EuroStore Highlights Volume 6
Every week the Playstation Store is updated with new and exciting content. Every week it’s up to you to decide what you’ll be downloading and spending your hard-earned pennies on. It’s not always easy and sometimes it can even be a real dilemma. For all of our European readers out there, and everyone else who likes to read about cool stuff, here’s a weekly feature from us to you! Check out highlights of what the Store has to offer, read about the new content and come back later for more! EuroStore Highlights, here we go!
Hello there. Doing well? I hope you had a great week(end)! 🙂 Missed me? I’m sure you did. Now, to begin with, I want to highlight some of the full games that have become available and definitely are worth getting if you already haven’t. Wanna’ guess which games I’m talking about?
Grand Theft Auto is a very iconic series and one of Rockstar’s most popular franchises to date. When GTA IV was announced, and later when it came out, many people were shocked. Not only did the game look ridiculously good and featured stunning visuals, it also managed to deliver much more in every regard than people initially expected. Set in Liberty City, based on modern day New York City, the title introduced us to a charismatic character called Niko Bellic – a veteran from Eastern Europe who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream. Soon after his arrival he meets with his cousin Roman, only to get himself into trouble. Without giving much away, the plot is fairly complex and it’s necessary to complete the game to fully understand it and get all pieces of the puzzle. Truth to be told, this is the first GTA title that I played from start to finish solely because of the story behind it. I could honestly feel for Niko and at times understood his anger, decisions and pain. Some may argue that Grand Theft Auto IV is slightly more serious than its predecessors, but frankly that’s what I like about it. It offered the open world gameplay we’re used to, including various mini-games, but felt more mature. The map isn’t as large as in San Andreas, but it’s more detailed and texture-heavy instead. There are more NPC’s concentrated in smaller areas and generally the city feels fretty much ‘alive’. You’ve got cars, motorcycles, helicopters, dozens of weapons and new features and much more. Combat has been reworked and now you can use even have your own phone or a computer at the café. Not to mention you can travel also by using the subway, start dating girls play online. When you’re done with the main plot, you can easily transition to the two additional episodes that are part of this Complete Edition – The Lost And Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony. That gives you many more hours of quality gameplay and all of it can be yours just for £27.99/€34.99 – or for 20% less if you’re subscribed to Plus. There’s nothing better than driving a car and listening to radio when it’s raining. No you have the perfect time to re-visit Liberty City before the next game is released some time next year. You know you want it.
If you like guns and like to shoot things, especially zombies, you’ve definitely heard about House of the Head. The third installment in the series is different than the first two games and doesn’t include almost any civilians. Now you have to rescue your partner and, if successful, collect extra lives and points. Bosses are slightly tougher to beat and there is a new rank and grade system. The game also has four different endings. The PS3 version has updated HD graphics, Trophies and also supports PlayStation Move, which even further improves the gameplay experience. This title is a classic you’ll have plenty of fun with and since its arcade days it hasn’t lost any of its charm. In fact, I’d argue it’s more entertaining and hilarious than ever. Plus Plus members can get it for 20% less. Now that’s a bargain! Sit back, relax, lock the door and protect your house from the dead. They’re coming…
PS3 games are great and all, but I’m sure you want to play also something really archaic. Retro. Classic. Old-school. Press start. I’m talking about Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix. This PS1 action-adventure is over a decade old, developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment and published by Eidos Interactive. What’s it all about? Hong Kong – 2048. Enough said. I must point out, however, the suggestive theme between Hana and Rain – 2 of the main characters – which hints at a lesbian relationship between the two. Now that I have your attention, I can finish off by saying that the 2.5D environments are pretty detailed and the more mature story is definitely a welcome addition. For a PS1 title it’s a larger download, but you should be hooked from start to finish. And if not, don’t complain. There isn’t any other classic up for grabs this week anyway. In other words, Retro Helix is m-a-n-d-a-t-o-r-y. Don’t you like hyphens? I thought so.
Although probably not the best in the series, I have to recommend On Tour anyway for two reasons. First, Sony has miraculously decided to release literally tens of PS2 games onto the PlayStation Store – most of which are low-budget or not very well known – and SSX On Tour easily stands out. In fact, it’s so much better than the other titles that it literally shines on the screen, screaming: “Over here! You can’t miss me!” And second, it’s a great way to prepare for the brand new SSX title coming out in less than two weeks. You can warm up and remind yourself of the good old days when the PS2 was still kickin’ and sellin’ like crazy. In terms of gameplay, On Tour is similiar to SSX3 – the best title in the series along with SSX Tricky – and utilizes similiar controls. You snowboard or ski down a mountain, perform various tricks and gain points. This time around you can also create your own character and visually the game is presented in the style of a sketch-book. Some may like that, some may not. As always though, the soundtrack is great. If I were to compare On Tour to any other title out there, I’d say it’s basically Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland on snow – more less. It’s up to you, but £7.99/€9.99 is not a bad price for some SSX…
This second PS2 title might be unknown to some, but it’s full of action you don’t wanna’ miss. As the title suggests, your main weapon will be a giant legendary sword. Sound familiar? What if I told you you’re going to encounter and fight random monsters? Still nothing? Hm… in that case prepare for some heavy air combat! That’s right – I was talking about Devil May Cry. Is Swords of Destiny a DMC clone? Yes and no. While some elements are fairly similiar, SoD manages to stick to its own path. This might not be the best PlayStation 2 game you’ve ever played, but it’s good enough that it kept me entertained. Again, it’s a great way to warm up before the real devil hunter arrives in the following months to teach the demons a lesson – yes, I’m talking about the HD Collection. Give SoD a try. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do the job. Oh, and as with SSX On Tour, expect roughly a 4.5GB download…
Mass Effect is an established franchise that has millions of fans around the world. The first game of the series was a success, but it was the second game that turned it around and put Mass Effect on the map. Combining action role-playing elements and third-person perspective, players quickly took notice and immersed themselves into the vast universe and complex storyline the series has to offer. No surprise when a third installment was announced that both fans and critics got excited, looking forward to where Commander Shepard will take us next. The full game comes out in roughly two weeks, but this demo offers enough content to keep you excited as you wait until D-Day finally arrives. Only downside is that the frame rate occasionally drops, but remember… this is just a demo and demos tend to do that. Stay strong, Commander!
The first Far Cry made our jaws drop. It brought something new to the table and managed to present its rich open world through overwhelming visuals and creative gameplay. The second title, developed by Ubisoft, is a sequel. Frankly, it doesn’t seem that way at first glance. Not only the setting transitioned from a tropical and colourful rainforest to savannas, Far Cry 2 felt like a completely different game. Not necessarily a bad one, though. You have loads of weapons and vehicles to choose from, the visuals have been updated and the game is pretty realistic – from weapon degradation and the dynamic weather system, to a day-and-night cycle and vegetation regenaration. Setting things on fire in Far Cry 2 is entertaining as well, especially watching how it spreads. Beavis would agree. Multiplayer with several modes is present as well. For 7.99/€9.99 it’s not a bad choice and if you’re a Plus subscriber you can get the game completely free. Free things are good.
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That would be everything for Volume 6 of the EuroStore Highlights, but don’t forget to come back again next week for more! We’ve got you covered! Until then game on and hit that follow button on Twitter.
Comments:
I still gotta play Far Cry 1
Don’t. Just don’t.