From the Butlerniverse

This week, Playstation Plus returns with its first update in two weeks, as per the new policy of bi-weekly updates. However, we have now reached Week 9 overall, and it is only August 24. One has to wonder if, since we have new content this week, we might not have any content next week. That would be odd, though, as every month of new content has begun with major updates on the last Tuesday of the previous calendar month. Hmm . . .

In any event, that conundrum has led me to change the title for these blogs (from here on) to a simple week number, rather than month whatever, week whatever.

Last week had no PS+ content whatsoever, hence there was no update here on the blog. This week, we were met with a new perk that is not technically a Playstation Network Store item, but still a PS+ discount. If you choose to get a two-year PlayStation Protection Plan, which basically extends your one-year warranty by two years, if you’re still within that first year, then PS+ subscribers can get this plan for $44.99, rather than $59.99. That provides us with a new $15.00 discount to add to our tallies.

Also, for those wondering, I do consider the $17.99 worth of three bonus months that you get for buying a year-long subscription (rather than quarterly) to be a worth adding into our tallies, but until there is any other year-long subscription situation, I don’t feel it appropriate to add it into the value of the service just yet. Once people start paying $49.99 and getting something other than 15 months of content, then I’ll consider the extra three months a bonus that should be tallied.

Free Games

• PS3: Mushroom Wars (normally $9.99)
• PS1 Classic: 2Xtreme (normally $5.99)
• Mini: Vempires (normally $2.99)

PSN Store Discounts

This week’s discounted games are:

• Soldner-X2: Final Prototype for $9.09 (normally $12.99)
• Soldner-X and Soldner X-2 bundle for $10.79 (normally $17.99)

Other

In theory, we were given early access to the TerRover demo this week . . . but it was already included with the newest episode of Qore two weeks ago.

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Subscription (15-Month) Totals

Free Games (active subscription required): $68.42 + 18.97 = $87.39

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $18.36 + $0 = $18.36

Video: $5.98 + $0 = $5.98

Discounts: $67.36 + $15.00 (service plan discount) + $11.10 = $93.46

(This assumes that we count both discounts for the Soldner-X games, even though one is a bundle that includes both the others. I’m counting it, since I counted the Cuboid add-ons both separately discounted and discounted as a bundle.)

Other: One-hour trials of InFamous and Red Faction: Guerrilla; limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days and TerRover; option to purchase Super Street Fighter IV 35-avatar bundle; option to purchase PixelJunk Racers: 2nd Lap before regular users.

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Total “Freebies” for Weeks 1 – 9: $142.64

Total Discounts for Weeks 1 – 9: $93.46

Total Value for Weeks 1 – 9: $236.10

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Final Impressions

Well, the PS1 Classic this week is not only crappy but also “broken” in the sense that I can’t just quit to the main menu but have to exit the entire game and go back into it. Thank goodness I didn’t like it anyway.

Mushroom Wars might get me to start caring about Real Time Strategy (RTS) games, but not likely. It’s cute, though. Vempire is yet another Minis puzzle game with various blocks and groups of the same color vanishing. Overall, it was an “eh” update, but at least it was an update with heavy new game content. : shrug :

This week, Playstation Plus returns with its first update in two weeks with any major content, as per the new policy of bi-weekly updates.

First, let’s make sure to re-correct last week’s total. As part of a summer sale, Wakeboarding HD had been reduced in price from $14.99 to $7.49 temporarily. The game was already discounted for PS+ users to $11.99 for a $4.00 discount, but, in keeping with the new sale, it was then temporarily reduced to $5.99 (from $7.49, not $14.99 this time). That changed its discount from $4.00 to only $1.50, meaning we needed to briefly remove $2.50 from our running total of discounts and PS+ value. Now, the game has returned to its original pricing, so we can add that $2.50 back into the value of the discounts for PS+.

This week bring us . . .

Free Games

• Mini: Aero Racing (normally $2.99)

PSN Store Discounts

This week’s discounted games are:

• PixelJunk Racers: 2nd Lap for $5.24 (normally $6.99)
• High Velocity Bowling for $5.00 (normally $9.99)
• Uncharted: The Eye of Indra motion comic bundle for $1.25 (normally $2.49)

This week’s discounted add-on is:

• WipEout HD: Fury for $7.99 (normally $9.99)

One should note that users from the first month of PS+ likely have WipEout HD for free, so this would be an add-on that you would keep even without a subscription, but for a game that you might have already free yet that you would have to purchase separately if you still wanted to play after your subscription ends.

Themes and Avatars

This week features only one free theme and no avatars. The theme is:

• Nebula Tunnels (normally $1.49)

Video

The new video content this week includes:

• Qore: Episode 27 (normally $2.99)

Free Game Trial

This month’s 60 minute game trial is:

• Red Faction: Guerrilla ($19.99 if you choose to purchase after the trail ends)

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Subscription (15-Month) Totals

Free Games (active subscription required): $65.43 + $2.99 = $68.42

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $16.87 + $1.49 = $18.36

Video: $2.99 + $2.99 = $5.98

Discounts: $54.88 + $2.50 (from sale end) + 9.98 = $67.36

Other: One-hour trials of InFamous and Red Faction: Guerrilla; limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days; option to purchase Super Street Fighter IV 35-avatar bundle.

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Total “Freebies” for Months 1 – 2: $123.67

Total Discounts for Months 1 – 2: $67.36

Total Value for Months 1 – 2: $191.03

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Final Impressions

This week added a bit more content, and it feels like waiting an extra week paid off in terms of the amount of content in this third (sorta second) week for this month. Honestly, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a rather odd choice for a free game trial, as just about anyone interested would have already played the demo released long ago or purchased the game for an amazingly low price just about anywhere. On the other hand, it was probably a good call to add WipEout HD: Fury to the discount list this time around, and I would have jumped on Uncharted: The Eye of Indra if I didn’t already have it. As it stands, I’m downloading the new episode of Qore and Aero Racers (to try it out).

This week, it’s just a quick update on Playstation Plus. Today, the powers that be at Sony announced that PS+ updates, which we originally figured were only monthly, but which turned out to be weekly, will now be every other week. Thus, this isn’t the second week of PS+ for this much, so much as it is an update. Still, I’ll keep the “week 2″ label here, as there is one small change.

As part of a summer sale, Wakeboarding HD has been reduced in price from $14.99 to $7.49 temporarily. The game was already discounted for PS+ users to $11.99 for a $4.00 discount, but, in keeping with the new sale, it has now been temporarily reduced to $5.99 (from $7.49, not $14.99 this time). That changes its discount from $4.00 to only $1.50, meaning we need to briefly remove $2.50 from our running total of discounts and PS+ value.

Thus, our running totals since the launch of PS+ are adjusted to . . .

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Subscription (15-Month) Totals

Free Games (active subscription required): $65.43 + $0 = $65.43

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $16.87 + $0 = $16.87

Discounts: $54.88 – $2.50 = $52.38 (temporarily)

Video: $2.99 + $0 = $2.99

Other: One-hour trial of InFamous; limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days; option to purchase Super Street Fighter IV 35-avatar bundle.

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Total “Freebies” for Months 1 – 2: $116.20

Total Discounts for Months 1 – 2: $52.38 (temporary)

Total Value for Months 1 – 2: $168.58 (temporary)

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Final Impressions

There’s not much to speak of this week, but I would note that I guess it is a good thing that they will be taking their previous approach of two decent weeks and two lackluster weeks and altering it to create just two better weeks, and it is nice that they are finally starting to give us a sense of what’s coming next time with blog posts in advance.

For what it’s worth, next week should see a one-hour trial for Red Faction: Guerrilla, the August episode of Qore, and an early release (with discount) of PixelJunk Racers: Second Lap.

However, next week will also see Fieldrunners disappear from PS+ (so download it before then to put it into your downloads listing), and various other free or discounted content will be leaving the PS+ zone, including: Super Stardust (including its Team and Solo add-ons), Gravity Crash, the Resistance 2: Aftermath Multiplayer Map Pack, the three MAG dynamic themes, the King Zumo theme, and the July episode of Qore.

Until next week . . .

Over the last few weeks, I’ve presented a series of four reviews focusing on the new Transformers games that have finally done the franchise some justice. Those were:

• War for Cybertron (next gen)
• Cybertron Adventures (Nintendo Wii)
• War for Cybertron: Autobots (Nintendo DS)
• War for Cybertron: Decepticons (Nintendo DS)

Hot on the heels of those games comes the first downloadable add-on material for the next gen game on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Game Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron

DLC: Map and Character Pack 1

I find myself a bit frustrated most times when we have a piece of DLC labeled “#1,” as that tends to mean we are in for an avalanche of them. Take, for example, the twelve different costume packs for Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV. Together, these packs, which each cost $3.99, have caused diehard SF4 fans, including myself,  to spend approximately $60 on the original game, $40 on the replacement “super” game, and then another $48 on costume packs . . . and they just keep on coming, as more were announced at San Diego ComicCon 2010.

On the other hand, sometimes a piece of DLC comes around that is so solid that you think, “Hey, more in this series of DLC might not be so bad. Where’s number two?”

Another issue with DLC that often arises is the issue of “exclusive” content. By now, you all know of my anger and distrust with LucasArts after their claims that the Hoth level in The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition would always be exclusive to that version of the game (prompting many of us to go out and buy the same game and and most of the same DLC all over again), only for them to turn a “bait and switch” on us later by making the Hoth level available as DLC anyway. Some argued that I should have known it was coming, but I took LucasArts representatives at their word.

In a similar vein, we often see a frustrating amount of “exclusive preorder bonus material” for video games these days. For example, Kmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon will all have different “preorder exclusive’ costumes for Spider-Man in his new game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which is, frankly, a bit ridiculous. Obviously, people are not going to buy multiple copies of the game to get all of the preorder items, just as no one was going to buy multiple copies of The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition to get all of the (rather lame) card inserts.

Fortunately, though, preorder bonus game content is not quite like physical bonus material that one may find with, say, a DVD release (like the special metal case for the original Star Wars Trilogy at Best Buy that I own and am quite fond of). If something is a preorder bonus for a next gen game, that tends to mean that you are getting a voucher to download something free, which is almost guaranteed to be released later for others to download for a price.

This, thankfully, eliminates some of the preorder bonus frustration for gamers, while allowing them to still focus on the preorder item they want most when doing their ordering. (In my case, for example, I like the idea of two challenge levels for The Force Unleashed II, instead of the “Maulkiller” character skin, so I’m preordering through Amazon, not GameStop.)

What has happened with Transformers: War for Cybertron’s first piece of paid DLC, Map and Character Pack 1, is a mixture of releasing new downloadable content and repackaging “preorder exclusive bonus material” into paid DLC.

The contents of this DLC are all geared toward multiplayer modes. As you may recall, this is a game with a great single player campaign, then a ton of multiplayer modes that, frankly, people just aren’t playing enough in my opinion. One mode, given its own menu choice, is “Escalation.” In that mode, you fight against wave after wave of enemies, trying to survive to the end with friends at your side. The other modes are labled “multiplayer” and consist of team deathmatch, deathmatch, Conquest (king of the hill with three hills, so to speak), Code of Power (capture the flag), Countdown to Extinction (capture the exploding flag, heh), and Power Struggle (king of the kill with one hill).

In the single player campaign or in cooperative play, players simply chose one of the three Transformers available for each mission, which is a predetermined trio. In Escalation, you can choose any available Transformers character from the single player campaign or (if you have beat the campaigns) a female character (Slipstream the Decepticon jet or Arcee the Autobot car).

In the other multiplayer modes, you actually create a character that can “level up” for bonuses and such.  You choose between four different classes (scout, scientist, leader, or soldier), then pick attributes from those available such as weapons, abilities, and the like. You also pick the character’s appearance, based on recolored character models from the single player campaign (and unlockable female) characters.

This is all important to know in order to put this DLC into perspective. It consists of two new multiplayer maps (Havoc and Fortress), which can be used in any of the multiplayer modes. It also contains two new Escalation maps (Forsaken and District), just for that mode. This is nice as you slowly get to know each map and its nooks and crannies, so you can change thing sup with these if playing against others with this DLC.

Most importantly to most fans, this pack contains five “new” Transformers for multiplayer and Escalation: Scattershot; Onslaught; Demolishor; Shockwave; and Jazz. The latter three Transformers were the former preorder exclusives for Amazon, Gamestop, and Best Buy, respectively. The former two are new to this DLC.

Now, you might be thinking, “Wait, didn’t he just say you create a character in multiplayer, and you only get to use existing characters in Escalation?” Yes, that’s true, and I thought that was pretty asinine at first, but when you go into the “create a character” area of multiplayer, you will find that the character models for each of these new characters are added to your choices within the multiplayer options.

Thus, your multiplayer character model choices expand to:

• Autobot Scout: Runner (Bumblebee); Speedster (Sideswipe); Sprinter (Arcee, if you have beaten the Autobot campaign); and Dragster (Jazz from the DLC)
• Decepticon Scout: Enforcer (Barricade) and Racer (Breakdown)
• Autobot Scientist: Air Defender (Jetfire); Interceptor (Silverbolt); and Skyraider (Air Raid)
• Decepticon Scientist: Stalker (Slipstream, if you have beaten the Decepticon campaign); Energon Seeker (Starscream, Thundercracker, or Skywarp, since the character model is basically the same); and Retaliator (Shockwave from this DLC)
• Autobot Leader: Armored Rig (Ironhide); Heavy Rig (Optimus Prime); and Medic Rig (Ratchet)
• Decepticon Leader: Spy Rig (Soundwave) and Tactical Rig (Onslaught from this DLC)
• Autobot Soldier: Defender (Warpath) and Protector (Scattershot from this SDLC)
• Decepticon Soldier: Destroyer (just a Destroyer Decepticon from the game, the only one not based on a specific Transformer); Crusher (Brawl); and Eradicator (Demolisher from this DLC)

Generally speaking, this enhances the experience beyond Escalation, though many multiplayer gamers who have already created characters may forget that they can go in and tweak their character into one of these rather cool new character models.

So, after all of that explaining about what you get for your price tag of $9.99, the question becomes whether this is worth your money.

If you are a single player campaign gamer who usually does not bother with multiplayer at all, then this is not worth your money. It adds nothing to the single player experience (and, by the way, neither does unlocking Slipstream and Arcee by finishing the full single player campaign for both factions).

If you are into War for Cybertron’s multiplayer component or Escalation, then this is definitely worth your money. Sure, $9.99 is a bit steep for some DLC for some folks, but you are getting five different characters for both Escalation and multiplayer (including two new ones and the three you could only have gotten through preorders before now), and you are getting four new multiplayer maps (two each for regular multiplayer and Escalation). Even if these were each only. That’s only $1.11 for each of these nine items in this DLC, and, frankly, when was the last time you saw a DLC pack with this much multiplayer content in one package?

So, buy it if you are into multiplayer (which I almost never am but have found myself loving for this particular game), and skip it if you are only a single player campaign gamer. For its value to multiplayer gamers who will find it well worth the cash, this earns . . .

Grade: A+

Today, we begin to look at the second month of Playstation Plus. Before we begin, we should take a brief look at the final Month 1 tallies. As of content made available last week, PS+ subscribers (since the first day of availability) have received $47.96 in free games (with an active subscription required), $30.91 in free DLC (with an active subscription required), $16.87 in free avatars and themes, $2.99 in free video content, $51.89 in discounts, a free 1 hour trial of InFamous, a limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; and one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

I should note that there has been a clarification that many Playstation Plus users find distasteful. Originally, blog posts and other promotions for PS+ referred to free games as something that would expire with one’s subscription, while free downloadable add-ons would be kept forever, regardless of subscription status. Then a contradictory statement emerged, shortly after Month 1 began. That was finally clarified, and the answer is that, no, you will not get to keep the free add-ons when your subscription ends. Only the avatars, themes, and discounted items will be kept. No, that is not what we signed up for, and, yes, it’s a nice heaping helping of bullshit, but there’s nothing that can be done about it.

So . . . Month 2 begins today with . . .

Free Games

We are to expect one free PS3 game, one free Mini (for PS3 or PSP), and one free PS1 Classic (for PS3 or PSP) each month, which we will have access to in our downloads as long as we are subscribers. Last month, we started out with WipEout HD, Age of Zombies, and Rally Cross in those categories, then also added Fieldrunners in the Minis category.

This week, the free games are:

• PS3: Critter Crunch (normally $6.99)
• Mini: Kahoots (normally $4.49)
• PS1 Classic: Syphon Filter (normally $5.99)

Total value in free games (assuming you stay subscribed): $17.47.

PSN Store Discounts

Each month, certain items on the PSN Store will be discounted for PS+ members. The discounts range from 20% to 50%, according to Sony. Any games or add-ons purchased at these discounted prices are yours to keep, even if your subscription lapses.

This week’s discounted game is:

• Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS1 Classic) for $3.00 (normally $5.99)

There are no discounted add-ons this week.

Total value in discounts (assuming you would have purchased this to begin with): $2.99.

Other

PS+ subscribers have the option to purchase a collection of 35 Super Street Fighter IV avatars for $4.99. I am assuming that what we have here is a sort of early discount, as you can buy five SSF4 avatars as of today for $0.49 each, which, if five are released each week, would mean seven weeks of avatars at a total price of $17.15. Still, though, we cannot count that as a discount until we know for certain that the materials will be released outside of PS+ coverage. Only then can we truly compare prices. I will therefore leave this out of my calculations for now.

As yet, there are no free add-ons, free themes, free avatars, free game trials, early demos, or episodes of Qore for Month 2.

With that all being said, let’s look at our totals:

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Month 2 Totals

Free Games (active subscription required): $17.47

Discounts: $2.99

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Subscription (15-Month) Totals

Free Games (active subscription required): $47.96 + $17.47 = $65.43

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $16.87 + $0 = $16.87

Discounts: $51.89 + $2.99 = $54.88

Video: $2.99 + $0 = $2.99

Other: 1 hour trial of InFamous; limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days; option to purchase Super Street Fighter IV 35-avatar bundle.

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Total “Freebies” for Months 1 – 2: $116.20

Total Discounts for Months 1-2: $54.88

Total Value for Month 1: $171.08

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Final Impressions

I am not really interested in Month 2 thus far. The PS3 and Mini games seem like games I would probably never have purchased on my own or may not even play now that they are free, and the lack of other discounts or content is surprising. I am, however, going to try Syphon Filter, as I have been considering the Syphon Filter games available for PSP Go for a while now.

A short while ago, I posted my review of the next gen Transformers game, War for Cybertron. I then posted a review for its Nintendo Wii counterpart, Cybertron Adventures. Most recently, I posted my review for the first of the two Nintendo DS versions of the game, War for Cybertron: Autobots. Now, the review series concludes with War for Cybertron: Decepticons.

Game Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron: Decepticons

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo DS

Also Available: N/A (in this form) but PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in next gen form (which is not the same game, technically)

Created by: Vicarious Visions

Story: The story of the recent War for Cyberton and Cybertron Adventures games has been covered in the first two reviews in this series, so I will stick to the approach taken and differences in story path here, rather than a general retelling of the game’s concept.

As mentioned in the last review, unlike the next gen WFC or the Wii-exclusive CA, the Nintendo DS version of War for Cybertron is divided into two separate games, rather than two separate campaigns, which is similar to the approach taken to the games that tied into the recent films. This review is specifically for the Decepticon faction version of the game. Fortunately, this review can focus more on purchase decisions, as the Decepticon version is much like the Autobot version.

Once again, we have a story here that runs parallel to (and covering most of the same events from) the next gen War for Cybertron. Unlike the Autobots game, this one is much closer to the story of the Decepticon faction’s chapters in the next gen game. There’s a bit more busy work to make things happen (such as getting Dark Energon flowing and such), but, otherwise, it sticks pretty close to that storyline, though it handles specific moments differently.

Now, you may recall that the next gen version’s Decepticon chapters came first, followed by the Autobots. Story-wise, the same holds true here, though, frankly, the events are so loosely referenced between the two games that it is rather unlikely that anyone playing the DS games without having played the next gen games would realize it, other than thoughts like:

“Hey, the space station is called Trypticon. You fight him in the Autobot game!”

“Hey, that’s Omega Prime! He’s imprisoned by the start of the Autobot game!”

Honestly, the ties are pretty loose, and the first level (a sort of tutorial) is a bit odd in that respect. Both games start you as a rookie Autobot, unable to transform. You have to get communications back online and such, and you end the Autobot level by switching to another Autobot who heads off elsewhere. In the Decpticon version, we learn what happens to that poor Autobot in a scene that had me cracking up. However funny the scene is, though, it makes no sense chronologically. It plays as if the first levels of the Autobot and Decepticon games are concurrent (and certainly the first half of those levels are identical), but the latter halves can’t be, as they lead into events that are at the beginning of the Decepticon and Autobot storylines that happen consecutively, not concurrently.

All in all, you will get a full story here, though some of the motivations feel less solid in this version, and, if you win, the bad guys will win . . . until you play the Autobot game. (I played them in reverse order.)

Gameplay: The text here will be virtually identical to the Autobot game, so skip to the next section if you don’t need a recap with “Autobot” swapped away in favor of “Decepticon.”

One could refer to War for Cybertron: Decepticons as a third person shooter. It is, but it does not necessarily follow all of that game format’s conventions, given the limitations of DS technology. The good news is that you will never need to pick up the DS stylus. The only time you need to actually use the touchscreen is to transform, which only requires a brief thumb tap to the bottom right corner of the touchscreen. Everything else is handled through the D-pad (movement), left shoulder button (to lock onto targets), right shoulder button (to switch between locked-on targets), and face buttons (X for melee, Y to shoot, B to jump, and A to swap between your two selected Autobots at any given time).

As just noted, you choose two Decepticons for each mission, which allows you some versatility in your weapons and transformation modes. If one Decepticon is knocked out, the other can defeat enough enemies to earn enough experience points (XP) to revive their fallen comrade. You only lose when both are knocked out.

In terms of characters, you have a much more diverse group of characters to choose from this time around, including 15 different Decepticons . Some are unlocked as you progress through the story. Others are unlocked by finding data discs hidden in the various levels or Arena challenges (more on the Arena and various modes in a moment), some are unlocked by defeating them in friendly challenges, and so on.

You can also unlock up to 15 different Autobots. You see, while the main campaign is eight Decepticon levels, there are four bonus levels that come directly from the Autobot version of the game (i.e.  you get half of the other game for DS). There is also an Arena mode, which consists of 30 different challenges (six each in five different locations), which you can complete with either Decepticons or Autobots (sometimes needing to finish a challenge with both in order to unlock all available Transformers).

As you work your way through, you will also find data discs that don’t unlock new Transformers. Instead, these create perks that you can apply as you play, such as increased firepower or endurance, though you can only use one of these data disc perks at a time. (There are 50 of these to collect.)

If that wasn’t enough, the game also features a multiplayer component, if you happen to have a friend with a Nintendo DS and either of the games (Autobot or Decepticon). While playing multiplayer, you may find characters captured by your opponent in what is called an “ante game.” If you lose them there, you can then play a single-player mode called “Rescue,” wherein you can regain those lost characters.

In terms of combat, your choice in characters plays a role in how you will approach the game. Some characters are “light” (e.g. Bumblebee) and can move very quickly in vehicle mode, while also being able to enter small areas (usually for bonus items but sometimes as mission necessities). Other characters are “heavy” (e.g. Optimus) and have the ability to bash through large walls. A third category consists of “air” characters, who can transform into flying vehicles but whose weapons in flying mode, unlike those of the ground-based classes, do not recharge until you transform back into robot mode (to keep things fair).

Each character has a ranged (blaster style) and melee attack. These attacks deal laser, plasma, or physical damage, which is represented in status screens as a yellow triangle, red circle, or blue square, respectively. This is important because enemies tend to be most vulnerable to one specific kind of weapon (and bosses often switch which vulnerabilities throughout a multi-stage battle). In a sense, the fighting becomes a tactical “rock, paper, scissors” game that makes your choice of characters important.

Overall, this is a very robust game in terms of modes, combat, and character options. I was pleasantly surprised.

Presentation: Again, this portion is identical to the previous game.

Obviously, we are dealing with a Nintendo DS game here, so the visuals in a 3D environment are going to be much more blocky than in the other recent games from the franchise. Still, the characters are recognizable, and their designs mirror the design aesthetic of their console counterparts. Levels are sometimes quite plain, but nothing unexpectedly bland for the DS.

The sound effects are well done and include the classic  “transforming” sound, and there is a fair amount of voice acting used here, performed just as well in this incarnation as in the other games in this blitz.

Overall, it isn’t anything to write home about, but it isn’t bad either.

The Verdict: While certainly not on par with its next gen namesake, War for Cybertron: Autobots is a decent little Nintendo DS game, and a fun Tranformers game amid a sea of disappointing ones in previous years. You probably won’t make much use of multiplayer for lack of others around with the game, and you would be crazy to spend all of the time necessary to unlock every Transformer and every data disc (some of the latter of which require multiplayer play). However, it makes for a heck of a lot of content for a $30 Nintendo DS game. I would recommend this one to Transformers fans to supplement the next gen game on the go.

I said all of that with the previous game, so let me go a bit further here.

By comparison, the Autobot game is more about the journey and racing against time now and then. The Decepticon game is all about firefights, including some pretty difficult ones, and strategic use of when to switch Transformers to let the other regenerate health. I would advise that if you plan to play both games, then play the Autobot game first, even though the events take place second. The Decepticon game is definitely the more challenging of the two.

In the previous review, I ended by saying this:

“However, I would add the caveat that you should get this version if you lean toward Autobots. There’s enough similarity in the two DS games to make the deciding factor your preference of factions. More on the Decepticon version of the game in the final review of this series.”

The same could be said this time, only in reverse (favoring Decepticons). The question posed now alongside that, though, is whether it is worth purchasing both games. That is a matter of perspective. If you want the entire story, get both and play through both campaigns. However, if you do that, I would advise you not to try to get all of the collectibles (especially since you can’t get 100% without multiplayer, which you are unlikely to ever play). The key here is that the more you play one of these two games over and over again, the less likely you are to want to play the other (i.e. you’ll burnout on the gameplay). Similarly, if you plan to play both to get the whole story, then do not bother with the bonus missions at all on either game, as they are exact repeats of half of the levels on the opposite game and thus a waste of time. On the other hand, if you are looking for a lot of content for your $30, get one and unlock the hell out of everything. You won’t want to unlock everything on the other after that.

Another question arises: Nathan, there are four different versions of this game that you’ve reviewed (sort of). Which should I be purchasing?

Speaking as someone who purchased and played through all four, let’s go with perspective again. By far the best game, with the most comprehensible story, is the next gen game. It also has some replayability, though not a ton, and its multiplayer is quite fun. If you have that one, you have the main story. If you want to see a retellling of it on the Nintendo DS, pick up either DS game or both, but that’s basically what you’re getting: a retelling with some extra characters who don’t play all that differently from others in their character class. As for the Nintendo Wii Cybertron Adventures, that is worthwhile for the different gameplay, but consider it a supplement to the next gen game.

If you can’t get the next gen game, then the Nintendo DS versions are decent substitutes for that storyline, and they have a lot of content for your money. The Wii game is still just a supplement to that main storyline, so you might consider it for a console version.

If you have the opportunity, I would not purchase only the Wii Cybertron Adventures without at least reading up on the story of the War for Cybertron games (next gen or DS) because the story is much less comprehensible in that form. The game is decent, but the storyline isn’t quite the same, and some bits won’t make sense out of context.

So, as for War for Cybertron: Decepticons for the Nintendo DS, it earns the same grade as its Autobot counterpart . . .

Grade: B+

A game that almost does too much, but a fun game for fans of the franchise. A bit more difficult than its Autobot counterpart.

A short while ago, I posted my review of the next gen Transformers game, War for Cybertron. I then posted a review for its Nintendo Wii counterpart, Cybertron Adventures. Now, the reviews of the new Transformers video game blitz continue with the first of two Nintendo DS versions of War for Cybertron.

Game Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron: Autobots

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo DS

Also Available: N/A (in this form) but PS3, Xbox 360, and PC in next gen form (which is not the same game, technically)

Created by: Vicarious Visions

Story: The story of the recent War for Cyberton and Cybertron Adventures games has been covered in the previous two reviews in this series, so I will stick to the approach taken and differences in story path here, rather than a general retelling of the game’s concept.

Unlike the next gen WFC or the Wii-exclusive CA, the Nintendo DS version of War for Cybertron is divided into two separate games, rather than two separate campaigns, which is similar to the approach taken to the games that tied into the recent films. This review is specifically for the Autobot faction version of the game, though we will find that much of the ideas here resonate with the Decepticon version as well, which will finish this review series in its next installment.

As was the case with Cybertron Adventures on the Wii, this story picks up during the events of the next gen War for Cybertron. By this point, the events of the Decepticon campaign in the next gen WFC have ended, and the events of the Aubobot campaign are in motion. You start out with a message from the thought-dead leader of the Autobots, Zeta Prime, and work your way through missions to save Iacon (the main Autobot city), infiltrate Kaon (the Decepticon’s main city), and find Zeta Prime. In this sense, the first four (of eight) missions run similarly to the next gen version, though not with all of the exact same story points. (For example, you must infiltrate the prison from the outside in the DS game, but the next gen game has the Autobots allowing themselves to be taken prisoner to get inside.)

After that, you engage in one mission that has no tie to the other games and seems to slip in between the levels of those other games. In this case, you enlist the aid of Grimlock by going on a mission to save the captive Swoop.

After that, you engage in the final three missions, which feature a mission to save Cybertron’s core, attack the Trypticon space station, and then to battle Trypticon itself. Those levels once again follow the general (but not exact) storyline of the Autobot campaign in the next gen game and, to a lesser extent, parts of Cybertron Adventures.

This, in essence, a portable retelling of the story that plays differently and provides less explanation for events, though it certainly tries to explain more than the Wii game does.

Gameplay: One could refer to War for Cybertron: Autobots as a third person shooter. It is, but it does not necessarily follow all of that game format’s conventions, given the limitations of DS technology. The good news is that you will never need to pick up the DS stylus. The only time you need to actually use the touchscreen is to transform, which only requires a brief thumb tap to the bottom right corner of the touchscreen. Everything else is handled through the D-pad (movement), left shoulder button (to lock onto targets), right shoulder button (to switch between locked-on targets), and face buttons (X for melee, Y to shoot, B to jump, and A to swap between your two selected Autobots at any given time).

As just noted, you choose two Autobots for each mission, which allows you some versatility in your weapons and transformation modes. If one Aubobot is knocked out, the other can defeat enough enemies to earn enough experience points (XP) to revive their fallen comrade. You only lose when both are knocked out.

In terms of characters, you have a much more diverse group of characters to choose from this time around, including 15 different Autobots. Some are unlocked as you progress through the story. Others are unlocked by finding data discs hidden in the various levels or Arena challenges (more on the Arena and various modes in a moment), some are unlocked by defeating them in friendly challenges, and so on.

You can also unlock up to 15 different Decepticons. You see, while the main campaign is eight Autobot levels, there are four bonus levels that come directly from the Decepticon version of the game (i.e.  you get half of the other game for DS). There is also an Arena mode, which consists of 30 different challenges (six each in five different locations), which you can complete with either Autobots or Decepticons (sometimes needing to finish a challenge with both in order to unlock all available Transformers).

As you work your way through, you will also find data discs that don’t unlock new Transformers. Instead, these create perks that you can apply as you play, such as increased firepower or endurance, though you can only use one of these data disc perks at a time. (There are 50 of these to collect.)

If that wasn’t enough, the game also features a multiplayer component, if you happen to have a friend with a Nintendo DS and either of the games (Autobot or Decepticon). While playing multiplayer, you may find characters captured by your opponent in what is called an “ante game.” If you lose them there, you can then play a single-player mode called “Rescue,” wherein you can regain those lost characters.

In terms of combat, your choice in characters plays a role in how you will approach the game. Some characters are “light” (e.g. Bumblebee) and can move very quickly in vehicle mode, while also being able to enter small areas (usually for bonus items but sometimes as mission necessities). Other characters are “heavy” (e.g. Optimus) and have the ability to bash through large walls. A third category consists of “air” characters, who can transform into flying vehicles but whose weapons in flying mode, unlike those of the ground-based classes, do not recharge until you transform back into robot mode (to keep things fair).

Each character has a ranged (blaster style) and melee attack. These attacks deal laser, plasma, or physical damage, which is represented in status screens as a yellow triangle, red circle, or blue square, respectively. This is important because enemies tend to be most vulnerable to one specific kind of weapon (and bosses often switch which vulnerabilities throughout a multi-stage battle). In a sense, the fighting becomes a tactical “rock, paper, scissors” game that makes your choice of characters important. (I tended to often stick with Cliffjumper as one of my characters, as he gives up some of his speed for a ranged attack that deals both laser and plasma damage, making him one of the only characters who can deal all three kinds of damage when coupled with his physical melee damage.)

Overall, this is a very robust game in terms of modes, combat, and character options. I was pleasantly surprised.

Presentation: Obviously, we are dealing with a Nintendo DS game here, so the visuals in a 3D environment are going to be much more blocky than in the other recent games from the franchise. Still, the characters are recognizable, and their designs mirror the design aesthetic of their console counterparts. Levels are sometimes quite plain, but nothing unexpectedly bland for the DS.

The sound effects are well done and include the classic  “transforming” sound, and there is a fair amount of voice acting used here, performed just as well in this incarnation as in the other games in this blitz.

Overall, it isn’t anything to write home about, but it isn’t bad either.

The Verdict: While certainly not on par with its next gen namesake, War for Cybertron: Autobots is a decent little Nintendo DS game, and a fun Tranformers game amid a sea of disappointing ones in previous years. You probably won’t make much use of multiplayer for lack of others around with the game, and you would be crazy to spend all of the time necessary to unlock every Transformer and every data disc (some of the latter of which require multiplayer play). However, it makes for a heck of a lot of content for a $30 Nintendo DS game. I would recommend this one to Transformers fans to supplement the next gen game on the go. However, I would add the caveat that you should get this version if you lean toward Autobots. There’s enough similarity in the two DS games to make the deciding factor your preference of factions. More on the Decepticon version of the game in the final review of this series.

Grade: B+

A game that almost does too much, but a fun game for fans of the franchise.

This is a brief follow-up to my reviews of the Resident Evil 5 downloadable content previously discussed here and here.

I have previously discussed how Resident Evil 5 was released by Capcom in March 2009, but was then re-released one year later (March 2010) as Resident Evil: Gold Edition.

Capcom had previously released the original game, then waited only a month or so before releasing its Versus DLC, which added a form of multiplayer that most, if not all, critics and players believed should have been part of the game to begin with. In fact, we later learned that it was part of the game that we purchased. However, rather than actually giving us what was on the disc we had already purchased, we had to pay for content already on the disc to “unlock” the Versus content. That rubbed many fans the wrong way.

Capcom seemed to have learned its lesson (i.e. “don’t piss off the people whose purchases pay for your homes”) when it came to Gold Edition. Rather than forcing players to purchase the game over again in order to get new content or advertising that content as exclusive (i.e. rather than pulling a bait and switch like LucasArts with The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition), they gave players options. You could purchase Gold Edition, which came with Lost in Nightmares, Desperate Escape, and Mercenaries Reunion with all of the characters from both DLC packs. You could also, if you already owned the original release, simply purchase all of those new features as DLC that would then be integrated into the regular game.

No problem. Thanks for actually doing right by the fans, Capcom.

(Yeah, I say that sarcastically because they then began the Street Fighter IV costume pack crap that went back to their old “pay for what you already have on your disc” ways.)

At the time, I suggested that you purchase Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition if you didn’t already have the game, or that you simply get the DLC to add to your original RE5 copy if you already owned it. The latter is what I did.

Now, I find myself screwed.

It was recently announced that Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition will be getting a DLC patch that will make it compatible with the Playstation Move motion control device. This will create a gameplay experience very similar to Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. Given my love for that earlier game, I’m quite excited for RE5 with the Move.

Problem: It’s the Gold Edition that is getting the DLC. Apparently, due to how the two different versions of the game were programmed, the original version of RE5 will not be getting Move support.

In other words, if you spent about $50 at one point for the Gold Edition, then you’ll now only need the new DLC to make it work with Move. However, if you had the original $60 game, then you have now purchased it, and you have probably purchased four pieces of DLC to bring it up to Gold Edition content levels, and now you will have to ditch all of that and still purchase Gold Edition to be able to get the DLC that allows Move support.

Did I just lose weight, or is that my wallet getting sucked dry?

Now, I guess I should be fine with this, given that I’m one of those guys who had Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube and then made Resident Evil 5: Wii Edition my first game purchase for the Nintendo Wii, so I’m used to this. Hell, I even bought Super Street Fighter IV after already owning Street Fighter IV, and I own four different versions of Street Fighter II (original for SNES, Turbo for SNES, Super for SNES, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix for PS3).

Still, though, it feels like original, longtime RE5 fans are being screwed. Capcom might not have known this going into Move development, and that might have been too late to give us the information we would have needed to avoid the double-purchases that we thought were in our best interests while avoiding a different double-purchase. It just sits wrong with me.

Nevertheless, I’ve ordered Gold Edition, and my Move preorder has been in for weeks now.

I guess some gamers never learn.

In any event, I must change my recommendation. If you do not already own Resident Evil 5, then Gold Edition is still the best choice. However, if you do already own the original game, and you are considering the DLC, don’t do it. Instead, buy Gold Edition. Yes, it means that you are buying the game for a second time, but for those who want to use Move, it is your only option. Otherwise, if you buy the DLC like I did, you will end up repurchasing not only the original game, but also all of the DLC as well, via Gold Edition.
UPDATE / NOTE: To clarify, the reason that the original edition cannot use the Move is because it is coded differently than the gold version, which was coded with future Move support already in mind. In other words, they  knew, but we didn’t, so we original purchasers thought we were getting a better deal to buy the DLC, rather than the Gold Edition, only to end up getting a worse deal in the long run.

As of last week, I had calculated that Month 1 of Playstation Plus had provided $47.96 in free games (with an active subscription required for access), $30.91 in free DLC, $14.89 in free avatars and themes, $43.91 in discounts, and $2.99 in free video content. That gave us a total of $96.75 in “freebies” and $43.91 in discounts, adding up to a total value of $140.66 for Month 1, as of Week 3.

So, how has Week 4 panned out?

The simple answer: lackluster, much like Week 3, but introducing a new feature, technically.

Week 4 has brought no new free video content, nor free games or add-on DLC. Instead, we have an avatar, a theme, some discounts, an an early demo.

Themes and Avatars

This week’s free PS3 theme is:

• Bloody Escape (normally $1.49)

This week’s free PS3 avatar is:

• Origami Swan from Heavy Rain (normally $0.49)

PSN Store Discounts

This week’s discounted game is:

• Echochrome for $5.00 (normally $9.99)

I should note that the Playstation Blog lists Hamsterball as a discount added this week, but what really happened was that the game dropped in price due to a sale in Week 2. It was originally $9.99, discounted for PS+ users to $7.99, but the sale made its regular price $4.99 and discounted it down to $3.99. As you may recall, I worked this into my calculations, since it meant that we had seen a $2.00 discount become a $1.00 discount. Now, the sale is over, and Hamsterball is back to $9.99 and discounted for PS+  users at $7.99. I am factoring this change back into the numbers below.

This week’s discounted add-on is:

• Resistance 2: Skin Bundle for $2.00 (normally $3.99)

Early Demo

This is a new feature. We were told that PS+ subscribers would gain access to selected demos before regular PSN users. More than likely, what it really means in practical terms is that select demos are held back from regular PSN users for an extra week, while PS+ users get them as they become available, but that’s just my cynical view on the issue. This was also the first early demo that could be scheduled for automatic download for PS+ users, but the PS3 has to be off at your scheduled automatic download check time in order for this feature to work.

This week’s early demo is:

• Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days (PS3)

Video

I should also note that between the Week 3 and Week 4 updates, Sony placed its Hulu Plus application up for PS+ subscribers to download. A limited number of those who downloaded the application would be selected to participate in a free trial of the Hulu Plus service. Once officially launched, Hulu Plus will be available to PS+ and regular PSN users for $9.99 per month. Only the free, limited availability trial is a PS+ exclusive.

Week 4 Results

This week sees $1.98 in free themes and avatars, plus $6.98 in new discounts ($13.98 in content for $7.00).

Month 1 Results as of Week 4

Free Games (active subscription required): $47.96 + $0 = $47.96

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $14.89 + $1.98 = $16.87

Discounts: $43.91 + $6.98 + $1.00 adjustment = $51.89*

Video: $2.99 + $0 = $2.99

Other: 1 hour trial of InFamous; limited trial for some users for Hulu Plus; one week of early demo play for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

*$1.00 adjustment is from the change in price and discount for Hamsterball. See above.

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Total “Freebies” for Month 1: $98.73

Total Discounts for Month 1: $51.89

Total Value for Month 1: $150.62

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As for me, personally, I have actually taken advantage of:

• free Wipeout HD ($19.99)
• Cuboid discount ($2.00)
• free Cuboid: Bundle Pack DLC ($4.99)
• free Qore: Episode 26 ($2.99)
• free Age of Zombies ($4.99)
• free Fieldrunners ($6.99)
• free Origami Swan from Heavy Rain avatar ($0.49)
• early demo of Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days
• 1 hour game trial of InFamous

I have also taken advantage of the following, not to actually play, but simply to put into my “downloads” list in case I ever do decide to go back and get them after they move on from the PS+ listings:

• free Rally Cross ($5.99)
• Deadly King Zuko theme ($1.49)
• MAG Valor Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)
• MAG SVER Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)
• MAG Raven Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)
• Bloody Escape Theme ($1.49)
• Collision Theme ($1.49)

Since I will not count those “well, I’ll put them on my list in case I ever want them later” items as part of the value I’ve really felt I’ve received from PS+ so far, I would put my current “value received” from PS+ in Month 1 at around $42.44 (though if I counted all of those “put them on the download list just in case” items, it would be more like another $19.43 for a total of $61.87). You could also probably argue that I have spent $7.99 on Cuboid that I otherwise would not have, so Sony’s full “take” from me for PS+ so far is $57.98. That puts me $15.54 “down” so far, realistically, with 14 months left in the subscription to make up that difference.

Overall, I’m disappointed in Weeks 3 and 4 of PS+, but I’m liking the introduction of some exclusive early features and trial for subscribers, and Weeks 1 and 2 were pretty good. I would bet that this is how months are likely to work with PS+: flashy up front, then lackluster as the month winds down.

So far, I’m still happy with my purchase of the PS+ subscription ($49.99 for 15 months, in my case). Still, I would love to see them do something regarding discounts on PSP digital download games, other than PS1 Classics or Minis, and I would be interested in knowing a month’s planned content up front, rather than as it dribbles out week by week.

As of last week, I had calculated that Month 1 of Playstation Plus had provided $47.96 in free games (with an active subscription required for access), $30.91 in free DLC, $5.43 in free avatars and themes, $35.93 in discounts, and $2.99 in free video content. That gave us a total of $87.29 in “freebies” and $35.93 in discounts, adding up to a total value of $123.22 for Month 1, as of Week 2.

So, how has Week 3 panned out?

The simple answer: not nearly as well.

Week 3 has brought no new free video content, nor free games or add-on DLC. Instead, we have an avatar, some dynamic themes, and some discounts.

Themes and Avatars

This week’s free dynamic PS3 themes are:

• MAG Valor Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)
• MAG SVER Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)
• MAG Raven Dynamic Theme (normally $2.99)

This week’s free PS3 avatar is:

• Sack Boy from Little Big Planet (normally $0.49)

PSN Store Discounts

This week’s discounted game is:

• Gravity Crash for $5.00 (normally $9.99)

This week’s discounted add-on is:

• Resistance 2: Aftermath Multiplayer Map Pack for $3.00 (normally $5.99)

Week 3 Results

This week sees $9.46 in free themes and avatars, plus $7.98 in new discounts ($15.98 in content for $8.00).

Month 1 Results as of Week 2

Free Games (active subscription required): $47.96 + $0 = $47.96

Free DLC: $30.91 + $0 = $30.91

Avatars and Themes: $5.43 + $9.46 = $14.89

Discounts: $35.93 + $7.98 = $43.91

Video: $2.99 + $0 = $2.99

————————————————–

Total “Freebies” for Month 1: $96.75

Total Discounts for Month 1: $43.91

Total Value for Month 1: $140.66

————————————————–

As for me, personally, I have taken advantage of Wipeout HD ($19.99), the Cuboid discount ($2.00), the free Cuboid: Bundle Pack DLC ($4.99), Qore: Episode 26 ($2.99), Age of Zombies ($4.99), and Fieldrunners ($6.99), while also downloading Rally Cross (which I never intend to play, just to put it into my download list in case it vanishes from the free part of PS+, as has been recommended) and the themes (for the same reason). One could argue that I have either gained $41.95 in value for my $49.99 subscription already, or you could look at these items (none of which I would have purchased originally if they weren’t either free or heavily discounted) as me spending $49.99 for the subscription, then spending an extra $7.99 for Cuboid, making Sony’s total extra “take” from me $57.98 since the launch of PS+ on June 29, 2010.

So far, I’m still happy with my PS+ subscription, but this week’s content included nothing that I was even remotely interested in at this point.