of it's beauty alone. The stunning shots of the Earth accompanied by a faint musical score were so mesmerizing that I occasionally forgot the peril that the characters were in. The plot may not be the most engaging I have ever seen, but it is certainly worth watching, regardless of the few qualms I had. 

"Houston, I have a bad feeling about the mission."

As a little side-note, I will no longer be featuring a numerical value after each review because I find it difficult to apply a number to what has been said, and I hope that the verdict should speak for itself.