42 hot games only on PS3: 15-6

In part one of our countdown of the 42 hottest upcoming PS3 exclusives we touched on games like The Agency, DC Universe and Twisted Metal.

In part two we're counting down from 15 to 6 and will be taking a closer look at games such Ni No Kuni and Resistance 3.

15. Uncharted 3: Beautiful, enthralling, funny - is there a series more deserving of a sequel?

Perhaps fittingly, Uncharted 3 is almost entirely mysterious. However, Emily Rose - the voice of Elena Fisher - recently Twittered her arrival in Los Angeles and announced that she was starting work on Uncharted.

It could be for DLC, of course, but a look at the history proves interesting. The original released in November 2007, and the sequel in October 2009.

Should Naughty Dog follow the pattern expect Uncharted 3 next Autumn: which makes now a good time to begin recording. As for setting, we've seen jungles and snowy mountains. Anyone for sand and maybe the odd pyramid?

14. Journey: Existential crisis in game form?

Most games want you to feel big. Journey wants you to feel small. This sandy, PSN game breaks other rules too. You wake up in a desert. There's a distant mountain beaming light into the sky.

The only enemy is nature, the only friend a lone, unidentifiable player... what do you do?

13. Ni No Kuni: Level-5 and Studio Ghibli spin a classic tale of boy meets, er, fairy.

Set in what looks like a quaint rural European village from the 1950s, surrounded by a moat with a grand castle at its centre, 13-year-old Oliver is looking for a fish.

Not just any fish: he needs to find a rare red piscine specimen to present to King Nyandaru, the king of Goroneru. You see, Nyandaru likes fish very much. And that's because, like many of the residents of Goroneru, Nyandaru is actually a cat.

If all of this reminds you of The Cat Returns by Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, well done.

Ni No Kuni: Shiroki Seihai No Joou (or Second Land: The Queen Of White Sacred Ash) is a collaboration between Ghibli and Rogue Galaxy developer Level-5, due in Japan sometime next year (preceded by a DS version this Christmas).

Unveiled in playable form at TGS to massive queues, the game is already living up to the hype surrounding it in Japan.

The attention to detail is stunning. Every pixel has been painstakingly painted, and the in-engine animations are mind-bogglingly close to the likes of Spirited Away; it's the closest you'll get to actually playing an anime on PlayStation 3. Ni No Kuni is an RPG, but it's aimed at the widest possible audience.

"Everyone in Japan loves Ghibli's films," Level-5 spokeswoman Noriko Maruya tells PSM3. "We want all of those people to enjoy the game, so we've been very careful to make it accessible to everyone."

Encounters are easily avoided, as enemies are visible on the field; getting into a scrape reveals a stripped-down command-based combat system, as Oliver commands his lamp-nosed male fairy friend Shizuku to attack, use an item, cast a spell or escape.

Capturing creatures (known as Imagines) will add them, Pokemon-style, to Oliver's team for use in his future battles. Move over, Final Fantasy XIII: the PS3's most gorgeous-looking RPG is on the way, and there's not a Chocobo in sight...

12. Motorstorm Apocalypse: You thought the increase in congestion charging is bad? You're wrong.

Hailed by some as the ultimate 3D game - howling through an earthquake means there's plenty flying at your face -Apocalypse is working hard in 2D too.

The shift to the city brings collapsing buildings, rising slabs, spreading chasms and shifting routes. While much is scripted, it won't be the same each time you play. The pedestrians you slam into will be well pleased.

11. LittleBigPlanet 2: Delayed, but the Beta trial is showing unbelievable promise.

According to devs Media Molecule, the sequel's delay until January was to cut down on the need to patch the game post-release.

This means they can implement fixes and tweaks from the Beta before launch. Sensible, as the Beta seems to be showcasing near limitless possibilities.

We've already seen classics like Pac Man and Geometry Wars, while others demonstrate how to build an RPG - with working inventory - or show off working First Person Shooters.

10. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One: At last. Crafty, cheery violence for all the family.

There's plenty of conflict out there, so four-player co-op action is welcome. But that's not it. Insomniac has taken great pains to keep all four players on one screen. That's why this is exciting.

Why is one screen good? Visual quality is higher than a split screen, everyone can see everything all the time and gameplay flows seamlessly into cut-scenes.

It zooms when you're bunched and pulls out when you scatter. Simple. Clever. And full of potential for lots of big, group set-pieces.

9. Killzone 3: PS Move compatible 3D shooter aims to be PS3's ultimate technical showcase.

Ever wondered what pushing somebody's eyes out with your thumbs would look like in 3D, but don't live in Newport? Wonder no more.

Killzone 3 combines new Brutal Melee moves with 3D support - and PS Move support, arm-waving fans - so you can find out.

Guerrilla Games is also promising greater variety and, having already used all possible greys and browns the unburst human eye can see, that means trips through jungle, ice plains, nuked cities and space.

PlayStation 3 exclusive DLC & HD remakes

8. Heavy Rain: It has now been patched with Move functionality? Grab it off the PSN now - it is free for Move owners.

7. Dead Space Extraction: The former Wii-only on-rails prequel to Dead Space. It'll be beautified via an HD make-over and will have Move controls built in.

6. Medal of Honor Frontline: Remastered in HD. That beach landing opener doesn't quite have the same impact as it did first time round, but the rest of the game holds up surprisingly well. You'll also get an invite to the Battlefield 3 Beta, which is - sadly - a multiformat thing.

Check back tomorrow to see the final part of the countdown where we'll be revealing a few more of the hottest upcoming PS3 exclusives and unveiling our most anticipated PS3 exclusive.

Order PSM3 here and have it delivered straight to your door.

42 hot games only on PS3: 5 - 1

If you skipped part one and part two of our countdown you've missed out on a list of 37 of the hottest upcoming PS3 exclusives - so go back and have a quick look.

On the final part of our countdown we're going to crown our most anticipated PS3 exclusive - enjoy.

5. Infamous 2: The world's only electric postman returns with a brand-new postcode.

Cole MacGrath, the human equivalent of a Starbucks coffee cup and possibly the most urban man to ever exist, has found a better place to free-run.

The occasionally flooded New Marais - think New Orleans - is a far more organic, attractive and downright interesting place than the original's New York-alike.

Early gameplay suggests a greater flow to the lines Cole can take, a city more open to his unique electrical powers.

Pulses of power fire him up drainpipes, along cables and across building facades with frantic ease, while set-pieces are frequent and cheerfully over-the-top.

Cole thinks nothing of chasing a car that's under police escort and fighting a helicopter he's accidentally made angry. But will he ever deliver that parcel?

4. Resistance 3: Insomniac's stunning shooter heads from St Louis to New York, as the Chimera brings humanity to its knees.

The second game ends with Chimera infected hero Nathan Hale - boosted by an alien infection that increases his strength, but slowly erodes his humanity - killing Chimeran leader Daedalus, and planting a nuclear bomb on the alien fleet.

The celebration's dashed when Nathan Hale (yes, you) touches Daedalus, suffers a psychic shock and - so we're led to believe - turns into a Chimeran villain. So, er, where does that leave Resistance 3?

Easy. With you playing as Joseph Capelli, the last of the human, but alien powered, Sentinels, who keep their infection under control with inhibitors - and, as fate would have it, the feller who reluctantly puts a bullet in Hale's brain, presumably killing him, at the end of Resistance 2. "Forgive me Sir, It was an honour".

Confused? Basically, the game's set in an alternative post-WWII circa 1951, where humanity is overrun by mysterious Chimeran 'aliens', who may be of our own origin, or have existed on Earth for centuries before their awakening. Er, yes.

With America under Chimeran control, and 80 million humans dying at the end of Resistance 2, the third game's tone is bleak. It looks like Capelli is trying to round up 'resistance' members, driven underground, while heading to New York via train, boat and on foot.

Why? We're not sure, but we're guessing it's to a) Kill Hale (again) or b) Inject him with something to make him good again in time for Resistance 4.

Above all, we hope it's erased the linearity and dull set-pieces of the last game, so we can focus on the improved visuals, superb weapons and intriguing plot. It's in the balance, but this could yet turn into 2011's best shooter.

3. Ico: PS2 classic Ico returns - and with HD and 3D visuals, it's more breathtaking than ever.

A young boy - gangly frame, ethnic tunic, horns protruding from his head - clasps the hand of an angelic young girl, and they run through a gigantic, inhospitable fortress.

The boy lets go of her hand to investigate the path ahead and make it easier for the less nimble girl to progress. But as the boy's back is turned, a horde of shadowy demons materialise from a vortex in the ground and begin to drag the girl away. The boy attacks with a wooden stick and pulls her free.

The player sighs with relief. Welcome back to Ico.

"There are some areas where I look back on Ico and I think, 'Why did I spend so much time and energy on this part of the game?'", says auteur director Fumito Ueda of the 2001 masterpiece that started one of PlayStation's most epic, original adventure sagas.

"Now I realise that I put an unusual balance of energy into its development. Maybe I'd do that differently now."

Thank goodness he didn't back then. Ico's deceptively simplistic gameplay, emotional concept and breathtaking vistas inspired not only follow-ups Shadow Of The Colossus and The Last Guardian but also much-loved games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

And the reissue for PlayStation 3, packaged on one disc with SOTC, is set to look better than ever, with upscaled HD graphics, a widescreen ratio and optional 3D. The bundle price is currently unknown, but we'd be more than happy to pay a regular £40 RRP come the HD collection's rumoured April 2011 UK release - though the God of War HD collection was only £25.

"Both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus were designed in a very 3D environment with a lot of depth of field," says Ueda.

"So the power of the PS3 will allow these environments to come to life in real 3D at last." We haven't seen the 3D yet, but Ueda is not one to let quality slide. Throw in Trophy support and you've got an unmissable package due in spring 2011 - just in time to get you up to speed for The Last Guardian's winter release.

2. Shadow of the Colossus: One of the PS2's most immense experiences reveals its hulking frame to a new generation.

Felling a giant beast is never easy. For one thing, their weak spot is nearly always on top of their head.

And then there's the matter of getting up there, gripping tightly to the monster's matted hair as it tries wildly to shake you off. Plus, you need to figure out how to get a grip of some hair in the first place, because the thing about giant beasts is that they keep their hairy bits quite high off the ground.

No, it's never easy. But, oh, so very fulfilling.

Back in 2005, Shadow Of The Colossus on PS2 took Ico's grand landscapes to a whole new level, with young Wander saddling his horse Agro to ride across vast plains in search of monsters that are, well, colossal.

Unlike Ico - now being developed for a Hollywood film - this focuses on the thrill of bringing down one gigantic Colossus at a time.

"The natural assumption is that we've simply ported the PS2 versions of the two games to PS3, but it's not that simple," says director Fumito Ueda.

"We're reworking all the textures into HD, which is coming along very nicely. And there were areas in Shadow Of The Colossus where I was unhappy with the framerate, but this time it will have solid 30fps throughout."

Like Ico, Shadow Of The Colossus will run in 3D and feature Trophy support. So far we've only seen a work in progress version, but the visuals are incredibly bold in HD - well, they always were - and the game runs like an absolute dream.

As for speculation that some Colossi cut from the original release might be reinstated, Ueda killed it stone dead. "Immediately after completing Ico or Shadow Of The Colossus, there were moments when I thought, 'I wish I could have done this or that.' But after all these years, I think they play really well just the way they are."

1. The Last Guardian: Ico creator sets 2011 date for his technically astonishing epic.

The Last Guardian is going to be big. Literally. In a small conference room at the recent Tokyo Game Show, Fumito Ueda - reclusive director of PlayStation 2 epics Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus (both due HD remakes) - revealed to a reverent media crowd the latest information about his long-awaited new game, in which a small boy makes a larger than life friend.

There are plenty of parallels to be drawn with the previous two games in the Ico trilogy. The Last Guardian has, at its core, a buddy system: Just as Ico protected Yorda in the first game and Wander's horse Agro sacrificed itself for him in the second, so too does the as-yet-unnamed young boy in the new game rely on the Trico, a gargantuan bird-cat hybrid with a mind of its own.

"Real-life interaction between humans and animals is not always smooth," said Ueda at the presentation, explaining that the Trico will not always respond to the player's commands.

But bonding with the beast will be crucial to cracking the environment-based puzzles, which appear similar to those in Ico.

Gameplay footage flashed across a screen showing the Trico swiping at guards with its mammoth paws or crushing barrels in its mighty jaws; another clip showed the boy scaling the slumbering creature's feathered body and waking it with a bounce on the head.

"This is our fi rst game for PS3, and with all that extra power, we're making the most of the scale of the Trico character and the boy, and the dynamic between them," explained Ueda.

He also hinted that the beast may interfere with partly destructible environments, hampering the boy's progress from time to time.

The boy, by the way, has had a sex change. Originally, Ueda had intended the hero of The Last Guardian to be a heroine, to accentuate the difference in proportions between the playable character and the Trico.

"The Trico is a very powerful creature," said Ueda. "If we'd had a beefed-up, powerful hero, it would have thrown off the balance a little bit, so the design naturally drove me to create an adolescent female character who was light on her feet.

But in the end I decided a boy would have a little more grip power to climb the Trico. Another problem is that girls tend to wear skirts, and The Last Guardian features a lot of climbing..."

The landscape will be just as impressive as you'd hope, with an oversized derelict fortress not dissimilar to that in Ico seemingly providing the game's main arena.

While the Hi-def PS3 reissues of Ico and SOTC will render these spaces in 3D, Ueda has yet to decide whether to include it for the new title. Not that a game this ambitious needs to rely on such gimmicks: its late 2011 release will be huge. Or did we say that already?

Order PSM3 here and have it delivered straight to your door.

UK politicians clash on video games tax

CVG Home ? News Sunday 31-Oct-2010 3:45 PM Lib Dems cite RTW closure; Labour says jobs will go
Labour and The Coalition Government clashed over tax relief for British video games studios on live TV earlier today. Speaking on the BBC Politics Show, Labour Shadow Minister for International Development Gareth Thomas claimed that the Tories and Liberal Democrats were putting jobs at risk unnecessarily by scrapping the scheme.

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake cited APB creator RealTime Worlds as an example of the insecure nature of the industry. He suggested that Labour hadn't truly "costed" for games tax relief when in office.

Brake said: "It was going to cost £192 million. The Government [has to be] well placed to pick winners... In the game industry, we've just seen RealTime Worlds in Scotland - responsible for Grand Theft Auto - has gone put of business... We need to make sure the infrastructure is strong [before investing in a sector]."

Brake's advisers could do with a little assistance, it seems: RTW founder Dave Jones was involved in the creation of the original, top-down GTA whilst at DMA Design, but has long since been disconnected from the Rockstar series.

Labour MP Thomas said that there had been a "whole series of British jobs created by the games industry in the UK", but that due to the lack of a tax credit, there was now a "question mark that jobs created can now be maintained".

Brake countered that the tax relief was a "another spending commitment made by Labour that was uncosted" and said that the Opposition's claim to be able to put the tax relief in place but still cut 20 per cent of state spending "doesn't add up, I'm afraid."

Labour pledged that video games studios would be given a subsidy in line with the UK film industry as part of its March Budget - a decision backed by leading Tories.

However, Coalition Chancellor George Osborne ruled out the move as part of his first spending review in June.

Prime Minister David Cameron this week admitted in Parliament that it had been a "difficult decision", but ruled out a U-turn.

Today's Politics Show London was broadcast live from the MCM Expo in London.

At one point, a giant Darth Vader stomped around behind both MPs. They pretended not to notice.

function print_article(id) { window.open('/print.php?id=' + id, 'print', 'width=500,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no,resizable=no'); } function email_article(id) { window.open('/email.php?id=' + id, 'email', 'width=484,height=420,toolbar=no,resizable=no'); }   Honestly, why did so many people vote for the Torries ? its just going to end up a repeat of the last time they were in power Realtime Worlds never had anything to do with Grand Theft Auto ...This is what happens when a group of millionaires try to run a country. It's such a shame when some of the greatest games in history have come from these isles. I doubt you would see another Perfect dark or goldeneye under this current government. How many billions did the Iraq war cost? How many AAA Videogames could have been funded with that money?citing RTW tbh was bad as they were going down no matter what it seemedNext to the japs us brits used to be the best in games developing but slowly due to high cost we are being driven out of the game. I got a good idea why don't we put a stupid amount of tax on games and destroy that industry just like the rest of british industry NOT!!!!. Stupid politicians letting the rest of the world overtake us in every way possible why they spend all the taxes on 3rd homes and whores.Goldeneye developed under a Tory government; billions wasted on Iraq War under Labour government; 13 years of power with no tax breaks for gaming... just saying. They're all as bad as each other.

I don't see why gaming should be a special case anyway. Loads of industries need help and corporation tax has come down for every company now. With a handful of exceptions, these aren't some little companies making these games, they're more than likely massive multi nationals worth billions. Let's give them some money back!!

How many billions did the Iraq war cost? How many AAA Videogames could have been funded with that money?
Estimates vary with most of the ones I have read around the 4 to 5 billion mark though for all I know it could be more or less...

Anyway, Labour had 13 years to introduce this. All politicians, no matter what party, are as bad as one another.

Also, I love how your priorities are AAA games over schools, hospitals and jobs.

600 billion pounds pumped into the banks after they f**ked up. We could have AAA game every week.600 billion pounds pumped into the banks after they f**ked up. We could have AAA game every week.
Hate to break it to you, but the world needs banks a hell of a lot more than it needs games... Besides which, who lends money to developers to finance making games?APB dev failed because of them releasing 2 "meh" games.@Killieman Helping the game industry WOULD help jobs.

I'm currently at Uni doing a games art & design course so I've been following this story closely. The main issue and why it keeps getting brought up so much is people like me who only have learnt how design games will be forced to either move to a different country where they have thriving games companies or we have to go back to Uni (which will cost us and the government more money) to learn a skill that would actually get us a job in this crap country.

This tax cut was really needed but now we are getting screwed over big time.

wow so the tories just pulled out an extra 500 million pounds to give to the EU budget which is not even democratic ,but can`t find the funding for the games industry and something that will help keep jobs n make new ones.
This government is bk to front and now privatising are nukes and selling them to the americans and selling the royal mail to TNT or german post hahaha WTF did we actually win are freedom in past wars or what cause we selling the crown jewels right now.600 billion pounds pumped into the banks after they f**ked up. We could have AAA game every week.
Hate to break it to you, but the world needs banks a hell of a lot more than it needs games... Besides which, who lends money to developers to finance making games?
Ok, here's the thing. If dev studio will f**k things up by releasing meh games, it goes to administration. Game over.
When banks f**ked up, government pumped them with money, but not bankrupting devs studios or other companies.If nearly every single person, pension fund etc in the UK had shares in Realtime and they employed tens of thousands of people, I expect they would have bailed them out.

Not that is makes it morally right, but I don't think banks have been bailed out worldwide as part of some capitalist agenda. Although maybe the banks got into that state as part of some capitalist agenda - knowing the government would bail them out!?!

This is the legacy of Labour's time in power. Lie's impossible promises and damaged economy and a huge debt that now needs drastic action to recover it. If anyone here really believed Labour were ever going to go through with their promise for a tax cut on the games industry then they were and are gullible.
Ok, here's the thing. If dev studio will f**k things up by releasing meh games, it goes to administration. Game over.
When banks f**ked up, government pumped them with money, but not bankrupting devs studios or other companies.
But banking is integral to the functioning of the economy. And our games industry, while successful, is chicken-feed in comparison. To put it in perspective - since the start of the banking crisis / credit crunch / whatever you want to call it; HBOS on its own has laid off more than twice the total number of people employed by UK games developers...Honestly, why did so many people vote for the Torries ? its just going to end up a repeat of the last time they were in power
They didn't! The conservative party did not gain enough public support to win the election. Thats why we are all suffering adhoc reactionary policies that were not put to the public BEFORE the election. We should be grateful Cleggy hasn't let black wednesday Dave have it all his own way... yet.
roflmaoi blame anyone that voted torie or libdem. FOOLS Like it'd be any different with one of the other parties in power, really, just accept it and shake your fists in private.hi this is all down to the labour lefty party what caused all this headlinesLabour MP Thomas said that there had been a "whole series of British jobs created by the games industry in the UK", but that due to the lack of a tax credit, there was now a "question mark that jobs created can now be maintained".
My job is not subsidised by the goverment and I get no tax credits so I'm sorry, my heart bleeds. But maybe the Uni educated spongers can get off their high horse and actually make their own way in the world instead of expecting government hand-outs. Its a cruel world, get over yourselves.News | Reviews | Previews | Features | Interviews | Cheats | Hardware | Forums | Competitions | Blogs Top Games: PES 2011 | BioShock: Infinite | Deus Ex: Human Revolution | Assassin's Creed Brotherhood | Call Of Duty: Black Ops | FIFA 11
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42 hot games only on PS3: 15-6

6 Comments In part one of our countdown of the 42 hottest upcoming PS3 exclusives we touched on games like The Agency, DC Universe and Twisted Metal.

In part two we're counting down from 15 to 6 and will be taking a closer look at games such Ni No Kuni and Resistance 3.

15. Uncharted 3: Beautiful, enthralling, funny - is there a series more deserving of a sequel?

42 hot games only on PS3: 42-16

5 Comments The PlayStation 3 already has its fair share of impressive exclusive titles.

Blockbuster games such as Uncharted 2, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Killzone 3 have set the bar pretty high for upcoming titles.

Fortunately the lineup is looking very strong indeed. Over the next few days we'll be counting down 42 of the most anticipated upcoming PS3 exclusives.

42. Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Need more emo boys hitting each other with big swords and making moody comments in your life? You'll love this.

Mobile games market 'worth $10 billion by 2014'

The mobile gaming market is set to be worth almost $10 billion (£6.3 billion) by 2014, according to a new report from research firm Futuresource Consulting.