I'm terrible at FIFA 14 but I'm not sure it's entirely because of poor skills. At home I'm playing my PS3 copy of the game, whereas in the office at lunchtime we play league games on the Xbox 360. This constant switching between controllers is causing all kinds of problems, and hurting my performance in league matches. It's either that or I'm just plain awful at the latest FIFA, which could well be true. Currently I come unstuck due to terrible defending and opponents scoring ridiculous shots from 30 yards. And I only really start to play once I'm already two goals down.
If I had it my way, The Last Guardian would've been released two years ago, but if the likes of Rain continue to be hurled up as miniature replacements I'll take it. The run of smaller, indie-like games that come out from Sony - Journey included - are always a joy to play, taking the smallest of ideas and making them work near perfectly.
Rain follows suit by introducing the concept of a boy who is invisible unless his body is out in the… wait for it… rain. Built around this is a simple puzzle game where you're constantly trying to use this disappearing act to stay away from 'the darkness' (which, unfortunately, doesn't refer to the rock band). It's never too complicated or overbearing - it's just wonderfully easy to play through and enjoy.
If Sony could start releasing one of these every few months I won't even remember who Team ICO are*.
*This is not true. Long live Team ICO.
I thought I'd make the most of this superb memory management game before it's succeeded by next-gen's 'where's-the-fun-in-that' automated download service, and good golly, it's just as enjoyable as it ever was.
Every time I return to Battlefield 3 after a few months away there seems to be another 2GB update or piece of multiplayer DLC waiting that requires I re-coordinate my storage space to get going. There are so many, in fact, that EA has an entire help section devoted to which ones are necessary to continue playing.
It's a small thing, but if there's one thing I'm excited for about next-gen besides the usual, it's the knowledge that I'll rarely be aware of title updates, and when I am, they'll (hopefully) have downloaded and installed before I even turn the console on. It may sound silly, but the instant readiness of Xbox One and PS4 excites me more than most of the games.
Anyway, with everything updated and the Battlefield bug re-caught, I had a few tense games with fellow forumite Marink, keeping MCOM stations locked down at Damavand Peak and battling for territory on Caspian Border. And you know what? Thanks to those extensive tweaks and updates it's even better today than it was two years ago. While I certainly understand some of the complaints people have with BF3 (particularly on console), for me, when it comes to sheer online shooter entertainment, only Bad Company 2 and Call of Duty 4 come close to touching it.
If Battlefield 4 can bring next-gen in with a bang, then – and if it's as competent as Battlefield 3 is today - it'll lay the groundwork for a mighty impressive new cycle. I just hope it looks as good as I'd expect it to...
It's that time again, where I've been mostly playing a game I can't talk about. In this case it's David Cage's mega-hyped follow-up to Heavy Rain, and all I can really say is that next Tuesday's reviews are going to be very, very interesting.
Apart from that, I've also been playing GTA Online. After a shaky couple of days I managed to get in fairly easily, and although it's technically all over the show at the moment, there's huge potential there, as Miller pointed out this week.
2011 Honourable Mention: Jamestown
Custom Zombies: How To Download and Play Custom Zombie Maps.
Mad Max Guide - Magnum Opus Upgrade & Scrap Metal Guide
Confessions of a Plants vs Zombies Addict
Torchlight 2: Summoner Tank Engineer Build Guide