Feature: Must-Have PlayStation 3 Games - Jon's Picks
Posted by Jon Wahlgren
Looking good
To introduce you to the team we've put together here at Push Square, we asked each team member for two PS3 games they considered absolutely essential. Here, editor at large Jon Wahlgren argues against gravity and in favour of killer robots.
Vanquish
When you think of third-person shooter developers, Japanese studios aren’t necessarily where your mind first goes. But leave it to designer Shinji Mikami, who practically birthed the modern incarnation of the genre with Resident Evil 4, and the circle of wizards over at Platinum Games to show subsequent knuckleheads just how it's done.
Marrying cover-based gameplay with the density of bullet hell and the replayability of the best kind of arcade game, Vanquish is a perfectly balanced machine of a game that gives the genre a real kick in the pants. The PlayStation 3 was used as the lead platform for development and the game suffers from none of the ridiculous technical issues that riddled Sega's port of Bayonetta. Considering its dirt-cheap price by now, there is no reason whatsoever to not have experienced the six-hour campaign once or four times.
WipEout HD Fury
It might not be hyperbole to say that the PlayStation family owes much of its existence to the WipEout franchise: the futuristic racer's blend of sleek design and pumping electronica practically put the PSOne on the map and helped establish the console's "hip" identity.
WipEout HD and its expansion Fury may not be wholly original, pulling most of its content from the PSP titles, but the way it launches the signature franchise into exciting territory with eye-popping visuals, incredible challenge and well-implemented 3DTV support. WipEout HD is the most gorgeous reason to throw your controller across the room, only to fetch it for another go.
#1
ShogunRok said:
Lol, speed freak! Nice choices though, Wipeout HD/ Fury is easily my favourite downloadable title. While Vanquish is brilliant from start to finish. My only gripe is the short length of the game, but the ridiculous gameplay keeps you coming back for another playthrough.
#2
Corbs said:
Great picks Jon. I've long been a big WipEout fan, but perhaps I need to pick up Vanquish now and give it a go.
#3
irken004 said:
I reeeally want to grab Vanquish
#4
Wesker said:
Sony patched Bayonetta and solved all the problems within weeks of its release.
#5
ShogunRok said:
@irken004 You really should, at launch I think a lot of people were put off by its length (about 4 hours on easy/normal, 5-6 on hard/very hard), but you can buy it dirt cheap now - which is probably a more worthy price.
#6
SpaceKappa said:
I've heard nothing but great things about Vanquish. I suppose now's as good a time as any to track it down!
#7
CanisWolfred said:
Vanquished is incredible. I played the demo of Wipeout HD for too long, I should probably pick up the full release.
#8
pikku said:
Oh Jon, you are so very handsome~
#9
WolfRamHeart said:
Those are some really good choices Jon. Wipeout HD is pure fun and I have Vanquish but on that "other" console.
#10
zezhyrule said:
Wipeout HD would be a lot more fun if I was good at racers
I played the Vanquish demo but didn't like it too much.
#11
nathanuc1988 said:
I was personally a little dissapointed in how under appreciated Vanquish was. It had solid reviews but never seemed to pick up much publicity or had much support post launch (lack of DLC). I played through it a few times but wish they'd give me more of a reason to play it again.
#12
JonWahlgren said:
@Corbs: I don't know how many TPS you play but I think you'd really enjoy Vanquish. It translates the overwhelming action of bullet hell perfectly. Utter insanity and tough as nails to boot! There's also incredible allowance for tackling any given situation, and after my third go through I was still finding neat little tricks to use in combat. It's an incredible game.
@zezhyrule: I never said I was good at WipEout
It's still tons of fun anyway I find.
@SpaceKappa: It's always a good time to pick up/revisit Vanquish! DO IT.
#13
TheKingOfTown said:
After playing F-Zero for so long, WipEout's sense of speed was a little underwhelming.
#14
Objection said:
What Billy said about Bayonetta. The patch has been out almost as long as the game and lets you install game data, reducing loading time and practically wiping out all other technical issues.
#15
Twilight_Crow said:
Vanquished has been on my radar for quite a while. I hope I find it for the right price someday.
I got all Wipeout as one of my sony gifts after the blackout. It's good for a nice race now and then, but I would have never bought it.
#16
JonWahlgren said:
@Twilight_Crow: Vanquish is like $20 new nowadays. Worth every penny at three times that!