• A 3D trailer for Uncharted 3 kicked off the conference showing Drake moving around a cruise ship while taking out guards and traversing across ledges. The trailer also revealed that the famous Chloe and Elena will return again to complicate Drake’s romantic life.

• Resistance 3 was up next with great looking trailer and the announcement that this science fiction shooter will also be compatible with Sony’s Playstation Move controller.

• The show for NBA 2k12 took place within the Sony Conference as audiences got to take their first look at the iconic basketball game. Yes, it looked great to but too more to this, Kobe Bryant jumps on stage to show how NBA 2k12 will also feature move support allowing for casual and hardcore gamers to get the most enjoyment out of 2k12. By the looks of it the move worked  pretty well in this regard.

• Sony then announced the release of a new Move game dubbed; Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest which will feature games using bows and arrows as well as swords. Unfortunately not much else was shown on this.

• Sly Cooper was announced after this and given a release date for some time in 2012.

• Bioshock Infinite also made an appearance in the Sony Conference as Kevin Levine (the creator) steps up on stage to state that Infinite will incorporate PS Move functionality. He also added that the Bioshock franchise will be making an appearance on the NGP.

• Next it was time for some announcements regarding the ‘NGP’, Sony’s new and soon to be release portable gaming device. Finally, the NGP has been given a name and as the rumours circled, it will in fact be named the PS Vita. (No, it doesn’t link to health foods.)

• With the PS Vita, audiences got to take a first look at Uncharted: Golden Abyss as well a an RPG named ruin which features Sony’s new concept of playing on the go and saving your PS3 game to your PSP and moving it back when you return home.

• LittleBigPlanet will also feature of the PS Vita, as well as Street Fighter X Tekken which is also set to feature Cole from Infamous as a playable character.

• To conclude the Sony Press Conference, Sony announced the expected prices for the PS Vita which are 249 USD for the wi-fi model and 299 USD for the 3G model. This works out to about R1700 for the wi-fi and R2033 for the 3G model. While these probably wont be the prices we get in SA, we could guess the 3G model will go for about R3000 while the wi-fi stands in at R2500.

While the demo doesn’t exactly tell much of the Duke Nukem Forever story, it certainly gives players a good taste of what is to come. From the get go the inappropriate workings of the game are shown to you as you’re requested to tap R1/RB in order for Duke to take a ‘pee’ (no, we’re not joking). Filthy bits aside, you’re dropped into a boss battle with a fairly huge boss on a football field.

The second stage of the demo gives players a taste of the driving segments of the game, which in short are tons of fun to play through as you dodge boulders tossed at you and ride over bad guys to watch their guts go flying.

The demo doesn’t show much, but you can expect to have fun with Duke Nukem Forever thanks to its over the top, hyperbolic violence gameplay. The game feels fast paced and fluid, giving you little time to think and more time to shoot the head off whatever runs at you. So far the good old favourite guns have returned and you can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as you blow off the heads of the strange boar-like aliens.

To add to the Duke Nukem vibe, the visuals have also been super stylized and lack the polished appearance this gen has shown us but this looks like a conscious move on the developer’s side. Whether this is true or not, you won’t find many tears lost as you watch enemies heads swell and explode after a headshot.

So far the King’s return is looking to be a promising one. However, Friday will be judgement day to decide if Duke’s gum chewing days are in fact over.

PS3 owners can expect a fancier name ‘House of The Dead: Overkill Extended Cut’. Apparently zombie games just feel cooler when they have a mouthful of a name (i.e Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop). To stay on topic, the PS3 version will feature a some addititonal levels and content over the original as well as beefed up visuals and trophy support. Set to launch 25th October along with PS Move Support, HOD: OK (Yes, this is its acronym) is bound to guarantee fun. Will the game contain the plathora ’eff’ words’ that the original had? We can only hope so.

Players can also recieve Pokémon and info via the SpotPass feature allowing them to ‘Catch Them All’. It looks as if the AR cards will also let you bring your favourite Pokémon into your world too. While Nintendo have yet to announce a RPG Pokémon game on the 3DS, this Pokédex looks like a step in the right direction and a display that players can expect proper looking three-dimensional Pokémon in the future.

The main single player experience to be had in Dirt 3 is the Dirt Tour, which is essentially a huge rally championship filled with famous drivers, exotic locations, adrenaline packed racing and more. Players will start off as a Junior Rally driver and have to make a name for themselves in the world of Rally. In order to finish the full four seasons of events players will have to take part in races to earn themselves points which unlock grand events such as the X-Games. In addition to this players will also earn driver points to rank their driver level up as well as unlock new cars from sponsors.

The races can take place in several racing disciplines such as Rally, Rally Cross, Trailblazer, Land Rush and more of your old Dirt 2 favourites. However Dirt 3 has added a few new ones to keep things fresh. They’ve introduced a new head to head mode where you’ll go one on one with racers simultaneously but at different sides of the track, trying to beat each others laptime. There are also new Drift events where powersliding sideways will earn you points as you try beat the target scores. It’s safe to say that the best new addition is the Gymkhana event.

The Gymkhana events make part of the less hardcore side to rally but perhaps more entertaining. These events require players to rack up points by completing different tricks within the Gymkhana course. Tricks include: driting undernearth trucks or through cones, smashing blocks, flying over ramps, doing spin-outs in tiny zones, and performing doughnuts around strange green pillars. Players can also free roam around the Battersea Gymkhana DC Complex and complete small challanges. Overall the addition of the Ghymkhana events and parking lot are superb and they could be a game on its very own. It’s like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, except with cars.

When it comes down to the actual racing of it, Dirt 3 feels as solid as before, if not slightly better. Each car has its own unique handling feel to it and this is easily noticed in Dirt 3. Speaking of vehicles, there are a large number on offer, including old school rally cars. While its no racing sim, the handling plays out somewhere in the middle of simulation and arcade which makes for some thrilling racing moments. Having said that, there’s nothing more satisfying than perfectly power-sliding around a long bend. In order to make the experience even more dynamic, there is the addition of weather conditions including snow and rain to make things interesting and add a new element of fun to the racing.

When it comes to visuals, Dirt 3 is not only the best looking rally game to date but possibly one the best looking videogames around. The attention to detail is really where Dirt 3 shines; whether it’s the glare from the sun blinding you, or the snow off your opponents back tire preventing you from seeing anything, to the tiny rain drops on your bumper, or the clouds of dust created by powerslides in the dirt. Its all very impressive, atmospheric and immersive.

To add to the already impressive Dirt 3 package, the game also features split screen functionality which was sorely missed in the previous Dirt. The split screen plays out smoothly with no compromise on the frame rate. Players can also jump online to create or participate in Dirt events in each discipline. However, there are also two other amazing new game modes including a capture the flag (yes with cars) which is insanely fun as well as a mode known as ‘outbreak’. In outbreak one car will start as an ‘infected’ and will barge into other cars to infect them. Its like Halo’s game mode with cars. In short: great fun.

Overall Dirt 3 is hands down the most entertaining and thrilling racing game to hit shelves. Its single player career is incredibly varied and while it may lack depth with track variation, it will never leave you feeling bored. If it’s cars you’re after, Dirt 3 is no slouch when it comes to this either. It also boasts amazing visuals, solid racing and with its awesome online and offline multiplayer, Dirt 3 has a ton of replay value.

Pros

• Great racing physics
• Gymkhana Events
• Split-screen
• Amazing Online

Cons

• Career lacks a little depth for its variety of tracks available
• We miss the old funky menus

Set in the bustling city of a 1940’s Los Angeles, L.A Noire follows the story of an ex-military solider turned policeman, Cole Phelps. Starting out as a small time ‘cop’, Phelps will have to work his way up the police ranks solving crimes, mysteries and murder. As you go along the story, players will uncover the dark underbelly of this beautiful city. The story is one of L.A Noire’s strongest points, thanks to some great story telling and excellent voice acting.

In terms of gameplay, L.A Noire does have quite a variety of it on offer, which, after about ten hours in won’t change much and leave some with a sense of repetitiveness. We can safely say that this was not the case at GCL, as the game offers a new take on the third person genre. The game consists of twenty-one different crimes to solve but it’s not as simple as that. In order to solve crimes, players will have to visit crime scenes, look for evidence, interview suspects, follow suspicious characters, chase bad guys on foot as well as some car chases. There is no shortage of variety here on offer but unfortunately, once you’ve done it all the game starts to feel repetitive which might put some people off it.

The suspect interviews were one of the parts which we enjoyed the most and definitely give some original flavor to the game. As you rack up evidence and clues, players will encounter characters and ask them a series of questions. With each answer, players will have to decide if their interviewee is lying, hiding something or telling the truth. You’ll have to try and make out the answer based on the characters facial expressions as well as the evidence you have gained.

Visually, L.A Noire is a great looking game.  The visuals are sharp, and filled with lots of detail which is impressive of a game of this size. Facial expressions have been created spot-on thanks to the motion tracking done of the actors’ faces and to put it short, they will blow you away. The city of Los Angeles is definitely a beautiful one as thanks to some great level design which doesn’t see the game reusing the same looking buildings for kilometers at a time.

There is more than enough evidence here to prove a clear case that LA Noire is a great game. It provides a great atmosphere and immersive experience with great story telling and unique, immersive gameplay. Yes, it might seem repetitive at times but for the moment there is no other game which will offer this type of experience. If you’re looking for something fresh and entertaining, then this is definitely one to consider.

Pros

• Great 1940′s Atmosphere
• Immersive story
• Unique Gameplay

Cons

• A little repetitive for some

There are several options which Poké-fans can purchase and these range from your small booster packs (50 ZAR), starter packs (99 – 200 ZAR) as well as collectors tins (200 ZAR). Its been a long time since South Africa has actually sold the Pokémon TCG but maybe this might just be the revive its been looking for.

One can only wonder if the Pokémon TCG is still played in tournaments in South Africa but we’ll keep you posted if they do. Check our your nearest gaming retailers for availability.