StarSoldier1's Full Review: Sony Playstation 3 (60 GB) Console
Ever since Sony got their start in 1995 they been on a huge role and in only a few years they even managed to become the number 1 name in the gaming business beating out heavy hitters like Nintendo, Sega, and Microsoft. Now the highly anticipated Playstation 3 is finally here and Sony's latest sexy George Foreman Grill-like gaming console is loaded with a bunch of new features like Blu-ray, motion sensitive controllers, backwards compatibility and much more to help make them even richer. Can Sony continue their streak with the PS3 though?
You have two choices if you decide get the PS3. There is the expensive but less pricey normal $550 (don't worry that's Canadian) package that gives you the 20gb hard drive (so you can save your game data right to the system like the Xbox 360), Ethernet cable, wireless controller, that Will Ferrell Nascar movie, and hi-def cords while the $650 one give you the same goodies but you get the larger 60gb drive and the bonus serial ports not found on the other model. This is a solid package considering how expensive the standard Blu-ray players are but why is there is no game though? Even the Nintendo Wii comes packed with a game and it cost much less ($280) then the PS3 here. Also the 60gb system comes with a bunch of other serial ports that I will most likely never use because I bought this thing to play games and watch the occasional movie and that's it.
I was surprised when I first seen and lifted up the system for the first time here because the system is actually much bigger and heavier then the older PS2 just to let you know. The PS3 can be hooked up easily to any TV that supports video or hi-def cables and you can even remove the system's hard drive from the side of the system just encase you run out of memory I'm guessing (hopefully it doesn't fill up too fast).
Anyway, I know it sounds excessive buying a console for half a grand but this sleek all black unit comes with even more built in power then the Xbox 360 believe it or not (please don't send your goons after me Mr. Gates). Because I didn't want to spend to much money I only got one PS3 game but fortunately it is the intense first person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man. The game is not only fun to play with a wide range of weapons but it is also one of the best looking video games I ever seen. This is all thanks to the all the amazing detail, very high frame rate, and great use of lighting and shadow effects in the dire war tore environments. OK, it isn't perfect because I still saw some instances where the characters look a little fake (especially the plastic like humans) and some of the textures didn't always look as crisp as the stunning backgrounds here but overall the game looks absolutely incredible. One of the reasons I only got one game at launch is because they are just as expensive as the 360 next gen titles (70 bucks here). Still the rumours of the new Blu-ray games hitting the 100 dollar mark are false so it isn't that bad. Sony's PS3 sure sounds pretty good so far but they didn't stop there with features.
One of the things that helps the new 3D games look so good is that it comes with that fancy Blu-Ray technology here where as older gaming console like the Xbox 360 only come in the standard DVD format. Maybe you already seen some of these new age DVDs (are they even DVDs I don't know?) before in certain electronic stores, eh? These special discs maybe more pricey but they also come with a much clearer picture and higher resolutions so nerds can be even more smug about their gizmos. Yeah, the PS3 will even play Blu-ray movies as well so you don't need to shell out a bunch of cash for a stand alone player so that helps justify the system's high price tag even if I personally don't see what the big difference is in the movies compared to older DVDs other than a slightly clearer image.
How can I not talk about this new wireless bluetooth controller here? It may look just like the older Dual Shock controller with its typical two analog sticks that Sony has been whoring out for years but these new ones motion sensitive much like the famous Nintendo Wii-motes so you can tilt the pad around and it may or may not effect the way you play in the games. In the Resistance game for example you can wildly shake the controller up and down if you catch on fire or if a enemy tries to grab you. Up to 7 controllers working on one PS3 here too believe it or not but before you go out getting some more pads they launch at the girlfriend killing you amount of 60 bucks. There is no rumble or shock feature anymore but it's no big deal in my opinion and the older PS1 and PS2 controllers with work on the system but are not compatible with PS3 games here.
Say what you want about Sony and how they are trying to take over the world but they usually have a good idea what the gaming public wants. One of the things that made the PS2 so popular that it was backwards compatible with the older Playstation One software titles and the PS3 system will not only be able to connect with the PSP so you play the games and download digital photos to see them on your TV and stuff (at least that's what all those serial ports are for) but you can also play all those thousands of PSone and Playstation2 games on the PS3 here too amazingly. Although I heard there were some PS3's systems won't play PS2 games, my machine had none of these problems.
The big problem I see with the PS3 is that it's not a very good console for the casual gamer. That's not to say there is something wrong with the games here but with its scary overall price and lack of units may have most people going for the more accessible Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii instead. Although some people have no problem dropping that kind of loot (especially since they are going right on eBay), I was still upset that I won't be eating for a week because all my money's gone now. There was a lot of angry people in my line because a lot of them didn't get soon enough and there was definitely some yelling at us for getting there first. I actually heard about lots of fighting and robbing all over the news and someone even got shot in the US because they wanted someone's cash in an PS3 line up so it could have been a lot worst! Still despite all the launch debut craziness the system is very easy to get now.
The system is definitely not worth the outrageous 2-8 thousand bucks I seen on auction sites since it first arrived (not so much now) and this is even more apparent when the PS3 graphics only look slightly better then those found on the less expensive Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. The Blu-ray movies are just a minor step up from DVDs in my opinion and some of the other launch games I tried like NBA The Life 2007, Gundam Crossfire, and Tony Hawk's Project 8 just don't look that impressive at all. Overall though I'm still somewhat pleased with my PS3 here. The 650 price tag itself isn't that bad for a machine that's just loaded with features like playing games, watching movies, or even the ability to customize options in the internal menus. Sony already announced several big sequels to many of their popular franchises too like Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, Tekken, and much more will be coming out so the future is looking alright I guess. Sony came out looking good here so far and they left the gamers around the world wanting more but the competition is strong this time around and you may want to try before you buy especially with a console this expensive.
PS3 overall rating: 59/100
Original system release: November 17, 2006
This review is also on:
videogames101.com
so stop bugging me already.
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